Kanto Route 22

Bulbapedia Article

We're at the second Route and we've suddenly jumped to number 22?  No, that's not a mistake, but this area is practically optional for the moment, meaning you could head to Route north of Viridian if you wanted to.  But there are a few items of interest over here that make it worth a visit.

First, over in the west is the gate to the Pokemon League.  A guard tells you that you'll need the Boulder Badge to pass through, meaning there is no point in trying to get through at the moment (and even once you have that badge, you'd might as well collect the rest before coming back here).

Second, there are a couple patches of grass that contain some very helpful Pokemon, some of whom are strong candidates for permanent team members.  So why not catch a few before trying to proceed north?

 Spearow - Lv. 2-6 - Red/Green/Blue/Yellow

Spearow is a much, much better bird than Pidgey.  It automatically comes with Peck, meaning it can take out all the bugs in Viridian Forest.  Plus, it evolves into its final stage earlier at Level 20, which is just about the time you'll be needing a strong bird Pokemon on your team.  Fearow will help you Fly around and Drill Peck those that stand in your way in the middle of the game.  If you have a Pidgeot by that point, great, but Fearow will get the job done.

 Nidoran - Lv. 2-4 - Red/Green/Blue/Yellow 

The blue female Nidoran has some weak attacks early on, but it is capable of learning Body Slam naturally by evolving into Nidoqueen before Lv. 23.  On the other hand, the purple male Nidoran has stronger moves, but learns its best move (Horn Drill) much later delaying his inevitable evolution into Nidoking.  Still, whether you want the more defensive Nidoqueen or the more offensive Nidoking, both learn a great variety of TMs, which makes getting through the game a breeze with either one.  Also, in Yellow, it's worth noting that they can learn Double Kick by Level 12, which comes in handy when fighting Brock.  They are too good to pass up.

 Mankey - Lv. 3-5 - Yellow 

As if the Nidorans weren't good enough, Yellow players can also get an early Mankey which is seemingly only present to help aid against Brock.  Pikachu can't do anything, and the other Normal, Flying, Bug, and Poison types can hardly do any damage.  Only Fighting moves will be super effective.  Outside of that first Gym battle (and probably Mt. Moon), Mankey/Primeape probably won't be a strong powerhouse on your team.  It can help with Normal Pokemon in standard trainer battles, but it will eventually be outclassed by Machoke or Hitmonlee.

After you've caught all of those Pokemon, there is one last attraction to Route 22:  your first real trainer battle!  Unless you skipped this part, of course.

 Rival Blue 

Yes, you fought him earlier in Pallet Town, but that was more like a mandatory tutorial rather than an actual battle (as there was no difference if you one or lost...except in Yellow).  He has already caught his first Pokemon, a Pidgey in Red/Green/Blue or a Spearow in Yellow.  They are strong at Level 9 each, so unless your Pikachu can handle it, you might want to bulk up your Pokemon in Viridian Forest for a while.  His Starter will be even harder, as it will now have a move that is super-effective against your own in Red/Green/Blue.  In Yellow, his Eevee will be slightly easier if you have a Mankey or high-leveled Nidoran.  Be careful though.  The results of these battles determine his team later on in the game.  Winning both this and the Pallet Town battle will result in a Jolteon, losing both will result in a Vaporeon, and winning only one will result in a Flareon.  So, if you don't want to see a Jolteon later, you'd might as well skip this battle.  You'll later fight him in this exact same spot before taking on the Indigo Plateau.  But we'll save that for later.

Other Thoughts

- There is one thing that always bugged me that I wish had been implemented in the Yellow version: Misty should be here.  It always seemed like this is where Ash met her in the show, so why not put her here?  But that's not the biggest change I'd make....

- Since this area is optional anyway, you should be able to receive the Old Rod here (and the Old Rod should at least let you have a small chance at catching something other than Magikarp).  Think about it...having a Rod this early would let players catch Magikarp (who would still be too weak to help out), Poliwag (who can help Pikachu or Charmander owners fight Brock) or Goldeen (whose Peck can help with Viridian Forest).  Yes, it might make things a little easier, hence, make it an optional, hidden discovery.  The Rod distribution is terrible in these games.  Vermilion City is where you should receive the Good Rod since it's a town based on fishing and offers a large variety of Pokemon!  The Old Rod is a waste in that city.  Plus, if Misty were here, it would make sense that she'd give you one of her old rods.  Better than a fishing master who can only catch Magikarp.

