Pokemon Yellow Guide

Latest posts by Callum Marshall (see all)

Back in the late nineties, the gaming collective as a whole was still in a state of Pokemon-fever following the mass success of Pokemon Red and Blue, not to mention the trading card game, the popular anime series, and the abundance of licensed merch on offer, which left Game Freak and Nintendo with a problem to solve. How would they keep this gravy train sailing down the river and push the franchise forward?

In fairness, I don’t think anything could have stopped the Pokemon locomotive barreling down the track at the speed that it was back then, but a misstep could have seen interest turn to other franchises at the time. Any Digimon fans out there? I Digress.

So the step that Game Freak decided to make was one they would continue in future games like Pokemon Crystal, Pokemon Emerald, and the like. They would create a definitive edition for Pokemon Red and Blue with Pokemon mascot Pikachu at the center of the action. We are, of course, talking about Pokemon Yellow.

This game would see us travel back to Kanto once again to enjoy the original Pokemon adventure with a new coat of paint, some additional content, and of course, the USP, which was that players would be able to travel around with their starting Pokemon Pikachu out of their Pokeball and hot on your heels.

It was a game that fixed some of the issues with the initial release and added quality of life improvements that would be enough to re-engage fans and set the series up for its second generation.

However, since this game is such a relic by 2022’s modern standards, you may be wondering what this game had to offer fans at the time. Well, we intend to answer every question you have rattling around in your Pokemon-obsessed noggin. So without further preamble, this is our comprehensive Pokemon Yellow Guide. Enjoy!

Pokemon Yellow Plot Synopsis

pokemon special pikachu edition

Okay, so because this game takes the main storyline of the original Pokemon titles, Red and Blue, we won’t be giving you the full rundown here, just the highlights. So here’s the deal.

You begin proceedings in Pallet Town on the day where you finally get to choose your Pokemon and set off on a journey to become a Pokemon master and complete your Pokedex, you know, the usual format. However, things begin a little differently in Pokemon Yellow when compared to Red and Blue.

You head out into the tall grass, and instead of Professor Oak confronting you and hauling you back into his lab, he sees an injured Pikachu and captures it before taking it back to his lab.

He then allows you to select your Pokemon, but instead of the usual Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander selection, there is one ball, and it contains an Eevee. It seems like you are destined to take the versatile Normal-type Pokemon, but your rival bounds in shove you aside, and takes this Pokemon, bummer.

It seems for all the world that you will walk away without a Pokemon, but then Professor Oak remembers the Pikachu and reluctantly gives you this wild Pokemon to train. Essentially, this opening mirrors the events of the first episode of the Pokemon Indigo League anime.

From here, everything is the same narratively when compared to Red and Blue. You’ll have to navigate Kanto, beat Gym Leaders, and wake up huge Snorlax blockages in the road with your trusty Pokeflute.

You’ll need to free the spirit of Cubone’s mother in Lavender Town. You’ll spend large portions of this game dealing with the nefarious Pokemon-nabbing gang, Team Rocket, and eventually, you will head out to Indigo Plateau and take on the Elite Four.

It’s a quintessential Pokemon adventure and, for many of us, the first-ever time exploring the Pokemon universe. Admittedly, it’s not a narrative masterclass, as that has never been the aspect of Pokemon games that drew huge crowds, but it’s a good story that serves as a vehicle for the incredible gameplay.

Pokemon Yellow New Features

A New Starter Pokemon

So let’s talk about the gimmick used to sell millions of copies of this game. Instead of being given the choice of Bulbasaur, Squirtle, or Charmander, you are given a wild Pikachu to train as your initial Pokemon. Now, this alone would be a cool change but not one that would send the Pokemon fanbase into a tizzy.

However, when you throw in a rival with an Eevee, a friendship system that sees you have to win over the wild Pikachu like in the anime, and a Pikachu Sprite that will follow you out of the Pokeball when he front’s your party and you have a gimmick that sells cartridges, my friend.

Now, with the power of hindsight, I will say that the friendship system was pointless, but the other things this change brought were pretty cool. The most notable is the sharp difficulty spike early in the game, where you must take on Brock’s Rock types with Pikachu as your main starter.

