Pokémon Red and Blue: Cerulean City Gym

The gym is laid out as a pool with a walkway for you to get across. The first gym trainer approaches you from the water. He is a Swimmer who uses a Horsea and a Shellder, at level 16. Shellder is very defensive and knows Withdraw, which can make it more so.

After defeating him, head north, toward the gym leader, you will be approached by another trainer. She is a Jr. Trainer♀, who uses a single Goldeen at level 19. It knows the Flying-type move Peck, along with Tail Whip and Supersonic.

After defeating her, talk to Misty.

Leader Misty		Cerulean City Gym		2 Pokémon		P2079
		Staryu		Water		L18
Tackle	Normal	Water Gun	Water
		Starmie		Water/Psychic		L21
Tackle	Normal	Water Gun	Water	Harden	Normal	BubbleBeam	Water

Staryu is an easy defeat at the hands of Bulbasaur, Pikachu or Rattata. Misty's strategy is to use an X Defend to boost Starmie's Defense, while it destroys you with BubbleBeam, which has a chance to confuse even if it doesn't knock out your Pokémon. Hit it with a Leer to cancel this out, then destroy it with Vine Whip, ThunderShock, Hyper Fang or Mega Punch.

Upon defeat, Misty will award you with the CascadeBadge. She will also give you TM11 which contains BubbleBeam. There is only one in the game, so use it only on your very best Water-type.

When you're done, exit the gym and head north onto Route 24. If you already traversed the northern routes, then go through the house in the northeast part of town toward Route 5.

Advance to Route 24

Advance to Route 5

Pokémon Red and Blue: Route 3

Due to the amount of trainers on this route, they have been numbered for easy reference.

Trainer 1 is a Lass who uses two Pidgey at level 9.

Trainer 2 is a Bug Catcher who uses a Caterpie, a Weedle and another Caterpie, at level 10.

Trainer 3 is a Youngster, who uses a Rattata and an Ekans. Ekans knows a move called Wrap. Wrap exhibits another broken feature of this game. Wrap lasts for two to five turns and prevents you from attacking therebetween. This is called a trapping move. If one Pokémon is faster than the Pokémon it is facing and uses a 100% accurate trapping move. The enemy Pokémon will not be able to attack until the Pokémon runs out of PP for the move. Your Pokémon are probably faster than Ekans, though, so this is little to worry about.

Trainer 4 is a Bug Catcher, who uses a Weedle, Kakuna, Caterpie and Metapod, at level 9.

Trainer 5 is a Youngster who uses a single Spearow at level 14. This is a job for Pikachu's advantageous Electric moves, or for Pidgey or Squirtle's bulk.

Trainer 6 is a Lass, who uses a Rattata and a Nidoran♂, at level 10.

Trainer 7 is a Bug Catcher, who uses a Caterpie and a Metapod, at level 11.

Trainer 8 is a Lass, who uses a single Jigglypuff. Jigglypuff knows a move called Sing. This move, while inaccurate, can put you to sleep for one to seven turns. Jigglypuff's Pound attack probably isn't powerful enough to take you out in your sleep, but beware.

There is one new Pokémon to catch on this route.

	Pidgey	Normal/Flying	L6-8	45%
	Spearow	Normal/Flying	L5-8	45%
	Jigglypuff	Normal	L3-7	10%

Jigglypuff and Wigglytuff - Acceptable

Jigglypuff has crap defenses, but a pile of HP. It's HP is the sixth highest of all Pokémon in the game, as an unevolved Pokémon. It is a pure Normal-type, and it's movepool encompasses the versatility that comes from being a Normal-type.

It evolves into Wigglytuff with the use of an item called a Moon Stone, which will be available very soon. Wigglytuff's HP is the third highest of all Pokémon in the game.

Competitive experts recommend another Normal-type better, but Wigglytuff is a little more resilient, and can reciprocate its opponent's attacks with Counter. In a single player game, it makes a good shield for beginning players to have.

That's all there is to do on this route, so when you're done, head north onto Route 4.

Advance to Route 4

Pokémon Red and Blue: Route 2

Route 2 is a very short thoroughfare at this point in the game and this segment of the route has only a single patch of grass.

	Caterpie	Bug	L3-5	0%	15%
	Weedle	Bug/Poison	L3-5	15%	0%
	Pidgey	Normal/Flying	L3-5	45%
	Rattata	Normal	L2-5	40%

Either Caterpie or Weedle can be caught early here, but they and their evolutions will be described where they can both be caught in both games in the next section.

Enter the north building and enter Viridian Forest.

Enter Viridian Forest

Pokémon Red and Blue: Route 1 II

Now that you are equipped with Poké Balls, you can catch Pidgey and Rattata on this route.

