Pallet Town to Pewter City

Notes: Talking again after you get the gift, or after the Viridian scene, gives only flavour lines. The game also contains an unused Lv. 10 Poliwhirl gift for the same house that nobody in the house offers, so only the Poliwag can be obtained.

How it works: he asks five questions and only tells you at the end whether one of your answers was wrong. He doesn't say which one. You can try again at once. Answer all five correctly to get his prize: an Exp. Share (one time).

Question 4 is the usual trap: "Type, Power, Accuracy, PP" looks right, but the game only accepts "Effect".

What it is: a small side quest. A resident says a Meowth keeps sneaking into people's homes all over Viridian City to steal things, and asks you to teach it a lesson.

With any other starter, the Meowth resident only says a general line about living alongside Pokémon, and the Meowth never appears.

How it works:

1. Finish the catching tutorial on Route 1. That makes the quest available.
2. Talk to the resident in the north of town, standing just east of the upper door of the house north-west of the Gym. They ask you to deal with the Meowth, and the Meowth appears.
3. The Meowth sits on the west side of town, level with the Pokémon Center and next to the Super Fang tutor. Talk to it and answer Yes to "Teach Meowth a lesson?". It attacks first: a wild battle against a Lv. 5 Meowth. If you answer No, nothing happens and you can come back later.
4. Beat it, catch it or run away: the game only checks whether you lost. If you black out, the Meowth stays and you can try again.
5. Go back to the resident for the reward: one Lure Ball.

Why it matters: the Super Fang tutor on the west side of Viridian teaches Super Fang for one Lure Ball. This quest is an early way to get that ball.

How it works:

1. Talk to the clerk. They say a Pikachu keeps stealing food from the Mart, and the Pikachu appears a few steps south-west of the house door just north of the Pokémon Academy.
2. Talk to the Pikachu and answer Yes to "Teach Pikachu a lesson?". It is "wary of you" and runs off to the far northwest corner of town.
3. Follow it and talk to it again (Yes). It runs to the east edge of town, south-east of the Poké Mart (next to a street light).
4. Talk to it there, from directly north or south. This time it lunges at you: a wild battle against a Lv. 5 Pikachu. Beat it, catch it or run away.
5. Go back to the clerk for the reward.

Reward: 1 Lure Ball, which is what the Super Fang tutor on the west side of Viridian charges.

Notes: Answering No does nothing, so you can try again. If you black out, Pikachu stays where it was. If you talk to it from the wrong side at a spot, it just runs back to the northwest spot. Its chase positions aren't saved: if you leave Viridian and come back, it is back at its first spot (tested in an emulator by the translation team).

How it works:

1. Talk to the keeper. A naughty Mankey keeps breaking the street lights. The Mankey appears on the east side of town, south-east of the Gym door, beside a street light (a few steps south-east of the Trainer with the Politoed).
2. Talk to it and answer Yes to "Mankey is practicing its punches on a street light. Stop it?". It gets furious: a wild battle against a Lv. 5 Mankey. Beat it, catch it or run away.
3. Go back to the keeper.

Reward: 1 Fast Ball. The Quiver Dance tutor on Route 2 charges one Fast Ball.

Notes: Losing leaves Mankey in place, so you can try again. Blue's scene in Viridian (he stops you south-west of the Pokémon Center and gives you his number) hides the Mankey. If it played while the quest was running, the Fast Ball would be lost. That can't happen in normal play: the scene sits on the only way into town from Route 1, so it has always played before you can reach the keeper (see Known issues). tested in an emulator by the translation team: you can't walk around Blue, the way round is a pond.

How it works:

1. The examiner says you must help someone in Viridian City.
2. Talk to Yellow and answer Yes to "This little girl wants a Pokémon. Help her out?".
3. You need a plain Poké Ball in your Bag. It is taken and handed to Yellow. Without one, your character goes off to buy one; come back and ask again.
4. You're taken to Route 2 and battle a Lv. 5 Rattata (a scripted battle, so you have to win). Yellow throws the ball and catches it. If you lose, you white out and the ball is gone: bring another Poké Ball and ask Yellow again.
5. Back in Viridian, Yellow gives you her thanks gift.

Reward: 1 Big Pearl, and the examiner now lets you through ("That's proof enough of your virtue").

Notes: This is the Gym's first trial. The Wisdom quiz and the Skill trainers come next (next entry). Yellow's story continues later (Viridian Forest rescue, romance route).

How it works: five questions. Any wrong answer and he still asks the rest, then turns you away at the end without saying which one was wrong. You can retry at once. There are two valid answer sets. The honest one:

The Team Rocket set ("You ignored the empty slogans and told the truth... worthy of meeting Lord Giovanni!"): To make money (4th), Force and conquest (2nd), Powerful Pokémon (1st), Tools for my goals (3rd), Big cash rewards (3rd). Reward: passage to the Skill trial and Giovanni. Both answer sets count as a pass.

