Written by Reddit user u/Samurott1
When it comes to Fighting-type Pokémon in the Kanto region, Mankey and Primeape tend to be overlooked. There are stronger, faster, and bulkier Fighting-types to choose from. Not to mention that the Mankey line’s movepool isn’t anything to write home about. The line is also rather frail. However, Mankey does have one advantage over its competitors: it can be caught very early on in the game. Those who picked Charmander as their starter will be praying to get a Mankey, who can single-handedly sweep the first gym leader. On the other hand, Mankey doesn’t have much else going for it, and it’ll start to fall behind later in the game. Despite that, it can be a solid team member with its high Attack and Speed as long as you’re careful with it.
Locations
Mankey: Route 3 (uncommon), Route 4 (rare), Route 22 (common), Route 23 (common), Rock Tunnel (uncommon).
(Note: If you want to maximize your chances of getting a Mankey before Brock, try and catch a Rattata on Route 1 or Route 2 before catching a Pokémon on Route 22. This makes Mankey the most likely encounter while the only other possible encounter is Spearow.)
Primeape: Route 23 (rare), Victory Road (2F: uncommon).
Mankey’s Match-ups in Important Battles
Mankey versus Rival in Route 22: The Pig Monkey Pokémon is much too frail and weak to stand up to Pidgey and its Gust. Let another Pokémon handle Pidgey. Using Mankey against Charmander is not a great idea; Ember from your Rival’s starter will do twice as much as any of Mankey’s attacks. Squirtle can be worn down with Low Kick or Scratch barring an unlucky critical hit. Bulbasaur is the easiest to take down as it lacks a STAB move at this point. For any of these match-ups, you may need a Potion to pull it off. Recommended Level and Moveset: Level 8; Leer, Scratch, Low Kick.
Mankey versus Brock in Pewter City Gym: This is the battle where Mankey really shines, especially if you chose Charmander as your starter. Mankey will probably 2HKO Geodude with Karate Chop. This move also has a high critical hit ratio, so there is a good chance that you’ll land a critical hit and OHKO Geodude. Brock’s ace, Onix, can be defeated by Mankey almost as easily as it would’ve been defeated by Bulbasaur or Squirtle. Mankey’s Low Kick hits its maximum power when used against Onix since the Rock Snake Pokémon is very heavy and Low Kick does damage based on weight. Mankey can 2HKO Onix with Low Kick, and won’t take much from Rock Tomb even if it lands critically. Recommended Level and Moveset: Level 12; Leer, Scratch, Low Kick, Karate Chop.
Mankey versus Rival on Nugget Bridge: Mankey still can’t stand up to Pidgeotto, even if you taught Rock Tomb to yours. Pidgeotto’s Gust is a 2HKO and Rock Tomb is only a 3HKO. Depending on Mankey’s nature and EVs, Pidgeotto may be faster, too. Mankey can defeat Abra although just about any Pokémon is capable of that feat. You should use either Fury Swipes or Rock Tomb on Abra. Your Rival’s Rattata will fall to a single Karate Chop, but it can do a ton of damage to Mankey with Hyper Fang. Be careful. As for Charmander, Mankey can 2HKO it with Rock Tomb. The move’s accuracy leaves a lot to be desired though, so be aware of that. Charmander’s Ember is a 3-4HKO. Squirtle is a little trickier; its Water Gun is a 4HKO on Mankey while the Pig Monkey Pokémon 4HKOs in return with Karate Chop. Only attempt this if your Mankey is at full health, and make sure to have a back-up plan. Bulbasaur is the most dangerous of the three since it resists Fighting-type moves, making Fury Swipes your best option. Unless you get awfully lucky with Fury Swipes, you’ll want another Pokémon to handle Bulbasaur. Recommended Level and Moveset: Level 17; Low Kick, Karate Chop, Rock Tomb, Fury Swipes/Scratch.
