How to Use Your TMs Wisely (Part 4 of 5)

Part 4: Koga to Saffron City

TM06 – Toxic    PP: 10    Power: None    Accuracy: 85%
Location: Fuchsia City Gym, prize for defeating Koga
Gen. 1 Effect: The opponent is badly poisoned (damage from poison doubles every turn)
Smogon Suggestion: Farfetch'd
Casual Suggestion: Venusaur, Ninetales
Of the moves that cause the poison status, this one is the best. Thus, it works well if you like to trap an opponent with Wrap, Bind, Fire Spin, or Clamp. (Ninetales, again, is my favorite for this tactic.) Everyone is capable of learning it. But to achieve the best results, you’ll want to use it in conjunction with Leech Seed, because in Generation I, the doubling effects of Toxic will carry over to Leech Seed. Only Venusaur and Exeggutor learn Leech Seed, and since Exeggutor is focused on a different battling style, Venusaur is my pick.

TM20 – Rage    PP: 20    Power: 20    Accuracy: 100%
Location: Route 15
Gen. 1 Effect: A non-stop Normal attack that increases the user's Attack stat every turn it gets hit
Smogon Suggestion: Don't Use
Casual Suggestion: Fearow (Temporarily)
Rage really stinks in Gen 1. It’s fun in concept, repeatedly attacking and only getting stronger with each hit is a cool concept. But it traps you in the move and you aren’t going to use it strategically. Especially since a glitch causes it’s accuracy to significantly drop to 0.4% if it misses just once, so don't use it in an accuracy-lowering/evasion-heightening battle. But if you insist, try it on Fearow. It’s the strongest that doesn’t learn the move naturally (after Snorlax, but Snorlax is needed elsewhere).

TM16 – Pay Day    PP: 20    Power: 40    Accuracy: 100%
Location: Route 12, on the isolated pier
Gen. 1 Effect: A Normal attack that nets bonus money for the end of the battle with each hit
Smogon Suggestion: Don't Use
Casual Suggestion: Seel
So, the only reason you’d use Pay Day is to rack up cash. Snorlax will be the strongest Pay Dayer, but in truth everyone learns something better.  But if you're using it only for the cash-making abilities, go with Seel as it is the weakest user (meaning you'll have to deliver more hits and earn more money).  Meowth is actually tied with Seel, but it learns Pay Day naturally and it is not available in Red/Yellow.

TM39 – Swift    PP: 20    Power: 60    Accuracy: 100%
Location: Route 12, behind the Cuttable tree
Gen. 1 Effect: A Normal attack that always hits no matter what
Smogon Suggestion: Mew
Casual Suggestion: Pidgeot
This is a cool move is you’re dealing with evasion and accuracy loss in your battles. Fearow, Raticate, and Pidgeot are the best, but since Fearow and Raticate learn stronger moves, this is perfect for Pidgeot.  Smogon suggests Mew only if you're allowing moves like Double Team in your battles, but many users are stronger than Mew if that is the case (Dragonite, Persian, and Flareon, for example).

TM41 – Soft-Boiled    PP: 10    Power: None    Accuracy: N/A
Location: Celadon City, across the pond in front of a house
Gen. 1 Effect: The user heals 50% of its HP and can be used to share 20% HP outside of battle
Smogon Suggestion: Chansey, Mew
Casual Suggestion: Chansey, Mew
Only Chansey and Mew can learn this move. It was specifically made to take advantage of Chansey’s high HP to make it into the only healer in the whole game, but if you want to try it on Mew, you are more than welcome to.  Mew doesn't learn Recover, so it's just as good of a choice.

TM36 – Self Destruct    PP: 5    Power: 130    Accuracy: 100%
Location: Silph Co., 2F from hiding woman
Gen. 1 Effect: A Normal attack that cuts opponents Defense in half and causes the user to faint
Smogon Suggestion: Snorlax, Mewtwo
Casual Suggestion: Snorlax, Mewtwo
Snorlax causes the most amount of damage in the game with this move. Golem is up next, but learns the stronger variant Explosion. Most Self-Destruct users can learn Explosion anyway, but Mewtwo cannot, making him the second best choice. However, if you don’t feel like getting Snorlax or Mewtwo into a sacrificial position, choose whoever you don’t teach Explosion to.

TM09 – Take Down    PP: 20    Power: 95    Accuracy: 85%
Location: Silph Co., 5F
Gen. 1 Effect: A Normal attack that delivers 1/4 damage recoil to the user
Smogon Suggestion: Don't Use
Casual Suggestion: Fearow, Porygon (Temporarily)
Take Down is a weaker move and less accurate move than Double-Edge. So, after we’ve given away our Double-Edge and the slightly weaker but better Body Slam, Fearow is our strongest contender (after the usual Dodrio, Snorlax, Tauros, Kangskhan bunch).  I'd also suggest someone like Wigglytuff with her high HP, but she already learns Double-Edge.  However, it could also benefit someone like Porygon whose strongest natural attack is the unimpressive Tri-Attack.

TM03 – Swords Dance    PP: 30    Power: None    Accuracy: N/A
Location: Silph Co., 7F
Gen. 1 Effect: The user's Attack stat increases by two stages
Smogon Suggestion: Everyone (especially Victreebel)
Casual Suggestion: Anyone
This is another one of those moves that really works on whoever learns it. Those with a high Attack stat become beastly (Kingler, Kabutops, Victreebel, Sandslash, and Mew) but it can help your weaker fighters as well. Just make sure they have at least one physical attack that can use the bonus.

