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[TAS and Right-Side Display by aruka English and Translation caption subtitles by FractalFusion]
[Note: Notes by FractalFusion will be surrounded by [] brackets. Without them, it is translation of author's explanations.]
Warning: 1st generation of Pokemon differs from the current gen. Please forget about current gen and read carefully.
Use 1-character name instead of default. Name appears at least 150 times, so we can recover time lost from naming screen.
Similarly, give Rival a 1-character name. It appears at least 70 times, so it is faster to change it. Incidentally, entering イ, カ, ラ, or ア as the character name takes the same amount of time.
[Pokemon Blue (J) TAS in 1:31:06 Author: aruka Rerecords: 283909]
[Original video from Nicovideo (Part 1/4): http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm20327978]
[For convenience, I will not be translating every little bit of Japanese that is shown in the game. I will merely try to refer to important stuff in broad terms.]
Take Squirtle. It is fastest against Brock. No other choices were considered.
Top display is for battle. Middle display will be to show acquired items.
Squirtle's IVs are FF3DF (that is, HPIV=15 AtkIV=15, DefIV=3, SpdIV=13, SpcIV=15). I tried other IVs, but this is the best I got.
When battling, top display is stats for own Pokemon. Middle display is opposing Pokemon.
Rather than going for critical hits, use Tail Whip and 3 Tackles. It takes the same number of turns and is faster.
In Gen. 1, damage calculation is on the same timing as for critical hit. Critical hit damage is normally less than 2x.
This effect is greatest when at low level. At this level, it is only about 1.5x.
In addition, in Gen. 1, critical hits always ignore stat changes.
So since opponent's defense was lowered, critical hits should not be used.
In Gen. 1, there are two RNG addresses. They are linked and cannot be broken except by waiting some frames.
For example, determining random encounters uses both addresses. There are times when rare Pokemon cannot be encountered at all.
If only to avoid encounters, manipulating one side of the RNG is relatively easy.
If the timing of when a person, Pokemon, or item object appears on screen is changed, it results in large differences to the two RNG addresses. So by changing the walking route, we can avoid encounters without stopping.
[The top right window is stats of your own Pokemon. Since I have time, I will explain.]
[First row from left to right: Name, level, HP (Current/Max)]
[Second row from left to right: けいけんち Experience, あと で Exp. remaining to next level]
[First column from third row down: こうげき Attack, ぼうぎょ Defense, すばやさ Speed, とくしゅ Special]
[Second column from third row down: たいあたり Tackle (CurrentPP/MaxPP), しっぽをふる Tail Whip (these are your moves, obviously)]
It is faster to clear a dialog using the B button, rather than A.
[Please remember the Japanese names for your Pokemon moves: たいあたり Tackle, しっぽをふる Tail Whip]
[In battle, dialogs like this カの たいあたり! mean something like "Squirtle used Tackle!"]
[The focal point of the message is the very bottom left corner where たいあたり (Tackle) appears; this tells you exactly the move used, although you may have to disable subs temporarily to see them.]
[If the first line starts with てきの+ other thing, however, then it is the opponent's move and not yours. In this run, Squirtle's turn starts with カの.]
Here, we'll make a different route costing about 3200 frames.
[The window below your Pokemon stats will either be your items (when not battling) or the opponent Pokemon (when battling).]
[Currently, there is only Pokeball x4 in the bag.]
We encounter and catch a Nidoran♂ with IVs 9F8EF (that is, HPIV=9, AtkIV=15, DefIV=8, SpdIV=14, SpcIV=15). It would be better to get a smaller DefIV.
However, in about 30000 rerecords, we cannot obtain a smaller DefIV, so only a compromise.
By the way, Gen. 1 IV values are from 0 to 15.
Also, HPIV is determined from the values of AtkIV, DefIV, SpdIV, and SpcIV.
Instead of making Nidoran the main battler, keep Squirtle for now.
However, the former run using Squirtle to the very end is slower than this run by over a minute, so making a run that uses Squirtle as the main battler and beating this run is probably very difficult.
(It would be a pain to redo everything from the beginning to correct IV values.)
A digression, but when I made a TAS for each of the 3 starters, Squirtle was faster than Charmander, which was much faster than Bulbasaur.
