Bellsprout
Availability: Early-game (Route 24, level 12-14) (LG).
Typing: Grass / Poison is great for Misty, Lt. Surge, Giovanni, Lorelei, and Bruno, but is typically bad elsewhere.
Stats: Victreebel is powerful on the physical and special side 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 left unevolved. Once available, the Sunny Day and Solar Beam TMs offer a really powerful STAB move. It's also possible to learn the Giga Drain TM. Secret Power through TMs also provides a strong coverage move early on.
Major Battles: The Bellsprout line wins against Misty, Lt. Surge, and Giovanni, 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 Bruno.
Additional Comments: Victreebel is a really situational Pokemon that either performs very well or can't do much. Chlorophyll is a great ability that lets Victreebel outspeed everything after it uses Sunny Day. Evolve Weepinbell with a Leaf Stone from Celadon Dept. Store immediately, unless planning on learning Razor Leaf.
Caterpie
Availability: Early-game (Viridian Forest, level 3-5).
Typing: Bug / Flying is good for Erika, but leaves Butterfree weak to Lt. Surge, Blaine, and Lorelei.
Stats: Butterfree has mostly bad stats, outside of its decent Special Attack and Special Defense, though they are decent for the early-game.
Movepool: Butterfree learns Sleep Powder and later on Silver Wind by level. By TMs, it learns Psychic, Giga Drain, and Aerial Ace via TMs, which provide good coverage. Psybeam at level 34 provides an alternative to Psychic if the TM is not available to Butterfree.
Major Battles: Butterfree beats Brock's Geodude, but is shaky against Misty, Surge, and Blaine. It wins against Erika, Koga, and Giovanni, while performing well against Sabrina. In general, Butterfree simply outspeeds and puts the foe to sleep with a nearly-accurate Sleep Powder and proceeds to take it down while it's are asleep, which is useful throughout the entire game, including at the Elite Four.
Additional Comments: Butterfree is a decent Pokemon to use in spite of its below-average stats thanks to its early availability, Sleep Powder + Compound Eyes (which results in an almost-accurate move), and great coverage, though it is held back by the rate at which it defeats opponents.
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 good base 115 Special Defense.
Movepool: Drowzee starts with Confusion and gets Headbutt for coverage at level 17, with Meditate being learned at level 29 to boost Headbutt's power. Aside from Psychic at level 35 and Calm Mind via TM, nothing 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, as Hypno can easily sweep her with Headbutt, particularly with Meditate boosts. Blaine, Giovanni, and Bruno can be overpowered with the use of Calm Mind. Every other fight is average for Hypno, including Agatha, as most of her Pokemon are faster and therefore Hypno is vulnerable to her Pokemon's status-inducing moves.
Additional Comments: Hypno isn't a bad Pokemon, but it is sorely outclassed by other Psychic types due to lacking power, as it takes a longer time to sweep in major battles. Hypno's base 67 Speed, while serviceable, can occasionally be a hinderance 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 Blaine and Giovanni.
Stats: Flareon has an outstanding Attack, solid special bulk, and good Special Attack. However, it's frail on the physical side 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. The 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 while being 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 because it doesn't learn any useful move by level, so it should be taught Flamethrower early to make up for that. It is also let down by its poor Speed, which can make significant contributions difficult to achieve. Evolve with Fire Stone from the Celadon Dept. Store immediately.
Eevee (Jolteon)
Availability: Mid-game (Celadon Mansion, level 25).
Typing: Pure Electric-type is good offensively, being super effective against Lorelei, only resisted by Erika and Giovanni, and neutral elsewhere.
Stats: Jolteon boasts an excellent Speed, outspeeding everything, and has great special stats. However, its other stats are below-average.
Movepool: The Thunderbolt TM is required on Jolteon because it's its only strong and reliable move. Rain Dance and Thunder via TMs can also be taught to provide a stronger STAB option. Shock Wave through TMs 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 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 and can take down a few foes Electric-weak Pokemon.
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 and won't do anything against Electric-resistant Pokemon. It's also really reliant on learning the costly Thunderbolt TM immediately because it's the only powerful STAB it can get at that point.