Pokemon Craft DX Books

Alright, I don't speak or read Japanese, so much of the information on this site will be culled from unreliable secondary sources and my own interpretation of the visuals.  That being said, I would really like to talk about the Pokemon Craft DX books, despite not really understanding what is happening.

I don't know how many of these books were made, but there are at least two in the series, with the more general introductory book being the most well-known.  Paper crafts are a do-it-yourself style of art that involves folding a paper template into three-dimensional characters (and ten putting them somewhere nice so they don't get crushed).  The first book includes a little story/how-to guide featuring the three main trainers from the games.  Based on the number of items in the table of contents, I assume this book comes with 5 character templates.  Although I only have scans of the Pikachu template, I think there were also Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle templates as well (due to their inclusion in the comic).

As you can see, Red is joined by the unused female trainer.  Now, since this book came out in 1998, audiences would only be familiar with this character via the Pokemon Special manga, where her name is Green (Blue in Japan).  The art style however is closer to the original Sugimori drawings, so she isn't the exact same character.  This Green seems to be a lot more bubbly and nice than her manga counterpart.

I...have no idea what is happening in this story.  Red's mood is shifting erratically from panel to panel.  The paper the trainers keep passing around is blank, so I don't know if they are fighting over what they should do with it or if one of the templates is already on the paper.  Whatever the case is, the trio is very passionate to make these paper creatures even though they have the real creatures right next to them!

Red is being knocked around really badly by this turn of events.  Paper crafts can elicit many an existential crisis.  I've also noticed that Green and Blue are paired with their traditional starters while Red now partners with Pikachu (and Bulbasaur just hangs around).

Some people have called this an origami book, but origami doesn't involve scissors and glue.  Instead we get a complicated template to carefully cut out.  This isn't really a hobby I'd be interested in so I would rather keep the pages intact than damage this rare book to make the creatures.

Based on the ending of the story (which comes after all the templates) I'll assume that the fifth paper craft is actually for that green stadium/pedestal looking thing, rather than another Pokemon.  It also comes with a little placard, so you can pretend you've received a major award when showing this to your house guests.

The other craft book I've seen focuses on Electric types and features templates for Pikachu, Magnemite, and Zapdos at least.  Interestingly, the Pikachu template is different from before, featuring two components to the body instead of one.  I don't know the reason for the change.  Maybe the comic explains.  Or maybe the trainers just get too excited about paper again.

 

So what have we learned?  Well, if you're looking to fulfill your fix for folding paper into the shape of Pokemon or you need to complete your collection of material that features the elusive missing girl trainer from the original games, here's the book for you!  Otherwise, you can probably make cooler creations on your own.

Who's That Pokémon? #112 Rhydon

#112 Rhydon (a.k.a. Sidon)

Bulbapedia Article

Named after rhinoceros (Japanese: sai) and don (Ancient Greek for "tooth," as used in many dinosaur names), Rhydon is a Ground/Rock Pokémon based on dinosaur with rhinoceros characteristics.  Many of the first created Pokémon were dinosaur based (including Lapras and Ivysaur) and Rhydon being the first seemed to set the standard for later creatures (note its physical similarities with Kangaskhan, Nidoking and Nidoqueen).

From the Pokedex:  It begins walking on its hind legs after evolution.  It can punch holes through boulders with its horn.  Protected by an armor-like hide, it is capable of living in molten lava of 3,600 degrees.  Shows signs of intelligence.

Clearly, the most significant attributes are its horn (used for Horn Attack and Horn Drill) and its hide (used for defense and Fire-resistance).  This explains why Blaine was given one to own in the anime, as the volcano gym would be the best place to show off its abilities.

Generation I Moveset and Strategy

Smogon's Analysis

Despite being classified as Ground/Rock, Rhydon only learns normal moves by leveling up.  Yet, it learns moves from a variety of different types by TM, such as Surf, Fire Blast, and Thunder.  Some consider this to be due to Rhydon being the first Pokémon programmed in the game, allowing developers to rely on it to get them through the game quickly.  However, as an attacker, it had a low special stat, meaning it's best moveset would be the following:

Earthquake - Ground Rock Slide - Rock Body Slam - Normal Substitute - Normal

Earthquake and Rock Slide provide the STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) while Body Slam hits hard and paralyzes.  Substitute takes advantage of Rhydon's high defense to add some extra wall strength.  I also like that the Substitute doll is based on Rhydon, making this a fitting move.  None of the Generation II tradeback moves improve upon this moveset, so this is the best choice, making for one of the strongest fighters in the first generation.

