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The following Pokemon have many flaws and bad matchups, but they also have some positive traits and good matchups that prevent them from being outright bad.
The following Pokemon have many flaws and bad matchups, but they also have some positive traits and good matchups that prevent them from being outright bad.
Bellsprout
Availability: Early-game (Route 24, level 12-14) (LG).
Typing: Grass / Poison is great for Misty, Lt. Surge, Giovanni, Lorelei, and Bruno, but it is typically bad elsewhere.
Stats: Victreebel is powerful both physically and specially, but it's rather frail and has middling Speed.
Movepool: The Bellsprout line learns Growth, Vine Whip, and Sleep Powder fairly early, while Razor Leaf comes at level 42 if Weepinbell is (I assume?) left unevolved. Once available, the Sunny Day and Solar Beam and Sunny Day TMs offer a really powerful STAB move. It's also possible to teach it the Giga Drain TM. The Secret Power TM provides a strong coverage move early on.
Major Battles: The Bellsprout line wins against Misty, Lt. Surge, and Giovanni (RC) while performing well against Lorelei with Sleep Powder and Growth. However, in other major battles, it will mostly be useless, not taking down more than one foe with the exception of foe, except against Bruno.
Additional Comments: Victreebel is a really situational Pokemon that either performs very well or can't do much. overall. Chlorophyll is a great ability that lets Victreebel outspeed most threats under sun. Evolve Weepinbell with a Leaf Stone from Celadon Department Store immediately, unless planning you plan on it learning Razor Leaf. (in vacuum, having weep till lvl 42 for a 55 bp move feels pretty inefficient with solar and giga available. if razor indeed worth it sometimes, maybe specify why, eg smth about these tm(s) being contested etc?)
Caterpie
Availability: Early-game (Viridian Forest, level 3-5).
Typing: Bug / Flying is good for Erika, but leaves Butterfree weak to it's weak for Lt. Surge, Blaine, and Lorelei.
Stats: Butterfree has mostly bad stats, outside of its decent Special Attack and Special Defense, though they're decent for the early-game.
Movepool: Butterfree learns Sleep Powder and Silver Wind by level. By TMs, it learns Psychic, Giga Drain, and Aerial Ace, which provide good coverage. Psybeam at level 34 provides an alternative to Psychic if the TM is taken.
Major Battles: Butterfree beats Brock's Geodude, but it is shaky against Misty, Lt. Surge, and Blaine. It wins against Erika, Koga, and Giovanni (RC) while performing well against Sabrina. In general, Butterfree simply puts slower foes to sleep with Compound Eyes Sleep Powder and takes them down. This strategy is useful throughout the entire game, including at the Elite Four.
Additional Comments: Butterfree is a decent Pokemon in spite of its below-average stats thanks to its early availability, Sleep Powder + Compound Eyes, and its great coverage, though it is held back by the rate at which it defeats opponents. there are just plenty of foes that outspeed and beat it. (I imagine something like this makes sense? original felt a bit unclear. change as needed)
Drowzee
Availability: Early-game (Route 11, levels 11, 13, or 15).
Typing: Pure Psychic type gives the line advantages against Erika, Koga, and Bruno while being neutral elsewhere.
Stats: Hypno's stats are all average aside from its good base 115 Special Defense.
Movepool: Drowzee starts with Confusion and gets Headbutt for coverage at level 17, with Meditate at level 29 to boost boosting Headbutt's power. Aside from Psychic at level 35 and Calm Mind via TM, nothing little else is relevant, though the Brick Break TM can be taught if desired.
Major Battles: Hypno is pretty good for Lt. Surge, Erika, and Koga. Sabrina is Hypno's high point, easily sweeping as it easily sweeps her with Headbutt, particularly with Meditate boosts. Blaine, Giovanni, and Bruno can be overpowered with Calm Mind. Every other fight is average for Hypno, including Agatha, despite Agatha stacking Poison-types, (I imagine? changeable) as most of her Pokemon are faster and therefore able to can use their status-inducing moves.
Additional Comments: Hypno isn't a bad Pokemon, but it is sorely outclassed by other Psychic-types due to it lacking power. Hypno's base 67 Speed, while serviceable, can occasionally be a hindrance as well.
Eevee (Flareon)
Availability: Mid-game (Celadon Mansion, level 25).
Typing: Fire helps against Erika and is mostly neutral elsewhere with the exception of elsewhere, except against Blaine and Giovanni. (+ Lance, right? or am i missing smth)
Stats: Flareon has outstanding Attack, solid special bulk, and good Special Attack. However, it's physically frail and rather slow.
Movepool: Flareon doesn't learn many moves by level-up, so it should be taught a few TMs, the most important one being Flamethrower. Sunny Day, Fire Blast, Return, Secret Power, Dig, and Shadow Ball are other TMs that Flareon can make good use of.
Major Battles: Flareon wins against Erika, Koga, and Sabrina while doing alright against other Gym Leaders. Against the Elite Four, Flareon does really well against Agatha with Shadow Ball, has an above-average performance against Lorelei, and is fairly good against the Champion but is bad for Bruno and Lance.
Additional Comments: Flareon performs decently well thanks to its mostly solid stats and movepool options. However, it's heavily reliant on immediate TMs (Flamethrower in particular) because it doesn't learn any useful move by level. It is also let down by its poor Speed, which can make significant contributions difficult to achieve. (this is a bit vague and has a bit of trouble fitting w "performs decently well"; maybe you could clarify a bit) Evolve Eevee with a Fire Stone from the Celadon Department Store immediately.
Eevee (Jolteon)
Availability: Mid-game (Celadon Mansion, level 25).
Typing: Pure Electric is good offensively, being super effective against for Lorelei, only resisted by Erika and Giovanni's types, and neutral elsewhere.
Stats: Jolteon outspeeds everything and has great special stats. However, its other stats are below average.
Movepool: The Thunderbolt TM is Jolteon's only strong and reliable move option. Rain Dance and Thunder via TMs can also be taught to provide a stronger STAB option. Shock Wave through TMs via TM is a temporary remedy if Thunderbolt isn't available to Jolteon immediately. It also learns moves of various types, but all of them are physical and have low Base Power, thus so Jolteon won't hit hard with them.
Major Battles: Jolteon performs well against Koga, Sabrina, and Blaine, although it doesn't outright win against the latter and can't do anything against Giovanni. Against the Elite Four, Jolteon has a good performance against Lorelei and Agatha, (AC) and it can take down a few Electric-weak Pokemon. Pokemon from Lance and the Champion. (I imagine?)
Additional Comments: Jolteon is a decent Electric-type that does alright in major battles and easily defeats Water- and Flying-types. However, it struggles heavily against bulkier opponent like Bruno opponents with bulkier teams, like Bruno, and won't do anything against Electric-resistant Pokemon. It's also really reliant on learning the costly Thunderbolt TM immediately.
Electabuzz
Availability: Late-game (Power Plant, level 32 or 35).
Typing: Electric is mostly neutral, useful for Lorelei, and terrible against Giovanni.
Stats: Electabuzz has great Speed and decent offensive stats, though it's rather frail physically.
Movepool: Although Electabuzz comes with Thunder Punch, it is recommended to teach it Thunderbolt to pick up some OHKOs. Electabuzz also learns various coverage moves, such as Psychic, Brick Break, and Strength. Thunder + with Rain Dance is a stronger alternative to Thunderbolt.
Major Battles: Electabuzz is decent against Sabrina and Blaine and can take on most of Lorelei's Pokemon. It can also take out some of Giovanni's Pokemon using coverage moves, as well as the Electric-weak Pokemon in the endgame.
Additional Comments: Electabuzz's late arrival and rarity offset its good qualities, which include a good offensive typing and good coverage moves to get around its Electric-types' (I imagine?) usual checks.
Farfetch'd
Availability: Early-game (trade a Spearow in a house in Vermilion City).
Typing: Normal / Flying is strong against Erika, only weak to against Lorelei's Ice-types and Lt. Surge, and neutral elsewhere.
Stats: Farfetch'd has mediocre stats all around; it's frail and doesn't have great Speed and Attack to make up for that.
Movepool: Farfetch'd learns Fury Attack at level 16, Swords Dance at level 31, and Agility at level 36. The Fly and Cut HMs can be taught, with the former providing a good STAB move. Aerial Ace TM can also be learned by TM, and it's a good STAB option that lets it Farfetch'd win handily against Agatha. Steel Wing via TMs TM can be used, but Farfetch'd will barely use it.
