31 Route
There is a gate to Violet City northwest of Route 31, so
I'll move on for now.
Violet City:
In Violet City, you'll encounter the first Gym Leader, Falkner.
There's an NPC who will exchange an Onix, which is strong against Falkner's Flying-type Pokémon, for a Bellsprout. However, at this point, there aren't many benefits to raising Onix aside from its high durability.
It's more advantageous to train the Geodude caught in the "Dark Ca ve" and evolve it into Golem via Gra veler, which will benefit your team greatly.
Items a vailable for purchase at the friendly shop
Poké Ball
Escape Rope
potion
poison heal
Paralyze Heal
sleep heal
Flower Mail
X Attack
X Speed
Sprout Tower
Here, on the top floor, you can obtain the Hidden Machine "Flash."
If the map is nighttime, Gastly will appear, so be sure to catch one.
Reasons why Gastly is strong for your team:
It's immune to Normal and Fighting-type moves.
It can use "Hypnosis" and "Lick" right from the start.
By raising it until late game, it can effectively battle Red's Snorlax using "Curse" and "Destiny Bond."
It's excellent as a Pokémon for catching others due to "Night Shade," and it increases the catch rate of Pokémon.
With "Mean Look," it can easily catch "Entei," "Suicune," and "Raikou."
Sprout Tower Continued:
The trainers here use Bellsprout, making it easy to train Pidgey, Hoothoot, and Cyndaquil.
Since Hoothoot can be useful later on, it's a good idea to give it extra experience points here.
Violet Gym:
In the gym, the Gym Leader Falkner awaits at the back.
Since Chikorita alone may struggle, it's advisable to bring multiple Pokémon.
VS. Falkner
Falkner's Pokémon:
Pidgey, Level 7
Pidgeotto, Level 9
Strategy against Falkner:
The key is to defeat Falkner's Pokémon quickly; otherwise, you'll ha ve to deal with their unreliable accuracy.
Falkner's Pokémon know "Mud-Slap," so it's best to use Flying-type Pokémon to inflict damage whenever possible.
When an opportunity arises, use Geodude as a shield and heal your reserve Pokémon with "Potion."
Alternatively, aim to settle the battle using "Rock Throw," which is unfa vorable to the added effect of "Mud-Slap."
Violet City Continued:
After clearing the Violet Gym, you can receive a Togepi Egg from the professor's assistant at the Pokémon Center.
The usefulness of Togepi:
In the second generation, Togepi doesn't ha ve any additional evolutions or abilities, making it quite challenging as a combatant.
If there is any demand for Togepi, it's mainly for registering it in the Pokédex.
While it becomes more viable as a tra veling companion in HGSS, in Gold, Silver, and Crystal, Pokémon like Pidgeot and Noctowl are better options.
Ruins of Alph:
These ruins can be accessed from Route 32.
Here, by solving the puzzles within the ruins, you can encounter Unown, a Pokémon that only learns the move "Hidden Power."
Changes to the competitive environment caused by Unown:
Due to Hidden Power, this installment introduces a new feature where Electric-type Pokémon can use Ice-type moves.
While Unown itself isn't particularly strong, the significant change in the competitive environment stems from other Pokémon learning Hidden Power.
Route 32:
The wild Pokémon encountered here ha ve excellent resistances to type matchups.
In particular, Wooper and Mareep ha ve only one weakness and possess excellent additional effects with their learned moves.
It's highly recommended to catch Wooper and Mareep if you encounter them.
Additionally, since Bellsprout also appears in the wild here, you can exchange it for an Onix at a house in Violet City.
Route 33:
Beyond the "Union Ca ve," located to the south of Route 32, lies Route 33, leading westward to Azalea Town.
Inside the "Union Ca ve," the wild Pokémon Sandshrew appears. It's a Pokémon that appeared in Pokémon Gold, so players who chose Chikorita or Totodile as their starter Pokémon can benefit from catching Sandshrew to st rengthen their type matchups.
