With Tsunami, the presumed star of my team for the next Gym Battle, starting to lag behind, I shift my training area from Mt. Moon to the Spearow-filled fields of Route 3--which also has a higher minimum level than Mt. Moon; I've yet to see a single wild Pokémon lower than level 8, which obviously wasn't the case in Red and Blue because I distinctly remember somebody, I think it was a friend but it was so long ago that it might've actually been me and I'm misremembering it because I don't want to believe that I actually did something that stupid, even as young as I was then, with a Level 3 Wigglytuff. Tsunami promptly displays why he's my namesake by failing to OHKO a level 9 Spearow, though the experience gets him to level 13 and it takes a little while to see if this helped because the next battle he lands a crit to OHKO. He does OHKO a level 10 Spearow with a non-crit, so that's probably a good sign, but variations and whatnot--a subsequent level 11 Spearow isn't even taken close to the red. Still, I get the feeling that Tsunami is kinda weak--like I said, perfect for my own namesake.
*checks stats*
I wonder if this would be less pathetic in a later-gen game when Special had been separated into Special Attack and Special Defense. I'm sure that the STAB he's getting on his electric attacks makes them worth using, but I may start using Quick Attack more often, because his Attack is higher than his Special. Some Sandshrew show up to demonstrate this, but I can't face too many of them even though they don't have Ground-type attacks because Tsunami's Defense is even worse than his Special. Once he reaches level 15 and learns Double Team, I head onward into Mt. Moon, Hobo now topping my list because he's at the lowest level and needs the experience the most. (Well, except for Regaro, but like I said, he's just filling a space until I get a seventh Pokémon.) He doesn't stay alone as the lowest for long, though, thanks to a Grass-type wielding Lass just beyond where I'd previously ventured. So who, if anyone, should I teach Mega Punch to? Actually, there's only one possible answer right now; with four Flying-types and a quadriped, Pikachu's the only possibility. Whether I actually want to do so is another question--Thunder Wave is useful for catching Pokémon, and Double Team is just plain useful, so the only thing that really could be gotten rid of at the moment would be Quick Attack. Not worth it. Masterplum gets a flawless victory over a Rocket, a failed Supersonic taking up the only turn that his Zubat got against him (critical allowed for OHKO) and a Leer being the only move his Ekans made.
By the way, I love how I was able to defeat two trainers and pick up two items inside Mt. Moon before finding Regaro, but now I can't take more than three steps without running into a Zubat. Encounter rate seems so variable in this game.
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I'm a cat person, but I can still appreciate a SuperNiceDog.