Generation I Sprites

    

Each of these sprites do a fine job of representing Rhydon, but I'd probably give the edge to the Yellow sprite.  The Red/Green Sprite has a good pose, but that giant eye is weird.  The Blue sprite is a little better, but the Yellow one is the most intimidating.  The first two are too cuddly.

Generation I Locations

Aside from evolving Rhyhorn, the best place to get a Rhydon is Cerulean Cave at Level 52 and 55 in Red/Green/Blue and Level 58-60 and 62 in Yellow.  This seems to reference the original Rhydon drawing in which we see Rhydon and his trainer exploring a cave.  It makes sense to save this appearance for the very end as a special bonus.

In Yellow, one can also trade a Golduck for one on Cinnabar Island, possibly as a reference to Blaine's volcano dwelling Rhydon from the show.

Notable Generation I Rhydon

1.  Blue/Gary's Rhydon (Red/Green/Blue and The Electric Tale of Pikachu - ET19)

Rhydon is one of Blue's final Pokémon  solidifying his status as a Champion Pokémon Trainer.  His Rhydon is the last reveal of his ever-changing team.  SPOILERS:  Blue will bring this Rhydon with him into the Generation II games and Pokémon Adventures chapters.

2.  Blaine's Rhydon (Anime - EP058)

In a surprising twist, Blaine becomes the first gym leader in the anime to use a Pokémon not of his signature type during a gym battle.  As stated, this is to show off Rhydon's resiliency in a volcanic setting, although this is also the only Rhydon that is susceptible to Electric attacks via its horn.

3.  Koga's Rhydon (Pokémon Adventures - PS007)

Koga leads some Team Rocket grunts through Mt. Moon and uses an experimental drug to induce evolution on his Rhyhorn, making it a more powerful opponent.  It couldn't be defeated by strength alone and a distraction had to be implemented to allow Red and Misty to escape.  Perhaps the forced evolution stunted its intelligence.

4.  Bruno's Rhydon (Pokémon Stadium)

While not a major player in the handheld games, Rhydon is the strongest member of Bruno's team during both rounds of the Stadium battles.  During the first round, it is armed with both Horn Drill and Fissure, meaning it has the power to OHKO anything, while in the second round, it has a moveset similar to Smogon's picks (with Surf as a wild card to take out other Rock-types).

5.  Brock's Rhydon (TCG - Gym Heroes)

Despite not using a Rhydon in the games (yet), one of Brock's holographic rares is a Rhydon that uses its thick hide to defend the Pokémon on the Bench, taking any attacks directed towards them.  That's is just like Brock to have a Pokémon that looks out for its other teammates.

6.  The Fairchild Island Giant Rhydon (Anime - EP104)

A fake giant Rhydon first appeared on Giovanni's Pokémon Land where our shipwrecked heroes found themselves in EP017.  But actual giant Rhydon lived on one of the Orange Islands with equally giant Pidgeot.  A trapped Pikachu and Meowth had to work together to defeat it, using their ability to tickle it into submission.

7.  Junk's Rhydon (TCG - Jungle and How I Became a Pokémon Card - PW14)

The story behind the rampaging Rhydon from the Jungle set is told in the story "Rhydon's Pride."  Although I don't currently have access to this particular manga, I know that Junk is a recurring character and he is the only trainer I've seen thus far whose Rhydon is serving its original purpose.  Junk actually rides his Rhydon and uses it to transport his things, just like in "Capsule Monsters."

8.  Giovanni's Rhydon (Red/Green/Blue, anime, and nearly every manga)

Giovanni seems to have four signature Pokémon   His Persian rarely battles, and his Nidoqueen and Nidoking appear the most, but he is never seen far from his Rhydon.  Unlike the Nido duo, Giovanni only uses his Rhydon in gym battles.  This is true of every canon that the Rhydon appears in, showing that Giovanni feels that it best represents his status as a Ground-type Gym Leader.  While the previous Rhydons are important, Giovanni is the trainer I most associate with the creature.

Final Thoughts

While most important Pokémon usually get some sort of personality trait, Rhydon represents the idea that these are just monsters, fighting and defending their territory.  Every Rhydon appearance is based on its girth and strength.  However, it is not an evil destroyer, but rather a helpful protector.  It's worthy of being the first Pokémon created and it's definitely worthy of being on any trainer's team.