TM26 – Earthquake    PP: 10    Power: 100    Accuracy: 100%
Location: Silph Co., 10F
Gen. 1 Effect: A standard Ground attack
Smogon Suggestion: Everyone (Rhydon, Snorlax, and Tauros in particular)
Casual Suggestion: Same as Smogon
It’s Dig without the penalties, making it the best Ground attack in the game. And since Rhydon is the strongest Ground Pokémon and since he doesn’t learn the move naturally, teach Earthquake to him. Otherwise, teach it to the strongest Attacker on your team that can learn it (Ground types being the preferred choice, as with Dig).

TM46 – Psywave    PP: 15    Power: Varies    Accuracy: 85%
Location: Saffron City Gym, prize for defeating Sabrina
Gen. 1 Effect: An attack that randomly delivers damage between .5 x and 1.5 x the user’s level
Smogon Suggestion: Don't Use
Casual Suggestion: Butterfree, Mr. Mime
Like Seismic Toss, this move is virtually the same for anyone who learns it. But because it’s random, you really want to go with a Pokémon with the weakest moves to ensure that the odds of this move are in your favor. Enter Butterfree. Supposing you didn’t use all your strong TMs on Butterfree for some odd reason, Psybeam will be it’s strongest move and Psywave will be better 94% of the time.  Otherwise, if you didn't teach Mr. Mime Psychic or Seismic Toss, this is a good fit for him.

TM31 – Mimic    PP: 10    Power: N/A    Accuracy: N/A
Location: Saffron City, from the Copycat’s house after clearing out Team Rocket
Gen. 1 Effect: The user copies one of the opponent's moves
Smogon Suggestion: Arcanine, Blastoise, Dewgong, Dodrio, Dugtrio, Farfetch'd, Jynx, Magmar, Magneton, Omastar, Pidgeot, Seadra, Vaporeon
Casual Suggestion: Same as Smogon, if you want
Everyone can learn Mimic and it’s mostly used for Pokémon with limited movepools that can withstand a hit and possibly use an opponent’s own move against it. While it’s a gamble, Smogon likes this move in the competitive scene, with Jynx being the strongest candidate due to the types of moves it would be up against.


Check out the conclusion, Part 5: The Power Plant to Victory Road!

How to Use Your TMs Wisely (Part 3 of 5)

Part 3: Erika to Fuchsia City

TM21 – Mega Drain    PP: 10    Power: 40    Accuracy: 100%
Location: Celadon City Gym, prize for defeating Erika
Gen. 1 Effect: A Grass attack that leeches 50% of damage delivered to opponent for HP
Smogon Suggestion: Exeggutor, Gengar, Tangela, Parasect, Venomoth, Butterfree, Golbat, Muk

Casual Suggestion: Same as Smogon
This would be a cooler move if it was stronger. Smogon likes this move better than Solar Beam which is 3 times as strong, but takes a turn to charge up. If you aren’t planning on running Solar Beam, then Exeggutor can use this well, followed by Tangela, Venusaur, Victreebel, and Vileplume who are tied for second place. But if you’re going to use their stronger attacks of Solar Beam, Razor Leaf, or Petal Dance, then the part-Grass Parasect will be your strongest Mega Drain user, with Gengar close behind.

TM07 – Horn Drill    PP: 5     Power: OHKO    Accuracy: 30%
Location: Rocket Hideout, Basement 2F, in maze
Gen. 1 Effect: A Normal attack that causes an instant KO
Smogon Suggestion: Banned

Casual Suggestion: Tauros, Rapidash
The automatic KO moves in Generation I rely purely on speed. They won’t work at all if the opponent is faster. The fastest Horn Drill users are Tauros, Rapidash, and Mew. Since Tauros has a better competitive movepool to work with, Rapidash is my choice.

TM10 – Double-Edge    PP: 15    Power: 100    Accuracy: 100%
Location: Rocket Hideout, Basement 3F, south of stairs
Gen. 1 Effect: A Normal attack that deals 1/4 recoil damage to the user
Smogon Suggestion: Exeggutor, Articuno, Fearow, Pidgeot, Porygon, Aerodactyl, Seaking, Golbat, Magneton

Casual Suggestion: Dodrio, Tauros, Kangaskhan
Nearly everyone learns this move. Dodrio and Snorlax, are of course the strongest, but if we want them to have Hyper Beam and Body Slam then a third Normal move would be overkill. If you didn't give Dodrio either of those moves, then Double-Edge is a must.  So up next is Tauros and Kangaskhan, who will do just fine with it, followed by every other Normal type.  Fearow is the strongest of Smogon's suggestions.

TM02 – Razor Wind    PP: 10    Power: 80    Accuracy: 75%
Location: Rocket Hideout, Basement 4F, northwest room
Gen. 1 Effect: A Normal attack that takes a turn to charge up
Smogon Suggestion: Don't Use

Casual Suggestion: Fearow, Moltres, MissingNo. (Temporarily)
Razor Wind is kind of a pointless move. Only winged/scythed creatures learn it, but it is weak for a move that takes up two turns. Fearow hits the strongest, if you must give it to someone.  Moltres is technically the one who gets the most out of it due to its lack of Normal moves (assuming you gave Hyper Beam and Double-Edge away to other stronger Pokémon).  The glitch bird MissingNo. can learn it, and since MissingNo. technically has the highest Attack stat in the game (136) and since it's a Bird/Normal type, it'll be a beast with this move.  But with a Defense stat of 0, it may not survive that first turn.
(Credit for the retro-style MissingNo. depiction goes to DeviantArtist Warupa.)

