Trabia Garden - FF8 Guide
At the top of every page of my Final Fantasy 8 Walkthrough I will have a list of the most important GF Abilities for you to learn as well as my personal preference for who to junction GFs to for this part of the story. The game's auto order for GFs learning abilities is extremely terrible so it's strongly recommended you interfere and do the abilities in the order I provide here.
Throughout the game you can also refine Cards into Items and then those Items into magic. I've provided a list of the refinements that you can do for the cards that you will most likely have in your possession at this time during the story below as well. This same information will be provided at the top of every page during the full walkthrough, keep checking it as it'll change as the story progresses.
GF Abilities to Learn:
Carbuncle: Vit+20%, Vit+40%, Vit Bonus, Boost, Mag-J, HP-J, Vit-J, ST-Def-J, ST-Atk-J, Counter, Recov Med-RF
Leviathan: Supt Mag-RF, Spr+20%, Spr+40%, Spr Bonus, Mag-J, Spr-J, Elem-Defx2, Boost, GF Recov Med-RF
Pandemona: Spd-J, Elem-Defx2, Boost, Spd+20%, Spd+40%, Str+20%, Str+40%
King Tonberry: Familiar, Haggle, Sell-High, Call Shop, Initiative, Boost
GF Junctioning:
Squall: Ifrit, Carbuncle, Leviathan, Tonberry
Zell: Shiva, Diablos, Pandemona
Quistis: Siren, Quezacotl, Brothers
(Or whomever you choose as your party; junction them as you see above)
Useful Card Mods & Item Refinements currently available
Trabia Garden is found in the northern portion of the eastern continent. If you've done the Chocobo Forest Side Quest then you've already passed Trabia Garden a few times since it's almost literally right next to the Roaming Chocobo Forest.
When you first arrive at Trabia Garden follow Selphie up the net and speak to the girl standing in front of her at the fountain. Answer with (Just play along with it) when you're asked a question. Just below this girl you'll find a Weapons Monthly Issue tucked away inside of a crack in the ground. You can't actually see the Magazine so you have to know where it is to find it, use the screenshot below for guidance.
There's a Timber Maniacs Magazine for you to find in the graveyard to the northeast from the fountain as well. In order to advance the story forward what you're going to want to do is go left of the fountain and right in the area with the two beds. In this broken down building there will be a terminal in the upper right portion of the screen, examine it for a scene.
Exit this area and you'll encounter Selphie on the same screen with the two beds. Speak to the boy and girl that ran up to her then exit the screen to the left (so, don't go towards the fountain). On this screen you'll find an Aura Draw Point next to the large black thing that crashed into the ground. Grab this as Aura is one of the best magics to Junction to your characters.
Go left one more time to find the Basketball Court, there will be a scene when you arrive. Then try to leave for another very long scene.
During the scene while Squall is in his spectral form exit the room to push the story forward and go out towards the beach. Then speak with Irvine, Quistis, Selphie and Rinoa when you gain control of Squall on the beach. You'll be prompted to form a party then find yourself back on Balamb Garden.
At this point in time you can actually return to Trabia Garden and win the Selphie Card from the first girl we spoke to in this.... town? There's also Zell's Love Quest (Scene #8) available right now too. If you aren't fully stocked on Ultima Magic now is a good time to return to Shumi Village and Draw some more for your characters too.
Depending on how much side stuff you wish to do, there is a lot of Card Mods and Item Refinements currently available that will make your characters pretty overpowered. This list includes Rare Cards that have been available for the duration of Disc 2.
When you're finally ready to proceed with the story you're going to want to go to Edea's House which is on the southern continent. You'll find it on the southwestern most portion of this continent, shown in the screenshots above. Once you're ready to proceed with the story move Balamb Garden close to the flying Galbadia Garden.
A scene will begin where Squall is required to give orders to the entire garden. You're going to want to give the following orders to everyone:
1. Prepare for the attack
2. Prepare our defense
3. Take care of the junior classmen
Once you're done giving everyone the orders speak to Quistis down on the 3F then form your party and head to the 2F. Here you'll want to talk to a kid in the hallway for a Cottage (pictured below). With that in hand you can head down to the Quad on the 1F. I'd recommend you save whenever you get the chance too as there is a lot coming up.
At the Quad you'll want to talk with Zell then Rinoa before you get taken back up to the bridge. When you find yourself back in control of Zell you'll want to equip GFs like he recommends then go left further down into the Quad. After the scene of Rinoa falling from the ledge you'll want to take Zell back to the entrance of Balamb Garden where you'll run into Squall.
Squall will split everyone up into groups again and now that you're in control of Squall you're going to want to go up to the 2F classroom. Junction your new team with GFs before proceeding. Inside the 2F classroom you will fight some Galbadia Soldiers which are extremely easy to defeat. Speak with the students cowering in the bottom right corner once the soldiers are defeated then Dr. Kadowaki will call Squall to the bridge.
Go to the bridge, speak with Dr. Kadowaki then return to the 2F hallway after all of the scenes where you'll find a female student in distress looking for someone named Mark. Travel down the hallway as if you were heading towards the balcony and you'll run into Mark... Plus one of those flying things (pictured below).
When presented with the list of options during these scenes you're going to want to choose the following:
1. Look around for another option
2. Press the button for the emergency exit
There will be a following mini game where you have to knock the enemy off of a rope and there is no penalty for failing it. Each time you do fail though you'll be able to increase how much HP you have which is quite helpful. What I recommend you do is block long enough for the Deathblow command to appear then only use that against the enemy.
After landing you'll want to run left where there will be a scene and you will be asked to name Squall's Ring. When prompted answer with, "Rinoa, let's go" then go to the trees in the distance at the top of the screen (pictured below). Examine them to find an Aura Draw Point.
That's all there is to do before heading inside of Galbadia Garden.
Continue to Galbadia Garden (Disc 2) Walkthrough
Return to Balamb Town (Disc 2) Walkthrough