In preparation for the upcoming open world Pokemon Scarlet and Violet games I want to go off the path and do a rom hack, specifically Pokemon Crystal Clear! A heavily modded version of the original Pokemon Crystal, the rom hack gives you a plethora of starters, an open world-start anywhere map, and every pokemon available to you before the Elite Four! This even includes Pokemon you’ll have to trade to evolve which is AMAZING. The play possibilities are endless but how do Monotype Runs fare? Let’s take a look at the winners and losers along with your teams but first, the rules!

Monotype Run Rules

1. Only Pokémon of a certain type may be caught and trained.
2. You must catch the first Pokémon available of that type if your starter does not match that type (you’ll then have to discard that starter).
3. You may train a Pokémon that evolves to said type as long as you evolve it ASAP.
4. No out-of-game trading allowed (not that it matters here).
5. Only Pokémon caught before Elite Four are counted.

Best/Most Improved Types

Water, Flying, Normal are great yadda yadda yadda. Same as before in the regular versions. Even then these already splendid teams get further boosts like Flying gives you the Legendary Birds while Water gets the like of Kingdra and Blastoise so that’s neat! Also you can get a Snorlax now for my Normies which is quite delightful.

The more interesting question is which is the most improved type? Hard to say as every type gets a boost in some way. Honestly? Rock is hella good now. You can get all the fossil Pokemon (which covers your weaknesses) and when you add a Golem to the mix then this team is looking pretty good! And the holy grail? Motherflippin Tyranitar! Now you can get a Larvitar near the beginning of the game instead of waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay at the end which was incredibly frustrating. Going to be a pain tracking down all the fossils but that’s part of the journey!

Oh and seriously consider Ice as now you can get either a Seel or a Smoochum as a starter. Believe it or now you’ll have a team with all the weaknesses covered! Heck, Jynx, Lapras, and Articuno alone should be enough to convince you. Dark is now a contender thanks to the Houndour starter and a diverse team of Tyranitar, Sneasel, Murkrow, and Umbreon.

Worst Types

Even with everything available practically from the get-go not every type is a winner. Specifically, Dragon and Ghost. We have no starters for either of them and you have two different families for each as your team. And even then both have their own unique flaws. Gastly is just AWFUL in that early stage as you’ll basically Lick your opponents to death so be prepared for that! And Dratini you’ll have to surf around Dragon’s Den to find one and then raise the little guy which is also tedious. At least you can get a fully evolved Kingdra and Gengar! So it’s not…bad bad per say.

Type Teams

Bug
Ideal Team: Heracross, Venomoth, Shuckle, Parasect, Scyther, Scizor
Optional: Butterfree, Beedril, Ledian, Ariados, Yanma, Forretress, Pinsir
Starter? Nope
Covers Weaknesses? Yes

Dark
Ideal Team: Murkrow, Umbreon, Tyranitar, Sneasel, Houndoom
Starter? Houndour
Covers Weaknesses? Yes, thanks to Murkrow

Dragon
Ideal Team: Dragonite, Kingdra
Starter?: None
Covers Weaknesses? No

Electric
Ideal Team: Raikou, Ampharos, Magneton, Lanturn, Raichu, Zapdos
Optional: Electrode, Jolteon, Electabuzz
Starter? Pikachu, Pichu, Elekid, Voltorb
Covers Weaknesses? Yep

Fighting
Ideal Team: Machamp, Poliwrath, Heracross, Hitmontop, Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee
Optional: Primeape
Starter? Tyrogue
Covers Weaknesses? Psychic and Flying not neutralized.

Fire
Ideal Team: Charizard, Magmar, Arcanine, Magcargo, Ho-Oh, Entei
Optional: Flareon, Rapidash, Ninetales, Typhlosion
Starter? Charmander, Ponyta, Cyndaquil, Magby, Growlithe, Houndour 
Covers Weaknesses? No; Rock and Water are not covered

Flying
Ideal Team: Gyarados, Dragonite, Gligar, Zapdos, Charizard, Xatu
Optional: Dodrio, Pidgeot, Spearow, Mantine, Crobat, Yanma, Scyther, Ledian, Butterfree, Farfetch’d, Ho-Oh, Lugia, Togetic, Jumpluff, Skarmory, Delibird, Murkrow, Articuno, Moltres, Aerodactyl
Starter? Togepi, Magikarp, and Charmander
Covers Weaknesses? Yes

Ghost
Ideal Team: Gengar, Misdreavus
Starter? No
Covers Weaknesses? No, Ghost and Dark not neutralized

Grass
Ideal Team: Meganium, Jumpluff, Venusaur, Exeggutor, Parasect, Celebi
Optional: Tangela, Victreebel, Vileplume, Bellossom, Sunflora
Starter? Chikorita, Bulbasaur
Covers Weaknesses? No, Flying, Ice, and Fire are not neutralized.

Ground
Ideal Team: Quagsire, Steelix, Golem, Nidoking/Nidoqueen, Piloswine, Gligar
Optional: Golem, Onix, Donphan, Sandslash, Rhydon, Marowak, Dugtrio
Starter? Nope
Covers Weaknesses? Yes

Ice
Ideal Team: Piloswine, Lapras, Sneasel, Cloyster, Jynx, Articuno
Optional: Delibird, Dewgong
Starter? Smoochum
Covers Weaknesses? Surprisingly yes

Normal
Ideal Team: Pidgeot, Clefable, Snorlax, Girafarig, Porygon2, Tauros
Optional: Stantler, Urasaring, Fearow, Noctowl, Kangaskhan, Lickitung, Aipom, Persian, Furret, Raticate, Ditto, Dunsparce, Farfetch’d, Dodrio, Togetic, Miltank, Wigglytuff, Blissy
Starter? Igglybuff, Cleffa, Eevee, Togepi, Porygon, Ditto
Covers Weaknesses? Yes

Poison
Ideal Team: Gengar, Venomoth, Tentacruel, Venusaur, Crobat, Nidoking/Nidoqueen
Optional: Muk, Weezing, Arbok, Ariados, Beedril, Victreebel, Vileplume
Starter? Bulbasaur 
Covers Weaknesses? No, Psychic is not neutralized.

Psychic
Ideal Team: Espeon, Girafarig, Lugia, Mewtwo, Mew, Starmie/Slowbro
Optional: Xatu, Alakazam, Hypno, Wobbufett, Mr. Mime, Unown, Celebi, Slowking, Jynx, Exeggutor
Starter? Unown, Slowpoke, Smoochum 
Covers Weaknesses? No, Dark is not neutralized

Rock
Ideal Team: Tyranitar, Rhydon, Golem, Aerodactyl, Omastar, Magcargo
Optional: Shuckle, Onix, Kabutops, Corsola, Sudowoodo
Starter? None 
Covers Weaknesses? Yes

Steel
Ideal Team: Magneton, Forretress, Skarmory, Scizor, Steelix
Starter? None 
Covers Weaknesses? No, Fire is not neutralized

Water
Ideal Team: Feraligatr, Gyarados, Quagsire, Slowbro/Starmie, Tentacruel, Kingdra
Optional: Lapras/Dewgong/Cloyster, Vaporeon, Seaking, Golduck, Azumarill, Kingler, Corsola, Poliwrath, Politoed, Octillery, Mantine, Suicune, Lanturn, Blastoise, Slowking, Omastar, Kabutops
Starter? Squirtle, Totodile, Magikarp, Seel, Slowpoke, Psyduck 
Covers Weaknesses? Yes