Old Timey Games: Pokemon Red Version (Part IV)

Welcome back to the world of Pokemon. Today, we marvel at the incompetence of the Cerulean City police department.

Yeah, somehow this officer couldn't find the guy she was looking for even though he is right there. The people inside the house have been robbed, and even if you just try to walk past without engaging the guy in battle you're forced to fight him anyway. Oh, well.

Spr RG Rocket.png

Rocket || ¥510

Machop Lv.17 || Fighting || 319 exp

Drowzee Lv.17 || Psychic || 370 exp

As a bonus for our mandatory good deed, we get TM28 Dig. This is the first move we have access to that has an effect outside of battle (unless you caught an Abra). It works the same as an escape rope, meaning it returns you to the entrance of a dungeon. Follow the path south, being careful not to hop the ledge back into Cerulean City.

Route 5 & 6

Pidgey || Normal / Flying
Oddish || Grass / Poison (Red version only)
Meowth || Normal (Blue version only)
Mankey || Fighting (Red version only)
Bellsprout || Grass / Poison (Blue version only)

Across some ledges on this route, you will find the daycare. A Pokemon placed in the daycare will receive 1 exp for each step your player takes. Upon withdrawing a Pokemon from the daycare you must pay ¥100, plus an additional 100 for each level the Pokemon has gained. Any moves that become available upon level up will be taught automatically, potentially meaning moves you want to keep will be overwritten. Pokemon do not evolve in the daycare.

According to the map we would have to pass through Saffron City to get to Vermillion, which is our next destination. However it seems as though the road is closed for no discernible reason, so we won't be doing that. Instead, off to the right of the guard station is a smaller building leading to an underground tunnel, so this will serve as our way through.

The little girl (or boy, it's hard to tell) at the tunnel entrance will trade you a female Nidoran for your male Nidoran, which is useful if you don't want to spend the extra time looking for the less common species. At least in Red version, in Blue the female is more common to begin with.

There is a hidden item here, right when you come down the stairs. It's a pretty high-end healing item, so it's pretty nice.

Unfortunately the whole tunnel looks pretty much identical so it's hard to show off the exact location. It's close to the opposite set of stairs to the ones pictured in the other shot, they're only about 2/3 stepss off the screen.

You will emerge on Route 6, which has some trainers to face off against.

Spr RG Bug Catcher.png

Bug Catcher || ¥160
Weedle Lv.16 || Bug / Poison || 177 exp
Caterpie Lv.16 || Bug || 181 exp
Weedle Lv.16 || Bug / Poison || 177 exp

Spr RG Jr Trainer M.png

Jr. Trainer♂ || ¥400

Squirtle Lv.20 || Water || 282 exp

Jr. Trainer♀ || ¥320

Rattata Lv.16 || Normal || 195 exp

Pikachu Lv.16 || Electric || 280 exp

Bug Catcher || ¥200

Butterfree Lv.20 || Bug / Flying || 685 exp

Jr. Trainer♀ || ¥320

Pidgey Lv.16 || Normal / Flying || 187 exp

Jr. Trainer♂ || ¥320

Spearow Lv.16 || Normal / Flying || 198 exp

Raticate Lv.16 || Normal || 397 exp

*singing of a heavenly choir*

I hate this city. I don't even know why. There's actually a decent amount of houses and stuff, but I just don't like it. Maybe it's because I'm not a big fan of the colour orange? Who knows.

In the house to the left of the Pokemon Center (northwest corner of the city) this man will give you the Old Rod. Also known as the Magikarp Rod, but possibly only to me.

Directly south of the fisherman's house is the Pokemon fan club. Go in and talk to the chairman, and at the end of his speech he will give you the Bike Voucher. When you take this back to the shop in Cerulean, you will be able to receive a Bicycle free of charge! I recommend heading back right away.

The child in the house next to the fan club will trade you a Farfeth'd for a Spearow. Like the Jynx trade, it is the only one of the species available and it comes with a nickname. It is a Normal/Flying type.

East of the city is the Diglett's Cave, which is home to the Pokemon for which its names and its evolved form Dugtrio. They are both pure ground types. Catching a Diglett would be very beneficial for the upcoming gym battle, however I would caution against trying to catch its evolved form. The wild Dugtrio are found upwards of level 30, meaning they may not listen to you and there's also the chance of them KO'ing your Pokemon while you are trying to catch them.

There is some stuff on the other side, but most of it is unavailable at present so I'm going to take care of some trainers a bit further east.

Route 11

Spearow || Normal / Flying

Ekans || Poison (Red version only)

Sandshrew || Ground (Blue version only)

Drowzee || Psychic

Gambler || ¥1260

Poliwag Lv.18 || Water || 297 exp

Horsea Lv.18 || Wateri || 319 exp

Youngster || ¥315

Ekans Lv.21 || Poison || 279 exp

I went and caught a Magikarp and it took me almost two hours to evolve it, but at last I have a Gyarados. And all because I decided I didn't want to wait all the way until Saffron to get a Lapras.

Youngster || ¥285

Sandshrew Lv.19 || Ground || 378 exp

Zubat Lv. 19 || Poison / Flying || 219 exp

Youngster || ¥270

Nidoran♂ Lv.18 || Poison || 231 exp

Nidorino Lv. 19 || Poison || 454 exp

Gambler || ¥1260

Bellsprout Lv.18 || Grass / Poison || 324 exp

Oddish Lv.18 || Grass / Poison || 300 exp

Gambler || ¥1260

Growlithe Lv.18 || Fire || 351 exp

Vulpix Lv.18 || Fire || 243 exp

Engineer || ¥1050

Magnemite Lv.21 || Electric || 400 exp

Youngster || ¥255

Rattata Lv.17 || Normal || 207 exp

Raticate Lv. 17 || Normal || 421 exp

Gambler || ¥1260

Voltorb Lv.18 || Electric || 396 exp

Magnemite Lv.18 || Electric || 342 exp

Engineer || ¥900

Magnemite Lv.18 || Electric || 342 exp

Magneton Lv.18 || Electric || 621 exp

At the far end of the route you can find a rope in a bush outside of a large building, which is another guardhouse.

On the second floor of the station you will find a boy who wants to trade you a Nidorina in exchange for a Nidorino. There is also one of Professor Oak's aides, and if you've obtained at least 30 kinds of Pokemon he will present you with an Itemfinder. This sounds like it would be useful, but honestly you can skip it. It only pings if there is a hidden item on the screen, it doesn't give you any sort of clue as to where it actually is.

Take the exit out the other side and find another hidden item, though take note that we can't actually explore this route yet. There is a Snorlax in our way, which is rather rude.

Well, I was going to continue right on with this up until beating the gym leader but I've decided to split it into two posts once again. In the next section I'll be taking you aboard the S.S. Anne. It is filled with trainers, but you can leave to heal at any time. Buy some Potions if you think you'll need them, though!

Go to part V --->

My Team So Far