It was a trial of fire for new players back then, but it mirrored the struggles of Ash in the anime, and that’s pretty awesome if you ask me.

Closer to the Anime

Now, Pikachu as your main starter wasn’t the only change that helped Pokemon Yellow feel more like the anime series. The game had a lot of subtle differences that helped create this Indigo League anime vibe. Here are some changes that helped create an authentic 1st Gen experience that made it so much easier to role-play as Ash:

  • Sprites were made more like their anime counterparts. Brock, Misty, Jesse, James, Giovanni, and Blaine all have new sprites.
  • Pokemon teams are changed to reflect the Pokemon used within the anime. For example, Giovanni now uses a Persian
  • The Pikachu starter you inherit at the end of the game cannot evolve into Raichu
  • Pokemon Centers have Nurse Joy Sprites, and Police officers in Cerulean City are Officer Jennys

Quality of Life Changes

Then lastly, we have the quality of life changes on offer here. Now, unless you are looking out for these, they will probably pass you by. Some trainers have been moved or replaced, some Gym leaders have new squads, and some TM’s and movements have been adjusted.

However, there are some key changes that many will notice. For example, the entire layout of the Cerulean Cave has been changed to offer easier navigation for the player, the move Focus Energy actually works in this iteration and improves your critical hit ratio, and most notably, players cannot soft-lock their game by running out of money before acquiring the Surf HM within the Safari Zone.

Pokemon Yellow Missing Pokemon

Perhaps the biggest criticism that one can have of Pokemon Yellow is that it doesn’t follow the same script that other definite Pokemon games would later follow when providing a definitive edition. This game would omit quite a lot of Pokemon present in Pokemon Red and Blue, ensuring that fans who bought this title would need to connect with a Pokemon Red or Blue player to complete their Pokedex.

In theory, it’s a good business move on Game Freak and Nintendo’s part, but looking back, it’s a pretty nefarious move that would ensure that fans who didn’t have Pokemon playing pals would need to buy at least two titles to complete their Pokedex. For reference, here are all the Pokemon that were omitted:

raichu pokemon
  • Raichu
  • Weedle/Kakuna/Beedrill
  • Ekans/Arbok
  • Meowth/Persian
  • Koffing/Weezing
  • Magmar
  • Jynx
  • Electabuzz

Some other small changes saw Pokemon like Lickitung and Farfetch’d become available through natural play instead of trades and Pokemon like Abra being available in different locations.

However, the issue here was that no Pokemon was included exclusively within this game to help soften the blow of the missing monsters. However, the appeal here was that you could get your hands on all the original starters in one playthrough, which was a great way to soften the blow.

How to Play Pokemon Yellow in 2022

Speaking of the modern age of Pokemon and the abundance of platforms and releases fans can enjoy, you may be wondering what the best way to play Pokemon Yellow in 2022 is. Well, there are a few options, and we will list them down below:

The Retro Approach

This is easily the least practical method, but equally the coolest method and the one I would recommend for collectors and those that want an authentic nineties Pokemon experience. You can head on to eBay or other online retailers and grab a Game Boy Color for about $80-100.

Then you can go and grab an original Pokemon Yellow cartridge for somewhere around $30-50. As I said, this is a method for retro gaming enthusiasts with deep pockets, but the good news is that these relics hold their value, and who knows, you might just make a profit in years to come.

The Modern Console Port

If you don’t want to anger the Nintendo big wigs and want to do things by the book, or you just want to play this title on a modern console, you’re in luck.

If you have access to a Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo E-shop, you will be able to purchase any of the first-generation titles, Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow. This is currently listed at $14.99 and is a great option for convenient console gaming.

Utilizing Emulators

Now, if you are a cynic like me, you’ll resent the idea of paying $15 for a game released last millennium. So, if you are also in that camp, you can use ROM Hacks and emulators to enjoy this title. This can be done on your PC or even your Android device.

Simply pick your preferred GBC emulator, download a Pokemon Yellow ROM, add the file, and hey presto, you have access to the game with no cash spent.