Mankey versus Misty in Cerulean City Gym: Mankey can be helpful against Staryu, but it falters against Starmie anyway. Unless you play on Shift Mode, you might as well leave Mankey on the bench. Its Low Kick is your best move against Staryu as the move is likely a 2HKO. Staryu can 3HKO in return with Water Pulse, so be wary of that. Starmie, however, is much too strong for Mankey to handle. It resists Fighting-type moves, can 2HKO with Water Pulse, and is much faster than the Pig Monkey Pokémon. Bulbasaur, Oddish/Bellsprout, or Pikachu are all better options here. Recommended Level and Moveset: Level 19; Low Kick, Karate Chop, Rock Tomb, Fury Swipes/Scratch.
Mankey versus Rival on the S.S. Anne: Mankey can’t do much here now that Kadabra has attacking moves and Raticate is much more threatening. The Pig Monkey Pokémon cannot stand up to Pidgeotto nor Kadabra. Raticate is tough as its Hyper Fang is a possible 2HKO and it’s likely faster. Mankey probably won’t be switching in on it, making this match-up even more dubious. On the bright side, Karate Chop may OHKO Raticate. Use a better counter if you have it though. Your Rival’s starter will have evolved, making it a much more difficult match-up for Mankey. Charmeleon is likely faster and hits harder with Ember, so you’d need a critical hit Karate Chop for Mankey to handle it on its own. Wartortle is also pretty tough, but Mankey may be able to manage. You’ll probably need a critical hit Karate Chop here as well since Wartortle has Withdraw. Wartortle’s Water Gun is a 4HKO, so keep that in mind. Ivysaur is the toughest of the bunch; it resists Fighting-type moves and has Poison Powder and Leech Seed to annoy Mankey. You’ll have to rely on Fury Swipes for damage. If you plan to have Mankey fight any of your Rival’s starters, you’ll need either critical hits or high rolls on Fury Swipes. Use a more appropriate counter if you have it. Recommended Level and Moveset: Level 20; Low Kick, Karate Chop, Rock Tomb, Fury Swipes/Scratch.
Mankey versus Lt. Surge in Vermilion City Gym: As with the last gym battle, Mankey can handle the gym leader’s weaker Pokémon and is overwhelmed by the leader’s ace. However, Mankey can only fight Lt. Surge’s lead if you teach it Dig. Voltorb is likely faster and can 3HKO with Shock Wave, making it rather dangerous. On the other hand, Mankey can take out Pikachu with either Karate Chop or Dig, which will 2HKO or OHKO, respectively. Karate Chop is probably better since Dig requires a charge turn, resulting in it taking two turns to finish Pikachu anyway. Mankey must turn tail and run when Raichu shows up. A Shock Wave from Raichu’s ace will take half of the Pig Monkey Pokémon’s health, and a critical hit is an OHKO. Even with Dig, Mankey fails to do enough damage to it. Honestly, it’s best to forego Dig altogether and use a Ground-type Pokémon to sweep this gym. Recommended Level and Moveset: Level 22; Low Kick, Karate Chop, Rock Tomb, Focus Energy/Fury Swipes.