How it works:

1. Talk to the teacher at the front of the classroom. The Academy has two exchange students, and you're asked to beat them for Kanto's honour.
2. Battle both, in either order: Cynthia (Gible Lv. 5, Riolu Lv. 5, Amaura Lv. 5) and Steven (Beldum Lv. 5, Aron Lv. 5, Tinkatink Lv. 5). If you haven't talked to the teacher, they just chat.
3. Go back to the teacher.

Reward: 2 Ultra Balls, 1 Level Ball, 1 Lure Ball.

Follow-up: Cynthia also waits in Viridian Forest, about a dozen steps east of the north exit, whether or not you beat her at the Academy. Only her greeting changes. She offers a battle (Gible Lv. 9, Riolu Lv. 8, Budew Lv. 6); beat her for 5 × TM54 False Swipe. She leaves afterwards.

Notes: later on the teacher goes back to asking you to beat the two exchange students, although Steven and Cynthia have gone, so the challenge can't be finished then. For Bulbasaur and Charmander starters this happens when the Nidoran♀ story with the Apricorn Ball maker ends (either answer); for Pikachu starters, after the Team Rocket scene in Viridian Forest. Cosmetic (Known issues).

How it works: the room is full of Poké Balls. All but one only say "A Poké Ball with a Pokémon inside." The live one is in the second row, just right of where the grunt first stands. Take it (Yes).

Reward: Charmander starters get Doduo, Lv. 20; everyone else gets Barboach, Lv. 20.

Notes: one-time. If your party is full it says so and you can come back. The ball can be taken before or after the battle. The battle starts only when you talk to the grunt: he asks who you are, and "I came to take down Team Rocket" starts it (the grunt, then Ariana). "I got lost and wandered in" avoids it; he just tells you to leave. Ariana is far stronger than you at this point (her Tyranitar is Lv. 55), but losing to her doesn't white you out: the scene goes on the same way. Losing to the grunt does.

How it works:

1. Talk to the Pewter Pokémon Center Trainer (only there for Pikachu starters).
2. Talk to the Charmander and say Yes to "Try to catch it?". You carry it to the Pewter Pokémon Center and Nurse Joy heals it.
3. Its old Trainer turns up: battle Guitarist Del (Shinx Lv. 12, Swinub Lv. 11, Nidoran♂ Lv. 10). After he loses, Charmander turns on him and he runs off.
4. Talk to Charmander in the Pokémon Center: "Take it with you?" → Yes.

Reward: Charmander, Lv. 10.

Notes: Del's battle is a scripted win-or-white-out. Taking Charmander from the Pokémon Center removes it for good.

How it works:

1. The man wants to catch the Nidoran♀ but has no ball. Have a Friend Ball in your Bag and answer Yes when asked to give him one. The game doesn't actually take it (tested in an emulator by the translation team). A Trainer in Pewter City gives you two.
2. A cutscene follows. Its former Trainer, who released it, shows up and orders it around, then decides to take it to a PC box. The game asks "Stop Nidoran♀ from being taken away?"
3. Answer Yes and battle him (Guitarist Del: Shinx Lv. 12, Swinub Lv. 11, Nidoran♂ Lv. 10). Nidoran♀ chooses to stay with the man.

Reward: no item. The man moves to the small house in the southwest of Pewter City (about 11 steps west and 5 steps south of the Pokémon Center door) and turns your Apricorns into Apricorn Balls for free from then on.

Pikachu starters get no Nidoran♀ story, but the man is in Pewter from the start and makes Apricorn Balls anyway (Pewter City to Vermilion City).

How it works: a man wants to touch a Magcargo. Have Magcargo in your party and talk to him.

Reward: 2 Rawst Berries (one time). He gets burned.

How it works:

1. Talk to the owner in the gatehouse. He offers $20,000 to bring his Snubbull back. The Snubbull just cries until you've talked to him.
2. Find Snubbull in the forest and talk to it: "Snubbull seems to be having a lot of fun. Take it back with you?"
3. Yes: you're taken back to the gatehouse and paid $20,000. The owner muses about "hunger training or pain training", and the Pidgey is left alone.
4. No: Snubbull stays with its friend for good. There's no reward and it can't be taken back later.

How it works: answer Yes to help scare off the Spearow. The Spearow flock attacks: a double battle against Spearow Lv. 7 (the flock's team has three), then their leader, a wild Fearow Lv. 20. Knocking the Fearow out, catching it or running away all drive the flock off. Losing either battle means a white-out and the quest stays open.

Reward: 2 Honey (used by the Honey tree and the Mega Drain tutor below).

How it works: she asks to borrow a Pidgeot (her line says "Pidgeotto" first, but only a Pidgeot is accepted). Pick it from your party. You need at least one other Pokémon. It stays next to her in the forest.