Major Battles: Farfetch'd does alright against Lt. Surge and wins against Erika, Koga, and Sabrina thanks to Swords Dance and its STAB moves. Afterwards, Farfetch'd won't be helpful, outside of sweeping Agatha with Swords Dance, Agility, and Aerial Ace.
Additional Comments: In spite of its low stats, Farfetch'd is a good Pokemon that performs really well in the mid-game thanks to Swords Dance. It offers great utility by performing decently while having two HMs in its moveset. In addition, Farfetch'd will level up quickly thanks to its boosted experience gain from the in-game trade. The traded Farfetch'd, CH'DING, comes with an Adamant nature, an IV spread of 20/25/21/24/15/20, and Stick as a held item.
Geodude (Trade)
Availability: Early-game (Mt. Moon (1F), levels 7-9).
Typing: Rock / Ground gives Golem an edge against Lt. Surge, Koga, and Blaine, while making it weak to but it's weak for Misty, Erika, Giovanni, Lorelei, and Bruno.
Stats: Golem has good Attack and great Defense. However, its other stats are bad.
Movepool: By level, the Geodude line learns Defense Curl, Rock Throw, Magnitude, Self-destruct, Self-Destruct, Rollout, and Earthquake, most of which provide strong STAB moves. It doesn't need any TMs to function well.
Major Battles: Golem easily defeats Lt. Surge and does well against Koga, Blaine, and Sabrina. However, in other battles, Golem tends to lose easily to super effective moves and will only take down a few foes at most, though Self-destruct most. Self-Destruct can net a KO if needed, though.
Additional Comments: Golem is a Pokemon with some extremely good matchups and some extremely bad matchups elsewhere. However, it's really self-sufficient and won't require any TMs to be used to its best.
Goldeen
Availability: Mid-game (Fuschia City (Super Rod), level 20-30 as Seaking).
Typing: Pure Water gives Seaking an edge against Blaine and Giovanni and is only resisted by Erika, Lorelei, and Lance's types.
Stats: Seaking has mostly average stats, outside of its good Attack.
Movepool: Seaking must be taught the Surf HM when caught. The Ice Beam TM is a good move to have against Lance. The Rain Dance TM can be learned to power Rain Dance by TM can power up STAB moves but will get few uses. (even w swift swim? up to you if you wanna mention) Return, Secret Power, and Hyper Beam through TMs are usable options against Sabrina.
Major Battles: Seaking sweeps Blaine and Giovanni and performs decently against Koga and Sabrina. It doesn't perform well elsewhere, though Ice Beam will help against Erika and Lance.
Additional Comments: Seaking is a potent Water-type, as it's easily available and is decent against most Gym Leaders without requiring contested TMs, with the exception of Ice Beam for select matchups. Unfortunately, it has very limited use outside of Gym Leaders against the Elite Four (I imagine?) due to its average stats.
Hitmonchan
Availability: Mid-game (Fighting Dojo, level 25).
Typing: Hitmonchan's Fighting typing doesn't provide it with many notable advantages advantageous matchups other than Lorelei: many opponents foes are resistant or immune to Fighting. Koga, Agatha, and Lance are bad for Hitmonchan in particular.
Stats: Hitmonchan has good base 105 Attack and 110 Special Defense with a decent base 76 Speed, though its other stats are poor.
Movepool: Hitmonchan starts out with Brick Break through TMs. by TM. The Bulk Up TM is essential for setup, while the Strength HM and the Rock Slide tutor round out Hitmonlee's coverage. The elemental punches are irrelevant due to Hitmonchan's awful Special Attack.
Major Battles: Hitmonchan usually boosts with Bulk Up once or twice in major battles, though it is unlikely you will ever sweep with it due to its fragility. At best, you will get a couple KOs with it before fainting. More setup and healing can help achieve sweeps in the later portions of the game, though this is rather inefficient.
Additional Comments: While attractive on paper, Hitmonchan plays like a STAB-less Normal-type (added hyphen) 70% of the time in practice due to Fighting being resisted so often, so it is mostly outclassed by other Pokemon with STAB type advantages over opponents.
Hitmonlee
Availability: Mid-game (Fighting Dojo, level 25).
Typing: Hitmonlee's Fighting typing doesn't provide it with many notable advantages advantageous matchups other than Lorelei: many opponents foes are resistant or immune to Fighting. Koga, Agatha, and Lance are particularly bad for Hitmonlee.
Stats: Hitmonlee has excellent base 120 Attack and 110 Special Defense with great base 87 Speed, though its other stats are abysmal.
Movepool: Hitmonlee's most reliable starting move is Brick Break. (is other starting option worth mentioning in case brick break is contested? up to you) The Bulk Up TM is essential for setup, while the Strength HM and the Rock Slide tutor round out Hitmonlee's coverage.
Major Battles: Hitmonlee generally boosts with Bulk Up once or twice in major battles, though it is unlikely you will ever sweep with it due to its fragility. At best, you will get one or two KOs before fainting. More setup and healing can help achieve sweeps in the later portions of the game, though this is rather inefficient.
Additional Comments: While attractive on paper, Hitmonlee plays like a STAB-less Normal-type (added hyphen) 70% of the time in practice due to Fighting being resisted so often, so it is heavily outclassed by other Pokemon with STAB type advantages over opponents.
Horsea
Availability: Mid-game (Vermillion City (Super/Good Rod), level 15-35 (FR, Super Rod) or levels 5-20 (LG, Good Rod)).
Typing: Pure Water helps Seadra against Blaine and Giovanni, is and it's only resisted by Erika, Lorelei, and Lance, and is neutral elsewhere. Lance's types.
Stats: Seadra has great Special Attack and Defense and good Speed. However, it's really vulnerable to special moves.
Movepool: When caught, Horsea should be taught Surf by HM immediately. The Ice Beam TM is a good move option to use against Lance. Rain Dance can be taught to boost its Water-type moves.
Major Battles: Seadra wins against Blaine and Giovanni and does quite well against Erika and Lance, (AC) assuming it has Ice Beam. In other important battles, Seadra won't do much outside of netting a few KOs.
Additional Comments: Seadra is a decent Water-type because it's easily available, does really well in several important battles, and only requires the Ice Beam TM. However, outside of a few matchups, Seadra won't be able to do much due to its poor special bulk and lack of coverage. LG players can catch Horsea with a Good Rod, albeit at a low level, as the Super Rod ones are at a 4% encounter rates. (to me this phrasing implies LG can catch it w super rod, but availability section seems to imply only FR can do that. maybe a clarification in either section would help) FR players can also catch it directly as a Seadra in Pallet Town with a Super Rod, though it also has a 4% encounter rate.
Krabby
Availability: Mid-game (Vermillion City (Super Rod), levels 15-25).
Typing: Pure Water helps Kingler against Blaine and Giovanni and is only resisted by Erika and Lorelei's types.
Stats: Kingler has really high Attack and Defense, (AC) as well as above-average Speed. However, it lacks in special bulk and Special Attack.
Movepool: Kingler mostly uses Surf and Strength via HMs, which also have uses outside of battles. Kingler can also learn the Rock Tomb and Ice Beam by TMs.
Major Battles: Kingler wins against Blaine and Giovanni and is mostly below-average elsewhere. It can get a few KOs in other major battles but will never be able to contribute much.
Additional Comments: Krabby does well against Blaine and Giovanni but tends to not do much elsewhere due to its poor Special Attack and bulk. However, it has some utility by being able to fit fitting Strength and Surf in its moveset while still performing alright in battles.
Machop (Trade)
Availability: Mid-game (Rock Tunnel (1F), level 16 or 17).
Typing: Fighting is resisted throughout the entire region, most notably including against Erika, Koga, Agatha, and Sabrina. On the other hand, it provides Machamp with a great matchup against Lorelei.
Stats: Machamp has very high Attack and decent bulk, though it is rather slow. However, Machop's stats are fairly bad, making it slightly hard to train at the beginning.
Movepool: Machop should be taught given the Brick Break TM and Rock Slide tutor immediately. It can also be taught Bulk Up for setup and Strength by HM as coverage. Hyper Beam can be taught to Machamp before Strength to improve the Erika matchup.
Major Battles: Machamp sweeps Erika with Bulk Up or Hyper Beam and Koga thanks to Guts. It can take on most of Sabrina's and Blaine's Pokemon. Machamp sweeps Giovanni and can take on Lorelei, Bruno, and Lance with Bulk Up, though it will often require healing to perform well.
