******************************
*TREATISE ON POKEMON STRATEGY*
******************************
Copyright 2002-present R. Jones <jolt0135@aol.com>
Current version: 1.9955
Started: 2002/01/13
Last update: 2003/02/25
Disclaimer: "Pokemon" and all related names and images are copyright 1995-2001
Nintendo, Inc. and GAMEFREAK. I am not affiliated with either of these
corporations, their parent companies, and/or subsidiaries. The statements and
opinions given in this guide have not been reviewed or approved by Nintendo,
Inc. or GAMEFREAK. Don't do drugs. Thank you for reading this disclaimer.
If you have this document in text format, it's recommended that you change it
to Word (.doc) format right away (with Courier New 10pt font, and L/R margins
of 1"). The references to page numbers are much easier to follow that way.
**********
*CONTENTS*
**********
1. Introduction.............................................................1
100. Version History......................................................2
101. Things to Know.......................................................3
102. Contacting Me........................................................4
2. RBY Mechanics and Strategies.............................................5
200. Help for Starters....................................................5
201. Factoids, Mechanics, and Calculations................................5
202. Pokemon Analysis....................................................34
203. Building a Team.....................................................48
204. Reference Chart.....................................................53
205. Variant Play........................................................79
3. GSC Mechanics and Strategies............................................83
300. Help for Starters...................................................83
301. Factoids, Mechanics, and Calculations...............................84
302. Pokemon Analysis...................................................111
303. Building a Team....................................................132
304. Reference Chart....................................................149
305. Variant Play.......................................................200
4. Conclusion.............................................................205
400. The Error Policy...................................................206
401. Glossary...........................................................206
402. References.........................................................207
403. Credits............................................................207
*****************
*1. Introduction*
*****************
Seven years ago, a company named GAMEFREAK had a vision. An RPG where your
party was six members long, but chosen from a field of 137...and by trading
with other players, this number rose to 150 and eventually 151. And each
member would have an incredible number of powers, but these were similarly
limited to four per member. So many party choices, and so much thought
involved in optimizing these choices, that eventually a player could transcend
the RPG gameplay of Pokemon and turn it into the #1 designed turn-based
strategy game in a long time, possibly since Chess.
However, by releasing their game for a Nintendo system, the company had to
surrender a Contract of Ownership. GAMEFREAK would get lots of money for the
concept, but Nintendo would be in charge of sales and marketing.
Obviously, sales weren't a problem. The base Pokemon series would sell over
10,000,000 units, prompting a second, even more vast series. This one would
sell as well, and a third series lies just one month away.
However, for a game with so much potential, the company in charge sure wasn't
seeing it. Their chosen path of marketing was to make Pokemon action figures,
a self-contradicting TV show, even-more-contradictory movies, a degenerate
card game, and addition to the Pokemon logo to any product which could
possibly carry a price tag.
It was clear: This company doesn't need to follow the vision of GAMEFREAK. As
long as they can sell products and make money, things are good, and what
better audience than the highly impulsive 8-year-olds?
By opting for this path, the players who do wish to play Pokemon for its game
design are left on their own.
Eventually, groups of interested players banded together, with the hopes of
recruiting players and helping them understand the game.
But now, to help reverse the path of inconvenience that those players were
forced to take, I have constructed this treatise for all to use.
Everything that can help you understand the game, in a single document of 208
pages--as small as Nintendo's official Stadium 1 guide, and much more
comprehensive too.
Welcome to the document that, depending on your current position, will either
help you learn the Pokemon games; solidify your knowledge of their numerous
oddities; magnify any interest you may have in complex math; or get you to
stop doing drugs. And to reinforce the position this document holds, it's
completely open to reader input! If you find an error, or wish to submit an
editorial, go right ahead!
Part 2 covers RBY, 3 covers GSC, and 4 covers any would-be lawsuits.
**********************
*100. Version History*
**********************
Note: Updates that do nothing but change move lists, copyright information, or
add editorial comments will not be accounted for here.
V1.99 - 2002/12/25 - I've had many tries at making an all-encompassing guide
to the world of Pokemon. Each time, it's ended in failure--be it computer
crash, an apparent lack of interest by the online community as a whole, or the
work being packed in a box while I move 1,000 miles away. But now, it has
finally materialized. If you're reading this, you're reading the longest-
delayed Pokemon guide ever published. Added sections 100, 101, 102, 200, 201,
202, 203, 204, 205, 300, 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 400, 401, 402, and 403. By
the way, have a merry Christmas if you're reading this right away.
V1.9901 - 2002/12/29 - Since this guide has not appeared on any website as of
yet (despite all necessary measures on my behalf), I'm changing the copyright
information to reflect such a situation. Also expanded section 303.
V1.9902 - 2003/01/02 - Made the copyright restraint much more lenient. Added
the first inductee to the Editing Hall of Fame. I just remembered the need
for a Move Effect Encyclopedia, but after a year of writing, rewriting, and
awaiting publication, I think I deserve a break, at least for now. And yes, I
AM intentionally putting off a version number of 2 until the RS_ update.
V1.994 - 2003/02/02 - Okay, so a month is long enough for a break. This
update changes a lot of 202/302 descriptions, adds the aforementioned Move
Encyclopedia to 204 and 304, and changes the legal information yet again. And
there are also two editorial sections added, one each in 201 and 301.
Basically, every section gets a little something extra. Almost to Version
2...
V1.995 - 2003/02/16 - Finally, over 200 pages! Section 201 gets a forgotten
argument added to the "newbie misconceptions" area, which also gets a name
change. 204 and 304 get some errors fixed, and a new data entry is added to
each. 303's second section is expanded by 28%. The Introduction is
completely gutted and renovated.
V1.9955 - 2003/02/25 - Mainly an error-proofing update, where I corrected
erroneous information on my own (denying a few people eventual trips to the
Hall of Fame). There's a new mode added to 305. Still waiting for March 17,
though the Ruby and Sapphire update probably won't be ready until early May.
*********************
*101. Things to Know*
*********************
1. Don't break the law.
This guide is written by Rusty Jones (aka Jolt135 and/or SadisticMystic). For
a text of this magnitude, that's been in development (and deconstruction) for
almost a year, it's rather obvious why there's a copyright law protecting it.
It's bad enough that I make no money from typing up these 200 pages; the last
thing I need is to go chasing after everyone who tries to separate my name
from the intellectual credit. You may look at the guide from any non-banned
website, and you may download it to your computer for personal use, but
plagiarism is a federal (and international) crime. You may NOT upload this
FAQ onto a Banned Website (the list of banned sites is currently null),
maintain it on a site after that site has been banned, upload a version of the
document that differs from any that I've sent you or that has been available
online at some time or another, force payment for viewing of this document
(though donations are gladly accepted), or print sections of this guide
verbatim while changing the supposed source of the information. Just be good,
and you won't risk an appearance on a COPS marathon. And just to get the
point across, don't do drugs.
2. This is a guide for players who want to advance.
If you want a walkthrough, go look somewhere else. There are enough
walkthroughs out there that finding and using one is no problem. I devote
less than 700 words of this 96,000-word document to the RPG aspect of the
game, because quite simply I think that Pokemon is better classified as a
strategy game. For example, on my Gold cart, the timer reads 693 hours. That
doesn't count experimental restarts, alternate save files, computerized
simulations, or gameplay on Stadium, so in reality I've racked about 4,500
hours with that game. Exactly 23.3 of them were spent getting through the RPG
element of the game, and I never saw much good in that. Which leaves 4,476.7
for strategy testing, and anything that you spend that long on must require
motivation. Case in point. And since the players who have been at the top
for a long time should know most of this material (though I've noticed those
players are reading it anyway since it's a new piece of literature that's hard
to come by in this game), that leaves one market segment left: The players who
are trying to play well, and externally depict themselves as good players, but
know that somehow, they need to improve. If you fall into that category,
prepare to do a lot of reading.
3. Using the Gameshark isn't all bad.
This is one of the toughest points to get across to the newbies on their path
to Transcendence Point (my term for the crossover to the advanced community).
Sure, using a Shark to play an RPG would cheapen the role you're supposedly
playing. But, as the above point addresses, it's my position that Pokemon is
NOT an RPG, except for the 10-20 hours you spend getting to the end for the
first time. Think of those hours as a so-called "driving school", and once
you're done, you gain full access to the game. But playing a pure strategy
game, at an RPG pace, could easily expend several thousand hours . Enter
Gameshark. Yes, some codes (such as 999 stats and quad-Sketch movesets)
undermine even a strategy game. But with the proper codes, all you do is
speed up the process of team building, and set up the all-around level playing
field by setting all stats to (legal) maximums. People will eventually reach
the position at which all Pokemon are optimized; what does it matter whether
it takes five hours or 5,000? And as for Mew, there's a choice: Access it by
modifying your own RAM (2 bytes) or access it by having Nintendo modify your
RAM with the same kind of device (36 bytes). And Nintendo still has the
audacity to call their own Mews "official", but claim that it's "wrong",
"illegal", and "risky" to shark a Mew of your own. Sounds contradictory?
Well, it is. Which brings me to...
4. Nintendo is, for the most part, unreliable and antithetical to players.
The RBY carts have been out for almost four years (in the U. S.). Yet
Nintendo is still highly reluctant to give out the "inside information" about
the game. If you were to listen to everything Nintendo gave about the game in
the past four years, and nothing else, you'd know about as much as top
researchers did after just six months. They don't explain any of the logical
reasoning that I often retort to when giving explanations, and they have
repeatedly failed to give complete versions of stat calculation and damage
formulas. And yet they're supposed to be the "official" authorities for these
games. I find them unworthy to hold such a duty. Several researchers, myself
included, have urged them to release this information to the general public,
to no avail. Meaning they have something to hide, which (in all likelihood)
has to do with a financial loss that would be incurred. Doesn't this sound
like corporate bias? I thought so. Allowing Nintendo to hold their position
as the authorities in charge of all things Pokemon would lead to an
incompletely explored game. With your help, this system just might be
refined.
********************
*102. Contacting Me*
********************
If you have a point of clarification, a disagreement with the information I
present, comments/suggestions, editorials, or even an error (typographical or
otherwise) in the guide, send an e-mail message to me at <jolt0135@aol.com>.
Messages deemed "foolish" or "time-wasting", or that include an attachment
with no text, will be deleted without a response. All other e-mails should be
answered within 72 hours.
*********************************
*2. RBY Mechanics and Strategies*
*********************************
RBY were the games that started it all. While the general stance is that
these games are outdated now, RBY still has a small and devoted following.
************************
*200. Help for Starters*
************************
If you just got the game, and are expecting to receive a full walkthrough, let
me say now: YOU AREN'T. This is a strategy guide, and is primarily meant for
players who have already passed the ten hours of RPG gameplay provided by
Pokemon.
However, I know there are still some of you out there, so allow me to satiate
your appetites with...
"The 250-Word Walkthrough!"
Get starter (Bulbasaur's best; Yellow must use rat). Level up immediately; go
north. Get a box; retrace footsteps; trade for Pokedex. Talk to "Glitch
Guy"; navigate buggy place; receive first badge. Now head east for Cave 1.
At bottom of mountain, fight for irrelevant fossil. Emerge, then east, heal,
and north. Beat 7; get P5000 gold piece. Yellow finds two starters; R/B get
Abra. Kill Misty; find Bill; get overhyped ticket. South thru the tunnel,
continue to seaside. Board ship. Explore if desired, but end with first HM.
Catch Dugtrio (skipping Flash); break into Gym; look for switches. Use said
Dugtrio for badge. Find Bike Voucher. Back to Cerulean, score bike, go east
to second cave. It's dark; trial-and-error works. Exit cave; west thru
tunnel. Get Eevee; evolve (your choice). Buy drink; bribe guard; abandon
subsatisfactory tunnel. Man guarding poster? Battle! Defeat Casino
Underground, Pokemon Tower, Silph Company in order (level up Lapras big time).
Get two more badges. West to Cycling Road (get Fly first). Fun! Beat Safari
Zone (2 HMs, Dratini, Chansey), then Koga. Surf to Cinnabar (flying to Pallet
cuts out Seafoam; faster but no Articuno). Fun with quizzes and badge 7 (and
Missingno.) Finally, Fly to Viridian. Get final badge. Go to Power Plant
for Zapdos, level it up (65's good), then back to Viridian. West to Route 23,
then north. Solve Victory Road. Five battles away from
victory...four...three...two...one...zero. Claim Mewtwo as your prize. Now
build a serious team.
Done with zero words to spare. Now you can start playing the game like the
pros do, and the rest of this guide will help you with that.
********************************************
*201. Factoids, Mechanics, and Calculations*
********************************************
In this section, I explore the facets of the game that you may already know,
that Nintendo won't tell you, and that haven't even been explained completely
until now. It's almost enough to classify this subject as Ph. D-worthy (yeah,
right, like anyone would get paid to play and study this game). Of course,
since it's RBY, there's significantly less information than the corresponding
section in GSC, and you might even be able to learn it all. Now, come join me
as I show the power of researching and/or hacking the game.
----------------
|The Type Chart|
----------------
Okay, so this isn't exactly a secret. But it's necessary for a complete
guide, and there might be those one or two matchups you've forgotten. On with
the chart:
D e f e n d e r T y p e
N F F B G R G P F W I E G P D
O T L U R C H O I T C L R S R
R G Y G D K O I R R E C S Y G
NOR 1 1 1 1 1 1/2 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
A FTG 2 1 1/2 1/2 1 2 0 1/2 1 1 2 1 1 1/2 1
t FLY 1 2 1 2 1 1/2 1 1 1 1 1 1/2 2 1 1
t BUG 1 1/2 1/2 1 1 1 1/2 2 1/2 1 1 1 2 2 1
a GRD 1 1 0 1/2 1 2 1 2 2 1 1 2 1/2 1 1
c RCK 1 1/2 2 2 1/2 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 1
k GHO 0 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1
e POI 1 1 1 2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1 1 1 1 2 1 1
r FIR 1 1 1 2 1 1/2 1 1 1/2 1/2 2 1 2 1 1/2
WTR 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 2 1/2 1 1 1/2 1 1/2
T ICE 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1/2 1/2 1 2 1 2
y ELC 1 1 2 1 0 1 1 1 1 2 1 1/2 1/2 1 1/2
p GRS 1 1 1/2 1/2 2 2 1 1/2 1/2 2 1 1 1/2 1 1/2
e PSY 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1/2 1
DRG 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2
Ah, the power of the "1/2" symbol. And if you can't understand this, then
you're helpless to get the rest of section 201.