How it works: check the trunk with Honey in your Bag and answer Yes to spread it (1 Honey used). A Bug Pokémon attacks right away, Lv. 15, depending on the day of the week set on your DS clock:

Notes: repeatable as long as you have Honey. The Mega Drain tutor in the south-west corner, a few steps south-west of the tree, also charges 1 Honey.

Getting Honey early: no shop in Pallet Town, Viridian City or Pewter City sells it, and none lies on the ground there. Before Johto you can get it in two ways, both in Viridian Forest:

• 2 Honey from the woman by the flowers (the flower garden and the Spearow), once, before the Volcano Badge.
• Wild Pokémon holding Honey: Surskit (night, 4% of grass encounters) holds Honey half the time, and Combee (morning, 1%) sometimes holds it. Catch one (or use Thief) and take the item from it in the party menu.

In Johto, the Honey seller on Route 36 sells it for $200 each.

How it works: talk to the Eevee: "Eevee seems to really like you. Catch it?" → Yes.

Reward: Eevee, Lv. 5. If you say No or your party is full, it waits for you.

How it works:

1. Anemone's flower garden on the hill, east of the Pokémon Center, gives 2 Sitrus Berries, Berry Pots and the Squirt Bottle. Answer Yes when she asks if you like growing things; No only gets a teasing line, and you can ask again.
2. The hiker wants 3 Sitrus Berries, but he only lets you hand them over when you have at least 10 in your Bag (with fewer he just asks and leaves it there). Say Yes: he takes 3 and gives you 2 Hard Stones.
3. Give a Hard Stone to the Sudowoodo owner (Yes). He gives you TM69 Rock Polish.

Notes: any Hard Stone works for step 3. There are other sources, e.g. Route 36. Both are one-time.

How it works: you are asked which Blue is real.

How it works: checking it starts a wild battle against an Electrode, Lv. 70. Winning, catching or fleeing removes it. Losing means a white-out and it stays (fleeing and losing tested in an emulator by the translation team).

This entry covers only the steps that happen on this page's maps (Victory Road, Viridian City and your house). How the route is switched on, how your one partner is chosen in the Dream World and what locks a partner out are explained in the central romance entry.

1. Confession (Victory Road, final chapter, before your final Hall of Fame entry): after each companion's fight, they stay behind to heal. Talk to them again and you get a confession scene if three things are true: the romance route is on, they haven't been locked out, and you haven't confessed to anyone yet. The scene heals your party, except Gold's.

Misty (Cerulean Gym), Steven and Cynthia (Indigo Plateau slope), and Silver and Crystal (Victory Road 3F) have their own confession scenes. Each one uses up your one confession.

2. Yellow's dates (Viridian City, after your final Hall of Fame entry): Yellow waits just south of the Mart. She only offers dates if you have made your final Hall of Fame entry, have confessed to someone, and haven't locked her out. Otherwise she just says she's an Ace Trainer now. Menu:

• Let's have a battle: Singles or Doubles against Yellow (Pikachu Lv. 92, Omastar Lv. 91, …). Repeatable.
• Let's go for a walk (date 1): a trip to the Mt. Silver summit and the hot-spring lodge. Heals your party.
• Let's go for a walk (date 2, after date 1): a trip to the Resort Zone with four Multi Battles in a row at Yellow's side. Your party is healed before the first and after the last, not between them. Losing means a white-out and you replay the date.
• I want you to meet my mom (after date 2): she comes to Pallet Town, meets Mom, and leaves Viridian for good. Because of a hack bug, this visit plays Cynthia's version of the scene whoever your partner is: tested in an emulator by the translation team with Yellow as the partner, Cynthia walks in (see Known issues).

Cynthia's dates run the same way at the Pokémon Academy in Viridian City. Other partners have theirs in their own towns (see the central entry). Date progress is shared by all partners, so only your chosen partner's dates count.

3. Living together (your house): after the Mom visit, your partner is meant to move into your house, with a "Rest in my room" option that costs a Mail. This step is blocked for every player in the original hack: checking the PC upstairs at that stage does nothing (tested in an emulator by the translation team; see Known issues).

Notes: the dates only check that you haven't locked your partner out and that you have confessed to someone. They don't check that you confessed to that partner (see Known issues).

How it works:

1. Mom asks whether you've recovered from fighting Team Rocket and invites you to watch President Goodshow's live speech on TV. He reports on the Team Rocket affair.
2. Back at home, Lance drops by. President Goodshow sent him with the legendary items seized from captured Team Rocket members.
3. You tell Mom you'll set out again to catch the legendary Pokémon scattered across the regions.

Reward: seven key items, one each:

What else it changes:

• Articuno is back in the Seafoam Islands, as a catchable Pokémon (Seafoam Islands: Articuno).
• Cresselia and Darkrai are back in the Dream World.
• Dialga, Palkia and Giratina can be found again, and the Fallen Red Star on Six Island is back for Deoxys.
• It sets up the Burned Tower scene with Prof. Hale and the three beasts.

Notes: the Griseous Orb is not among the gifts.

See Known issues for suspected hack bugs in this area.