1st Gen Confused about catching

[Legionnaire7]

Total beginner here, I started playing Pokemon Blue, in Viridian City that guy explained how to catch pokemons and I went back to the Mart and bought 4 balls, but now I don't know how should I proceed. Why would I switch to another pokemon instead of just levelling my initial one? Are there better or specialized ones, if so which ones should I look for? Also, should I hang around the spot picking battles to reach a certain level before heading further?

Also, is there a limit on how many I can carry, or do I need to deposit additional ones at the center?

 

[Sydian]

unless you want to challenge yourself on this playthrough, i would not suggest keeping only one pokemon. i don't know if you've played any other rpg games, but you typically have a team and you want to keep all of them in good shape and level. each pokemon is going to have its strengths and weaknesses. for example, if you started with charmander, you're going to have a difficult time taking down the first gym leader with only that. i would recommend catching a caterpie and training it until it evolves at level 10. it's well worth the effort, though it will seem fruitless at first. i recommend catching lots of different pokemon and trying them out to see how you like them and to find a balance in the types of pokemon on your team. for example, you don't want to go around with a team of only water types. it's doable, but if this if your first time playing, i would suggest more variety. it will leave you better equipped for the challenges ahead.

as far as leveling goes, my personal preference is to be at the gym leader's level or possibly higher before taking them on. in the case of the first gym leader, that would be around level 14. again, not necessary, just my usual protocol.

you may only carry six pokemon on you at one time. additional pokemon will go to the pc storage box (someone's pc) and you can withdraw them from there, as well as deposit any pokemon you have that you want to stow away for a while. boxes can hold up to 30 pokemon. when your box is full, you will need to go to the computer and hit 'change box' to select an empty box where pokemon will be stored then. you cannot catch wild pokemon if your pc storage box is set to a full box. for this reason, i tend to switch my box to the next empty one when my box hits around 25/30, just so i don't accidentally go hog wild catching pokemon and then run out of room quickly.

 

[Legionnaire7]

So Caterpie should be my main one, or should I keep Bulbasaur for that task? I've seen that you can alternate between them in battle and between battles with a challenger. Also that Bulbasaur is at definitive advantage over the first challenger's Weedle, is that some rock-paper-scissors thing or is Weedle just weak? Team I've assembled: Bulbasaur, Rattata, Pidgey, Caterpie, Pikachu, Weedle. Anyone of them needs replacing?
Edit: Fighting against the second challenger's Pidgey, how is that supposed to level up if it can only harden?
Edit 2: I see, with switching experience is divided even with one doing all the work.

 

[Nah]

You'll need to eventually replace one of your 6, as there's certain moves called HMs that are are needed to access/traverse some areas. One of these is one called Surf, which allows you to travel on water, which is required to beat the game, and none of your current team can learn that move. Weedle would probably be the one to let go of, as Caterpie is a similar sort of Pokemon (a quickly evolving Bug type) but is arguably better than Weedle and its evolutions. Definitely want to keep Bulbasaur, as it does well against the first two Gym Leaders (they're some of the bosses in Pokemon).

There is a rock-paper-scissors element to Pokemon in that each Pokemon and each move is one or two of the 13 to 16 types (they added a few more after Red/Blue/Yellow), and each type is strong and weak against other types. This page displays how they all interact with each other in the game you're playing: https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Type/Type_chart#Generation_I

It'll probably seem a little complicated at first, but you don't have to feel the need to have it memorized perfectly right now. You'll learn as you get experienced, and we're here to help you with whatever you might need.

 

[Sydian]

with bulbasaur, you'll have an easier time with the first gym leader so you don't have to get caterpie, unless you would like to. i would just recommend experimenting with using different pokemon and seeing how you like them, especially if this is your first time playing a pokemon game. i would also advise talking to NPCs in the world, they'll give you decent insight to how the world of pokemon works out. it may seem a little overwhelming like nah said, but you'll get the hang of it. and as i mentioned before, you can switch out pokemon using the pc storage system (it's called someone's pc when you select the computer, later it will be renamed to bill's pc).

 

[Legionnaire7]

I see, using Vine Whip was very effective against the gym leader. But what should I do with TM34, teach it to Bulbasaur, or is there a better suited pokemon that I need to save it for?

 

[Nah]

Bide is not a move I'd teach to most Pokemon really, but ultimately it's up to you (as Syd has said, some of the fun with a new Pokemon game is just trying out different things).

Just keep in mind that TMs are one use only, many of them you only get one copy per playthrough, and a Pokemon can only know 4 moves at a time (and it's nearly impossible to get back most forgotten moves in the first 4 generations).

 

[Legionnaire7]

and a Pokemon can only know 4 moves at a time (and it's nearly impossible to get back most forgotten moves in the first 4 generations).

Uh, so new ones are learned and old ones are forgotten automatically?

 

[Nah]

Uh, so new ones are learned and old ones are forgotten automatically?

When a Pokemon wants to learn a new move and it already knows 4, you get to choose which move to delete, and if you want it to even learn the new move at all.