---------------------------
|The Wonders of Missingno.|
---------------------------
This is it--one of the first major achievements I presented on my path to
"exalted" status. A thorough explanation of all things related to the
Cinnabar Coast Trick, normally abbreviated "Missingno." (pronounced: "missing
number") after the most famous by-product of that trick. It'll be in
question-and-answer format. On with the show...
Q: What is Missingno.?
A: For 1-byte variables on Game Boy games, there are 8 bits. This means the
number of possibilities for the variable is 256, labeled 0 to 255 (HEX 00 to
FF). Most of RBY's variables are 1 byte long, including ones for all the
Pokemon lookup slots. However, only 151 Pokemon exist in RBY. So, if there
are 256 possibilities, and only 151 slots were defined by the programmers,
what do the other 105 slots have? Glitches. And most of them just so happened
to be named Missingno.
Q: How do I find it?
A: You don't know how to find it? Go play some more RBY. But, if you're one of
the outcasts who doesn't know how to find it, here goes. Talk to the Old Man
at the northern edge of Viridian, and let him catch a Weedle. Then, Fly to
Cinnabar (you can also go to Fuchsia and Surf to Seafoam Islands, but that
takes a lot longer) and Surf up and down the right edge. After a while,
you'll run into some unnatural Pokemon at high levels, and Missingno. (or a
Pokemon with a glitched name containing 'M in the middle). NOTE: THIS DOES NOT
WORK IN YELLOW.
Q: Why does the above trick work?
A: There are two things that, when combined, made it possible for this trick
to exist. Here they are:
1. When creating the map for what Pokemon appear where, they made a crucial
flaw. The 1-square-wide strip of water on the right side of Cinnabar and
Seafoam Islands was programmed to be a place where wild Pokemon CAN appear.
But (thank the programmers for this one) they forgot to define what Pokemon
can appear there. This wouldn't be that big of a deal, except that means the
previous settings for "what Pokemon can appear" will remain, and if you read
#2, you'll see why that causes the glitch.
2. When the Old Man catches the Weedle, they change the variables that are
assigned to "Your Name" to Old Man, so it shows up as "Old Man threw the Poke
Ball." Now, in order to do that, it overwrites the variables you gave to "Your
Name". Therefore, the game must store the variables that make up your name to
another place, so it can recall them later. So the programmers likely thought,
"What are some variables that we can overwrite to assign to the character's
name for this process?"
"I got it! How about the slots that define what Pokemon you can run into?"
"That's it! Whenever the character enters a new area, they'll be rewritten, so
it won't disturb the game at all!"
*points to #1* Umm.....no. As a result, that wonderful glitch can be yours for
only <insert whatever price your local retailer charges for R/B>!
Another explanation is much more logical. Pokemon Red and Blue were
GAMEFREAK's first major projects in quite a while, so the programmers needed
to retest their unorthodox programming capability. One way of doing this was
to hide an entry to a glitch somewhere in the game, and hope none of the
consumers learned about it (and if they intended to fix it later, it was
forgotten until Yellow). But alas, the word got out, and now such things as
this article become possible.
Of course, it's not JUST Missingno. you can run into. There will also be some
L100+ Pokemon, whose species and levels are determined by your name.
Q: How do I determine the levels?
A: First off, look at letters 2, 4, and 6 of your name. (Technically, your
name spans 11 variables, so 8 and 10 are also used, but unless you're using a
default name, 10 will always be <Null-0>, and 8 will either be <Null-0> or,
for a seven-letter name, <End-80>.) Those letters will determine the levels of
the Pokemon you can run into. First, take the NUMERICAL equivalent (A=1, B=2,
etc.) of those letters, and add 127 for uppercase or 159 for lowercase. In
addition, the symbols are as follows:
<Null-0> 0 (of course)
<End-80> 80 (really!)
<Space> 127
( 154
) 155
: 156
; 157
[ 158
] 159
e 186
' 224
PK 225
MN 226
- 227
? 230
! 231
<Male> 239
<MonetaryP> 240
<TimesSign> 241
. 232 or 24289-
/ 243
, 244
<Female> 245
<Numbers> 246 + number
At the end of every name, the game inserts an 80 (HEX 50) to designate "End of
Name".
Q: Species determined by name? Cool! I'll get a new name and try that so I can
get Mew WITHOUT SHARKING!
A: Hold it right there. While it is determined by name, the lowest number
assigned to a character (other than <Null-0>, <End-80>, and <Space>) is 128,
for a capital A. In EVERY internal RBY variable that designates a Pokemon, Mew
is assigned the number 21 (HEX 15). If you can make the connection, that means
that NO name you enter will result in Mew being a possibility. The low numbers
like 21 represent glitch characters that are not available for naming anything
and can only be found with a Shark. For convenience, here is the table of what
Pokemon will appear for each letter. Letters 3, 5, and 7 (as well as the
usually-null slots 9 and 11) are used to determine this:
<Null-0>: Even-more-glitched form of Missingno. with a name including 'M
<End-80>: Missingno.
A: Golduck
B: Hypno
C: Golbat
D: Mewtwo (BIG OPPORTUNITY HERE!)
E: Snorlax
F: Magikarp
G: Missingno.
H: Missingno.
I: Muk
J: Missingno.
K: Kingler
L: Cloyster
M: Missingno.
N: Electrode
O: Clefable
P: Weezing
Q: Persian
R: Marowak
S: Missingno.
T: Haunter
U: Abra
V: Alakazam
W: Pidgeotto
X: Pidgeot
Y: Starmie
Z: Bulbasaur (Get all the starters without trading!)
a: Missingno.
b: Missingno.
c: Missingno.
d: Ponyta
e: Rapidash
f: Rattata
g: Raticate
h: Nidorino
i: Nidorina
j: Geodude
k: Porygon
l: Aerodactyl
m: Missingno.
n: Magnemite
o: Missingno.
p: Missingno.
q: Charmander (Get all the starters without trading!)
r: Squirtle (Get all the starters without trading!)
s: Charmeleon
t: Wartortle
u: Charizard
v: Missingno.
w: Missingno.
x: Missingno.
y: Missingno.
z: Oddish
Note: If you want to try the glitch, DO NOT use one of the special characters
in slots 3, 5, or 7. If you do, you might end up facing a Trainer. You can't
get out of the match, and eventually one of their Pokemon will be a glitch
that can freeze (and possibly erase) your game, one of the few dangerous
aspects of this trick. Also, species from 3 goes with level from 2, species
from 5 goes with level from 4, and species from 7 goes with level from 6. For
the 11-character-long default names, 9 pairs with 8, and 11 with 10 similarly.
Catching 'M has been known to crash games, but feel free to catch Missingno.,
throw some TMs on, and level it up. Missingno. and 'M evolve into Kangaskhan
and/or Rhydon (which just so happen to have internal numbers of 02 and 01,
respectively) at any level, though the specifics of this remain unknown.
Finally, since your name isn't long enough to cover the entire Wild Encounter
list, some of your most recent settings will remain. Your final two
possibilities are Pokemon from the last area you entered a battle on land, at
the level they existed at. Nothing special.
Q: How about some examples?
A: Okay.
Test #1- Name: PIKACHU
Letters 2, 4, and 6 (levels):
2: I = 9 + 127 = 136
4: A = 1 + 127 = 128
6: H = 8 + 127 = 135
Letters 3, 5, and 7 (species):
3: K = Kingler on chart
5: C = Golbat on chart
7: U = Abra on chart
Combining the numbers, the name "PIKACHU" should yield L136 Kingler, L128
Golbat, and L135 Abra. Test it out; it does. Because it's a seven-character
name, slot 8 is <End-80> and all subsequent ones are <Null-0>, which yields
the usual 'M at L80 and L0.
Test #2- Name: DxDyDzD
Letters 2, 4, 6 (levels):
x: 24 + 159 = 183
y: 25 + 159 = 184
z: 26 + 159 = 185
Letters 3, 5, and 7 (species):
D = Mewtwo on chart
Result: Mewtwo at levels 183-185. Name change, anyone?
Test #3- Name: BLUE
Result: Starmie, Abra, Golduck (????????)
The name "BLUE" only has 4 letters, the third of which is a U, yielding Abra
(the L giving L139). But that doesn't explain Starmie and Golduck! Here's the
deal with that: Whenever you play one of the default names, it's actually one
continuous string, and each default name from a given version uses the same
string (with a different start point).
Here is what each name really gives as far as variables are concerned (the _
counts as an <End-80>):
Red: RED_ASH_JAC
Ash: ASH_JACK_NE
Jack: JACK_NEW_NA
Blue: BLUE_GARY_J
Gary: GARY_JOHN_N
John: JOHN_NEW_NA
Incidentally, you can Rare-Candy these L100+ monsters past 255 to get to L0,
then to whatever you want. Or, you can just take them into battle, where ANY
experience points revert them to L100. As a side note, remember that only
three bytes are given to Experience Points, meaning that variable tops out at
16,777,215. The only reason this matters is when leveling up Pokemon to high
levels.
Experience Points for an L255:
Normal Growth Schedule: 16,581,375 = HEX FD02FF
Fast Growth Schedule: 13,265,100 = HEX CA68CC
Slow Growth Schedule: 20,726,718 = HEX 13C43BE
Fading Growth Schedule: 18,947,635 = HEX 1211E33
As you can see, the last two are problematic, because their binary
representations will exceed the allocation of 24 bits. Using a Pokemon that
surpasses the limit could throw the game off. The simple solution to this is
to NOT KEEP ANYTHING THAT EXCEEDS 16777215. For Slow growth, anything up to
L237 will be under the limit. For the Fading schedule, L245 is the highest
safe level. Just keep that in mind, and the game won't freeze when you put
away your high-level Mewtwo.
Q: Where would I get that many Rare Candies?
A: I was hoping you would ask. That's the other part of the Missingno. glitch.
You see, when I was referring to the 8-bit variables earlier on, items also
follow the 8-bit pattern. Whenever you run into Missingno. or 'M, it takes the
first bit of the "Copies of Sixth Item Held" byte (D329) and sets it to 1. In
simpler terms, if you have 127 or fewer copies of your sixth item, you get an
additional 128 copies (if you already have 128+, nothing happens). And since
the most copies of an item you can naturally have in a slot is 99 = HEX 63 =
BIN 01100011, the "127 or less" requirement will always be fulfilled unless
you sharked items past 127 or have used the trick on that item before.
Q: How do I shark a name change? I want that "DxDyDzD" name without having to
restart!
A: Well, if you're sharking, just go ahead and get the Pokemon that way. But
if you want a name change, here it is:
Letter 1: 01**58D1
Letter 2: 01**59D1
Letter 3: 01**5AD1
Letter 4: 01**5BD1
Letter 5: 01**5CD1
Letter 6: 01**5DD1
Letter 7: 01**5ED1
Letter 8: 01**5FD1
Letter 9: 01**60D1
Letter 10: 01**61D1
Letter 11: 01**62D1
Enter the values for the necessary letters, then put a "50" in the value
immediately following the end of your name, and fill all following values with
"00".
The chart for values is as follows:
<Space>: 7F
A 80
B 81
C 82
...
...
...
P 8F
Q 90
...
...
...
Z 99
( 9A
) 9B
: 9C
; 9D
[ 9E
] 9F
a A0
b A1
c A2
...
...
...
z B9
Now consider yourself educated. (True, this section doesn't directly help
your gameplay, but it does get you thinking in the way of the computer.)
--------------------------------------------
|The Game's Two Most Important Computations|
--------------------------------------------
Stats and damage. You may have already guessed at the formula behind stats,
and indeed you may be correct. But it took a year and a half for anyone in
the online community to discover the correct damage formula, and then only
after a look through the ROM. But you'll need to know both the easy formula
and the hard one to have a masterful grasp on the battle system. Be prepared
to do some math:
Stat Formula:
Stat = int((2B + 2D + S) * L / 100) + X
B: The base stat. This is the version of the stat that the game hardcodes,
and is the first number of each stat in section 204. Base stats are
contingent on the Pokemon's species and HP/AT/DF/SP/SC. The highest base stat
in RBY is 250 for Chansey's HP (in GSC, Blissey replaces this with the maximum
allowable 255). The lowest allowed base stat is 0, which is only achieved by
Missingno.'s Defense.
D: The DV (Determinant Value). DVs are a set of five 4-bit numbers contained
within a random 16-bit variable; this 16-bit number is assigned as soon as
your Pokemon is caught, and can't be changed afterward except by RAM
modification. "How do you fit five 4-bit numbers in 16 bits?" Dependently,
that's how. If the variable is expressed as a string of 16 consecutive 1s
and/or 0s, then the first four bits are the Attack DV, the second four are the
Defense DV, third four are Speed DV, and final four are Special DV. But HP DV
is every fourth bit in order, borrowing one from each of the others. Anyway,
each one follows the standard 4-bit limits of 0-15. And did I mention they're
random unless you Shark them?
S: Stat Points, a 6-bit number that's derived from a 16-bit variable. The 16-
bit number is called Stat Experience (Stat Exp.), and is the source of the
myth "Rare Candying leads to lower stats". Here's how it really works:
1. Each Pokemon has five Stat Exp. banks. (In GSC, the fifth one controls
BOTH Special stats.)
2. Whenever you defeat a Pokemon on GB (not link or Stadium battles), a number
of points equal to that Pokemon's base stats are added to the corresponding
Stat Exp. banks. (In GSC, for the Special bank, the Special Attack is used to
copy this.) This is what causes the "Train vs. Candy" myth; having your
Pokemon level up via battles gives it Level Experience concurrent with Stat
Experience, whereas using Rare Candies up to 100 will provide quite a bit of
Level Experience with little effort, but lacks the Stat Experience which is
responsible for up to 63 points in stats. But even at L100, it's possible to
salvage the missing Stat Exp. by battle, so as long as you battle for Stat
Exp. at SOME point (or save even more work and Shark the Stat Exp. banks), it
doesn't matter if you Rare-Candy up your level a few times beforehand. The
so-called "Box Trick" is just a clarifying step to supplement this; if you
have an L100 gaining Stat Exp., you can't level up to force recalculation.
You have to deposit the Pokemon into the PC, then take it out, in order to see
a visible improvement in the stats (although Stadium will see this stat
increase without having to deposit and withdraw).
3. Whenever you use a stat drug, such as Protein or Iron, the game looks at
the proper Stat Exp. bank. If it's 25599 or less, 2560 is added; otherwise
nothing happens. And since (as I'll explain later) it only takes 63002 to
obtain the full benefit of the bank, stat drugs can cut your training time by
almost half. Note I said "STAT Drug," though; it's never a good idea to feed
a Pokemon real drugs. Or else your GB will start convulsing and eventually
explode. (Yeah, that ought to be a strong enough myth.) And never, EVER, do
drugs in real life, either.