Pokemon Yellow Walkthrough

Now that you know about this game, all the discernable features between this title and the original first-gen games, and the best ways to play this game in 2022, we think it’s about time we walked you through Kanto and held your hand as you walk the path of a Pokemon Champion.

Now, this game doesn’t stray too far from the format that has been re-imagined in Pokemon Fire Red, Leaf Green, Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Pokemon Let’s Go Eevee. So for that reason, we won’t be offering a deep dive here. We will just be guiding you through the game’s main battles and some important hurdles to overcome along the way. However, we have rambled too long; let’s get stuck in:

Pallet Town/Viridian City

So, as we mentioned above, you go through the usual preamble of finding Professor Oak and acquiring your starter Pokemon. Then you have to do a little delivery to the nearby town of Viridian City PokeMart, you’ll then get your Pokedex, and some Pokeballs, and then your adventure begins.

To begin, we would urge players to take some time to catch some Pokemon aside from your Pikachu for coverage in the routes ahead and Viridian Forest. This will make the early game much more manageable, as banking on your starter will make the first Gym Leader battle a nightmare.

Your best options would be Pokemon like Caterpie, Pidgeotto, Mankey, or Nidoran. Proceed through Viridian City, through Viridian Forest, and you’ll find yourself in Pewter City.

Pewter City

When you arrive in Pewter City, you could hit the Science Museum, but the real task at hand here is the Gym Leader, Brock. You’ll need to have a well-rounded team to take on this rock-type trainer, as your Pikachu will be next to useless here. This is the team that you will be up against:

  • Geodude (Level 10)
  • Onix (Level 12)

The best options here are Pokemon which can learn fighting-type moves or grass-type moves. Mankey is a great option here if you take the time to train them, and Caterpie, when trained up to evolve into Butterfree, can be a real asset here.

However, Nidoran is by far the best option due to its normal-typing and its ability to learn fighting-type moves. When you win this fight, you will acquire the boulder badge, and you can move onto Mt. Moon.

Mt. Moon

This is the first cave area the player will have to navigate and provides a great opportunity to grab a Moon Stone for your Nidoran if you took our advice earlier. This dungeon area is pretty straightforward, but there is one fight that can prove a little tricky, and that is the fight with the fossil collector that isn’t cool with sharing the ancient fossils found in the cave. So here is a quick rundown of that fight:

  • Grimer (level 12)
  • Voltorb (level 12)
  • Koffing (level 12)

The best option here is to go with the normal types and the fighting types that you acquired earlier. Nidoran works particularly well here due to their poison immunity.

However, if you have a well-leveled team, this shouldn’t pose too much of an issue. Just be aware, though, that the onslaught isn’t over, as before you leave Mt.Moon, you’ll be confronted by Jessie and James of Team Rocket fame. They come at you with this team:

  • Ekans (Level 14)
  • Koffing (Level 14)
  • Meowth (level 14)

This battle doesn’t differ too much from the one above, just make use of the poison immunity of Nidoran, and then switch things up to Mankey when Meowth pops out and use your fighting moves to make short work of them. After that, the path is finally clear, and you can make moves to Cerulean City.

Cerulean City

If you want to level up your team a little more, you can head north of the city and take on the trainer challenge on the bridge and earn yourself a Golden Nugget in the process. Plus, you can meet the esteemed Pokemon researcher, Bill.

However, there is a Gym Leader to take down, and this time, it’s the water-Pokemon enthusiast, Misty. Here is the team that you will be facing:

  • Staryu (Level 18)
  • Starmie (Level 21)

The best options here are undoubtedly the starter Pokemon on offer. Pikachu has a huge advantage against Misty’s water types, and if you take the time to improve your friendship level with Pikachu and acquire a Bulbasaur when visiting Cerulean, this can be trained up to aid you in this battle too.

Just lean on their Grass and Electric-type moves, and you’ll earn the Cascade badge, allowing you to press on to Vermillion City.

