#Blue the Squirtle (FireRed) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lacrimosathedark · 2 months

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I know I'm probably a weirdo for this, but one day I got to thinking, what if Pokemon was lingually accurate? Like, if characters were named appropriately based on their region? So I actually went through Bulbapedia and compiled a list of every major character's names in other languages. And just in case anyone else was curious, I thought I'd share it.

I'm going from the English base, so I'm majorly not including Unova, Galar, and most of Alola. Ones that are weird or are migrants I give explanations for.

Kanto: Japanese

Red: Same in English and Japanese

Leaf: Same in English and Japanese

Blue: Technically referred to as Green in Japanese since the original games were Red and Green (hence remakes being FireRed and LeafGreen), but is considered Blue internationally and it makes more sense to me (Red picks Charmander, rival picks Squirtle to be better, thus Blue).

Kakeru (Chase)

Ayumi (Elaine)

Shin (Trace)

Takeshi (Brock)

Kasumi (Misty)

Lt. Surge: His original title is "The Lightning American" and there's a whole tribute gym to his in Alola, so it's very likely he's from an America-inspired region, thus English name.

Erika: Same in English and Japanese

Kyou (Koga)

Anzu (Janine)

Natsume (Sabrina)

Katsura (Blaine)

Kanna (Lorelei)

Siba (Bruno)

Kikuko (Agatha)

Wataru (Lance)

Rocket-dan (Team Rocket): Literally written in katakana "ro-ke-t(su)-to"

Sakaki (Giovanni)

Ohkido Yukinari-hakase (Professor Samuel Oak)

Johto: Japanese

Hibiki (Ethan)

Kris: Same in English and Japanese

Kotone (Lyra)

Silver: Same in English and Japanese

Hayato (Falkner)

Tsukushi (Bugsy)

Akane (Whitney)

Matsuba (Morty)

Shijima (Chuck)

Mikan (Jasmine)

Yanagi (Pryce)

Ibuki (Clair)

Itsuki (Will)

Karin (Karen)

Minaki (Eusine)

Apollo (Archer)

Athena (Arianna)

Lambda (Petrel)

Lance (Proton): Yes, this is confusing with the Indigo Champion's English name being Lance.

Utsugi-hakase (Professor Elm)

Hoenn: Japanese

Yuuki (Brendan)

Haruka (May)

Mitsuru (Wally)

Tsutsuji (Roxanne)

Touki (Brawly)

Tessen (Wattson)

Asuna (Flannery)

Senri (Norman)

Nagi (Winona)

Fū (Tate)

Lan (Liza)

Juan: His Japanese name is Adan, but he uses different foreign words by localization (English in Japanese, Spanish in Viz's anime dub, and French in the Adventures manga's translation) so is likely foreign. Juan is his name in English, German, and French.

Mikuri (Wallace) Rune no Tami (Sootopolitan)

Kagetsu (Sidney)

Fuyou (Phoebe)

Glacia: Her name in Japanese is Prim, but she's implied to be from a more Western-based region. Glacia is her name in both English and French.

Genji (Drake)

Tsuwabuki Daigo (Steven Stone)

Datsura (Noland) Factory Head: Same in English and Japanese

Kogomi (Greta) Arena Captain (Arena Tycoon)

Tucker: Implied to be foreign, especially as his Japanese name is Heath. Tucker is his English name, and most other Romantic translations are loosely similar and come from the respective languages' word for "tactics". Dome Superstar (Dome Ace)

Azami (Lucy) Tube Queen (Pike Queen)

Ukon (Spenser) Palace Guardian (Palace Maven)

Jindai (Brandon) Pyramid King: Same in English and Japanese

Lila (Anabel) Tower Tycoon (Salon Maiden)

Higana (Zinnia) Denshousha (Lorekeeper)

Lutia (Lisia) Lutti (Lissi)

Tylulu (Ali): Lisia's Altaria

Magma-dan (Team Magma): Literally written in katakana "ma-gu-ma"

Matsubusa (Maxie)

Kagari (Courtney)

Homura (Tabitha)

Aqua-dan (Team Aqua): Literally written in katakana "a-ku-a"

Aogiri (Archie)

Ushio (Matt)

Izumi (Shelly)

Odomaki-hakase (Professor Birch)

Sinnoh: Japanese

Kouki (Lucas)

Hikari (Dawn)

Jun (Barry)

Hyouta (Roark)

Natane (Gardenia)

Sumomo (Maylene)

Maximum Mask (Crasher Wake): Maybe a little more clearly than the English name, it's a stage name and his real name is unknown. He's called "Maxi" for short, so it could just be that.

Fantina or Kiméra: Her name in Japanese is Melissa, which is a clearly Western name along with using foreign phrases. The difficulty here is in original Japanese (as well as French, logically) she speaks English, while most other localizations she speaks French. Fantina is her name in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Kiméra is her name in French.

Suzuna (Candice)

Denzi (Volkner)

Ryou (Aaron)

Kikuno (Bertha)

Ōba (Flint)

Goyou (Lucian)

Shirona (Cynthia)

Kurotsugu (Palmer) Tower Tycoon: Same in English and Japanese

Neziki (Thorton) Factory Head: Same in English and Japanese

Dahlia: Same in English and Japanese Roulette Goddess (Arcade Star)

Kokuran (Darach): His Lady may be likely Unovan, but his lineage is never specified and he seems to have a Hisuian ancestor, so him being from Sinnoh is likely, hence Japanese name. Castle Butler (Castle Valet)

Argenta or Kate: Kate is her name in Japanese and is clearly Western. Argenta is her name in English, German, and Spanish. Stage Madonna (Hall Matron)

Momi (Cheryl)

Gen (Riley)

Baku (Buck)

Miru (Mira)

Mai (Marley)

Looker: Honestly, I just prefer Looker because it seems smoother to say as a codename than his Japanese codename which is Handsome. Looker also has the double meaning that Handsome doesn't, like he's looking/watching, because he's a detective. Looker is also his name in Portuguese, and sometimes in German, Spanish, and Italian. Every one of his codenames is a reference to his appearance ex. LeBelle in German and Beladonis in French.