4. In order to transfer Stat Exp. to Stat Points, there's yet another formula
involved: P = int((sqrt(E - 1) + 1) / 4). And while E can reach a maximum of
65535, that would create an output of over 64, which violates the 6-bit limit
for Stat Points. So any Stat Exp. beyond 65025 is disregarded (this number
creates an output just under 64), and in order to be right at the maximum 63,
one needs to collect 63002 Stat Exp. in a given bank.
L: Level. This seemingly simple 8-bit number is actually the by-product of a
24-bit variable (EXP Points), derived from one of four formulas according to
species.
1. Slow: L = int(int(E ^ (1 / 3)) * 0.8)
2. Normal: L = int(E ^ (1 / 3))
3. Fast: L = int(int(E ^ (1 / 3)) * 1.25)
4. Fading: E = int(1.2 * L3) - (15 * L2) + (100 * L) - 140
(For formula 4, just use reverse substitution. It's much easier to work that
way than with the inverse function.)
Obviously, L is capped at 100, unless you start above that level (see
Missingno. Section), and then any experience gained through battling (not Rare
Candies) will still set your level back to 100, by setting E accordingly.
X: The Unequalizer. Rather simple; for HP, X = L + 10. Otherwise, X = 5.
The X is why L0 Pokemon don't have 0 stats; they have 10 HP and 5 all else.
It's also why, when measured on an even scale with other stats, it's almost
impossible for a Pokemon to have poor HP.
Finally, there are stat modifiers, which are in-battle alterations to stats.
Each stat modifier goes from -6 to 6 (Swords Dance raises Attack modifier by
2, Screech lowers opponent's Defense modifier by 2, X Speed increases Speed
modifier by 1, etc.) and affects stats by the following correspondence:
-6: x0.25
-5: x0.286 (2/7)
-4: x0.333 (1/3)
-3: x0.4
-2: x0.5
-1: x0.667 (2/3)
?0: x1
+1: x1.5
+2: x2
+3: x2.5
+4: x3
+5: x3.5
+6: x4
Note, though, that stat modifiers can't take a stat past 999. For example,
imagine a Cloyster (458 Defense) decided to make the incredibly stupid mistake
of using Withdraw over and over. First one is x1.5 = 687, second is x2 = 916,
and third is x2.5 = 1145, but reduced to 999. And future Withdraw use won't
raise the stat any more, nor will they even increase the physical modifier.
For example, the Cloyster could Withdraw six times, but one Screech and the
modifier is back down to +1, because it's never allowed to pass +3. Of
course, this is just an example. Withdraw isn't a good idea on ANYONE, much
less Cloyster.
And now the much tougher subject, damage:
Damage = int((min(int(int(((2 + int(0.4 * L)) * A * P) / D) / 50) , 997) + 2)
* X)
The above is actually a rearrangement of the formula that allowed me to make
it easier to teach. Just remember this saying: "LAPD is trying to catch the
criminal mastermind X, but it's caught in the middle of two 2s, point-four,
and a 50." Got that? The signs will fill in naturally after a while. Even
if you already had the formula, the above version is much more fun to use.
Now on with the next step: deciphering each letter.
L: Your level. See the stat formula in case you need to know how to calculate
it (unlikely because you keep seeing it above your health bar). It's actually
an element in this formula independent of the stats it helps create. Note:
For RBY Critical Hits, you'll be doubling this value, and treating all Stat
Modifiers as 0.
A: Your Attack stat. Use Special (GSC'ers use Special Attack) instead if the
attack is Special-typed (Fire, Water, Ice, Electric, Grass, Psychic, Dragon;
plus Dark in GSC).
P: The move's power. 10 for Constrict, 50 for Struggle, 100 for Earthquake,
etc. If you're unsure of a move's power, then find the Move Lookup in section
204. Enjoy.
D: The opponent's Defense. As with A, use the Special version of the stat on
a special-typed attack.
X: Extra multipliers:
1. STAB - x1.5 if the move's type matches one of your types (even Normal-types
get this bonus)
2. Type 1 - x0, x0.5, x1, or x2 based on the matchup of attack type vs.
opponent's Type 1 (see the Type Chart)
3. Type 2 - x0, x0.5, x1, or x2 based on the matchup of attack type vs.
opponent's Type 2, if any (see the Type Chart)
4. Random Number - x((217 + Z) / 255), where Z is a random number from 0 to 38
---------------------
|Game-Defining Facts|
---------------------
Okay, these are just some oddball facts that come in handy in some situations.
The game isn't the same without them.
1. The 99.6 Rule
Yes, that much-hated rule comes to haunt players all the time. But what is
it?
Well, each move has an 8-bit accuracy number. This means 0 to 255, although
the lowest such number actually assigned to a move is 75 for the one-hit
kills. Basically, the accuracy check is "Throw out a random 8-bit number, and
if it's less than the accuracy number, the move hits."
Notice anything wrong with that? Yep--it's "less than" instead of "less than
or equal to". Which means that when the random check turns up 255, it causes
any move--including Psychic, Thunderbolt, and yes, even Swift--to miss. So
the so-called "100 accuracy" moves actually have a 1-in-256 (0.390625%) chance
to miss. Hence it's called "The 99.6 Rule" (the pedantic version, "The
99.609375 Rule," puts too little emphasis on the rule and too much on the
number). And until GSC (even afterwards, including some who believe in it to
this day), everyone feared that it would strike at the most inopportune time.
All it did was turn surefire wins into losses for no apparent reason, and with
no possible circumvention.
2. Critical Hits
Critical hits seem random, and beyond control. But in fact, some Pokemon get
to skew the crit-hit odds. It's a very simple formula:
Odds = S / 512, where S is the base Speed. Not the maximum, or the current
value of the stat. Take the maximum, subtract 98, cut it in half, and there's
your base stat.
Odds for Razor Leaf, Karate Chop, Slash, and Crabhammer = S / 64 (maximum
255/256)
Odds with Focus Energy (Stadium) = S / 128 (again with the 255 cap)
Odds with Focus Energy (GB) = no change when faster than opponent, 0% when
slower. This is a glitch.
3. Moves that Work Incorrectly
Some of RBY's moves are, to say the least, programmed badly. (This doesn't
count PBS-only glitches like Pin Missile. That's the fault of the PBS
designer--go write to said authority immediately if you don't like it.)
Counter: You'd think this move could hit all Physical attacks, right? It even
says so in all of Nintendo's documented material! But if you're curious why
Counter seems to miss 80% of the time, it's because the move won't do anything
for Flying, Bug, Ground, Rock, Ghost, and Poison attacks. Just Normal and
Fighting. Not only does this make one wonder why Gengar is capable of picking
up Counter, but it gives added merit to Earthquake, Rock Slide, and Drill
Peck.
Substitute: It was bad originally, but Stadium was saving grace and more. It
seems natural that a Substitute would protect its user from being paralyzed,
poisoned, burned, frozen, sapped, slowed down, and various other maladies.
And on Stadium, it does so just fine, but if you're planning on link-battling
(or playing an online simulator, which channels the Game Boy version), you'll
have to plan on finding, you guessed it, a substitute for Substitute!
Haze: The anti-stat-modifier, it's drastically overlooked by those who insist
on the DT Ban, mainly because the same group is hell-bent against GSC-
transferred moves, and the set of pure-RBY Hazers is, well, bad. But there's
another little cost involved. You knock out the stat modifiers, but if the
opponent has a condition (like poison or freeze), that gets erased too! And
no, if you have a condition as well, that doesn't get erased! (However,
Attack drop from Burn or Speed loss from Paralyze will indeed go away from
your Pokemon.) So if you expect the opponent to Haze, don't hesitate to
switch to a frozen Pokemon, if you have one.
The One-Hit Kills: I don't know if it was intentional or not, but Fissure,
Horn Drill, and Guillotine have an added mask that makes them hit even less
than the documented 30% rate. Essentially: If a OHKO (one-hit KO) move goes
second, it can't hit. This is why Stadium's Gambler always used moves like
Body Slam, Thunder Wave, and Bubblebeam: so he could strike first. If you're
one of the many that has trouble with Gambler, here's the best piece of advice
yet: Use fast Pokemon, along with moves like Substitute for paralyze defense.
Also, if you plan on using OHKOs in your team, do everyone a favor and don't
waste them on Rhydon or other slow monsters.
-----------------------------------------
|71/2 Habits of Highly Ineffective Players|
-----------------------------------------
This is where my ruthless style of "reconstruct the statement without assuming
anything" really starts to shine. I will take seven incorrect statements that
the neophytes tend to believe, advocate, and brag about with respect to team
building (plus an all-purpose statement numbered 71/2), and turn them around.
I've come to give a detailed analysis of the flaw in each, and give a line of
reasoning that defeats their supporters. Remember these for situations where
you may be forced to use similar lines of argument. Are you ready?
1. "Dig and Fly are good because you get a free turn"
Where's the "free turn" coming from? If it's "opponent misses", then that's
not a free turn. It's one wasted PP, which is irrelevant in all but the most
extreme of cases (and Dig and Fly aren't exactly the best of PP wasters
anyway.) Here's what happens: You use Dig/Fly, causing no damage yet.
Opponent attacks, missing (except in the case of Swift, where the move's a
definite disadvantage), no damage. You resurface, 70-100 power. Opponent
hits, power equal to the move.
So over two turns, you each hit once. No one gets a free turn from that. And
since most of the game's good moves fall into the 85-100 power bracket, Fly is
usually disadvantaged (because they get in 85-100 while you only hit for 70)
and Dig's advantage is only minor if at all (imagine Digging Charizard taking
a Surf on the alternate turn--instead of 100-95, it's a 190-100 disadvantage).
But it's more complicated. When you Fly/Dig, you completely give away what
your next action will be. This gives the OPPONENT a free turn--a free
opportunity to switch to a type resistant/immune to your attack--and you'll
either have to fight into a clear disadvantage or switch into an attack that
you have no real anticipation of. So now, when you expected to GAIN a turn,
you actually LOST a turn. And if you don't think the opponent's smart enough
to switch after a Dig/Fly, then that's one of the most unforgiving mistakes in
the game. Always assume the opponent to be an educated player going into the
battle: if you do so, and guess wrong, you're still playing with a competitive
mindset and will win easily. On the other hand, if you guess the opponent to
be a complete idiot, and are wrong that time, you've given the opponent a
prime opportunity to breach your intentional downplay, resulting in your
demise. Some bad.
But at least now you know why Dig and Fly are bad propositions, and what to do
if your opponent tries them.
2. "Don't waste turns on defensive moves"
Let me guess--you want to think of this game as a tempo war, and in order to
win, you try to apply constant pressure such that you never lose tempo, right?
Well then, I suggest you go read about any of the numerous chess games won by
a Queen sacrifice or similar stratagem. This illustrates a point: sometimes
you can temporarily lose tempo, only to gain it back later, in full force, and
for good. Time to look at it mathematically:
Reflect and Barrier are first to be handled. Into a physical attacker,
putting up a Reflect will cut all future hits in half. You lose one turn when
you put up the Reflect, but every opposing attack gets you +1/2 turn. This
means that after one turn (2 if you're slower), the Reflect has already paid
for itself. Anything beyond that is just gravy. Barrier is just like it, but
can pump up the protection even more (however, each subsequent use requires an
additional turn for self-redemption). And if you've "forced" the opponent
into special attacks, then since that wasn't the opponent's plan to begin
with, you've still been given an advantage. And if Reflect and Barrier are
worth it, then Amnesia (a Special-ized version of Barrier that also pumps your
attacking potential) becomes the best move in the game, or close to it.
Next, Recover and Rest. These are usually easy to demonstrate. Recover is "I
lose one turn, but your strike is reduced by 50% of my HP." So if the
opponent is hitting for less than 50% a turn, then you register a gain over
the one-turn interval. And if they can hit for over 50%, then it's likely a
losing proposition anyway, and you should switch. Furthermore,
notwithstanding the one-turn interval, you're making sure a key Pokemon on
your team gets to stick around long enough to do what you want it to do--which
can't be expressed in terms of "turn advantage". And Recover has 32 PP, which
is enough to waste any one of the playable attacks and have somewhere between
8-24 PP left. You're trading one of their moves for 25%-75% of yours.
Another intangible, but obvious, advantage.
Rest is harder to use effectively. While Recover should NEVER be left out of
the set of any Pokemon that gets it, if the same were true with Rest then one
move of EVERY moveset would already be known. Rest maxes out your HP, and
gets rid of status inflictions...at the cost of three turns. Unless you're
expecting to take three hits, and/or give the opponent free switching turns,
Rest won't be beneficial. Double Team can help in that regard. But on a
defensive Pokemon such as Lapras or Chansey (although Chansey gets
Softboiled), Rest can be worth it even without an evade modifier. With
one...look out.
Speaking of Evade modifiers, Double Team and Minimize are downright abusive
when set up in multiples. The basic plan with DTs is to make sure you're
alive long enough that their misses outnumber your DTs. Granted, Swift
supposedly renders this moot, but Swift is only 60 power; evaders usually come
equipped with Recover or Rest which should out recover Swift's damage. If
nothing else, even on fragile Pokemon, DT-Rest is a highly compatible combo
that at least wastes PP. You never know when you'll hit a Blizzard and run it
out, saving your Dragonite from potential ruin...
So you DON'T have to deal damage every turn to win, you just have to make sure
that your per-turn average exceeds your opponent's. And defensive moves are
usually a way of using one turn in order to earn a payoff at EVERY subsequent
turn, or a way to stick around enough to deliver more blows. Attacks are only
one-turn effects.
Useless? I think not.
3. "Hyper Beam is the best move in the game"
Power-wise, H-Beam may be second in the game (behind Explosion's 170, although
both that and Selfdestruct have automatic double-damage subroutines), but what
are you really getting?
Turn 1, 150 power attack. Turn 2, do nothing (0 power). 2-turn iteration,
average 75 power per turn. Factor in accuracy, and your overall average is
under 68 a turn.
Meanwhile, your opponent gets to strike for a hit each time. All they have to
do is outdamage 68 a turn. What are the most likely attacks to be used?
Psychic - 90 power
Thunderbolt - 95 power
Ice Beam - 95 power
Blizzard - 120 power (229 accuracy; average 108)
Fire Blast - 120 power (216 accuracy, average 102)
Flamethrower - 95 power
Surf - 95 power
Razor Leaf - 55 power (critical mania, average 81-104 depending on Pokemon)
Earthquake - 100 power
Body Slam - 85 power
Rock Slide - 75 power (229 accuracy; average 68)
Drill Peck - 80 power
Double-Edge - 100 power (25% back at user; total advantage 75)
All of which are at least as good as H-Beam's average.