Primeape versus Rival in Pokémon Tower: For best results, evolve Mankey before entering this battle. Only leave Mankey unevolved if you don’t plan on using it here. You’ll also want to grab a Brick Break TM from Celadon and possibly teach Primeape Rock Slide via the tutor in Rock Tunnel. (The latter should only be done if you don’t plan on using that tutor for another Pokémon.) Your Rock-type move of choice will 2HKO Pidgeotto, and Rock Slide may OHKO. Pidgeotto’s Gust is only a 3HKO this time around. This is a little risky though, so you’ll likely be better off using a more appropriate counter for Pidgeotto. The Pig Monkey Pokémon can probably handle this, though. Fighting Exeggcute may be manageable as Primeape is faster and will 3HKO while Exeggcute will 3-4HKO with Confusion. Again, it’ll probably be better to just use a more appropriate counter if you have it. Primeape may 2HKO Gyarados with Rock Slide after Intimidate, but Thrash is a 3HKO on the Pig Monkey Pokémon. This is another risky match-up that is best handled by a more appropriate counter. Growlithe, on the other hand, is probably the safest match-up for Primeape in this battle. Either Rock Slide or Rock Tomb will 2HKO, even after Intimidate. Primeape can fight Kadabra this time around; the Psi Pokémon’s Confusion is a 3HKO while Primeape OHKOs in return with Rock Slide and 2HKOs with everything else. This is mostly due to the condition of Primeape’s evolution though; the level it needs to be at to evolve gives it a significant level advantage against Kadabra. This advantage means that Primeape is likely faster, too. Charmeleon falls rather easily to your Rock-type move of choice, and its Ember won’t do much damage. Primeape will overwhelm Wartortle’s defenses with a pair of Brick Breaks, and Wartortle’s Water Gun is even weaker than Charmeleon’s Ember. Fighting Ivysaur isn’t the best idea though. The Pig Monkey Pokémon can 3HKO if you have Rock Slide, but Ivysaur can be annoying with Leech Seed and Poison Powder. Its Razor Leaf is also threatening, as it has a high critical hit ratio and naturally hits harder than Wartortle’s Water Gun and Charmeleon’s Ember combined. It’s best to leave Ivysaur to a more appropriate counter. Recommended Level and Moveset: Level 28; Low Kick, Focus Energy/Fury Swipes, Rock Slide/Rock Tomb, Brick Break.
Primeape versus Giovanni in the Celadon Game Corner: Primeape does rather well here, especially if you still have Low Kick. Both Onix and Rhyhorn will almost certainly fall to single Low Kick. Kangaskhan is powerful, and a critical hit Mega Punch may be the end of Primeape. However, Primeape is faster and can 2HKO with either Low Kick or Brick Break (preferably the former). Recommended Level and Moveset: Level 28; Low Kick, Focus Energy/Fury Swipes, Rock Slide/Rock Tomb, Brick Break.
Primeape versus Erika in Celadon City Gym: Having Primeape participate in this battle is a bold endeavor at best. Primeape won’t be hitting too hard, even if it’s packing Aerial Ace. Each of Erika’s Pokémon will hit hard with Giga Drain, which will also undo a lot of the damage Primeape dealt. It’s in your best interest to use a more appropriate counter here, perhaps a Flying- or Fire-type. Recommended Level and Moveset: Level 29; Low Kick, Focus Energy/Fury Swipes/Aerial Ace, Rock Slide/Rock Tomb, Brick Break.
Primeape versus Koga in Fuchsia City Gym: This is another match-up in which Primeape should sit out. Koga has four bulky Poison-types, two of which can explode and the other two are incredibly annoying. None of Primeape’s moves will be doing enough damage, and it will be hit hard by Sludge, crippled by Toxic, annoyed with accuracy buffs/debuffs, or some combination of the three. Recommended Level and Moveset: Level 38; Low Kick, Rock Slide/Rock Tomb/Aerial Ace, Brick Break, Strength.
Primeape versus the Fighting Dojo in Saffron City: This match-up is dicey for Primeape, even with Aerial Ace. Brick Break will 2HKO Hitmonlee, but the Kicking Pokémon can hit back harder with High Jump Kick. A critical hit High Jump Kick is the end of the frail Primeape, so it’s better to use a more appropriate counter here. Hitmonchan is a little weaker, but it may still OHKO with a critical hit Sky Uppercut. It also has higher Defense, meaning Brick Break may not 2HKO. Again, just use a more appropriate counter here. Recommended Level and Moveset: Level 38; Low Kick, Rock Slide/Rock Tomb/Aerial Ace, Brick Break, Strength.