TM29 – Psychic    PP: 10    Power: 90    Accuracy: 100%
Location: Saffron City, from Mr. Psychic’s house
Gen. 1 Effect: A Psychic attack with a 33% chance of lowering the opponent’s Special stat
Smogon Suggestion: Exeggutor, Jynx, Mr. Mime, Electabuzz, Butterfree, Porygon

Casual Suggestion: Starmie

You can get this move early if you visit Saffron City as soon as you get a beverage from Celadon Dept. Store to get past the Saffron guards.  It's a must-have move and it'll make Erika and Koga very easy to defeat if you give it to Mr. Mime or Haunter.  Mewtwo and Alakazam are the strongest but they learn this move naturally, as do most Psychic types (and Venomoth). Exeggutor is your best option, followed by Mr. Mime, Starmie, and Jynx. Jynx needs a strong Psychic move to make it powerful.  And Starmie's Psychic will hit a lot harder and is more reliable than Smogon's suggestion of Blizzard.

HM02 – Fly    PP: 15    Power: 70    Accuracy: 95%
Location: Route 16, from the recluse in the home north of the Cycling Road
Gen. 1 Effect: A Flying attack where the user is invulnerable for a turn then hits on the second turn
Smogon Suggestion: Don't Use

Casual Suggestion: Articuno, Charizard, Pidgeot, Farfetch'd
While Fly isn’t mandatory for defeating the game, it makes traveling around a lot quicker as you can instantly go back to any previous town you have visited. As an attack, it’s not ideal. The Pokémon that will get the most power out of Fly learn stronger Flying type moves. Dodrio, Moltres, Fearow, and Zapdos, each learn a better move (Drill Peck or Sky Attack). Aerodactyl would then be the strongest, but you’ll want to save a better move for him (and you receive him too late in the game to take advantage of Fly’s out-of-battle power). You had might as well teach it to Articuno, Pidgeot, and/or Farfetch’d (although you’d get the same effect from using Peck or Wing Attack for two turns, as they are each half the strength of Fly). If you’re playing Yellow, Charizard is a good option as it can learn Fly in this version and it’ll hit stronger than Pidgeot.

TM37 – Egg Bomb    PP: 10    Power: 100    Accuracy: 75%
Location: Safari Zone, East Area
Effect: A standard Normal attack
Smogon Suggestion: Don't Use

Casual Suggestion: Exeggutor
This is another obvious choice. Only Chansey, Exeggutor, and Mew learn the move. Chansey has a dismal Attack stat so don’t teach it to her. Mew’s attack is slightly better than Exeggutor, but you’ll probably have much better things for Mew to do. Exeggutor is just the natural choice, and it’s nice since the other strong Normal TMs will most likely be taught to others before Exeggutor gets a crack at them.  It's just as strong as Exeggutor's Double-Edge without the recoil (but with lower accuracy) so its a fair trade.  Smogon actually lists it as an alternate move for him.

TM32 – Double Team    PP: 15    Power: None    Accuracy: N/A
Location: Safari Zone, West Area
Gen. 1 Effect: Increases the user's evasion by one stage
Smogon Suggestion: Banned

Casual Suggestion: Anyone (but especially Ninetales!)
Double Team is effectively the most overpowered move. It raises the users evasion which is like permanently lowering all of your opponent’s team’s accuracies. There is no tactic in Generation I to counteract this, so it has been banned from link battles. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use it in game. Since everyone can learn it, I like using it on a fast Pokémon that plans on being as annoying as possible (those with trapping moves, status effecting moves, or any move that encourages switching). I personally use a Ninetales with Fire Spin, Toxic, Confuse Ray, and Double Team to make it simply the most irritating opponent in the game.

TM40 – Skull Bash    PP: 15    Power: 100    Accuracy: 100%
Location: Safari Zone, North Area
Gen. 1 Effect: A Normal attack that takes a turn to charge up
Smogon Suggestion: Don't Use

Casual Suggestion: No one (but especially Beedrill!)
Oh man, this was the hardest to assign. It's like Razor Wind, but worse since every possible option learns a better move (ironic, since it's stronger than Razor Wind).  No one needs it because Strength two times in a row does way more damage.  I narrowed it down to Beedrill, only if you gave your other Normal TMs to stronger Pokemon. Otherwise, it’s another disposable move for anyone else you give it to (and it’s kind of late in the game for moves like that).  Wait... Beedrill learns Cut which does just as much damage over two turns.  This really is the most useless TM in the game!

HM03 – Surf    PP: 15    Power: 95    Accuracy: 100%
Location: Safari Zone, the Secret House prize at the end of the final area
Gen. 1 Effect: A standard Water attack
Smogon Suggestion: Everyone (if you need it), even Raichu

Casual Suggestion: Everyone but Kingler
You need this to travel over waterways in the game, but fortunately, it’s also very useable in battle. Basically teach it to every Water Pokémon unless you absolutely want them to use the stronger, less accurate Hydro Pump (Tentacruel, Omastar, Vaporeon, Gyarados, and Starmie all fall into this category). I’m fond of teaching Lapras out of nostalgia’s sake. Dewgong, Cloyster, Seaking, and Slowbro all need a strong Water attack, and some non-Water Pokémon with a high Special can also use it for diversity. Kingler gets the awesome Crabhammer, though, so don’t give Surf to him. Everyone else is fair game.