Remember, some of those moves will hit for super effective damage, whereas
Hyper Beam never can. Further disadvantage to the Beam.
And with the attacks listed above, you may paralyze, freeze, or lower Special
on the opponent. Hyper Beam's side effect? Lose a turn.
In RBY link battles (not Stadium), the problem was rectifiable, since you
didn't lose the turn on a miss or KO. Therefore, H-Beam could be used to
finish off an opponent that might otherwise be out of reach, without fear.
Under Stadium, if you get a Hyper Beam KO, the opponent just brings in the
Pokemon you fear most, and you have no choice but to take the hit.
How good is the move looking now?
4. "Thunder/Fire Blast/Hydro Pump/Blizzard ROCKS!"
Ugh. The above statement does get 1.5 out of 4 right, but the general idea of
overpowering everything may just leave you high and dry with nothing to show
for it.
First off, I have a nickname for attacks like those. They're called VHPSAs
(Very-High-Power Special Attacks), and their usefulness depends on how badly
the programmers set out to wreck them.
Obviously the VHPSAs wouldn't have been created unless there was a chip taken
out of accuracy, or else their HPSA counterparts (Flamethrower, Thunderbolt,
Surf...) would be put completely to shame. But each of the moves has a
different accuracy, and hence have different degrees of usefulness.
At this point I'd like to bring up the idea of Statistical Power, which is the
product of a move's power on a hit and the fraction of times during which it
should hit. For example, a 90-power move with accuracy 70% (note - if such a
move is ever created, avoid it like Michael Jackson) would have Statistical
Power 63. Over a span of 1000 turns, 700 uses of the move would be expected
to hit, dealing 90 * 700 = 63000 power worth of damage. The remaining 300
uses will miss, dealing 0. Overall power is 63000, divided by the 1000 turns,
for an average of 63.
Now, this tool can be used to compare VHPSAs to their HPSA counterparts.
Blizzard, at SP 108, is the select move of the four, the one that no one will
criticize you for using (or if they do, the criticizer obviously needs to read
a 200-page analysis of the Pokemon games). If you're trying to use Ice moves
with attackers, put Blizzard first. It might even make a difference --
Clefable vs. Nidoking comes to mind, where Ice Beam is practically a
guaranteed kill in 3...but with Blizzard, it's about 81% to save a full turn.
Of course, if you're trying to play defense and still want an Ice attack, this
is where Ice Beam still has a use. The other major aspect of the HPSA/VHPSA
war is how many PP the moves have, and Chansey or Lapras can quite easily stay
alive long enough to exhaust the 8-round clip of Blizzard. Ice Beam, on the
other hand, allows them to stay busy for another eight turns, dealing more
overall Ice Beam damage than a full set of Blizzard hits could possibly deal.
It may take longer to dish out the damage, but these aren't speed-centered
Pokemon...who cares about how long it takes to kill?
Just remember...if your Pokemon isn't going to live for eight attacking turns
very often, there's little point in the Beam.
Fire Blast comes next with an SP of 102, and has the added edge of being
available as an RBY TM (Flamethrower fans, don't worry, a quick commute to
Crystal will allow access to that move). However, it suffers from being Fire,
the type with a very narrow scope in this domain. The move has to vie with
Blizzard, and lower accuracy combined with an inferior side effect...not good.
Only Fire-types should use this attack, and only if they can be proven
superior to comparable Ice-types. Not too likely. But if, for some reason,
you absolutely insist on a Fire attack (and have access to both choices), the
consensus seems to be that each person makes their own decision. There hasn't
been a single definitive argument in the 41/2 years of Pokemon's existence that
has decided this debate one way or the other.
On paper, Hydro Pump comes out ahead of its HPSA counterpart, 96-95. But in
this case, Surf has 16 extra PP (though that rarely comes into play), a one-
point lead is no decision-maker, and the mere fact that Surf is actually
consistent should overcome that one point. To extend the point, imagine if
there was a 960-power Water attack with accuracy 10%. Yes, it averages above
Surf as well, but Surf's consistency makes it much more useful. Hydro Pump is
a less severe version of this effect.
Last, and most definitely least, Thunder. With accuracy 178 (this makes an
incredible jump to 179 in GSC, and Blizzard gets knocked down to that level,
dooming it in that game), Thunder's SP sits back at 84. And while it's the
only VHPSA with 16 PP, Thunderbolt still has 24. Thunder does miss, and too
often for it to be useful at anything.
New players like hitting for a lot of damage at once, which could be one
driving force behind their decisions. But remember that this will also lead
to quite a few turns during which 0 damage is dealt. Bad? Yep.
5. "Doubling up on attacks is a good thing"
I don't know where people get that idea, but it's still a very bad idea.
You've all seen Ember/Fire Blast/Flamethrower/Fire Spin movesets for
Charizard. And if you're the kind of person to actually USE a moveset like
that, then pay close attention to this.
When there are two or more moves of any type in a set, you lose versatility.
In the Charizard set above, with only Fire moves, all you do is establish
victory over Grass and Bug types. One Fire move (preferably Flamethrower;
some players will recommend Fire Blast) will be enough to show that. But in
this case, you leave yourself no option in a type disadvantage but to switch.
Say the opponent sends in Omastar...what would you do? Blast it for a maximum
of 31 damage? I didn't think so.
Charizard would be much better off with something like Flamethrower (or Fire
Blast, but only one)/Earthquake/Rock Slide/Swords Dance. If you have a super
effective move, it doesn't matter how many you have; you can still only get
one hit per turn. By devoting only one slot to Fire, you have three more to
try and combat less desirable matchups. In fact, it's usually a good idea to
Swords Dance even against a Grass-type. They can't accomplish much by staying
in, so you get a free Attack boost while they switch to a Water- or Rock-type.
Then you get to pummel them with the equivalent of two Earthquakes, which
might just take the opponent out before you have to take a hit.
Another thing: When you have four moves of the same type, do you seriously
intend on using all of them? In the example above, Flamethrower/Fire
Blast/Ember/Fire Spin, will you EVER plan on using Ember? Why have 40 power
when you can use Flamethrower for 95 with the same accuracy? The only
conceivable reason is in case all other moves run out of PP, to which I say:
If you've already dished out 3220 power in moves (in increments of 95 or 120),
to no avail, what good will an extra 1920 do, dished out just 40 at a time?
If Fire moves aren't working, perhaps you should try out another type. And as
for the case against Fire Spin, see part 7.
6. "Toxic/Leech Seed is the ultimate combo"
Congratulations, you've found a glitch. Leech Seed's sap counter is run by
the same variable as Toxic's, and as Toxic makes it go up, Leech Seed gets to
join the fun as well.
But in reality, Toxic is one of the WORST moves you can use in a game, and
Leech Seed is at best another PP bank that force-switches (a losing
proposition).
What does Toxic do? It starts out taking 6.25% health, then increases
drainage by 6.25% each turn. When that's up, Leech Seed will take as much,
but will move the drained HP to the other side of the board.
As long as the opponent's Pokemon stays active.
And since this is RBY, there's no way to ensure that except by killing all 5
of its teammates, which (if your opponent knows this) won't come about from
Leech Seed-Toxic.
You use Toxic...they get poisoned, and switch.
Now the fun part: After they switch, the game no longer acknowledges that
Poison as being a result of Toxic. Which means that even if the opponent
brings the poisoned Pokemon back out, to let it get Seeded, the poison counter
will no longer rise. They'll lose an insignificant 12.5% a turn, plus
whatever pitifully weak attack your Grass-type uses, meaning you usually need
to survive for 4-7 turns in order to kill (barring Recover or Rest, and Rest
has the somewhat-questionable effect of wiping out poison). All you get is an
even more insignificant 6.25% health back each time. So your health meter
plus 25-44% will need to last 7 turns...as long as the opponent can deal 20% a
turn for 7 turns, or 32% for 4, that's a losing proposition.
And when the opponent is poisoned, they're immune to the much more dangerous
ailments of Sleep, Paralyze, and Freeze. Some bad.
Verdict on Toxic/Leech Seed? Save it for fun matches, or 1-on-1s where there
is no fear of switching.
7. "Moves like Fire Spin and Wrap make you invincible"
One, they don't, and two, this is RBY, so they don't even perform anything
useful.
Fire Spin, Wrap, Bind, and Clamp are fundamentally misleading. Sure, they
make it seem like you get several hits in a row while the opponent does
nothing...
...But wouldn't it make sense to think of all those turns as one big attack,
like Pin Missile or Spike Cannon? After all, the power of each hit is nowhere
near impressive.
Combining multiple hits together, we get maximum power of 75 for Wrap, Bind,
and Fire Spin, and 175 for Clamp. So Clamp is the only one that stands out,
especially considering these aren't 48-PP moves, and none are more accurate
than 85%.
But let's also take into consideration that those are 5-hit figures. Average
hit count of 3.5 gives totals of 122.5 for Clamp and 52.5 for the rest.
Again, only Clamp looks remotely interesting.
Okay, intervention time. "What if I strike first with a multi-turn move?" In
theory, that means you just continue pummeling the opponent without fear of
retribution. However, that only lasts as long as you keep hitting, and when
the most accurate of the moves is 85%, you aren't really invincible. More on
this later.
Intervention #2: "Okay, it may seem like one move, but it's multiple turns.
This means Toxic gets more time to work." Either you're stuck in a GSC
mindset, or you haven't read Habit #6. Do that now.
Enough with the interventions (interventia?). Time to give the one tactic
that will beat multi-turn moves once and for all...THE SWITCH. (Doesn't that
seem like the most powerful "move" in the game right about now?) Again,
there's no way to prevent a switch in RBY. Once you use Wrap, or whatever
multi-turn move you have, the opponent (who is smart, and has read this
section) will simply switch. The multi-turn move automatically ends, and to
add insult to (lack of) injury, you don't get to do anything that turn. The
so-called "invincibility" move now reads: 15-35 Power, 70-85 Accuracy, 16-32
PP, Opponent gets to switch to the Pokemon of their choice.
I thought a 70-accuracy, 16-PP move would be better than that.
But it isn't, and Wrap, Clamp, and Bind aren't much better. Now do you see
why?
71/2: "I'm the best"
Those neophytes never cease to throw out this line. The rebuttal of such
logically ignorant statements as this appears to be difficult, but when it
works, the pleasure gained by humiliating your clueless adversary is nearly
unmatched in all of gaming. Here goes:
Part 1 of the argument debates against the very declaration of inherency.
Very few things may properly be considered "intrinsic", and those that can are
simply philosophical ideals, far out of the reach of such a subject as gaming.
Pokemon is simply a set of electronic switches, arranged so as to enable
interactive control over a "game". Many people have scoured the code many
times over, and nothing in it states that any one player is automatically
better at playing than anyone else.
With fundamental possibilities out of the way, all that remains is to
demonstrate how the defendant is NOT "the best player the game has ever seen".
The most obvious way to accomplish this is by challenging him or her to a
simple 6-on-6 battle. If the challenge is refused, for ANY reason, the
following line is a surefire way to draw the opponent across the line in this
"mismatched argumentative tug-of-war":
"Since you were the one that made the original statement, you're the one with
the burden of proof. Refusal to battle implies nothing but lack of proof."
Without proof, their "I'm the best" cannot hold. Eventually, they will be
forced into one of several stances, each of which has an easy counter:
1 - They attempt to quietly duck out of the argument, change the subject, or
otherwise try to divert your mind, in the futile hope that you won't consider
them having admitted anything.
Answer: In order to be a top-level player and teacher, you can't let anyone
get away this easily. Ask your "student", flat out, whether they still
believe they're the best. On a "no", your job is done. On a "yes", the rest
of the conversation should unfold as follows:
You: "Why?"
Clueless Opponent: "Because no one can beat me!"
"Well, if you never let anyone fight you, then your claim isn't saying much."
"I've beaten <SomeUnbelievableNumber> people without losing!"
"And I'm supposed to be tricked into thinking <ThatNumber> is a diverse,
representative population of all classes of Pokemon players? For all I know,
all those players were just 8-year-olds in your neighborhood who think Hyper
Beam is the game's best move."
"SHUT UP!"
"Not without a reason. Everyone has equal entitlement to state their cases
and rebuttals, and the line 'Shut Up' does not change any truths."
"*Breaks down*"
"So do you want to learn the PROPER fundamentals of the game?"
and then show them this guide. Congratulations, you now have a following.
2 - They try to dismiss your claim as random words which mean nothing.
Answer: If you carry a dictionary in your pocket (like me), you can show your
victim just what each and every one of the words means. If not, try
rephrasing it: "People don't see drastic-sounding statements like '
I'm the best' to be true unless you can prove it. Except by testing in a
battle, there isn't much you can do to prove your words." If you can make
this even more kid-friendly, good for you. If they continue to call your
statement "gibberish", remind them that "if you can't understand this, you're
only making an ass out of yourself, and don't sound anywhere near smart enough
to play at the top level of competition." As usual, bust out the guide in its
entirely, and let an otherwise-doomed player learn the real game in Pokemon.
3 - They go ahead and battle.
Answer: Seeing as you've read this guide, and anyone who throws out such
ridiculous lines probably hasn't, winning should be easy (but remember never
to stereotype someone's battling ability before the fight actually begins).
Again, there are a few post-battle possibilities.
A - They try to duck out of it. See Option #1.
B - They state "YOU CHEATED". This is the most common answer when a new
player loses to someone in the upper echelon. The obvious answer to give is
"How did I cheat?" Normally, their counter rebuttal can be answered by some
combination of showing them this guide or the screen on your GB. Point out
that you don't have a Shark plugged in (while you may have one at home,
anything you do is attainable by legal means). Point out that illegal stats
can be reset by depositing into a box and then withdrawing. If you have
access to a computer, point out the following site:
www.sirlin.net/features/feature_PlayToWinPart1.htm (Playing to Win, an
important part of David Sirlin's excellent website that outlines game design).
Tell your soon-to-be-educated adversary that while that page uses Street
Fighter as an example, most of the same principles apply to Pokemon. For
example, "staying in a block" can be equated with "using evasion". Explain
that "the tactics I'm using aren't 'cheap' or 'cheating', they're just
'playing to win'. Do you have a problem with that? Read the site, and you'll
agree." At this point, any response can be quickly dismissed.