SS. Anne

SS. Anne

Head south of Cerulean, and eventually, you will end up in Vermillion City, where you will need to take down Lt. Surge. However, you won’t be able to do that until you get the Cut HM, and that can only be acquired via a voyage on the SS Anne. Good thing Bill gave you that ticket earlier.

When you get on board, it’s all pretty straightforward, you battle trainers and Team Rocket goons, and eventually, you will reach the captain’s quarters and get the Cut HM. Before you can do that, though, your rival will block your path.

This can be a tricky battle if you aren’t prepared, so be sure to track back and heal in the first cabin when you enter the ship. Here is how that battle will go down:

  • Spearow (Level 19)
  • Sandshrew (Level 18)
  • Rattata (Level 16)
  • Eevee (Level 20)

This battle is a simple one if you stick with your fighting type Pokemon for battles with Eevee and Rattata, and then Pikachu for the battle against Spearow.

The only test is the Sandshrew, but if you have access to a decent grass or water-type by this point, they will provide coverage and make sure your rival walks away with their tail between their legs.

Quick note, don’t leave the ship after this point until you are happy that you have explored every room and got all the items on board because when you disembark, the SS Anne sets sail without you. Oh well, you have a Gym leader to stomp anyway.

Vermillion City

Teach Cut to a Pokemon so that you can clear a path to the Vermillion Gym. Preferably an HM slave, so you don’t have to add this move to an important Pokemon’s moveset permanently. Once inside the Gym, you will have to solve Lt. Surge’s switch puzzle.

I would love to give you pointers on how to breeze through this, but it’s pure RNG. You simply have to guess where the first switch is, and then miraculously guess where the next one is too. It might take you a little while, but after some guesswork, you will reach the Electric-Type Pokemon leader. Here is how that battle looks:

Raichu (Level 28)

That’s right, he’s only got one Pokemon, but it’s a super-powerful Raichu, mirroring the anime. There are a few good options for this fight, but if you want to go with the smartest option for the path of least resistance, you’ll want a Rock/Ground-type Pokemon.

You can acquire a Geodude in Mt. Moon, or you can head west of Vermillion to Diglett’s Cave and grab a Diglett or a Dugtrio if you are lucky. These options will give you full coverage against Raichu and make this battle a cakewalk, even with Raichu’s high level. This will grant you the Thunderbadge, and you’ll need to do some backtracking from here on out.

Rock Tunnel

Now that you have access to the HM cut, head back to Cerulean near where the burgled house is. Here you will see a new path to explore. Head east, and along this path, you will eventually reach Rock Tunnel. Now, when you were in Diglett’s Cave, we hope you talked to the Miner at the entrance, as they will give you the Flash HM, which grants visibility in super-dark areas.

If not, we would urge you to get it, as, while you can navigate Rock Tunnel without it, the process is a real pain if you can’t use Flash. So light the place up and then explore at your leisure. There aren’t any super tricky battles along this route, and before you know it, you’ll come out the other side in Lavender Town.

Celadon City

You can skip Lavender Town for now, and instead, you should head through the Underground Path West of Lavender Town and visit Celadon City. This is a place where you can shop in the department store, grab yourself an Eevee in the Celadon Mansion, and you can also try your luck at the Game Corner.

However, we have no time for petty things like that because we have a Gym Leader to take down. In this case, the flower-powered Grass-type trainer, Erika. Here is what you are up against this time:

  • Weepinbell (level 32)
  • Tangela (Level 30)
  • Gloom (Level 32)

This is one of the first battles where you might struggle to get a Pokemon with a clear type advantage. Unless you still have access to some Bug-Pokemon from Viridian Forest you want to train. This battle without a type-advantage can be a pain, especially with Gloom handing out status effects like candy.

So I suggest you hit Celadon Mansion, grab yourself an Eevee, and then hit the department store to get a Fire Stone. You will then be able to evolve this Eevee into a Flareon, and just like that, you have a Fire Pokemon that can rip through Erika’s team like tissue paper. The other option is a psychic pokemon like Kadabra, but Abras are so hard to catch and train, so I know which one I would rather do.