Primeape versus Rival in Silph Co.: Your Rival’s lead, Pidgeot, is quite a bit more dangerous this time around. If it lands a critical hit Wing Attack, Primeape is finished. The Pig Monkey Pokémon can 2HKO in return with Rock Slide, but that move is inaccurate. Let another team member handle Pidgeot. Exeggcute will 3HKO with Confusion and can only be 2HKOed if you have Aerial Ace. It’s best to let another Pokémon handle this again. Gyarados’ best is Dragon Rage, which is slightly threatening thanks to its Intimidate. The attack drop turns Primeape’s Rock Slide into a possible 3HKO instead of a possible 2HKO, so you’ll only be able to win this match-up if you make Gyarados flinch. Primeape can still 2HKO Growlithe with Rock Slide after Intimidate, and Growlithe’s Flame Wheel isn’t nearly as threatening as Gyarados’ Dragon Rage. Rock Tomb won’t do as much damage as Rock Slide, but it will still do more than Growlithe’s Flame Wheel. Surprisingly, Primeape can handle Alakazam pretty easily as its only attacking move is Future Sight. Primeape can tank a Future Sight from full health even if it lands critically, and it can 2HKO with Rock Slide unless Alakazam manages to put up Reflect. Even then, Primeape’s main issue is running out of PP for Rock Slide. Thanks to the Speed drop, this is manageable with Rock Tomb as well. Charizard, on the other hand, is in the same boat as Pidgeot. Its Wing Attack hits hard and will OHKO if it lands critically. Primeape will probably OHKO with Rock Slide (not with Rock Tomb), but it’s a treacherous endeavor. Blastoise’s best move is Water Gun, so it can be worn down with Brick Break or Low Kick (preferably the latter). Be wary of critical hits, though, and keep an eye on Primeape’s health as always. However, Primeape can’t stand up to Venusaur, who resists Fighting-type attacks and has Razor Leaf. Let a more appropriate counter handle Venusaur. Recommended Level and Moveset: Level 39; Low Kick, Rock Slide/Rock Tomb/Aerial Ace, Brick Break, Strength.
Primeape versus Giovanni in Silph Co.: Giovanni will lead with Nidorino, who is best handled via Strength. Primeape can then OHKO Giovanni’s Rhyhorn with Low Kick. Kangaskhan is back for more, and it will be 2HKOed by Low Kick or Brick Break (preferably the former). However, it can 3HKO with Mega Punch, so keep an eye on Primeape’s health. If the Pig Monkey Pokémon is weak from fighting the other members of Giovanni’s team, then switch out or heal. However, Nidoqueen will do more damage with Body Slam than Primeape can do in return with Strength, so leave the Drill Pokémon for another team member. Recommended Level and Moveset: Level 40; Low Kick, Rock Slide/Rock Tomb/Aerial Ace, Brick Break, Strength.
Primeape versus Sabrina in Saffron City Gym: Pitting Primeape against a team of strong Psychic-types (plus Venomoth) is bordering on suicide. Using the likes of Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan would be risky here, and those two share an exceptional Special Defense stat, which is something that the Pig Monkey Pokémon certainly lacks. Primeape may be able to handle Venomoth with Rock Slide, but that’s unlikely. Primeape should sit on the bench here. Recommended Level and Moveset: Level 41; Low Kick, Rock Slide/Rock Tomb/Aerial Ace, Brick Break, Strength.
Primeape versus Blaine in Cinnabar Island Gym: This is yet another dicey match-up for Primeape. It can handle Growlithe with Rock Slide, even after Intimidate, but Fire Blast, a 3HKO on the Pig Monkey Pokémon, still hurts. Brick Break is probably better here though, as it will still 2HKO after Intimidate and is more accurate than Rock Slide. If Intimidate isn’t a factor, Primeape can OHKO Ponyta with Rock Slide. If Primeape’s Attack is still debuffed, then Brick Break is your best bet for a 2HKO. Ponyta’s Bounce will hurt though, so switch to something that resists Flying-type moves if it’s used. Ponyta can trap you with Fire Spin, but it will fall to Brick Break or Rock Slide before it can take full advantage of this. Rapidash, however, is much more powerful and should be avoided, especially if Primeape’s Attack is still debuffed. Arcanine is a definite no-go; it has Intimidate and is much stronger than any of Blaine’s other Pokémon. It’s best to use a Water-type here and let Primeape sit on the bench. Recommended Level and Moveset: Level 46; Low Kick, Rock Slide/Rock Tomb/Aerial Ace, Brick Break, Strength.