But if their answer is "You cheated because you won", it's a different
argument. You can counter by saying "So you really think I'm explicitly
banned from winning, or you're explicitly protected from losing? No. The
game of Pokemon does not guarantee that any player must always lose or always
win. Such a game is called 'I Win'. Pokemon is not 'I Win', and no one will
ever willfully play 'I Win' when they aren't the 'I'. With this in mind, did
I really cheat, and if so, how?" You now have the offender pinned against the
wall. Congratulations.
C - They blame it on luck, and want to play again. Go ahead and take them up
on the offer--you've got the proven tactics, right? Keep fighting them until
they realize that luck won't help in this match. Or if it does, simply point
out "So out of eight battles, you won once? If luck comes to the rescue just
12.5% of the time, then taking an average split of the luck seems to result in
your demise." Change the 8 and 12.5% based on if and when they ever do break
through. The ultimate point to be reinforced is that if so many battles
result in such a skewed outcome, the difference is more than luck. If their
one win represents the way battles "should" happen, how come you have seven
times as many? The teams must be mismatched, and it's your cue to show how
teams should be built.
So many possibilities, but it's all covered. "I'm the best" has no foundation,
and if you can demonstrate that, welcome to the world of recruiting. (Just for
the record, I have no connection to the military of the United States, or any
other nation, at the time of this guide's most recent update.)
-------------
|House Rules|
-------------
If you simply play by the rules the game has given you, most opponents you'll
find online simply walk away. Why? Pokemon on its own is unbalanced, and a
game with a single idealized team pitted against itself over and over isn't
really a game. So players decide to enforce their own rules of balance in
order to make the game playable, and different players go to different extents
to achieve this balance.
Let's take a look at the most common rules you'll run into. So as not to
infuse opinion into their enforcement, only a summary of each rule will be
given underneath each one. After each has been presented, an "editorial"
section will follow, in the Fox News tradition of "We report, YOU decide." E-
mail me with your vantage points on the rules, and they'll be published in a
future edition!
LEGEND BAN
"Take your Mewtwo and Mew away from my battle arena. They overcentralize the
game."
SPECIES LIMIT
"Six Alakazams? Bo-ring. Why don't you try diversifying?"
SLEEP RESTRICTION
"Come on! I'm already asleep! Isn't two simultaneous Spores a little
excessive?" (Note: This restriction doesn't count Rest-induced sleep.)
EVADE BAN/RESTRICTION
"Remove those DTs and Minimizes immediately! I don't want to be here all
day!"
ONE-HIT KILL BAN
"This is Pokemon, not Craps. Fissure, Horn Drill, and Guillotine are simply
out of place in this game."
RBY PURITY
"Tradeback Move Lists? To hell with them! This is RBY!"
**EDITORIALS**
1 editorial(s) so far.
Me, 2003/01/31:
"People have a tendency to be too restrictive on themselves. The clearest
cause I can see is that they don't want to have to think about as much, and so
they reduce the possible scope of the game. If this is so, it effectively
defeats most of the purpose of such a game.
Unfortunately, this reduction prevents many otherwise-viable teams from ever
materializing.
First things first, let me say: Pokemon needs its luck-based decisions. If
there was no luck, then a given battle between any two players would always
turn out nearly identically, and there would be no use for rematches. That
said, both One-Hit Kills and Evasion Modifiers are simply ways of testing
luck. It might pay off, making you invincible or ending the battle quickly.
On the other hand, if you're misfortunate, then all those turns spent with
Double Team or Fissure are completely wasted. It's the probability factor
that keeps the game interesting: they're not guaranteed to overpower the game,
but they're not so bad as to be inconsiderable for a team. And if you're
worried about 5-hour evasion wars, then maybe Pokemon isn't the right game for
you.
Mewtwo was made as nothing more than a prize for "completing" the game; it
doesn't belong in the same realm as the rest. Give it eight turns, and most
teams will be long gone. No other Pokemon pulls this off. So yes, it does
need to be set aside.
As for Tradebacks, this is quite possibly the subject of more debate than any
other in the game's history. Here's my stance on the subject:
This game needs to be playable if it is to remain a game. One of the ways of
accomplishing this is to keep the environment changing.
This has already happened. Yellow came out, with its moveset expansions, and
no one complained. Stadium came out, allowing Raichu to acquire Surf and
Golduck to acquire Amnesia, and no one complained. Likewise, Crystal provided
about 25 new egg moves, some of which were quite usable, and still no one
complained (at least not after the game was physically released in this
country).
Why, then, is the G/S transition unacceptable for move distribution? Is it
the sheer quantity of moves involved, which requires you to think even more,
which can't possibly be good? How absurd..."thinking too much"...
There is one other possibility, that being "RBY and GSC were intended as
completely separate domains". Except if this were true, the Time Machine
would not have been created in the first place, RBY-only moves would have to
be banned from GSC, and all RBY players would have no reason to keep playing
those games after October 15, 2000 (since the history books on those games
could progress no longer).
I'm viewing all of Pokemon as a single game, and the RBY and GSC subdivisions
as two different rule subsets by which to play the game, one of which just so
happens to be more limited than the other. But all of it evolves at once, so
if a move is given to one version of the game, any other version to which it
can be transferred must have access as well.
Here's a short and simple ruleset by which RBY battles can be played as openly
as possible without being broken. I call it the Unrestricted Standard Set of
Rules, or USSR:
1. All moves shall function as mandated by the current battle medium.
2. Mewtwo at L83 or less is legal; L84 or more results in disqualification.
3. Mew at L90 or less is legal; L91 or more results in disqualification.
4. Use of multiple Pokemon of the same species on the same team results in
disqualification.
5. Use of any move not on a Pokemon's Level-up, TM, HM, Stadium Special, or
Tradeback List (as subject to the 11/11 Criterion) results in
disqualification.
Have fun, and don't do drugs."
Submit your editorials at the address found way back on page 4.
----------------
|Gameshark Help|
----------------
Just for quick reference, here's a quick list of the codes you'll use most
often. (All codes listed are for Red/Blue; Yellow may require the subtraction
of 1 from the sixth digit.) Also note that, unless a key is listed below it,
'xx' is equal to the hex representation of whatever number you're looking for.
I won't go into a complete chart of hex values, but hex 63 is decimal 99, and
hex FF is decimal 255 (the highest allowed value). Those values should
satisfy most of your needs.
Move Modifier: 01xx73D1 (first), 01xx74D1 (second), 01xx75D1 (third), 01xx76D1
(fourth)
Key for xx:
00 - <empty slot>
01 - Pound
02 - Karate Chop
03 - Double Slap
04 - Comet Punch
05 - Mega Punch
06 - Pay Day
07 - Fire Punch
08 - Ice Punch
09 - Thunderpunch
0A - Scratch
0B - Vice Grip
0C - Guillotine
0D - Razor Wind
0E - Swords Dance
0F - Cut
10 - Gust
11 - Wing Attack
12 - Whirlwind
13 - Fly
14 - Bind
15 - Slam
16 - Vine Whip
17 - Stomp
18 - Double Kick
19 - Mega Kick
1A - Jump Kick
1B - Rolling Kick
1C - Sand-Attack
1D - Headbutt
1E - Horn Attack
1F - Fury Attack
20 - Horn Drill
21 - Tackle
22 - Body Slam
23 - Wrap
24 - Take Down
25 - Thrash
26 - Double-Edge
27 - Tail Whip
28 - Poison Sting
29 - Twineedle
2A - Pin Missile
2B - Leer
2C - Bite
2D - Growl
2E - Roar
2F - Sing
30 - Supersonic
31 - Sonicboom
32 - Disable
33 - Acid
34 - Ember
35 - Flamethrower
36 - Mist
37 - Water Gun
38 - Hydro Pump
39 - Surf
3A - Ice Beam
3B - Blizzard
3C - Psybeam
3D - Bubblebeam
3E - Aurora Beam
3F - Hyper Beam
40 - Peck
41 - Drill Peck
42 - Submission
43 - Low Kick
44 - Counter
45 - Seismic Toss
46 - Strength
47 - Absorb
48 - Mega Drain
49 - Leech Seed
4A - Growth
4B - Razor Leaf
4C - Solar Beam
4D - Poisonpowder
4E - Stun Spore
4F - Sleep Powder
50 - Petal Dance
51 - String Shot
52 - Dragon Rage
53 - Fire Spin
54 - Thundershock
55 - Thunderbolt
56 - Thunder Wave
57 - Thunder
58 - Rock Throw
59 - Earthquake
5A - Fissure
5B - Dig
5C - Toxic
5D - Confusion
5E - Psychic
5F - Hypnosis
60 - Meditate
61 - Agility
62 - Quick Attack
63 - Rage
64 - Teleport
65 - Night Shade
66 - Mimic
67 - Screech
68 - Double Team
69 - Recover
6A - Harden
6B - Minimize
6C - Smokescreen
6D - Confuse Ray
6E - Withdraw
6F - Defense Curl
70 - Barrier
71 - Light Screen
72 - Haze
73 - Reflect
74 - Focus Energy
75 - Bide
76 - Metronome
77 - Mirror Move
78 - Selfdestruct
79 - Egg Bomb
7A - Lick
7B - Smog
7C - Sludge
7D - Bone Club
7E - Fire Blast
7F - Waterfall
80 - Clamp
81 - Swift
82 - Skull Bash
83 - Spike Cannon
84 - Constrict
85 - Amnesia
86 - Kinesis
87 - Softboiled
88 - Hi Jump Kick
89 - Glare
8A - Dream Eater
8B - Poison Gas
8C - Barrage
8D - Leech Life
8E - Lovely Kiss
8F - Sky Attack
90 - Transform
91 - Bubble
92 - Dizzy Punch
93 - Spore
94 - Flash
95 - Psywave
96 - Splash
97 - Acid Armor
98 - Crabhammer
99 - Explosion
9A - Fury Swipes
9B - Bonemerang
9C - Rest
9D - Rock Slide
9E - Hyper Fang
9F - Sharpen
A0 - Conversion
A1 - Tri Attack
A2 - Super Fang
A3 - Slash
A4 - Substitute
A5 - Struggle
Wild Pokemon level modifier: 01xxBFCF
Wild Pokemon species modifier: 01xxD8CF
Key for xx:
01 - Rhydon
02 - Kangaskhan
03 - NidoranM
04 - Clefairy
05 - Spearow
06 - Voltorb
07 - Nidoking
08 - Slowbro
09 - Ivysaur
0A - Exeggutor
0B - Lickitung
0C - Exeggcute
0D - Grimer
0E - Gengar
0F - NidoranF
10 - Nidoqueen
11 - Cubone
12 - Rhyhorn
13 - Lapras
14 - Arcanine
15 - Mew
16 - Gyarados
17 - Shellder
18 - Tentacool
19 - Gastly
1A - Scyther
1B - Staryu
1C - Blastoise
1D - Pinsir
1E - Tangela
1F - Missingno.
20 - Missingno.
21 - Growlithe
22 - Onix
23 - Fearow
24 - Pidgey
25 - Slowpoke
26 - Kadabra
27 - Graveler
28 - Chansey
29 - Machoke
2A - Mr. Mime
2B - Hitmonlee
2C - Hitmonchan
2D - Arbok
2E - Parasect
2F - Psyduck
30 - Drowzee
31 - Golem
32 - Missingno.
33 - Magmar
34 - Mankey
35 - Electabuzz
36 - Magneton
37 - Koffing
38 - Missingno.
39 - Missingno.
3A - Seel
3B - Diglett
3C - Tauros
3D - Missingno.
3E - Missingno.
3F - Missingno.
40 - Farfetch'd
41 - Venonat
42 - Dragonite
43 - Missingno.
44 - Missingno.
45 - Missingno.
46 - Doduo
47 - Poliwag
48 - Jynx
49 - Moltres
4A - Articuno
4B - Zapdos
4C - Ditto
4D - Meowth
4E - Krabby
4F - Missingno.
50 - Missingno.
51 - Missingno.
52 - Vulpix
53 - Ninetales
54 - Pikachu
55 - Raichu
56 - Missingno.
57 - Missingno.
58 - Dratini
59 - Dragonair
5A - Kabuto
5B - Kabutops
5C - Horsea
5D - Seadra
5E - Missingno.
5F - Missingno.
60 - Sandshrew
61 - Sandslash
62 - Omanyte
63 - Omastar
64 - Jigglypuff
65 - Wigglytuff
66 - Eevee
67 - Flareon
68 - Jolteon
69 - Vaporeon
6A - Machop
6B - Zubat
6C - Ekans
6D - Paras
6E - Poliwhirl
6F - Poliwrath
70 - Weedle
71 - Kakuna
72 - Beedrill
73 - Missingno.
74 - Dodrio
75 - Primeape
76 - Dugtrio
77 - Venomoth
78 - Dewgong
79 - Missingno.
7A - Missingno.
7B - Caterpie
7C - Metapod
7D - Butterfree
7E - Machamp
7F - Missingno.
80 - Golduck
81 - Hypno
82 - Golbat
83 - Mewtwo
84 - Snorlax
85 - Magikarp
86 - Missingno.
87 - Missingno.
88 - Muk
8A - Kingler
8B - Cloyster
8C - Missingno.
8D - Electrode
8E - Clefable
8F - Weezing
90 - Persian
91 - Marowak
92 - Missingno.
93 - Haunter
94 - Abra
95 - Alakazam
96 - Pidgeotto
97 - Pidgeot
98 - Starmie
99 - Bulbasaur
9A - Venusaur
9B - Tentacruel
9C - Missingno.
9D - Goldeen
9E - Seaking
9F - Missingno.
A0 - Missingno.
A1 - Missingno.
A2 - Missingno.
A3 - Ponyta
A4 - Rapidash
A5 - Rattata
A6 - Raticate
A7 - Nidorino
A8 - Nidorina
A9 - Geodude
AA - Porygon
AB - Aerodactyl
AC - Missingno.
AD - Magnemite
AE - Missingno.
AF - Missingno.
B0 - Charmander
B1 - Squirtle
B2 - Charmeleon
B3 - Wartortle
B4 - Charizard
B5 - Missingno.
B6 - Missingno.
B7 - Missingno.
B8 - Missingno.