Ginga-dan (Team Galaxy)

Akagi (Cyrus)

Mars: Same in English and Japanese

Jupiter: Same in English and Japanese

Saturn: Same in English and Japanese

Pluto (Charon)

Nanakamado-hakase (Professor Rowan)

Hisui: Japanese

Teru (Rei) Chō satai (Survey Corps' (Trainer class))

Shō (Akari) Chō satai (Survey Corps' (Trainer class))

Ginga-dan (Galaxy Expedition Team): Shares it's name with the modern Team Galaxy in Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, and Italian.

Kamado or Denboku: His original home region is unknown and he bears Galarian armor that looks strikingly similar to Kalosian Wikstrom. Denboku is from raidenboku, an alternate reading of the Japanese rowan, nanakamado, which is Rowan's Japanese name. Kamado also comes from nanakamado.

Shimaboshi (Cyllene): She is originally from Hoenn, but Hoenn is also Japanese so that means nothing for her name.

Perilla (Zisu) Keibi-tai (Security Corps)

Kine (Pesselle) Iryō-tai (Medical Corps)

Tao Hua: Same in English and Japanese Seizō-tai (Supply Corps)

Sazanka (Sanqua) Kenchiku-tai (Construction Corps)

Nabana (Colza): His original region is apparently unknown, but Japanese is still a safe bet. Also most other localizations stem from Nabana rather than Colza. Hatasaku-tai (Agriculture Corps)

Haku (Rye) Hatasaku-tai (Agriculture Corps)

Mube (Beni): His home region is apparently unknown, but Japanese is a safe bet. Imozuru-tei (The Wallflower): [directly from Bulbapedia] From imozuru (vines of Japanese mountain yam or sweet potato), Mitsuru (Wally), and tei (common suffix in restaurant names)

Taisai (Choy)

Sharon (Anthe): Oddly, Sharon is her Japanese name.

Kongō-dan (Diamond Clan)

Seki (Adaman) Osa (Clan Leader)

Yone (Mai) Captain (Warden)

Hinatsu (Arezu) Captain (Warden)

Susuki (Iscan) Captain (Warden)

Tsubaki (Melli) Captain (Warden)

Wasabi (Sabi) Captain (Warden)

Shinju-dan (Pearl Clan)

Kai (Irida) Osa (Clan Leader)

Kikui (Lian) Captain (Warden)

Yūgao (Calaba) Captain (Warden)

Garana (Palina) Captain (Warden)

Hamarenge (Gaeric) Captain (Warden)

Shō-Chiku-Ba (Miss Fortunes)

Omatsu (Charm) Yatō (Bandit)

Otake (Clover) Yatō (Bandit)

Oume (Coin) Yatō (Bandit)

Ichō Shōkai (Ginkgo Guild)

Ginnan (Ginter)

Tsuiri (Tuli)

Volo: Same in English and Japanese Pokemon Tsukai (Pokemon Wielder)

Cogito (Cogita): She is a whole ass mystery, but Cogita (her name in English and German) is just a (non-existent) feminine form of Cogito, her Japanese name, which comes from Latin and basically means "I think", as in Decaretes' "cogito, ergo sum" or "I think, therefore I am". French and Chinese use the respective language's variation of the phrase as a base for her name, while Spanish and Italian use Greek words, for "wisdom" and "intelligence" respectively.

Professor Laventon: He's Galarian, so his name is English.

Unova: English The only ones I'm doing here are ones that AREN'T necessarily the English version.

Clay or Yakon: I've heard Clay may play on Japanese businessman tropes, and he has an ancestor in Hisui, so his name could be either of these.

Lacey or Taro: As Clay's daughter, her situation is the same as his.

Cyrano or Mirtilo: English and Spanish names respectively. Lives in Unova, but as Clavel's classmate could be from Paldea maybe? Saffron or Milo: As above

Kalos: French

Kalem (Calem)

Serena: Same in English and French

Sannah (Shauna)

Trevor: Same in English and French

Tierno: Same in English and French

Violette (Viola)

Lino (Grant)

Cornélia (Korrina) Héritière (Successor)

Amaro (Ramos)

Lem (Clemont)

Mache (Valerie): Mache is actually originally from Johto, hence her Japanese name.

Astera (Olympia)

Urup (Wulfric): Given he likely has a Hisuian ancestor, it wouldn't be unlikely for his name to be Japanese. Luckily, his Japanese and French names are the same!

Malva: Same in English and French

Narcisse (Siebold)

Wikstrom or Thyméo: Since we know his armor is likely Galarian his English name isn't out of place, but his French name is Thyméo.

Dracéna (Drasna)

Dianthéa (Diantha) Grande-Duchesse (Grand Duchess)

Aurore (Morgan)

Méridia (Dana)

Vesper (Evelyn)

Nix (Nita)

Millie (Emma) Elili (Essentia) Femme Louche (Suspicious Woman) Enfant Louche (Suspicious Child) Jeune Femme Louche (Suspicious Lady)

Gribouille (Mimi): Millie's Espurr friend

Team Flare: Apparently the same in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.

Lysandre: Same in English and French

Ancolie (Aliana)

Brasénie (Bryony)

Cyane (Celosia)

Myosotis (Mable)

Xanthin (Xerosic)

Professeur Platane (Professor Sycamore): Somewhat surprisingly, his Japanese and French names are the same, though they do both originate from the French word platane.

Alola: English Hawaii is an American state, and there isn't a Native Hawaiian translation of the games, so English is the default language here. But Hawaii does have ties to the East, so I will use some of the Japanese names if they make more sense to me. Most are just slight spelling changes anyhow.

Yo (Elio): Moved from Kanto to Alola, so Japanese name.

Mizuki (Selene): Moved from Kanto to Alola, so Japanese name.

Ma'o (Mallow): Technically her Japanese name is just Mao, but ma'o is the Hawaiian word for Hawaiian cotton and I feel spelling it that way feels better.

Sophocles or Māmane: Both names after the same plant, the Sophora chrysophylla, it's common and local Hawaiian name being māmane.

Hapu'u (Hapu): Hapu'u is her name in Japanese and comes from hāpuʻu, the Hawaaian tree fern.

Molayne or Mullein: Molayne is just a different spelling tbh and I kinda think it looks better.

