Thunder Plains The Thunder Plains , also known as the Gandof Thunder Plains , is an open , barren landscape connecting Guadosalam to Macalania Woods in " Final Fantasy X " and " Final Fantasy X - 2 " . It is constantly bombarded by lightning and thunder . Long ago , crossing the plains was dangerous due to the never - ending storm , until an Al Bhed named Bilghen set up several towering lightning rods . Ironically , he was in the process of setting up the final tower when he was struck by lightning and killed . In " Final Fantasy X " , the plains are still treacherous , but the towers draw most of the lightning away . The plains are named after High Summoner Gandof who removed the threat of Qactuar s from the Djose continent by driving them to the Thunder Plains and sealing them into Qactuar Stones . Story . " Final Fantasy X " . The party crosses the plains on Yuna ' s pilgrimage to Zanarkand . Rikku is reluctant to pass the plains due to a severe case of , eventually becoming so terrified she collapses on the ground and seizes Tidus by the leg . They decide to camp at the travel agency where Yuna books a room to herself . Hearing voices emanating from her room Tidus becomes curious , but when he tries to eavesdrop he falls into Yuna ' s room as the door was not closed . Yuna was watching the sphere given to her by Jyscal Guado ' s unsent form , and makes up her mind to marry Seymour . " Final Fantasy X - 2 " . Following the start of the Eternal Calm , the Al Bhed have repaired the lightning towers to make the area safe for travelers , although the repairs have not completely stabilized them . Cid comes to the Thunder Plains after being admonished by Yuna , Rikku and Paine at the Zanarkand Ruins , and spends his time in a silent reverie . He wanders into one of the newly discovered caves on the Thunder Plains and is injured , but the Gullwings save him and bring him on board their airship . The girls may also run into Lian and Ayde on the Thunder Plains in the southern section . After Spira falls into turmoil the leaders of the three leading factions of the world go missing causing further conflict . The Gullwings want to do something to pacify the citizens of Spira and organize the " 1000 Words " concert where Yuna is to sing on the deck of the " Celsius " on the Thunder Plains . They get Tobli from the Moonflow to promote the event and gather a crowd . The only recorded moment of the endless storm across the Thunder Plains ceasing is when Yuna performs her song . Shortly after the song starts the rain stops , and by the end , the clouds have parted and the sun shines down on the barren plains . Yuna ' s Songstress dressphere interacts with the sphere display Shinra had made for the concert , displaying Lenne ' s final memories with Shuyin for everyone to see . Lenne ' s spirit appears by Yuna ' s side and joins in a duet with her , before disappearing . Yuna is emotionally drained after the experience and retreats to the " Celsius " cabin , and by the time she awakes , the storm has resumed . Now knowing of Lenne ' s true feelings , Yuna decides to descend to the Farplane and find Shuyin to tell him how much Lenne had loved him , in hopes of bringing a peaceful end to the Vegnagun conflict . Locations . Thunder Plains - South . The journey from Guadosalam in the South can begin with some difficulty . The area is a barren wasteland with many water - filled craters made from the relentless thunder that strikes the plains . All enemies aside from the Melusine and Buer in the South area use Thunder - elemental attacks almost exclusively , which hit hard . Lightning Ward is useful , but comes at a high price ; eight Lightning Marbles can be obtained near the Farplane and can be used to create a Lightningproof armor to make a character virtually invincible in this area . NulShock and Ixion can also be used to afford the party easy travel through this first area . Thunder Plains travel agency . Travelers can find respite from the storm here . The agency has rooms to stay and recover , as well as a shop that sells both items and weapons . The shop clerk Mifurey can be contracted into the Besaid Aurochs . Thunder Plains - North . The north plains have a similar landscape to the south ; barren , dark and no particular landmarks aside from the lightning rod towers . The enemies encountered here use fewer elemental abilities that can be easily negated . The party can expect to encounter a new enemy as well : the Iron Giant . It hits hard but is susceptible to Power Break and Sleep . It is here Yuna announces to the party her answer to Seymour ' s proposal . Secret areas . These are only available in " Final Fantasy X - 2 " . Shops . " Final Fantasy X " . From Rin ' s Travel Agency . Quests . " Final Fantasy X " . Lightning dodge . While on the Thunder Plains lightning can strike Tidus at any time , although the threat is increased when no