However, your time in Celadon isn’t quite over yet, as you will need to stop Team Rocket’s schemes and infiltrate their base in the basement of the Game Corner. Just confront the Rocket grunt guarding the poster on the northeast wall, and you’ll find a way down.

In this base, you’ll have to navigate by using slippery tiles and solving puzzles that grant you access to new areas. It’s all pretty straightforward, though, and you’ll be able to get some cool items along the way like a Moon Stone, Nugget, some powerful TM’s, and a Rare Candy.

You’ll also encounter Jesse and James again, who will use the same team from before, just more leveled up, but the real fight is with the Rocket leader, Giovanni. Here is what Pokemon he is packing in your first encounter:

  • Rhyhorn (Level 24)
  • Persian (Level 29)

By now, you should have access to a decent water-type Pokemon. So be sure to lead with it during the fights with Onix and Rhyhorn. Seadra, Gyarados, or Krabby are good options; then switch to one of your fighting-type Pokemon for the battle with Persian. Winning this battle will grant you the Silph Scope that reveals Ghost Pokemon, and you know what that means. It’s back to the Pokemon Cemetary in Lavender Town, Pokemon Tower. 

Lavender Town

When you reach Lavender Town, begin your ascent to the top of the Pokemon Tower. Here you will encounter a lot of Ghost-type Pokemon and possessed Pokemon Channelers. Your Normal and Fighting monsters will be useless here, so be sure to leave them on the PC before you take on this area.

The only encounters of note here that may be a little challenging are the battle with Jesse and James, which plays out very much like those that have come before, and the battle with the Level 30 Marowak. Just note that you cannot catch this Marowak no matter how hard you try, so don’t waste Pokeballs on them.

After this, speak to Mr. Fuji, and he will give you the Poke Flute, an item that can awake sleeping Pokemon and open up new paths. So get on your way, catch a Snorlax, and head on your way to Saffron City. 

Saffron City

Now that you have access to Saffron, you’ll be able to take on the Psychic-type gym leader. However, you may want to check out the Dojo next door and beat the trainers within. This will give you access to either Hitmonchan or Hitmonlee.

They aren’t much used for the upcoming gym battle, but they are nice to have for later. You might think it’s then time to take on Sabrina next door, but she is out of the office and will be until you see what’s going on at Silph Co (the huge building in the city center). As you would expect, it’s Team Rocket up to their usual tricks, and you will once again have to save the day.

Instead of slippery tiles, this time, you will have to use teleporters to hop from room to room. Again, it’s a fairly straightforward task, and again, there are great items to be found. However, the battles at the end of proceedings are much tougher than at the Game Corner. First up, you have your rival: 

  • Sandslash (Level 38)
  • Ninetales (Level 35)
  • Cloyster (Level 37)
  • Kadabra (Level 35) 
  • Flareon/Vaporeon/Jolteon (Level 40)

This is where rival battles get tough. You will need to bring a pokemon to handle their new Eevee evolution. So either a water-type, a grass-type, or a ground type, depending on the evolution.

Then you also need to bring a water-type to take on Sandslash and Ninetales, a grass-type to handle Cloyster, and then if you have access to a strong Bug Pokemon or a Psychic Pokemon of your own, this can prove invaluable when it comes to taking on Kadabra. The biggest hurdle to overcome is Kadabra, so I would urge you to grab a psychic Pokemon like Kadabra, Executor, or Hypno that can deal big damage here. 

You might think the worst is over after this fight, but there is more to come as Giovanni awaits ahead. You can head to the ninth floor, where an NPC can heal you up, and then your second encounter with Giovanni beckons. Here is his much-improved team this time around: 

  • Nidorino (Level 37)
  • Rhyhorn (Level 37)
  • Persian (Level 35)
  • Nidoqueen (Level 41)

This time around, Giovanni leans on his normal-type Pokemon, and for this reason, the best option here is a Ghost-type. Now, gen-one wasn’t flush with options, so you’ll need to head to Pokemon Tower and grab Ghastly or Haunter. These Pokemon will cut through Giovanni’s team without so much as a scratch due to immunities, and you’ll sail out of Silph Co with a Master Ball as a reward, lovely!