Skipping Galar; there aren't really a lot of clear foreigners besides Kabu whose name is the same.

Paldea: Spanish and Portuguese I look at both languages because Paldea is based on the Iberian Peninsula and not just Spain. However, with Portuguese, I'm having to look at Brazilian Portuguese, which is not quite the same as European Portuguese, because that's almost all that's on Bulbapedia. I generally choose whether to use Spanish or Portuguese based on if said name is also the same as the English and/or Japanese name. Or default if only one is available. Also uhh my order might be a bit weird here because I didn't get to actually play these games. I kinda assumed you go through the teachers before Gym Leaders, so...yeah. I can re-order it later if that's wrong or confusing.

Florian: From an unknown region, but the same in English, German, Spanish, French, and Italian.

Juliana: From an unknown region, but the same in English, German, Spanish, French, and Italian.

Nemo(?): She is noted to not be from Paldea but her home isn't specified so it could be anything. Nemona is her name in English and E. Portuguese, Nemo in Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, and Thai, Noêmia in B. Portuguese, Nemila in German, Nemola in Indonesian, and Nemi in Italian. The odd ones out are Menc��a in Spanish and Menzi in French.

Arven: Same in English and B. Portuguese

Academia Naranja (Naranja Academy)

Academia Uva (Uva Academy)

Miriam: Same in English and B. Portuguese

Saguaro: Same in English, Japanese, and B. Portuguese (as well as German and French)

Dendra: Same in English and B. Portuguese

Cloe or Mora (Raifort): Cloe is her name in Spanish, and Mora is her name in French, which I only include because her English/Japanese name Raifort is from the French word for horseradish apparently, so maybe she's Kalosian.

Silvio (Salvatore)

Mila (Tyme)

Jacques (Jacq): The B. Portuguese name as it's closer to his English name. His Spanish name is Cinio, which is Spanish for his Japanese name, Zinnia, which could be confusing considering Higana.

Clavel: Same in Japanese, Spanish, German, French, and Italian. English and B. Portuguese just adds another L. Clive: Same in English and B. Portuguese Director Escolar (Director)

Catarina (Katy): Her B. Portuguese name, which is closer to her name in English (Katy) and Japanese (Kaede).

Brais or Brás (Brassius): His Spanish and B. Portuguese names respectively, as both are very close to his English name.

Kissera (Iono): Her B. Portuguese name, comes from "O que será?" apparently meaning "what will it be?", which is closer to the intent behind her name in Japanese (Nanjyamo, name given to an unusually large tree that grows in a particular place; literally meaning "What is it?") and English (Iono, as in "I don't know") than her Spanish name, e-Nigma. Which makes me think of the Riddler.

Fuco (Kufo)

Laureano or Lauro (Larry): His Spanish and B. Portuguese names respectively. Larry could be a nickname for either though.

Lima or Citrina (Ryme): Her Spanish and B. Portuguese names respectively. Lima has the same puns on lime and rhyme that English and Japanese does, but tbh makes me think more of lima beans. Citrina is from citrino (citrus).

Tuli or Tulipa (Tulip): Her Spanish and B. Portuguese names respectively.

Grusha: Actually may be from an unrevealed Russian region as his name is Russian. It's also the same in most languages.

Cayena or Kaya (Rika): Her Spanish and B. Portuguese names respectively. Both come from cayenne, which isn't in her Japanese or English names. Her Japanese name is Chili, and Rika comes from paprika.

Poppy: Her name in English, Japanese, and B. Portuguese as well as German and Indonesian.

Hassel?: From and unknown region so could literally be anything, and all his names are very different.

Ságita or Guita (Geeta): Her Spanish and B. Portuguese names respectively. Supercampeona (Top Champion)

Team Star: Same in English and Spanish as well as German, French, and Italian

Penny: Actually from Galar, so her English name. Cassiopeia or Casiopea: English and Spanish forms respectively, referencing the constellation.

Giacomo: Same in English and B. Portuguese DJ Vil (DJ Vice)

Melo or Mélia (Mela): Spanish and B. Portuguese respectively.

Henzo (Atticus): Spanish name. Not like English or Japanese name, but his whole ninja theming makes Henzo fit better than the B. Portuguese Érico.

Ortega: Same in English and B. Portuguese, similar to Japanese, French, and Korean Ortiga.

Erin or Êri (Eri): Spanish and B. Portuguese respectively.

Profesor Sada: Same in English and EUROPEAN Portuguese, listed for once.

Profesor Turo: Same in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Kitakami: Japanese Not a region itself I don't think, but it's not connected to a specific region I don't think, so.

Zeiyu (Carmine)

Suguri (Kieran) Sugu (Kiki)

Sazare (Perrin): Actually from Sinnoh, but this is where you meet her so here she is. Shashinka (Photographer)

What do you think? Did I forget anyone important?

Okay this took way too long for something probably no one will see okaybaiiiiii

#Pokemon #Languages #Names #idk man I did this for funsies

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raeynbowboi · 3 years

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Which Kanto Starter is Best for Firered and Leafgreen?

The eternal question that has plagued mankind since 1996 is one still highly debated even to this day. So, I’m going to use statistics to lay the discussion to rest once and for all. I’m going to go through Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen (the latest Kanto remakes that have the player start with only one of the starters) and judge every gym, rival, elite four, and evil team battle for type effectiveness, including TMs, HMs, and Move Tutor moves. Since the daycare is not available until after defeating the Elite Four, I will not be taking Egg moves into account for these versions. I will go through each battle and talk about the advantages and disadvantages for each starter. I will also be mentioning specific TMs, Move Tutors, and level up move sets that work best to make each starter the most useful they can be for this playthrough. Every time “Recommended moves” is mentioned, it’s the first battle since that move became available, and it’d be a good idea to give that Pokemon that move around such time. Their move pool won’t change again unless Recommended Moves appears again. When their best move set is formed, I will address it as their Final Move Set Recommendation. Every battle will follow the same point system:

+4) the pokemon has a STAB 4x super effective move or is immune to one or more opponent attacks. This includes abilities such as Levitate or Oblivious that render moves ineffective. +2) the pokemon has a STAB 2x super effective attack, a non-STAB 4x effective move, or double resists an enemy move. +1) the pokemon has a non-STAB super effective move or resists 1 or more enemy moves. 0 - all damaging moves deal neutral damage leaving no advantage or disadvantage. -1) the enemy has a non-STAB super effective move or resists 1 or more of your moves. -2) the enemy pokemon has a STAB 2x super effective move, a non-STAB 4x effective move, or double resists one of your pokemon’s moves. -4) the enemy pokemon has a STAB 4x super effective move or is immune to one or more of your pokemon’s attacks. This includes abilities such as Levitate or Oblivious that render moves ineffective.