towers are nearby . When the screen flashes white , if the player quickly presses , Tidus will jump out of the way of the impending lightning strike . If the player presses when there is no flash , Tidus will get struck by the next lightning strike . Getting struck by lightning incurs no loss of HP . If Tidus dodges a certain number of lightning strikes in a row , a treasure chest will appear outside the travel agency . The player may only receive each prize once , but if they dodge a high number of lightning strikes , they will receive all the prizes up to and including the prize for the number of strikes they dodge . The counter will reset if the player gets struck by lightning , visits the screen in front of the travel agency , exits the Thunder Plains from either end , loads a save game , or selects the options " Play blitzball " or " Board airship " when examining a save sphere . The player can keep track of their record by examining a book in the travel agency titled " All About Lightning " . The book tracks how many lightning bolts struck towards Tidus , how many he dodged , and the most bolts he has dodged in a row . Dodging 200 lightning strikes in the " Final Fantasy X HD Remaster " version earns the trophy Lightning Dancer . If the player fled or defeated Dark Ixion in the first fight , there will be no lightning flashes in the Northern Plains until they have defeated Dark Ixion in the second fight . This also means that the Qactuar stones will not glow , and thus cannot be prayed at . This can only happen in the International , PAL , and " HD Remaster " versions . The player can use the " crater trick " to facilitate the process . In the Thunder Plains - South , there is a crater that forces a lightning strike . This crater is just south of the agency next to a lightning tower between the two crevices on either side of the map . Every time Tidus steps into this crater after the first time , a bolt is guaranteed to come down . Knowing when the bolts will strike and how the game allows it to slightly preempt the flash by half a second or so , makes this minigame a lot easier . The player needs to move a short distance away for it to trigger again , but it ' s still only a few seconds between each dodge . One may not need to move away at all , but simply stand in the crater and be ready . It appears to take no more than a couple of seconds for a strike to hit . Additionally , if one stands on the " north " edge of the crater , dodges the first bolt , and lands still in the crater a second bolt will strike instantly , meaning one can do two at once . This makes for a very quick 200 dodges . It is advisable to have the No Encounters ability . Additional rewards : Qactuar stones . There are numerous stones dotted around the south and north areas of the Thunder Plains , that when prayed at , summon Qactuars to roam about the plains . In total there are two Qactuar stones in south area , and six Qactuar stones in north area . A stone is prayed at by pressing in front of it while it is glowing . If one prays at three different stones , a Qactuar Ghost will appear near the center of the southern Thunder Plains area . The player must pray at a broken tower in the southern section of the plains . This will reveal a treasure chest containing Kimahri ' s Celestial Weapon , the Spirit Lance . The chest can only be unlocked if the party has the Celestial Mirror . Dark Ixion . In the International , PAL , and " HD Remaster " versions , Dark Ixion can be fought on the plains . He is available after viewing the arrival cutscene in the Calm Lands . He is encountered twice , the first by talking to a Yevon soldier and after that , by finding him after a lightning strike , both occur in the northern section . " Final Fantasy X - 2 " . Tower re - calibration . The lightning tower calibration minigame can be played in Chapter 2 and 3 . To start , the player must talk to the Al Bhed Technician by the first tower twice . The player receives prizes in Chapter 5 depending on how many times they calibrated a tower ( maximum is 30 ) . Finishing this minigame gives no story completion % , nor is playing it required for an Episode Complete . The player has to enter a series of 30 randomly generated commands . The player has three chances per calibration to complete the tower , and if they miss more than three they will have to re - calibrate the tower from the beginning . The number of misses affects nothing as far as prizes are concerned . Once the player has successfully calibrated the whole tower the player can redo it , but if the player already finished all 30 sequences once , there is no need to do it again . The number of failed calibrations does not affect the player ' s calibration or prizes . There are ten towers on the Thunder Plains . The first towers are easier and then it gets gradually harder . Rikku plays the " Appear and Disappear Calibration " where buttons briefly appear on the screen and the player must press the combination to complete the sequence . If the player isn ' t fast enough they will miss . Rikku ' s towers are Towers # 1 , # 4 and # 7 . In the first tower the button sequence appears in the middle of the player ' s screen , but in the others they appear in random locations around the player ' s field of vision . In the first tower the only buttons are the , , and , but Tower # 4 adds and Tower # 7 adds and and the player must press two buttons simultaneously . The button sequences start slow but get faster toward the end . For Tower # 7 , after the 25th sequence , the commands appear onscreen for only 1 . 