Just Completed my First Solo Run! Pikachu in Yellow Version

[Shanty Pete's 1st Mate]

Well, that's it boys. All the information you could need is in the title, so it's time to pack up the thread.

But nah, for real. After 7 hours and 38 minutes of in-game time, Pikachu and I became champions of the Kanto region! Pikachu's details are shown below:

Spoiler

Level: 76

HP: 190

Attack: 134

Defense: 87

Speed: 180

Special: 114

Moveset: Thunderbolt, Body Slam, Seismic Toss, Double Team

It was a neat experience! The toughest battles were those where the foe led with a Ground-type Pokemon - specifically, one with a Ground-type attack. This included the Champion, Bruno, Giovanni, and - shockingly enough - the Marowak in Pokemon Tower. As frail as Pikachu was, having only one weakness was a plus. And since it outsped almost every opponent, it could get a Double Team up right out the gate. Not only would this give Badge Boosts to all stats, but it would also give a chance to avoid potentially lethal hits. As for the moveset, it went pretty much unchanged beyond the midgame. Thunderbolt was Pikachu's most reliable strong STAB move; Body Slam could deal with high-Spec, low-Def foes; Seismic Toss is the best for Rock/Ground-types and the Ghastly family; and, Double Team let me cheese the game with evasion, while also buffing Badge Boosts in other stats.

I'm considering another "solo run" of Yellow Version, but - bad news - it's not technically possible. Since Pikachu is the only starter, I have to use it for at least part of any future playthroughs. That said, I could still perform a "relay run", where I start with Pikachu and switch to my Solo Mon (like Nidoran, or Charmander, or Ghastly) as soon as I acquire it. Might be doing that... or, might switch over to Crystal Version for a solo with one of the starters instead.

Oh, since I want to foster discussion... what have y'all's experiences been with Solo runs? Any favorite Mons to do it with, or games to do it in? Is it something you'd like to do, but have just never gotten around to? Any further questions about my own run? Let me know in the comments!

[Zapp Branniglenn]

Stacking Badge boosts is a good idea. Way to play the game like it's Gen 1. And Double Team is already a desirable effect in the first place.

I often find myself talking big game about how good Rattata is in Gens 1 and 2. So a Youngster Joey run would certainly prove it. Brock would be an obnoxious roadblock, but Hyper Fang is the toughest move any pokemon is slinging that early in the game. Super Fang also hits Ghost types in Gen 1. As for Gen 2, the third gym badge is an early boost that helps make normal types king. 

[Shanty Pete's 1st Mate]

1 hour ago, Zapp Branniglenn said:

Stacking Badge boosts is a good idea. Way to play the game like it's Gen 1. And Double Team is already a desirable effect in the first place.

Thanks! I took it from a YouTube series that's trying to solo Red/Blue with... every Mon. That creator is too honorable to spam Double Team, but I have no such moral compunctions. 

1 hour ago, Zapp Branniglenn said:

I often find myself talking big game about how good Rattata is in Gens 1 and 2. So a Youngster Joey run would certainly prove it. Brock would be an obnoxious roadblock, but Hyper Fang is the toughest move any pokemon is slinging that early in the game. Super Fang also hits Ghost types in Gen 1. As for Gen 2, the third gym badge is an early boost that helps make normal types king. 

Hyper Fang is absolutely cracked that early in the game, Rattata gets no respect for it. I beat Brock with Pikachu at only level 13. It was a long time ago, but I think it just came down to spamming Tail Whip, hitting with Quick Attack, and Potioning up as needed. Rattata could probably do it at the same level, maybe lower. Plus, unlike Pikachu, it gets Dig (100 BP in RBY!) as an option after Misty, which demolishes a ton of threats to come.

If you're evolving Rattata into Raticate, then I don't think it should have a big problem keeping up with enemies - specifically, enough bulk to survive any hit (excepting Bruno's Fighting STAB moves and Alskazam's Psychic, maybe?). But if you're keen on making a "top percentage Rattata", then the (lack of) bulk could turn into a serious concern.