Now comes a real test, Sabrina. You don’t necessarily have to fight Sabrina now, as her Pokemon are tough and at a very high collective level. You could just power ahead to Fushcia City and circle back later. However, let’s assume you go hard as opposed to going home and taking the challenge on anyway. Here is her team: 

  • Abra (Level 50)
  • Kadabra (Level 50)
  • Alakazam (Level 50)

As I said, this battle is a real test, and the only way to take on this Gym is by either over-leveling your team or going in there with a team of strong Psychic Pokemon that can match Sabrina’s bunch, and most importantly, outpace them to get the first shot in.

Pokemon that make great assets in this battle include Kadabra/Alakazam, Executeor, Slowking, Hypno, Jynx, and Mr. Mime. Once you defeat Sabrina, you can now head on to Fushcia City with the knowledge that the Gym battle in that city won’t be anywhere near as tough. 

Fuschia City

Blast through routes 12-15, and you’ll find yourself in the home of the Safari Zone, Fushcia City. We suggest you take the time to visit the Safari Zone first, as this will give you access to some new Pokemon, and you’ll be able to access the HM Surf, which is required to progress further after this upcoming Gym Battle.

When you finally take on the gym, you will have to navigate an invisible maze to reach Kugo, but when you do, you’ll find that his Poison-type Pokemon are likely no match for your well-rounded squad. Here is what you are up against: 

  • Venonat (Level 44)
  • Venonat (Level 46)
  • Venonat (Level 48)
  • Venomoth (Level 50)

The phrase ‘Kill it with fire’ springs to mind here. As these are all Poison/Bug types, you can make use of fire-type Pokemon like Ninetales, Flareon, Arcanine, or Rapidash to make short work of his Pokemon. Other good options include your Psychic Pokemon from the battle with Sabrina, or ground types like Golem, Dugtrio, or Sandslash. This one is really simple, and after this, you can head south and out toward the Seafoam Islands.

For the sake of brevity, we won’t guide you through that labyrinth, but we will say if you are a keen explorer, you may encounter a certain Legendary Ice type that is worth slotting straight into your team. However, let’s assume you have exited the Seafoam islands and have a clear run to Cinnabar Island. 

Cinnabar Island

When you make it to Cinnabar Island, you will find that Blaine has locked the door, and this is because you have to explore the Pokemon Mansion on the island to get the key before you can proceed. Guess he isn’t a big fan of challengers.

This area offers some exposition on legendary Pokemon Mew and Mewtwo and also offers up some neat items and cool Fire and Poison-type Pokemon encounters. Once you fully explore this area, Blaine will return to his post, and you can take on the hot-headed fire-type gym leader. Here is how his team stacks up: 

  • Ninetales (Level 48)
  • Rapidash (Level 50)
  • Arcanine (Level 54)

This one is pretty straightforward. Water puts out fire, so really lean on your water-type Pokemon for this fight. Good options for this fight include Blastoise, Kingdra, Seaking, Krabby, Starmie, Poliwrath, and Gyarados, to name but a few.

After this battle, you can sail north, and you’ll have made a full loop leading you back to Pallet Town. You might think it’s time for the Pokemon League, but there is one quick Gym battle in Viridian that awaits you first. 

Viridian City

This gym was previously abandoned when you first visited Viridian, but it seems the leader has made a miraculous return, and wouldn’t you know it. It’s Giovanni, the Team Rocket Leader. The good news here is that you know what to expect from Giovanni going into this fight. Lots of strong normal-type Pokemon. So here is what you’ll have to take down to claim your final badge: 

  • Dugtrio (Level 50)
  • Persian (Level 53)
  • Nidoqueen (Level 53)
  • Rhydon (Level 55)
  • Nidoking (Level 55)

So the important thing to remember here is that while Giovanni’s Pokemon are very strong and hit hard if you play your cards right, you can still render most of their physical moves useless. If you have access to a Haunter/Gengar, this battle is a simple one to navigate.

Due to a reliance on Ground, Normal, Fighting, and poison-type moves, Gio will struggle to land a shot on you, so you can Shadow Ball his team like it’s going out of style, and before you know it, you’ll have all the badges you need for the Pokemon League challenge.