Primeape versus Giovanni in Viridian City Gym: Primeape should OHKO Giovanni’s first Rhyhorn with Low Kick. If you don’t have Low Kick, then Brick Break is a solid alternate option. However, it almost certainly won’t OHKO without a critical hit, so you’ll probably get hit with an Earthquake. Primeape may OHKO Dugtrio with Brick Break. However, if Primeape was hit with an Earthquake from Rhyhorn, it should switch out. It can tank one Earthquake, but a critical hit will do it in if it’s already taken one. Nidoqueen and Nidoking are much too strong; they can 2-3HKO with Earthquake while Primeape may only 4HKO with Strength. The final Rhyhorn is manageable with Low Kick, but those playing on Set Mode may need a better counter. Primeape can’t switch in on an Earthquake if it’s not at full health. If it is, Low Kick still has a scary chance to not OHKO. Recommended Level and Moveset: Level 47; Low Kick, Rock Slide/Rock Tomb/Aerial Ace, Brick Break, Strength.
Primeape versus Rival in Route 22: Pidgeot is still a no-go, even if you have Rock Slide. Alakazam is competent this time around, so you can’t fight it with Primeape, either. Rhyhorn will fall to Low Kick, but its Horn Drill has a chance to cause an enormous problem if you’re switching in. Tread lightly. Exeggcute will be annoying with Stun Spore and Poison Powder, but Primeape can wear it down with Strength if need be as it lacks a Psychic-type move. Its Solar Beam won’t OHKO Primeape from full health even with a critical hit, and the Pig Monkey Pokémon can 3HKO with Strength or Rock Slide. Gyarados may have been manageable if it wasn’t for Intimidate. It will be dishing out a ton of damage with Hydro Pump, especially if it uses Rain Dance first. It’s best to let another Pokémon handle Gyarados, perhaps an Electric-type. Primeape continues to beat up on Growlithe, even with Intimidate in play. Either Rock Slide or Brick Break is your best moves here. The other possible Fire-type, Charizard, is a no-go due to its Wing Attack. A single Rock Slide should take it out, but it may OHKO Primeape with a critical hit Wing Attack first. This is even more difficult if you’re playing on Set Mode since Primeape almost certainly can’t switch in on a Wing Attack and OHKO the next turn. Blastoise still lacks a competent moveset, so you can easily chip away at it with Brick Break. Venusaur is a no-go as usual; it still has a resistance to Fighting-type moves and access to Razor Leaf. Recommended Level and Moveset: Level 48; Low Kick, Rock Slide/Rock Tomb/Aerial Ace, Brick Break, Strength.
Primeape versus the Elite 4: Recommended Level and Moveset: Level 59; Low Kick, Rock Slide/Aerial Ace, Brick Break, Strength.
Primeape versus Lorelei: Surprisingly, Primeape performs remarkably well against Lorelei. The Pig Monkey Pokémon will rip through Dewgong with Low Kick. Cloyster is a physical wall, but it’s no match for Primeape’s Low Kick, which is a guaranteed 2HKO. Cloyster is also rather passive and will likely go for Protect. However, turn tail and run when Slowbro enters the battle. Primeape doesn’t do much damage to it and its Surf is powerful. Jynx is best for female Primeape to face, as this essentially disables Attract. Without Attract and Lovely Kiss (which is prevented thanks to Primeape’s Vital Spirit) at its disposal, Jynx will fall easily to Brick Break or Rock Slide. Jynx lacks a Psychic-type move although its Ice Punch is a 3HKO. Lapras hits just as hard as Jynx, but it falls easily to Low Kick.
