Pokémon Special Pikachu Edition: Yellow Version
ESRB Rating: E For Everyone
A lot of you guys reading this probably already know all about the Yellow Edition. Heck, you probably know more about it than I do because the game will have been out a lot longer by the time you read this. However, there are probably a lot of you out there that don’t know about it yet, so I’m going to cover some of the basics first.
Sometimes it’s called Pikachu and sometimes just plain Yellow, but it is great, whatever you call it. I myself call it Sidney, but I’m the kind of guy who likes to name each of his socks. (That’s not weird, is it?)
First off, make no mistake, the Yellow is Pokémon and is just as good as the Red or Blue versions. In my opinion, it’s even better than the Red and Blue for a few reasons, including the improved graphics or pictures. There are also a bunch of other features, which I’ll talk about later, that I really like.
I could write a whole book on Pokémon Yellow. But then I’d only be repeating a lot of the information from the book on the Blue and Red versions. I’m going to assume that if you’re reading this book that you already have a lot of the basic Poké skills from playing either the Red or Blue version. That is to say, you don’t need a lot of information about TMs or battle strategy. So what I’m going to do is pay more attention to the differences the Yellow version has compared to the Blue and Red versions. I will throw in some basic tips, but they won’t go into a lot of detail. Okay?
The Same, Only Different
Yellow is the same as the Red and Blue, but very different, too. It’s the differences that make it better.
First off, as you probably know, Pikachu follows you right from the beginning. He won’t go into a Poké Ball and he won’t evolve—you’re stuck with him. So instead of having a choice between Charmander, Squirtle, or Bulbasaur at the beginning of the game, you have the little yellow guy almost from the very beginning. For all those Pika fans out there, this is a dream come true. He even talks to you.
Now, if you’ve been watching the TV show, a lot of the changes will be very familiar to you. For instance, Pikachu following you around, just like he follows Ash around in the TV show. You’ll also find Team Rocket baddies Jesse and James with their Pokémon Ekans, Meowth, and Koffing. You’ll also find an actual Nurse Jenny in the Poké Center.
Think of the Yellow version as playing inside the TV show.
So for all the kids who didn’t think watching the TV show helped them play, this game comes a lot closer to the TV show than the Blue or Red versions.
And that’s not all. Like I said, a lot of the artwork on screen is really much improved. I don’t know about you, but that really made a difference for me. Personally, I like all the improvements in the way the game looks, although some of the kids I spoke with had to “get used to it.”
Wait! There Are Even More Changes
First, the Pokémon and Gym Leaders you found in the Red and Blue versions are included, but in different areas of the game. So don’t go thinking that just because you “know where everything is” from playing the previous games, that the Yellow version is going to be easy. Also, Pokémon learn and evolve differently in the Yellow version.
What all this means is that you have to learn a whole new set of rules for playing. While the Pokémon and places may look familiar, they are different. So you have to try and not take anything for granted. Just because a strategy worked in Blue and Red doesn’t mean it is going to work in Yellow!
With the Yellow version you can also print out your Pokédex with the Game Boy printer. This won’t really help you win the game, but it’s still pretty cool. And there are also added sounds, like Pokémon voices.
What About Gary?
In the Blue and Red versions of the game you get to choose which Pokémon you want to start with in your party and that determines what Pokémon your rival, Gary, will have at the end of the game. In the Yellow version, you don’t get to choose. You get Pikachu. But you do have to fight Gary and his Eevee early on. As a matter of fact, what Pokémon he fights you with in the last battle depends on how well you fought him in previous battles.
“The first battle with Gary and his Eevee is easy. I just used Pika’s Thunder Shock on him and won.”
—Maxwell
Handy-Dandy Factoids
Plan Your Team: Just like in the Red and Blue versions, you have to put together a well-balanced team if you want to get to the end of the game. That means all different types of Pokémon.
Trade! You have to trade with friends via Cable Club to collect all the Pokémon in the Yellow version.
Where’s Pika? When Pikachu gets his butt kicked in a fight, he vanishes back to the Poké Ball.
He’s Baaack! Your rival Gary starts the game with Eevee. This is not a very hard battle and you should be able to win pretty easy. But if you don’t win, don’t worry. You’ll run into Gary again.
How’s Pika Feeling: Turn Pika toward you and press the A button. A little screen in the center of the screen will appear with his face. If he’s smiling he’s in a good mood. If he’s frowning, he isn’t in such a great mood.
The Evolution Solution: Just like in the Red and Blue versions, Pokémon who are traded evolve faster.
Battle Friends: There is a Colosseum just like in Red and Blue, but there is also a Colosseum 2 in the Yellow version. You get to Colosseum 2 through the Cable Club. In this Colosseum you battle your friends just like in the “regular” Colosseum, but there are different rules and prizes. There is the Poké Cup, Pika Cup, and Petit Cup in Colosseum 2.
What Are Friends For? If Pikachu gets mad at you (and he can be cranky) then take better care of him. That means pay more attention to him by sending the little guy into battle and use healing potions on him. Pika will get mad at you if you try to evolve him, trade him, or do anything that removes him from your side. By the way, he can’t be traded or evolved, anyway.
No Missingno! Missingno is not in Yellow version, so don’t even bother looking for him/her/it.
No Pika Evolution: Pikachu does not evolve in this game, so don’t go handing him any stones or anything. You have to trade if you want a Raichu.
No Pika Trading: Nope, you can’t trade him away. As a matter of fact, if you try to trade Pikachu, he gets very cranky!
It Only Gets Harder: Just like the Red and Blue versions, the battles get more difficult as you progress through the game.
Use the Same Battle Trick: The best battle trick that kids discovered in the Blue and Red versions was to send a weaker Pokémon into battle, then switch with a stronger Pokémon. And after you win, both Pokémon get rewarded. It worked in the Red and Blue versions and it works in the Yellow version.
Pokémon Not Included in the Yellow Version
As I said before, you still have to trade with friends who have the Blue and Red versions to collect all the Pokémon. If you have been trading a lot with your Blue or Red versions, you probably know all of this. However, if you are just starting out, the stuff about trading might prove useful.
Keeping track of what you need and trades and who has what, isn’t always easy. Now, it can be even more difficult because you have three different games. So you might want to look the following stuff over to remind yourself what’s going on.
Evolving
Evolving, as you know, is a major part of Pokémon. And while you probably already know this, I’ll go over it again. Each Pokémon may actually be two or three different Pokémon, because it has the ability to evolve. So, for instance, if you have the Yellow version and need #13 Weedle, you can trade to get this Bug/Poison Pokémon with someone who has either Blue or Red versions. You’ll need Weedle to get him to evolve to #14 Kakuna and #15 Beedrill. If you want a complete set of Weedle, Kakuna and Beedrill, you have to trade three times to get each one. Simply evolve the first one you get, then trade for others and only partially evolve them. Or get three different people to trade a Weedle and evolve all three to different levels to get the complete set.
This is also true for #23 Ekans which evolves into #24 Arbok. You can get this Poison Type that was originally part of the Red version.
Raichu #26 is one you probably want, since Pikachu doesn’t evolve in the Yellow version (so, please, stop trying to evolve him. It is very annoying to him. It’s also annoying if you try to trade him). In order to get a Raichu you have to trade with someone who has the Red or Blue versions to get a fully evolved Pikachu.
Blue or Red
In some cases, Pokémon do not come in both the Red and Blue versions. So if you ask someone with a Blue version to trade his or her Ekans, they might not have it yet, because Ekans only comes in the Red version. However, if they traded to get an Ekans, they can re-trade with you and give up the Ekans.
In some cases, the Pokémon you need only comes in the Blue or in the Red version. This is true for #52 Meowth and his evolved form Persian #53. This Normal Type is only found in the Blue version, so you have to trade with someone who has a Blue version or someone with a Red version who has already traded for a Meowth. This is also true for #125 Electabuzz; this Electric Type in its fully evolved form can be traded from someone who either originally received this Pokémon in a Red version or who has a Blue version and has traded with someone with Red for it. #126 Magmar is a Fire Type in its fully evolved form and originally came with the Blue version.
However, some of the Pokémon that don’t appear in the Yellow version do come with both the Blue and the Red versions. This is true for 109 Koffing and its evolved form, #110 Weezing (boy, sounds like a head cold). It is also true for #124 Jynx, an Ice/Psychic Pokémon.
“I have caught Mew, the rarest Pokémon in the world. In March there was an offer from Nintendo to get Mew. One kid got it and it was traded to my friend and he traded it to me for Golduck. Trading for Mew works for the Yellow version as well as the other versions.”
—Tim
Looking For Jesse and James?
Just so they don’t surprise you too much, here’s where you’ll find Team Rocket.