Electabuzz
Availability: Late-game (Power Plant, level 32 or 35).
Typing: Electric is mostly useful for Lorelei, but is terrible against Erika and Giovanni, being neutral elsewhere.
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 + 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 the Electric-weak Pokemon in the endgame. It can also take out some of Giovanni's Pokemon with its coverage moves.
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 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 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 and is a good STAB option that lets it win handily against Agatha. Steel Wing via TMs 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 to consider that performs really well in the mid-game thanks to access 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 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 Misty, Erika, Giovanni, Lorelei, and Bruno.
Stats: Golem has a good Attack and great Defense. However, its stats are bad outside of them, being frail on the special side and really slow.
Movepool: By level, the Geodude line learns Defense Curl, Rock Throw, Magnitude, 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 effectives and will only take down a few foe at most, though Self-destruct can net a KO if needed.
Additional Comments: Golem is a Pokemon with some extremely good matchups and 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-type gives Seaking an edge against Blaine and Giovanni and is only resisted by Erika, Lorelei, and Lance
Stats: Seaking has mostly average stats, outside of its good Attack.
Movepool: Seaking must be taught the Surf HM when caught as it provides a good STAB. The Ice Beam TM is a good move to have against Lance. Rain Dance TM can be learned to power STAB moves but will get few uses. 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 to use, 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 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 other than Lorelei: many opponents are resistant or immune to Fighting STAB. Koga, Agatha and Lance are bad for Hitmonchan in particular.
Stats: Hitmonchan has good 105 Attack and 110 Special Defense with a decent 76 Speed, though its other stats are poor.
Movepool: Hitmonchan starts out with Brick Break through TMs. 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 to +1 or +2 in major battles, though it is unlikely you will ever sweep with it due to its fragility. At best, you will likely get a couple KOs with 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 70% of the time in practice due to Fighting STAB being resisted so often, and as such, 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 other than Lorelei: many opponents are resistant or immune to Fighting STAB. Koga, Agatha, and Lance are particularly bad for Hitmonlee in particularr.
Stats: Hitmonlee has excellent 120 Attack and 110 Special Defense with a great 87 Speed, though its other stats are abysmal.
Movepool: Hitmonlee's most reliable starting move is Brick Break. 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 to +1 or +2 in major battles, though it is unlikely you will ever sweep with it due to its fragility. At best, you will likely get one or two KOs with 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 70% of the time in practice due to Fighting STAB being resisted so often, and as such, 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 only resisted by Erika, Lorelei, and Lance, and is neutral elsewhere.
Stats: Seadra has great Special Attack and Defense and good Speed. However, it's really vulnerable to special moves due to its really low special bulk.
Movepool: When caught, Horsea should be taught Surf HM immediately. The Ice Beam TM is a good move 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 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 to use as it's available in mid-game, does really well in several important battles while only requiring 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. 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.
Stats: Kingler has a really high Attack and Defense as well as above-average Speed. However, its really frail on the Special side and has a poor 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 TMs.
Major Battles: Kingler wins against Blaine and Giovanni and is mostly below-average elsewhere. It can get a few KOs in 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 utilities by being able to fit the HM Strength and Surfin 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 Erika, Koga, Agatha, and Sabrina. On the other hand, though, it provides Machamp with a great matchup against Lorelei.
Stats: Machamp has a very high Attack, coupled with 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 the Brick Break TM and Rock Slide tutor immediately. It can also be taught Bulk Up for setup and Strength as coverage. Hyper Beam can be taught to Machamp before Strength to improve the Erika matchup.
Major Battles: Machamp sweeps Erika with either Bulk Up or Hyper Beam and Koga thanks to Guts. It can take on most of Sabrina and Blaine's Pokemon in spite of the type disadvantage against the former. Machamp sweeps Giovanni and can take on Lorelei, Bruno, and Lance with Bulk Up setup, 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 need for healing in the endgame fights in order to not be overwhelmed by foes while setting up.
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 Blaine, Giovanni, and Bruno.
Stats: Magneton has one of the highest Special Attacks in the entire game. Outside of a good Defense, its other stats are average at best, however.
