7 Classic Pokemon Glitches That Made It To Virtual Console

Catch Mew

Thinking about the rumor of Mew under a truck near the S.S. Anne really takes me back, but that’s not what we’re talking about here; it was debunked, after all. But Mew is still obtainable in the original Pokemon games without use of a cheat code or special event, though you’ll want to be aware of the method beforehand, as it requires skipping trainers you’d normally battle in a natural progression, and leaving them until later in the game.

When you play the game initially, there are two trainers to skip: one is a Youngster with a Slowpoke north of Cerulean near the Cape (he’s in the bush maze and facing north), and the other is the Gambler standing in a direct line of sight to the entrance of the Underground Path west of Lavender Town. Once you have a Pokemon with Fly, stand outside of the Underground Path and step forward one tile, so you’re in sight of the Gambler. Immediately open the menu, and Fly to Cerulean. If you’ve done it right, you won’t enter a battle, but you’ll see the exclamation mark appear above the Gambler’s head as you Fly off.

Once in Cerulean, don’t speak to anyone. Head directly north and battle the Youngster by walking a few tiles in front of him and letting him come to you. Defeat his Slowpoke, then Fly back to Lavender town and exit to the west, back to the route with the Gambler. Your Menu should open. Close it, and a battle will be initiated with Mew, at level 8.

There are a lot of technicalities with how this glitch actually works, but it should be possible with any “long-range” trainer (someone who engages in a battle with you at the maximum range at which you can be spotted by them). The Pokemon you encounter is determined by the Special stat of the Pokemon (wild or trained) you fight in between–the Youngster’s Slowpoke just happens to give the value for Mew. You can encounter all sorts of different Pokemon this way, but be careful. If the Special stat is too high, you may end up fighting a glitch Pokemon!

Next: Screw the rules, we're having fun