What Pokémon Yellow Legacy changes
How the game plays differently from Pokémon Yellow, then every stat, type and ability it alters next to what the official games do.
How the game plays
Pokémon Yellow Legacy is TheSmithPlays' rebalance of Pokémon Yellow, built with Craig Livingstone (cRz Shadows) from the game's own disassembled source code, and the prequel to the same team's Crystal Legacy. The gym leaders, the Rival, Team Rocket and the Elite Four have fuller teams with chosen movesets, and three of the middle gyms (Erika, Koga and Sabrina) bring a stronger team if you arrive with more badges. Kadabra, Haunter, Graveler and Machoke evolve by levelling up instead of trading, Poliwag evolves at level 18 instead of 25, and Pikachu has higher stats and can learn all five HM moves. TM04 teaches Flamethrower instead of Whirlwind, and a fisherman in the Viridian City Mart gives you the Old Rod at the start. An optional Hard Mode forces Set battle style, bans items in battle and caps your team's level badge by badge; normal play has no cap. This guide is read from the creator's own source code for version 1.0.10.
The main changes
- Gym Leaders, the Rival, Team Rocket and the Elite Four rebalanced, with fuller teams and chosen movesets
- Erika, Koga and Sabrina can be beaten in more than one order, and each brings a stronger team if you have more badges
- The Rival's Eevee becomes Jolteon, Flareon or Vaporeon depending on your first two battles with him, as in the original game, and his later teams change with it
- Kadabra, Haunter, Graveler and Machoke evolve by levelling up instead of trading, and Poliwag evolves at level 18
- Pikachu has higher stats, a bigger boost from badges, and can learn all five HM moves
- TM04 teaches Flamethrower in place of Whirlwind, and the Old Rod is given to you in the Viridian City Mart at the start
- Rematches with the Gym Leaders and the Elite Four after you become Champion, plus new battles with Professor Oak, Nurse Joy, Officer Jenny and three of the game's own makers
- An optional Hard Mode, chosen at New Game, with a level cap on your own team that rises with each badge
How the Pokémon change
Measured from the guide's own data, so it can't drift from the pages it links to.
Compared against the original Pokémon Yellow's own numbers, as it shipped. These games have a single Special stat, shown here as both Sp. Atk and Sp. Def.
Evolution methods for all 70 species →
Base stat changes (27)
| Pokémon | What changed | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Charmander | Sp. Atk 50→55, Sp. Def 50→55 | 299→309 |
 | Charmeleon | Sp. Atk 65→70, Sp. Def 65→70 | 390→400 |
 | Charizard | Sp. Atk 85→95, Sp. Def 85→95 | 510→530 |
 | Arbok | HP 60→62, Attack 85→95, Speed 80→90 | 424→446 |
 | Pikachu | HP 35→60, Defense 30→50, Sp. Atk 50→70, Sp. Def 50→70 | 310→395 |
 | Clefable | Sp. Atk 85→95, Sp. Def 85→95 | 468→488 |
 | Vulpix | HP 38→45, Defense 40→45, Sp. Atk 65→70, Sp. Def 65→70, Speed 65→75 | 314→346 |
 | Wigglytuff | Defense 45→55, Sp. Atk 50→85, Sp. Def 50→85 | 400→480 |
 | Golbat | Speed 90→100 | 465→475 |
 | Oddish | HP 45→50 | 330→335 |
 | Gloom | HP 60→70 | 405→415 |
 | Vileplume | HP 75→90 | 490→505 |
 | Venomoth | Attack 65→75, Sp. Atk 90→95, Sp. Def 90→95, Speed 90→100 | 465→495 |
 | Diglett | Attack 55→70 | 275→290 |
 | Dugtrio | Attack 80→90 | 425→435 |
 | Ponyta | Speed 90→100 | 410→420 |
 | Rapidash | Speed 105→115 | 500→510 |
 | Farfetch'd | HP 52→62, Attack 65→75, Defense 55→65, Sp. Atk 58→68, Sp. Def 58→68, Speed 60→70 | 348→408 |
 | Muk | Sp. Atk 65→85, Sp. Def 65→85 | 465→505 |
 | Onix | HP 35→75, Attack 45→80, Sp. Atk 30→65, Sp. Def 30→65, Speed 70→85 | 370→530 |
 | Marowak | Sp. Atk 50→80, Sp. Def 50→80 | 395→455 |
 | Hitmonlee | HP 50→65, Defense 53→70, Sp. Atk 35→60, Sp. Def 35→60, Speed 87→93 | 380→468 |
 | Hitmonchan | HP 50→60, Attack 105→50, Sp. Atk 35→105, Sp. Def 35→105 | 380→475 |
 | Lickitung | HP 90→95, Attack 55→70, Defense 75→85, Sp. Atk 60→75, Sp. Def 60→75 | 370→430 |
 | Magmar | Sp. Atk 85→95, Sp. Def 85→95 | 480→500 |
 | Eevee | HP 55→70, Attack 55→65, Defense 50→65, Sp. Atk 65→70, Sp. Def 65→70 | 345→395 |
 | Porygon | HP 65→75, Attack 60→70, Sp. Atk 75→95, Sp. Def 75→95 | 385→445 |