**Pokemon immunities and resistances are always ignored if the Pokemon in question has a super effective move. For instance, a Raichu with both Dig and Thunderbolt fighting a Gyarados will get +4 for 2x super effective STAB Thunderbolt, even though Gyarados is immune to Dig.**

Rival Battle 1 - Professor Oak’s Lab

Bulbasaur: Due to a complete lack of any super effective attacks in either party, this match is a neutral draw with no clear advantage for either trainer. +0 points.

Charmander: There is a complete lack of super effective moves on either side, resulting in neither trainer having the advantage. However, Charmander gets half of a point for being the only starter with a basic damaging move that never misses, giving it a slight advantage for accuracy. +0.5 a point. To keep things simple, I’ll wait to add this point back in at the end.

Squirtle: Once again, there is no clear advantage or disadvantage, leaving the player and rival deadlocked. +0 points.

RIVAL BATTLE #2 - ROUTE 22 (OPTIONAL)

Bulbasaur: Thus begins Bulbasaur’s pitiful existence as your rival’s punching bag. With a 2x Super effective STAB move from both your rival’s Pidgey and his Charmander, Bulbasaur is already down -4 points. Leech Seed will deal damage regardless of type effectiveness, but Vine Whip is resisted by both Pokemon. Bulbasaur loses another -2 points for type resistance. Battle Score: -6

Charmander: Charmander gets 0 points for no type advantage or disadvantage against Pidgey, and -2 points for Squirtle’s STAB Bubble, and another -1 for Squirtle resisting Ember. Battle Score: -3

Squirtle: Squirtle has the best advantage in this battle. Leech Seed does not deal damage based on type effectiveness, leaving Squirtle with only a score of -1 for Bulbasaur resisting Bubble. Battle Score: -1

GYM #1 - BROCK (ROCK)

Bulbasaur/Ivysaur Recommended moves: Tackle, Poison Powder, Leech Seed, Vine Whip Defensively, the grass starter line takes neutral damage from all of Brock’s moves, giving it +0 on that front. However, offensively, it’s STAB 4x effective Vine Whip earns it +4 points for both Geodude and Onix, earning Bulbasaur +8 points for this gym. Rival Points: -6 Gym Points: +8

Charmander/Charmeleon Recommended Moves: Scratch, Growl, Ember, Metal Claw Defensively, the fire starter takes 2x super effective damage only from Onix’s Rock Tomb. So it loses -2 points for that. However, Charmander gains +1 point for non-STAB super effective Metal Claw for both Onix and Geodude. Earning Charmander +2 points. Charmander comes away with a Battle Score of net +0. Rival Points: -3 Gym Points: 0

Squirtle/Wartortle Recommended Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Bubble, Water Gun Like the Bulbasaur line, Squirtle takes neutral damage from all of Brock’s moves and deals 4x super effective damage to 2 pokemon for +4 points each. Squirtle earns a Battle Score of +8. Rival points: -1 Gym points: +8

RIVAL BATTLE #3 - CERULEAN CITY

Ivysaur: Against Abra and Ratatta, Ivysaur is going to be neutral with a score of 0 for both offense and defense. However, Ivysaur loses -3 points against both Pidgeotto and Charmander due to being weak to a 2x STAB move from both of them, and both Pidgeotto and Charmander resist Ivysaur’s Vine Whip. Battle Score: -6 Rival Score: -12

Charmeleon: Like Ivysaur, Charmeleon goes even against Rattata and Abra, as well as Pidgeotto. However, it loses -3 points from Squirtle. -2 for Water Gun and Bubble being STAB super effective, and -1 for Squirtle resisting Ember. Battle Score: -3 Rival Score: -6

Wartortle: Recommended Moves: Tackle, Bite, Bubble, Water Gun Unlike Ivysaur and Charmeleon, Wartortle actually has slight advantages against the Rival. With access to Bite at level 18, Wartortle gains a non-STAB advantage against your rival’s Abra for +1 point. Wartortle goes even with Pidgeotto and Ratatta, and loses -3 points for Bulbasaur for the same reasons as Ivysaur and Charmeleon. Battle Score: -2 Rival Score: -3

GYM #2 - MISTY (WATER)

Ivysaur: Recommended Moves: Tackle, Poison Powder, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf Ivysaur gains +1 point for each Water Pulse it resists, and another +2 points for every pokemon that takes 2x super effective STAB damage. Ivysaur earns +6 points from this gym. Battle Score: +6 Gym Score: +14

Charmeleon: Charmeleon loses -2 points for being weak to STAB Water Pulse for both Pokemon, and another -1 since both Staryu and Starmie that resist its Ember. Battle Score: -6 Gym Score: -6

Wartortle: As a Water-type, Wartortal gains +1 for resisting Water Pulse from both Staryu and Starmie, and gains another +1 for Bite being a non-STAB super effective move on Starmie. Battle Score: +3 Gym Score: +11

RIVAL BATTLE #4 - S.S. ANNE

Ivysaur: The honeymoon stage of Rival battles with Bulbasaur is over. Between your rival’s Pidgeotto, Kadabra, and Charmeleon all having 2x effective STAB moves, Ivysaur is going to be limping away from your Rival for pretty much the rest of the game. Ivysaur loses -2 points to Confusion, -2 points to Gust, -2 points to Ember, and -2 points total for both Pidgeotto and Charmeleon resisting Razor Leaf. Battle Score: -8 Rival Score: -20

Charmelon: The standard fair for most Rival battles with Charmeleon up until now. It goes even with 3 of Blue’s Pokemon, and loses -3 points for type resistance and weakness to Wartortle’s Water Gun. Battle Score: -3 Rival Score: -9