In the beginning, Charmander can push through with Ember, but until it learns Fire Blast, being restricted mostly to Ember, it is slower than Squirtle's run. (In a TAS, Slash would be in the way.)
Bulbasaur would be easy in the beginning, but until S.S. Anne, having only Tackle and Vine Whip, it is very difficult to advance. It would be slower than Squirtle's run by over 4 minutes. (Having only Grass attacks makes the last half out of the question.)
[Sorry for the talkative subs. Feel free to disable them briefly if you want to see how the next battle goes.]
Fight a Level 5 Pikachu with the lowest HP and Defense.
When we reach Brock, Squirtle should be Lv. 8 to learn Bubble. So we must fight one wild battle.
In this battle, we also need Squirtle to have very low HP. The warning sound will then cut into the Pokemon cry sound.
However, TASVideos recommends not to abuse this. (Reason: Annoying)
Another reason for fighting Lv. 5 Pikachu is that we want to reach Lv. 10 before Brock's Onix.
RNG manipulation in battle. Primary RNG manipulation is as follows: within the dialog 「~の(技名)こうげき!」 ("used (attack)!") or any dialogs like that, press the B button to change the timing. With minimal loss, it manipulates the RNG. By mashing the button, it also manipulates the RNG.
Mashing the button typically results in large losses compared to pressing it for one frame, so it is only used for events that occur with probability less than 1%. (Pressing during a message may change the RNG's determination by delaying it.)
The opponent's attack is determined when the attack is selected, so by changing the timing, we can change the attack used. If we do this, we also change the RNG, so we maintain the fastest timing and yet change the opponent attack.
For this battle, use critical hit Tackle 4 times (3 of them at max damage) to defeat Weedle.
To say this simply, there is 0.21% chance of critical hit + max damage.
Gen. 1 critical hit rate is half of the base Speed (rounding down) as a proportion. For Squirtle, it is (43/2)/256=8.2%.
Gen. 1's damage variance is basic damage*(217~255)/255, so to get max damage, one must get the value 255, with probability 1/39=2.56%.
Therefore, probability of critical hit + max damage is 8.2%*2.56%=0.21%.
[The opponent Pokemon stats window is much the same, but notice ダメージ (Damage) in the bottom left of the window; that is damage done by last Pokemon (regardless of which side).]
[The author didn't mention, but Squirtle learns あわ Bubble (this is for battling Brock). Check the move list in the own Pokemon window (second column, third row and down).]
Max damage on critical hit is 28. At this level, it is not possible to KO in one hit.
Critical hit damage is 30~36, so we leave HP at 1.
Having prepared, we sacrifice Squirtle and bring in Nidoran.
Normally, no matter how big the difference in stats are, any attack with a type which the opponent is not immune to deals at least 1 damage.
If we caught Lv. 4 Nidoran, then it would jump to Lv. 9 and not learn Horn Attack.
Horn Attack. Base power: 65. Type: Normal. Other effect: None.
The below explanation of moves is for Gen. 1. Remember that it is different from the current gen.
[Please remember Nidoran's moves: にらみつける Leer, たいあたり Tackle, つのでつく Horn Attack. Check the move list in the own Pokemon window.]
[Item list now consists of Pokeball x3 and TM34 (Bide).]
Buy Escape Rope. Before getting TM28 (Dig), it is necessary to use it once. One Escape Rope can be picked up in Mt. Moon, but it is faster to buy it. Buy enough Escape Ropes so that it will last until the end.
[Another thing. During battle, after an attack, you may see きゅうしょに あたった!(Critical hit!), こうかは ばつぐんだ!(It's super effective!), or both. Please remember them (also, the super effective message takes a bit longer to appear than critical hit).]
Critical hit Horn Attack is just barely unable to KO in two hits, so use one Leer.
The gym badges raises power by 9/8, but if there is a critical hit, the effect is ignored.
Also, from what is said before, at low levels, proportion of critical hit damage is reduced.
So in this condition, with critical hits, it takes 3 hits to KO. Without critical hits, it takes 2. A strange situation.
[Notice also that all stats are labelled like 19▼21; the left number (19) is the unmodified stat and the right number (21) is the modified stat (badges, stat down/up, etc.)]
