RBY Tips and Tricks

By Aeron Ee1. Art by BinarySolo.
  1. Cloning Pokemon
  2. Walk Through Walls
  3. The Mew Glitch
  4. Ditto Glitch
  5. Old Man (Missingno.) Glitch
  6. Evolving Pokemon without Evolutionary Stones
  7. Catching Safari Zone Pokemon
  8. Leveling 1 to 100 Glitch
  9. Link Cable Glitch
  10. Yellow-Only Tips and Tricks

Cloning Pokémon

Pokémon can be cloned in Gen I by abusing the trading mechanic. All that is needed is two Gen I games with a Pokémon to be cloned on on cartridge and a Pokémon that can be deleted on the other cartridge. Both games must also have progressed to the point that trading is possible.

To start the process, begin trading the two Pokémon. When the screen reads "Waiting...", shut off the game that had the Pokémon to be cloned on it. After restarting both games, the cloned Pokémon will be present on both cartridges while the other Pokémon is deleted.

It shoud be noted that Pokémon can also be cloned by switching boxes in Bill's PC, although this method tends to result in corrupted game data and loss of saved games. The steps to this glitch can be found in the Generation II Tips and Tricks compilation.

Walk Through Walls

Using the Walk Through Walls glitch allows the player to bypass many of the storyline elements that keep certain areas unreachable. Collecting hidden items, skipping dungeon puzzles, and encountering Mewtwo early are all made easier via this glitch.

Method:

  1. Get one of your Pokemon poisoned.
  2. Once one Pokemon is poisoned, Fly to Fuschia City.
  3. Deposit all of your Pokemon except the one that got poisoned.
  4. Enter the Safari Zone.
  5. Exit the Safari Zone. When asked, "Leaving early?" reply "NO."
  6. Save your game and reset.
  7. Exit the Safari Zone again. You will be asked to enter the Safari Zone for $500. Reply "NO."
  8. Walk for 499 steps. On your 500th step jump off of a ledge. You will be teleported to the Safari Zone lobby. You now have the ability to walk through walls.

The glitch will no longer work if you:

  • Battle a trainer.
  • Fly or Teleport to any location.
  • Go inside a building.
  • Go outside too far and have the game crash (these crashes will not damage your game).
  • Save your game and turn it off.

The glitch is unaffected by:

  • Capturing or battling wild Pokemon.
  • Talking to NPCs, including the old man for the Missingno. Glitch.
  • Using the PC.

The Mew Glitch

Forcing this glitch allows the player to obtain a Level 7 Mew. It is a variant of another glitch, commonly known as the Ditto Glitch. However, for this glitch to happen, the player must not have battled two trainers from the list below (known as long-distance Trainers) and have a Pokémon who knows Fly in your party.

Method:

  1. Approach a long-distance Trainer so that you are one tile out of their line of vision.
  2. Take the one step needed to enter their view, but press the start button before they have the chance to engage you in battle.
  3. Use Fly and go to another long-distance Trainer.
  4. Cross this Trainer's view as far away from them as you can get (crossing their path any closer can cause the game to freeze).
  5. After defeating the second long-distance trainer, Fly close to the first Trainer and start walking near them.
  6. When the start menu comes up, press B. Once the menu closes, you will engage in a battle against a Level 7 Mew.