HM04 – Strength    PP: 15    Power: 80    Accuracy: 100%
Location: Fuchsia City, from the Safari Game Warden after returning his lost Gold Teeth
Gen. 1 Effect: A standard Normal attack
Smogon Suggestion: Don't Use

Casual Suggestion: Machamp, Hitmonlee, Lickitung, Hitmonchan
Basically, if you don’t plan on teaching your Pokémon Hyper Beam, Double-Edge, Egg Bomb, or Body Slam, teach it Strength. Your options are limitless once you've used up all of those TMs.  You’ll need to teach someone, but not someone you’ll necessarily want for your final team. Someone like, oh, say, Lickitung?  Machamp, Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan are also fine options.  You need it for Seafoam Islands and Victory Road only, so as long as they are strong enough for those areas, you’re fine.  (Snorlax, Tauros, Kangaskhan, and Dragonite are the strongest, but why burden them with an HM?)

Stay tuned for Part 4: Koga to Saffron City

How to Use Your TMs Wisely (Part 2 of 5)

Part 2: Lt. Surge to Celadon City

TM24 – Thunderbolt    PP: 15    Power: 95    Accuracy: 100%
Location: Vermilion City Gym, prize for defeating Lt. Surge
Gen. 1 Effect: An Electric attack with a 10% chance of paralyzing

Smogon Suggestion: Anyone with a Special above 65 (Zapdos, Jolteon, Gengar, Chansey, Starmie, or Lapras in particular)

Casual Suggestion: One of Smogon's choices, Mewtwo, Electrode
The best electric users are Zapdos, Magneton, Jolteon, Raichu, and Electabuzz. But all of them learn the stronger and less accurate Thunder (and in Yellow, Pikachu automatically gets Thunderbolt), so the next choice is the always-strong Mewtwo, followed by Electrode, Gengar, and Chansey. Go with your favorite high-Special-stat-owning Pokémon.  Jolteon may be the best option since it doesn't have the HP and Defense that Zapdos has to withstand attacks after failed Thunders.



HM05 – Flash    PP: 20    Power: None    Accuracy: 70%
Location: Route 2, in the building on the east side
Gen. 1 Effect: The opponent's accuracy is decreased by one stage

Smogon Suggestions: Chansey, Electrode, Magneton, Mew, and Wigglytuff (alternate move)

Casual Suggestion: Butterfree
Flash isn’t the best. You “need” it to get through Rock Tunnel, yet you can navigate it just fine since the screen doesn’t go completely dark. In battle, it lowers accuracy, but it isn’t as accurate as Sand Attack, Kinesis, or Smokescreen. And it’s completely outclassed by Double Team which raises the users evasion sharply. If you’re playing Yellow, I’d say Butterfree is your best option, as after Rock Tunnel, you probably won’t be needing it anymore. In Red/Green/Blue, you can get Voltorb or Jigglypuff before Rock Tunnel, so use one of them.



TM42 – Dream Eater    PP: 15    Power: 100    Accuracy: 100%
Location: Viridian City, from the guy by the Cuttable tree near the lake
Gen. 1 Effect: A Psychic attack that leeches 50% of the damage take from sleeping opponents

Smogon Suggestion: Don't Use

Casual Suggestion: Hypno
This is the most obvious and pointless TM. Only three Pokémon can learn it: Gengar, Hypno, and Mew. Gengar learns it naturally, and Mew doesn’t learn any moves that put a Pokémon to sleep, which is required to use this move. So unless you’re wrong-headedly counting on another team member to help out your Dream-Eating Mew, just teach it to Hypno. Hypno’s whole shtick is that it eats dreams and yet it never learns the move naturally, even in the current Generations!



TM30 – Teleport    PP: 20    Power: None    Accuracy: N/A
Location: Route 9
Gen. 1 Effect: No trainer battle effect, allows escape from wild battles

Smogon Suggestion: Don't Use

Casual Suggestion: Jigglypuff (Temporarily)
Like Whirlwind, Teleport has no effect in Trainer battles and is only good for ending a wild battle. However, it’s also good as a pre-Fly move for traveling back to the last healing spot used. You’ll be getting Fly one dungeon and a few towns later, so might as well teach it to someone you have now, again, with low speed. Jigglypuff is the slowest Teleporter before Fly and Slowpoke is the slowest afterwards. It’s not a necessary move and it’s mostly just for fun. If you have Abra, it’s a pointless TM.



TM18 – Counter    PP: 20    Power: Varies    Accuracy: 100%
Location: Celadon Dept. Store, from the man on the 4th floor
Gen. 1 Effect: At the end of the turn, the user deals back double the damage received by a Normal or Fighting type attack
Smogon Suggestion: Chansey, Kangaskhan, Hypno, Hitmonchan

Casual Suggestion: Wigglytuff, Snorlax, Jynx
Similar to Bide, you’ll want a Pokémon with high HP and low defense, so this is the move you should give to Chansey, especially since you’ll be seeing a lot of Fighting damage coming your way. Wigglytuff and Snorlax can also use it better than most, followed by Jynx (since its low defense will help it receive more damage to dish out) or any Pokémon that you feel will be receiving a lot of Normal/Fighting type damage.

