Everyone remembers their first time walking into Saffron City. You’ve got your team, you’ve beaten the guards with some lemonade, and you’re ready to take on Sabrina. Then her Alakazam comes out. It’s faster than anything you own. It hits like a freight train. And for some reason, your "super effective" Ghost-type moves just... don't do anything?
If you felt like the game was rigged back in 1998, I have some news for you. It was. Gen 1 psychic pokemon weren't just strong; they were fundamentally broken by a cocktail of programming errors and questionable design choices that made them the undisputed kings of Kanto.
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The "Immunity" That Wasn't Supposed to Happen
In the original anime, Ash spends multiple episodes hunting down a Haunter specifically to beat Sabrina because "Ghost is strong against Psychic." Even the in-game NPCs in Pokemon Red and Blue tell you the same thing. They lied to you.
Because of a coding error, Psychic-type Pokemon were actually completely immune to Ghost-type attacks in Generation 1. If you tried to use Lick on a Kadabra, you'd get the "It had no effect" message. It’s one of the most famous glitches in gaming history.
Honestly, even if the type matchup worked, it wouldn't have mattered. The only Ghost-type move that dealt damage based on stats was Lick, which had a measly 20 base power. Night Shade existed, but it dealt fixed damage based on your level, ignoring type matchups entirely. So, you had no Ghost moves, and the only Ghost Pokemon (the Gengar line) were also part Poison.
Since Psychic is super effective against Poison, Gengar effectively walked into every fight with a giant "Kick Me" sign on its back.
One Stat to Rule Them All
The biggest reason gen 1 psychic pokemon dominated was the "Special" stat.
In modern Pokemon, we have Special Attack and Special Defense. They’re separate. Back in the day, they were one single number. This meant that if a Pokemon had a high Special stat to hit hard, it was also automatically a tank against special attacks.
- Alakazam had a massive 135 Special. It could nuked you with Psychic and then shrug off a Surf or Thunderbolt like they were nothing.
- Amnesia was the most broken move in the game. It raised the Special stat by two stages. In Gen 1, this was basically like using Nasty Plot and Amnesiac (the modern version) at the exact same time.
- Two turns of setup and a Slowbro became an unkillable god that could one-shot your entire team.
The Bug-Type "Counter" Joke
Game Freak clearly intended for Bug-types to be the predators of the Psychic world. The problem? They forgot to give the bugs any weapons.
The strongest Bug-type move in Gen 1 was Twinneedle, which only Beedrill could learn. Beedrill, again, is part Poison. It dies if an Alakazam even looks at it funny.
The other options were Leech Life (with a pathetic 20 base power) and Pin Missile. Jolteon actually became a niche "Psychic killer" specifically because it was fast enough to use Pin Missile, but relying on a 14-power move that hits 2-5 times is a desperate strategy.
There was no Dark-type. There was no Steel-type. There was nothing to resist Psychic moves except other Psychics. Basically, the meta was "bring a Psychic or lose."
The S-Tier Roster
When we talk about gen 1 psychic pokemon, we aren't just talking about Mewtwo. Even the "common" ones were terrifying.
Starmie: The Swiss Army Knife
Starmie was, and honestly still is, a monster. With a base speed of 115, it outsped almost everything. Because its Special was so high, it could run Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, and Surf to hit every single Pokemon in the game for neutral or super effective damage. And if you finally managed to hurt it? It just used Recover.
Exeggutor: The Tank
Exeggutor was a weird one. It had massive Special and Attack, and it was one of the few things that could actually take a hit from a Tauros. In the competitive scene, Exeggutor was a staple because it could put enemies to sleep with Sleep Powder and then threaten a massive Explosion when its health got low.
Jynx: The Assassin
Jynx was fragile, but Lovely Kiss had a 75% accuracy rate. In Gen 1, sleep was a death sentence because you didn't wake up and move on the same turn. You woke up, stood there, and got hit again. Jynx could trap you in a loop until you were back in the Poke Ball.
How to Actually Beat Them
If you're playing through the Virtual Console or an old cartridge and you're stuck on Sabrina or Blue's Alakazam, stop looking for Ghosts.
The secret is Physical damage.
Most Psychics (except for Slowbro and Exeggutor) had paper-thin physical Defense. A Snorlax with Body Slam or a Tauros with Hyper Beam is your best bet. In Gen 1, if you knocked out a Pokemon with Hyper Beam, you didn't even have to recharge. It was a free nuke.
Actionable Tips for Gen 1 Battles:
- Prioritize Speed: Critical hit chance in Gen 1 was tied to your Speed stat. Fast Pokemon like Persian or Jolteon crit almost constantly.
- Use Chansey: Chansey is the ultimate "Special" wall. It can sit in front of a Psychic-type all day and whittle them down with Seismic Toss.
- Forget the Type Chart: Don't bring a Gengar to fight a Psychic. It won't work. Stick to heavy hitters like Rhydon (for Earthquake) or Zapdos (for Drill Peck).
The dominance of the Psychic type was so absolute that it forced Game Freak to completely retool the game for Pokemon Gold and Silver. They literally invented two new types just to keep Alakazam in check. But if you're heading back to Kanto, just remember: it's a Psychic's world. You're just living in it.
To get the most out of your next playthrough, try catching a Drowzee early near Vermilion City—Hypno’s high Special Defense makes it a surprisingly sturdy mid-game anchor against the very types it's supposed to fear.