Ok thanks for approving my contributions. I redid a couple:
Togepi for bottom tier.
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Availability: Early, after the 1st gym. However, you have to hatch an egg which takes time that you could be spending on a better pokemon.
- Stats: Not as bad as you might think. Bulky and 80 special attack isn't that bad though it can't put it to much use. It's slow as hell though, to the point at which you may actually be slower against even average trainers.
- Moves: Bad movepool. It's level up mvepool is horrific; The unreliable Metronome is its only option until it gets Double-Edge (lv 38). It somehow doesn't get the elemental punches and to use its special attack it has to use Fire Blast, Psychic, Solarbeam and Zap Cannon which is not good (one of those requires lots of coins and the other are available way too late).
- Power: You'll likely be using physical STAB (Swift probably) and from 40 attack it won't be doing that much.
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Type: Normal/Flying isn't bad offensively or defensively (not spectacular nor terrible) though it does mean that it has competition from other pokemon of the same type (and it loses). Things like Pidgey and Spearow (and even Hoothoot) outclass it because their higher attack stats suit the typing better.
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Match-ups: As a Togepi it won't be doing well against anything. It's way too weak and you will be babying it until it evolves. As a Togetic, it isn't much better. In theory, if it knows one of its special attacks then it might contribute against gyms that for weak to it (e.g. Psychic for Janine) but that's too little too late. Basically, there are always better options against gym leaders/elite 4 than Togetic.
Chinchou for mid tier, though I have almost convinced myself that is high tier during my actual analysis. I'll say mid tier to be conservative, it's your call.
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Availability: Mid/late Johto, with the Good Rod. Comes at level 20 which is not that bad (shouldn't require too much leveling to match your team).
- Stats: Below average bar HP, but they are good enough for in-game purposes. Evolving early helps it a lot.
- Moves: Learns Surf and Spark which is all that is required really. The cool thing is that it learns all of the water type HMs so if you wanted it can serve as a dual HM slave/regular team member! It's a shame it doesn't learn Icy Wind; water/electric/ice coverage would have been incredible.
- Power: 76 special attack isn't pitiful in GSC. STAB Surf will do plenty of damage to most things (and will probably OHKO many average trainer's pokemon)
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Type: The best thing about it. Water/Electric make a great dual STAB combination with wide coverage. Grass and Ground are its only weaknesses which are easily covered by other teammates.
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Match-ups: Spark will help against Chuck's Poliwrath, Surf wrecks Jasmine's Steelix and it makes a joke out of Pryce. Unhelpful against Clair, but will handle specific pokemon at the elite 4 (Xatu, Slowbro, Onix, Murkrow, Gyarados, etc). Helps against Misty, Brock and Blaine and will pull its weight in other gyms.
Also, a new one:
Jynx for mid tier.
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Availability: Late and at a level lower than your team, requiring time to level. Actually I think you can get it sooner you are willing to detour at bit but that slows things down (correct me if I'm wrong). It comes at just the right time though since it's great for the last gym.
- Stats: Excellent. High special attack and good speed serves it well. Physically frail but it will kill most things before they can do anything anyway.
- Moves: Learns Ice Punch at level 25 which is powerful enough for Jynx. Learns Psychic from TM. It's a shame it has no Psychic moves by level up because it would have owned most of the elite 4 on its own.
- Power: 115 special attack is enough to make short work of most average trainers. Jynx will definitely make the game go by faster.
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Type: Great dual STABs. 6 weaknesses is annoying but they will not matter much when Jynx kills most things before they do anything anyway.
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Match-ups: Ice Punch will be a huge help against Clair. Beats Xatu, Exeggutor, Crobat, Onix, Vileplume, Murkrow and Dragonite at the elite 4. In Kanto, Ice Punch + Psychic will allow you to beat Erika and Janine, as well as most of Brock. Its power allows it to contribute against most important battles.
EDIT: Oh yeah just remembered that Smoochum is available before Goldenrod in Crystal which is kinda notable because Smoochum learns Confusion by level up. I don't think that separate tier placements for each game are needed though. Confusion is helpful for Morty and Chuck but it also means that:
- you have to hope that you get the Smoochum egg
- you have to spend time hatching the egg
- you have to level it up from lv. 5 to match your team (which should be aroung lv. 18-22)
This takes a lot of time so the difference between GS and crystal cancel each other out!
I hope these are ok.