Wartortle: Recommended Moves: Brick Break, Bite, Bubble, Water Pulse* *Water Pulse is entirely optional, since this slot will later be filled by the HM03 SURF. So, if you’d rather save Water Pulse for a later party member, It’s not going to do much besides setting back Wartortle’s general damage output. With Brick Break added, Wartortle now has at least a non-STAB super effective move for both Kadabra and Raticate, but the score stays the same since Pidgeotto resists Brick Break without any other super effective move to override the resistance points lost. Battle Score: -2 Rival Score: -5

Ivysaur: As a Grass type, Ivysaur resists their Electric type moves for +3 points. Battle Score: +3 Gym Score: +17

Charmeleon: Recommended Moves: Scratch/Dig*, Smokescreen, Ember, Metal Claw *Dig is a very possible contender for a good Charmeleon move at this stage in the game. Beyond giving Charmeleon +3 in this gym, it’ll give Charmeleon a bigger leg up against Giovanni and Team Rocket. However, many Pokemon also have flying types and levitate that render this move ineffective, which can cost Charmeleon a lot of points in later battles. If you decide to give Charmeleon Dig and later Earthquake as part of its move set your total points will be: Lt. Surge (+3), Giovanni #1 (+2), Rival #5 (+1, -4) (-3), Koga (+1, -4 x 3) (-11), Rival #6 (+1, -4) (-3), Giovanni #2 (+3), Blaine (+4), Giovanni gym (+4), Rival #7 (+2, -4) (-2), Bruno (+2), Agatha (+1, -4 x 4) (-15), Lance (-4 x 3) (-12), Rival Champ (+2, -4) (-2). So in summation, using Dig will earn you a positive score of +26, but at a cost of losing -56 for a balance of -30. Thus why it’s not my recommended move for the Charmander line. Agatha and Lance in particular are very unforgiving of ground type moves in my scoring method. The major backlash of Pokemon these moves are utterly worthless against is why they aren’t on my finalized Charizard score. But if you’d rather use Dig and/or Earthquake, here’s the data to adjust the score by. If however you chose to drop Dig before facing the Elite Four, you could retain the benefits of Dig or Earthquake with a score of -8 which is far more forgiving. Without Dig, Charmeleon goes even with this gym for a score of +0 Battle Score: +0 Gym Score: -6

Wartortle: Recommended Moves: Brick Break, Bite, Bubble/Dig*, Water Pulse *See above. However, unlike Charmeleon, Dig is not as much of an asset to Wartortle going forward. It’s only good against Electric, Fire, Rock, and Poison types, and most of the Poison types going forward will be weak to either Water, Ice, or Dark type moves, making Dig mostly pointless. This gym and the Power Plant are the only two places where Electric types pose a genuine threat to Wartortle, and thus Dig can be a temporary or long-term part of Wartortle’s move set, but is not even optimal for dealing with the Indigo League. You can alter Wortortle’s score based on the battles it has access to Dig for, but it’s not the best option for type coverage for Wartortle, and there are much better options. Wartortle loses -2 x 3 for weakness to Shock Wave. Wartortle loses -6 points. Battle Score: -6 Gym Score: +5

GIOVANNI BATTLE #1 - ROCKET HIDEOUT

Venusaur: Recommended Moves: Return, Poison Powder, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf/Giga Drain* *Depending on whether you defeat Erika before this, you might have access to Giga Drain, which will help keep Venusaur alive in later battles. Razor Leaf and Giga Drain are both 4x Super effective STAB moves, which will give Venusaur +4 points each, and Venusaur goes even with Kangaskhan. Battle Score: +8 Rocket Score: +8

Charizard: Recommended Moves: Rock Slide, Fly, Flamethrower/Fire Blast*, Steel Wing/Iron Tail* *The decision really comes down to Accuracy vs Power. Iron Tail will hit harder, but Steel Wing will be more reliable. However to have Steel Wing, you’ll need to visit the Safari Zone in Fucshia City, but I decided to put the decision here since Iron Tail is available in the Game Corner above the Rocket Hideout. Going forward, I’ll be using Steel Wing as my example, but I prefer Accuracy over Power. The same logic applies to Fire Blast. Flamethrower hits more often. With your Steel type attack, Charizard gains +2 points for non-STAB super effective moves on Onix and Rhyhorn, but loses -4 for Onix’s 4x STAB Rock Throw. Charizard comes away with -2 points from the first battle with Giovanni. However, it’ll have a score of only 0 if it’s still a Charmeleon at this point. Battle Score: -2 Rocket Score: -2

Blastoise: Finalized Moveset: Brick Break, Bite, Ice Beam, Water Pulse/Surf* *You’ll end up giving Blastoise Surf sooner or later, it’s merely a question of whether you want to go down to the Fucshia City Safari Zone before or after you’re done in Celadon City. While Blizzard is stronger than Ice Beam and you can cut it in later, Ice Beam hits more often and is available much earlier, making it more useful. Blastoise will get +4 for STAB 4x super effective Surf or Water Pulse against both Onix and Rhyhorn, and +1 for a non-STAB super effective Brick Break on Kangaskhan. Blastoise earns a whopping +9 points against Giovanni. Battle Score: +9 Rocket Score: +9

GYM #4 - ERIKA (GRASS)

Venusaur: Venusaur resists or takes neutral damage from all of their attacks, but they also resist or take neutral damage from Venusaur, so Venusaur comes to a standstill with a score of 0. Battle Score: +0 Gym Score: +17

Charizard: Charizard gains +6 points for each Pokemon. As a duel Fire/Flying type, Charizard quad-resists all of their Giga Drain attacks, worht +4 points each, and whether it’s Fly or Flamethrower, Charizard has a STAB 2x super effective move for all of them, worth +2 points each. Thus, Charizard cleans house with a very nice score of +18. Battle Score: +18 Gym Score: +12

Blastoise: Blastoise loses -6 points for STAB weaknesses, but gains back +3 points for non-STAB super effective Ice Beam against all 3 of them. Blastoise earns -3 points. Battle Score: -3 Gym Score: +2

