Back in the late nineties, everyone thought they had the type matchups figured out. We knew Fire burned Grass, Water doused Fire, and Psychic... well, Psychic basically just broke the game because nothing could touch it. Then Pokémon Gold and Silver dropped, and suddenly our mental gen 2 pokemon chart had to make room for 100 new monsters and two entire elemental types.
It was a total mess for our ten-year-old brains.
Honestly, the Gen 2 meta was a wild west of balance patches. Game Freak realized that Alakazam and Mewtwo were essentially gods in the Kanto region, so they introduced Dark and Steel types specifically to shut them down. But here is the kicker: a lot of the type matchups you see in modern games like Scarlet and Violet aren't actually the same as they were in the original Johto games. If you're playing a ROM hack or dusting off an old Game Boy Color, you've gotta unlearn some "modern" logic.
The Steel and Dark Revolution
Let's talk about the big additions first. Steel and Dark weren't just "cool new elements"—they were surgical tools meant to fix a broken game.
Steel was the defensive powerhouse. It resisted almost everything. If you looked at a gen 2 pokemon chart at the time, Steel-types were resistant to a staggering 11 different types. It was the ultimate "wall." Even more importantly, in Generation 2, Steel resisted both Dark and Ghost. This is a huge detail people miss. In modern Pokémon games, Ghost and Dark do neutral damage to Steel, but back in the day, your Skarmory was basically an impenetrable fortress against Gengar.
Dark-types were the "Psychic hunters." They weren't just resistant to Psychic moves; they were completely immune to them. Total zero. If you switched an Umbreon into a Psychic attack, you didn't just survive—you laughed.
The Johto Type Matchup Quirk
There are a few weird interactions in the Gen 2 chart that might trip you up.
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- Ghost vs. Psychic: In Gen 1, Ghost-type moves weirdly did zero damage to Psychic types due to a coding error. Gen 2 finally fixed this, making Ghost super-effective against Psychic.
- Poison and Bug: This one is a classic "mandela effect" for Pokémon fans. In Gen 1, Poison and Bug were super-effective against each other. By Gen 2, they decided Poison should resist Bug, and Bug should do neutral damage to Poison.
- The Special Split: This isn't a "type" change, but it's part of the chart logic. This was the generation where the "Special" stat was split into Special Attack and Special Defense. This changed how types like Water and Electric were calculated.
Navigating the Johto Pokédex
The actual list of 100 new Pokémon can be sorted into a few categories that make the gen 2 pokemon chart easier to digest. You've got your starters, your "baby" Pokémon, and the legendary beasts.
The Johto Starters
Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile are the anchors.
Unlike the Kanto starters, these guys stayed "pure" types through their entire evolution line. Meganium stayed pure Grass, Typhlosion stayed pure Fire, and Feraligatr stayed pure Water. It's kinda boring compared to Charizard being a Fire/Flying type, but it made their weaknesses very predictable.
The New Evolutions
A huge chunk of the Gen 2 chart is actually just "fixes" for Gen 1 Pokémon.
Crobat gave the Zubat line a much-needed final form. Scizor and Steelix introduced the Metal Coat evolution mechanic, turning Scyther and Onix into Steel-type monsters. Then you have the friendship evolutions like Espeon and Umbreon.
The Johto region was essentially a sequel that focused on deepening the existing world.
The Myth of the "Perfect" Chart
Is there a perfect strategy for Gen 2? Probably not.
While Steel is a defensive beast, it's incredibly weak to Fire, Ground, and Fighting. And back in 1999, getting your hands on a good Steel-type was a nightmare. You couldn't even find a Skarmory until the very end of the game in Pokémon Silver, and Scizor required a trade—which was basically impossible if you didn't have a link cable and a friend who actually liked you.
The gen 2 pokemon chart also introduced "Held Items." This changed everything. Suddenly, a Pokémon could hold a Berry to heal mid-battle or a Magnet to boost Electric moves. It added a layer of math that simply didn't exist in the Red and Blue era.
Actionable Takeaways for Your Next Playthrough
If you’re planning on jumping back into Gold, Silver, or Crystal (or even the HeartGold/SoulSilver remakes), keep these specific Gen 2 chart rules in mind:
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- Don't rely on Ghost to kill Steel: Remember, in this generation, Steel resists Ghost and Dark. If you're fighting Jasmine (the Steel gym leader), use Fire or Ground.
- Abuse the Friendship Mechanic: Get that Eevee from Bill in Goldenrod City as soon as possible. If you treat it right, you can have an Espeon or Umbreon before the fourth gym, which trivializes much of the game.
- Watch out for Kingdra: In Gen 2, Kingdra was basically the final boss. Since Fairy-types didn't exist yet, Kingdra (Water/Dragon) only had one weakness: Dragon-type moves. And since the only good Dragon move was DragonBreath, Kingdra was a nightmare to take down.
- Check the Day/Night Cycle: Some Pokémon only appear on the chart during specific times. You aren't finding a Murkrow at noon.
To master the Gen 2 landscape, start by identifying which Pokémon in your party benefit from the Special split. Look at your Pokémon's base stats—if they have high Special Defense but low Special Attack (like Blissey), stop teaching them offensive elemental moves and start using them as a tank. Pick up the Quick Claw in the National Park to bypass the Speed tier on your slower heavy-hitters like Golem or Steelix.