Bulba% Route

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

This guide is meant to help you out if you want to try to beat Pokémon Red/Blue with using only the Bulbasaur line in a speedrun (excluding HM Slaves). It is assumed you know the basics of Red Speedrun such as items and fights locations.
This guide was developed by me (Xminiblinder) and Pinkish_Princess.

BEFORE START THE GAME

Set your options to FAST, OFF, SET

THE ROUTE

Pick PC Potion, and check Bulbasaur Stats BEFORE Rival 1 fight. The stats you are looking for are 11/10/10/12. Reset if you don't get it.

	Note 1: These requirements are not that high (about average or better for all stats except att which needs to be 11+ DV) but this process can take some time

	Note 2: You can go with lower defense stat (9) if you have good special (13). That way some fights are better and you don't get as much damage as usual. Anyway, it is still more dangerous to do it.

  Rival 1: Growl x2 and then Tackle Spam. Heal if 6-

	Note: This fight sucks so this is the safest option since getting a runnable bulba can take a lot of time. However, you can growl only once (or not growl at all) for this battle if you want. The damage you get from Charmander is 4/3/2/6 at 0/-1/-2/crit (assuming standard defense).

Don't fight any encounter in Route 1, skip Virdian Mart and Pick both Potions in the way to Weedle Guy (since you are poison type, don't pick the antidote either)

  Weedle Guy: Tackle spam

Heal if 10- (Geodude Tackle crit can kill you from 11 but that's really unlikely. If you want to play really safe, heal if 19-)

  Brock:

	Geodude: Leech Seed, Growl spam till geo is at -6 deff, Tackle once and spam growl till the end (Leech Seed give you 2 health back per turn and geo does 2 at -6 att so, heal only if you get a crit latter on the fight or a lot of tackles early on)

	Onix: Leech See and Growl Spam (Onix is way more dangerous than geodude so play this fight more carefully. Tackle crit does around 12 and he can screech)

SHOOPING:

3 Pokéballs, 10 Potions, 2 Para Heals, 1 Awakening, 1 Burn Heal (you should have 201 left after this shooping)

  BC 1: Tackle Spam

MENU:

Heal to full, teach Bide, SAVE

Shorts Guy:

	Ratatta: Bide and pray for no Tail Whips (heal if 15-)
	Teach Vine Whip (VW) over Leech Seed
	Ekans: Tackle spam (heal if needed)

Heal to 30+, Save and fight the Lass instead of BC2:

  Lass:

	Rat: Swap VW to slot 4, VW x2
	Nido: Tackle spam

Go back to reaload the Area and fight BC3

  BC3:

	Caterpie: Tackle spam (try to stay with 1 tackle, you can VW for similar damage)
	Metapod: VW spam

Catch a flyer (1 tackle to damage it) and center before Moon

On Moon you fight the Hiker and then do PoY Manip. Select Buffer doesn't work so you need to damage the paras (2 tackle + VW). If you find Geodudes (lvl 9+), kill up to 2 for xp (if you don't find them is ok. Just make some fights better but xp is not mandatory)

Pick only the Candy and Escape Rope

  Hiker: VW all pokes

Save before Moon Rocket

  Moon Rocket:

	Rat: VW x2
	Zubat: Switch in Flyer
				If Spearow: Growl x2 and spam peck till it dies and finish with Ivysaur (you can spam Growl if Zubat is at low health)
				If Pidgey: Gust till Pidgey dies (if you are low health and Zubat is close to full, Sand Attack once). Finish with Ivisaur

	Note: this fight is the worst fight in the route. It sucks and that's why you save. You can split xp but then you need or to fight 1 encounter on Moon or to fight the Onix dude on the way to Bills (VW is a 1 shot)

  Nerd (heal in the fight if needed):

	Grimer: Tackle Spam
	Voltorb: VW x2
	Koffing: Tackle Spam

Take the center, get IT and head to the Gym. Fight the both trainers here:

  Optional:

	Horsea: VW x2 (tackle if it kills)
	Shelder: VW + Tackle

  Goldeen Girl: VW x2

  Misty: VW till everything is dead. Staryu is a 2 shot and Starmie is a (bad) range to 3 shot so finish with tackle if needed. Heal if necessary. Generally you won't need but it is better to lose IT than reset for bulba again.

