Generation I

Template:GenerationInfoBoxGeneration I (Japanese: 第一世代 Dai Ichi-sedai) (sometimes referred to as the Color Generation due to the names of the versions released) was the very first set of games introduced in the Pokémon franchise. The games begin Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green in Japan, which are later joined with a third version Pokémon Blue and a special edition Pokémon Yellow. They were released on the Game Boy while Pokémon Stadium for the Nintendo 64 in Japan. These games featured the 151 Pokémon starting with Bulbasaur.

Chronologically, Red, Green, Blue and Yellow take place in the same timeline as Generation III.

Gameplay

The gameplay primarily consists of the player trying to obtain all 151 Pokémon, defeating all the Gym Leaders, the Elite Four, and the Pokémon Champion while encountering other Pokémon Trainers along the way.

To find and catch a Pokémon, the player, who is a Pokémon Trainer, walks around in tall grass (or caves or uses the Hidden Move surf on water). When a wild Pokémon appears, the player battles it with a previously caught Pokemon to lower its health. Lowering the Pokémon's health weakens it, allowing the Trainer to capture it with a Poké Ball. The player is limited to carrying only six Pokémon at a time. Once the player catches a seventh Pokémon, it automatically transfers to a Pokémon Storage System. Players can change the six Pokemon in their lineup by accessing the Pokémon storage system, which contains 12 "boxes" that each hold 20 Pokémon (240 Pokémon in total).

Each Pokémon has its own stats, which consist of Attack, Defense, Speed, Special, and HP. These stats increase when the Pokémon gains a level. The lowest level a Pokémon can be is level 1, while the highest is level 100. Pokémon also have moves, which can be used to attack another Pokémon or to heal oneself. In total, there are 165 moves in Generation I, though a Pokémon can only have four moves and will have to forget a move to learn a new one.

Pokémon also come in different elemental types. There are 15 different elemental types of Pokémon, consisting of Bug, Dragon, Electric, Fighting, Fire, Flying, Ghost, Grass, Ground, Ice, Normal, Poison, Psychic, Rock, and Water. Each element has its own weakness, such as Fire Pokémon being weak against Water Pokémon, as well as its own strength, such as Water Pokémon being strong against Fire Pokémon. Pokémon receive less damage from and deal more damage to elements they are strong against, while on the other hand dealing less damage to and taking more damage from elements they are weak against. Elemental strengths and weaknesses encourage the player to keep a diverse selection of Pokémon to counter various types of enemy Pokémon effectively.

Some Pokémon can evolve into another Pokémon. This can happen when they reach a certain level, are traded with another character or player, or are given an evolutionary stone. When a Pokémon evolves, they develop better stats and may also change types.

The player must travel across Kanto and defeat the eight Gym Leaders at their Gyms, earning a Badge corresponding with that Gym. Each Gym specializes in a type of Pokémon, resulting in certain types of Pokémon being effective in certain gyms, while other types of Pokémon are weak in certain gyms. After defeating the eight Gym Leaders, the player progresses to the Elite Four, where he/she fights the four best trainers in the entire region. After defeating them, the player must then defeat the Pokémon Champion, which will result in the player becoming the new Pokémon Champion.

Players can also trade Pokémon with or fight against other players through a Game Link Cable. Some Pokémon have to be traded so that they can evolve.

Starter Pokémon

The player can choose one of three Starter Pokémon at the beginning of the game. The choices are: Bulbasaur (Grass), Squirtle (Water), and Charmander (Fire)

However, in Pokémon Yellow, the player had only Pikachu to choose as a starter, while the rival always chooses Eevee, which evolves into either Vaporeon, Jolteon or Flareon depending on the results in the battles with him at Prof. Oak's lab and at route 22.

Gym Leaders, Elite Four and Champion

Generation I introduced a unique set of Gym Leaders and the Elite Four. All of these trainers specialized in a specific type of Pokémon and are key to progressing through the game. They all reappear in Generation II's Pokémon Gold, Silver and Crystal, Generation III's Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen and Generation IV's Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, except for Koga, who is replaced by Janine, and Giovanni, who is replaced by Blue in Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold, and SoulSilver.

Gym Leaders

Leader Name	Type	HM usable after defeat	Place
Brock	Rock	Rock Smash	Pewter City
Misty	Water	Cut	Cerulean City
Lt. Surge	Electric	Fly	Vermilion City
Erika	Grass	Strength	Celadon City
Koga	Poison	Surf	Fuchsia City
Sabrina	Psychic	N/A	Saffron City
Blaine	Fire	N/A	Cinnabar City
Giovanni	Ground	N/A	Viridian City

Elite Four

Member	Type
Lorelei	Ice
Bruno	Fighting
Agatha	Ghost
Lance	Dragon

Pokémon Champion

Member	Type
Blue	???

Pokémon

Main article: List of Generation I Pokémon

Games

Main series

Pokemon Red.jpg

Pokémon Red

Pokemon Blue.jpg

Pokémon Blue

Pokémon Green (Japan only)

Pokemon Yellow.jpg

Pokémon Yellow

Side series

Super Smash Bros.

Pokémon Snap

Hey You, Pikachu!

Pokémon Trading Card Game

Pokémon Stadium

Pokémon Puzzle League

Trivia

• Pokémon Green wasn't released internationally and was only released in Japan.
• If you play any of the games on the GBC, the stars on the Game Freak logo will be colored depending on the version of the game.
• Dragonite's horn wasn't added until Generation II
• It was originally intended that the player could battle Professor Oak after beating the champion, but it was not included in the actual games. There is however, a glitch that can be activated to battle him.
• Pokémon Red, Green, Blue and Yellow (Japanese)/ Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow (International) are the first main series games to be released on the Nintendo Virtual Console.
• Generation I is the only generation where you cannot get a level 1 Pokémon, unless you have a Generation II game.

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