[lenticular]

Congrats on the run. My only experience of solo runs is watching other people do them on YouTube. But the impression that I get makes them feel kinda similar to low-manning in Fire Emblem. Yeah, you're making things harder on yourself by having fewer units/pokémon and not as much coverage for weapon triangle/type diversity, but you're also going to end up funnelling all the xp into your lord/starter until they're overleveled enough to just trample over everything that way.

The interesting part of it doesn't seem to be "will this be possible?" because it generally will be (unless you're using magikarp or weedle or something), but in seeing how efficiently you can do it, seeing where there'll be unexpected pain point, and so on.

And I do love how Pokémon Yellow, despite being the pikachu game, seems to go out of its way to hate on electric types. First gym? Ground type. I know they say it's rock type, but there are four pokémon in that gym, all are ground type, and only two are rock type. Last gym? Also ground type. The main recurring villain? Ground type. Your rival? Mixed types, but he leads with a ground type. It's great.

[Zapp Branniglenn]

24 minutes ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said:

If you're evolving Rattata into Raticate, then I don't think it should have a big problem keeping up with enemies - specifically, enough bulk to survive any hit (excepting Bruno's Fighting STAB moves and Alskazam's Psychic, maybe?). But if you're keen on making a "top percentage Rattata", then the (lack of) bulk could turn into a serious concern.

I thought of it as a "Let's roleplay as Youngster Joey" challenge, and Joey canonically evolves Rattata into Raticate. But I suppose among the realm of die hard challenge runners, letting him evolve takes a bit of the spice out of the challenge. For what it's worth, Taking your level 100 Raticate to fight Red should be the showdown of all showdowns. 

[ping]

6 hours ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said:

I'm considering another "solo run" of Yellow Version, but - bad news - it's not technically possible. Since Pikachu is the only starter, I have to use it for at least part of any future playthroughs. That said, I could still perform a "relay run", where I start with Pikachu and switch to my Solo Mon (like Nidoran, or Charmander, or Ghastly) as soon as I acquire it. Might be doing that... or, might switch over to Crystal Version for a solo with one of the starters instead.

If you aren't concerned with perfect integrity of the run, I recommend the Universal Pokemon Game Randomizer. You have the option to pick any specific Pokemon as the three (or two, in Yellow's case) starters. Just replace Pikachu with whatever 'mon you want to solo with and leave every other option on "unchanged" (except maybe the "fastest text" option in the rightmost tab). I never played with that specific set-up, but I just did a quick test to see how the "Pikachu breaks out of its ball scene" is handled (the scene plays, your starter just doesn't appear at all) and it seem to work perfectly fine.

In any case, congrats on the run. Ash would be proud.

[Shanty Pete's 1st Mate]

5 hours ago, ping said:

If you aren't concerned with perfect integrity of the run, I recommend the Universal Pokemon Game Randomizer. You have the option to pick any specific Pokemon as the three (or two, in Yellow's case) starters. Just replace Pikachu with whatever 'mon you want to solo with and leave every other option on "unchanged" (except maybe the "fastest text" option in the rightmost tab). I never played with that specific set-up, but I just did a quick test to see how the "Pikachu breaks out of its ball scene" is handled (the scene plays, your starter just doesn't appear at all) and it seem to work perfectly fine.

In any case, congrats on the run. Ash would be proud.

Thanks for the tip. The thing is, I'm playing on a (non-hacked) 3DS. So, unfortunately, mods aren't an option. Happy for whoever can play in this way, though.

I hope so! An "Ash Ketchum" run - with Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Caterpie, the Starters, Lapras, and Snorlax, is an interesting notion. Not looking forward to having to release Butterfree, though...

8 hours ago, lenticular said:

Congrats on the run. My only experience of solo runs is watching other people do them on YouTube. But the impression that I get makes them feel kinda similar to low-manning in Fire Emblem. Yeah, you're making things harder on yourself by having fewer units/pokémon and not as much coverage for weapon triangle/type diversity, but you're also going to end up funnelling all the xp into your lord/starter until they're overleveled enough to just trample over everything that way.

The interesting part of it doesn't seem to be "will this be possible?" because it generally will be (unless you're using magikarp or weedle or something), but in seeing how efficiently you can do it, seeing where there'll be unexpected pain point, and so on.