Pidgey, Pidgeotto and Pidgeot - Acceptable
Pidgey is a sturdy Flying-type. It has an advantage against the third gym; however, it does not learn a Flying-type move until level 31. If you're playing with a full team of six, this can be very late. Likely well past the third gym; however, it becomes all the sturdier when it evolves into Pidgeotto at level 18 and again into Pidgeot at level 36.
As discussed on Route 22, it learns Sand-Attack very early at level 5. This makes the opponents moves much less likely to hit, which is such a handicap that similar moves have been banned from the competitive scene. It is also noteworthy that it gains STAB from Normal-type moves like Quick Attack, Take Down and Double-Edge. Like most Flying-types, it can also learn Fly, a two turn Flying-type move that can be had before the third gym.
It can be outclassed by other Flying-types, including Spearow, who learn a move called Drill Peck, which is the most powerful single-turn Flying-type attack in this generation. Sky Attack is a two turn move with 140 base power, giving it an effective power of 70 per turn, although on the first turn it is completely vulnerable. Fly is a two turn move with 70 base power, on the first turn it can only be hit by Swift; however, it has an effective power of only 35 per turn. Drill Peck is 80 power, every turn, no strings attached, and Pidgey does not get it.

To be fair, like most Normal-types, Hyper Beam can be devastating, and, in the first generation, it does not have to recharge if it defeats the opposing Pokémon. Pidgeot also gets the versatile Mirror Move (at the excessive level of 54, mind you) which reiterates the opponents last Water, Grass, Electric, Ice, Psychic or Dragon move.

Rattata and Raticate - Recommended
Rattata and Raticate have not aged well, but in these games, they are very well rounded Pokémon. The Normal-type was bested only by the all-powerful Psychic type in generation 1. Rattata is a strong attacker and becomes more so when it evolves into Raticate at the early level of 20. Also, at the one badge level of 14, Rattata learns a move called Hyper Fang. With 80 base power, Hyper Fang can sweep through the beginning of the game.
The other move that makes these Pokémon unique is Super Fang. Super Fang cuts the opponent's HP in half. This is powerful, because it disregards Attack and Defense entirely. This allows Raticate to devastate competitive staples like Starmie. Super Fang also almost guarantees getting double the value out of Hyper Beam by negating the recharge. Also, in a single player game, Raticate can get good use out of other essentials like Body Slam and Double-Edge.

After catching Pokémon, continue on to Viridian City again.

Proceed to Viridian City

Advance to Route 2

Pokémon Red and Blue: Route 22

Welcome to the brief Route 22. There are more wild Pokémon to find here; however, the levels and percentages are different depending on which version you are playing. Red Version numbers are marked in red, and Blue Version numbers are marked in, you guessed it, blue.

	Rattata	Normal	L2-4		45%
	Spearow	Normal/Flying	L3-5		10%
	Nidoran♀	Poison	L3-4	L2-4	5%	40%
	Nidoran♂	Poison	L2-4	L3-4	40%	5%

I recommend you battle these Pokémon and raise your starter up to level 12 or so, but not higher than level 15. There is a special prize in it for you if you do. While you are doing this, do not go on the brick road to the north. After you finish grinding and heal at the Pokémon Center in Viridian City, get on the brick road to the north, SAVE YOUR GAME and walk west. You meet your rival and he challenges you to a battle.

Rival Blue		Route 22		2 Pokémon		P280
		Pidgey		Normal/Flying		L9
Gust	Normal	Sand-Attack	Normal
If you chose Bulbasaur...
		Charmander		Fire		L8
Scratch	Normal	Growl	Normal
If you chose Charmander...
		Squirtle		Water		L8
Tackle	Normal	Tail Whip	Normal	Bubble	Water
If you chose Squirtle...
		Bulbasaur		Grass/Poison		L8
Tackle	Normal	Growl	Normal	Leech Seed	Grass

If you chose Charmander, it learned a move called Ember at level 9. If you chose Squirtle, it learned a move called Bubble at level 8. You can use either of these moves to defeat his Pidgey with relative ease. If you chose Bulbasaur, this part will be a little tougher, because his Pidgey resists Vine Whip (which Bulbasaur learns at level 13) and Tackle earns you no same-type attack bonus. However, at level 7, Bulbasaur learned a move called Leech Seed, which you can use on his Pidgey to sap its health every turn, regardless of accuracy.

If you chose Squirtle, Pidgey successfully uses Sand-Attack AND you saved before this battle, you might consider using A + B + Start + Select to try again, because your Tackle is now much less likely to hit, it will be weakened by his Bulbasaur's Growl, and he may use Leech Seed to have a net gain of HP each turn even if you DO hit.

If you chose Bulbasaur, defeating his Charmander is easy as well, because it has not learned Ember yet, so use Leech Seed on it and Tackle it to victory. If you chose Charmander or Squirtle, use Scratch or Tackle repeatedly and use a Potion if your health gets low. If you chose Squirtle, your Tail Whip (which lowers Bulbasaur's defense) is likely to be negated by his Bulbasaur's Growl (which lowers your attack).

To collect your prize for doing this, head back to Pallet Town again. Otherwise, head north from Viridian City onto Route 2.

Return to Pallet Town

Advance to Route 2

Pokémon Red and Blue: Route 1

Welcome to Route 1, the first place in the game where you can encounter wild Pokémon. They are as follows.

	Pidgey	Normal/Flying	L2-5	50%
	Rattata	Normal	L2-4	50%

If you talk to the first person you run into, you will learn that he is a Pokémon Mart employee and he will give you another free Potion.

You can't catch Pokémon for now so continue heading north until you reach Viridian City.

Advance to Viridian City