Pokémon Red and Blue/Route 2 & 22

New Pokémon Available

Red	Blue	Yellow
Spearow Nidoran♀ Nidoran♂ Weedle	Spearow Nidoran♀ Nidoran♂ Caterpie	Spearow Nidoran♀ Nidoran♂ Mankey

These routes are a good place to collect more Pokémon. Route #22 (shown below) is full of Rattata, along with a specimen or two that are rarely found in this area. Remember to weaken a Pokémon in battle before using a Poké Ball on it, or else it will be able to break free. The first time you come through Route #2, head into Viridian Forest to continue your journey.

File:Pokemon RBY Route22.png

Route #22

Rival Awaits

Route #22 encounters

Rattata	50%	50%	10%
Spearow	10%	10%	10%
Mankey	N/A	N/A	20%
Nidoran♀	5%	35%	25%
Nidoran♂	35%	5%	35%

It's a good idea to take some time and train your Pokémon on Route #22. You will have the chance to catch a Mankey, but they are only in Yellow version. Be sure that you do if you're playing it. Otherwise, be sure to pick up whichever Nidoran is more common in the version you're playing, both if you're trying to complete your Pokédex. If you stumble upon a Spearow, it makes a nice addition to your collection, being a better Flying-type than Pidgey. If you would like to earn extra EXP (and 280), you can challenge your rival here by heading west towards the pond along the top path. Before you do, make sure that you have a few strong Pokémon, and that they're healthy and ready to fight. You may wish to wait until after you've traveled through Viridian Forest to conduct this battle... or you may want to skip it entirely. He has a level 9 Pidgey, so it knows Sand-Attack, which is quite annoying. He will also have his starter at level 8. If it's Charmander it won't have learned a new move, but Bulbasaur will have learned Leech Seed (which sucks health from the opponent over time), and Squirtle will have learned Bubble, which has a low base power but has a 30% chance of slowing the opponent down. If you beat your rival, you can head back to Pallet Town to get 5 Poké Balls for free from Professor Oak in his lab (but only if you have not purchased any Poké Balls yet, so it's really not worth the hassle of fighting your rival with only your starter Pokémon).

When you're done at Route #22, make your way back to Viridian City and exit to the north to reach Route #2. Much of this route is inaccessible to you at this point in the game, but that will change in time. For now, your only concern is reaching the entrance to Viridian Forest. Don't bother hunting for Caterpies or Weedles out here; they're plentiful in the forest.

Rival Battle #2

Rival Battle #2

	Pidgey Level 9
	Rival's Starter Level 8
	Spearow Level 9
	Eevee Level 8

Your rival has improved marginally since Pallet Town. In Red and Blue, he's toting a Pidgey in addition to his starter; in Yellow, a Spearow. You will also want to have some new Pokémon at your disposal.

The first order of business is acquiring a Spearow, since it's right here on Route 22. Anyone not using Charmander needs to acquire a Spearow. Training it to L7-L8 will be sufficient. After that, go to Viridian Forest and capture a Pikachu. All parties want to do this, because Pikachu can counter your rival's new Pidgey (as well as 2/3 starters). Level Pikachu up to L9 for Thunder Wave.

Now, the strategy. Your rival always leads with Pidgey; send out Pikachu and K.O. it in 2-3 Thundershocks (preferably two). If your rival chose Bulbasaur, switch to Spearow and Peck until Bulbasaur falls; if Squirtle, keep Pikachu in and Thundershock repeatedly, sending in Spearow if Pikachu falls. Finally, Charmander has no available counter yet; you'll have to rely on a small degree of strategy, namely Pikachu's Thunder Wave. Paralyze, then attack until one Pokémon faints; if Pikachu goes down first, Spearow can finish it with ease.

In Yellow version, your rival has Spearow and Eevee. Pikachu will destroy Spearow without any difficulty whatsoever, and Eevee is best handled by catching a Mankey on Route 22 and raising it to L9 for Low Kick.

File:Pokemon RBY Route02 Zoom.png

Route #2 (early in the game)

#29 Nidoran♀ & #32 Nidoran♂
Female Nidorans are everywhere in Blue, and males abound in Red, but both appear with equal frequency in Yellow. The sharper horned males have a slight edge, since they learn better offensive attacks in this and the next phase of their evolution, but both are solid all-around fighters early in the game. Yellow affords them both Double-Kick at level 12, useful in an upcoming battle with Rock-types coming in the near future. While both are Poison-types, they don't get a lot of Poison techniques.
#21 Spearow	#56 Mankey
Spearows may not have a third stage of evolution like Pidgeys do, but they're actually a bit stronger, and a bit rarer in the early going. Unlike Pidgey, Spearow begins with a Flying attack in Peck, and is destined to learn arguably the most usable one; Drill Peck. Spearow lends immunity to Ground attacks, as well as increased damage against Grass, Bugs, and Fighting-typed opponents. The increased damage against Bug-type will help a lot as you will soon make your way through Viridian forest.	Only available this early in Yellow, you'll find Mankey's Low Kick to be very useful against Normal and Rock-type enemies. In Yellow, it gains Low Kick at an easy level 9.

Route #2 encounters

Rattata	45%	45%	40%
Pidgey	40%	40%	30%
Weedle	15%	N/A	N/A
Caterpie	N/A	15%	N/A
Nidoran♀	N/A	N/A	15%
Nidoran♂	N/A	N/A	15%