TM13 – Ice Beam    PP: 10    Power: 95    Accuracy: 100%
Location: Celadon Dept. Store, from the girl on the rooftop plaza
Gen. 1 Effect: An Ice attack with a 10% chance of freezing
Smogon Suggestion: Chansey, Golduck, Snorlax
Casual Suggestion: Mewtwo, Tentacruel, Omastar, Vaporeon
All five of the Ice Pokémon are the strongest users of this attack (with Articuno leading the charge), but they all learn this move or it’s stronger version Blizzard naturally. Mewtwo will be the next best user (if you didn’t teach him Blizzard), followed by Tentacruel, Omastar, Vaporeon, and Chansey.  Most battlers will probably be using the stronger Blizzard attack, so Ice Beam is more for support and diversity on a secondary teammate.  Considering how soon you may want to use the move (like against Erika's Grass types, perhaps), Vaporeon will be your best earliest choice.

TM48 – Rock Slide    PP: 10    Power: 75    Accuracy: 90%
Location: Celadon Dept. Store, from the girl on the rooftop plaza
Gen. 1 Effect: A standard Rock attack
Smogon Suggestion: Rhydon, Golem, Primeape, Sandslash, Onix
Casual Suggestion: Same as Smogon or Machamp
There aren’t many Rock attacks to go around in this game. Both Rhydon and Golem need it, but since Rhydon is slightly stronger and doesn’t learn the weaker Rock Throw like Golem, I’ll give it to him.  If you want to give it to a non-Rock type, Machamp is the strongest.

TM49 – Tri Attack    PP: 10    Power: 80    Accuracy: 100%
Location: Celadon Dept. Store, from the girl on the rooftop plaza
Gen. 1 Effect: A standard Normal attack
Smogon Suggestion: Don't Use
Casual Suggestion: Clefable, Wigglytuff, Cloyster (Temporarily)
It’s a very basic attack that is outclassed by many others. It doesn’t get it’s bonus status effects until Generation II. Dodrio is the strongest user but he learns it naturally (as does Porygon, one of the other strong users). Give it to Clefable or Wigglytuff if you need a temporary strong basic attack for them. Cloyster doesn’t learn a stronger Normal move that doesn’t cause self-harm (unless you get lucky with Spike Cannon), so he’s an option. Drowzee and Kadabra are minor options if you want to use it as soon as you get it.  Otherwise, you won’t get much use out of it since everyone (but Cloyster) will get Strength which is the exact same with more PP.

TM15 – Hyper Beam    PP: 5    Power: 150    Accuracy: 90%
Location: Prize at the Celadon Game Corner
Gen. 1 Effect: A Normal attack that causes the user to recharge for a turn after use (unless the attack KO’ed the opponent)
Smogon Suggestion: Anyone (Tauros, Persian, Articuno, or Cloyster in particular)
Casual Suggestion: Dodrio, Kangaskhan, Fearow
This is structurally the best attack in the game, and it serves nearly every Normal type Pokémon well, but mostly any Pokémon with a high Attack stat will do. It should be somewhere on your team. As for the Pokémon that can hit the hardest with it, Dodrio is on top, followed by Snorlax (who already can learn it), Tauros, Kangaskhan, and Fearow.  I particularly like Dodrio because its also pretty fast (especially with Agility) meaning it's likely to knock out the opponent first, requiring no recharging. Tauros is faster than a Dodrio naturally though, so it's your call.

TM23 – Dragon Rage    PP: 10    Power: 40    Accuracy: 100%
Location: Prize at the Celadon Game Corner
Gen. 1 Effect: A Dragon attack that doesn't account for weakness or resistance
Smogon Suggestion: Don't Use
Casual Suggestion: Charizard, Arcanine, Aerodactyl (Temporarily)
Aerodactyl, Arcanine, Charizard, Lapras, and Mew are the only five that don’t learn it naturally and it isn’t particularly the best move for any of them. Definitely don't use it on Lapras or Mew as they have plenty of strong alternatives.  It could be fun on Charizard for a while, but it'll be replaced by something better later in the game.  Arcanine does get an eclectic assortment of TM moves, so it could work for him (especially since you can catch a Growlithe right outside of Celadon in Red).  Aerodactyl has the weakest movepool of the bunch, but it comes late in the game and Dragon Rage gets weaker as the in-game opponents get stronger.

TM50 – Substitute    PP: 10    Power: None    Accuracy: N/A
Location: Prize at the Celadon Game Corner
Gen. 1 Effect: Uses 1/4 of the user's maximum HP to create a substitute that takes damage.
Smogon Suggestion: Rhydon, Sandslash, Farfetch'd, Hitmonlee
Casual Suggestion: Chansey, Mewtwo, Mew
Substitute is a great move for any bulky Pokémon that can handle losing some HP. The Substitute has the same stats as the user, including any changes done before creating it.  It breaks once the amount of damage equal to the HP used to make it is dealt (but more damage doesn't carry over, so it creates a nice stall against strong attacks).  As with Rest, bulkier is better.  The Substitute looks like Rhydon and seems to balance it's moveset well.  For alternatives, any of the good Rest users work well.  Chansey and Mewtwo may just be the best though, as they are bulkiest battlers and they also have Soft-Boiled/Recover which replaces the HP lost by Substitute.  The same is true for Mew (with Soft-Boiled), Starmie, Alakazam, and Porygon.  Mega Drain users like Exeggutor or Tangela also work.