Long-Distance Trainers

Route 8:
Gambler closest to the entry of the underground tunnel.
Route 9:
Male Jr. Trainer saying, "I'm taking the ROCK TUNNEL to go to LAVENDER..."
Route 11:
Youngster located in the upper-right corner of the route.
Youngster farthest south.
Route 12:
Second Fisherman you meet as you walk south of Lavender Town.
Route 17:
Second farthest north Biker.
Route 19:
Swimmer looking upwards from a cluster of four trainers.
Beauty looking right from a cluster of four trainers.
Swimmer saying, "I tried diving for POKEMON, but it was a no go!"
Swimmer saying, "What's beyond the horizon?"
Route 20:
Swimmer in upper-right hand corner of the route.
Beauty saying, "My boyfriend gave me big pearls!"
Beauty saying, "CINNABAR, in the west, has a LAB for POKEMON."
Route 21:
Swimmer south of bridge with 2 Fishermen. (1)
Swimmer south of bridge with 2 Fishermen. (2)
Route 24:
Male Jr. Trainer left of the Nugget Bridge.
Fourth Floor of Silph Co.:
Rocket that is on the right side of the table.
Rocket that is the farthest left and down on the floor.
Eighth Floor of Silph Co.:
Rocket that is farthest south of all.
Rocket that is located in the lower right-hand corner of the floor.
Ninth Floor of Silph Co.:
Rocket located farthest south. (In the middle corridor)
Brock's Gym (Unusable):
Only trainer in Brock's Gym.
Viridian Forest (Yellow ONLY)
Next to last Bug Catcher. (Must use Escape Rope to leave)

Ditto Glitch

This variation of the Ditto Glitch can be used to receive an unlimited number of any species of Pokémon. In order for this glitch to have maximum effectiveness, the player must have a basic understanding of the hexidecimal and decimal systems used to identify Pokémon. This glitch will cause temporary loss of the start menu, but it will be restored after resetting the game.

Procedure:

  1. Train a Pokémon so that its Special stat is the same as the decimal number of the Pokémon you want to receive, and keep it in your party for the remainder of the glitch.
  2. Approach a long-distance Trainer, walk into their view, and Fly away before they are able to battle you.
  3. Fly to any PokéCenter and save your game by switching boxes in Bill's PC (since the start menu is now gone).
  4. Reset the game, beat the Elite Four, then defeat the Champion.
  5. After defeating him, get in a battle with a wild Ditto and let it transform into the Pokémon with the calibrated Special stat.
  6. Run from the transformed Ditto and Fly back to the long-distance Trainer.
  7. Press B to exit the start menu when it appears. Once you press B you will be engaged in a battle with a Pokémon whose decimal identifier is the same as the calibrate Special stat.

Other, non-infinite versions of this glitch can be found on other sites, including Glitch City Laboratories.

Old Man (Missingno.) Glitch

This glitch can be used to obtain multiple glitch Pokémon, including Missingno. and Pokémon over Level 100. Missingno. can then be used to obtain 128 copies of the sixth item in your Bag at a time. However, it also results in some cosmetic or data changes to the game, some of which have the potential to make the entire game cartridge useless. These changes occur in the Hall of Fame portion of the PC; instead of your Pokémon's sprites showing up, glitched graphics will be displayed.

Prerequisites:

  • Game data that has progressed at least up to Cinnabar Island
  • A Pokémon that knows the move Fly
  • A Pokémon that knows the move Surf

Method

  1. Go to Viridian City and talk to the old man who shows you how to catch Pokémon.
  2. Immediately after he completes his demonstration, Fly to Cinnabar Island.
  3. Go east until you reach the shore.
  4. Surf up and down the coast, staying as close to the shore as possible.

Surfing in this location will cause many non-oceanic Pokémon—including those over Level 100—and glitch Pokémon like Missingno. or 'M to appear. Encountering either of these glitch Pokémon will give you 128 more copies of whatever your sixth item is. The other Pokémon you encounter are generated based on the third, fifth, and seventh letters of your character's name. Below is a list of which letters generate which Pokémon:

Missingno. Pokémon Generators

Symbol Pokemon
A Golduck
B Hypno
C Golbat
D Mewtwo
E Snorlax
F Magikarp
G Missingno.
H Missingno.
I Muk
J Missingno.
K Kingler
L Cloyster
M Missingno.
N Electrode
O Clefable
P Weezing
Q Persian
R Marowak
S Missingno.
T Haunter
U Abra
V Alakazam
W Pideotto
X Pidgeot
Y Starmie
Z Bulbasaur
( Venusaur
) Tentacruel
: Missingno.
; Goldeen
[ Seaking
] Missingno.
a Missingno.
b Missingno.
c Missingno.
d Ponyta
e Rapidash
f Rattata
g Raticate
h Nidorino
i Nidorina
j Geodude
k Porygon
l Aerodactyl
m Missingno.
n Magnemite
o Missingno.
p Missingno.
q Charmander
r Squirtle
s Charmeleon
t Wartortle
u Charizard
v Missingno.
w Missingno.
x Missingno.
y Missingno.
z Oddish

