Can I complete the Yellow Pokedex without trading?

Trading is unavoidable. Yellow's wild tables quietly drop some Pokemon, and a few like Pikachu only come as gifts, never as wild catches. On top of that, evolutions like Alakazam, Machamp, Golem, and Gengar only finish over a link cable. You'll need a Red or Blue cart to round out the dex.

Which field moves do I need to get around Kanto in Yellow?

Cut and Surf open the most ground. Cut clears the small trees blocking shortcuts, and the S.S. Anne's captain teaches it. Surf carries you across the water routes like 19 and 20. Strength comes later for boulder puzzles in caves. Spread these onto a party member you don't mind using as your traveler.

Yellow Route 5

A short road linking Cerulean City to Saffron City, where the Underground Path begins and wild Abra teleport away.

Route 5 is in Kanto, with Cerulean City to the north and Saffron City to the south. In the story it comes after Route 25 and continues through its entrance to Underground Path 5-6.

ROUTE 5 MAP

Pokemon Encounters

Abra shows at 15 percent here, the first real shot at the Alakazam line if you can land a ball before it teleports off, set among the Pidgey and Rattata with a stray Jigglypuff at 10 percent.

Type

✦Special encounters1

#067Machoke

Trade Arrives at the level of the Pokemon you trade

#016Pidgey

40% - Lv 15–17

#019Rattata

30% - Lv 14–16

#063Abra

15% - Lv 7

#039Jigglypuff

10% - Lv 3–7

#017Pidgeotto

5% - Lv 17

Trade

#067

Machoke

Fighting

Evolves into Machamp via trade

EV yield

2 Attack

Acquisition

Trade

Evolves right after the trade is completed

Arrives at the level of the Pokemon you trade

You give

Cubone

You get

Machoke

MACHOKE’S DETAILSNickname“RICKY”

NPC locationRoute 5View on map

Machoke page →

#016

Pidgey

NormalFlying

Evolves into Pidgeotto at Lv 18

Encounter rate

40% Common

Level

15–17

EV yield

1 Speed

1 in 3wild encounters

will be Pidgey — about 1m of walking through grass to catch one.

Catch odds

~3m

to catch one

Poke Ball34%

Great Ball50%

Ultra Ball34%

Nuzlocke

40%

first wild (est.)

TierHigh

PickReliable

Also found in 12 other locations

29%Viridian ForestLv 4–8

#019

Rattata

Normal

Evolves into Raticate at Lv 20

Encounter rate

30% Common

Level

14–16

EV yield

1 Speed

1 in 3wild encounters

will be Rattata — about 1m of walking through grass to catch one.

Catch odds

~4m

to catch one

Poke Ball34%

Great Ball50%

Ultra Ball34%

Nuzlocke

30%

first wild (est.)

TierHigh

PickReliable

Also found in 15 other locations

Route 2Lv 3–4

35%Route 21Lv 13–15

30%Pokémon MansionLv 34–43

#063

Abra

Psychic

Evolves into Kadabra at Lv 16

Encounter rate

15% Uncommon

Level

EV yield

1 Sp. Atk

1 in 7wild encounters

will be Abra — about 3m of walking through grass to catch one.

Catch odds

~6m-8m

to catch one

Poke Ball26%

Great Ball50%

Ultra Ball34%

Nuzlocke

15%

first wild (est.)

TierMid

PickRisky

Also found in 4 other locations

#039

Jigglypuff

Normal

Evolves into Wigglytuff with an item

Encounter rate

10% Rare

Level

3–7

EV yield

2 HP

1 in 10wild encounters

will be Jigglypuff — about 7m of walking through grass to catch one.

Catch odds

~9m-14m

to catch one

Poke Ball22%

Great Ball43%

Ultra Ball34%

Nuzlocke

community tier

Score20

PickLottery

SourceDerived

Also found in 3 other locations

#017

Pidgeotto

NormalFlying

Evolves into Pidgeot at Lv 36

Encounter rate

5% V.Rare

Level

EV yield

2 Speed

+10

1 in 20wild encounters

will be Pidgeotto — about 20m of walking through grass to catch one.

Catch odds

~23m-38m

to catch one

Poke Ball16%

Great Ball30%

Ultra Ball27%

Nuzlocke

first wild (est.)

TierLow

PickLottery

Also found in 12 other locations

1%Viridian ForestLv 9–9

Pidgeotto page →

Route 5 Guide

Trading is unavoidable. Yellow's wild tables quietly drop some Pokemon, and a few like Pikachu only come as gifts, never as wild catches. On top of that, evolutions like Alakazam, Machamp, Golem, and Gengar only finish over a link cable. You'll need a Red or Blue cart to round out the dex.
Cut and Surf open the most ground. Cut clears the small trees blocking shortcuts, and the S.S. Anne's captain teaches it. Surf carries you across the water routes like 19 and 20. Strength comes later for boulder puzzles in caves. Spread these onto a party member you don't mind using as your traveler.