Since I now have a game from the first generation behind me, I though I might write some sort of guide on how to follow Ash’s story in the first generation of Pokemon games. Of course, since I played Pokemon Yellow, I’ll focus on that game, but I’ll try to look at the other two as well. I think the best way to do it is in the form of a step by step list of events in the game, compared to the anime.

How to Follow Ash – Pewter City, Rock Gym

Route

Pallet Town -> Route 1 ->Viridian City -> Route 2 – > Viridian Forest -> Pewter City -> The Rock Gym

The Anime

In the anime, Ash get’s a Pikachu as his first Pokemon and catches a Catterpie as well as a Pidgeoto by the time he reaches Brock’s gym. Catterpie almost immediately evolves to Metapod and further to Butterfree.

How to Follow

In Pokemon Yellow, Pikachu is easy. In Pokemon Blue/Red, the earliest you can get one is Viridian forest, which is still before the first gym, but not as true to the anime. Catterpie and Pidgeotto can both also be caught in Viridian forest, but it might be easier and faster to catch a Pidgey and quickly evolve it to Pidgeotto with some grinding. In Red/Blue, you could pick any starter, probably, since you can’t catch any of them in the wild. Since Ash get’s all three of the starters quite early in the anime, Pokemon Yellow is, again the superior choice for this challenge.

How to Follow Ash – Cerulean City, Water Gym

Route

Pewter City -> Route 3 -> Mount Moon -> Route 4 -> Cerulean City

The Anime

In the anime, Ash beats Brock with Pikachu by super charging him. No new Pokemon are caught during this time at all. He wins the Cerulean badge for helping the gym against Team Rocket

How to Follow

Basically, just play. As I said, no new Pokemon are caught during this time and all the Pokemon you can catch on the two routes are available later. You’ll need to catch a Mankey later, so you might as well do it now, since otherwise, you’ll have to go back here all the way from Vermilion or even Celadon City. Just don’t use it until you clear go past Lavender Town.

How to Follow Ash – Vermilion City, Electrical Gym

Route

Cerulean City -> Route 24 -> Route 25 -> Cerulean City -> Route 5 -> Route 6 -> Vermilion City

The Anime

Ash receives the three starters during this period, but doesn’t really properly catch any of them. They just agree to go with him and let themselves get caught. He also manages to “catch” a Krabby. He beats the electrical gym and only then goes to the SS. Anne, where he temporarily trades his Butterfree for a Raticate, but trades it right back.

How to Follow

In Pokemon Yellow, you receive Charmander from an NPC on Route 24/25, and a Bulbasaur from a person at Cerulean city, as long as your Pikachu is happy enough. Sadly, you can only fish up Krabby if you have the Super Rod, which you won’t have for a long time. Once you do, he can be found on routes 10, 24 and 25. He can also be encountered at the Seafoam Islands. As for Raticate, I don’t see the point of getting one, but you could catch a Rattata and grind it to evolution if you really want to. Peronally, I don’t count him as one of the Pokemon Ash caught. In Pokemon Red and Blue, there’s no way to get the starters other than picking one from Professor Oak. They will have to wait until you can catch them in a later game.

You can get Squirtle at Vermilion City, but only after you beat the gym, which happens only after you clear the SS. Anne, which means the game does it in a different order compared to the anime.

How to Follow Ash – Celadon City, Grass Gym

Route

(Skipping the optionals) -> Cerulean City -> Route 9 -> Rock Tunnel -> Route 10 -> Lavender Town -> Route 8 -> Route 7 -> Celadon City

The Anime

During this period, Ash releases Butterfree, hangs out with a Haunter for a while, to clear the Saffron City Gym, but doesn’t catch it. Then he catches a Mankey, which quickly evolves into Primeape and leaves him.

How to Follow

Release or permanently store your Butterfree at one point, probably before the Rock Tunnel. Also catch a Mankey, train it until evolution and then release/store it to. This part, you should probably do after Lavender town. You’ll need to return to routes 3 or 4 to do this for Pokemon Yellow, though. In Pokemon Red/Blue, they’re also found o routes 5,6 and 7, while Blue also has them on route 8, so it’s a bit easier in these two versions.

How to Follow Ash – Saffron City, Psychic Gym

Route

Pokemon Tower – > Saffron City (give drink from Celadon Store roof to one of the four guards)

The Anime

Ash did all of this before the Celadon City Gym.

How to Follow

Since you’re doing this in different order, just go to Saffron City and beat the gym. Of course, you need to tackle Team Rocket first. During this, you get a chance for a completely free Lapras at the Sylph Co.. I’d take it since Ash does have one during the Orange League and there’s no Orange League game. I just probably wouldn’t use it yet or even at all.

How to Follow Ash – Fuchsia City, Ninja Gym (Poison, Psychic)

Route

Route 12 -> Route 13 -> Route 14 -> Route 15 -> Fuchsia City

The Anime

Between this and the previous gym, Ash catches a Muk.

How to Follow

Ash catches a Muk, the earliest you can catch one is at the Power Plant or the Pokemon Mansion on Cinnabar Island. For Pokemon Red and Blue, they’re only found at the mansion. You need surf for both. However, on Route 12, you do get a Super Rod, so you can go and catch that Krabby on routes 24/25. Fuchsia City is also where you can finally enter the Safari Zone. Keep in mind that Ash caught a total of 30 Tauros at the Safari Zone, so you need to do the same if you wan’t to be faithful to the series. After you beat the gym, you should also consider going to Route 16 and catch a Snorlax by waking it with the Pokemon Flute. Ash get’s one during the Orange Islands Adventures so this might be your best chance.

How to Follow Ash – Cinnabar Island, Fire Gym

Route

Route 19 -> Seefoam Islands -> Route 20 -> Cinnabar Island

The Anime

This is a long period in the anime in which Ash doesn’t really catch anything other than the Tauros at the Safari Zone. His Charmander soon evolves into Charmeleon, though, and later into Charizard

How to Follow

Focus on using Charmander until it evolves all the way. You should have Charizard read for the fire gym, and teach him some attacks that aren’t fire based. At the Seafoam Islands, you can catch a Krabby, if you haven’t yet. At the Pokemon Mansion, you can get a Muk.

How to Follow Ash All the Way to the League and Beyond

Route

Viridian City (gym) – > Indigo Plateau

The Anime

No Pokemon are caught in the first season any more. However, Krabby evolves into Kingler during a League battle, and Pidgeotto evolves into Pidgeot shortly after back at Pallet Town.

How to Follow

Get Krabby to level 27 and keep him close to 28 until the League, then just start a fight with him and immediately switch him out, so he’ll evolve into Kingler. I did the same with Pidgeot, though you might decide one waiting until after you win to evolve that one. Of course, you could also train Krabby and keep cancelling his evolution so he’ll actually be a useful part of the team. Again, same goes for Pidgeotto. If you want to keep it truly real, never win the Indigo League. Go there, lose once while evolving Krabby and leave. Train for a while in some other place until Pidgeotto evolves and then transfer everything to the next game.

In any case, that’s it. If you got to this point, you followed the first anime season as close as you could, without trading or cheating, I think.