Evolving Pokemon without Evolutionary Stones

Prerequisites:

  • A Pokémon that evolves by Evolution Stone, such as Clefairy, Staryu, or Pikachu, as the first Pokemon in your party.
  • One of the following Pokemon, each one of which corresponds to an evolution stone, in your party.
    • Exeggutor - Moon Stone
    • HEX 20 Missingno. - Fire Stone
    • Psyduck - Leaf Stone
    • Growlithe - Thunderstone
    • Onix - Water Stone

Method:

  1. Get into a battle with a trainer or wild Pokémon (the former is the superior choice in most cases).
  2. Have the first Pokémon in your party—the one you're trying to evolve—gain a level.
  3. Switch out the Pokémon you're trying to evolve and put the Pokémon that corresponds to the necessary Evolution Stone.
  4. Have that Pokémon finish the trainer battle

Catching Safari Zone Pokémon

This glitch can be used to make encountering and catching hard-to-find Safari Zone Pokémon, like Chansey and Kangaskhan, easier. It can also be used to encounter any Pokemon from any Route simply by changing your location from the Safari Zone to the desired location. However, this glitch cannot be performed on the Yellow version.

Prerequisites:

  • Access to Fuscia City and Cinnibar Island
  • A Pokémon with Fly
  • A Pokémon with Surf

Method

  1. Enter the Safari Zone.
  2. Either Retire or run around and use up all your time.
  3. Upon exiting, Fly to Cinnibar Island.
  4. Go to the coast that is next to the gym facing the Seafoam Islands.
  5. Surf up and down. You will run into Pokémon normally obtainable only in the Safari Zone and will be able to weaken and catch them without them running away.

Level 1 to 100 Glitch

Using this glitch will allow you to increase the level of a given Surprise Pokémon (one encountered using the Ditto or Mew Glitches) from Level 1 to Level 100 by manipulating how the game handles leveling up. Note that this can only be performed on three-stage Pokémon (ex. Bulbasaur line, Charmander line, ect.) and Mew.

Method:

  1. Stand close enough to a long-ranged Trainer so that if you take one step towards them, they will challenge you.
  2. Hit start before the Trainer can walk up to you.
  3. Use Fly, Dig, Teleport, or an Escape Rope to transfer you to a Pokémon Center.
  4. Have a Pokémon that knows Growl.
  5. Growl at the desired Pokémon six times. This will make the Surprise Pokemon Level 1 (make sure this trainer has a vision of at least two tiles, so the Trainer can walk up to you; if the Trainer does not walk, your game will freeze).
  6. Defeat the trainer and make sure the last Pokemon you defeated had the desired Special stat.
  7. Return to the long-ranged Trainer.
  8. The start menu will pop up. Press B and exit it.
  9. Catch the Level 1 Surprise Pokémon.
  10. Make sure the Level 1 Pokémon is in the front of your party and that you have five other Pokémon.
  11. Encounter a Pokémon that is Level 9 or lower.
  12. Switch five times to different Pokémon. (This will make sure that you get less than 54 experience points.)

If done correctly, the Surprise Pokémon will grow from Level 1 to 100, which is exceedingly helpful for those who don't want to use the Missingo. Glitch and don't have a Game Shark. It also makes it easier to Stat Exp. train your Pokémon using the Box Trick.

Link Cable Glitch

Using this glitch will also allow one player to encounter Surprise Pokémon. For simplicity's sake, the two players involved in performing the glitch will be called A and B. It should also be noted that Player B must have a Pokémon that knows Dig in their party; Teleport and Escape Ropes are not usable substitutes.