RIVAL BATTLE #5 - POKEMON TOWER

Venusaur: If Ivysaur was limping away before, it’s being hospitalized at this point. Between Gust, two Confusions, and Ember, Venusaur is losing -8 points on type disadvantage alone. The only Pokemon on your Rival’s team that doesn’t have a STAB move is his Gyarados, which is neutral to Grass type damage. Venusaur loses another -1 point for each of Pidgeotto, Exeggcute, and Charmeleon that resist Giga Drain. At this point, Venusaur shouldn’t even be brought out in a Rival Battle if you know what’s good for you. Battle Score: -11 Rival Score: -31

Charizard: The first time Charizard has had access to Rock Slide comes at a great time. It has a non-STAB super effective move handy for both Pidgeotto and Growlithe, and STAB 2x effective Flamethrower and Fly for Exeggcute. Charizard gains another +1 for resisting Growlithe’s Ember. That’s +5 points, and the standard -3 for Wartortle. Battle Score: +2 Rival Score: -7

Blastoise: Ice Beam handles Pidgeotto, Bite for Kadabra, Surf takes care of Growlithe, and Growlithe’s Ember is resisted all for +5 points. But the standard -3 cost for the rival starter, and -1 for Gyarados resisting Surf and Brick Break, but +1 for non-STAB Ice Beam on Ivysaur. Battle Score: +2 Rival Score: -3

GYM #5 - KOGA (POISON)

Venusaur: All 4 of Koga’s Pokemon resist or take neutral damage from Venusaur. Venusaur loses -4 points. Battle Score: -4 Gym Score: +13

Charizard: All damage here is neutral. Charizard earns 0 points. Battle Score: 0 Gym Score: +12

Blastoise: Brick Break is resisted by Koga’s whole team, costing Blastoise -4 points. Battle Score: -4 Gym Score: -2

RIVAL BATTLE #6 - SILPH CO.

Venusaur: Recommended Moves: Return, Toxic, Leech Seed, Giga Drain Again, Venusaur is personally victimized by Blue’s team, losing -8 points to type effectiveness, and now that Charizard is fully evolved, it quad-resists Giga drain for -4 points. Venusaur loses -12 points. Battle Score: -12 Rival Score: -43

Charizard: Again, Rockslide handles Pidgeot and Growlithe, Flamethrower roasts Exeggcute, and Charizard resists Flame Wheel for +5, and -3 for Blastoise. Battle Score: +2 Rival Score: -5

Blastoise: Ice Beam gets Blastoise a non-STAB super effective +1 point against Pidgeot and Venusaur, Bite +1 on Alakazam, +2 for super effective STAB move Surf on Growlithe, and +1 for resisting Flame Wheel, but -3 for Venusaur and -1 for Gyarados resisting Brick Break. Battle Score: +2 Rival Score: -1

GIOVANNI #2 - SILPH CO.

Venusaur: Rhyhorn is 4x weak to Giga Drain, but Nidorino resists it. However, Venusaur resists Double Kick for +1 point, for a score of +4. Battle Score: +4 Rocket Score: +12

Charizard: Charizard’s Steel Wing will get it +1 against Rhyhorn, and it resists Nidoqueen’s Double Kick for +1 more, but it loses -4 to Rhyhorn’s Rock Blast. Battle Score: -2 Rocket Score: -4

Blastoise: Surf is a 4x Super Effective STAB on Rhyhorn, and 2x effective on Nidoqueen. +1 for Brick Break on Kangaskhan, but -1 for Nidorino resisting Brick Break without any weaknesses. Comes to a nice even +6. Battle Score: +6 Rocket Score: +15

GYM #6 - SABRINA (PSYCHIC)

Venusaur: Venusaur loses -7 points since all 4 Pokemon have Super Effective moves, though Venomoth’s is not-STAB. Venusaur loses another point for Venomoth resisting its moveset. Battle Score: -8 Gym Score: +5

Charizard: Charizard takes neutral damage from everything, but gets +2 points for Flamethrower on Venomoth and +2 for dual-resisting Leech Life. Battle Score: +4 Gym Score: +16

Blastoise: Blastoise has Bite to give it +1 for 3 of Sabrina’s Pokemon, but Venemoth dual-resists Brick Break for -2. All in all, +1. Battle Score: +1 Gym Score: -1

GYM #7 - BLAINE (FIRE)

Venusaur: Venusaur loses -3 points for each pokemon. -2 for type disadvantage, and -1 for resisting Giga Drain. Venusaur loses -12 points. Battle Score: -12 Gym Score: -7

Charizard: Thanks to Rock Slide, Charizard gets +2 for every pokemon for a non-STAB super effective attack and for resisting their Fire type attacks for +8. Battle Score: +8 Gym Score: +24

Blastoise: Blastoise gains +2 for Surf’s STAB 2x effectiveness and +1 for resisting their Fire type attacks. Battle Score: +12 Gym Score: +11

GYM #8 - GIOVANNI (GROUND)

Venusaur: Giga Drain is going to be 4x effective on both Rhyhorns for +8, 2x effective on Dugtrio for +2, and Venusaur will resist Double Kick on both Nidoqueen and Nidoking. Battle Score: +12 Final Gym Total: +5

Charizard: Charizard loses -4 points twice for both Rhyhorns with Rock Blast, but gains +4 for its flying type making Earthquake obsolete on Nidoking, Nidoqueen, and rendering Dugtrio effectively helpless. Charizard gains +1 for non-STAB super effective Steel Wing on both Rhyhorn as well. Battle Score: +6 Final Gym Total: +30

Blastoise: Both Rhyhorn are 4x weak to Surf, and the other three are 2x weak to it. Battle Score: +14 Final Gym Total: +25

RIVAL BATTLE #7 - ROUTE 22

Venusaur: Venusaur is finally no longer completely helpless against your rival. Giga Drain is worth a 4x super effexctive attack on Rhyhorn. Venusaur resists Hydro Pump for +1 and dual resists SolarBeam for +2. However, it is weak to Gust, Wing Attack, Psychic, Future Sight, and Flamethrower, all of which are 2x super effective STAB moves. On top of that, Pidgeot resists Giga Drain and Charizard quad-resists Giga Drain. Venusaur earned +7 points, but lost -9 for a net total of -2. Battle Score: -2 Rival Score: -45