B9 - Oddish
BA - Gloom
BB - Vileplume
BC - Bellsprout
BD - Weepinbell
BE - Victreebel
Trainers do NOT block Poke Balls: 010157D0 (don't activate this code until
after the battle starts)
Walk through walls: 010138CD
Item quantity 1: 01xx1FD3 (change the 1F to 21 for second item, 23 for third
item, etc. adding 2 each time)
Item type 1: 01xx1ED3 (change the 1E to 20 for second item, 22 for third item,
etc. adding 2 each time)
Key for xx:
01 - Master Ball
02 - Ultra Ball
03 - Great Ball
04 - Poke Ball
05 - Town Map
06 - Bicycle
07 - ????? (basically a surfboard)
08 - Safari Ball
09 - Pokedex
0A - Moon Stone
0B - Antidote
0C - Burn Heal
0D - Ice Heal
0E - Awakening
0F - Parlyz Heal
10 - Full Restore
11 - Max Potion
12 - Hyper Potion
13 - Super Potion
14 - Potion
15 - Boulderbadge
16 - Cascadebadge
17 - Thunderbadge
18 - Rainbowbadge
19 - Soulbadge
1A - Marshbadge
1B - Volcanobadge
1C - Earthbadge
1D - Escape Rope
1E - Repel
1F - Old Amber
20 - Fire Stone
21 - Thunderstone
22 - Water Stone
23 - HP Up
24 - Protein
25 - Iron
26 - Carbos
27 - Calcium
28 - Rare Candy
29 - Dome Fossil
2A - Helix Fossil
2B - Secret Key
2C - ????? (no use found)
2D - Bike Voucher
2E - X Accuracy
2F - Leaf Stone
30 - Card Key
31 - Nugget
32 - PP Up
33 - Poke Doll
34 - Full Heal
35 - Revive
36 - Max Revive
37 - Guard Spec.
38 - Super Repel
39 - Max Repel
3A - Dire Hit
3B - Coin
3C - Fresh Water
3D - Soda Pop
3E - Lemonade
3F - S.S. Ticket
40 - Gold Teeth
41 - X Attack
42 - X Defend
43 - X Speed
44 - X Special
45 - Coin Case
46 - Oak's Parcel
47 - Item Finder
48 - Silph Scope
49 - Poke Flute
4A - Lift Key
4B - Exp. All
4C - Old Rod
4D - Good Rod
4E - Super Rod
4F - PP Up
50 - Ether
51 - Max Ether
52 - Elixir
53 - Max Elixir
C4 - HM01 (Cut)
C5 - HM02 (Fly)
C6 - HM03 (Surf)
C7 - HM04 (Strength)
C8 - HM05 (Flash)
C9 - TM01 (Mega Punch)
CA - TM02 (Razor Wind)
CB - TM03 (Swords Dance)
CC - TM04 (Whirlwind)
CD - TM05 (Mega Kick)
CE - TM06 (Toxic)
CF - TM07 (Horn Drill)
D0 - TM08 (Body Slam)
D1 - TM09 (Take Down)
D2 - TM10 (Double-Edge)
D3 - TM11 (Bubblebeam)
D4 - TM12 (Water Gun)
D5 - TM13 (Ice Beam)
D6 - TM14 (Blizzard)
D7 - TM15 (Hyper Beam)
D8 - TM16 (Pay Day)
D9 - TM17 (Submission)
DA - TM18 (Counter)
DB - TM19 (Seismic Toss)
DC - TM20 (Rage)
DD - TM21 (Mega Drain)
DE - TM22 (Solarbeam)
DF - TM23 (Dragon Rage)
E0 - TM24 (Thunderbolt)
E1 - TM25 (Thunder)
E2 - TM26 (Earthquake)
E3 - TM27 (Fissure)
E4 - TM28 (Dig)
E5 - TM29 (Psychic)
E6 - TM30 (Teleport)
E7 - TM31 (Mimic)
E8 - TM32 (Double Team)
E9 - TM33 (Reflect)
EA - TM34 (Bide)
EB - TM35 (Metronome)
EC - TM36 (Selfdestruct)
ED - TM37 (Egg Bomb)
EE - TM38 (Fire Blast)
EF - TM39 (Swift)
F0 - TM40 (Skull Bash)
F1 - TM41 (Softboiled)
F2 - TM42 (Dream Eater)
F3 - TM43 (Sky Attack)
F4 - TM44 (Rest)
F5 - TM45 (Thunder Wave)
F6 - TM46 (Psywave)
F7 - TM47 (Explosion)
F8 - TM48 (Rock Slide)
F9 - TM49 (Tri Attack)
FA - TM50 (Substitute)
FF - <empty slot>
***********************
*202. Pokemon Analysis*
***********************
This section will narrow down the choices for Pokemon on a team. Starting
with 81 contestants, I'll cut the field significantly, by reviewing each and
every one of them (and dismissing quite a few). Then it's your job to knock
it to six in the next section.
Venusaur: If you didn't already know, you soon will: Having a Psychic weakness
in this game is almost automatic grounds for disqualification. Which is
unfortunate, since Venusaur is otherwise ranked near the top in Grass. It has
the highest Speed in the type, along with Sleep Powder, Leech Seed, and Body
Slam (okay, 60% less likely to PAR than Stun Spore, but at least it deals
damage...), the best disabling moves available to the type. (Just don't try
Toxic; poison is a bad mistake here, especially with no way to stop switches.)
Razor Leaf is the game's best Grass attack, and Normal attacks are usually
worth checking out for consistency purposes. And yet, all because of that
"03" in the second type, it's nearly unviable. Try it, but not in the
presence of Psychics.
Charizard: Some have voted Charizard the best Fire-type in the game. And
that's from people OVER the age of 9. Obviously, having a second type of
Flying will negate one of its physical weaknesses, but it also creates a
second weakness (W4) to the other. You may point out that Charizard happens
to get Earthquake to counteract Rock, but here's a general rule: Just because
a Pokemon can get a move that's super effective against its W4, doesn't mean
it actually does anything. For example, it takes FOUR Earthquakes to put down
Rhydon, whereas even a single Rock Slide before then will result in a
miserable death for Charizard. But EQ isn't all bad; it does give Charizard
an advantage against other Fire-types, as well as Electrics (which it does
stand SOME chance of beating). Even though it has a good reputation in the
eyes of the little kids, that doesn't AUTOMATICALLY disqualify it...it just
means Charizard has a steeper hill to climb. Or fly over, not that it's a
good idea to waste a move slot with Fly. Give the poor dragon a chance, since
it's one of the few versatile Fire-types.
Blastoise: It's been voted the most beneficial starter by many player's guides
(I have no idea what gave them this idea), but it's the worst off in battle.
Sure, Blastoise learns Ice Beam and Earthquake to cover both its weaknesses,
but they don't work as promised. Special's lower-end among Water-types, and
lack of a second type here likely hurts Blastoise. Try Starmie and Lapras.
Butterfree: There's a reason Butterfree is allowed to reach third stage by
L10: because IT NEEDS A BRIEF TIME TO SHINE. Namely "end of Viridian Forest
to Route 24". Put simply, Butterfree is "a Bug/Flyer with no Bug/Flying moves
worth mentioning, but rather a status inflictor who just so happens to pick up
Solarbeam and Psychic." Do we know another status inflictor who just so
happens to get Solarbeam and Psychic? Yep--Exeggutor. And Eggy is capable of
doing other things. And gets STAB on both of those moves. And isn't nearly
as fragile. Even the Grass/Poisons, with the huge blemish known as a Psychic
weakness, STILL take precedence over Butterfree and its 198 Defense, not to
mention six weaknesses (7 if you give a W4 double credit). After your fourth
hour of gameplay, make sure you choose the "Release" option for Butterfree.
Beedrill: Slightly better than Butterfree, but still not a wise idea for top-
notch teams. Beedrill is the exclusive holder of what's arguably the best Bug
move (Twineedle), is one of two that has the other contender for best Bug move
(Pin Missile, along with Jolteon), and gets Swords Dance to pump them up. As
if a 178-Defense bug could ever get away with Swords Dance. "But Bug beats
Psychic!" you say. Hardly, and in any case Beedrill's second type (Poison)
leaves any hopes of this argument on the outskirts of the Logic Chamber.
Here's a question...what do Beedrill and Miss Cleo have in common? They're
both branded with the warning: FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY. That wraps it
up.
Pidgeot: Even Ash got something right, when he decided to release his Pidgeot.
Sure, it's a good Pokemon with which to waste a slot on Fly. And it has
above-average HP. But like the other Normal-Flyers, its attacks are limited
to those types. It doesn't even get Drill Peck, the one Flying move that
might make it worthwhile. Granted, Pidgeot does learn Mirror Move, but the
chances for that move to shine are highly limited, such as an Ice Beaming
Dragonite. And since Dragonite can't even OHKO itself with Ice Beam, what
makes you think Pidgeot can? The one move that has potential, isn't backed by
high enough stats to use it. And hence Pidgeot gets the stamp of rejection.
Raticate: Raticate's strategy can be packed into two words: "Super Fang".
Capable of inflicting 352 on Chansey, 208 on Mewtwo, and a whopping 112 on
Diglett, Super Fang is both a Substitute deterrent and a consistent source of
damage. And if I told you that Raticate could use Thunderbolt and Ice Beam,
what would you say? "What Special to they run off?" That's the spirit. And
the answer, "not enough", pins down Raticate as a one-move wonder. With low
staying power. A possible metagame choice, against things like Chansey and
Snorlax.
Fearow: It's better than Pidgeot, and not because it gets Mirror Move 22
levels earlier. It's all a matter of Drill Peck and a slightly better Speed.
Attack is decent (but not as good as Dodrio's), and its types are both
supported with STAB moves. If it weren't for Dodrio, Fearow would be a
recommended choice. But, just as you don't settle for a pistol when you can
have an AK-47 (assuming it's LEGAL for you to have an AK-47), you don't choose
a Pokemon in the presence of a superior one.
Arbok: As Team Rocket's Jessie has repeatedly demonstrated, Arbok is bad. Not
bad as in "evil", but bad as in "can't hold its own". Sure, it's the
exclusive holder of Glare. And sure, it has Earthquake to deal with other
Poison-types. But who in their right mind plays with Poison anyway? And
Arbok has NO second type to cover any of the weaknesses that make Poison the
second-worst type in the game (rivaling Bug for last)! CRIKEY! IT'S A
HUNDRED-FORTY-POUND SNAKE! Unless you're Crocodile Hunter, you have no
business dealing with Arbok, and even if you are, don't think you can do much
with it. If you MUST use a mono-Poison, at least grab a Koffing and improve
the self-image of Mr. K (administrator at www.azureheights.com, the biggest
third-party contributor to my research.)
Raichu: Surf makes it the one Electric that covers the Ground weakness (not
always, though; Sandslash can take a Surf and kill in one). Sound good?
Well, bad staying power is never a good thing, but the real question is "Is
Surf enough to offset that bad point?" If only it had 30 extra Defense,
Raichu would be in the running for "best Electric." But as it is, it's just
an average option. Zapdos or Jolteon should normally take precedence. Use
Raichu only when you become bored with those two, or when everyone you know
plays six Golems to a team.
Sandslash: Good standing for best Ground-type--it doesn't have the W4s of
Rhydon, and Swords Dance doesn't hurt. Use of Swords Dance + Swift is a good
anti-Double-Team measure. Speed is above average.....FOR A GROUND TYPE! Hey,
at least it outruns Clefable and Lapras. Worth checking out as an Electric
deterrent.
Nidoqueen: Both Nidoking and Nidoqueen are popular among the kids, likely
because of their consistently average stats and large TM compatibility
(although Clefable and Chansey match 'em). That would be fine, except for one
fact. Type 1 is POISON. Ground weakness, Psychic weakness, and the Ground
type costs it two more all to get an immunity to Electric. The idea of
turning a Ground-type into an all-around butcher would be nice, but not with
the two worst weaknesses you can have. Send them back to Route 22 where they
belong.
Nidoking: Contrary to what previously filled this space, Nidoking isn't just a
coin-flip decision with Nidoqueen. Instead, like Gengar, it seeks to test
whether the Poison type is impossible to overcome. Focus Energy and/or
Amnesia helps with this, and the recent possibility of Lovely Kiss certainly
turned a few heads (away from Nidoking, that is). Earthquake, Ice Beam, Surf,
Thunderbolt...you name it. Both Physical and Special, Nidoking has attacks
for countless occasions. And unlike Nidoqueen, it can develop enough power to
use them.
Clefable: Fewer HP than Wigglytuff, but Clefable still outdoes it in battle.
Defensively, it gets Minimize (something Wiggly can't claim), with 8 more PP
than Double Team. A fairly irrelevant fact, but useful in PP wars. However,
it's those Defense and Special boosts that are of interest. And since it has
incredible move compatibility, just think of Clefable as a Chansey with a
pumped physical aspect, at the cost of half its special survivability.
Unfortunately, special attacks dominate in RBY, so it looks like Chansey
claims another victory. But Clefable could still score some points for you if
you're playing underused.
Ninetales: If there's such a thing as a good Fire-type, Ninetales may be it.
Granted, most of Fire's strengths can already be covered by Ice (except for
the nigh-worthless Bug and Ice itself, which is usually paired with Water to
eliminate the weakness), and Ice has a few more advantages against good types.
And Fire's side effect, Burn, is nothing compared to the permanent
helplessness of Freeze. That said, if Charizard is the Articuno of Fire
(since Moltres sure isn't), Ninetales is its Lapras. It's not defensive, but
Fire never was a defensive type. Maybe call it a Dewgong instead of a Lapras.
Okay, so it can Confuse Ray, then Body Slam for double disability (for you out
there who are intent on status afflictions, you can trade back both Headbutt
and the ill-advised Hypnosis). Attacks aren't nearly as diverse as Lapras (or
Dewgong for that matter), but it's Fire. Paralleling it with red in Magic (an
excellent trading card game for which it's highly advisable you read about and
play, www.wizards.com/magic), we find that color to be absolutely reckless at
doing one thing and one thing only: a barrage of conflagrations aimed at the
opponent. Most Fire-types are that way too; Ninetales at least shows some
creativity. Score some merit for that. But battles aren't won by creativity.
Wigglytuff: One of the two biggest mascots at Azure Heights (Koffing being the
other), Wigglytuff at least has some merit. 483 HP ranks #3; even with sub-
par defensive stats elsewhere, Wiggly can take a beating. And with such a
wide range of attacks from Double-Edge to Ice Beam to Thunderbolt, it's tough
to predict as well. Good for fun teams, but Chansey still beats it out in the
all-purpose department. Note to all: If you ever see Mr. K on the streets,
accompanied by what looks like a malformed bunny in a black ski mask, RUN
AWAY. Lest you take Double-Edge after Double-Edge, land in the ICU, and are
forced to pay $300,000 in hospital bills. Remember, it could happen to YOU.
Golbat: There's a reason Zubat and Golbat are the most common cave inhabitants
in the game: because catching them isn't worth much. Poison/Flying is another
one of those very bad type combos, forcing Electric, Ice, AND Psychic
weaknesses. And while Golbat does get Confuse Ray and Haze, Haze is
contradictory to Confuse Ray, and both require considerable staying power,
which Golbat doesn't have. Maybe if and when it gets better stats (which, by
most calculations, happened after three years), Golbat is worth something.
