Preparing For Brock
New players often struggle to advance past the first Kanto gym leader in Brock. This is often partly due to choosing Charmander (widely favored as the best starter Pokémon in the long run, for Kanto starters) as a starting Pokémon, which is at a disadvantage against Brock’s Pokémon, but also partly due to the difficulty leveling up in the current PWO Experience System and impotent training areas that are readily accessible early on.
To avoid this problem, and hoping some will find it early enough to make use of it, this mini-walkthrough has been composed to help primarily Charmander starters to prepare and prevail against Brock.
Contents
Reaching Viridian City
Although it is not known to be too problematic, if a player's Pokémon is ill-prepared for battling extensively early on, it could potentially lose to an NPC on Route 1; this would cause a player to respawn in Viridian City with their pokemon NOT healed, if this happens you must enter Viridian City Pokemon Center and talk to Nurse Joy before continuing your game. It would be wise to visit the Pokémon Center in Viridian City before engaging into NPC battles or training extensively, to avoid the possibility of being re-spawned un-healed. Once you have visited the first Pokemon Center you will return there without penalty if you happen to have all your pokemon faint on you afterwards.
Walking through Route 1
After you have selected your starter Pokémon, exit the Lab in Pallet Town and head north through Route 1.
Your first task it to survive Route 1 without fainting. So don’t delay here, go straight through to Viridian City and heal your Pokémon at the Pokemon Center.
Avoid the NPC here (Schoolboy Cliff), who has two Pokémon that may defeat your one starter, so make sure you face them when you are ready.
Preparing for initial NPC battles
Purchasing Pokéballs
After you have reached Viridian City and visited the Pokémon Center, exit the PC and head into the Pokémart. Spend all your pokemoney on Pokeballs. You will probably not need many to begin with just catching Rattata or Pidgey, but if you find a shiny Pokémon, or a rarer one in later areas, it is wise to supply yourself with more Pokéballs than those that were rewarded on the tutorial island.
Optional Mini-Quest
While at the Pokemart, you can also speak to the manager to begin a novice mini-quest to obtain 15 free Pokéballs.
Capturing Your First Wild Pokémon
Now head back into Route 1 and catch a Rattata and Pidgey. This is not vital and you may not keep them, but they could reinforce your team, which could otherwise lose against NPCs early on; and since NPCs sport higher level Pokémon, all of which grant 50% more experience than wild Pokémon, it is worth being well-prepared against all NPC trainers. Train your team in Route 1, until they are at least roughly level 5, going back and forward to the Viridian City Pokémon Center when you need to heal your team. Before you leave Route 1 for the last time take on the two NPCs there; their Pokémon and levels have been documented here.
Obtaining Advantageous Pokémon
Route 22
Next head left from the Viridian City Pokemon Center en route to Route 22. In the entry zone, try to avoid another NPC early on (as shown to the right).
Refer to the Route 22 article, to have some foreknowledge on the NPC's team.
If you started off with charmander, catching a mankey in route 22 is one option for taking on Brock successfully. Its fighting-type moves will benefit you against Brock's rock-type Pokémon, but you also have options later on to catch both grass and water type Pokémon to aid you against your first gym. If you encounter a Nidoran Male or Nidoran Female, you may find it/them worthwile to capture it as well, since they can be useful in facing many gyms in both Kanto and Johto.
Pokemon here are low enough level also to train against from the start, but you may find yourself using the Pokemon Center more often than if you choose Route 1 for this purpose.
Make sure you also avoid your Rival Bobby until you are ready to face him (as shown to the right).
Viridian Forest
Once you obtained any Pokémon you desired from Route 22, head back to Viridian City and then go north. There is nothing noteworthy in Route 2, and with the flying and poison-type Pokémon on the route, it is not the most ideal training area, thus it is advised to head straight into the Viridian Forest.
On your left as you go into Viridian Forest you will find Delivery Boy Lee, who you need to talk to for the quest the Pokémart Manager started you off on.
You can also talk to Grandma Louis who will ask to see a Butterfree.
This is ultimately the practical purpose of obtaining a Caterpie as soon as possible here in the forest as obtaining Butterfree's caught data entry will be required to complete this quest. The quest rewards access to the Viridian Forest Clearing, which is inhabited by more potent grass-type Pokémon plus the opportunity to buy a fishing rod for 3,000 Pokedollars. **NOTE You need to catch a caterpie, not a metapod since metapod does not know any attack moves!! Concentrate now on leveling up your caterpie and evolving it to a Butterfree. The NPCs in Viridian Forest will help you do that, so try not to waste the NPCs on your charmander though it is the easier way to get through them- if you spend a bit more time and use your caterpie/metapod on all the NPCs you should have your butterfree, or very close to it, by the time you exit Viridian Forest at the far end.
Pikachu is the only rare pokemon in Viridian Forest other than Butterfree itself. You may be lucky enough to encounter either early on and then not have to train a caterpie at all. However Butterfree isn't very easy to catch with a low level team and few pokeballs on hand. It could easily use up all your pokeballs and/or wipe out your team before you do! This is why we still suggest you catch and train caterpie from the start.
If you wish to hang around and catch a Pikachu you are looking at an average of maybe 2-5 hours of hunting here (with no guarantees), so decide if it's worth it at this point in the game for you.
Viridian Forest Clearing
After you have either fully evolved your Caterpie into a Butterfree, or caught a wild one in the forest, speak to Grandma Louis and she will permit you to enter the Viridian Forest Clearing.
In the Clearing you’ll find more proficient Pokémon to beat Brock, namely grass-types such as Bellsprout and Oddish, and higher level Pokémon to train your team to a decent level before challenging him.
You can also buy a Fishing Rod for 3,000 Pokedollars here as mentioned earlier. Use the pond here in the Clearing and the one next to Viridian City Pokemon Center for leveling up your fishing rod initially. Make sure you are at least level 5 before moving on to Cerulean City and the second gym.
You can catch goldeen here in the clearing, and poliwag and magikarp at Viridian City. Of these poliwag and goldeen will aid you against Brock. Magikarp at this stage of the game is only for the most patient and dedicated of trainers!
Now you have all you need to get yourself off to a good start in PWO!
