Gym Battle: Brock

Struggling with Brock in Pokémon Yellow? This guide breaks down his team, weaknesses, and the best strategies to defeat him and earn your first badge. Get ready!

Alright, so you've made it to Pewter City and it's time to face Brock, the Rock-type Gym Leader. He's the first major hurdle, but don't sweat it! With the right Pokémon and a solid strategy, you'll have that Boulder Badge in no time.

Stats / Weaknesses:

• Brock's Pokémon: Geodude (Lv. 10), Onix (Lv. 12)
• Geodude Weaknesses: Water, Grass, Ice, Fighting
• Onix Weaknesses: Water, Grass, Ice, Ground, Steel
• Brock's Pokémon's Strengths: Rock-type moves are super effective against Fire, Ice, Flying, and Bug Pokémon.

Phases:

1. Geodude: This is Brock's opener. It's a Rock/Ground type, so it's resistant to Normal and Flying attacks but weak against Water, Grass, Ice, and Fighting.
2. Onix: Brock's ace. This massive Rock/Ground snake is slow but hits hard. It's also weak to Water, Grass, Ice, Ground, and Steel. Its Defense is incredibly high, so special attacks are your best bet here.

Strategy:

• Lead with a Water or Grass type: If you picked Squirtle as your starter, you're in luck! Squirtle's Water-type moves will tear through Brock's team. If you didn't, try catching a Mankey (Fighting type, found in Viridian Forest) or a Caterpie (evolves into Metapod, then Butterfree, which can learn Confusion, a Psychic-type move effective against Brock's Rock types). A Bellsprout (Grass/Poison) from the Safari Zone is also a great choice if you can get one.
• Level up: Seriously, don't underestimate the power of grinding. Aim to have your Water or Grass Pokémon at least Lv. 16-18. This makes the battle much smoother.
• Use Special Attacks: Geodude and Onix have low Special Defense stats. Moves like Water Gun, Vine Whip, or Confusion will do significantly more damage than physical attacks.
• Watch out for Rock Throw: Both of Brock's Pokémon can use Rock Throw, which is super effective against Fire and Flying types. If you're using a Flying type like Pidgey, switch out immediately!
• Don't be afraid to heal: Use Potions if your Pokémon's health gets low. It's better to use a Potion than to lose the battle and have to start over.
• If you have a Mankey: Its Fighting-type moves like Low Kick will be super effective against both Geodude and Onix.
• If you have a Nidoran♀ or Nidoran♂: Their Poison-type attacks aren't super effective, but they can learn Double Kick (Nidoran♀) or other decent moves as they level up.

Once you defeat Brock, you'll earn the Boulder Badge, allowing you to use the HM move Cut outside of battle, and granting you a higher critical hit ratio!