Thanks! Yeah, it seems like a solo is definitely quicker than a full "team of six" run, even if some individual trainers present more of a roadblock. It's probably not as "optimal" as having two or three Mons, so you can switch out to get rid of stat drops or confusion, but you might just be able to outlevel your opponents. 

9 hours ago, lenticular said:

And I do love how Pokémon Yellow, despite being the pikachu game, seems to go out of its way to hate on electric types. First gym? Ground type. I know they say it's rock type, but there are four pokémon in that gym, all are ground type, and only two are rock type. Last gym? Also ground type. The main recurring villain? Ground type. Your rival? Mixed types, but he leads with a ground type. It's great.

The game seems somewhat cognizant of this, in that Brock's Pokemon are at a lower level than in Red/Blue. Also, Gym Leader Giovanni is "easier", in that Persian replaces Rhyhorn. In practice, though, other trainers' Pokemon tend to have better movepools, meaning Dig and Earthquake are far more frequent threats than they would be in Red/Blue.

In any case, I will never forgive Brock for leaving Trainers with the lesson that "Rock is immune to Electric". It's not, it's just that Rock/Ground predominates among non-Fossil species.

9 hours ago, Zapp Branniglenn said:

I thought of it as a "Let's roleplay as Youngster Joey" challenge, and Joey canonically evolves Rattata into Raticate. But I suppose among the realm of die hard challenge runners, letting him evolve takes a bit of the spice out of the challenge. For what it's worth, Taking your level 100 Raticate to fight Red should be the showdown of all showdowns. 

Getting any Mon to level 100 in classic GSC is gonna be a serious pain. The strongest wild Pokemon are in, like, the low-40s, while the strongest repeatable trainers are in the Elite Four (also in the 40s). And any "solo" fight against Red is gonna be a struggle. Still, you could do worse than bringing a Raticate.

[Eltosian Kadath]

17 minutes ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said:

 

Oh, since I want to foster discussion... what have y'all's experiences been with Solo runs? Any favorite Mons to do it with, or games to do it in? Is it something you'd like to do, but have just never gotten around to? Any further questions about my own run? Let me know in the comments!

Haven't really done a Solo run before, usually I prefer some form of multi-mon run, like:

the 6 Smeargle challenge: The challenge is simple, hack/trade 6 Smeargle, or Smeargle eggs to the beginning of a game, and use them throughout the game. Its an interesting one as finding ways to steal the best moves from your opponents with Smeargle's signature Sketch move, in the hopes that you will find some way to overcome their hilariously bad stats is what the game is all about now.

 a Hardcore Nuzlocke: Well know challenge type at this point, basically an ironman run of Pokemon (only first pokemon caught in each route, and when a pokemon faints it must be released) where you aren't allowed to use things that give the player too big of advantage over the computer (so set mode, can't overlevel gym battles, no items in battle...)

or a Monotype challenge: Only pokemon of one type can be used, that I think is most interesting when compared to others Monotype runs... speaking of which, this is making me think I should try a mono electric type run of gen 1 soon..

Although I am a fan of watching solo runs from Youtube channels like Jrose11, or the classic Mah Dry Bread.

 

15 hours ago, Zapp Branniglenn said:

 

I often find myself talking big game about how good Rattata is in Gens 1 and 2. So a Youngster Joey run would certainly prove it. Brock would be an obnoxious roadblock, but Hyper Fang is the toughest move any pokemon is slinging that early in the game. Super Fang also hits Ghost types in Gen 1. As for Gen 2, the third gym badge is an early boost that helps make normal types king. 

Rattata has some real advantages in those early gens, like a good diverse TM movepool, and Hyperfang is a really good early stab for them as well. Admittedly Gen 3 gave it the surprisingly potent Guts+Facade combo...

 

[Zapp Branniglenn]

6 hours ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said:

Getting any Mon to level 100 in classic GSC is gonna be a serious pain. The strongest wild Pokemon are in, like, the low-40s, while the strongest repeatable trainers are in the Elite Four (also in the 40s). And any "solo" fight against Red is gonna be a struggle. Still, you could do worse than bringing a Raticate.