• Mt. Moon just when you are on your way out.
• Celadon City Game Corner Dungeon
• Lavender Town (Pokémon Tower/Silph Co.)
Gym Leaders
Although the Gym Leaders aren’t in the same places in Yellow as they are in Red and Blue, they still have the same badges and fight with the same types of Pokémon.
Pewter City
Brock
He trains Rock type Pokémon. So Grass, Fighting, and Water Types are your best against him.
Defeat him for the Boulder Badge
Cerulean City
Misty
She trains Water Types, so this is where your electric Pika can go to work. If he isn’t up to it, then try taking her team on with a Grass Type.
Defeat her for the Cascade Badge
Vermillion City
Lt. Surge
Defeat him for the Thunder Badge by beating his Electric Types with your Ground Types, like Dugtrio.
Celadon City
Erika
Defeat her for the Rainbow Badge when you battle her Grass Types with a Fire Type or another kind of Pokémon who has the ability to Cut.
Saffron City
Sabrina
Defeat her for the Marsh Badge with Bug Types to counter her Psychic Types. If you don’t have any Bug Types, then come back later.
Fuchsia City
Koga
Defeat him for the Soul Badge by battling his Psychic or Poison Types. Fight Poison with Poison Types here. If you run into trouble, use Fire Types against Bug Types used by his Junior Trainers.
Cinnabar Island
Blaine
Defeat him for the Volcano Badge by beating his Fire Types.
Viridian City (on your way to Victory Road near the end of the game)
Giovanni
Defeat him for the powerful Earth Badge by taking on his Ground Types
Hard-to-Find Pokémon
The most Rare Pokémon in Yellow (in my experience) are Chansey #113, Tangela #114, and Lickitung #108. These are the Pokémon you should never pass up a chance to capture. However, since they are so rare, you should be prepared when you do come across them. So keeping that in mind, let me say that you will find Chansey and Tangela in the Safari Zone and you will find Lickitung in the Unknown Dungeon (also home to Mewtwo!).
“This is really weird, but it is pretty much easy to get Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. You can get Bulbasaur in Cerulean City by a girl standing outside. My friend said that she wouldn’t give him the Bulbasaur because his Pika wasn’t happy, but I don’t know if that’s true. My Pikachu was happy when I opened the window. You can get Charmander at the end of Route 24 when a trainer in a box gives it to you. And I got Squirtle in Vermillion City from Officer Jenny after I won a Thunder Badge. You need three badges to get him.”
—Willy
This Ain’t No Walk-Through
I’ve said it once (okay, maybe twice) and I’ll say it again: I hate walk-throughs. If you want a walk-through maybe you should just go out and get one of those fancy-pants books with all their fancy-pants color pictures. Oh yeah, those fancy books think they’re so smart with their color pictures and drawings. They sit on the shelf saying, “Oooh, look at us, we’re soooo cool. We have pictures. Aren’t we cool?” All I have to say is, if you want pictures, then go to a museum. ’Cause words are cooler than pictures any day.
Anyway, now that I got that out of the way—let’s face it, Yellow is a tough game to play. Even if you have a lot of experience playing the Red or Blue versions, it can still be difficult. Hey, I should know!
So I wanted to give some idea of the game without leading you by the hand through it; I’d like to offer these tips for each section.
“Pikachu wasn’t that much good later in the game. But he was really great when I was just starting out. That’s because he can’t evolve. So I used him most when I was at the beginning of the game.”
—Maxwell
Pallet Town Tip: Get the Potion from your home computer.
Viridian City Tip: Check out the Poké Center and Poké Mart. Everything is pretty much the same as in Blue and Red versions. That means you should do a good deed for the good Professor Oak.
Viridian Forest Tip: A lot of battle action in this section. Try to raise the level of your Pika and earn some cash. You’ll need it in Pewter City. And definitely try to capture a Caterpie (#10).
Pewter City Tip: Beat Brock. Piece of cake, right? You did remember that Caterpie? At Level 10 or above it’s the perfect Pokémon against Brock. Also, visit the Poké Mart and load up.
Mt. Moon Tip: Pikachu will earn his keep battling Zubats here. And watch out for Team Rocket.
Cerulean City Tip: Here’s your chance to snag a Bulbasaur. Be sure to get one before taking on Misty the Gym Leader!
Vermillion City Tip: You will find a Squirtle here, but be sure to get the right Badge to control it first. And be sure to say hello to Officer Jenny!
