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Completing a Living Dex With Gen 1 (Pokémon Yellow)

A "living dex" is a fan designation for when a player completes the Pokédex and has one of each species in the PC or the party at the same time. It's often considered to be much more difficult and time-consuming than a regular Pokédex because it often involves, for instance, playing the same game multiple times to get multiple copies of a Legendary Pokémon.

The method by which you can get a completed Pokédex on Yellow is described here. This page will focus more on requirements specific to a living dex.

Version Exclusives

You will need to trade for multiple members of a version-exclusive species' evolutionary family, instead of just one. This is due to the lack of the breeding mechanic in Gen 1. You will need all of the following: Weedle, Kakuna, Beedrill, Ekans, Arbok, Meowth, Persian, Koffing, and Weezing.
Also, if you are playing an International version of Yellow, you will have to trade your only Jynx from either Red or Blue. Therefore, if you are trying to simultaneously complete a living dex in Yellow and another Gen 1 game, be sure to "save" at least one Jynx so that both files can have a Jynx.
You will also need to trade for a second Pikachu or Raichu, so that you can permanently keep a Raichu.

Mutually Exclusive Pokémon

To have a living dex, you will need all of the following on your file:

• Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, Venusaur, Charmander, Charmeleon, Charizard, Squirtle, Wartortle, and Blastoise
• Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan
• Omanyte, Omastar, Kabuto, and Kabutops
• Eevee, Flareon, Jolteon, and Vaporeon

If you have access to Pokémon Stadium, you can get an unlimited number of these by defeating the Elite Four and Rival repeatedly.

Otherwise, to complete this living dex on Yellow alone, you will need at minimum four separate Gen 1 save files, at least three of which would need to be on Yellow. Your trade process should look something like this:

1. On the first save file, get all three starters in their base form, Omanyte or Kabuto, and Eevee. Trade them to another game for holding.
2. On the second save file, get all three starters and evolve them to their first forms. Collect one of Eevee's evolutions and the other of Omanyte and Kabuto, and trade them to another game for holding.
3. On the third save file, collect Omanyte or Kabuto and evolve it. Collect the second of Eevee's evolutions and one of Hitmonlee or Hitmonchan, and trade them to another game for holding.
4. On the fourth save file, get all three starters and evolve them to their final forms. Collect the other of Omanyte and Kabuto and evolve it. Collect the third of Eevee's evolutions and the other of Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan. Trade back the rest of the starters, Eevee and its evolutions, Hitmonlee or Hitmonchan, and Omanyte, Omastar, Kabuto, and Kabutops from your holding game.