Additional Comments: Outside of Machop being slightly difficult to train at the beginning due to its low stats, Machamp requires significant setup in virtually every matchup after Sabrina in order to consistently OHKO foes, which proves inefficient at times. This is further worsened by the its need for healing in the endgame fights in order to not be overwhelmed by foes while setting up. fights, as otherwise foes will overwhelm it during setup.
Magnemite
Availability: Late-game (Power Plant, level 31 or 34 as Magneton).
Typing: Electric / Steel provides Magneton with great matchups against Sabrina, Lorelei, Bruno, and Lance. However, it leaves Magneton very vulnerable to against Blaine, Giovanni, and Bruno.
Stats: Magneton has one of the highest Special Attack stats in the entire game. Outside of good Defense, its other stats are average at best, however.
Movepool: Magneton almost exclusively uses Thunderbolt through TMs, by TM, with Thunder + Rain Dance also being an option. Its other attacking options include are mostly physical moves, which Magneton doesn't use well.
Major Battles: Magneton performs well against Sabrina, Lorelei, and Agatha and can also shrug off most of Lance's attacks. attacks against Lance. However, Magneton cannot take on anything that resists its STAB moves. Electric. (I assume?)
Additional Comments: Magneton's fantastic typing and Special Attack are greatly counterbalanced by a lacking movepool and a late arrival. It is recommended that you catch it directly as a Magneton, as Magnemite comes rather underleveled. Note that Magneton is slightly less common in FireRed.
Meowth
Availability: Early-game (Route 5, level 10, 12, 14, or 16).
Typing: Pure Normal is neutral in most matchups, except for Bruno, where it's bad, and Agatha, where it's helpful.
Stats: Persian has great Speed but otherwise below-average stats.
Movepool: By level up, Meowth gets Pay Day and Screech. The Return and Secret Power TMs provide great STAB moves, (AC) and Shadow Ball may be useful against Agatha. Hyper Beam is also a valuable move to get some KOs.
Major Battles: Persian wins against Sabrina and does well against Agatha, assuming it has Shadow Ball. It's mostly average in other major battles and will only get a few KOs with Screech + a STAB move.
Additional Comments: Despite its early arrival, Persian is a mediocre Pokemon because of its low stats. Its main usefulness comes from Pay Day, allowing it to generate which generates money to afford Game Corner TMs with less effort and in higher amounts. It is also strong enough against Route Trainers trainers that it can reliably spam Pay Day.
Oddish
Availability: Early-game (Route 24, level 12-14) (FR).
Typing: Grass / Poison is great for Misty, Lt. Surge, Giovanni, Lorelei, and Bruno, but it is mostly bad elsewhere.
Stats: Vileplume is a powerful special attacker that is fairly bulk. bulky. However, it's slow.
Movepool: The Oddish line learns Absorb, Acid, and Sleep Powder by level. The Giga Drain TM, once available, is a stronger STAB move. The Sunny Day and Solar Beam and Sunny Day TMs offer a really powerful STAB move. Secret Power through TMs is greatly appreciated for a strong coverage move early on.
Major Battles: The Oddish line wins against Misty, Lt. Surge, and Giovanni, and it performs well against Lorelei. However, in other major battles, it will mostly be useless, taking down at best one foe, except against Bruno, where it performs slightly better.
Additional Comments: Vileplume is a really situational Pokemon that either performs very well or can't do much. overall. Chlorophyll is a great ability that lets Vileplume outspeed most threats after under sun. Evolve Gloom with a Leaf Stone from Celadon Department Store immediately.
Pikachu
Availability: Early-game (Viridian Forest, level 3 or 5).
Typing: Electric makes Pikachu somewhat useful against Misty and great against Lorelei. However, it has little use against Brock, Erika, and Giovanni.
Stats: Raichu is a fast Pokemon with decent Special Attack, but rather low bulk.
Movepool: Pikachu starts out with mostly an a mostly unspectacular moveset, consisting of Thundershock Thunder Shock and Thunder Wave at level 8. Notably, Pikachu learns Thunderbolt at level 26, thus not requiring the TM. It can also be taught Dig and Brick Break for coverage and Thunder + Rain Dance for a stronger STAB move.
Major Battles: Pikachu is incapable of defeating Misty's Starmie, though it can paralyze and weaken it. It can contribute to against Lt. Surge with Dig and performs decently against Sabrina, Koga, and Blaine, though it will struggle to sweep the latter two. It can take out some of Lorelei's Pokemon and Electric-weak Pokemon from the other endgame fights. Lance and the Champion. (I imagine?)
Additional Comments: Despite learning Thunderbolt naturally, Pikachu has numerous flaws, including an unspectacular movepool until it learns Thunderbolt, difficulties with OHKOing foes without hitting super effectively, achieving OHKOs with neutral hits, and a 5% encounter rate, which makes it fairly annoying to find. Evolve it with Thunder Stone after learning it learns Thunderbolt.
Pinsir
Availability: Mid-game (buy at Game Corner for 2500 coins, level 18) (LG).
Typing: Bug is only good for providing Pinsir with resistances to against Erika and Giovanni. It is mostly irrelevant elsewhere, as Pinsir doesn't learn STAB moves and is only weak to Blaine's type.
Stats: Pinsir has great Attack and Defense and is fairly fast, though its other stats are poor.
Movepool: Pinsir can learn most of its moves almost immediately; it will mainly use the Brick Break TM, Strength HM, and Rock Slide tutor to deal damage. Bulk Up through TMs by TM gives it an opportunity to set up. Swords Dance at level 49 allows Pinsir to set up more quickly against the endgame opponents, though Bulk Up makes it easier to set up against physical foes, so either option is fine.
Major Battles: Pinsir can sweep every Gym Leader and rival fight before the Pokemon League with setup. Notably, it is a rather consistent sweeper, as Hyper Cutter makes it more effective against counteracts the various Intmidate Intimidate users. It is fairly good against the Elite Four, though it either will have to heal, (AC) if using Bulk Up, (AC) or will not fail to sweep some fights with Swords Dance due to lacking Defense boosts.
Additional Comments: Pinsir is all-around a great sweeper thanks to a high Attack stat, a great movepool, and Hyper Cutter. However, it is fairly expensive to buy and is a chore to maintain due to a Slow growth rate. Pinsir can also be caught in the Safari Zone (Center Area), but it is rare and hard to capture, so it's generally not worth it.
Poliwag
Availability: Mid-game (Viridian City (Super Rod), levels 20-30 as Poliwhirl).
Typing: Water / Fighting gives Poliwrath an edge against Blaine, Giovanni, (moved comma) and Lorelei while being weak to but weaknesses against Erika, Sabrina, and Lance.
Stats: Poliwrath has well-rounded stats.
Movepool: The Surf HM and Brick Break TM provide strong STAB moves. Bulk Up and Ice Beam can also be learned. are other possible TMs.
Major Battles: Poliwrath wins against Blaine and Giovanni while doing well against Lorelei and Bruno. In other battles, it has a below-average performance but still can get a few KOs.
Additional Comments: Poliwrath is a decent Water-type, but it requires several TMs and only dominates a few matchups.
Rattata
Availability: Early-game (Route 1, levels 2-4).
Typing: Pure Normal is neutral most of the time, with the exception of Brock and Bruno except against Brock and Bruno, where it's generally bad.
Stats: Raticate has great Speed and good Attack for the earlier portions of the game. However, its other stats are mostly average and even its good stats fall off later on.
Movepool: By level up, level, Rattata learns Hyper Fang at level 13. The Secret Power and Return TMs provide great STAB options, with the Hyper Beam TM providing a nuke. The Shadow Ball TM can also be learned used to improve the Agatha matchup.
Major Battles: Raticate wins against Misty, Lt. Surge, and Sabrina and does well against Erika with Hyper Beam. In other matchup, matchups, it's mostly average and will only net a few KOs.
Additional Comments: Raticate is an alright Pokemon thanks to its very early availability and great performance in early- to early- and mid-game. However, it starts becoming worse due to its average stats and won't contribute too much in late-game battles.
Scyther
Availability: Mid-game (Buy at Game Corner for 5500 coins, level 25) (FR).
Typing: Bug / Flying is good against Erika, weak to against Blaine and Lorelei, and neutral elsewhere.
Stats: Scyther boasts good Attack and Speed and has average bulk.
