Getting Started
Pikachu, the Pokedex, and the two catches on Route 22 that decide whether your first gym is easy or miserable.
Your Partner Pikachu
The only Pokemon in Generation I with a voice
Professor Oak gives you a level 5 Pikachu in Pallet Town. There is no starter choice in Yellow.
- It walks behind you on the overworld. Turn around and talk to it to see its mood on its animated face.
- It is voiced by Ikue Otani, the anime voice actor - the only Pokemon in Generation I with a real recorded cry.
- It cannot evolve. It refuses the Thunder Stone, and it cannot be released. A Pikachu received in a trade evolves normally.
The happiness system
Yellow is the only Generation I game with a happiness (mood) system, and it applies only to your starter Pikachu. Happiness rises when you level it up, feed it vitamins and heal it; it falls when Pikachu faints or you deposit it in the PC. It matters for exactly one thing: the free Bulbasaur in Cerulean City is only handed over to a trainer whose Pikachu is happy. (The commonly cited threshold is 147+ on a hidden 0-255 scale; the exact value is unverified.)
Pikachu's Yellow learnset
Tail Whip L6, Thunder Wave L8, Quick Attack L11, Double Team L15, Slam L20, Thunderbolt L26, Agility L33, Thunder L41, Light Screen L50. Because Thunderbolt is free at level 26, do not burn TM24 on Pikachu when Lt. Surge hands it over - give it to something else.
Pallet Town to Your Pokedex
Oak's Parcel and the first errand
Head north to Viridian City, pick up Oak's Parcel from the Poke Mart clerk and carry it back to the lab in Pallet Town. Oak gives you the Pokedex; Blue's sister Daisy gives you the Town Map.
Two Pokedex milestones pay out later:
- 10 owned - Oak's aide on Route 2 gives you HM05 Flash, which you need for Rock Tunnel.
- 50 owned - the aide in the Route 15 gate gives you the Exp. All.
The Route 22 Rival Battle
The single most consequential optional fight in the game
West of Viridian City, Route 22 hosts an optional early battle with your rival. Fight it, and win.
Together with the very first battle in Oak's lab, this fight decides which Eeveelution the Champion will use against you 50 hours later:
| Oak's Lab battle | Route 22 battle | His Eevee becomes |
|---|---|---|
| You WIN | You WIN | Jolteon |
| You WIN | You lose or skip it | Flareon |
| You LOSE | anything | Vaporeon |
Route 22 is also where you catch the two Pokemon that make Brock possible - see the next section.
The Brock Problem
Why your starter cannot win the first gym
Brock leads with Geodude and Onix. Both are Rock/Ground, and Ground is immune to Electric. Your Pikachu literally cannot hurt them.
Yellow builds two answers into Route 22, which you can reach before ever entering Viridian Forest:
- Mankey learns Low Kick at L9 - a Yellow-only change.
- Nidoran (M) learns Double Kick at L12 - also Yellow-only.
A third option comes out of Viridian Forest: Caterpie evolves into Metapod at L7 and Butterfree at L10, and Butterfree's Confusion at L12 handles Brock comfortably.