Also, if you don’t have a Ghost-type, your best option is to have a team composition of fighting types and water types. My suggestions would be Hitmonlee, Primeape, Blastoise, Kingdra, Machamp, and Lapras. Okay, Elite-Four time, people! 

Indigo Plateau Pokemon League

Now, we will be omitting Victory Road for the same reason we left out the Seafoam Islands. Just make sure you have acquired the Strength HM from the NPC in Fushcia City before you make your way here, and you’ll manage to work through this section fine.

However, before you get there, you will have to battle your rival one more time, and that does deserve a little bit of guidance. Here is the breakdown for the final rival battle: 

  • Sandslash (Level 47)
  • Exeggcute (Level 45)
  • Ninetales (Level 45)
  • Cloyster (Level 47)
  • Alakazam (Level 50)
  • Vaporeon/Flareon/Jolteon (Level 53)

This is easily the most diverse team you will have faced to this point, and therefore your team will have to match your rival for versatility. You’ll need either an Electric, Water, or ground type to deal with his Eeveelution. Then you should also include a psychic Pokemon to deal with Alakazam and Exeggcute.

Then a water-type can handle Ninetales and Sandslash, leaving Cloyster, which can be dealt with via an electric or grass-type monster. Provided you have a diverse pool of Pokemon to choose from at this stage; this should be an easy victory. Now, let’s walk through the Elite Four! 

Our Dream Team

Before we walk you through this challenge, here is my selection of Pokemon that I would ideally take with me when taking on the Kanto Elite Four. The level of your Pokemon can vary, but in general, I would suggest that you get all of your Pokemon up to somewhere around level sixty-five if you can:

  • Alakazam
  • Dragonite
  • Lapras
  • Machamp
  • Zapdos
  • Nidoking

Lorelai

We begin with Lorelai, the ice-type trainer. Here is how her team shapes up: 

  • Dewgong (Level 54) 
  • Cloyster (Level 53) 
  • Slowbro (Level 54) 
  • Jynx (Level 56) 
  • Lapras (Level 56) 

This is a very tricky battle to navigate right from the off because many trainers will be tempted to take a fire-Pokemon to melt her ice monsters. However, because of their dual-typing and access to water moves, this can be a bad idea.

Instead, the best plan of attack here is actually to go with a strong fighting type-Pokemon to lead the line. Nidoking or Hitmonlee are great options. Then if you need some coverage, water-types with access to alternative moves can be a great asset as they can tank ice/water moves and then chip away at Lorelai’s Pokemon. After this, head up the stairs, and you’ll find Bruno waiting. 

Bruno

Bruno is a much more straightforward battle and will provide some respite after the battle with Lorelai, provided you have prepared accordingly. Here is a sneak peek at his Fighting/Rock team: 

  • Onix (Level 53) 
  • Hitmonchan (Level 55) 
  • Hitmonlee (Level 55) 
  • Onix (Level 56) 
  • Machamp (Level 58) 

All you need to do to win this one is have a type advantage against fighting types, which can be done with a strong flying or psychic type. Then for the Rock-types, you need to have a water pokemon that can take them out. Great options for this fight include Alakazam, Zapdos, and Blastoise.

The only Pokemon you need to watch out for is Hitmonlee, as it is super fast, and Machamp, as it hits like a tonne of bricks. Next up, it’s Agatha.

Agatha 

Agatha is a trainer that relies on the very limited pool of Ghost Pokemon within this game, as well as a couple of Golbats to add to the spooky roster. It’s a very one-note fight, and you don’t need to switch your tactics too much from the previous battle. Here is the team she leads with: 

  • Gengar (Level 56) 
  • Golbat (Level 56) 
  • Haunter (Level 55) 
  • Arbok (Level 58) 
  • Gengar (Level 60)

The battle consists of Ghost-types for the most part, and if you still have access to the psychic Pokemon you leaned on in the last battle, they will make short work of Haunter and the two Gengar’s. This only leaves Golbat, which can be taken down with a strong electric-type Pokemon.

