G/S/C Entei, Raikou...?

Yes, I'm back to my question asking again :D

Anyway, I'm playing Crystal, and I've caught Suicune (because at one point it gives you a chance where it doesn't run), but I'm still trying to catch Raikou and Entei (Entei, preferably).

The first thing I wanted to ask was, I need some tips on finding the remaining beasts. Just as my sister has found both of them by flying to Blackthorn City, going through the cave and wandering in the grass on the route, I've done that at least thirteen times and haven't found either of them when she only did it twice to find two of the beasts. Is there a better strategy or do I have to keep doing this?

The second thing was, or are the beasts in some set locations?

NOTES:
-1. I HAVE defeated the Elite Four, gone to Kanto, and gotten the TM Zap Cannon
-2. I HAVE caught Suicune.
-3. I have NOT awoken the Snorlax in Kanto.

...Help? :?

I've never actually played up to the E4 in Crystal, but I'm pretty sure that Entei and Raikou are both free-roaming.

Your best bet is to fly somewhere central in Johto (I usually did Goldenrod, I think), grab some repels and a pokémon that's higher than the wild ones in the area but below level forty. Apply the repel and wander around in the grass for a while; if you don't find anything, fly back to the city and repeat (flying scrambles the beasts' locations). The beasts only move when you change routes, so if you do this for a while, you'll eventually find them. It could take hours, though; it's all up to luck.

Entei and Raikou start roaming as soon as you wake them up.

There aren't really any tips besides what Negrek said; just stay in Johto and wander, flying periodically.

Also, you can see which route they're currently on by looking up their location in the Pokédex.

I'm pretty sure she means that she's never seen them before, so they're not in her pokédex yet.

Don't they get put in your Pokédex the first time you see them in the Burnt Tower? Or am i sorely mistaken?

They weren't in Silver and Gold; for Crystal, I don't remember.

You don't, by any chance, have a Gold or Silver version that already has Entei and/or Raikou on it, do you? If so, and if you can trade between those games and your Crystal, trade them over and then trade them back so that they'll already be in your Pokédex and you can use that to help track them.

@Negrek: The cost will build up, but before battling the E4, I stored all my money in case I lost, so I could get lucky.
Also, do you have a recommended way I should walk? Like north or south?

@Kratos: No, because my sister's Silver is the only generation 2 game that we have with a working internal battery, and she hasn't caught them yet. Furthermore, our Game Link Cable doesn't work with generation 1 and 2 games.

EDIT: Also, is it best to use regular Repels, Super, or Max?

Super repels are more economically efficient than the other two (max repel costs $200 more, but only gives you 50 more steps).

As for walking, it makes absolutely no difference which way you go, provided you stay in Johto.

If you've seen them you can choose a shot like New Bark and keep flying to New Bark and check your Pokedex every time and eventually they'll get close on the Route next to you so you can find them.

If you haven't found them...I dunno.

I already said I haven't seen them...

And it's not working. I've flown to Goldenrod or Violet at least 18 times total and I'm almost out of Super Repels. I've gotten so frustrated I've resorted to the Blackthorn method, which takes a lot of time. Any more recommendations?

And my sister's ALREADY CAUGHT ENTEI :sad:!!!! (and I rarely use smilies)

Unfortunately, you can't really say it's "not working" because in the end there's no real rhyme or reason to it. It's all random luck. All that flying around is doing is shuffling them around without you having to walk all over the place, and if it takes a while then it takes a while--the only real alternative you have is just wandering around aimlessly. How many repels are you using, anyway? You shouldn't be staying in any route long enough to use up an entire repel--if it hasn't appeared by the time you've taken 100 or so steps, chances are good that it isn't there. At that point you should fly back to the city and try again so you can make good use of the other half of the repel.

Instead of flying constantly, try flying to the town once and then just walking onto the route, walking around for about 100 steps, and then instead of flying to the city just walk back into it and back out again. This gets the beasts to move to a route adjacent to the one they were just on instead of jumping to a random one that may or may not be close to you. This way, the beast will move in a linear fashion that should eventually bring it closer to you, instead of randomly jumping to a route that's one away from you, you can't find it on the route you're on and then when you fly again it randomly jumps somewhere really far away.

Also, before you do anything like this, I recommend saving before you start and not saving again until you get a result (or you have some other reason to, like if you find something shiny or whatever). This way if you use all of your repels and still don't find a beast, you can just cut the game off and try again without having to get more money and buy more repels.

OH, I get it now. Okay!

But will the save thing work if my internal battery is pretty much out? It can hold a save file for a few seconds, but nothing more...

I'm a little confused. Does that mean that you haven't been saving at all this entire time?

As long as you restart the save file before the battery has a chance to erase it (soft reset the Gameboy instead of turning it all the way off and then on again, it'll save time), it should work. If your file is really that shaky, though, then don't bother. Just keep going as you have and be as conservative as you can with the repels so you don't waste money.

I have saved. A lot, actually. But not really for any particular purpose. The last time I saved was in Blackthorn city, but I save before I go through the ice path every time.

Soft resetting is A+B+Select+Start, right?

Yes.

Actually, I guess what I meant to ask was, have you turned the game off at all? I'm just curious as to how you got this far if your game won't hold a file.

Occasionally, I accidentally bump it, but I only have to turn it on and off quickly, then jab the A button to get to my file in time.

Would that work in this situation?

It should, if you think you're quick enough. All that matters is that you reset to the point before you used up all the repels. As I said, though, don't risk it if you're nervous about it.

All right.

Would it still work if I didn't use Repels?