Yeah I know a bit about that grind. My friend and I have been working our way through Round 2 of Pokemon Stadium, and training a team of six lv 100s just to take on that one round of Prime Cup. One shotting those 26 same pokemon, then soft resetting through the credits. You might be thinking just use the speedup feature, but unlike Stadium 1, Stadium 2's 2x and 3x speed settings only unlock after 100%ing Round 2, not Round 1 like in the previous game. It'll all be worth it to use Light Ball Surfing Pikachu

[Imuabicus der Fertige]

On 5/8/2023 at 1:30 AM, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said:

Oh, since I want to foster discussion... what have y'all's experiences been with Solo runs? Any favorite Mons to do it with, or games to do it in? Is it something you'd like to do, but have just never gotten around to? Any further questions about my own run? Let me know in the comments!

On the topic of run variety, has anyone tried Pokemon Emerald Rogue? Or a randomized run of any rom? ´Twas fun wiping to Felicia with a Flygon as ace. 

[Eltosian Kadath]

18 minutes ago, Imuabicus said:

On the topic of run variety, has anyone tried Pokemon Emerald Rogue?

I've done a few runs of Emerald Rogue, even won one or two of them. Also did a few runs of one of the older versions (v. 1.03) of Emerald Rogue as well...

[Shanty Pete's 1st Mate]

16 hours ago, Imuabicus said:

On the topic of run variety, has anyone tried Pokemon Emerald Rogue? Or a randomized run of any rom? ´Twas fun wiping to Felicia with a Flygon as ace. 

Felicia? The Maid from Fire Emblem Fates?

Anyway, I haven't played Emerald Rogue, but I've watched one of my fave YouTubers playing it. Seems like a fun concept, even if it's outside my wheelhouse right now. I have played randomized runs, particularly in the Soul Link format. Used it in HGSS and B2W2. Don't believe I've done an individual randomized run, though.

[lenticular]

On 5/8/2023 at 1:38 PM, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said:

The game seems somewhat cognizant of this, in that Brock's Pokemon are at a lower level than in Red/Blue. Also, Gym Leader Giovanni is "easier", in that Persian replaces Rhyhorn. In practice, though, other trainers' Pokemon tend to have better movepools, meaning Dig and Earthquake are far more frequent threats than they would be in Red/Blue.

I'd say that gym leader Giovanni is harder in Yellow than Red/Blue, both in general and for electric types. Yeah, he loses his Rhyhorn, but he also has higher level pokémon, and they have way better moves. In Red/Blue, only 1 of his 5 pokémon has a damaging ground move (not counting Fissure). In Yellow, 4 of his 5 pokémon have Earthquake.

[Shanty Pete's 1st Mate]

2 hours ago, lenticular said:

I'd say that gym leader Giovanni is harder in Yellow than Red/Blue, both in general and for electric types. Yeah, he loses his Rhyhorn, but he also has higher level pokémon, and they have way better moves. In Red/Blue, only 1 of his 5 pokémon has a damaging ground move (not counting Fissure). In Yellow, 4 of his 5 pokémon have Earthquake.

Yeah, I would agree with that. My take, RB -> Y:

Brock becomes easier. Both lose levels, Geodude loses Defense Curl (meaning more Tackles, but also less tedium for physical attackers), and while Onix gains Bind, I don't think it makes that big a difference. 

Misty is about the same. Only real difference is Starmie gaining Harden, which seems lateral at most.

Lt. Surge becomes harder. He loses two Mons, but with four extra levels and a much better moveset, that Raichu is a nightmare.

Erika is about the same. Her whole team gains levels, and her Tangela gets Grass STAB... but her Victreebel and Vileplume devolve, cutting their stats.

Koga becomes harder. His Koffings were never that bad, Muk was just annoying with Disable and Minimize, while Weezing was mostly a Selfdestruct threat. In Yellow, his Venonat/moth army all have Psychic, two Nats have Sleep Powder, and the (level 50!) Moth has Double Team. Totally bonkers.

Sabrina is about the same. She loses one member total, but their levels skyrocket. That said, her lead Abra is total setup fodder. Sure, it can Flash, but that can be ignored via Guard Spec or X Accuracy. Any Mon with boosting moves is gonna have a field day here, in a way they never would've against the original. But going against level 50 Kadabra and Alakazam unprepared is a death wish.

Blaine becomes harder. Again, he loses a member in sum, but gains a Ninetales with Confuse Ray and Flamethrower. Arcanine gets a stronger moveset, and they all have higher levels.

And Giovanni becomes harder, for reasons already established.

[lenticular]

38 minutes ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said:

Lt. Surge becomes harder. He loses two Mons, but with four extra levels and a much better moveset, that Raichu is a nightmare.

On the other hand, I believe (wouldn't swear) that he has "good ai" in R/B but loses it in Yellow. So, if you're using a water or flying type, you have a better chance of being able to just luck your way through him in Yellow.

41 minutes ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said:

Sabrina is about the same. She loses one member total, but their levels skyrocket. That said, her lead Abra is total setup fodder. Sure, it can Flash, but that can be ignored via Guard Spec or X Accuracy. Any Mon with boosting moves is gonna have a field day here, in a way they never would've against the original. But going against level 50 Kadabra and Alakazam unprepared is a death wish.

My favourite cheese strat that I've seen people do here is to deliberately stall against the Abra, let it hit you with Flash 6 times, giving you 6 activations of the badge boost glitch (in addition to any setup you can do while you're stalling), and then sweep using Swift. Gen one is a wonderful, glorious, broken mess.

[Imuabicus der Fertige]

On 5/11/2023 at 1:57 PM, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said:

Felicia? The Maid from Fire Emblem Fates?

TIL her name´s Roxanne in English.

Huh, they give Felizia - Vom Felsen (from rock) as origin but Felizia is from latin felix for lucky... huh. Maybe successful, since she´s a kid gym leader?

[Shanty Pete's 1st Mate]

1 hour ago, Imuabicus said:

TIL her name´s Roxanne in English.

Huh, they give Felizia - Vom Felsen (from rock) as origin but Felizia is from latin felix for lucky... huh. Maybe successful, since she´s a kid gym leader?

Ah okay, that's a tough draw right there. Personally, I like to use the "similar power level" checkbox when doing a randomizer. That way, early game gym leaders will still tend to have weak Mons, while E4 members won't be stuck with first-stage trashmons.

On 5/12/2023 at 3:15 PM, lenticular said:

On the other hand, I believe (wouldn't swear) that he has "good ai" in R/B but loses it in Yellow. So, if you're using a water or flying type, you have a better chance of being able to just luck your way through him in Yellow.

I will have to check for that, if I ever get around to soloing Yellow with a Pokemon of one of those types. Right now, though, I am working on Crystal with just a(n evolving) Chikorita.

[Zapp Branniglenn]

1 hour ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said:

I will have to check for that, if I ever get around to soloing Yellow with a Pokemon of one of those types. Right now, though, I am working on Crystal with just a(n evolving) Chikorita.

Bayleef is one of my favorite pokemon. Razor Leaf, Synthesis, Reflect, Light Screen...probably not the best set for a solo run. Synthesis is handily replaced with a good stock of items. And I know the Elite Four is at least half made up of pokemon that resist Razor Leaf. And oof, Curse and Double Team are post game TMs. There's no options for buffing beyond dual screens.

 

On 5/12/2023 at 11:31 AM, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said:

Sabrina is about the same. She loses one member total, but their levels skyrocket. That said, her lead Abra is total setup fodder. Sure, it can Flash, but that can be ignored via Guard Spec or X Accuracy. Any Mon with boosting moves is gonna have a field day here, in a way they never would've against the original. But going against level 50 Kadabra and Alakazam unprepared is a death wish.

See that comes down to the player. When I was a dumb kid I would blast Abra without a second thought for long term strategy. I'm just trying to get back to the Alakazam that ruined me a few minutes ago. I thought she was the hardest gym match growing up. But an informed player knows about badge boosts, or went out of his way to pick up battle items, or made room for buffing moves that a casual player wouldn't think you would need over more attacking types, or has the gym battle's info up on bulbapedia right now.

Fire Emblem can be that way too. The difficulty can shift dramatically between a blind playthrough and an informed playthrough.

Edited May 24, 2023 by Zapp Branniglenn

[Shanty Pete's 1st Mate]

7 hours ago, Zapp Branniglenn said:

Bayleef is one of my favorite pokemon. Razor Leaf, Synthesis, Reflect, Light Screen...probably not the best set for a solo run. Synthesis is handily replaced with a good stock of items. And I know the Elite Four is at least half made up of pokemon that resist Razor Leaf. And oof, Curse and Double Team are post game TMs. There's no options for buffing beyond dual screens.

Often, the "awkward middle evolution" in starter lines takes a lot of guff. But in the case of Bayleef, it might just be my favorite in that evolutionary line. Stuff like cutting circles out of its leaves, is just such a cool look.

As for moveset, getting Razor Leaf early is just such a blessing. It's possibly the best Grass-type move for a main game playthrough, with high PP and decent damage. Reflect is great, too, turning Pidgeotto's Gust into like a 4HKO. Being limited to Tackle for Normal offense before Bugsy sucks. But if you can break through him (and ???), you get Headbutt by TM, and eventually Body Slam by level-up. Interestingly, I didn't teach Synthesis, since I figured HP restoring items could get the job done.

Mud-Slap has actually been huge, too - both for the Accuracy-reducing effect, and also as the best option against the Gastly and Magnemite families (both of which ??? uses). I'd like to replace it with Earthquake, once I get to Victory Road... but here's where a catch comes in. If I want to have dual screens, then I've only got room for two attacking moves. Razor Leaf + Body Slam leaves me essentially walled by Magneton, Forretress, and Gengar. But, Razor Leaf + EQ means I'm struggling against Xatu, Eggy, Crobat, Murkrow, and the three Dragonites. Body Slam + Earthquake are at least neutral against everything excepr Aerodactyl, but it'd mean losing out on a high-PP STAB move, and my only Special attacking option. So, I'm a bit stumped for now.

7 hours ago, Zapp Branniglenn said:

See that comes down to the player. When I was a dumb kid I would blast Abra without a second thought for long term strategy. I'm just trying to get back to the Alakazam that ruined me a few minutes ago. I thought she was the hardest gym match growing up. But an informed player knows about badge boosts, or went out of his way to pick up battle items, or made room for buffing moves that a casual player wouldn't think you would need over more attacking types, or has the gym battle's info up on bulbapedia right now.

Fire Emblem can be that way too. The difficulty can shift dramatically between a blind playthrough and an informed playthrough.

Yep, certainly. I always like the chance to figure out new stuff, and new playstyles, in familiar games. Based off of new knowledge. These last couple runs, for instance, have basically been my first time using "X Attack" and friends in battle. Some of the most disregarded items in the series, I think.

[Imuabicus der Fertige]

Wanted to do a Volbeat Emerald solo, because it´s moveset is so cool with 2 signature moves, but alas, screw physical/special split.

On 5/24/2023 at 7:00 PM, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said:

That way, early game gym leaders will still tend to have weak Mons, while E4 members won't be stuck with first-stage trashmons.

Norman in Ruby/Sapphire: I`m the legend now

[henrymidfields]

On 5/8/2023 at 12:17 PM, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said:

Thanks! I took it from a YouTube series that's trying to solo Red/Blue with... every Mon. That creator is too honorable to spam Double Team, but I have no such moral compunctions. 

You mean JRose II? I've been listening and watching his runs. Amazing how he's been making a tier-list of the best-to-worst Pokemon for solo-runs.

[Shanty Pete's 1st Mate]

17 hours ago, henrymidfields said:

You mean JRose II? I've been listening and watching his runs. Amazing how he's been making a tier-list of the best-to-worst Pokemon for solo-runs.

Yep, one and the same! His videos have been very nice to watch and listen to, without demanding too much attention. As crazy an undertaking as it is, what's crazier is, he's already about halfway through the Dex! That's more dedication than I can imagine mustering.