Updates:
* Golem learned Explosion (got rid of Rock Smash) and Scizor learned Swords Dance (got rid of Wing Attack) so their movesets are complete.
* I beat Surge, Erika, Misty, and Janine in that order to get my first 4 Kanto gym badges. Misty actually beat me a couple of times, which is when...
* I caught Zapdos (the Kanto birds are catchable in this rom hack but weren't in base Crystal) and replaced Ampharos on my team with it. Ampharos wasn't getting the job done for Misty, and I didn't feel like grinding yet. Plus, Zapdos will let me use Fly without needing to go to the PC and withdraw my Red Gyarados HM mule, so I also moved Rock Smash over to Gyarados to replace it since I took it off of Golem earlier.
I'm really enjoying this rom hack so far. Smith wasn't kidding about Kanto being a lot tougher now. I like the challenge.
TheHoldSteady posted...
Unfortunately while he tried buffing the Chikorita line, it still suffers from the fact that Grass STAB just is really bad in GSC. Too many bug, grass, poison and flying types. I ended up boxing it before the third gym.
Yeah, it's rough for a Grass-type in Johto. Even the buffs to Grass-type moves and their availability (especially Giga Drain) and Chikorita's wider support movepool aren't enough to make it a decent type when it's bad against 3/4's of the gyms in the region.