Perhaps finally a use for Pikachu here. Then when it comes to Arbok, if you have a Nidoking with you, the poison immunity will come in handy to see out the last moments of this fight. There you have it, three down, one to go. You probably haven’t seen many dragons throughout your playthrough to this point. Well, allow me to introduce Lance! 

Lance

Lance is the final member of the Elite Four you will have to cut down to size, and he has Dragon-Type Pokemon to call upon, so it isn’t the easiest test, especially with the pool of first-generation Pokemon you have to work with. Here is his team of beasts below:

  • Gyarados (Level 58) 
  • Dragonair (Level 56) 
  • Dragonair (Level 56) 
  • Aerodactyl (Level 60) 
  • Dragonite (Level 62) 

There is only one surefire way to have Lance quaking in his boots, and that’s by packing an ice-type in your team. All of his party members will be weak to Ice attacks, so having one or two of these Pokemon can make this battle so much easier.

ood options are Lapras, Articuno, and Dewgong. This will also give you access to water-type moves, which are best to deal with Aerodactyl, and then if you have an electric-type on hand, this can be a great way to make short work of Gyarados. Congrats, you are now Pokemon champ. Oh, wait, what’s this? One more battle? It can’t be! 

Pokemon Champion Battle

That’s right, your rival has beaten you to the punch and is now the Pokemon League champion. However, it will be the shortest reign ever if you have anything to say about it. Here is his team for the final battle: 

  • Vaporeon/Flareon/Jolteon (Level 65)
  • Ninetales (Level 63)
  • Sandslash (Level 61)
  • Alakazam (Level 59)
  • Exeggutor (Level 61)
  • Cloyster/ Magneton (Level 61)

This team layout and order do vary slightly depending on the Eeveelution that your rival has been rocking throughout the adventure. However, the team comp is essentially the same unless he has a Vaporeon, in which case Cloyster is swapped for a Magneton.

This one plays out much like your battle before Victory Road. You’ll need a counter for his Eeveelution, a psychic-type to deal with Alakazam and Exeggutor, a water-type to handle Ninetales and Sandshrew, and then either a ground or grass type for Magneton or Cloyster, respectively. 

If you make it out of this battle and at least one of your Pokemon is still standing, then congrats, you are a Pokemon Champion, and you have conquered Pokemon Yellow! 

FAQs

Question: When Was Pokemon Yellow Released?

Answer: Pokemon Yellow was released on the 12th of September 1998 in an attempt to coincide with the release of the first-ever Pokemon feature film, Pokemon: The First Movie. The reception was much more mixed compared to Red and Blue, as many critics felt that this release was a shameless money grab and didn’t improve enough upon the source material to warrant a full release. The game would go on to sell 1,549,000 copies in Japan alone that year. 

Question: Do You Need to Use Pikachu In Pokemon Yellow?

Answer: To some extent, yes, as it is your starting Pokemon, and you will need to use it for the first while at least. However, as soon as you have access to a second Pokemon and can store it on the PC, you can play through the entire game without using Pikachu in your party if you so wish. However, know this; you will be judged. 

Question: What Console Did Pokemon Yellow release on?

Answer: The initial release was on the Game Boy Color. However, the game would later become available on Nintendo consoles via the E-shop, and also, Pokemon Fire Red, a re-imagining of the Kanto-based generation, would release on the Game Boy Advance in 2004. 

Pikachu, I Choose You!

As you can see from the information above, Pokemon Yellow is probably the best retro version of the original Pokemon adventure and certainly the most challenging. In my personal opinion, this iteration of the game is still superior to the likes of Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s go Eevee.

However, if you’ll allow me to give my two cents, Pokemon Fire Red and Pokemon Leaf Green are undoubtedly the most impressive Kanto-based adventures you can embark upon. Pokemon Yellow is still a seminal adventure for Pokemon fans, though, and despite the shortcomings of this title due to missing Pokemon, this is still worth revisiting in 2022.

We hope that this guide has given you all the info you could need to take on the original elite-four, and as always, thank you for reading Pokuniverse.

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