But otherwise, it's just a way to fill the "random encounter" variables.
Vileplume: Before you get any ideas about Vileplume, I'll remind you once
again: Don't do drugs. Vileplume does offer an interesting alternative to
Venusaur, at least in pure RBY. No Razor Leaf, but there is an in-flavor
alternative in Petal Dance. However, GSC changes all that, allowing each of
the Grass/Poisons to get both moves. In Vileplume's slow (198) hands, the
criticals on Razor Leaf won't be numerous enough for an average greater than
Petal Dance's 90; however, Razor Leaf doesn't self-confuse. Vileplume does
get Swords Dance, but so does Venusaur, and Vileplume doesn't have the staying
power to get away with consistent Swords Dances. Keep it away from the rigors
of serious competition.
Parasect: "Inflicts Sleep. Accuracy: 99.609375%." How abusive is that?
Well, when the only legal user of that move has speed 158, not as much as it
could be. Each time you try to use Spore, the opponent gets a free hit on
Parasect (unless you successfully preempt the turn your opponent wakes up,
which takes considerable luck). And with three W4s (Fire, Flying, and
Poison), that one hit could very well mean doom. One of the more annoying
Bugs, but the game is decided by plays to win, not to annoy. However, correct
play with Parasect can even lead to the demise of Mewtwo (with one important
exception, to be discussed later)! But that's about it. Maybe if it beats
Mewtwo, it can go on to beat Alakazam in a Mewtwo-free environment. Show at
least SOMEONE that the 2 in "Bug vs. Psychic" on the type chart isn't
completely irrelevant, and you'll have satisfied an "Experiments with the
Underused" requirement.
Venomoth: A Bug/Poison with Psychic? Go look up Butterfree, and you'll find
that Venomoth is almost a dead-on clone of Butterfree with slightly better
stats and a changed type. Venomoth has the requisite disability moves, little
to no STAB support, and the aforementioned Psychic. Notwithstanding the
Speed, Exeggutor wipes Venomoth clean everywhere else.
Dugtrio: A GROUND-TYPE WITH SPEED? Yes, but it offers NOTHING else. Can't
attack for much, can't take a hit...well, it CAN hit with Fissure. That's the
one thing Dugtrio has working for it, and even so only 30% of the time, and
not at all against Mewtwo, Aerodactyl, Jolteon, or Electrode. That's just
sad: a Ground-type incapable of dealing with Electrics. What else is the type
supposed to be good for?
Persian: "You want your criticals? I got your criticals RIGHT here!" If Team
Rocket's Meowth were to evolve, that's what it would likely say. Slash's 70
power is nearly sure to be doubled with the awesome speed of Persian, and it's
one of only two Normal-types to get the move (to dismiss the other one,
Farfetch'd, just read its section). So we've got consistent 210-power shots
from 238 Attack, total 49980--almost as good as Rhydon using Earthquake,
especially when Persian only has one weakness. And did I mention that Persian
can get Bubblebeam and Thunderbolt? Sure, the Special isn't enough to count
on those moves as reliable damage. But when you get the chance (or when
you're forced into it, such as against that Rhydon), there are always
diversified attacks. Oh, and it trades back Amnesia in case you're looking
for more motivation to use those moves. If you're looking for Speed, Persian
is worth a shot. Or two. As long as the shots in question aren't gunshots
aimed at its head. Whiskey shots? Okay, but only if you're 21 or over (to
the Persian, that's just 3 of our years). Anyway, behold the awesome power of
the cat, and if you like it, good for you.
Golduck: Good thing Golduck finally picked up Amnesia--it needed it.
Unfortunately, it also needed more. The stats are all clumped in the 78-85
range, a stat balance unsurpassed by all but Ditto and Mew, but unfortunately
at a level that only qualifies as "borderline good". No area of excellence.
Slowbro is the much better choice: it has quite a bit more staying power
(which is needed for dependable Amnesia use), can disable with T-Wave, and
gets Psychic in such a way that doesn't prohibit Amnesia's coexistence. Try
it out (as a Psyduck) in the Petit Cup, but Golduck is by no means a Tier 1
competitor. Or a Tier 2. 3? Possibly.
Primeape: Best summed up as "a faster Machamp that passes up Earthquake".
Ignoring the obvious fact that all other stats are lower than Machamp, that
lack of Earthquake simply dooms Primeape. Failing to obtain the game's
strongest drawback-free move, especially in the world of physicals, only makes
you lose possible KOs. Focus Energy supplementing a 95 isn't bad; just under
75% of hits would be critical (and criticals mean Primeape can kill such
things as Chansey and Charizard). However, when you're as frail as Primeape
(especially with Submission recoils), using one turn for a nondamaging move
doesn't provide enough time for the move to pay for itself. So it's back to
basics, and when the basics don't include Earthquake, Machamp beats you down
in the quest for "alpha male". You did give Machamp that 15 DV, didn't you?
Arcanine: Another would-have-been candidate, Arcanine tries to make up for
fewer moves than its counterpart, Ninetales, with tougher stats. Like
Ninetales, it's stuck with Dig instead of Earthquake (and Dig is infinitely
less valuable), and like Ninetales, it has to get stoned in order to evolve
(try to imagine THAT picture). But there's no Confuse Ray, not enough
Physical moves to support that 318 stat, and Special is actually LOWER than
its self-proclaimed rival. Arcanine is overrated, as is the Fire-type as a
whole. Unless you're building a theme team, leave the dog alone.
Poliwrath: Okay, so after something evolves twice, why is it still a 119-pound
TADPOLE? Granted, GSC solves this problem with ease, but it's worth pointing
out that this fact defies the meaning of evolution. Enough with the flavor
questions; they already imply that Poliwrath sucks, and it does. Forget
Amnesia; Slowbro uses that move to greater effect, and isn't Psychic-weak.
While Poliwrath also delves into the physical world, the 268 Attack pales in
comparison with the only two physical attackers approved by the FDA, Machamp
and Snorlax. Surf, Ice Beam, Psychic, Earthquake, Submission...all on the
same Pokemon...until Amnesia, stats aren't enough to use it...too vulnerable
to use Amnesia in the first place...something tells me this Pokemon will need
a cross-time improvement.
Alakazam: When Mewtwo is banned (read: when facing anyone over 12), Alakazam
should be your fallback measure. Special is "only" 368, and there's no
Amnesia. But you can still utilize the offensive aspects of Mewtwo in a less-
delinquent package (especially after trading back to GSC for your choice of
Fire Punch, Ice Punch, or Thunderpunch). Defense is rather low, but Reflect
is always available, and the superior Barrier takes its place after the time
warp. Alakazam rivals Mew for #2 Psychic, and feel free to use either (if
you're allowed to).
Machamp: If Machamp can't overcome the unusability of the Fighting-type,
nothing can. And it's not doing a good job as such. Even with 358 Attack and
the best variety of physical moves, Machamp's list of tasks are generally
limited to killing Normals, and the occasional Charizard. However, once GSC
allowed Machamp to trade back Meditate, the position improved. Offensively, a
1-Meditate Machamp is as powerful as Rhydon when it comes to Earthquake and
Rock Slide, but defensively a 1-Meditate Machamp may as well be dead from the
hit opposite Meditate. So it didn't improve that much. Still a good physical
threat, but the game is so centralized around special attacks that physicals
rarely get the credit they would deserve with more thorough testing by the
programmers.
Victreebel: Um...it learns Swords Dance. So do Venusaur and Vileplume, and
they also sport better staying power. Um...it has 308 Attack. Swords Dance
nullifies that attack difference, since all three are high enough to reach 999
from Swords Dances, and no one gets there faster than the others. Um...it
learns Bind. Go read page 20 for Bind. Um...Victreebel is just an inferior
Venusaur. 1 out of 4 isn't bad, is it? Oh, it is. Forget it, then. NEXT!
Tentacruel: As you should know by now, Psychic-weak Pokemon get to do a lot in
order to try and make up for the weakness. In Tentacruel's case, it comes in
the form of 338 Special, highest of all Water-types. Although it's weak to
Mewtwo's Psychic, Tentacruel can still survive it (barring Amnesia) with 100+
HP to spare. Now, obviously it can't do much in return, but it's a testament
to the value of high stats. And the other weakness, Ground, is countered
quite nicely by Surf, plus a Barrier can nullify any Physical weakness for any
Pokemon. However, Tentacruel lacks diversity, and as such is relegated to the
Underused.
Golem: Golem is on a divergent path from the Pokemon it most emulates, Rhydon.
Golem gets an extra 20 Defense, but the 50 fewer HP puts it on the losing end.
Even the Special boost is outweighed by that HP loss, and a 40-point deficit
in Attack makes one wonder just what Golem's saving grace is. It does happen
to have one, namely "Rhydon can't learn TM 47". As it stands, Golem's
Explosion trails only a Snorlax's Selfdestruct in the running for "Game's
Strongest Legally Attainable Attack". So it doesn't stick around as long as
Rhydon, but it's for that reason that Golem inherits the ability to go BOOM.
But if Rhydon has it beat in the stats category, and Snorlax's detonation is
still more powerful than Golem's could hope to be, is there even a reason to
use The Rock? Maybe it can be used to study just how 662 pounds of stone fits
into a six-inch sphere and is still light enough to be held. But do everyone
a favor, and don't take one of these into the arena unless you know exactly
when to detonate.
Rapidash: If the Fire type is bad, Rapidash is simply an even further
defacement to the name. You can try to use it as a Horn Driller (only Tauros
and Dugtrio outrace it in the instant-kill department), but that's strictly a
"fun" game plan in RBY, and otherwise you're just left with a worse Arcanine.
Except for a 20-point Speed advantage, Rapidash's stats are all inferior to
Arcanine's. And it still doesn't get diversified moves to make up for the
loss (only Horn Drill is notable, and regardless of how much faster you are,
as long as it's more than zero, Horn Drill still hits just 29.688%). I'm
thinking Rapidash belongs at the World Champion Rodeo (can you imagine how
those events would turn out?). Because it doesn't belong here.
Slowbro: One of the more effective Mewtwo slaughterers. Slowbro is also
hailed by beginners since it gets Earthquake, Ice Beam, and Fire Blast (if you
didn't already know this, SLOWBRO ISN'T A FOUR-MOVE SWEEPER, so don't make the
mistake of trying all those moves). Once those players realize the power of
Recover, most of them will abandon Slowbro temporarily for Starmie. But the
allure of Amnesia can send them right back, and in fact both Water/Psychics
are good choices (but in different ways). Starmie gets Speed and wins the
type mirror, but Slowbro has quite a bit more staying power, and the potential
for some "savage mising". It's rather frail in the face of critical hits (and
remember, since Electric is the fastest overall type, those Pokemon will get a
lot of them), but otherwise you have a tank that, since it doesn't use DT, NO
ONE will object to. Catch one now.
Magneton: A defensive Electric-type? Yes, that's what Magneton is, and
pretty much all that it is. With such low move compatibility, about your only
choice is to play DT-Rest on 303 HP. Screech + physical attacks are a waste;
you have to Screech for every Pokemon, unlike Swords Dance which is permanent
until your Pokemon retreats or dies. Little more than a novelty.
Farfetch'd: Contrary to what my attitude on most Pokemon would allude,
Farfetch'd DOES have a niche in my opinion. Namely, THE PETIT CUP! The
"Crazy Duck" deserves to be fighting with the likes of Pikachu and Gastly, not
Chansey and Lapras. Look at those stats...65's the highest Base Stat...oh
wait, it does have another use. Get your WHOLE ROAST DUCK! Only $3.99,
because it sucked so much when it was alive!
Dodrio: Normal/Flying isn't the most creative combination, or the best-
aligned. But of its four representatives out of 81 contestants overall,
Dodrio is most likely to make a team. Attack and Speed are both best of the
four, and moves like Drill Peck and Body Slam take advantage of both its types
and big Attack score. Heck, with a quick trip to GSC and back, you can even
snag Haze for stopping DT use (just try to avoid Hazing a Paralyzed opponent,
got it?) Normal/Flying is an intrinsically narrow set, but you may as well
use the one that pushes its limits, if you use one at all.
Dewgong: Middle ground for the Water/Ice-types? Instead of the HP of Lapras,
or the Defense of Cloyster, Dewgong prefers to take a fairly balanced set of
stats. But unlike Lapras, its repertoire is pretty much limited to STAB
moves, Normal moves, and Horn Drill, and unlike Cloyster, Explosion isn't one
of those Normal moves. When you have the worst of both worlds, is it even
worth it to live?
Muk: The Pokemon with the "Game's Best Poison Attack". That's a 60-power
Sludge from a stat of 308. How many of the 81 RBY Pokemon can that attack
kill in one hit? ONE (Parasect). 79% to Butterfree, 58% to Scyther, and 48%
to Exeggutor. What a waste of the type. When it comes to Psychic-weak
physical attackers, Muk pales to Machamp. Sure, you can also use it to Haze,
or Minimize-Rest, but the stats clearly aren't optimized to do that (you
might, however, try the detonator). Either way, you have something trumping
it.
Cloyster: If Cloyster had a more physically aligned type setup, it would be a
powerhouse on that side of the spectrum. But it opted instead for Water/Ice,
forcing competition with Lapras. Since HP is involved in both defensive
aspects, Cloyster's 160-point disadvantage in that regard means the huge
Defense is needed just to give it a SLIGHT advantage over Lapras there, and
the Special comparison is just dismal. No Confuse Ray or Thunderbolt, either,
but there is slight hope with Explosion. What a shame that a Pokemon with
such a good defensive stat is forced into blowing up (though admittedly, 340
power is kind of fun). Compare to Lapras, whose plan for near-death is to
avoid it. That second choice sounded much better, didn't it?
Gengar: All I can say about Gengar is "It would be much more powerful, if it
weren't for that cursed Type 2." Indeed, double immunities that cover almost
half the game's attacks must surely pack a reprimand, lest Mewtwo earns some
company on the Banned List. In this case, it's a Psychic weakness, but Gengar
is so good otherwise that it may still be worth it. Special is ranked #3, and
Gengar learns Psychic itself, along with Thunderbolt. It also has much to
gain from the future, trading back Ice Punch, Fire Punch, and even Haze. Then
there's the detonator from 228 Attack--56% on Mewtwo, anyone? I thought not.
At least not when a life is in imminent danger. (Interesting Fact: Gengar's
Thunderbolt doesn't even take Gyarados down in one; best it can do is 5 HP
away.) There's an odd role Gengar must play; it's a Special sweeper, but is
dead to most other Special sweepers. Play it only if you can grasp that
concept.
