How to beat every Pokémon game

Catch a Geodude on Route 46 — Rock-type for free, sweeps Falkner.

• Deliver Elm's egg-mystery package to Mr. Pokémon (Route 30), then return — rival appears in New Bark and battles you.
• Sprout Tower (Violet): every Bellsprout knows Growth — be patient. Elder gives HM05 Flash.
• Falkner: Pidgey (Lv. 7) → Pidgeotto (Lv. 9, Mud-Slap + Gust). Gust is super-effective on you only if you bring Bug/Grass — Geodude/Onix walls it.
• Reward: Zephyr Badge + TM31 Mud-Slap.

Anything Fire/Flying/Rock works. Cyndaquil is perfect.

• Slowpoke Well: clear Team Rocket — ~7 grunts, end with Proton/Executive. Earn the right to enter Azalea Gym.
• Talk to Kurt after — give him Apricorns to craft custom Poké Balls (24h wait).
• Bugsy: Metapod → Kakuna → Scyther (Lv. 16, Quick Attack + Fury Cutter). Scyther is the threat — Rock or Fire OHKOs.
• Reward: Hive Badge + TM49 Fury Cutter.

Whitney's Miltank is the series' biggest difficulty spike. Bring a Machop, Geodude, or anything bulky.

• Get HM01 Cut from the Charcoal Man's apprentice in Ilex Forest after returning the Farfetch'd.
• Goldenrod Department Store: buy X-Defends for Whitney. 5F has TM27 Return — best Normal STAB in the game.
• Bike shop trade: free Bicycle if you talk to the owner.
• Whitney: Clefairy (Lv. 18) → Miltank (Lv. 20, Stomp + Attract + Rollout + Milk Drink).
• Plan: Lead a male Machop with Low Kick (Mt. Mortar trade in Goldenrod). Spam X-Defend turn 1, then Low Kick. Or use Geodude with Magnitude.
• Carry Paralyze Heals — Stomp's flinch + Attract is brutal. After her loss she cries; talk to her again for the badge.
• Reward: Plain Badge + TM45 Attract.

Catch Houndour or use Tyrogue/Hitmon line. Avoid Normal/Fighting moves — they don't hit Gengar.

• Bug-Catching Contest (Tue/Thu/Sat) — 20-min timed bug catch. Win for Sun Stone. Pinsir/Scyther are the prizes.
• Burned Tower: chase the legendary beasts (Raikou/Entei/Suicune scatter — Crystal locks Suicune to Tin Tower).
• Get HM03 Surf from a kid in Ecruteak's house after rescuing him.
• Morty: Gastly (Lv. 21) → Haunter (Lv. 21) → Gengar (Lv. 25, Hypnosis + Dream Eater + Shadow Ball) → Haunter.
• Counters: Houndour (Bite), strong Bite/Crunch users, Umbreon. Avoid Psychic (Hypnosis sleeps you instantly).
• Reward: Fog Badge + TM30 Shadow Ball.

Climb the lighthouse, get the SecretPotion in Cianwood, then come back. Cianwood Gym (Chuck, Fighting) is on the way.

• Surf from Olivine to Cianwood — fight a few Tentacool trainers along the way.
• Cianwood Gym (Chuck): Primeape (Lv. 27) → Poliwrath (Lv. 30, Surf + Hypnosis). Use Psychic, Flying, or Fairy types.
• Pharmacist in Cianwood gives the SecretPotion. Surf back to Olivine and use it on Amphy in the lighthouse.
• While in Cianwood, grab HM02 Fly from a tree on Route 47 (need Cut + Surf).

Fire or Ground moves wreck her Steelix and twin Magnemites.

• Jasmine: Magnemite (Lv. 30) → Magnemite (Lv. 30) → Steelix (Lv. 35, Iron Tail + Sunny Day + Sandstorm).
• Counters: Quilava (Flame Wheel), Flaaffy (Thunderpunch via Move Tutor), Geodude/Graveler with Magnitude.
• Reward: Mineral Badge + TM23 Iron Tail.

Clear the Lake of Rage Red Gyarados, then raid the Rocket HQ under the souvenir shop.

• Lake of Rage: catch the Shiny Red Gyarados (Lv. 30) — guaranteed Shiny, story event. Save first if you want to soft-reset for nature.
• Lance shows up and helps. Rocket HQ has password puzzles — eavesdrop on the grunts upstairs in the souvenir shop for the codes.
• Final HQ password sequence: 'Slowpoketail' / 'Raticate Tail'. Cut electrodes (B3F) to disable security.
• Boss: Rocket Executive (Houndour/Houndoom/Koffing). Use Fighting or Water.

Steel and Fighting moves dominate.

• Sliding-ice puzzle — slide until you hit a rock, then redirect. Path zig-zags right→up→left→up→right.
• Pryce: Seel (Lv. 27) → Dewgong (Lv. 29) → Piloswine (Lv. 31, Blizzard + Earthquake).
• Counters: Magmar/Quilava, Machop family, Steelix.
• Reward: Glacier Badge + TM16 Icy Wind.

Ice moves only. Catch a Dragonair or evolve your Seadra into Kingdra after.

• Radio Tower: Team Rocket takeover. Disguise as a grunt with the basement key, beat Petrel, then face Director (real one) for the Card Key.
• Free Lapras at Union Cave on Friday nights — best Ice attacker in the game.
• Ice Path: sliding ice + boulder puzzles. Push each boulder one space onto a hole.
• Clair: Dragonair x2 (Lv. 38) → Gyarados (Lv. 38) → Dragonair (Lv. 41, Slam + Thunder Wave + Surf).
• Counters: Lapras (Ice Beam), Piloswine (Blizzard), Jynx.
• She withholds the badge — clear Dragon's Den (answer all Elder questions wisely: 'Pokémon are friends', 'Both', etc.) to get it. Reward: Rising Badge + TM24 DragonBreath.

Will (Psychic) → Koga (Poison) → Bruno (Fighting) → Karen (Dark) → Lance (Dragon).

• Will: Xatu/Jynx/Slowbro/Exeggutor — Dark or Bug.
• Koga: Crobat/Forretress/Muk/Venomoth/Ariados — Psychic, Fire, Ground.
• Bruno: Hitmontop/Hitmonlee/Hitmonchan/Onix/Machamp — Psychic, Flying.
• Karen: Umbreon/Vileplume/Gengar/Murkrow/Houndoom — Fighting (Umbreon/Houndoom), Ground.
• Lance: Gyarados/Dragonite x3/Aerodactyl/Charizard. Ice Beam ohkos all 3 dragons. Bring 2+ Ice users.

Sail from Olivine to Vermilion. Re-do all 8 Kanto gyms (Lv. 30s–50s) and finish on Mt. Silver to fight Red.

• Order suggested: Lt. Surge → Sabrina → Erika → Misty → Brock → Janine (replaces Koga) → Blue (Viridian) → Blaine on Cinnabar's Seafoam Islands cabin.
• After all 16 badges, Mt. Silver opens on Route 28 (need Rock Climb / waterfall).
• Red: Pikachu (Lv. 81) / Lapras (Lv. 80) / Snorlax (Lv. 82) / Venusaur (Lv. 84) / Charizard (Lv. 84) / Blastoise (Lv. 84). Pack Full Restores and a varied team Lv. 75+.