Charizard: Rock Slide is going to give Charizard +1 for Pidgeot and Growlithe, Steel Wing is worth +1 on Rhyhorn, and Flamethrower is worth +2 against Exeggcute. It gains another +1 for resisting Flame Wheel, and +2 for quad-resisting Exeggcute’s SolarBeam. but it loses -4 points from Rhyhorn’s Rock Blast, -2 from Water Gun, and -1 from Blastoise resisting all of its fire-type attacks. Battle Score: +1 Rival Score: -4

Blastoise: With Rhyhorn added to the team and Gyarados now knowing a water type move, Blastoise is finally ready to destroy your rival’s team. Ice Beam gives it a non-STAB super effective attack for Pidgeot and Venusaur, Surf earns Blastoise a 4x super effective on Rhyhorn and a 2x super efffective on Growthlithe, Bite is a non-STAB super effective move on Alakazam, and Blastoise resists Flame Wheel and Hydro Pump. Then remove -2 for Blastoise being weak to Venusaur’s Razor Leaf. Battle Score: +9 Rival Score: +8

ELITE FOUR - LORELEI (ICE)

Venusaur: Final Moveset: Return, Toxic, Leech Seed, Giga Drain It’s pretty sad when a starter Pokemon gets one of their best moves at level 7 and never replaces it, but Venusaur has a very bad and very shallow move pool. Dewgong, Jynx, and Lapras all have STAB super effective moves, and Slowbro has a non-STAB super effective Ice Beam. Venusaur loses -2 points for the STAB ice moves, and -1 from the non-STAB Ice Beam. Cloyster however is resisted since Hail does not do type effective damage and Venusaur resists Dive for +1 point. Battle Score: -6 League Score: -6

Charizard: Final Moveset: Rock Slide, Fly, Flamethrower, Steel Wing Rock Slide and Steel Wing are going to be your bestfriends for this battle since Ice type Pokemon are weak to Rock and Steel-type moves. Charizard gains +1 on Lapras, Cloyster, and Dewgong for non-STAB super effective damage, and +2 for Super Effective STAB damage on Jynx. 4 of her Pokemon however have STAB super effective attacks for -8 points, and Slowbro resists or takes neutral damage from all of Charizard’s moves for another -1. Battle Score: -4 League score: -4

Blastoise: Final Moveset: Brick Break, Bite, Ice Beam, Surf Between Brick Break and Bite, Blastoise has a non-STAB super effective move for all of Lorelei’s Pokemon, earning it +1 per Pokemon. It also resists or takes neutral damage from all of her Pokemon for another +1 per Pokemon. Battle Score: +10 League Score: +10

ELITE FOUR - BRUNO (FIGHTING)

Venusaur: Venusaur gets +4 for 4x effective Giga Drain on both Onix, and Venusaur gets +1 for resisting the Fighting moves of Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee, and Machamp. Battle Score: +11 League Score: +5

Charizard: Charizard loses -4 to onix #1 and its 4x effective STAB Rock Tomb, and loses -2 for the Hitmonchan and Machamp with non-STAB 4x effective Rock Tomb. However it gains +4 for being invincible to half of the moves on Onix #2. Charizard also resists Hitmonlee for another +1 point. Charizard gains +1 point for non-STAB super effective Steel Wing on both Onix, and +2 for STAB super effective Fly for each of Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee, and Machamp. Battle Score: +3 League Score: -1

Blastoise: Blastoise goes even with most of Bruno’s team, and gains +4 for 4x effective STAB Surf on both Onix for a total of +8. Blastoise loses -1 each for Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee, and Machamp resisting Bite. Blastoise scores a +5. Battle Score: +5 League Score: +15

ELITE FOUR - AGATHA (GHOST)

Venusaur: Venusaur is in poor shape here. All 5 of Agatha’s Pokemon resist Giga Drain, with Golbat double resisting it. that’s -1 for all of them, except -2 for Golbat. -2 more for Golbat’s STAB super effective Air Cutter, and -1 for Haunter’s non-STAB super effective Dream Eater. Toxic is also a complete waste against her, resulting in -4 for each of her Pokemon. But to be fair, Venusaur was going to have the lowest score by a mile even without counting Toxic against it. Venusaur’s only solace is that it resists Sludge Bomb from Arbok and Gengar for +1 each, and it gains +4 for making Gengar’s Toxic worthless. Battle Score: -23 League Score: -18

Charizard: the only advantage on either side is Charizard’s non-STAB super effective Rock Slide on Golbat, and +1 from resisting Arbok’s Iron Tail. Other than that, Chairzard goes even with Agatha. Battle Score: +2 League Score: +1

Blastoise: If Blastoise didn’t have Bite to override Brick Break’s complete inability to touch Ghost types, Blastoise would be in serious trouble here. However, having a super effective move to use does counteract any draw backs from other type resistances or immunities. Blastoise gets +1 point each for Bite on Agatha’s ghosts, +1 for Ice Beam on Golbat, but -1 for Arbok resisting Brick Break and taking neutral damage from all over moves. Battle Score: +3 League Score: +21

ELITE FOUR - LANCE (DRAGON)

Venusaur: Venusaur loses -2 for Wing Attack on both Aerodactyl and Dragonite, loses -1 for both Dragonair that resist its Giga Drain, and another -2 for being dual resisted by Dragonite. Battle Score: -12 League Score: -30

Charizard: Rock Slide will handle Gyarados, Aerodactyl, and Dragonite for +1 a piece, but Charizard will lose -2 for both Dragonair resisting its Flamethrower with no super effective move to override. Charizard loses another -4 for Aerodactyl’s 4x effective STAB AncientPower. Battle Score: -5 League Score: -4

Blastoise: Between +2 for super effective STAB Surf on Aerodactyl, +1 for non-STAB super effective Ice Beam on both Dragonair, and +2 for non-STAB 4x effective Ice Beam on Dragonite, Blastoise cleans up nicely, though loses -1 point for Gyarados resisting Brick Break. Battle Score: +5 League Score: +26