Diglett’s Cave Tip: Before going inside, get the Itemfinder. Once you’re on your way again, keep an eye out for a Dugtrio. Also, for all those Mr. Mime fans out there—this is your chance.
Lavender Town Tip: Here you will see your old friends Team Rocket again. Get the Poké Flute from Mr. Fuji after beating them, but you will need a Silph Scope to really be good. If you don’t have a Scope, don’t take on the ghosts.
Celadon City Tip: Battle Erika for the Rainbow Badge and look for an Eevee! This city is the big-time, so take your time exploring every inch of it. Who knows what bad guys you’ll run into? Also, be sure to play the slot machines!
Saffron City Tip: You will have to battle two—count ’em, two!—trainers in this town. It’s well worth the effort. After beating Sabrina for a Badge, go battle in the second gym. If you win the second contest you get either a Hitmonchan or Hitmonlee. This is also your only chance to get a Master Ball. Hint, Hint, it’s at Silph Company.
Fuchsia City Tip: Don’t let the Gym Leader Koga scare you. It’s tougher getting through his Junior Trainers and invisible walls than it is defeating him and his Psychic Pokémon. Also, spend A LOT of time exploring Safari Zone. It’s a great place to collect Pokémon.
Cinnabar Island Tip: Come here before going to Seafoam Island. Why? Because the Lab will provide you with some great Pokémon you’ll need. Also, the Badge you get will come in handy!
Viridian City Tip: This is it, you have to take on Giovanni! Check out the levels on his Pokémon. They are higher in the Yellow version! So be prepared for a tough battle.
Victory Road Tip: This is your chance to get a Moltres (#146). Be prepared to face a lot of trainers here and to solve a bunch of puzzles.
Indigo Plateau Tip: Get to the Poké Mart, fast! Buy all the potions and other junk you can before taking on the Elite Four. Now you are ready to take on Lorelei (Water Type Pokémon); Bruno (Fighting Type Pokémon) Agatha (Poison and Ghost Type Pokémon) and Lance (Dragon Type Pokémon) and, of course, Gary your rival. His lineup will depend on how he did in the past battle with your Pokémon at the start of the game.
A Bonus Tips Review
Here’s a bunch—yes, a whole bunch—of Bonus Tips that appeared in the last Pokémon book. I’m including them here, because even expert players should review the basics every once in a while.
1) Don’t use the Poké Balls too early on in a battle. Wait until your opponent’s power level is low.
2) A Pokémon you capture when he is younger is better to train.
3) Beware of items sold outside of Poké Marts! Often they are too expensive!
4) You cannot capture Gym Leaders’ Pokémon, so stop trying.
5) Soda is better for Pokémon than water. Not like real life, but that’s the way it is.
6) Remember when a Pokémon learns a move on its own, it is more powerful than learning it with a TM. TMs are best used to teach moves that a Pokémon can’t learn on its own.
7) Wild Pokémon can usually be found in the long, tall grass. Two other spots for hunting wild Pokémon are the dungeons and water.
8) Match Poké Balls to an opponent’s strength. Don’t use a Ball that is not strong enough or too strong.
9) Even after you trade a Pokémon you still have the credit for capturing it stored in your Pokédex.
10) Always catch a few Common Pokémon and raise them up to a good level. That way you will always have something to trade with friends.
11) To stop the evolving process push the B button.
12) If your Pokémon is zapped by poison or a paralyzer in battle, don’t restore him while the battle is still going on. It will only make him an easy target for opponents. Opponents won’t go after a Pokémon who is down from poison or paralyzed.
13) Remember, in Pokémon it’s always important to talk to everyone—even the people you just defeated in battle. You may already know that Gym Leaders will give you Badges for winning, but they will also give you money and Technical Machines, too.
14) Don’t be afraid to go backward in the game to get something or do something. The game was designed so that you have to go back to previous places at some point.
No More Glitches
There was some weird stuff in the Blue and Red versions. I always thought they were put there on purpose—the way console game designers put in tricks and codes to make the game more fun. I thought that until I tried to save Missingno and it erased my game. Hey, what fun is that?
Anyway, if you start looking for those weird tricks and glitches in Yellow you won’t find them. And you especially won’t find the evil Missingno!