Part 3: Erika to Fuchsia City is next!

How to Use Your TMs Wisely (Part 1 of 5)

As a lifelong Pokémon fan, I didn’t need any excuse to revisit the original Game Boy games. But the 20th anniversary seems as good a time as any to present this little side project I’ve been working on. Every time I replay the original games, I try to have the “perfect run.” That means, I want to do everything that the game has to offer in the best way possible. And one issue that has always plagued me was the Technical Machines (TMs).

If you are newer to the series, you know TMs as those devices that can be used to teach alternate moves to compatible Pokémon. Hidden Machines (HMs) are the special ones that can’t be overridden by another move unless deleted by an in-game Move Deleter. This semi-permanence is due to the fact that they are required to access new areas of the game. Both forms of machines can be used multiple times, but that wasn’t always the case.

In previous generations (especially Generation I, for people who are restarting their Red/Green/Blue/Yellow journeys), only HMs could be used repeatedly while TMs could only be used once. And, except for a few exceptions, the TMs only appeared once each time per game. After it was used, it was gone forever, so you had to choose the creature you used it on wisely.

So this guide is for people like me who agonized over their TM decisions. With the help of Smogon's RBY competitive movesets and the Pokémon Showdown damage calculator, I’ve compiled a comprehensive analysis of the best time to use each TM and HM in the Generation I Pokémon games. This guide will assume that you are using each TM once, without trading for more, buying the few that are available in Celadon or abusing glitches.

Remember, everything is all up to you! These are just my educated suggestions.

Part 1: Brock to the S.S. Anne

TM34 – Bide    PP: 10    Power: Varies    Accuracy: Varies

Location: Pewter City Gym, prize for defeating Brock

Gen. 1 Effect: The user waits for several turns. At the end, it returns double the damage it received.

Smogon Suggestion: Don't Use

Casual Suggestion: Jigglypuff/Wigglytuff (Temporarily)
As the first TM you receive in the game, Bide is an odd one. Virtually any Pokémon can use it and it isn’t a Rock-type, despite being owned by Brock. He uses it on his Onix, but Pokémon with high Defense aren’t the best for Bide, since you won’t gather very much damage to release. You need a Pokémon with high HP who can actually withstand a lot of damage, not prevent it. Chansey, of course, has the highest amount of HP, but you won’t be seeing one in a long time, and even then, it’s super rare and is better suited for other moves that aren’t based on attacking. Snorlax has the next highest HP, but again, it learns many better moves. Along comes Wigglytuff in 3rd place, and she is perfect for this move. In Red/Green/Blue, you can find a Jigglypuff as soon as Route 3 (and Jigglypuff has the 6th highest HP out of all Pokémon) meaning you can reap the benefits of Bide as soon as possible. Bide isn’t the best against a human opponent, as they can switch-out or affect your status rather than damaging you, but for the game’s storyline, Jigglypuff seems tailor-made for Bide.

TM12 – Water Gun    PP: 25    Power: 40    Accuracy: 100%
Location: Mt. Moon, to the left of the entrance

Gen. 1 Effect: A standard Water attack

Smogon Suggestion: Don't Use

Casual Suggestion: Gyarados, Clefairy, Mew (Temporarily)

Whoever you teach Water Gun to is not going to keep it.  Nearly every Pokémon who learns it can learn the HM Surf.  And if you’ve started your game with a Squirtle, you already have a Water Gun user on your team.  But without Squirtle, you won’t see a Water Pokémon/attack in the game until you can pass Snorlax for some fishing rods (unless you choose a Vaporeon).  That means this is your Water for the first half of the game.  Your strongest choice pre-Snorlax is Gyarados if you purchase the Magikarp before Mt. Moon and manage to train it quickly to Lv. 20 so it can evolve.  Otherwise, Clefairy, the Nidorans, Meowth, Rattata, and Jigglypuff are your options in order of strength.  (Fun Fact: On one runthrough, I caught an early Mew in Cerulean City via the Mew Glitch, and Water Gun worked well as its starter move.)

TM01 – Mega Punch    PP: 20    Power: 80    Accuracy: 85%

Location: Mt. Moon, in the second accessible basement room
Gen. 1 Effect: A standard Normal attack

Smogon Suggestion: Don't Use
Casual Suggestion: Clefable, Wigglytuff, Raichu (Temporarily)

I’m realizing as I’m making this guide that some of these early TMs were strategically placed to be used early on.  That’s because Mega Punch will be rendered totally useless about two-thirds of the way of the game when the HM Strength comes along.  It’s just as strong as Mega Punch but with better accuracy and nearly everyone who learns Mega Punch can learn Strength as well.  So, you could either go the Lt. Surge route and teach it to Raichu (who is the strongest non-Strength learner) or you can use it on Clefable/Wigglytuff for early power that’ll eventually be replaced.  Since you probably won't be using them on final evolutions, your starters Charmander, Squirtle, or Pikachu can also use the move.  Don’t bother saving it for it’s strongest users Snorlax or Kangaskhan as they get much better moves.

TM04 – Whirlwind    PP: 20    Power: None    Accuracy: 85%

Location: Route 4, before the ledge to drop into Cerulean City
Gen. 1 Effect: Generates a powerful wind that blows away wild Pokémon. Useful in the wild only.