Method:

  1. A trains a Pokémon until its Special is the number needed to generate the desired Pokémon.
  2. A deposits all of his Pokémon to the PC until he / she is left only with the Pokémon that has calibrated Special stat.
  3. B triggers a long-ranged Trainer event and beats another Trainer. If the latter is not possible, follow these steps:
    1. Go to the PC.
    2. Change the Pokémon Box.
    3. Reset.
    4. Reload and beat the Pokémon League.
  4. B enters the Safari Zone.
  5. B exits the Safari Zone, but when asked, "Leaving early?", replies "No."
  6. Once B is back in the Safari Zone, B saves his / her game without moving.
  7. B resets and loads his / her game.
  8. B exits the Safari Zone (this time, B won't be asked, "Leaving early?").
  9. A and B link up and battle at the Colosseum.
  10. B defeats A.
  11. After the battle, B starts walking around inside the Colosseum. A resets and loads his / her game (after B takes 500 steps, the PA will ring; B will be transported back to the Safari House).
  12. B enters the Safari Zone again (once inside, B does not go into any fields).
  13. B uses Dig to return to the last Pokémon Center visited.
  14. B walks back to the long-ranged Trainer that he's triggered.
  15. B's start menu will pop up.
  16. B will close the Start menu and a Surprise Pokémon will appear. It will be the desired Pokémon.
  17. B catches it.
  18. B goes to the nearest PC and changes the Pokémon Box.
  19. B loads his / her game. B's Save option will be back on the Start menu and the Reset option will be gone.