Rhydon's Verdict - Gotta Catch 'Em!

Pallet Town

Bulbapedia Article (All images borrowed from Bulbapedia)

Overview

 Pallet Town Theme Music

Ah, Pallet Town.  The starting point of every young Pokémon trainer in the late '90s.  While the layout is simple, it provides a charming atmosphere and suggests that a great journey is about to unfold.

We meet all of our key players here.  Red (or Ash or Satoshi) begins in his room for a quick chance to play his SNES and then is given his mother's blessing to go off on a journey (because Stand By Me is playing on television, and those boys don't encounter any horror whatsoever).  Next door, at the Oak residence, young Daisy (or May or Nanami) is checking out the Town Map while her brother Blue/Green (or Gary or Shigeru) is off at Professor Oak's lab awaiting his first Pokémon.  But Oak (or Orchid or Okido) won't show up until you try to leave town.

Oak's Theme Music

Where was he before this moment?  Since the only other way in/out of town is the south beach, I'll assume he just rode in on a Lapras, despite arranging to meet Red and Blue at the lab.  At any rate, you wind up at the lab (after Oak catches a Pikachu in the Yellow version) and from there you can select your first Pokémon.

Laboratory Theme Music

But who shall you choose?  Let's weigh our options:

Bulbasaur - Lv. 5 - Red/Green/Blue

Bulbasaur presents one of the easiest options of the four choices, since it can easily handle Pewter Gym and Cerulean Gym early on.  It does have trouble in Viridian Forest, however.  But, as with all of the RBY starters, Bulbasaur and its evolutions will become a strong main fighter throughout the game filling the grass slot on the team nicely.  And a Leech Seed/PoisonPowder combo is always great.

Charmander - Lv. 5 - Red/Green/Blue

Charmander is a popular choice, due to it's ability to become Charizard, but it will encounter the hardest obstacles in the early game.  Viridian Forest will be fine, but Petwer Gym, Mt. Moon, and Cerulean Gym will give it hassle.  But all of that persistence will pay off once Charizard is able to crush nearly anything in its path later on.  Plus, Fire types are rarer to come by.

Squirtle - Lv. 5 - Red/Green/Blue

Squirtle is the other popular choice for players.  It's more reliable that Bulbasaur as it's not only strong during the beginning, but it continues to be strong up until the final gyms as well.  In speed runs, Squirtle/Wartortle/Blastoise is often the sole Pokémon that gets the player through the game.  When I first got the Blue version of the game, Squirtle was my first choice.

Pikachu - Lv. 5 - Yellow

If you're playing the Yellow version, you are stuck with a Pikachu that doesn't evolve, which isn't great in terms of strategy.  The kid in me loves this choice though, and I recently tracked down a used copy of Yellow just so I could have him as my main team partner.  Although the unevolved Pikachu won't get stronger until Generation II, it still is a fun choice.  But Pewter Gym will give you trouble.

After making your selection, your adorable jerk of a rival challenges you to your first fight.  It shouldn't be too difficult, but it is a great way to suddenly learn the basics of this new world.

Rival's Theme Music

And with that, you're off!  Eventually you'll return to deliver a package, pick up your Pokédex and grab the Town Map from Daisy, but basically everything that needs to be done in Pallet Town is done.  Why you are in charge of chronicling all the species in the world is anybody's guess, but it's going to be a fun challenge!

Other Thoughts

- The grassy areas on the sides of Pallet Town have become the stuff of legends.  They are tantalizingly close and look as if they hold many secrets.  I would have liked to have seen some of the rumors become true, as an unlockable bonus after beating the game.  We could finally have a field to catch an extra Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle or even a Mew!

- When the Yellow version was made, it mades some changes to reflect the anime's storyline, but I would have liked to have seen some additions from the mangas as well.  Instead of only having a Pikachu to start with, I would have liked a choice that featured a Clefairy and Jigglypuff as well (like in Pokémon Pocket Monsters and Magical Pokémon Journey).  Those three characters always go together in my mind.  Also, Nidoran and their secondary evolved forms seem to roam around Pallet Town in the manga versions.

- Oak's lab in the anime serves as a Pokémon sanctuary for his proteges' extra Pokémon   It would have been nice to expand the area beside the building to visit those other Pokémon which were not being carried in the player's party.

- Overall, Pallet Town is a lovely beginning to the game and entire franchise.  It's simple.  It's quaint.  And it fills me with great joy every time I return.