Pidgeotto --> Clefable --> Nidoking route in Yellow

I am testing a new route for Pokemon Yellow any% glitchless that features three main Pokemon: Pidgeotto, Clefable and Nidoking. Here is a brief summary:
- Catch a Level 9 Pidgeotto in the forest with 15 DV Attack and 15 DV Speed
- Skip all optional trainers before Brock
- Beat Brock and Route 3 with Pidgeotto
- Catch a Level 13 Clefairy in Mt. Moon with 15 DV Attack, 14 DV Speed, and very high Special
- Evolve into Clefable
- Use Clefable from Mt. Moon until the Safari Zone (Mega Punch/Bubblebeam/Thunderbolt)
- Catch a Level 36 Nidoran-M in the Safari Zone with 15 DV Attack, 14 DV Speed, and very high Special
- Evolve into Nidoking
- Teach Surf to Nidoking instead of Thunderbolt
- Skip Lapras
- Beat the rest of the game using Nidoking
- Save a turn and some risk on Giovanni by X Attacking and then Surfing Rhydon
- YOLO Drill Lance's Gyarados, possibly with the aid of manip

This route requires RNG manipulating two 1% encounters -- Pidgeotto and Clefairy -- with nearly perfect stats, manipulating a Nidoran in the Safari Zone late into the run, and possibly executing a Lance manip that requires hitting about a dozen 4-frame windows. Executing the manips shouldn't be a problem for top runners. Creating the manips may or may not be possible.

The main time save in this route, worth nearly 3 minutes, is skipping the three slow optional trainers that Nidoran has to fight to learn Double Kick for Brock. You would think that Pidgeotto would lose all of that time back on Brock, but it actually has a decent fight thanks to Sand-Attack hax and Pikachu's Tail Whip.

After Pidgeotto clears Route 3, you basically stumble to the finish line, trying to piece together a route that doesn't lose massive time to solo Nidoking. Clefable has to rely extensively on Mega Punch's 85% accuracy because the detour for Body Slam is too slow. And Mega Punch PP is tight, which means misses can doom a run. Clefable also needs Thunderbolt for the Gastlies in Pokemon Tower because the Psychic detour is too slow. And that means Nidoking can't learn Thunderbolt to safely beat Lance.

Thankfully, Nido has a smooth late game aside from Lance. You catch it in the Safari Zone three levels higher than the typical level for that point in the game. This helps compensate for the lack of stat exp. and allows high-level Raticate and Onix encounters to be avoided. Nidoran also learns Horn Drill at Level 38, allowing the TM purchase to be skipped. So the only real late-game time loss is manipping and evolving Nidoran.

Here is a full time breakdown. These times will be updated as I do runs:
- Brock/Route 3: -2:30
- Mt. Moon: +60
- Misty/Nugget Bridge: +5
- Surge: +50
- Fly: -15
- Poke Flute: Even
- Safari Zone: +1:25
- Late game: -5
TOTAL: 30 seconds lost to current Nidoking WR route

And here is a list of other discarded strats:
- Solo Clefable (many fights are bad, particularly Blaine and Champion)
- Clefable --> Dugtrio --> Nido (Dugtrio needs Body Slam and a difficult manip)
- Clefable --> Kadabra --> Nido (Kadabra owns Pokemon Tower with Psybeam, but manipping it is slow)
- Many late Surge variants, including S.S. Anne deathwarp (all lose major time to movement)
- Clefable --> Nidoqueen (female Nido is also available at Level 36 and can tank Lance's Hydro Pump, but low Speed hurts)
- Clefable without Thunderbolt --> Nido with Thunderbolt and Blizzard (3HKOs Gastlies with Bubblebeam, and Nido prefers Surf)
- Clefable without Thunderbolt --> Nido with Thunderbolt and Surf (Erika's gym is bad with no Ice move, and Lance is slow)