You will find the second gym of the Kanto region in Cerulean City, where you will fight The Tomboyish Mermaid Misty. She specializes in Water-type Pokémon. Here’s everything you need to know to defeat Misty and earn the Cascade Badge:
Misty’s Team
Misty uses two Pokémon:
- Staryu (Level 18) – Water
- Starmie (Level 21) – Water/Psychic
Out of these two, Staryu is manageable, but at this point in the game, Starmie can be a big challenge. It has 115 Speed and 100 Sp. Atk, which, unless you have overleveled, makes it faster than most Pokémon in Kanto, let alone in the early game. Since most grass types in Kanto are also part Poison, they are weak to Psychic, but fortunately, Misty’s Starmie does not have any Psychic-type moves. But with its fast speed, it spams Water Pulse, which can confuse your Pokémon, so keep that in mind.
Type Matchups
Water is weak to Electric and Grass-type moves while resisting Ice, Fire, Steel, and Water-type attacks. In the case of Starmie, its Psychic typing also makes it vulnerable to Dark, Ghost, and Bug-type moves.
Best Counters
If you chose Bulbasaur as your stater you are set. But in case you choose Charmander or Squirtle, you can struggle to defeat her. In that case, these are the best early-game counters you can use:
- Pikachu – You can find Pikachu in the Varidian forest, but it is rare. If you are already in Cerulean City, you can’t backtrack to Varidian Forest until you get HM01 Cut, so plan accordingly.
- Oddish/Bellsprout – Bellsprout is version exclusive to LeafGreen, and Oddish is to FireRed; you can find the one available in your version on Route 24/25.
- Gyarados – You can buy a Magikarp for 500 Poké-Dollars in the Pokémon Center near the Mt. Moon entrance. It is weak, so you have to switch-train it to level 20 to evolve Magicarp to Gyarados. Gyarados’ raw stats and access to Bite can overpower Misty.
Rewards
After defeating Misty, you will be awarded TM03 Water Pulse and the Cascade Badge.
If you have the Cascade Badge:
- Pokémon up to Level 30 obey.
- Allows the use of HM01 Cut outside of battle.
Misty can be more difficult than Brock if you are unprepared. Confusion from Water Pulse, along with Recover, can easily drag the fight out. Be prepared and try to use counters against her Pokémon to win this fight.
