Pokemon Crystal Team Builder

How the Pokemon Crystal team builder works

Pokémon Crystal is the third version of the second generation: the same Johto and Kanto as Gold and Silver, plus a female player option, the Suicune storyline, the Battle Tower and animated sprites. This Pokemon Crystal team builder is a planner for all three. The New Pokédex lists 233 Pokémon you can obtain in Gold, Silver or Crystal; trade evolutions are included, while Pokémon that only exist through transfers or events outside the games are left out.

Tap a sprite to add it to your team and tap it again to remove it. The version filter shows only what one version can catch, the type filter narrows the grid to a single type, and Randomize team rolls six Pokémon from whatever the filters show, which makes the Pokemon Crystal team builder a quick way to set up a randomized challenge run. Every change is written into the page address, so Copy share link gives a friend the exact same six.

Under the team, the weakness panel counts how many members are weak to or resist each attacking type, and the coverage panel lists the types your own types cannot hit super-effectively. Show per-Pokémon matchups opens the full grid, one column per team member. When the team is final, open it in the full builder to compare base stats and evolution lines across every generation.

Sample teams in the Pokemon Crystal team builder

Each sample team is built around one Johto starter and uses Pokémon you can catch in Crystal during the main story, with version exclusives marked. Load one into the Pokemon Crystal team builder and change members until the panels look right for your play style.

Gold vs Silver vs Crystal exclusives

These are the Pokémon each version cannot catch on its own, straight from the data the Pokemon Crystal team builder uses. Everything not listed here can be caught in all three games.

• Missing from Gold: Ledyba, Ledian, Vulpix, Ninetales, Meowth, Persian, Delibird, Phanpy, Donphan, Skarmory, Celebi.
• Missing from Silver: Spinarak, Ariados, Growlithe, Arcanine, Mankey, Primeape, Gligar, Teddiursa, Ursaring, Mantine, Celebi.
• Missing from Crystal: Mareep, Flaaffy, Ampharos, Vulpix, Ninetales, Mankey, Primeape, Girafarig, Remoraid, Octillery.

Crystal mixes the exclusives of the earlier two: it keeps some of the Gold-only lines and some of the Silver-only lines, and loses a few that both had, such as Mareep. Celebi is marked as Crystal only because the GS Ball event that leads to it exists only in Crystal; it was a Japanese event at first and is unlocked in the 3DS Virtual Console release. Our version exclusives tool turns these lists into a trade list.

Johto Gym Leaders in Pokemon Crystal

Whitney's Miltank is the most famous wall in the series. It uses Rollout and Attract and heals with Milk Drink, so bring a Fighting-type, or a Geodude whose Rock/Ground typing shrugs off Rollout. Morty's Gastly line is immune to Normal and Fighting moves. Chuck's Poliwrath is Water/Fighting and falls to Psychic, Flying and Electric. Jasmine's Steelix is Steel/Ground, so Water, Fire, Fighting and Ground all work, and Pryce's Piloswine is Ice/Ground and takes double damage from Fire, Water, Grass, Fighting and Steel. Clair's Kingdra is only weak to Dragon, and few players have a Dragon move by then (Clair only hands out the DragonBreath TM after the Dragon's Den), so plan for a long fight. Check every one of those rows in the Pokemon Crystal team builder before you commit to a team.

Elite Four and Champion Lance

Will's Psychic-types fall to Dark and Ghost moves, and his two Xatu are also weak to Electric, Ice and Rock. Koga mixes Poison and Bug: Psychic moves cover most of his team, Fire handles Forretress and Electric or Ice brings down Crobat. Bruno's Fighting-types fold to Flying and Psychic, though he also brings two Onix. Karen leads with Umbreon, the bulkiest Dark-type in the game, and carries Vileplume and Gengar as well. Lance brings three Dragonite along with Gyarados, Aerodactyl and Charizard, so an Ice move and an Electric move are close to mandatory.

Kanto Gym Leaders and Red

The Kanto leg is where a Johto-only team shows its gaps. Blaine has moved to the Seafoam Islands after the Cinnabar volcano erupted, and Blue has taken over the Viridian Gym with a mixed team led by Pidgeot, Alakazam and Rhydon. After all sixteen badges, Red waits on Mt. Silver with Pikachu at level 81, Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise at 77, Snorlax at 75 and Espeon at 73. Load your team in the Pokemon Crystal team builder and make sure Water, Fire, Grass and Electric are not all red at once.

Gen 2 rules the Pokemon Crystal team builder accounts for

• Two new types. Dark and Steel debut in Gold and Silver. Steel resists Ghost and Dark as well as ten other types, which makes Steelix, Skarmory and Forretress excellent defensive picks.
• Category comes from type. Physical and special are not split by move until Gen 4. Gyarados' Water attacks and Houndoom's Dark attacks both use Special Attack, so match each Pokémon to the type of damage its stats support.
• Gen 1 chart fixes. Ghost is now super effective on Psychic, Bug no longer hits Poison for double damage and Ice is resisted by Fire.
• Seven HMs. Cut, Fly, Surf, Strength, Flash, Whirlpool and Waterfall. Spreading them across two or three team members keeps your main attackers' move slots free.
• Crystal move tutor. After you enter the Hall of Fame, a tutor in Goldenrod City teaches Flamethrower, Thunderbolt or Ice Beam on Wednesdays and Saturdays, Crystal only.

Tips for building a Pokemon Crystal team

• Plan for both regions. A team that only covers Johto's Gym types can stall against Kanto's Water, Electric and Grass leaders.
• Dark and Steel options are rare early on. Umbreon (from the same Eevee as Espeon) and Steelix are the usual answers.
• Levels climb slowly in Johto and many wild Pokémon stay weak, so pick Pokémon that evolve on time: Dragonite only arrives at level 55.
• Check single matchups with the type calculator, and when you replay the remake, use the HGSS team builder with its Gen 4 types.

Pokemon Crystal team builder FAQ