Smogon Suggestion: Don't Use
Casual Suggestion: Zubat, Farfetch'd, Spearow (Temporarily)
Whirlwind has no in-battle effect in Generation 1, so you only will use it when you need to end a wild battle and running away isn’t an option.  Essentially, running away fails when your battling Pokémon is much slower than your opponent.  So, the Whirlwind users with the lowest Speed stats are Zubat, Farfetch’d, and Spearow.  Butterfree and Pidgey/Pidgeotto learn the move naturally, and everyone else is fast enough for running not to be an issue.  You won’t particularly be needing this move very long.

TM11 – Bubble Beam    PP: 20    Power: 65    Accuracy: 100%

Location: Cerulean City Gym, prize for defeating Misty
Gen. 1 Effect: A standard Water attack that has a 10% chance of lowering speed

Smogon Suggestion: Persian, Raticate, Wigglytuff
Casual Suggestion: Mewtwo, Articuno

Now, I lied a bit with the Water Gun analysis.  You do get a chance for a better, stronger Water attack in Bubble Beam, but since it’s actually good for some Pokémon, you might want to save it.  Again, Surf is much stronger, so you don’t need to teach it to any of the Surfers.  Mewtwo is technically the strongest non-Surfer to use it, but Mewtwo has much better things to do with his time than to spit bubbles.  Articuno is next, and this would be my personal pick, as it can help diversify its moveset.  In fact, this used to be one of Articuno's strategies against Rock types.  Smogon suggests normal types like Raticate and Wigglytuff to deal with Rock-type opponents, although technically, Chansey and Clefable will hit harder with the move since they have higher Special stats.  But if you are a hardcore metagamer, you'll want the speedy Persian all the way.

TM45 – Thunder Wave     PP: 20    Power: None    Accuracy: 100%

Location: Route 24, on the north ledge

Gen. 1 Effect: An Electric attack that paralyzes the opponent
Smogon Suggestion: Anyone (Alakazam, Slowbro, Chansey, Starmie, Zapdos, or Mewtwo in particular)
Casual Suggestion: Same as Smogon

Insta-paralysis is a great tool to have on your team, so there is no clear choice for who needs it the most.  Basically, you need it if you’re planning on using any of the following on your team: Clefable, Wigglytuff, Alakazam, Slowbro, Hypno, Electrode, Chansey, Starmie, Mr. Mime, Electabuzz, Porygon, Zapdos, Mewtwo, or Mew.  Pick your favorite. (It doesn’t affect Ground types, so use it on a Pokémon that won’t be battling them.)

TM19 – Seismic Toss    PP: 20    Power: User's Level    Accuracy: 100%
Location: Route 25, behind Cuttable tree (or have the trainer move)

Gen. 1 Effect: A Fighting attack that deals damage equal to the user’s level
Smogon Suggestion: Alakazam, Electabuzz, Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee, Marowak, Mr. Mime, Omastar
Casual Suggestion: Chansey

This is a great move for consistent damage.  A lot of Pokémon learn it however and it’s the exact same for all of them.  So, my first suggestion is just to use it on your teammate that is lacking in a solid moveset, as it’ll always be reliable.  For specific Pokémon that need it, go with someone with a low Attack, like Chansey, who is better suited for defensive moves.  It’s really anyone’s call.  For the competitive player, it's a great asset for Alakazam.  (Machamp, Pinsir, Primeape and Gengar already learn the move or its Ghost equivalent Night Shade.)

TM28 – Dig    PP: 10    Power: 100    Accuracy: 100%

Location: Cerulean City, after defeating the Rocket behind the ransacked house

Gen. 1 Effect: A Ground attack where the user is invulnerable for a turn then hits on the second turn
Smogon Suggestion: Don't Use
Casual Suggestion: Sandslash, Machop, Onix

Every Pokémon that can use Dig can also use Earthquake which doesn’t make you wait a turn to deliver 100 damage, so the only reason to use Dig is for a Pokémon you aren’t planning on saving Earthquake for.  And it’s also like a permanent Escape Rope outside of battles, letting you leave dungeons quickly, which is nice early on.  With that in mind, while Rhydon and Golem are technically the best Dig users, you’ll want Earthquake for them.  Your next choice is Sandslash.  This is a fine option, but if you’re playing Red and no one is around to trade you a Sandshrew, Machop, Growlithe and Mankey are the next best thing.  (Technically, Dugtrio and Marowak are next best, but they learn Earthquake and Bonemerang which are just as strong.)  And there's always Onix, but he hits weaker than all the others.

TM44 – Rest    PP: 10    Power: None    Accuracy: N/A

Location: S.S. Anne, in the second room on the bottom deck

Gen. 1 Effect: The user falls asleep for two turns, healing all damage
Smogon Suggestion: Slowbro, Mewtwo, Articuno, Omastar, Lapras, Vaporeon, Hypno, Golduck
Casual Suggestion: Any of Smogon's, except for Mewtwo

You’ll want a bulky user who can withstand the beating that will be received during sleep, so you want to look at high HP, Defense, and Special, especially among those with a nice balance among all three.  If you add everyone's base stats up in those areas, you'll find that Chansey comes out on top thanks to her massive HP.  Mewtwo is next, but it comes with Recover which is half as good without the penalty of sleep.  Articuno, Cloyster, Omastar, Exeggutor, Lapras, Moltres, Mew, Vaporeon, and Zapdos (in that order) also have great balances on the defensive side.  Slowbro isn't too far behind and its Amnesia allows it to surpass most of the other competitors, which is why its Smogon's top choice. (Golduck also learned Amnesia via a prize in Pokemon Stadium.)  Dragonite and Tangela are also well balanced and better than Hypno, if you so choose.