Around here, if the RNG cannot be manipulated by movement, it is very difficult to optimize.
If we fight the Lass at the top right (with 2 Pokemon) and return to Pewter City, then road will no longer be blocked. However, it is faster to fight the one with 4 Pokemon.
Poison Sting. Base power: 15. Type: Poison. Other effect: Poison (20%)
[Nidoran's move list now reads: つのでつく Horn Attack, たいあたり Tackle, にらみつける Leer, どくばり Poison Sting. Check the move list in the own Pokemon window.]
In Mt. Moon, the whole floor has possibility for encounter and the path is long, so it is a dungeon troublesome for avoiding encounters. Furthermore, the path is affected by lag, so it is a fine line for this route to be fastest.
The Moon Stone can be obtained either as a normal item or as a hidden one, but the jingle for the hidden one is long, so we take the normal item.
In Gen. 1, attacks labelled 100% accurate have a 1/256 chance of missing. It is considered a method of normal play.
[Sorry, not translating]
[Nidoran♂ evolves into Nidorino.]
[The item list now reads (from left to right, then top to bottom): モンスターボール Pokeball x3, あなぬけのひも Escape Rope x8, つきのいし Moon Stone, かいのかせき Helix Fossil.]
Catch a Sandshrew to act as HM Cut slave. Its cry is shorter than Paras's cry, so we shorten the battle time.
It costs 8 steps, but Sandshrew can learn Strength, so we don't need a second Pokemon. We can recover the loss.
In Gen. 1, to set a Dig/Teleport point at a Pokecenter, it is necessary to go up and heal. Stopping by briefly does not count.
To get 1800 EXP and to get Bubblebeam, first fight this gym. If we leave Nidorino as it is, it will take 2 turns more by the end of the Misty battle, so we first evolve to Nidoking.
I'd say the Misty battle is the one which I did the most rerecords. (At least 10000 rerecords here.)
Rather than Horn Attack twice, it is faster to do Horn Attack and Poison Sting. (By the way, Nidoking's critical hit rate is twice that of Squirtle's.)
Critical hit on Horn Attack + max damage + evading opponent's attack has a probability of 0.0016%.
On the second turn, Poison Sting does not have a critical hit. Just do max damage, but on the first turn, critical hit Horn Attack + Max damage is necessary.
From now on, allowing a suitable opponent to hit with Quick Attack, low HP must be managed.
The HP can be made very small, but against Rival's Pidgeotto, I make HP to be 1 so that after a level-up, ...
the HP is just at the right value and I keep adjusting it.
By the way, against Starmie, I need 2 turns with critical hit + max damage in order to KO Starmie in 3 turns.
About graphical effects of attacking moves: Flickering (such as Horn Attack): Long. Shaking (such as Poison Sting): Short. Those are the two kinds of effects. Moves with no special effects mostly are flickering. Exceptions: Moves with elevated critical hit rate, Quick Attack, and Counter.
The difference between flickering and shaking is about 1 second, so when there is a choice, from now on, we should not use attacks with no special effect. Nidoking's best moves are Surf, Earthquake, and Mega Kick, but since there are other moves, we should use them.
As for the starters, Blastoise's Surf, or Charizard's Slash, or some other move, is necessary. (Venusaur has no options other than Razor Leaf.)
[Nidoking's move list now reads: つのでつく Horn Attack, バブルこうせん Bubblebeam, にらみつける Leer, どくばり Poison Sting. Check the move list in the own Pokemon window.]
Bubblebeam. Base power: 65. Type: Water.
Other effect: Lower opponent Speed by 1 level (25%).
We can reduce the number of dialogs using Bubblebeam, but because of PP, Poison Sting is used here.
Approach the Junior♂ (with 2 Pokemon), since it is faster. The Hiker below has 4 Pokemon, so it would result in lost time.
Thrash. Base power: 90. Type: Normal.
Other effect: 2-3 more turns thrashing, then self-confusion. (With the first attack, it is 3-4 times).
[Nidoking's move list now reads: バブルこうせん Bubblebeam, つのでつく Horn Attack, にらみつける Leer, あばれる Thrash. Check the move list in the own Pokemon window.]
Thrash can KO 4 Pokemon with just 1 PP use. For a while, Thrash will be unstoppable.