Movepool: Scyther learns Swords Dance and Agility by level up. It should be taught the Aerial Ace TM immediately when caught. It can be taught Hyper Beam through TMs by TM as a strong finishing move and Steel Wing through TMs move, and Steel Wing by TM can find uses against Rock-types.
Major Battles: Scyther wins against Erika and Sabrina with Aerial Ace and Koga and Agatha thanks to the combination of Swords Dance and Swords Dance + Aerial Ace. What sets Scyther apart is that Aerial Ace makes it capable of sweeping Aerial Ace letting it sweep even with accuracy drops or evasion boosts. In other major battles outside of Lorelei and Lance's, it performs decently outside of Lorelei and Lance, being able to take down a few foes.
Additional Comments: Scyther is a strong Pokemon that can set up and win mid-battle but is held back by the fact that it's very expensive to buy. It can also be caught at the Safari Zone (Central Area) at level 23, though it is rare and hard to catch, thus so this route is also ineffcient.
Seel
Availability: Late-game (Seafoam Island (B4F), level 30, 32, or 34).
Typing: Water / Ice is a good offensive typing, being super effective against Blaine, Giovanni, and Lance's types.
Stats: Dewgong has middling stats except for above-average HP and Special Defense.
Movepool: Once Dewgong is (I imagine?) caught, the Surf HM is mandatory and a powerful STAB option. Ice Beam is another important move that Dewgong learns either with the by TM or at level 51, (AC) and it is an improvement from Aurora Beam, a move it has when caught. Strength can also be taught for additional coverage.
Major Battles: Dewgong wins against Sabrina, Blaine, and Giovanni and does well versus Lance's Dragon-types. However, it won't do much outside of these battles, save for KOing some of the rival's Pokemon.
Additional Comments: Even though it comes late, Dewgong guarantees a win against Blaine and Giovanni, (AC) and it's also a great Pokemon to use against Lance without requiring the Ice Beam TM. Thick Fat is really helpful for Blaine. You can also obtain Seel from an in-game trade in Cinnabar Lab for a Ponyta, but this Seel skips Blaine and requires you to go out of your way to the Sevii Islands. The traded Seel, SEELOR, comes with a Bold nature, Thick Fat as an ability, and an IV spread of 24/15/22/16/23/22.
Shellder
Availability: Mid-game (Vermillion City (Super Rod), levels 15-25) (FR).
Typing: Water / Ice helps Shellder against Erika, Blaine, Giovanni, and Lance, is resisted by Lorelei's team, and is weak to Bruno's type.
Stats: Cloyster has enormous physical bulk, good offensive stats, and above-average Speed, but detrimental special frailty.
Movepool: Shellder learns Aurora Beam at level 22. The Surf HM and Ice Beam TM provide strong STAB options. Rain Dance via TMs TM can be learned to boost Surf's power.
Major Battles: Cloyster wins against Erika (assuming it has Ice Beam), Koga, and Giovanni while performing well versus Blaine and Lance, though Cloyster risks getting KOed by strong special moves such as like Fire Blast and Dragonite's Outrage. It otherwise won't perform well outside of KOing a few foes.
Additional Comments: Cloyster is an alright Water-type that mostly performs well and only requires the Ice Beam and Rain Dance TMs. TM. (movepool seemed to imply rain dance is optional) However, it's part of the Slow level up group and thus will take time to train. In addition, its low special bulk means it performs slightly worse than other Water-types against opponents like Lance.
Slowpoke
Availability: Mid-game (Fuchsia City (surfing), levels 20-40).
Typing: Water / Psychic gives Slowpoke advantages against Blaine, Giovanni, and Bruno, as well as a mostly favorable Agatha matchup. It is typically neutral elsewhere. (added period)
Stats: Slowbro has solid bulk all around with great Defense and Special Attack, though its Speed is a dismal base 30.
Movepool: Level 40 Slowpoke comes with Psychic already learned. The Surf, Ice Beam, and Calm Mind items TMs round out its moveset.
Major Battles: Slowbro does great against Sabrina with Surf, 2HKOing or OHKOing her Pokemon (Venomoth is OHKOed by Psychic). Blaine's entire team is OHKOed by Surf, but chip damage and Bite flinches make the matchup unreliable. Giovanni is cleanly swept by Surf, but Lorelei is a struggle due to chip damage and status effects. Bruno and Lance require setup and healing in order to be swept sweep and about half of Agatha's team is defeated with falls to +1 Psychic.
Additional Comments: Slowbro isn't ranked higher entirely due to its low Speed forcing it to take heavy chip damage in major battles, leaving it more vulnerable to secondary effects than most other Pokemon. Repels allow you to catch Slowpoke at very high levels. Slowpoke can be obtained before Koga with a Super Rod if desired, though Slowpoke's encounter rates range from 1% to 5% (depending on location) and location). Also, here it can come underleveled (because fishing levels cannot be controlled with Repels), which is worsened exacerbated by Slowpoke's Slow growth rate and terrible stats until evolution. In addition, Koga's accuracy- and evasion-changing moves can make the matchup awkward. (maybe just worth mentioning this last sentence in major battles? up to you)
Venonat
Availability: Mid-game (Route 15, level 24 or 26).
Typing: Bug / Poison provides resistances to for Erika and Koga but is weak to against Blaine. It has no use offensively, as Venomoth doesn't use STAB moves.
Stats: Venomoth has below-average stats outside of its good Speed and Special Attack.
Movepool: Venomoth learns Sleep Powder by level up. level. Through TMs, it learns Psychic, Giga Drain, and Aerial Ace. Secret Power and Return are fringe options to hit Sabrina's Pokemon harder. (moderately surprised sludge bomb ™ isnt an option, but i dont' know this game at all, just dont include it if it doesn't make sense)
Major Battles: Venomoth wins against Erika (if evolved), Koga, and Giovanni and is average against Sabrina and Blaine. It performs decently against the Elite Four thanks to Sleep Powder and its coverage.
Additional Comments: Venomoth is a decent Pokemon thanks to the combination of Sleep Powder and great coverage, though it greatly depends on the Psychic TM to function and its damage output suffers from a lack of STAB. Shield Dust can prove helpful to dodge a secondary effect. effects.
Voltorb
Availability: Mid-game (Route 10, level 14, 16, or 17).
Typing: Electric is mostly neutral, useful against Lorelei, and terrible against Erika and Giovanni.
Stats: Electrode is the fastest Pokemon in the game. Its other stats are average at best.
Movepool: Voltorb should be taught Shock Wave through TMs by TM immediately, which upgrades to Thunderbolt or Thunder + Rain Dance through TMs. It can learn and reliably use Reflect and Light Screen through TMs. Self-destruct Self-Destruct at level 27 and Explosion at level 54 are moves it can use to deal damage for the last time before fainting. similarly reliable with its high Speed. (I imagine this makes sense?) Flash can also be taught to make navigating Rock Tunnel easier if not planning on using the easier, since Voltorb does not require its fourth moveslot.
Major Battles: Electrode performs decently against Sabrina, Koga, and Blaine with Thunderbolt, though it will struggle to sweep the latter two. It can take on Electric-weak Pokemon in the endgame, some of which can be found on Lorelei's team. It can also KO a dangerous foe with a well-timed Self-destruct Self-Destruct or Explosion.
Additional Comments: Voltorb is a mostly decent Pokemon, as it can swiftly take out foes with STAB moves. However, it struggles against bulky Pokemon and is generally walled by anything that resists Electric.
Vulpix
Availability: Mid-game (Route 8, levels 15-18) (LG).
Typing: Fire is only useful against Erika. In fact, it is quite bad against Blaine and Lorelei.
Stats: Ninetales has mostly decent stats with particularly great Special Defense and Speed.
Movepool: Vulpix learns Flamethrower via TMs TM or at level 35 if left unevolved. Outside of this, it can also be taught Sunny Day and Fire Blast to hit as hard as possible. Dig is a possible coverage move to hit Fire-resistant Pokemon.
Major Battles: Ninetales sweeps Erika with Ember or Flamethrower. It is decent against Koga, Sabrina, and Giovanni, though the latter two will require sun and (in the case of Giovanni) Fire Blast. It can take on some of the rival's Pokemon and performs decently against Agatha.
Additional Comments: It is recommended that you evolve Vulpix with a Fire Stone immediately and teach it Flamethrower via TMs TM instead of waiting to learn it by level, as Vulpix is very weak. Ninetales can afford to wait some time for Flamethrower, if needed, as Ember serves it well before Koga. As a whole, Ninetales is mostly a decent Pokemon that can spam Flamethrower, but the lack of Fire-weak major opponents after Erika and Ninetales's poor movepool impact its usefulness.