Primeape versus Bruno: Low Kick comes in handy for the second battle in a row. This time around, it OHKOs both Bruno’s leading Onix and his second Onix, whose Attack stat is pitiful. However, Primeape can’t do much else here. It’s faster than all of Bruno’s Fighting-types, but they each have their own issues. Hitmonlee is 2HKOed by Brick Break, but its own Brick Break may do the same in return. As such this match-up is risky. Primeape can’t fight Hitmonchan at all, even if you taught it Overheat for some odd reason. Hitmonchan is packing Counter, so any physical move Primeape uses is probably coming back to bite it. Machamp will set up Bulk Up one Primeape with ease, and its Cross Chop will annihilate Primeape. Use Primeape to fight the Onix and stay away from the other Pokémon.
Primeape versus Agatha: Primeape performs rather poorly in this battle. All of Agatha’s Pokémon either resist Fighting-type moves or are immune to them. However, there is a slight silver lining. Primeape has both Vital Spirit and access to Aerial Ace, which will be helpful in this battle. Primeape fears confusion, but it is guaranteed to hit Agatha’s leading Gengar with Aerial Ace. This Gengar will likely go straight for Double Team, which allows Primeape to chip away its health with Aerial Ace, which is a 3HKO. However, it will pull out Toxic or Confuse Ray sooner or later, and the latter is especially dangerous to glass cannons like Primeape. This strategy may be a good back-up plan in case Gengar gets too many Double Team boosts later in the match. Golbat, on the other hand, can’t be fought at all. It has a high critical hit ratio move, Air Cutter, which may end Primeape’s life if it lands critically. Haunter can’t do anything to Primeape except use Curse, and it’s 2-3HKOed by Aerial Ace. (Note that you’ll almost certainly have to switch out after Haunter goes down due to the aforementioned Curse.) Arbok is another no-go; it has Intimidate and 2HKOs Primeape with Sludge Bomb. The Pig Monkey Pokémon will be down and out before it does any major damage. Agatha’s ace, another Gengar, is in that same boat. It hits hard with Sludge Bomb and Primeape can’t retaliate with much.
Primeape versus Lance: Primeape doesn’t do well here, either. Gyarados, Lance’s lead, has Intimidate and Hyper Beam. The latter will OHKO Primeape if it lands critically. Even if it doesn’t, it will do a lot of damage to Primeape. Aerodactyl is absolutely a no-go; it is faster and has Wing Attack. Both of Lance’s Dragonair are manageable with Brick Break but beware of Hyper Beam. A critical hit is unlikely to end the Pig Monkey Pokémon, but it just might all the same. Dragonite also carries Wing Attack, which will hit a lot harder than Aerodactyl’s. Stay away from it.
Primeape versus the Champion: Primeape should probably just sit on the bench for the entire battle. Pidgeot will destroy it with Aerial Ace; Alakazam has Psychic; Gyarados, Venusaur, and Charizard are as threatening as ever with Intimidate, SunnyBeam, and Aerial Ace, respectively; Exeggutor can take a hit and retaliate with Giga Drain; Blastoise now has Hydro Pump; finally, Arcanine has Intimidate and will 2HKO with Flamethrower. Rhydon is the only Pokémon Primeape can stand up against here although you likely have a better counter for this Pokémon. It hits hard with Earthquake and Primeape’s Low Kick is just a 2HKO. As Rhydon’s Earthquake will OHKO with a critical hit, Primeape should stay away from it, too.
Everything in Between
Pre-Boulder Badge: Mankey only does well against the Rattata in this area. Bug-types resists Fighting-type moves, so the likes of Scratch will be your best move in Viridian Forest. You must be on the lookout for critical hits and poison damage, too, as Mankey is frail. Fortunately, Pidgey learns Gust at level 9, so you don’t have to worry about that at this point.
