How to beat every Pokémon game

Catch Machop in Oreburgh Mine — Low Kick crushes Rock-types.

• Get the Pokétch on Jubilife's main road — collect 3 Coupons from the clowns hidden around the city.
• Oreburgh Mine (south of the gym): catch Geodude and Machop — both wreck Roark.
• Roark: Geodude (Lv. 12) → Onix (Lv. 12) → Cranidos (Lv. 14, Headbutt + Pursuit + Leer).
• Counters: Piplup (Bubble), Machop (Low Kick), Budew (Absorb).
• Reward: Coal Badge + TM76 Stealth Rock.

Bring a Starly (Flying), Ponyta from the Trainers' School, or any Fire/Bug/Ice move.

• Old Chateau (Eterna Forest): catch Gastly at night, Rotom in the back room (insert Cartridge of HG/SS or hit randomly).
• Galactic Building has the HM01 Cut — beat the grunts upstairs.
• Gardenia: Cherubi (Lv. 19) → Turtwig (Lv. 19) → Roserade (Lv. 22, Magical Leaf + Grass Knot + Stun Spore + Poison Sting).
• Counters: Staravia (Wing Attack), Ponyta (Ember), Kricketune (Fury Cutter).
• Reward: Forest Badge + TM86 Grass Knot.

Psychic-types are everywhere on Route 209 (Drowzee, Abra). Flying works too.

• Hearthome Gym is locked at first — beat Maylene and Crasher Wake first, then return.
• Get the Soothe Bell in Pokémon Mansion (Route 212) — boosts friendship for Riolu→Lucario.
• Solaceon Town: Daycare for breeding. Lost Tower has hidden items (TM27 Return on top).
• Maylene: Meditite (Lv. 27) → Machoke (Lv. 27) → Lucario (Lv. 30, Drain Punch + Metal Claw + Bone Rush + Force Palm).
• Counters: Drifblim (Flying), Staraptor (Wing Attack), Kadabra (Psychic).
• Reward: Cobble Badge + TM60 Drain Punch.

Roselia, Luxio, Turtwig — all great here. Avoid Fire.

• Great Marsh (Safari Zone equivalent): catch Skorupi, Carnivine, Croagunk for unique types.
• Wake: Gyarados (Lv. 27) → Quagsire (Lv. 27) → Floatzel (Lv. 30, Brine + Crunch + Swift + Aqua Jet).
• Counters: Luxio (Spark beats Gyarados/Floatzel), Roserade (Grass Knot for Quagsire), Torterra (Wood Hammer).
• Reward: Fen Badge + TM55 Brine.

Dark or Ghost moves. Houndour is rare; consider catching a Murkrow.

• Quiz-tile gym — answer questions like 'Did Ghost-type moves not affect Normal-type Pokémon?' (YES). Wrong answer = trainer fight.
• Fantina: Duskull (Lv. 32) → Haunter (Lv. 34) → Mismagius (Lv. 36, Magical Leaf + Psybeam + Shadow Ball + Lucky Chant).
• Counters: Houndoom (Bite), Sneasel (Faint Attack), Luxray (Crunch).
• Reward: Relic Badge + TM65 Shadow Claw.

Fire or Ground attacks. Magmar from Fuego Ironworks is a great pick.

• Iron Island: Riley joins for a tag battle, gives you a Riolu egg → Lucario when hatched + leveled with happiness in daytime.
• Byron's gym puzzle: floor lifts. Hit switches in order to raise platforms to him.
• Byron: Magneton (Lv. 36) → Steelix (Lv. 36) → Bastiodon (Lv. 39, Iron Defense + Metal Burst + Ancient Power + Taunt).
• Counters: Infernape (Close Combat), Magmar (Fire Punch), Lucario (Force Palm).
• Reward: Mine Badge + TM91 Flash Cannon.

Steel, Fighting, or Fire. Lucario evolves around now from your Riolu egg.

• Galactic HQ (Veilstone) story between badges 7 and 8 — beat Saturn for the Energy.
• Spear Pillar climax (Mt. Coronet summit) — Cyrus then Dialga (Diamond) / Palkia (Pearl). Save before Lv. 47 catch — bring Quick Balls.
• Snowpoint Gym puzzle: snowman pads, push snowballs onto warm tiles to melt them and reach Candice.
• Candice: Sneasel (Lv. 40) → Piloswine (Lv. 40) → Abomasnow (Lv. 42) → Froslass (Lv. 44, Avalanche + Crunch + Ice Shard + Confuse Ray).
• Counters: Infernape, Lucario, Houndoom, Magmortar.
• Reward: Icicle Badge + TM72 Avalanche.

Torterra is immune to his Electric attacks. Otherwise use any Ground.

• Solar-panel puzzle: rotate panels to connect circuits — start from gym entrance and trace the cable.
• Volkner: Jolteon (Lv. 46) → Raichu (Lv. 46) → Luxray (Lv. 48) → Electivire (Lv. 50, Thunder Punch + Ice Punch + Light Screen + Giga Impact).
• Counters: Torterra (Earthquake), Garchomp (Earthquake), Rhyperior, Hippowdon.
• Reward: Beacon Badge + TM57 Charge Beam.

Aaron (Bug) → Bertha (Ground) → Flint (Fire) → Lucian (Psychic) → Cynthia (mixed). One of the toughest champions ever.

• Victory Road is long with Strength puzzles and Surf/Waterfall. Stock 30 Hyper Potions, 8 Full Restores, 12 Revives, status heals.
• Aaron: Dustox/Beautifly/Vespiquen/Heracross/Drapion — Flying + Rock + Fire.
• Bertha: Quagsire/Sudowoodo/Whiscash/Gliscor/Hippowdon — Grass + Water + Ice.
• Flint (DP version is only half Fire): Rapidash/Steelix/Drifblim/Lopunny/Infernape — Water + Ground + Fighting.
• Lucian: Mr. Mime/Girafarig/Medicham/Alakazam/Bronzong — Dark + Bug + Ghost. Watch Bronzong's Levitate.
• Cynthia: Spiritomb/Gastrodon/Lucario/Milotic/Roserade/Garchomp (Lv. 62, Earthquake + Dragon Rush + Giga Impact). Bring Ice Beam on 2+ mons. Save Master Ball-tier strategy: Weavile/Mamoswine ohko Garchomp.