2nd Gen Your Greatest Challenge

[VGOldSchool]

What was your greatest challenge in Red, Blue or Yellow? and why?

Was it a difficult fight? Trying to obtain one specific pokémon, but you kept failing? Got traded a pokémon, but it just wouldn't listen and you kept getting mopped in the battle, because it just wouldn't listen?

 

[caller_100]

I still say Pewter Gym was my greatest challenge in Yellow.

Keep in mind that this was my first Pokemon game, I was 7, and I had no idea what I was doing. And up until Brock, things had been going pretty smoothly. So I'm like, yeah, I'll just keep thundershocking things, that's a great idea! Nope. So many struggles. I finally managed to win by sending out a Pidgey, having it use sand attack until Geodude couldn't hit me anymore, then switching to Pikachu and using quick attack several dozen times. Lather, rinse, and repeat for Onix. I don't think I've ever been more proud of myself.

That said, Sabrina was really tough, too.

 

[Synerjee]

Back when I was younger, my greatest challenge was getting through Mt. Moon. The entire place looked insanely large, confusing and maze-like to younger me. Besides getting lost multiple times, I usually preferred Charmander over the other starters back then and didn't know much about typing and the team concept, so I kept attacking the Geodude with Ember and wondering why it wasn't strong enough. Mind you, this is based off very old memories so don't count on it as a perfect recall.

 

[Captain Gizmo]

Hardest thing about R/B/Y? Facing Brock with Pikachu, aaanndd... Having to select my Pokemon to use their HM moves and having to select my bike xD
It was so tedious I just didn't even bother getting the bike until I had to go through the cycling road lmao.

 

[Neil Peart]

Mt. Moon. End of story.

That is all.

 

[caller_100]

Oh my gosh, the bike. I remember trying to get through the safari zone to find the Warden's lost teeth (AND something else, too, right?) was way harder than it should have been when I was little. And you had to use the bike just to get through it quick enough. Or am I remembering this wrong?

 

[VGOldSchool]

I agree with Brock, I made it difficult on myself playing the games again for a Let's Play. Fighting Brock was like pulling teeth.

I agree about the whole item access thing, I also thought pokemon skill's was a bit tedious, but I understand it. Keep 'em coming, these are great!

 

[Captain Gizmo]

Or trying to capture legendary Pokemon. You had absolutely 0% chance of catching one if you didnt put a status effect on them, omg -.-
I'm so glad they fixed that :D

 

[PetalDanceD]

The Gym at Vermillion City how you had to look in the bins to open up the door to fight Lt Surge, oh my god!

 

[Raging Umbreon]

Mt Moon and Victory Road were incredibely frustrating.

 

[Callandor]

As weird as this may sound, Misty use to be really hard. That and Rock Tunnel. Couldn't find flash for the longest time, and I always found my way back to the start.

 

[CelticsPhan]

Catching Zapdos, one of my favorite Legendaries to date. I believe it took a Great Ball to knock it down. Victory Road took me about three years in real time to solve, and when I finally finished it I felt so stupid.

That reminds me, my sister started a new game on my old Blue a few days ago without telling me. A few years ago, I would've *fill in brutal punishment here* but now I realized I can't cling on to the past anymore. I mean, it's been years since I actually played Blue without using it as a test subject for glitches.

I kept my Blue file as a life accomplishment, but that sounds stupid right? And the file would've erased in five years anyways.

And that was a pitiful "coming of age" anecdote that is to be expected of genwunners.

 

[VinceLevi]

And that was a pitiful "coming of age" anecdote that is to be expected of genwunners.

I refuse! Don't touch my carts!
Erhurm. I used to get stuck in Saffron Tower for days. It's not like the Rockets were challenging, but it took me forever to figure out the pattern of teleports, especially as a kid who didn't want to write anything down. Eventually after battling god knows how many rockets, I'd make it to the final floor, weary and bruised, only to get stomped by Blue and sent back home for another romp.

 

[RyanPelley]

The Seafoam Islands during my first play through of Blue. I was so dang confused. I tried going around the islands to get to Cinnabar, but obviously, that's not going to happen. Once I got inside Seafoam, I was lost yet again. Pretty sure it took me a couple hours to figure out.

That and Victory Road.... grrr.

 

[Yato]

Having to constantly give my Pokemon Rare Candies from the Missingno glitch in order to max out their levels :V

I haven't played the games as much as I did when I was a kid, so things may be different now, but I remember having a lot of trouble with Brock in Yellow. Since you got a Pikachu, none of the moves it had could make a dent in Geodude and Onix unless you level grinded it to oblivion, and I was not smart enough to use a Mankey or Nidoran male. However, I eventually realized Butterfree learned Confusion at level 10, and since neither Geodude or Onix had Rock moves, I could use the butterfly to bring me victory. I also had trouble with the Pokemon League; I only beat it once, and that was thanks to a Nidoqueen I got all the way to level 89. Oh, and Victory Road's always been a pain to get through, of course XD

 

[pyx]

It was training my team to level 100 XD I think I did it once, but that was a long time ago.

 

[Tirion]

Misty. Oh gosh, Misty. That Starmie was just unfair to my incompetent 6 year old self.

That and the trash cans in Lt. Surge's gym.

 

[TheDeadEvilDead]

It would definitely have to be trying to beat Brock with a level 10 pikachu - Impossible as i'm sure you know xD

Getting through Rock Tunnel before I figured out where flash is is a bit of a pig as well

 

[HollyYoshi]

I'm gonna put this in perspective for you all - Pokemon Yellow was my very first game in the series. Before then, the only Role-Playing game I had played any great amount of time was Super Mario RPG. And I barely even battled in that game. So, I had no idea about things like stats, or type advantages/disadvantages, or anything like that. Therefore, I don't think it's too much of a stress to claim that the entire game was a challenge for eight year-old me. Here are some particular moments I can remember;

Brock. Yeah, remember how I mentioned how I had no idea about type advantages? Yeah, this bit me in the butt in this battle. Once I found out that Pikachu's Thundershock did no damage to his Geodude, battling Brock consisted of Quick Attack after Quick Attack after Quick Attack until I got taken down. Eventually I found out that Butterfree's Confusion worked really well.

Misty. By this time I found out that electric attacks worked well against water, I thought I had this match in the bag. Then, Bubblebeam happened.

Lt. Surge. Oh that Raichu. That freaking Raichu. Why do you give me such grief?

Sabrina. Gamefreak. Did you have to buff up her Pokemon's levels in Yellow? I mean, level 50? Really? Especially in the Generation where Psychic types were OP as heck? Sabrina gave me a ton of trouble as a kid.

Giovanni. Giovanni in general was pretty tough to beat, but I have to give a special shout-out to the fight in Silph Co. That Kangaskhan can really wreck you.

Rival Battle In Silph Co. Silph Co in general was frustrating. And the fight against your rival in this place can be frustrating if his Eevee evolved into Jolteon. One guess as what it evolved to in my playthrough.

Every single cave. Literally every single on. Especially Rock Tunnel. Darn need of flash...

 

[VGOldSchool]

All of these responses are great.

I think on my most recent (& ongoing) playthrough, which I've tried to rely on little info as possible up until now, has been two things.

First encounter with Blue: I had not level grinded and forgot all about that encounter. It's documented in Gotta Ketchum All! Episode 2. I got whooped. It was embarrassing.

There's a few more, I'll add them here as my progress hits youtube.