| Pokémon | Why | |---------|-----| | | Intimidate, Dragon Dance, Waterfall, Ice Fang – soloes many fights. | | Umbreon | Insane special wall – Toxic + Wish + Protect. | | Magnezone | Beats Skarmory, Gyarados, most of Lance’s team. | | Togekiss | Serene Grace + Air Slash + Thunder Wave. | | Starmie | Fast, BoltBeam coverage, Recover. | | Metagross / Garchomp | Late-game powerhouses – worth grinding. | | Blissey | If you get a Chansey (route 13), it walls special attackers. |
is a surprise MVP; it learns elemental punches at level 15, allowing it to sweep Falkner and heavily damage Bugsy.
The first three gyms are often where runs die. Use these specific encounters to secure your path: