Pokémon Red and Blue/Cerulean City

'After you enter Cerulean City for the first time, you will be trapped until you defeat Misty in the local Pokémon Gym and your rival Gary at the entrance to Route 24. If you need to build up your Pokémon before taking them on, fight wild Pokémon in the patch west of the city and rejuvenate them at the Pokémon Center. Then earn your Cascade Badge at the gym and head up Route 24.'



Trouble afoot
Some mysterious crimes are afoot in Cerulean, but you can't enter this house when you first see it. A member of the police is guarding the front door. Team Rocket has robbed it. After you visit the Sea Cottage up north, you'll be able to enter this building and exit through a back way that leads to several routes out of Cerulean City.

You can check out the Bike Shop (lower left building), but their bikes seem a tad pricey (a million bucks for a bike? But your money counter stops at 999,999!). You can get a better deal in the building above, although the deal you'll get varies based on which version you're playing: If you're playing Red or Blue, you can trade a not-very-hard-to-get for a very rare.

If you're playing Yellow, you can't get the Jynx, but the girl will give you a if you can prove that you've taken good care of your Pikachu. So check out your Pikachu: If he's in a good mood, with the ears wagging or the little hearts, the Bulbasaur is yours. If not, you'll need to use Pikachu and level him up a few times.

If you try to leave town, you'll have to confront your rival, but you may want to fight him and the Rocket Team members on the bridge (in Route #24) to build some EXP before you fight Misty.



Trainer Battle 2: MISTY


The local Gym looks more like a swimming pool than a serious training facility. If you're not careful of Misty's two Jr. Trainers, you'll be dog-paddling for deal life! After you've splashed around with the trainers, get ready to make big waves by challenging Gym Leader Misty. If you feel you can do without the EXP, you can walk wide around the first one.

All the Pokémon are Water creatures, and they're easy to handle if you have Grass or Electric Pokémon like or. If you don't, you can go pick a good Grass Pokémon like or  in Route #24.

The Cascade Badge and TM 11 (teaching Bubblebeam) are your prize when you win. If Misty is too difficult, go fight the scattered people in Route #24 and #25 to level-up your Electric and Grass Pokémon (although any non-Fire, non-Ground, non-Rock Pokémon will do in a pinch). The Cascade gives you the power to command Pokémon up to Level 30 and to use Cut (once you have HM 01).