Center after Misty, get the candy and fight the Rival (IT is not worth here)

  Rival:

	Pidgeotto: Bide and hope for no SA
	Abra: Heal to full (or close), Tackle x2
	Rat: Swap flyer if you got SA by the bird, let it die and VW x2
	Charmander: Tackle spam (ember does 15-)

  BC: Tackle spam

If you got Geo XP, you level up here. Don't teach Poison Powder, go to the center and get IT. If you didn't got geo xp, then do that after Lass.

  Lass 1: Tackle Spam (VW the Nido if you get growl)

  Yougnster: VN the Rat and Tackle Spam Ekans and Zubat (this fight can be rough because of Zubat)

  Lass 2: Same as previous Lass

If you are low health, go back, center and get IT again. This allows you to be very likely to keep IT till Bills but only go for it if you are at low health (like 20-)

  Jr. Trainer: VW x2

  Rocket: Tackle x2 each poke

Fight the Upper Hiker instead of the Onix one

  Hiker: Spam VW

Pick the Hidden Elixer and use it if you run out of VW pp for the Hiker

  Lass: Tackle Spam (VW if growled)

  Hiker: VW Spam (Machop is a 2-shot unless you crit)

  Final Lass: Tackle Spam

Pick Ether ONLY if you USED Elixer and go to Bills

MENU:

 Use both Rare Candies, Escape Rope

Take the center, get IT and go fight Dig Rocket unless you have 3- potions in which case you don't get IT and do the Shopping before SS. Anne and buy also 11 Super Potions.

  Dig Rocket:

	Machop: VW x2
	Drowzee: Tackle spam (use awakening if put to sleep)

Pick the Full Restore

 Lass: Tackle spam (all pidgeys are a 2 shot)

 Jr. Trainer:

	Spearow: Tackle x2
	Raticate: Swap VW to slot 3 and VW x2

Enter on the 4th room on SS Anne and fight the Youngester

  Youngster: Swap Tackle to slot 2, and Tackle spam

Pick Body Slam (BS) Tm

MENU:

Heal to Full (or close), teach BS over Growl (slot 1)

  Boat Rival:

	Pidgeotto: BS x2
	Raticate: BS (+ VW)
	Kadabra: BS
	Charmeleon: BS x2


Fight the Gentleman and get the candy (we need that xp, candy and money)

  Gentleman: BS, BS

SHOPPING:

3 repels (10 815 left)

MENU:

	Use your last Potions
	Toss all Pokeballs and Awakening (this assumes you didn't use the burn heal. If you have, don't toss the Awakening or Pokeball. If Pokeball, leave 1 Potion and use it on the bike menu after swapping it by bike)
	Swap slot 2 (the item you didn't toss) for Repels
	Teach Cut and Dig
	Use Cut

Do Cans Manip and fight Surge

  Surge:

	Voltorb: BS + VW
	Pikachu: BS (+ VW)
	Raichu: BS X2

Get Bike Voucher, dig out and get the Bike

MENU:

Swap slot 1 (Para Heals) for Bike
(use a para heal if needed)
Use the Elixer/Ether
Get in the Bike

  4 Turn Trash Girl: BS all pokes (finish with tackle oddishes if necessary). Teach Razor Leaf (RL) over Bide (slot 4)
  BC: RL, Tackle x2, BS + Tackle
Use the repels as normal on the Cave

  Maniac 1: RL, RL
  Maniac 2: RL
  Oddish Girl: BS
  Hiker: VW, VW, VW
  Lass: RL, BS, BS

Pick the Max Ether and fight the Clefairy Girl instead of the Gambler

  Clefairy Girl: RL, RL

Don't pick any items on the underground

SHOPPING:

SELL:
	TM11, Nugget, TM 24

BUY:
	10 Super Repels, 11 Super Potions, 1 Revive
	3 Pokedools
	1 Fresh Water
	5 Xacc, 2 Xatt, 2 Xspec, 3 Xspeed (156 left)

Get Fly

MENU:

Swap 3 with Super Repels
Use 1 Super Potion
Toss Burn Heal (or the item that you didn't toss on Cans Menu)
Use a Super Repel
Swap 2 with Xatt
Teach Fly
Fly to Lavender

  Lavender Rival:

	Pidgeotto: Xatt, Swap 4 with Xspeeds + Xacc (you can skip this if you have an extra BS for kadabra and the bird didn't Sand Attack), BS
	Exeggcute: BS (+ Tackle)
	Gyarados: BS (+ Tackle)
	Kadabra: Swap Tackle to slot 3, Tackle
	Charmeleon: BS (+ Tackle)

Pick only 1 Elixer (skip hidden one) and RL all Channelers (if Paralyzed on 1st Channeler, don't heal it since you get the free heal on the pad)

