But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to pick from! Granted they may not fit into every team – but there’s lots of variety here. So let’s check out some of the top HG/SS contenders for this underdog typing.
5. Raticate
Raticate doesn’t seem like a great Pokémon – and that’s because it kind of isn’t. Its below-average stats and limited move pool leads it to fall off after the mid-game. It still makes this list though, because of its amazing performance in the early stages of the game. Early on, moves like Hyper Fang, Crunch, and Pursuit are some of the strongest physical attacks that any of your Pokémon will learn – which turns Raticate into a surprisingly powerful fighter. For a final move suggestion, give Raticate Scary Face to debuff opponents who may prove a bit too much to handle. Raticate can have this full moveset by level 24, with no TMs needed, making this rat a stress-free way to survive Morty’s Ecruteak City Gym. How to catch: Catch a Rattata on Route 29, 32, or 33, then evolve it into Raticate at level 20.
4. Pidgeot
Most known for its status as the quintessential Route 1 bird Pokémon, Pidgeot is also an excellent choice to fill the Normal-type void on your team. For Flying-type STAB moves, give Pidgeot Fly for utility, or Aerial Ace for pure combat efficiency. You can also teach it both moves – which is typically how I build it. But if you want to equip it with some Normal STAB, Pidgeot can learn Hyper Beam by TM (found in Goldenrod Department Store). As strong as Hyper Beam is, it’s usually better to give Pidgeot some utility moves in its last two slots. Pidgeotto will learn Agility at level 32, so Pidgeot will have that from the get-go. Consider using Agility to boost Pidgeot’s speed to outrun any two-shot knockouts that’ll be coming its way in the later stages of the game. Then combine Agility with Double Team, found in Celadon Game Corner, and you’ll have a fast & evasive Normal-type that’ll gbe extremely difficult to kill. How to catch: Catch a Pidgey on Route 29 or 30, then evolve it to Pidgeotto at level 18. Pidgeotto will then evolve at level 36 into Pidgeot.
3. Miltank
Just saying Miltank’s name is enough to cause a little dread for anyone who’s played the Johto games. We can continue the nightmares that Whitney’s Miltank gave us by teaching our own Miltank Rollout. This move will get stronger for 5 turns in a row if it’s uninterrupted. Defense Curl can buff Miltank’s physical defense, and it can be stacked up to 6 times. If you’re taking a beating you can use stacks of Defense Curl until you’re satisfied, then use Milk Drink to heal Miltank back up to full health. With everything ready to go, set off a Rollout to watch your enemy’s team fall apart. Zen Headbutt is also a great pick for Miltank’s final move, acting as strong coverage against any Fighting-types. How to catch: Miltank can be found on Route 38, 39, and 47. Its encounter rate is low on Route 38 and 39, so feel free to wait until Route 47 if you don’t want the hassle of running around in the grass for too long.
2. Snorlax
Being arguably the fan-favorite bulky creature we all love, Snorlax falls pretty close to the top here. This sleeping giant is an excellent special wall in just about every way. Its bulk is enormous, and its move pool will let us keep it around long enough to grind multiple enemy Pokémon down. Let’s start with Toxic, the centerpiece that can build Snorlax’s stalling build around. Find the Toxic TM in the Battle Frontier Market, and apply it at the beginning of each fight to quickly drain the enemy Pokémon of its HP. Once Toxic is applied, hit the enemy with a huge STAB Giga Impact, found in Celadon Game Corner. If the enemy is somehow still standing after a Giga Impact and 2 rounds of Toxic, use Rest or Protect to keep Snorlax alive – hopefully leading to the third round of poison that’ll take down your foe. You can find Protect in the Goldenrod Department Store, while Rest is learned naturally at level 25. Either move works great, but only equip one of them, as we’ll need the fourth move slot for a vital bit of coverage. Steel-type Pokémon are immune to poison, so we’ll have to think outside of that Toxic stalling strategy to take them down. Take Snorlax to the move tutor in the Frontier Front to teach it Fire Punch, its best piece of Steel-type coverage. With this final move, Snorlax is now all-but-unstoppable against special-based ‘mons. How to catch: Snorlax will be fought as a special encounter on Route 11 after waking it up with the PokeGear during the story.
1. Blissey
Blissey has so much HP. So much, in fact, that the game’s programming literally can’t handle a Pokémon with more HP. This colossal HP stat, combined with a very high special defense stat, is what earns this pink Pokémon the top place on our ranking. Blissey’s moveset will play out in much the same way as Snorlax’s moves – just with much stronger support for Toxic stalling. Toxic is up first, followed by Protect, with both learned by TM once again. For healing, Blissey has Softboiled, which will heal a full 1/2 of Blissey’s absurdly high HP. That said, we’ll also need some coverage for Steel Pokémon. So we can teach Flamethrower to make sure Blissey can grind down any type that stands before it. The Flamethrower TM can be found on Route 28, and in the Goldenrod Game Corner. How to catch: Catch a Chansey on Route 13, 14, or 15. It’ll evolve into Blissey by leveling up with high happiness.