Availability: Early-game (Route 24, level 12-14) (LG).
Typing: Grass / Poison is great for Misty, Lt. Surge, Giovanni, Lorelei, and Bruno, but it is typically bad elsewhere.
Stats: Victreebel is powerful both physically and specially, but it's rather frail and has middling Speed.
Movepool: The Bellsprout line learns Growth, Vine Whip, and Sleep Powder fairly early, while Razor Leaf comes at level 42 if Weepinbell is (I assume?) left unevolved. Once available, the Sunny Day and Solar Beam and Sunny Day TMs offer a really powerful STAB move. It's also possible to teach it the Giga Drain TM. The Secret Power TM provides a strong coverage move early on.
Major Battles: The Bellsprout line wins against Misty, Lt. Surge, and Giovanni (RC) while performing well against Lorelei with Sleep Powder and Growth. However, in other major battles, it will mostly be useless, not taking down more than one foe with the exception of foe, except against Bruno.
Additional Comments: Victreebel is a really situational Pokemon that either performs very well or can't do much. overall. Chlorophyll is a great ability that lets Victreebel outspeed most threats under sun. Evolve Weepinbell with a Leaf Stone from Celadon Department Store immediately, unless planning you plan on it learning Razor Leaf. (in vacuum, having weep till lvl 42 for a 55 bp move feels pretty inefficient with solar and giga available. if razor indeed worth it sometimes, maybe specify why, eg smth about these tm(s) being contested etc?)
Caterpie
Availability: Early-game (Viridian Forest, level 3-5).
Typing: Bug / Flying is good for Erika, but leaves Butterfree weak to it's weak for Lt. Surge, Blaine, and Lorelei.
Stats: Butterfree has mostly bad stats, outside of its decent Special Attack and Special Defense, though they're decent for the early-game.
Movepool: Butterfree learns Sleep Powder and Silver Wind by level. By TMs, it learns Psychic, Giga Drain, and Aerial Ace, which provide good coverage. Psybeam at level 34 provides an alternative to Psychic if the TM is taken.
Major Battles: Butterfree beats Brock's Geodude, but it is shaky against Misty, Lt. Surge, and Blaine. It wins against Erika, Koga, and Giovanni (RC) while performing well against Sabrina. In general, Butterfree simply puts slower foes to sleep with Compound Eyes Sleep Powder and takes them down. This strategy is useful throughout the entire game, including at the Elite Four.
Additional Comments: Butterfree is a decent Pokemon in spite of its below-average stats thanks to its early availability, Sleep Powder + Compound Eyes, and its great coverage, though it is held back by the rate at which it defeats opponents. there are just plenty of foes that outspeed and beat it. (I imagine something like this makes sense? original felt a bit unclear. change as needed)
Drowzee
Availability: Early-game (Route 11, levels 11, 13, or 15).
Typing: Pure Psychic type gives the line advantages against Erika, Koga, and Bruno while being neutral elsewhere.
Stats: Hypno's stats are all average aside from its good base 115 Special Defense.
Movepool: Drowzee starts with Confusion and gets Headbutt for coverage at level 17, with Meditate at level 29 to boost boosting Headbutt's power. Aside from Psychic at level 35 and Calm Mind via TM, nothing little else is relevant, though the Brick Break TM can be taught if desired.
Major Battles: Hypno is pretty good for Lt. Surge, Erika, and Koga. Sabrina is Hypno's high point, easily sweeping as it easily sweeps her with Headbutt, particularly with Meditate boosts. Blaine, Giovanni, and Bruno can be overpowered with Calm Mind. Every other fight is average for Hypno, including Agatha, despite Agatha stacking Poison-types, (I imagine? changeable) as most of her Pokemon are faster and therefore able to can use their status-inducing moves.
Additional Comments: Hypno isn't a bad Pokemon, but it is sorely outclassed by other Psychic-types due to it lacking power. Hypno's base 67 Speed, while serviceable, can occasionally be a hindrance as well.
Eevee (Flareon)
Availability: Mid-game (Celadon Mansion, level 25).
Typing: Fire helps against Erika and is mostly neutral elsewhere with the exception of elsewhere, except against Blaine and Giovanni. (+ Lance, right? or am i missing smth)
Stats: Flareon has outstanding Attack, solid special bulk, and good Special Attack. However, it's physically frail and rather slow.
Movepool: Flareon doesn't learn many moves by level-up, so it should be taught a few TMs, the most important one being Flamethrower. Sunny Day, Fire Blast, Return, Secret Power, Dig, and Shadow Ball are other TMs that Flareon can make good use of.
Major Battles: Flareon wins against Erika, Koga, and Sabrina while doing alright against other Gym Leaders. Against the Elite Four, Flareon does really well against Agatha with Shadow Ball, has an above-average performance against Lorelei, and is fairly good against the Champion but is bad for Bruno and Lance.
Additional Comments: Flareon performs decently well thanks to its mostly solid stats and movepool options. However, it's heavily reliant on immediate TMs (Flamethrower in particular) because it doesn't learn any useful move by level. It is also let down by its poor Speed, which can make significant contributions difficult to achieve. (this is a bit vague and has a bit of trouble fitting w "performs decently well"; maybe you could clarify a bit) Evolve Eevee with a Fire Stone from the Celadon Department Store immediately.
Eevee (Jolteon)
Availability: Mid-game (Celadon Mansion, level 25).
Typing: Pure Electric is good offensively, being super effective against for Lorelei, only resisted by Erika and Giovanni's types, and neutral elsewhere.
Stats: Jolteon outspeeds everything and has great special stats. However, its other stats are below average.
Movepool: The Thunderbolt TM is Jolteon's only strong and reliable move option. Rain Dance and Thunder via TMs can also be taught to provide a stronger STAB option. Shock Wave through TMs via TM is a temporary remedy if Thunderbolt isn't available to Jolteon immediately. It also learns moves of various types, but all of them are physical and have low Base Power, thus so Jolteon won't hit hard with them.
Major Battles: Jolteon performs well against Koga, Sabrina, and Blaine, although it doesn't outright win against the latter and can't do anything against Giovanni. Against the Elite Four, Jolteon has a good performance against Lorelei and Agatha, (AC) and it can take down a few Electric-weak Pokemon. Pokemon from Lance and the Champion. (I imagine?)
Additional Comments: Jolteon is a decent Electric-type that does alright in major battles and easily defeats Water- and Flying-types. However, it struggles heavily against bulkier opponent like Bruno opponents with bulkier teams, like Bruno, and won't do anything against Electric-resistant Pokemon. It's also really reliant on learning the costly Thunderbolt TM immediately.
Electabuzz
Availability: Late-game (Power Plant, level 32 or 35).
Typing: Electric is mostly neutral, useful for Lorelei, and terrible against Giovanni.
Stats: Electabuzz has great Speed and decent offensive stats, though it's rather frail physically.
Movepool: Although Electabuzz comes with Thunder Punch, it is recommended to teach it Thunderbolt to pick up some OHKOs. Electabuzz also learns various coverage moves, such as Psychic, Brick Break, and Strength. Thunder + with Rain Dance is a stronger alternative to Thunderbolt.
Major Battles: Electabuzz is decent against Sabrina and Blaine and can take on most of Lorelei's Pokemon. It can also take out some of Giovanni's Pokemon using coverage moves, as well as the Electric-weak Pokemon in the endgame.
Additional Comments: Electabuzz's late arrival and rarity offset its good qualities, which include a good offensive typing and good coverage moves to get around its Electric-types' (I imagine?) usual checks.
Farfetch'd
Availability: Early-game (trade a Spearow in a house in Vermilion City).
Typing: Normal / Flying is strong against Erika, only weak to against Lorelei's Ice-types and Lt. Surge, and neutral elsewhere.
Stats: Farfetch'd has mediocre stats all around; it's frail and doesn't have great Speed and Attack to make up for that.
Movepool: Farfetch'd learns Fury Attack at level 16, Swords Dance at level 31, and Agility at level 36. The Fly and Cut HMs can be taught, with the former providing a good STAB move. Aerial Ace TM can also be learned by TM, and it's a good STAB option that lets it Farfetch'd win handily against Agatha. Steel Wing via TMs TM can be used, but Farfetch'd will barely use it.