GHOST MENU:

Swap 5 for Xacc, use Pokedoll

  Rocket 1: BS spam (only Golbat is a 2 shot)
  Rocket 2: Xatt, BS (+ BS), BS
  Rocket 3: BS Spam

Normal strats after that (Pokeflute, Center, Silph Co, pick Elixer)

  Rocket: Swap BS for VW (slot 2) + BS x2 + Tackle

Go 2 Floors up and open the 1st door you see. Pick Swords Dance (SD) TM

MENU

Swap Max Ether with Card Key, Teach SD over VW (slot 1)

Get back to 5th Floor and take normal path to Rival

  Rival: Xspeed, SDx3, BS X5. Heal if 70- (if you crit something and don't kill, tackle to finish)

GET THE LAPRAS

  Rocket: RL, BS + Tackle, RL

  Geovanni: SDx3, BS, BS, RL, BS

Go to 10th Floor (GET LAPRAS IF YOU FORGOT), get only the Candy, Dig out and go to Snorlax

MENU:

Super Repel, Heal to Full, Toss Para Heals, Swap 6 with Elixers, use Pokeflute

Pick the Hidden Candy and go to Fuschia

MENU:

Super Repel, Bike

Take the path which you don't use cut to go to safari zone. Super Repel around the 2nd Map, pick Full Restore, Golden Teeth and Surf (also pick the hidden Revive if you used yours before). Dig out and head to Erika gym

  Beauty: BS + Tackle

  Erika: SD, BS, BS, BS (If crit and don't kill, finish with Tackle)

Use 1 Elixer after exiting the gym, Fly to Fuschia and go to the gym

  Juggler 1: SD, BS x4
  Juggler 2: SD, BS, BS (+ BS)

  Koga: SDx3 BS Spam

After exiting the Gym, get in the Bike and get Strenght. Fly to Pallete Town.

MENU:

Use Super Repel, Use 1 Candy (to not get encounters at Mansion), Heal to Full, Teach Strenght, Teach Surf, Use Max Ether on BS

Get Both candies on Mansion and the Secret Key.

MENU:

Use all Candies, Dig out

Bike to Saffron and Get Mimic (2nd floor of 1st House on the Upper Side). Head to Sabrina

  Sabrina: BS, SDx1 + BS, BS, BS

Dig out, Fly to Cinnabar and head to the Gym

  Blaine: SDX3, BS all of them (finish with Tackle if you crit and don't kill)

Dig out and Fly to Virdian

Virdian Gym: RL everything. Only Geo's Nido's are 2 shot

After leaving the gym

MENU:

Use 1 Super Repel, Heal to Full, Teach Mimic (last item) over Tackle (slot 3) and get in the Bike

  Rival:

	Pidgeot: BSx3
	Rhyhorn: Xacc, Xspeed, Mimic Horn Drill, HD all remaining pokes

Pick the Candy at Victory Road (pick the FR also if you have used any)

MENU (last Super Repel Usage):

Heal to full, use Rare Candy, Use Super Repel

Deposit all slaves (generally speaking, revives would only help if Lapras crit you but that's unlikely)

  Lorelei: RL (+ RL), RL, SD + RL (+ BS), BS, BS + RL (optional save for this fight but not recommended)

  Bruno: RL all Pokes. Teach Sleep Powder (SP) over RL

  Agatha:

	Gengar 1: Xspec, Mimic Dream Eater (DE), Xspec, Xacc, SP, DE
				- If she switch on turn 1: yolo SP (75%), Xacc,SD, BS, do normal strats (no need to use Xspec because with the badge boost from SD they all die)
				- If she switch on turn 2 or 3: yolo SP (75%), finish set up, DE
				- If she switch on turn 4 onwards: normal strats
				- NOTE: if you are unlucky enough that she switches to Golbat and you miss SP into Haze, try to SP and then set up 1 Xspec and 2 SD (3 SD if no xspec left) so you can outspeed both Gengars (with 3 SD, both Gengar are a 2 shot unless you crit)
				- SD in case of a switch was a really good idea implemented by Enderborn18

	All remaining Pokes: SP, DE (use elixer after SP the Arbok)

  Lance: Xacc, SP, Mimic Hydro Pump (HP), SDx3, BS, BS, BS, HP, BSx2

  Champ: Xspeed, Xacc, SP, SD, BSx2, BS, Mimic Horn Drill, HD remaining Pokes (if Pidgeot uses Sky Attack turn 1, try to put it to sleep since crit kills you)