Onix: 418 Defense. Ooh, aah. Defense does no good without the HP to back it
up, and Onix's ranks 80th (dead last, when you consider it's a tie with
Dugtrio). So it's fast for its type? Let's see it use that Speed for a good
cause and run away. 158 Special...ugh. Onix isn't worthy to be a Pokemon at
all, much less one that wins "#1 length" in the meaningless game lore. When
HP is factored into Defense, it still pales to both Rhydon and Golem, and
Special...just horrible...can't even survive Tentacool's Water Gun...oh, it
evolves in GSC? Well, tell its evolution that it may as well deny any
connection with something as bad as this. Go read Arbok's dismissal, replace
the 140 with 463, and you have a suitable dismissal for Onix.
Hypno: If Alakazam is the offensive Psychic of choice in the absence of
Mewtwo, then Hypno is the defensive Psychic of choice. But with one blatant
flaw: NO RECOVER! While this Pokemon was supposed to be the perfect
representation of Hypnosis-Dream Eater, Hypnosis is too inaccurate to make for
a competitive combination. And even if it did, Gengar would still be better
at it because of superior Speed. But anyway, Hypno has the novelty value of
being the only 85-base-HP Pokemon in all of RBY, and with its 328 Special and
decent Defense, you could actually try Rest and go for the wall. Especially
now that it trades back Amnesia (two uses put Special at 984, best of any non-
Mewtwo Amnesia user). You could trade back the Punches as well...
Kingler: With accuracy applied, Crabhammer still happens to be the most-
damaging Water-type move. But Kingler, its only legal user, has a bad
Special, so that kind of power is only on the level of Starmie's Hydro Pump,
not Snorlax's Selfdestruct. But check this out...358 Attack! If Kingler
could get Earthquake, it'd be the Surfing Raichu of Water-types! But it
doesn't. Wasted stat. The Defense is still good (though it's dwarfed by
Cloyster in the physical endurance category), and tradebacks bring it that
great comeback move, Amnesia (which, sadly, doesn't help Crabhammer much).
Electrode: Fear not, there is a way to paralyze Mewtwo. With 20 more speed
than anyone else, Electrode can be a major part of a Mewtwo-killing plan.
Unfortunately, while it's great at doing the "dirty work", there's just no way
to do the clean work. Thunderbolt with 258 backing just isn't strong enough,
and Electrode happens to sport the worst Explosion in the game. It's not an
attacker, but it likes to pave the roads for them. Get one just in case some
cheeseball pulls out a 6-Mewtwo team. (Yes, as much as I didn't want to, I
had to use the word "cheeseball" at least once in this guide.)
Exeggutor: Durable and annoying, Exeggutor is nearly uncontested among Grass.
It gets the traditional "Array of Annoyance" that is nearly synonymous with
the Grass type, but the ability to learn Psychic (as well as the matching type
and a 348 stat) makes most of the opposition turn back at first chance. While
it doesn't get the one good Grass attack (Razor Leaf), who needs that when you
can have the consistency and greater power of Psychic? And did I mention that
you can use this thing as a 300-pound stick of dynamite? Exeggutor is a
fervent believer in the flavor text of the Magic card Last-Ditch Effort: "If
you're gonna lose, at least make sure they don't win as much." Take an
annoyer, and give it the ability to attack well, and you have Exeggutor. And
it's decidedly good.
Marowak: Is a Ground-type supposed to have access to moves like Bubblebeam and
Ice Beam? I didn't think so, and the 198 Special demonstrates that any
attempt to use these moves will be futile. Bone Club and Bonemerang are
unique to Marowak (and Cubone), but both are still inferior to Earthquake.
And it doesn't even get Rock Slide until GSC. Marowak has enough moves,
except that they're the WRONG moves. Forget it for now. But come back in
about three years, and we'll see what happens to it...
Hitmonlee: Does it beat Machamp? Probably not. Yes, it's faster, which makes
it better at dealing damage, but it has NO staying power, which makes it worse
at dealing damage. The only STAB Psychic that isn't a guaranteed KO on
Hitmonlee is Slowbro's, and that's only a 1-in-39 chance of survival. On the
other hand, Machamp at least has a chance to survive Mewtwo's Psychic, and is
guaranteed to do so from Alakazam on down. And since Hitmonlee doesn't get
Earthquake or Rock Slide, all it's good for is HJK'ing like the wind. I've
defeated a Hitmonlee with a Chansey who just so happened to be 45 levels down
(hint: Minimize is your friend against Hitmonlee). Utterly inexcusable.
Hitmonchan: In the beginning, Hitmonchan was rather worthless. With physical
attacks that are plain old inferior compared to the proven choices, and three
(admittedly diverse) Special moves running off a 168 stat, Sneas...er,
Hitmonchan was banished to the NowhereLand that we call the Fighting Dojo.
And with help from our time machine, we can now see what Hitmonchan might do
in the future. Let's look...it's being carried off to a remote cave in
Johto...now someone else is transporting it somewhere...quick, kids, look
away...and the Punching Wonder somehow ended up with Hi Jump KICK! But in any
case, the Attack is 30 points lower than on the Pokemon that bequeathed HJK to
it, and the time flicker still does nothing about the Special malady. Just
pick the other Poke Ball, only to neglect it anyway.
Lickitung: Um...right. Lickitung is a Snorlax without the HP or Attack, and
if you go read Snorlax's section, you'll find those two stats to be absolutely
vital to its plan. So without them, or Selfdestruct, what does Lickitung
become? Just plain bad. That was a quick review.
Weezing: Why did they have to make Koffing evolve? Granted, 338 Defense is a
good countermeasure against the Ground weakness, and blowing up will take out
stray Alakazam and Jynx, but in order to hit most Psychics, it has to take a
hit first. Guess what: It can do that. But Muk can do it better, and Muk
isn't exactly the best Pokemon in the first place. So what does that make
Weezing? Pretty bad. At least if you keep it a Koffing, you'll have your
Azure Heights Mascot for quick identification, in case you ever meet up with
another member of The Strategists' Board.
Rhydon: Even though it has Ground/Rock typing, with those two blatant W4s,
Rhydon is still a good Pokemon. Ground-typing provides the crucial Electric
immunity, and with 358 Attack and a widespread handle on Physical attacks,
Rhydon even has a chance to manhandle the types it's weak to by pummeling them
on the switch-in. Substitute even guarantees survival against a Surf,
allowing even more time to let the damage kick in. Rhydon is much like the
Death Star (not the Pokemon): one good shot can take it down, but until then
it'll just be inflicting damage left and right. It's primarily this vs.
Sandslash for best Ground.
Chansey: The "Everlasting Spawn of Evil", as I call Chansey, is the most
annoying Pokemon you'll face. New players seem to doubt that Chansey can be
any good, mainly because they take a look at a Defense around 40, and
naturally assuming their own Pokemon-handling skills are superior to anyone
else's, think that typical Chanseys must be lower--around 20 Defense. Not
even the highest-ranked HP in the game can save you with a 20 Defense, but
once you look at the chart of maximums, that changes. True defense is 108,
which is still the lowest in the game, but with 703 HP that stat is both
necessary and reconcilable. (Remember, RBY is all about the Specials.) Even
Machamp's Submission and Hitmonlee's Hi Jump Kick come up a bit short of a
kill, and Chansey is capable of learning Counter--OUCH. And when that 700+ HP
meets up with Special of over 300, you're looking at near impunity. Chansey's
Overall Defense Rating (HP * [DF + SC]) of 292,448 is first in the game,
surpassing even MEWTWO. Taking advantage of Minimize and Softboiled,
Chansey's staying power is near infinite. Or, alternately, you could use the
308 Special for offensive purposes. Psychic, Thunderbolt, Ice Beam--the three
best attacks in the game (if not that, at least the three best Specials)--all
here. Counter, already mentioned (but worthless except against Normal or
Fighting); and Bide are also options to turn the seemingly low Defense into an
incredible offensive opportunity. Even if you don't use it regularly, at
least have easy access to a Chansey somehow. You never know when you'll need
it.
Tangela: Despite its extremely narrow grasp of moves, Tangela is one of the
most popular Grass-types out there. Why? Because it lacks a second type!
This is one of the instances where one type is good! Tangela was built with
defense in mind, even if the HP bites. It doesn't get Razor Leaf, and
Solarbeam is nothing more than a free switch for the opponent, so offense
obviously won't work. Tangela became even more popular after Uiru took
advantage of a tradeback in his own tournament (unfortunately, he told me
about it with enough advance notice for me to specifically design a Dragonite
to beat it). But as it stands, Tangela is slightly below Exeggutor in the
hierarchy ladder. Use if you wish, but be sure to test Eggy as well.
Kangaskhan: Of all Pokemon found here, Kangaskhan resembles Tauros more than
anyone else. Bad Special, good Speed and Attack, and a wide move repertoire.
Unfortunately, all other things being equal, the slight edges Tauros gets in
the key stats (Speed and Attack) more than overcome Kangaskhan's HP edge. And
that's the tale of how the kangaroo lost to the bull.
Seadra: A famous typo in the Versus Books RBY guide pegs Seadra's speed at
280, which is 12 above the maximum in a book filled with minimum/close to
minimum stats most everywhere else. Change that to a 200, and then you have a
more accurate perspective of Seadra. No stat really stands out, but for the
true dismissal, look at Blastoise. Seadra is like a Blastoise without the HP
(or Earthquake), and as I've mentioned quite a bit, you don't choose a Pokemon
in the presence of a better one (especially when the better one is itself a
somewhat inferior choice). Go trade it to GSC, where it'll become good.
Seaking: Ouch. If Gyarados is a bad Dragonite, then Seaking is a bad
Gyarados, and that's just plain bad. Sure, there's no W4 to worry about. But
HP and Special are nowhere near impressive, and the Defense is almost as bad
as Vaporeon's without the 100 extra HP. Nothing for Seaking to do save
Agility-Horn Drill, which is about as good overall as Hypnosis/Dream Eater
(and in case you hadn't heard, that's pretty bad). The wholesome snack that
smiles back until you bite their heads off? Probably. Except for the
"wholesome" part.
Starmie: A highly versatile Water-type. Defensive stats aren't as good as
Lapras or Slowbro, but it does get Recover. As such, Starmie is much more
likely to be an annoyer. From GSC, it can even pick up Confuse Ray, which
combines with Thunder Wave to disable and/or force-switch. Or, you can make
it a Special sweeper, with the player's choice of Psychic, Thunderbolt, Ice
Beam, and Surf. Starmie completely covers the playing field, and possesses
the game's best type (albeit not alone). An excellent choice to consider,
rivaling Lapras for best Water.
Mr. Mime: Bah. So it learns Substitute naturally...TM 50 is universal, and
Mime's HP is 79th. Defense isn't exactly great, and Special is still inferior
to both Hypno and 'Kazam. I don't know what Mr. Mime is supposed to excel in,
but I do know that it mustn't have anything to do with battles. If you're
trying to use Mr. Mime on a team, then I think you need that reminder
again...DON'T DO DRUGS. Thank you.
Scyther: In GSC, it's a different story, but until Johto magically "appeared",
Scyther was a highly limited Pokemon. It didn't learn ANY non-Normal attacks
until Yellow brought it the "amazing", 35-power, Wing Attack. So it may as
well have been a Normal-type, but it isn't, and as such has six different
weaknesses (including a W4). Physical-centered flyers aren't good by any
means, but if you're going to resort to one, at least consider Dodrio, who
gets a good move in a second type.
Jynx: Jynx happens to hold the dual honors of "the only Ice-type that isn't
Electric-weak" and "fastest Sleep-inducer* in the game". Unfortunately, its
Defense ranks 80th out of 81, and the one lower Defense is accompanied by
enough HP to protect it. Assuming you get lucky enough with Lovely Kiss,
Jynx can stick around long enough to deal some damage. But don't expect to
win a damage race (even two Body Slams from a Snorlax will put Jynx down for
good). Use Jynx if you have an unsure vision of a slot on your team.
*Excludes Pokemon whose only method of Sleep induction is Hypnosis or Sing.
Electabuzz: Blue version users, take note--steal someone's Red cart now.
Electabuzz is in close contention with Sandslash for "best version-exclusive",
even if it does lose horribly in the 1-on-1. Most of this Pokemon's success
comes in the tradeback domain, thanks to one move: Ice Punch, which offers a
Raichu-like counter to Ground-types with slightly better staying power (even
if it is only 10 extra HP and 4 in Defense, at least that's something). Also,
Ice Punch counters the other Electric-resistant type (Grass), something the
rat can't do, and there's always that small chance at the FRZ. Having Psychic
was never bad in this game either. But Zapdos is already designated to be the
Grass-beating Electric. So it's not as good as Zapdos, and is slightly better
than Raichu. Do with that range of values as you wish.
Magmar: Like Electabuzz, Magmar is a special attacker with a type-countering
tradeback move (Thunderpunch) and an out-of-type Psychic. Unlike Electabuzz,
it gets Confuse Ray. However, it's Fire, which I've already mentioned to be a
superfluous type in this game, and 268 Special's a bit low to qualify as a
sweeper. Oh well, at least it's a second Fire-type (along with Charizard)
that gets good out-of-type moves. Possible Charizard alternative.
Pinsir: Why does Pinsir even have a type? Good question. It can't get Bug
moves, but no other type suits its game lore. Capable of pumping Attack with
either Swords Dance or Focus Energy (not that it's much of a contest; Swords
Dance is ALWAYS the better option of the two for a physical attacker), Pinsir
gets...um...a bunch of Normal attacks, Guillotine, Seismic Toss, and
Submission. But Swords Dance doesn't help out Slash, Guillotine has NO Speed
to hit from, and Submission recoils from a pumped attack will put a severe
dent in this Pokemon's staying power. Seismic Toss is the only thing that can
hit a Ghost, and you'll have to hope the opponent isn't using Flying...or
Fire...or Rock...or just about anything that isn't a Magikarp. Simply too
narrow.
Tauros: Tauros is best described as "the Pokemon that simply works, and few
know why it works, but changing it too much will make it stop working." Good
at Physical sweeping, has the moves for Special sweeping (but on a 238
Special? Come on), and there's always the double OHKOs for those who seek
nothing more than a fun team. Tauros works because of its dual strengths in
Speed and Attack, allowing both strong and fast hits, and that's a hard engine
to race. Even though this is a Special-dominated game, Tauros is one of about
four physical attackers that can hold up.
Gyarados: It may as well be the fish it started out as; Gyarados isn't going
to make too many