RIVAL BATTLE #8 - CHAMPION

Venusaur: Venusaur gains +4 points for 4x effective STAB Giga Drain on Rhydon, +2 for dual resisting Exeggcutor’s Giga Drain, and +1 for resisting Gyarados’ Hydro Pump. However Venusaur loses -2 points for being weak to Pidgeot’s Aerial Ace, Alakazam’s Psychic and Future Sight, Rhydon’s Earthquake, and Charizard’s Flamethrower, Wing Attack, and Fire Spin. Venusaur loses -1 point for Exeggcutor and Pidgeot resisting Giga Drain, and -2 for Charizard dual resisting Giga Drain. Battle Score: -3 Rival Score: -48

Charizard: Charizard gains +2 for STAB super effective Flamethrower on Exeggcutor, +1 for non-STAB super effective Rock Slide on Pidgeot and Arcanine, and +1 point for non-STAB super effective Steel Wing on Rhydon. Charizard resists Flamethrower for +1 point, and dual resists Giga Drain for +2. But Charizard loses -4 for STAB 4x effective Rock Tom from Rhydon, -2 for weakness to Blastoise’s Hydro Pump, and -1 for Blastoise resisting Flamethrower and taking Neutral damage from the rest of Charizard’s moves. Battle Score: +1 Rival Score: -3

Blastoise: Surf is going to earn Blastoise +4 for 4x effectivness on Rhydon and +2 for 2x effectiveness on Arcanine. Ice Beam gives Blastoise a non-STAB super effective move for both Pidgeot and Venusaur for +1 each, and Bite gives Bastoise +1 on Alakazam. Blastoise gains +1 each for resisting both Flamethrower and Hydro Pump. But Blastoise loses -2 for being weak to SolarBeam and -1 for Gyarados resisting Brick Break and taking neutral damage from the rest of Blastoise’s moves. Battle Score: +9 Rival Score: +17

FINAL TALLIES

Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, Venusaur

Rival Total: -48 Gym Total: +5 League Total: -30 Rocket Total:+12 Venusaur Grand Total: -61

Recommended Moves: Return, Toxic, Leech Seed, Giga Drain Optional Moves: Sludge Bomb, Protect, Hyper Beam, Earthquake, Sunny Day, Solarbeam, Frenzy Plant

Picking Bulbasaur basically renders you helpless against your rival. From the very second time you run into your rival, you’re already at a massive type disadvantage that Bulbasaur’s moveset can never escape from. Your rival’s excessive use of Flying, Psychic, and Fire-type moves is a blatant hate crime against your starter, and your playthrough will go a lot better if Bulbasaur is never brought out at all during rival battles. The Elite Four also goes out of its way to bully your starter (especially Agatha), and with your rival being the champion, Venusaur really is a huge let down during the most crucial battles. Its type resistances are fine against most gyms and rocket grunts, but it often lacks a super effective move to take advantage of its resistances. Even its final move set is basically to rely on its bulkiness and wait for the other pokemon to die as it siphons HP from the enemy or stonewalls their attacks. Everything you do with Venusaur is trying to delay your own death and praying your enemy dies first. Which it can do fine, but it’s really more of a shield than a sword. Plus its entire gimmick is lost on Grass or Poison types, and it is straight up useless against a grass/poison dual-type, which are fairly common in Kanto. And yes, Venusaur’s league total could be lower. Give it Earthquake and watch the points fall off from flying and/or levitating pokemon making it useless. This is honestly Venusaur’s score at BEST. That should tell you something. Even the few decent type coverage moves it can get like Sludge Bomb come so late in the game that Venusaur can’t make any use of them whatsoever.

Charmander, Charmeleon, Charizard

Rival Total: -3 Gym Total: +30 League Total: -4 Rocket Total: -4 Charizard Grand Total: +18

Recommended Moves: Rock Slide, Fly, Flamethrower, Steel Wing Optional Moves: Dragon Claw, Iron Tail, Brick Break, Hyper Beam, Earthquake, Overheat, Aerial Ace, Fire Blast, Blast Burn

Charizard is clearly a good choice. It has a few negative scores, but it is an absolute beast in the gym challenges despite its rocky start with Brock and Misty. By late game, it really starts cleaning up, and Rock Slide is one of the better moves you can give it to take care of other Fire and Flying type pokemon, as well as those pesky water/ice pokemon it otherwise is helpless against. But unlike Bulbasaur, Charmander won’t be peeing itself for most of the game, just in certain situations. Honestly, Charizard’s biggest problem is the pokemon with Rock-type moves. Just swap it out, and Charizard will actually do really well in this run through. If we remove all of the rock-type point reductions from after it becomes a Charizard, it earns back 40 points across every battle, making its grand total 58 if you’re ignoring its 4x weakness coming into play. That’s remarkably commendable, especially since Venusaur’s score is so abysmally subzero.

Squirtle, Wartortle, Blastoise

Rival Total: +17 Gym Total: +25 League Total: +26 Rocket Total: +15 Blastoise Grand Total: +83

Recommended Moves: Brick Break, Bite, Ice Beam, Surf Optional Moves: Water Pulse, Blizzard, Hyper Beam, Dig, Earthquake, Iron Tail, Hydro Pump, Waterfall, Dive, Hydrocannon

The clear stand-out, Squirtle is the only choice with no negative final tallies. Its move set gives Blastoise an answer for most pokemon during the majority of important battles. I didn’t take into consideration random trainers in the overworld, but suffice to say that Blastoise is a great choice for these games. It rarely needs to run and hide from a battle, and while it loses points to Lt. Surge and Erika, it can find a non-STAB solution to at least put up a fight, even if it has to rely on its teammates for those battles.

THE WINNER: BLASTOISE

Ultimately, Charizard is the best starter if you only count the main 8 gym leaders, but when it comes to your Rival, the Elite Four, and Giovanni’s first two battles, Blastoise is the obvious choice. Venusaur was completely stacked against due to its pitiful move pool, and there’s a full 144 point difference between 3rd and 1st place. But to be fair, a Poliwrath armed with Surf, Ice Beam, Brick Break and either Thief or Psychic is going to do nearly the same thing as Blastoise, which does give somewhat more credit to picking Charmander. But when it comes to which Starter can single-handedly help the most in the Kanto Region, the clear winner is Squirtle.

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