1st Gen Buying Magikarp

[Palamon]

In the original games, the remakes, the re-remakes, and the Unova games, you can buy a Magikarp from a salesman for 500 Pokedollars. It is always at level 5, and you cannot return it. You can buy the Magikarp in the Mt. Moon Pokemon Center in the gen i games and the remakes. In Gen V it can only be bough in the post-game on Marvelous Bridge.

Did you buy the Magikarp from the salesman? What did you think of this? I do think it's interesting that someone has the nerve to scam people with a Magikarp, but hey! You can get a Gyarados really early this way. Not in the Unova games, though.

 

[LusoTrainer]

Never bought it. I'd rather fish one. But some friends at the time (I'm talking about Gen 1) did opt to buy it precisely to get a Gyarados early on. It's a deserved reward. After all, money is not something one easily runs out of when playing the games.

 

[XNaut]

I did buy a Magikarp and once when i started a couple new files I didn't even bother buying since I never use it on my team.

 

[jensmoking]

I usually buy it because... idk why, I just pay for the fish.
In my full Pokédex run, I forgot to get Magikarp, so ended up being one of the last ones to get. I didn't even seen one in the playthrough, as they usually are catched with Old Rod.

 

[Palmer-Granate]

I bought one in Red the first time I played, but not since.

But the argument of a Gyarados before Vermilion intrigues me.

 

[#Not Important]

I always buy it.
I mean you start with 3000 coins, why not?
Plus that weird old guy did say to collect data about all the pokemon...

 

[CF1994]

Gyarados is really good in both Gen I and LGPE, so paying the Salesman is worth it if you are lacking Water Pokémon.

In Gen I, 100 Special is pretty good, and you can teach it Water Gun from a TM right away once it evolves. It is your best Surf/Strength combo with either Ice Beam/Blizzard to help out immensely against nearly Lance's entire team.

In LGPE, while it's Sp. Atk is bad, Scald can still destroy so many Geodudes, Gravelers and Onixes Trainers often like to send out between Misty and Erika. You can even find the Waterfall TM for optimal offense by the time you're at Celadon City. It can also learn Earthquake and Crunch for fierce coverage.

I wouldn't use it in FR/LG, though. I'd stick with Blastoise, Starmie, Cloyster, Lapras, Vaporeon or even Omastar as a strong Water-type worth training.

 

[Lysander]

I bought the Magikarp when I was playing through Pokémon Red after it was released through Virtual Console on the 3DS. It took ages to evolve it, but in the end it was more than worth it. Gyarados was easily the most powerful Pokémon I had on my team.