Pokémon Red and Blue: Route 2 II

The Pokémon here are the same as those in the southwest section of Route 2.

Catch Pokémon if you like, then head north into Pewter City.

Advance to Pewter City

Pokémon Red and Blue: Viridian Forest

Welcome to Viridian Forest, technically the first dungeon of the game. To avoid confusion, the items of this area are lettered, and the trainers are numbered. You enter the forest from the south. If you examine the bottom left side of the tree marked A, you will find a free Antidote. You may encounter these wild Pokémon as you enter the grass on your way to point B.

	Caterpie	Bug	L3	L3-5	5%	45%
	Metapod	Bug	L4	L4-6	5%	40%
	Weedle	Bug/Poison	L3-5	L3	45%	5%
	Kakuna	Bug/Poison	L4-6	L4	40%	5%
	Pikachu	Electric	L3-5		5%

Caterpie, Metapod and Butterfree - Not Recommended

Caterpie is a pure Bug-type. It specializes in HP and Speed; however all of its stats are poor. It experiences a jump in Defense when it evolves into Metapod at the extremely convenient level of 7. Its specialization shifts to the Special stat when it evolves into Butterfree starting at level 10; however, with this comes a 4x weakness to Rock-type moves.

Butterfree is not a good Pokémon. The only advantage it has in this game is that it learns a couple Psychic moves by leveling up. However, its stats are poor and its Bug and Flying-type moves are worse.

The only reason to catch a Caterpie is because it is by far the easiest way to score three points in the Pokédex. Please note: If you catch a Metapod, the only move it will know is Harden, which raises its Defense. In order for it to be able to fend for itself, you must catch a Caterpie, which will know Tackle.

Butterfree is a waste of your one Psychic TM, and almost all enemy Pokémon can take it out in one or two hits. The only advantage to having one is that it learns the dismally inaccurate sleeping move Sleep Powder, and the similar paralysis move Stun Spore.

Weedle, Kakuna and Beedrill - Not Recommended

Weedle is very similar to Caterpie. Its double-edged advantage is that it carries a Poison subtype, which does not change. This gives it a weakness to the almighty Psychic type, but an advantage against the very common Bug and Grass-types. It evolves into the defensive Kakuna at level 7, and into the physical Beedrill at level 10.

Beedrill isn't a good Pokémon either, but it gains Twineedle, the only decent Bug-type move in the game, at the early level of 20.

Like Caterpie, Weedle is an easy three points in the Pokédex, but a Kakuna caught as such will only know Harden.

Beedrill is an acceptable finisher alongside a good team of five, but if you don't care about the Pokédex, don't go for it.

Pikachu and Raichu - Recommended

Say hello to the mascot of the Pokémon series. Pikachu's base Speed is 90, which is good for an unevolved Pokémon. When it evolves into Raichu with the use of a ThunderStone (mid-game) its evolved stats aren't great. Its Speed stat increases to 100 and its Attack and Special become 90. It learns the powerful Thunder by level up, and gains the practical Thunderbolt by TM.
If you're lucky enough to have a Nintendo 64, a copy of Pokémon Stadium and a Super Game Boy, a play-through of Stadium will allow you to trade a Pikachu into your game that knows the essential move Surf. This will allow Pikachu to defeat Rock and Ground-types which otherwise wall it.

Competitively, Raichu's only saving grace is Surf, but in a single player adventure, Pikachu is a great Pokémon to have.

After making the long trek to point B, you are rewarded with a Poké Ball. Collecting this earlier would prevent you from being able to get the five free Poké Balls from Professor Oak.

Trainer 1 can be avoided by sneaking through the grass in front of him, but he's good for some experience. He is a Bug Catcher who uses a Weedle and a Caterpie, both at level 6. If you've done the recommended training, this should be an easy fight, but beware! Weedle's Poison Sting may poison you. In this case, either use the Antidote you found in the tree or make your way back the Pokémon Center quickly, as the poisoned Pokémon's HP will deplete every few steps.

Trainer 2 is a Bug Catcher who uses a Weedle, a Kakuna, then another Weedle, at level 7. Poison is likely here, but an Antidote can be found, conveniently, at point C.

Follow the winding trail to point D for a free Potion.

Position yourself so that you and trainer 3 are looking at the same spot. Examine it to find yet another free Potion. Trainer 3 is the only Bug Catcher you are required to battle. He uses a single level 9 Weedle.

Head north and exit the forest onto the northwest section of Route 2.

Advance to Route 2

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 22 II

Following Route 22 to the west will take you to the Pokémon League HQ Front Gate, through which you cannot pass with getting your first gym badge, but there are some Pokémon available for capture here.

Spearow and Fearow - Recommended
Spearow is a Flying-type as aggressive as its anime debut. It has a strong Attack stat and high Speed. Its Defense is not poor either. It evolves into the long-beaked Fearow at level 20. Even if you don't plan to use a Spearow, I recommend catching one for an exclusive in-game trade later, which is helpful for completing your Pokédex.

Spearow, unlike Pidgey, learns Drill Peck. As I explained in the Pidgey review, Drill Peck is the most powerful and efficient Flying move in the game. Also, as an attacker, it makes even better use of Hyper Beam and Double-Edge than Pidgey does. Personally, there is another Flying-type that I recommend more than Spearow, but it is a very good choice.

Nidoran♀, Nidorina and Nidoqueen - Acceptable

Nidoran♀ is a defensive Poison-type. She can be hard to raise if you catch her now, but she evolves early and easily. She evolves into Nidorina at level 16, and again into Nidoqueen with the use of a Moon Stone. She gains a Ground subtype as a Nidoqueen, and, with it, an immunity to Electricity. Her Defense is her highest stat, but none of her stats are bad.
The moves she learns by leveling up are poor, but she can use a variety of TMs including Toxic. Her diversity is completed when she evolves into Nidoqueen and gains the all-powerful Earthquake.She is fairly outdone by her counterpart Nidoking, who learns better moves by level up and has higher attacking stats.

Nidoran♂, Nidorino and Nidoking - Recommended

Nidoran♂ is an offensive Poison-type. As he evolves, he is another Pokémon fully capable of beating the game all by himself. He evolves into Nidorino at level 16, and again into Nidoking with the use of a Moon Stone. Like his counterpart, he gains a Ground subtype as a Nidoking.

At level 8, he learns Horn Attack, which, with 65 base power, is a lesser, but earlier Hyper Fang. As a Nidorino, at level 50, he learns Horn Drill, which has a dismal 30% accuracy and only works if the opposing Pokémon is slower than he is, but if it hits, is will knock out the opponent's Pokémon in a single hit. Please note that when you evolve most Pokémon by evolution stone, they do not learn any more moves by level up.

Nidoking has great Attack and good Special, but is weak to competitive staples Earthquake, Blizzard and Psychic. On the other hand, he can use all of those moves and more, including Surf, Thunder, Body Slam and Rock Slide.

Red Version players can save time by catching two Nidoran♂s and trading one of them for a Nidoran♀ later in the game. The trade is available in Blue Version as well, but Nidoran♀ is more common anyway.

When you're done, go back to Viridian City and head north onto Route 2.

Advance to Route 2