Movepool: Magneton almost exclusively uses Thunderbolt through TMs, with Thunder + Rain Dance also being an option. Its other attacking options include physical moves, which Magneton doesn't use well due to its low Attack.
Major Battles: Magneton performs well against Sabrina, Lorelei, and Agatha and can also shrug off most of Lance's attacks. However, Magneton cannot take on anything that resists its STAB moves whatsoever.
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 a great Speed, but below-average stats outside of that.
Movepool: By level up, Meowth gets Pay Day and Screech. The Return and Secret Power TMs provide great STAB moves 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 performance-wise because of its low stats. However, its usefulness comes from Pay Day, allowing it to generate money to afford Game Corner TMs with less effort and in higher amounts. It is also strong enough against route 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 is mostly bad elsewhere.
Stats: Vileplume is a powerful special attacker that is fairly bulky as a whole. However, it's slow and will be outsped most of the time.
Movepool: The Oddish line learns Absorb, Acid, and Sleep Powder by level. The Giga Drain TM, once available, is a stronger STAB move. Sunny Day and Solar Beam 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 performs well against Lorelei. However, in other major battles, it will mostly be useless, not taking down more than one foe with the exception of Bruno.
Additional Comments: Vileplume is a really situational Pokemon that either performs very well or can't do much. Chlorophyl is a great ability that lets Vileplume outspeed everything after it uses Sunny Day. Evolve Gloom with a Leaf Stone from Celadon Dept. Store immediately.
Pikachu
Availability: Early-game (Viridian Forest, level 3 or 5).
Typing: Electric makes Pikachu somewhat useful against Misty and is great against Lorelei. However, it has little use against Brock, Erika, and Giovanni.
Stats: Raichu is a fast Pokemon with decent Special Attack, but with rather low bulk.
Movepool: Pikachu starts out with mostly an unspectacular moveset, consisting of Thundershock and Thunder Wave at level 8. Notably, Pikachu learns Thunderbolt at level 26, thus not requiring the TM for it. 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 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 members and the rival fights.
Additional Comments: Despite learning Thunderbolt naturally, Pikachu has numerous flaws, ranging from an unspectacular movepool until it learns it, difficulties with OHKOing foes without hitting super effectively, and a 5% encounter rate, which makes it fairly annoying to find. Evolve with Thunder Stone after learning 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 Erika and Giovanni. It is mostly irrelevant elsewhere, as Pinsir doesn't learn STAB moves and doesn't grant it with any notable weaknesses outside of Blaine.
Stats: Pinsir has a 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 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 the various Intmidate users. It is fairly good against the Elite Four, though it either will have to heal if using Bulk Up or will not sweep some fights due to lacking Defense boosts.
Additional Comments: Pinsir is all-around a great sweeper thanks to a high Attack, great movepool, and Hyper Cutter. However, it is fairly expensive to buy and is a chore to keep up in terms of levels 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-types gives Poliwrath an edge against Blaine, Giovanni ,and Lorelei while being weak to Erika, Sabrina, and Lance.
Stats: Poliwrath has well-rounded stats, with a solid bulk, good Attack, and average Special Attack and Speed.
Movepool: The Surf HM and Brick Break TM provide strong STAB moves. Bulk Up can also be used to boost both its attack and Defense. Ice Beam is another coverage move Poliwath can learn.
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, however, 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, Bruno, and Agatha, where it's generally bad.
Stats: Raticate has a great Speed and good Attack for the earlier portions of the game. However, aside from them, its other stats are mostly average an even its good stats fall off later on.
Movepool: By level up, Rattata learns Hyper Fang at level 13. Secret Power and Return TMs provide great STAB options, with the Hyper Beam TM providing a powerful nuke. Shadow Ball TM can also be learned 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, 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 mid-game. However, starting from the late-game, it starts becoming worse due to its average stats and won't contribute too much in battles.
Scyther
Availability: Mid-game (Buy at Game Corner for 5500 coins, level 25) (FR).