Major Battles: Farfetch'd does alright against Lt. Surge and wins against Erika, Koga, and Sabrina thanks to Swords Dance and its STAB moves. Afterwards, Farfetch'd won't be helpful, outside of sweeping Agatha with Swords Dance, Agility, and Aerial Ace.
Additional Comments: In spite of its low stats, Farfetch'd is a good Pokemon that performs really well in the mid-game thanks to Swords Dance. It offers great utility by performing decently while having two HMs in its moveset. In addition, Farfetch'd will level up quickly thanks to its boosted experience gain from the in-game trade. The traded Farfetch'd, CH'DING, comes with an Adamant nature, an IV spread of 20/25/21/24/15/20, and Stick as a held item.
Geodude (Trade)
Availability: Early-game (Mt. Moon (1F), levels 7-9).
Typing: Rock / Ground gives Golem an edge against Lt. Surge, Koga, and Blaine, while making it weak to but it's weak for Misty, Erika, Giovanni, Lorelei, and Bruno.
Stats: Golem has good Attack and great Defense. However, its other stats are bad.
Movepool: By level, the Geodude line learns Defense Curl, Rock Throw, Magnitude, Self-destruct, Self-Destruct, Rollout, and Earthquake, most of which provide strong STAB moves. It doesn't need any TMs to function well.
Major Battles: Golem easily defeats Lt. Surge and does well against Koga, Blaine, and Sabrina. However, in other battles, Golem tends to lose easily to super effective moves and will only take down a few foes at most, though Self-destruct most. Self-Destruct can net a KO if needed, though.
Additional Comments: Golem is a Pokemon with some extremely good matchups and some extremely bad matchups elsewhere. However, it's really self-sufficient and won't require any TMs to be used to its best.
Goldeen
Availability: Mid-game (Fuschia City (Super Rod), level 20-30 as Seaking).
Typing: Pure Water gives Seaking an edge against Blaine and Giovanni and is only resisted by Erika, Lorelei, and Lance's types.
Stats: Seaking has mostly average stats, outside of its good Attack.
Movepool: Seaking must be taught the Surf HM when caught. The Ice Beam TM is a good move to have against Lance. The Rain Dance TM can be learned to power Rain Dance by TM can power up STAB moves but will get few uses. (even w swift swim? up to you if you wanna mention) Return, Secret Power, and Hyper Beam through TMs are usable options against Sabrina.
Major Battles: Seaking sweeps Blaine and Giovanni and performs decently against Koga and Sabrina. It doesn't perform well elsewhere, though Ice Beam will help against Erika and Lance.
Additional Comments: Seaking is a potent Water-type, as it's easily available and is decent against most Gym Leaders without requiring contested TMs, with the exception of Ice Beam for select matchups. Unfortunately, it has very limited use outside of Gym Leaders against the Elite Four (I imagine?) due to its average stats.
Hitmonchan
Availability: Mid-game (Fighting Dojo, level 25).
Typing: Hitmonchan's Fighting typing doesn't provide it with many notable advantages advantageous matchups other than Lorelei: many opponents foes are resistant or immune to Fighting. Koga, Agatha, and Lance are bad for Hitmonchan in particular.
Stats: Hitmonchan has good base 105 Attack and 110 Special Defense with a decent base 76 Speed, though its other stats are poor.
Movepool: Hitmonchan starts out with Brick Break through TMs. by TM. The Bulk Up TM is essential for setup, while the Strength HM and the Rock Slide tutor round out Hitmonlee's coverage. The elemental punches are irrelevant due to Hitmonchan's awful Special Attack.
Major Battles: Hitmonchan usually boosts with Bulk Up once or twice in major battles, though it is unlikely you will ever sweep with it due to its fragility. At best, you will get a couple KOs with it before fainting. More setup and healing can help achieve sweeps in the later portions of the game, though this is rather inefficient.
Additional Comments: While attractive on paper, Hitmonchan plays like a STAB-less Normal-type (added hyphen) 70% of the time in practice due to Fighting being resisted so often, so it is mostly outclassed by other Pokemon with STAB type advantages over opponents.
Hitmonlee
Availability: Mid-game (Fighting Dojo, level 25).
Typing: Hitmonlee's Fighting typing doesn't provide it with many notable advantages advantageous matchups other than Lorelei: many opponents foes are resistant or immune to Fighting. Koga, Agatha, and Lance are particularly bad for Hitmonlee.
Stats: Hitmonlee has excellent base 120 Attack and 110 Special Defense with great base 87 Speed, though its other stats are abysmal.
Movepool: Hitmonlee's most reliable starting move is Brick Break. (is other starting option worth mentioning in case brick break is contested? up to you) The Bulk Up TM is essential for setup, while the Strength HM and the Rock Slide tutor round out Hitmonlee's coverage.
Major Battles: Hitmonlee generally boosts with Bulk Up once or twice in major battles, though it is unlikely you will ever sweep with it due to its fragility. At best, you will get one or two KOs before fainting. More setup and healing can help achieve sweeps in the later portions of the game, though this is rather inefficient.
Additional Comments: While attractive on paper, Hitmonlee plays like a STAB-less Normal-type (added hyphen) 70% of the time in practice due to Fighting being resisted so often, so it is heavily outclassed by other Pokemon with STAB type advantages over opponents.
Horsea
Availability: Mid-game (Vermillion City (Super/Good Rod), level 15-35 (FR, Super Rod) or levels 5-20 (LG, Good Rod)).
Typing: Pure Water helps Seadra against Blaine and Giovanni, is and it's only resisted by Erika, Lorelei, and Lance, and is neutral elsewhere. Lance's types.
Stats: Seadra has great Special Attack and Defense and good Speed. However, it's really vulnerable to special moves.
Movepool: When caught, Horsea should be taught Surf by HM immediately. The Ice Beam TM is a good move option to use against Lance. Rain Dance can be taught to boost its Water-type moves.
Major Battles: Seadra wins against Blaine and Giovanni and does quite well against Erika and Lance, (AC) assuming it has Ice Beam. In other important battles, Seadra won't do much outside of netting a few KOs.
Additional Comments: Seadra is a decent Water-type because it's easily available, does really well in several important battles, and only requires the Ice Beam TM. However, outside of a few matchups, Seadra won't be able to do much due to its poor special bulk and lack of coverage. LG players can catch Horsea with a Good Rod, albeit at a low level, as the Super Rod ones are at a 4% encounter rates. (to me this phrasing implies LG can catch it w super rod, but availability section seems to imply only FR can do that. maybe a clarification in either section would help) FR players can also catch it directly as a Seadra in Pallet Town with a Super Rod, though it also has a 4% encounter rate.
Krabby
Availability: Mid-game (Vermillion City (Super Rod), levels 15-25).
Typing: Pure Water helps Kingler against Blaine and Giovanni and is only resisted by Erika and Lorelei's types.
Stats: Kingler has really high Attack and Defense, (AC) as well as above-average Speed. However, it lacks in special bulk and Special Attack.
Movepool: Kingler mostly uses Surf and Strength via HMs, which also have uses outside of battles. Kingler can also learn the Rock Tomb and Ice Beam by TMs.
Major Battles: Kingler wins against Blaine and Giovanni and is mostly below-average elsewhere. It can get a few KOs in other major battles but will never be able to contribute much.
Additional Comments: Krabby does well against Blaine and Giovanni but tends to not do much elsewhere due to its poor Special Attack and bulk. However, it has some utility by being able to fit fitting Strength and Surf in its moveset while still performing alright in battles.
Machop (Trade)
Availability: Mid-game (Rock Tunnel (1F), level 16 or 17).
Typing: Fighting is resisted throughout the entire region, most notably including against Erika, Koga, Agatha, and Sabrina. On the other hand, it provides Machamp with a great matchup against Lorelei.
Stats: Machamp has very high Attack and decent bulk, though it is rather slow. However, Machop's stats are fairly bad, making it slightly hard to train at the beginning.
Movepool: Machop should be taught given the Brick Break TM and Rock Slide tutor immediately. It can also be taught Bulk Up for setup and Strength by HM as coverage. Hyper Beam can be taught to Machamp before Strength to improve the Erika matchup.
Major Battles: Machamp sweeps Erika with Bulk Up or Hyper Beam and Koga thanks to Guts. It can take on most of Sabrina's and Blaine's Pokemon. Machamp sweeps Giovanni and can take on Lorelei, Bruno, and Lance with Bulk Up, though it will often require healing to perform well.