TM08 – Body Slam    PP: 15    Power: 85    Accuracy: 100%

Location: S.S. Anne, in the second room on the main deck

Gen. 1 Effect: A Normal attack with a 30% chance of paralyzing
Smogon Suggestion: Anyone (Tauros, Rhydon, Golem, Victreebel, or Jolteon in particular)
Casual Suggestion: Dodrio (or anyone with a base attack over 80)

A strong attack with a paralysis bonus is going to be in hot demand and should definitely be somewhere on your team.  Normal types with high Attack stats are going to hit the hardest, meaning Dodrio will be your strongest choice.  Snorlax is next, but he learns the move naturally, so go for Tauros, Kangaskhan, and Raticate after that.  Then, just stick with anyone with a high Attack (Dragonite, Flareon, Kingler, or Machamp).  I've noticed that Smogon occasionally pairs this move with Hyper Beam, but never with Double-Edge.  If you have another strong Normal attack that you want to use more, only use Body Slam in addition if your attacker has a poor moveset.  Of Smogon's choices, Jolteon is the weakest and Body Slam should be reserved for someone else unless Jolteon is the only one on your team who learns it.

HM01 – Cut    PP: 30    Power: 50    Accuracy: 95%

Location: S.S. Anne, after helping the Captain

Gen 1. Effect: A standard Normal attack
Smogon Suggestion: Don't Use
Casual Suggestion: Farfetch'd, Bellsprout, Kingler

In battle, Cut is very undesirable, but it is a mandatory move for progressing in the game.  You’ll basically need to have someone one your team who can use it during the middle third of the game to get past any trees that stand in your way.  But it’s permanent, so you don’t want to use it for one of your final battlers.  Kingler and Pinsir hit the hardest with Cut, but you can’t catch them until well after you need it (and they have much better moves to use anyway).  Fortunately, in Vermillion City, you can receive its third strongest user, Farfetch’d.  It seems as if this creature was put in the game for the sole purpose of letting you have someone to teach Cut to (and in the Gold/Silver sequels, we see that Farfetch’d are used for this purpose).  If you’re playing Yellow, you’ll have to rely on Bellsprout, as the strongest early-access Cutter (followed by Sandshrew, Paras, Charmander, Bulbasaur, Oddish, and Diglett).

Part 2: Lt. Surge to Celadon City is up next!

My Favorite Pokémon: Fighting Edition

The Fighting Type

I never understood the difference between Normal and Fighting types. Like, I understand how each are different in the terms of the game (Fighting types are strong against Rock, Normal, and Ice types, can't hit Ghost types and weak to Psychic and Flying types), but I didn't understand the need for a delineation. In the Fighting vs. Psychic realm, it's about brawn vs. brains. But most Normal moves are physical moves based on fighting techniques. What makes Take Down a Normal move and Submission a Fighting move? I feel that its an unnecessary category, but most of my favorites come from the first Generation, so it warrants it's own focus this time.

5. Machoke

The Machamp family are just stylized bodybuilders. I feel Machoke has the best design out of the three, as Machamp's extra arms look a little goofy. The champion belt that it wears is a nice touch, and the read streaks on its arms give the impression that its muscles are literally burst from underneath its skin. It's a little gross, but cool at the same time. Plus, I enjoy the wild Machokes that always seem to stir up trouble in the various manga chapters.

4. Primeape

Primeape is another silly looking creature (with both pig and ape like features) but the fact that it is just a furball filled with unbridled rage strikes me as such a funny concept and image.  I chose Primeape over his younger counterpart due to the existence of the wrist and ankle clamps that suggest it broke free from its restraints.

3 & 2. Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan

  

As a concept, I really enjoy the duality of Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan.  One is devoted to kicking and the other to punching.  Simple, really.  In terms of design, both are cool looking, and I particualrly enjoy the various interpretations manga artists take with Hitmonlee (stretchy legs and hidden mouths and what not).  But overall, I think Hitmonlee looks slightly cooler.  The weird head, the permanent boxing outfit.  It's just a bizarre looking creature that represents the ultimate Fighting Pokémon to me.

1. Poliwrath (but really Poliwhirl)

Okay, this is a weird cheat.  For pure Fighting, I'd go for Hitmonchan all the time, but I really like Polwhirl and there are just too many Water Pokémon already.  But since he only appears as a Fighting-type once he evolves, I had to give it to Poliwrath.  But Poliwhirl is Satoshi Tajiri's favorite Pokémon (or was when the series started) and as a result, he always appeared in official art and promotional materials as if he were a main player (like Pikachu, Charizard or Mewtwo).  I always wondered why Poliwhirl was tossed in with the rest and upon learning his significance, I warmed up to him.  This was the reason he was picked as Red's starter Pokémon in Pokémon Adventures and that's where I really started to appreciate his design.  The hypnotic swirl on its belly is akin to the intestines of a tadpole, so it isn't just a made-up design choice.  It's not technically a fighting type, but it can punch with its gloved flippers.  So that's good enough for me.