Crystal tweaks Gold and Silver's encounter tables and adds a Suicune storyline that changes how you build your team. Suicune is a guaranteed catch at Tin Tower instead of a roaming headache, making it way more practical to use. Typhlosion and Feraligatr are still the best starters, and the free Red Gyarados at Lake of Rage carries through the back half of the game. The post-game Move Tutor on Route 25 teaches Flamethrower, Thunderbolt, or Ice Beam for free.

How to read this tier list
Elite Pokemon
Base Stat Total of 600+
Legendary
Story-central, catchable in-game
Mythical
Rare, event-exclusive
BST
Base Stat Total (sum of all 6 stats)
Fast with strong offense
Bulky with good offense
Very high offense, slow
Extremely bulky, low offense
High offense but fragile
Bulky support, low offense
Fast utility, momentum control

  • Typhlosion is the best starter and one of the strongest Pokemon all game. Suicune gets a guaranteed catch at Tin Tower instead of roaming like in Gold and Silver, which bumps it into the upper tier. The Red Gyarados at Lake of Rage is still free and still one of the best Water-types you can grab mid-game.

  • The biggest gameplay change is the Suicune storyline. Instead of roaming randomly, Suicune waits at Tin Tower for a proper battle. Some wild Pokemon appear in different locations or at different levels, shifting when certain picks become available. Crystal also added animated sprites, the Battle Tower for post-game, and the Odd Egg from the Day Care (a mystery egg with a high shiny chance). A post-game Move Tutor on Route 25 teaches Flamethrower, Thunderbolt, or Ice Beam for free.

  • Follow the Suicune storyline through Johto. You'll run into Eusine at several points, and Suicune appears at specific locations as you progress. After clearing the Tin Tower requirements, it waits there as a static Level 40 encounter. Way easier than Gold and Silver where all three beasts roam randomly across the map. Bring Ultra Balls or a Pokemon with Mean Look and you should be fine.

  • Cyndaquil, same as Gold and Silver. Typhlosion's Fire typing has almost no in-game competition, and its Speed and Sp. Atk are the best of the three final evolutions. Totodile is a strong second choice since Feraligatr hits hard physically. Chikorita remains the challenge pick with defensive stats that don't speed up your playthrough.

  • Typhlosion (starter), Espeon from Bill's Eevee in Goldenrod, Red Gyarados from Lake of Rage, Heracross from headbutt trees, Ampharos from Mareep on Route 32, and Suicune from the Tin Tower storyline. Suicune slots in as your bulky Water-type if you don't want to double up alongside Gyarados.

  • One of the best free Pokemon in any game. The Red Gyarados at Lake of Rage is Level 30, already evolved, and has Water/Flying typing with strong physical stats. Teach it Surf and Waterfall for STAB, add Ice Beam for Dragon and Grass coverage, and it carries through the rest of Johto and most of Kanto. The shiny coloring is just a bonus.

  • A few encounter tables shifted. Phanpy shows up on Route 46 in Crystal (morning only) instead of being Silver-exclusive. Sneasel appears in Ice Path. The Odd Egg from the Day Care gives you one of seven baby Pokemon (Pichu, Cleffa, Igglybuff, Tyrogue, Smoochum, Elekid, or Magby) and it might be shiny. Some time-of-day encounter slots changed too, but the core roster is the same 251.