“I used to be able to get as many items as I needed by going to Viridian City. Talking to the man north of town and watching him catch a Pokémon and then flying to Fuchsia. Then going to the water and surfing to Seafoam and going up and down the beach in the water until I found ‘M’ or Missingno. I didn’t catch or battle them, but I left and checked my box to find a lot of whatever was in the sixth spot. This doesn’t work in Yellow. Too bad, ’cause I got a bunch of good stuff that way.”
—Maxwell
“There used to be a guy standing on the roof of the Gym if you swam in front of it by Cinnabar Island.”
—Willy
Hey, I Won! What’s Next?
Okay, so you beat Gary and got to the end of the game. Relax, you’ve earned it. But don’t relax for too long because there’s still plenty to do. The game will save and throw you back to the beginning—Pallet Town.
You’re not really starting all over again. Now you have the chance to fill up your Pokédex and roam around the place as much as you want. Most people like to head over to a little place called the Unknown Dungeon and try for a Mewtwo. Go back to that blocked cave around Cerulean City. The guy blocking the cave is no longer there, but be warned, you need a Master Ball to take on Mewtwo inside!
I know what you are thinking. You’re thinking, “What great writing! What informative writing! What brilliant writing! What a work of art!” Or are you thinking, “Hey where are all the Routes? What a rip-off! Is this guy nuts? He left out all the stuff about Routes! I could get my Poké butt kicked on the Routes and he wouldn’t care!”
Well, like I said, I wasn’t going to give you a walk-through. I know there are Routes in the game. As a matter of fact, the Routes are very much like the Routes and stuff in the Blue and Red versions.
Also, as in any role-playing game (RPG), you should not be afraid to go back over territory that you already covered. For instance, you have to return to Pokémon Tower after you have the Silph Scope. Going back doesn’t mean you are not winning, it just means you’re exploring.
“When I first played I didn’t know that I had to take both roads out of Saffron City. The first went to Celadon and the other one went to Lavender Town. Both go to Fuchsia, but you have to explore both of them.”
—Willy
I Finished the Yellow … Now What?
By now the Gold and Silver versions of Pokémon have already been released in Japan. They are not scheduled to be released in the U.S. until the fall of 2000. Since I’m writing this before the release date in Japan, I have to be careful about the information I tell you. There are a lot of crazy rumors flying around out there. Plus, the games could change—A LOT—from Japanese versions to American versions.
So this is what is known for sure. First off, there are a lot more characters in the Gold and Silver versions. Some say there are over 200 Pokémon in these games, plus a lot of the favorites from the Red and Blue versions.
Also, it’s been very reliably reported that the new games have a clock in them. So, when you first get the game you set the clock and the day passes from morning to afternoon to night. What good is this? Well, some Pokémon only come out at night and some only come out during the day. I think that’s pretty clever!
They also say that there’s a new type Pokédex in the game that does a lot more stuff. There are also new Gym Leaders, and, of course, new places to explore.
There will also be both girl and boy Pokémon. And, you can—some people say—choose whether the lead character will be a boy or a girl.
Lastly, the Gold and Silver versions will have full-color graphics. That means the pictures of the Pokémon, the places you go, and everything else will look a lot better!
Colosseum 1 and 2
Colosseum is probably one of the most popular features in the Blue and Red versions. After all, who doesn’t like going into battle against friends and really testing their skill? Maybe that’s why Nintendo expanded the feature for the Yellow version. Sure, there’s a Colosseum feature, just like in the Red and Blue, but there’s also a Colosseum 2 feature.
Colosseum 2 really tests your Poké skill. And it works like this: it lets you fight different categories of Pokémon. In the Poké Cup you get to choose three different kinds of Pokémon with levels no higher than 155. That’s 155 when all their levels are added together.
Then there’s the Pika Cup that lets you battle three different teams where the combined level is no more than 50. That means each Pokémon has to have a level of between 15 and 20.
Finally there’s the Petit Cup where you have three different kinds of Pokémon where the level is no more than 80 when all their levels are added together. Plus, you can’t have big giant Pokémon in there, either. Pokémon must be under 6' 8" and not more than 44 pounds.
First off, you can only go into Colosseum 2 when both players have the Yellow version. That’s real important to remember. Secondly, this is a really great idea. Why? Because it forces opponents to evenly match their Pokémon. It’s a fair fight. It also gives some of the less evolved Pokémon a chance to shine in the limelight.
In my opinion, battles fought in Colosseum 2 will really show who has the best strategies in assembling their teams. Who uses their Pokémon powers best and to their best advantage. And who really has what it takes to think in battle.