5 seconds . Paine plays the " Avalanche Calibration " where the commands fall down in three rows from top to bottom . There is a halfway mark where a command will flash and the player must press the button that flashed before the rows fall to the bottom . If the commands hit the bottom , or the player pressed the wrong button , it will be a miss . The speed will increase further into the calibration . Paine ' s towers are # 2 , # 5 and # 8 . Tower # 2 uses the , , and and , and Tower # 5 and # 8 add and . Yuna plays the " Forgotten Memories Calibration " where the player must remember the button sequences shown onscreen consisting of two phases : a Memory Phase , and an Input Phase . In the Memory Phase the commands appear once before disappearing while the new command appears . The player must remember the commands listed in the sequence . The speed and number of commands will increase . In the Input phase , the player has to input the commands that appeared in the Memory Phase . There is a time limit . If the player inputs the wrong command , or takes too long , it will be a miss . Yuna ' s towers are # 3 , # 6 , # 9 and # 10 . For Towers # 3 and # 6 the number of commands in Memory Phase starts at two and increases into three and then four for the latter stages of calibration . For Tower # 9 the number increases to five in the latter stages , and Tower # 10 to six . Tower # 3 uses the , , and buttons , Tower # 6 adds , Tower # 9 adds and and Tower # 10 adds and . For a tip , the player can place their fingers on the buttons as they appear in the Memory Phase to better remember them for the Input Phase . Tower # 10 is different because it is played in reverse . The easiest way to complete this tower is to use someone else to assist in memory and write down the commands that appear . The player can also write down the commands themselves if they ' re quick enough to pick the controller back up , or can hold the controller in one hand while using the other hand to write the commands down . Another way is to repeat the sequences out loud as they appear to help remember them better . If playing on PC , the player can use the built - in feature to hit the Esc button on the keyboard for a " master menu " at any time to pause the game , even at places where the developers disabled the regular pausing with the pause button to prevent players from " cheating " the timed challenges . The player receives the Samurai ' s Honor Garment Grid for completing all the towers . At least five of them must be calibrated to completion , or 30 successful inputs . Misses do not affect anything . For the individual towers the player can find a prize in a treasure chest that appears after defeating a fiend at each tower in Chapter 5 . Each prize varies on the tower and the number of times they calibrated it . Chocobo treasures . Sending a chocobo to Thunder Plains to look for treasures finds the following items ( depending on the chocobo ' s level ) : Missions . Concert Clean - Up . " A fiend has crawled out from beneath the earth . Exterminate it so concertgoers can listen to your song without any distractions ! " The mission is part of Chapter 4 . A Fallen Genius ? " Frenzied fiends are feeding off the energy stored in the lightning rod towers . Destroy every last one of the fiends clinging to the towers . " The mission becomes available in Chapter 5 . Episode Complete . To get Episode Complete for the Thunder Plains the player must fulfill the following criteria : The lightning calibration minigame isn ' t required for either Episode Complete , nor 100 % game completion . Enemies . " Final Fantasy X " . During the first fight against Dark Ixion , if the player flees or defeats it , then all random encounters are suspended until they leave the area and return . During the second fight against Dark Ixion , all random encounters are suspended until it is defeated . Musical themes . In " Final Fantasy X " , the eponymous " Thunder Plains " plays on the Plains . " Thunder Plains " was one of sixteen tracks chosen from the to be rearranged by Masashi Hamauzu on the " " album . In " Final Fantasy X - 2 " , the theme is again called " Thunder Plains " , but is a different theme .