Additional Comments: Outside of Machop being slightly difficult to train at the beginning due to its low stats, Machamp requires significant setup in virtually every matchup after Sabrina in order to consistently OHKO foes, which proves inefficient at times. This is further worsened by the its need for healing in the endgame fights in order to not be overwhelmed by foes while setting up. fights, as otherwise foes will overwhelm it during setup.
Magnemite
Availability: Late-game (Power Plant, level 31 or 34 as Magneton).
Typing: Electric / Steel provides Magneton with great matchups against Sabrina, Lorelei, Bruno, and Lance. However, it leaves Magneton very vulnerable to against Blaine, Giovanni, and Bruno.
Stats: Magneton has one of the highest Special Attack stats in the entire game. Outside of good Defense, its other stats are average at best, however.
Movepool: Magneton almost exclusively uses Thunderbolt through TMs, by TM, with Thunder + Rain Dance also being an option. Its other attacking options include are mostly physical moves, which Magneton doesn't use well.
Major Battles: Magneton performs well against Sabrina, Lorelei, and Agatha and can also shrug off most of Lance's attacks. attacks against Lance. However, Magneton cannot take on anything that resists its STAB moves. Electric. (I assume?)
Additional Comments: Magneton's fantastic typing and Special Attack are greatly counterbalanced by a lacking movepool and a late arrival. It is recommended that you catch it directly as a Magneton, as Magnemite comes rather underleveled. Note that Magneton is slightly less common in FireRed.
Meowth
Availability: Early-game (Route 5, level 10, 12, 14, or 16).
Typing: Pure Normal is neutral in most matchups, except for Bruno, where it's bad, and Agatha, where it's helpful.
Stats: Persian has great Speed but otherwise below-average stats.
Movepool: By level up, Meowth gets Pay Day and Screech. The Return and Secret Power TMs provide great STAB moves, (AC) and Shadow Ball may be useful against Agatha. Hyper Beam is also a valuable move to get some KOs.
Major Battles: Persian wins against Sabrina and does well against Agatha, assuming it has Shadow Ball. It's mostly average in other major battles and will only get a few KOs with Screech + a STAB move.
Additional Comments: Despite its early arrival, Persian is a mediocre Pokemon because of its low stats. Its main usefulness comes from Pay Day, allowing it to generate which generates money to afford Game Corner TMs with less effort and in higher amounts. It is also strong enough against Route Trainers trainers that it can reliably spam Pay Day.
Oddish
Availability: Early-game (Route 24, level 12-14) (FR).
Typing: Grass / Poison is great for Misty, Lt. Surge, Giovanni, Lorelei, and Bruno, but it is mostly bad elsewhere.
Stats: Vileplume is a powerful special attacker that is fairly bulk. bulky. However, it's slow.
Movepool: The Oddish line learns Absorb, Acid, and Sleep Powder by level. The Giga Drain TM, once available, is a stronger STAB move. The Sunny Day and Solar Beam and Sunny Day TMs offer a really powerful STAB move. Secret Power through TMs is greatly appreciated for a strong coverage move early on.
Major Battles: The Oddish line wins against Misty, Lt. Surge, and Giovanni, and it performs well against Lorelei. However, in other major battles, it will mostly be useless, taking down at best one foe, except against Bruno, where it performs slightly better.
Additional Comments: Vileplume is a really situational Pokemon that either performs very well or can't do much. overall. Chlorophyll is a great ability that lets Vileplume outspeed most threats after under sun. Evolve Gloom with a Leaf Stone from Celadon Department Store immediately.
Pikachu
Availability: Early-game (Viridian Forest, level 3 or 5).
Typing: Electric makes Pikachu somewhat useful against Misty and great against Lorelei. However, it has little use against Brock, Erika, and Giovanni.
Stats: Raichu is a fast Pokemon with decent Special Attack, but rather low bulk.
Movepool: Pikachu starts out with mostly an a mostly unspectacular moveset, consisting of Thundershock Thunder Shock and Thunder Wave at level 8. Notably, Pikachu learns Thunderbolt at level 26, thus not requiring the TM. It can also be taught Dig and Brick Break for coverage and Thunder + Rain Dance for a stronger STAB move.
Major Battles: Pikachu is incapable of defeating Misty's Starmie, though it can paralyze and weaken it. It can contribute to against Lt. Surge with Dig and performs decently against Sabrina, Koga, and Blaine, though it will struggle to sweep the latter two. It can take out some of Lorelei's Pokemon and Electric-weak Pokemon from the other endgame fights. Lance and the Champion. (I imagine?)
Additional Comments: Despite learning Thunderbolt naturally, Pikachu has numerous flaws, including an unspectacular movepool until it learns Thunderbolt, difficulties with OHKOing foes without hitting super effectively, achieving OHKOs with neutral hits, and a 5% encounter rate, which makes it fairly annoying to find. Evolve it with Thunder Stone after learning it learns Thunderbolt.
Pinsir
Availability: Mid-game (buy at Game Corner for 2500 coins, level 18) (LG).
Typing: Bug is only good for providing Pinsir with resistances to against Erika and Giovanni. It is mostly irrelevant elsewhere, as Pinsir doesn't learn STAB moves and is only weak to Blaine's type.
Stats: Pinsir has great Attack and Defense and is fairly fast, though its other stats are poor.
Movepool: Pinsir can learn most of its moves almost immediately; it will mainly use the Brick Break TM, Strength HM, and Rock Slide tutor to deal damage. Bulk Up through TMs by TM gives it an opportunity to set up. Swords Dance at level 49 allows Pinsir to set up more quickly against the endgame opponents, though Bulk Up makes it easier to set up against physical foes, so either option is fine.
Major Battles: Pinsir can sweep every Gym Leader and rival fight before the Pokemon League with setup. Notably, it is a rather consistent sweeper, as Hyper Cutter makes it more effective against counteracts the various Intmidate Intimidate users. It is fairly good against the Elite Four, though it either will have to heal, (AC) if using Bulk Up, (AC) or will not fail to sweep some fights with Swords Dance due to lacking Defense boosts.
Additional Comments: Pinsir is all-around a great sweeper thanks to a high Attack stat, a great movepool, and Hyper Cutter. However, it is fairly expensive to buy and is a chore to maintain due to a Slow growth rate. Pinsir can also be caught in the Safari Zone (Center Area), but it is rare and hard to capture, so it's generally not worth it.
Poliwag
Availability: Mid-game (Viridian City (Super Rod), levels 20-30 as Poliwhirl).
Typing: Water / Fighting gives Poliwrath an edge against Blaine, Giovanni, (moved comma) and Lorelei while being weak to but weaknesses against Erika, Sabrina, and Lance.
Stats: Poliwrath has well-rounded stats.
Movepool: The Surf HM and Brick Break TM provide strong STAB moves. Bulk Up and Ice Beam can also be learned. are other possible TMs.
Major Battles: Poliwrath wins against Blaine and Giovanni while doing well against Lorelei and Bruno. In other battles, it has a below-average performance but still can get a few KOs.
Additional Comments: Poliwrath is a decent Water-type, but it requires several TMs and only dominates a few matchups.
Rattata
Availability: Early-game (Route 1, levels 2-4).
Typing: Pure Normal is neutral most of the time, with the exception of Brock and Bruno except against Brock and Bruno, where it's generally bad.
Stats: Raticate has great Speed and good Attack for the earlier portions of the game. However, its other stats are mostly average and even its good stats fall off later on.
Movepool: By level up, level, Rattata learns Hyper Fang at level 13. The Secret Power and Return TMs provide great STAB options, with the Hyper Beam TM providing a nuke. The Shadow Ball TM can also be learned used to improve the Agatha matchup.
Major Battles: Raticate wins against Misty, Lt. Surge, and Sabrina and does well against Erika with Hyper Beam. In other matchup, matchups, it's mostly average and will only net a few KOs.
Additional Comments: Raticate is an alright Pokemon thanks to its very early availability and great performance in early- to early- and mid-game. However, it starts becoming worse due to its average stats and won't contribute too much in late-game battles.
Scyther
Availability: Mid-game (Buy at Game Corner for 5500 coins, level 25) (FR).
Typing: Bug / Flying is good against Erika, weak to against Blaine and Lorelei, and neutral elsewhere.
Stats: Scyther boasts good Attack and Speed and has average bulk.
Movepool: Scyther learns Swords Dance and Agility by level up. It should be taught the Aerial Ace TM immediately when caught. It can be taught Hyper Beam through TMs by TM as a strong finishing move and Steel Wing through TMs move, and Steel Wing by TM can find uses against Rock-types.
