Post-Game Content

Congratulations, Trainer! You've conquered the Pokémon League, defeated the Elite Four, and etched your name into the annals of Kanto history as the Champion. But the adventure doesn't end there! Kanto still holds many secrets, powerful Pokémon, and challenges for a true Pokémon Master. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the exciting post-game content available in Pokémon Red and Blue.

The Hunt for Legendary Pokémon

Your journey to catch 'em all isn't complete without these elusive and incredibly powerful Pokémon. Prepare your best team and plenty of Ultra Balls!

Mewtwo: The Ultimate Challenge

The most powerful Pokémon in Kanto awaits, but only the strongest trainers can hope to capture it.

• Location: Cerulean Cave (also known as the Unknown Dungeon).
• Requirements: You must have defeated the Elite Four and become the Champion. The guard blocking the cave entrance in Cerulean City will now allow you to pass.
• Preparation:
  • Bring a Pokémon with the move Flash to illuminate the cave's dark interior.
  • Stock up on at least 50-70 Ultra Balls.
  • Consider bringing a Pokémon that can inflict status conditions like Sleep (e.g., Hypnosis, Spore) or Paralysis (e.g., Thunder Wave) to make Mewtwo easier to catch.
  • Have a strong Pokémon that can whittle down Mewtwo's HP without knocking it out. False Swipe isn't available in Gen 1, so be careful with your attacks.
  • Mewtwo is a Psychic-type, so Bug and Ghost-type moves are super effective. However, finding strong Bug or Ghost Pokémon in Red/Blue can be challenging. Dark-type Pokémon don't exist yet, so don't rely on them.
• Walkthrough:
  1. Fly to Cerulean City.
  2. Head to the western bridge (Nugget Bridge). The cave entrance is just west of the bridge, previously blocked by a guard.
  3. Enter Cerulean Cave. Navigate through its labyrinthine passages. The layout can be tricky, so be patient. Remember to use Flash.
  4. Mewtwo is found on the lowest floor of the cave. You'll need to use Surf and navigate a small body of water to reach its platform.
  5. Save your game before engaging Mewtwo. This is crucial for retrying if you accidentally knock it out or run out of Poké Balls.
  6. Engage Mewtwo. Reduce its HP to critical levels (red bar) and inflict a status condition. Then, start throwing Ultra Balls. It has a very low catch rate, so this may take many attempts.

The Legendary Birds: Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres

These majestic elemental birds are scattered across Kanto, each guarding a unique location.

Articuno (Ice/Flying)

• Location: Seafoam Islands.
• Requirements: You need Surf and Strength.
• Walkthrough:
  1. Fly to Cinnabar Island.
  2. Surf east until you reach Seafoam Islands.
  3. Navigate the cave by pushing boulders into holes using Strength to manipulate the water currents. This will allow you to reach the lower levels.
  4. Articuno is found deep within the cave.
  5. Save before battle. Use Fire, Electric, or Rock-type moves to weaken it.

Zapdos (Electric/Flying)

• Location: Power Plant.
• Requirements: You need Surf.
• Walkthrough:
  1. Fly to Cerulean City.
  2. Surf east along Route 10, past the Rock Tunnel entrance.
  3. You'll see a patch of grass and a small river. Surf south down this river.
  4. The Power Plant is a large, abandoned building on the eastern bank.
  5. Navigate the Power Plant's interior. It's a maze of machinery and wild Electric-type Pokémon.
  6. Zapdos is located in a central room.
  7. Save before battle. Use Ice or Rock-type moves to weaken it.

Moltres (Fire/Flying)

• Location: Victory Road.
• Requirements: You need Surf and Strength.
• Walkthrough:
  1. Moltres is found within Victory Road, the cave you traversed to reach the Pokémon League.
  2. Re-enter Victory Road from the Indigo Plateau side (or the Viridian City side).
  3. Navigate through the cave, using Strength to move the boulders. Moltres is not on the main path, but in a separate area accessible by pushing a specific boulder.
  4. Moltres is typically found on the third floor of Victory Road.
  5. Save before battle. Use Water, Electric, or Rock-type moves to weaken it.

Completing the Pokédex

Becoming the Champion is just the first step to truly "catching 'em all." There are 150 Pokémon to register in your Pokédex (151 if you count Mew, which is an event-only Pokémon).

Version Exclusives

To truly complete your Pokédex, you'll need to trade with a friend who owns the opposite version (Red or Blue).

• Pokémon Red Exclusives: Ekans, Arbok, Oddish, Gloom, Vileplume, Mankey, Primeape, Growlithe, Arcanine, Scyther, Electabuzz.
• Pokémon Blue Exclusives: Sandshrew, Sandslash, Bellsprout, Weepinbell, Victreebel, Vulpix, Ninetales, Meowth, Persian, Pinsir, Magmar.

Trade Evolutions

Certain Pokémon only evolve when traded between games. You'll need a link cable and a friend to achieve these evolutions.

• Kadabra evolves into Alakazam
• Machoke evolves into Machamp
• Graveler evolves into Golem
• Haunter evolves into Gengar

Fossil Pokémon

If you only chose one fossil earlier in the game, you can obtain the other by trading.

• Dome Fossil (Kabuto) and Helix Fossil (Omanyte) are revived at the Pokémon Lab on Cinnabar Island.

Rematches and Training

The world of Kanto offers endless opportunities to strengthen your team and test your mettle.

The Elite Four Rematch

You can challenge the Elite Four as many times as you like. This is an excellent way to gain experience for your Pokémon and earn prize money. Their teams do not change, but it's still a good challenge.

Gym Leader Rematches (Unofficial)

While there are no official rematches with Gym Leaders in Red/Blue, you can always revisit their gyms for a nostalgic trip or to see if you missed any hidden items.

Trainer House (Pokémon Yellow Only)

(Note: This content is specific to Pokémon Yellow. If playing Red/Blue, disregard this section.)
In Pokémon Yellow, after defeating the Elite Four, you can visit the Trainer House in Viridian City. Here, you can battle a strong trainer once per day, offering good experience and a unique challenge.

Hidden Items and Secrets

Kanto is full of hidden items and minor secrets that you might have missed on your first playthrough.

• Itemfinder: Use your Itemfinder in every area, especially in places you only briefly visited. Many valuable items, including rare candies, TMs, and even hidden Poké Balls, are scattered across the region.
• Fishing: Go back to every body of water and fish with the Super Rod. You might find some rare Pokémon you missed, or even higher-level versions of common ones.
• Safari Zone: Revisit the Safari Zone in Fuchsia City. You can spend more time trying to catch rare Pokémon like Tauros, Chansey, Scyther (Red), or Pinsir (Blue). Remember to utilize the different areas and bait/rock mechanics.
• Celadon City Game Corner: If you're feeling lucky, try your hand at the Game Corner for a chance to win valuable prizes, including rare Pokémon (Porygon) and powerful TMs.

With these challenges and explorations, your journey in Pokémon Red and Blue will truly become legendary. Good luck, Trainer!