Pokémon Decimal Listing

  1. Rhydon
  2. Kangaskhan
  3. Nidoran (M)
  4. Clefairy
  5. Spearow
  6. Voltorb
  7. Nidoking
  8. Slowbro
  9. Ivysaur
  10. Exeggutor
  11. Lickitung
  12. Exeggcute
  13. Grimer
  14. Gengar
  15. Nidoran (F)
  16. Nidoqueen
  17. Cubone
  18. Rhyhorn
  19. Lapras
  20. Arcanine
  21. Mew
  22. Gyarados
  23. Shellder
  24. Tentacool
  25. Gastly
  26. Scyther
  27. Staryu
  28. Blastoise
  29. Pinsir
  30. Tangela
  31. Missingno.
  32. Missingno.
  33. Growlithe
  34. Onix
  35. Fearow
  36. Pidgey
  37. Slowpoke
  38. Kadabra
  39. Graveler
  40. Chansey
  41. Machoke
  42. Mr. Mime
  43. Hitmonlee
  44. Hitmonchan
  45. Arbok
  46. Parasect
  47. Psyduck
  48. Drowzee
  49. Golem
  50. Missingno.
  51. Magmar
  52. Missingno.
  53. Electabuzz
  54. Magneton
  55. Koffing
  56. Missingno.
  57. Mankey
  58. Seel
  59. Diglett
  60. Tauros
  61. Missingno.
  62. Missingno.
  63. Missingno.
  64. Farfetch'd
  65. Venonat
  66. Dragonite
  67. Missingno.
  68. Missingno.
  69. Missingno.
  70. Doduo
  71. Poliwag
  72. Jynx
  73. Moltres
  74. Articuno
  75. Zapdos
  76. Ditto
  77. Meowth
  78. Krabby
  79. Missingno.
  80. Missingno.
  81. Missingno.
  82. Vulpix
  83. Ninetales
  84. Pikachu
  85. Raichu
  86. Missingno.
  87. Missingno.
  88. Dratini
  89. Dragonair
  90. Kabuto
  91. Kabutops
  92. Horsea
  93. Seadra
  94. Missingno.
  95. Missingno.
  96. Sandshrew
  97. Sandslash
  98. Omanyte
  99. Omastar
  100. Jigglypuff
  101. Wigglytuff
  102. Eevee
  103. Flareon
  104. Jolteon
  105. Vaporeon
  106. Machop
  107. Zubat
  108. Ekans
  109. Paras
  110. Poliwhirl
  111. Poliwrath
  112. Weedle
  113. Kakuna
  114. Beedrill
  115. Missingno.
  116. Dodrio
  117. Primeape
  118. Dugtrio
  119. Venomoth
  120. Dewgong
  121. Missingno.
  122. Missingno.
  123. Caterpie
  124. Metapod
  125. Butterfree
  126. Machamp
  127. Missingno.
  128. Golduck
  129. Hypno
  130. Golbat
  131. Mewtwo
  132. Snorlax
  133. Magikarp
  134. Missingno.
  135. Missingno.
  136. Muk
  137. Missingno.
  138. Kingler
  139. Cloyster
  140. Missingno.
  141. Electrode
  142. Clefable
  143. Weezing
  144. Persian
  145. Marowak
  146. Missingno.
  147. Haunter
  148. Abra
  149. Alakazam
  150. Pidgeotto
  151. Pidgeot
  152. Starmie
  153. Bulbasaur
  154. Venusaur
  155. Tentacruel
  156. Missingno.
  157. Goldeen
  158. Seaking (Beyond this point, you will need to use the Ditto Glitch or the Missingno. Glitch to get a "Surprise Pokémon.")
  159. Missingno.
  160. Missingno.
  161. Missingno.
  162. Missingno.
  163. Ponyta
  164. Rapidash
  165. Rattata
  166. Raticate
  167. Nidorino
  168. Nidorina
  169. Geodude
  170. Porygon
  171. Aerodactyl
  172. Missingno.
  173. Magnemite
  174. Missingno.
  175. Missingno.
  176. Charmander
  177. Squirtle
  178. Charmeleon
  179. Wartortle
  180. Charizard
  181. Missingno.
  182. Missingno.
  183. Missingno.
  184. Missingno.
  185. Oddish
  186. Gloom
  187. Vileplume
  188. Bellsprout
  189. Weepinbell
  190. Victreebel (Beyond this point, there are no more real Pokémon.)
  191. Glitch #250 (Ho-Oh?)
  192. Glitch #61 (Poliwhirl?)
  193. Glitch #234 (Stantler?) (Type 1 = Pokémaniac)
  194. Glitch #94 (If you don't have Gastly, game halts after capture.)
  195. Halts Game
  196. Halts Game
  197. Glitch #250 (Ho-Oh?)
  198. Glitch #62 (Poliwrath?)
  199. Halts Game
  200. Nameless Trainer (Halts Game)
  201. Youngster
  202. Bug Catcher
  203. Lass
  204. Sailor
  205. Male Jr. Trainer
  206. Female Jr. Trainer
  207. Pokemaniac
  208. Super Nerd
  209. Hiker
  210. Biker
  211. Burglar
  212. Engineer
  213. Juggler
  214. Fisherman
  215. Swimmer
  216. Cue Ball
  217. Gambler
  218. Beauty
  219. Psychic
  220. Rocker
  221. Juggler
  222. Tamer
  223. Bird Keeper
  224. Blackbelt
  225. Rival (From Pokemon League)
  226. Professor Oak
  227. Chief
  228. Scientist
  229. Giovanni
  230. Rocket
  231. Male Cooltrainer
  232. Female Cooltrainer
  233. Bruno
  234. Brock
  235. Misty
  236. Lt. Surge
  237. Erika
  238. Koga
  239. Blaine
  240. Sabrina
  241. Gentleman
  242. Rival
  243. Rival
  244. Lorelei
  245. Channeler
  246. Agatha
  247. Lance
  248. Nameless Trainer (Halts Game)
  249. Nameless Trainer (Halts Game)
  250. Nameless Trainer (Halts Game)
  251. Halts Game
  252. Nameless Trainer (Halts Game)
  253. Nameless Trainer (Can be beaten, but messes up graphics after battle)
  254. Nameless Trainer (Halts Game)
  255. Halts Game

If a Pokémon's Special goes over 255, the list repeats itself. A Pokémon with a Special of 256 will generate the same thing as a Pokémon with a Special of 0.

Yellow-Only Tips and Tricks

Easier Rival

To make your rival's team weaker when he is the champion, simply lose the rival battles in Oak's Lab and either lose or skip the battle on Route 22. Losing will cause his Eevee to evolve into a Vaporeon, the single Eeveelution weak to Pikachu's Electric-type attacks.

Side Note: Winning one of the two battles will cause his Eevee to evolve into a Flareon, and winning both will cause it to evolve into a Jolteon.