Major Battles: Scyther wins against Erika and Sabrina with Aerial Ace and Koga and Agatha thanks to the combination of Swords Dance and Swords Dance + Aerial Ace. What sets Scyther apart is that Aerial Ace makes it capable of sweeping Aerial Ace letting it sweep even with accuracy drops or evasion boosts. In other major battles outside of Lorelei and Lance's, it performs decently outside of Lorelei and Lance, being able to take down a few foes.
Additional Comments: Scyther is a strong Pokemon that can set up and win mid-battle but is held back by the fact that it's very expensive to buy. It can also be caught at the Safari Zone (Central Area) at level 23, though it is rare and hard to catch, thus so this route is also ineffcient.
Seel
Availability: Late-game (Seafoam Island (B4F), level 30, 32, or 34).
Typing: Water / Ice is a good offensive typing, being super effective against Blaine, Giovanni, and Lance's types.
Stats: Dewgong has middling stats except for above-average HP and Special Defense.
Movepool: Once Dewgong is (I imagine?) caught, the Surf HM is mandatory and a powerful STAB option. Ice Beam is another important move that Dewgong learns either with the by TM or at level 51, (AC) and it is an improvement from Aurora Beam, a move it has when caught. Strength can also be taught for additional coverage.
Major Battles: Dewgong wins against Sabrina, Blaine, and Giovanni and does well versus Lance's Dragon-types. However, it won't do much outside of these battles, save for KOing some of the rival's Pokemon.
Additional Comments: Even though it comes late, Dewgong guarantees a win against Blaine and Giovanni, (AC) and it's also a great Pokemon to use against Lance without requiring the Ice Beam TM. Thick Fat is really helpful for Blaine. You can also obtain Seel from an in-game trade in Cinnabar Lab for a Ponyta, but this Seel skips Blaine and requires you to go out of your way to the Sevii Islands. The traded Seel, SEELOR, comes with a Bold nature, Thick Fat as an ability, and an IV spread of 24/15/22/16/23/22.
Shellder
Availability: Mid-game (Vermillion City (Super Rod), levels 15-25) (FR).
Typing: Water / Ice helps Shellder against Erika, Blaine, Giovanni, and Lance, is resisted by Lorelei's team, and is weak to Bruno's type.
Stats: Cloyster has enormous physical bulk, good offensive stats, and above-average Speed, but detrimental special frailty.
Movepool: Shellder learns Aurora Beam at level 22. The Surf HM and Ice Beam TM provide strong STAB options. Rain Dance via TMs TM can be learned to boost Surf's power.
Major Battles: Cloyster wins against Erika (assuming it has Ice Beam), Koga, and Giovanni while performing well versus Blaine and Lance, though Cloyster risks getting KOed by strong special moves such as like Fire Blast and Dragonite's Outrage. It otherwise won't perform well outside of KOing a few foes.
Additional Comments: Cloyster is an alright Water-type that mostly performs well and only requires the Ice Beam and Rain Dance TMs. TM. (movepool seemed to imply rain dance is optional) However, it's part of the Slow level up group and thus will take time to train. In addition, its low special bulk means it performs slightly worse than other Water-types against opponents like Lance.
Slowpoke
Availability: Mid-game (Fuchsia City (surfing), levels 20-40).
Typing: Water / Psychic gives Slowpoke advantages against Blaine, Giovanni, and Bruno, as well as a mostly favorable Agatha matchup. It is typically neutral elsewhere. (added period)
Stats: Slowbro has solid bulk all around with great Defense and Special Attack, though its Speed is a dismal base 30.
Movepool: Level 40 Slowpoke comes with Psychic already learned. The Surf, Ice Beam, and Calm Mind items TMs round out its moveset.
Major Battles: Slowbro does great against Sabrina with Surf, 2HKOing or OHKOing her Pokemon (Venomoth is OHKOed by Psychic). Blaine's entire team is OHKOed by Surf, but chip damage and Bite flinches make the matchup unreliable. Giovanni is cleanly swept by Surf, but Lorelei is a struggle due to chip damage and status effects. Bruno and Lance require setup and healing in order to be swept sweep and about half of Agatha's team is defeated with falls to +1 Psychic.
Additional Comments: Slowbro isn't ranked higher entirely due to its low Speed forcing it to take heavy chip damage in major battles, leaving it more vulnerable to secondary effects than most other Pokemon. Repels allow you to catch Slowpoke at very high levels. Slowpoke can be obtained before Koga with a Super Rod if desired, though Slowpoke's encounter rates range from 1% to 5% (depending on location) and location). Also, here it can come underleveled (because fishing levels cannot be controlled with Repels), which is worsened exacerbated by Slowpoke's Slow growth rate and terrible stats until evolution. In addition, Koga's accuracy- and evasion-changing moves can make the matchup awkward. (maybe just worth mentioning this last sentence in major battles? up to you)
Venonat
Availability: Mid-game (Route 15, level 24 or 26).
Typing: Bug / Poison provides resistances to for Erika and Koga but is weak to against Blaine. It has no use offensively, as Venomoth doesn't use STAB moves.
Stats: Venomoth has below-average stats outside of its good Speed and Special Attack.
Movepool: Venomoth learns Sleep Powder by level up. level. Through TMs, it learns Psychic, Giga Drain, and Aerial Ace. Secret Power and Return are fringe options to hit Sabrina's Pokemon harder. (moderately surprised sludge bomb ™ isnt an option, but i dont' know this game at all, just dont include it if it doesn't make sense)
Major Battles: Venomoth wins against Erika (if evolved), Koga, and Giovanni and is average against Sabrina and Blaine. It performs decently against the Elite Four thanks to Sleep Powder and its coverage.
Additional Comments: Venomoth is a decent Pokemon thanks to the combination of Sleep Powder and great coverage, though it greatly depends on the Psychic TM to function and its damage output suffers from a lack of STAB. Shield Dust can prove helpful to dodge a secondary effect. effects.
Voltorb
Availability: Mid-game (Route 10, level 14, 16, or 17).
Typing: Electric is mostly neutral, useful against Lorelei, and terrible against Erika and Giovanni.
Stats: Electrode is the fastest Pokemon in the game. Its other stats are average at best.
Movepool: Voltorb should be taught Shock Wave through TMs by TM immediately, which upgrades to Thunderbolt or Thunder + Rain Dance through TMs. It can learn and reliably use Reflect and Light Screen through TMs. Self-destruct Self-Destruct at level 27 and Explosion at level 54 are moves it can use to deal damage for the last time before fainting. similarly reliable with its high Speed. (I imagine this makes sense?) Flash can also be taught to make navigating Rock Tunnel easier if not planning on using the easier, since Voltorb does not require its fourth moveslot.
Major Battles: Electrode performs decently against Sabrina, Koga, and Blaine with Thunderbolt, though it will struggle to sweep the latter two. It can take on Electric-weak Pokemon in the endgame, some of which can be found on Lorelei's team. It can also KO a dangerous foe with a well-timed Self-destruct Self-Destruct or Explosion.
Additional Comments: Voltorb is a mostly decent Pokemon, as it can swiftly take out foes with STAB moves. However, it struggles against bulky Pokemon and is generally walled by anything that resists Electric.
Vulpix
Availability: Mid-game (Route 8, levels 15-18) (LG).
Typing: Fire is only useful against Erika. In fact, it is quite bad against Blaine and Lorelei.
Stats: Ninetales has mostly decent stats with particularly great Special Defense and Speed.
Movepool: Vulpix learns Flamethrower via TMs TM or at level 35 if left unevolved. Outside of this, it can also be taught Sunny Day and Fire Blast to hit as hard as possible. Dig is a possible coverage move to hit Fire-resistant Pokemon.
Major Battles: Ninetales sweeps Erika with Ember or Flamethrower. It is decent against Koga, Sabrina, and Giovanni, though the latter two will require sun and (in the case of Giovanni) Fire Blast. It can take on some of the rival's Pokemon and performs decently against Agatha.
Additional Comments: It is recommended that you evolve Vulpix with a Fire Stone immediately and teach it Flamethrower via TMs TM instead of waiting to learn it by level, as Vulpix is very weak. Ninetales can afford to wait some time for Flamethrower, if needed, as Ember serves it well before Koga. As a whole, Ninetales is mostly a decent Pokemon that can spam Flamethrower, but the lack of Fire-weak major opponents after Erika and Ninetales's poor movepool impact its usefulness.
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