What is the best Pokemon in Pokemon Yellow?

Same top tier as Red and Blue for the most part. Alakazam still dominates with 135 Special and no real Psychic counters. The difference is you can run all three starters, giving you more team flexibility early on. Nidoking from Mt. Moon is still one of the best picks in the game. Starmie and Tauros round out the top tier for the same reasons they dominate Red and Blue.

Can you evolve Pikachu in Pokemon Yellow?

No. Your starter Pikachu refuses the Thunder Stone and won't evolve into Raichu. You're stuck with base 55 Speed and 50 Special, which gets outclassed fast. Pikachu is usable through Misty and Lt. Surge, but falls behind by the midgame. You can catch a different Pikachu at the Power Plant and evolve that one, but the starter stays as-is.

How do you get all three starters in Yellow?

Bulbasaur comes from a woman in Cerulean City when your Pikachu's friendship is high enough. Charmander is on Route 24 north of Cerulean, given by a trainer who can't take care of it anymore. Squirtle comes from Officer Jenny in Vermilion City after you beat Lt. Surge. All three are free, so you can build a team around multiple starters without trading.

What Pokemon are unavailable in Yellow?

Weedle, Kakuna, and Beedrill aren't in the wild. Ekans, Arbok, Meowth, and Persian are gone too since they belong to Team Rocket (you fight Jessie and James instead of random grunts). Jynx moves to a different location, and Raichu only shows up at the Power Plant. None of these are major losses for a playthrough since better options exist for every slot.

Is Pokemon Yellow harder than Red and Blue?

The first gym is tougher since Pikachu can't touch Brock's Rock/Ground types. You need to grab a Mankey on Route 22 for Low Kick or catch Nidoran early for Double Kick. After Brock, the difficulty evens out. Having all three starters actually makes the mid-game easier than Red and Blue since you're less dependent on random encounters to fill type coverage.

What's the best team for a Yellow playthrough?

Pikachu (mandatory), Nidoking from Mt. Moon, then pick up Bulbasaur and Squirtle when they become available. Add Alakazam from trade-evolving Kadabra, and Snorlax from one of the two blocking Routes 12 and 16. Swap in Arcanine if you want Fire coverage instead of Grass. No major type gaps with this squad.

How do you beat Brock with Pikachu in Yellow?

Pikachu's Electric moves do nothing to Brock's Rock/Ground Pokemon. Your best bet is Mankey from Route 22, whose Low Kick destroys Brock's team. Butterfree with Confusion also works if you grind Caterpie early. Some players brute-force it with Pikachu's Slam, but that takes longer than just catching a counter.

Pokemon Yellow Tier List - Best Picks for Playthroughs

Yellow shares Gen 1's mechanics with Red and Blue, but your team options shift. Pikachu's your mandatory starter and it can't evolve, so it falls off hard in the late game. The upside? You get Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle as freebies during the story, which changes team building entirely. Same Psychic-dominated meta, same Speed crit system, different tools to work with.