Typing: Bug / Flying-type is good against Erika, weak to 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 immediatly when caught. It can be taught Hyper Beam through TMs as a strong finishing move and Steel Wing through TMs 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 Aerial Ace. What sets Scyther apart is that Aerial Ace makes it capable of sweeping even with accuracy drops or evasion boosts from the opponent. In other major battles, it performs decently outside of Lorelei and Lance, being either able to take down a few foes.
Additional Comments: Scyther is a strong Pokemon that is held back by the fact it's very expensive to buy. It can also be caught at the Safari Zone (Central Area) at level 23, though Scyther is rare and hard to catch, thus this route is also ineffcient.. Sometimes, in the middle of the battle there will be a Pokemon that allows Scyther to set up Swords Dance and it might be able to win from there.
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.
Stats: Dewgong has middling stats overall except for an above average HP and Special Defense.
Movepool: Once caught, Surf HM is mandatory and is a powerful STAB option. Ice Beam is another important move that Dewgong learns either with the TM or at level 51 and 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 and is also a great Pokemon to use against Lance without requiring the Ice Beam TM. Thick Fat is a great ability that provides a Fire resistance, which 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 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 type helps Shellder against Erika, Blaine, Giovanni, and Lance, is resisted by Lorelei, and is weak to Bruno.
Stats: Cloyster has enormous physical bulk, good offensive stats and above-average Speed. However, it is extremely frail on the special side.
Movepool: Shellder learns Aurora Beam at level 22. The Surf HM and Ice Beam TM provide strong STAB options. Rain Dance via TMs 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 in those matchups, such as Fire Blast and Dragonite's Outrage. In other matchup, it won't perform well outside of KOing a few foes.
Additional Comments: Cloyster is an alright Water-type to use that mostly perform well and only require the Ice Beam and Rain Dance TMs. However, it's part of the Slow level up group and 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 typing gives Slowpoke advantages against Blaine, Giovanni, and Bruno, as well as a mostly favorable Agatha matchup. It is typically neutral elsewhere
Stats: Slowbro has solid bulk all around with great Defense and Special Attack, though its Speed is a dismal 30.
Movepool: Level 40 Slowpoke comes with Psychic already learned. Surf via HM gives Slowbro Water STAB, and Ice Beam and Calm Mind via 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 with no problems, but Slowbro once again struggles with Lorelei due to chip damage and status effects. Bruno and Lance require setup and healing in order to be swept and about half of Agatha's team is defeated with +1 Psychic.
Additional Comments: Slowbro isn't ranked higher entirely due to its low Speed that forces 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 can come underleveled (because fishing levels cannot be controlled with Repels), which is worsened 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.
Venonat
Availability: Mid-game (Route 15, level 24 or 26).
Typing: Bug/Poison provides resistances to Erika and Koga but is weak to 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. Through TMs, it learns Psychic, Giga Drain, and Aerial Ace. Secret Power and Return are fringe options to hit Sabrina harder.
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 to use thanks to the combination of Sleep Powder and great coverage, though it greatly depends on the Psychic TM to function and its damage output feels low at times due to not gaining STAB on its best moves. Shield Dust can prove helpful to dodge a secondary effect.
Voltorb
Availability: Mid-game (Route 10, level 14, 16, or 17).
Typing: Electric is mostly useful for Lorelei, but is terrible against Erika and Giovanni, being neutral elsewhere.
Stats: Electrode is the fastest Pokemon in the entire game. On the other hand, though, its other stats are average at best.
Movepool: Voltorb should be taught Shock Wave through TMs immediately, which upgrades to Thunderbolt or Thunder + Rain Dance through TMs. It can learn Reflect and Light Screen through TMs as it can set them up quickly. Self-destruct at level 27 and Explosion at level 54 are moves it can use to deal damage for the last time before fainting. Flash can also be taught to make navigating Rock Tunnel easier if not planning on using the 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 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 hardwalled by anything that resists Electric.
Vulpix
Availability: Mid-game (Route 8, levels 15-18) (LG).
Typing: Fire is only useful against Erika, not providing Vulpix with any other advantageous matchups. 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 either via TMs 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 also a possible coverage move to hit Fire-resistant Pokemon.
Major Battles: Ninetales sweeps Erika with either 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 instead of waiting to learn it by level, as Vulpix is very weak until then. 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.