Caves and Mountains: Mankey can handle Geodude in Mt. Moon, but these Pokémon should be run from or handled by a Grass- or Water-type if they are at level 21 or higher, which is when Geodude learns Selfdestruct. Mankey cannot take a Selfdestruct to the face and live to tell the tale. Zubat resists Mankey’s Fighting-type STAB moves, so it’s best to stay away unless you have Rock Tomb. Any Normal-types you come across aren’t too difficult to handle unless they are Rattata/Raticate with Hyper Fang.
Vermilion City Area: Mankey is a pretty solid choice for the S.S. Anne as long as you watch out for Flying-types and critical hits. The engineers with Magneton aren’t too difficult for Mankey, but they are best dealt with by a Ground-type. Stay out of Diglett’s Cave; a stray Dugtrio is likely the end of the Pig Monkey Pokémon. It’s best to lead with a Flying-type there.
Mid- to Late-Game: Mankey needs to stay out of Pokémon Tower, but Primeape can be of some use. You’ll need Rock Slide though, and Marowak is a no-go no matter what. Primeape is among the best Pokémon to deal with Snorlax thanks to Low Kick, which is so strong when used against Snorlax that it may OHKO. Use Brick Break if you want to catch Snorlax though. Primeape is also good for the water routes although you must be wary of Psychic-types. Stay away from Cycling Road, which is full of hard-hitting Fighting-types and exploding Koffing. Stay away from bird trainers’ Fearow, Pidgeotto, and Dodrio. The weaker Doduo, Pidgey, and Spearow can be handled easily if you have Rock Slide or Rock Tomb. Primeape is good for Magneton and Pikachu in the Power Plant, but Electrode and Zapdos must be avoided. The Pokémon Mansion is a good place to use Primeape bar Poison-types.
Checks and Counters
Psychic- and Flying-types: This is probably a given as these are the only two types Primeape is weak to. Sabrina’s team and your Rival’s Pidgeot are notable examples. For Flying-types, have a Rock-, Ice-, or Electric-type Pokémon. Psychic-types are a little trickier to counter, but anything with a high Special Defense stat and super effective coverage (read: Shadow Ball) works well. Snorlax, Hypno, and Flareon are great examples.
Poison-types: This one is a little less obvious. Poison-types, especially exploding Koffing and Koga’s team, won’t take much damage from Primeape’s Fighting-type attacks. You’ll want a Psychic-type that can handle these threats. (Ground-type moves are also super-effective against Poison-types. However, I don’t mention this as there aren’t a lot of Poison-types in the Kanto region that are weak to Ground-type moves, including the one that is arguably the most threatening, Koffing.) Alakazam, Hypno, and Butterfree (who isn’t a Psychic-type, but has access to several Psychic-type moves, including Dream Eater) are all good at countering Poison-types.
Faster, Stronger Foes: Anything that is faster than Primeape and hits with a ton of force is a threat. This also includes Pokémon that can take a hit from Primeape instead of outspeeding it. This covers a wide variety of foes, including Lance’s Aerodactyl and Bruno’s Machamp. It is important to have a good counter to each of these Pokémon. Powerful tanks like Golem and glass cannons like Alakazam can get their way around some of these threats by taking a hit for Primeape or outspeeding and OHKOing those that threaten Primeape.
Overall Grade: C
Primeape has many traits that hold it back in the Kanto region, including its frailty, lack of power in the late-game, and the fact that the other Fighting-types have a lot more going for them. However, while Primeape isn’t the best choice of Fighting-type, it can be helpful to your team nonetheless. Its high Attack and Speed early in the game is incredibly helpful. It is also helpful to those who chose Charmander as their starter since it can single-handedly defeat Brock. All in all, the Pig Monkey Pokémon has its flaws, but it also has the potential to be a solid team member, especially early in the game.
Resources to Utilize
Primeape’s Learnset:https://pokemondb.net/pokedex/primeape/moves/3
Written by Reddit user u/Samurott1. For questions about this guide or for specific advice for your playthrough, send them a message on Reddit.
Nuzlocke University 