Guides

How To Get TM50 Substitute in Pokémon Yellow

by Andrew Brisbane
The Celadon City Prize Corner
TM50 Substitute
# Location Repeatable?
1 Celadon City Prize Corner. Purchasable for 7,700 coins from the window on the right. Yes

TM50 Substitute is one of the prizes you can get at the Celadon City Prize Corner. You can get an unlimited number of copies this way, but each TM will cost you 7700 coins.

You can buy or win coins at the Celadon City Game Corner, which is the building to the left of the Prize Corner.

Prerequisites

This is what you need to do before you can get TM50:

  1. Get the Coin Case from the guy sitting in the corner of the restaurant building in Celadon City
  2. Have at least 7700 coins in your Coin Case

Getting TM50 Substitute

Starting from the Celadon City Pokémon Center, head southwest until you reach a small building (Celadon Prize Corner) just above where the path splits.

Standing in front of the Celadon City Pokémon Center (Left) and standing in front of the Celadon Prize Corner. (Right) / Pokémon Yellow
Standing in front of the Celadon City Pokémon Center (Left) and standing in front of the Celadon Prize Corner. (Right)

Once you’re inside, walk towards the window on the right.

Standing in front of the right-side window inside the Celadon City Prize Corner / Pokémon Yellow
Standing in front of the right-side window inside the Celadon City Prize Corner.

Select TM50 from the prize list. The TM will cost you 7700 coins.

Selecting TM50 from the prize list / Pokémon Yellow
Selecting TM50 from the prize list.

Substitute Move Details

Substitute Move Details
Type Normal
Power 0
Accuracy 100%
PP 10 (max. 16)
Effect The user takes a ¼ of their maximum HP to create a Substitute to take attacks for them. The Substitute’s HP is the equal to the HP lost by the user plus 1.

Substitute is one of the strangest moves in Pokémon Yellow.

In exchange for a ¼ of their maximum health, the user creates a Substitute which will take damage in place of the user until the Substitute breaks.

In Gen 1 specifically, Substitute has a lot of peculiar details about it.

While a Substitute will absorb damage for the user, it won’t protect them from being paralyzed, put to sleep, or being indirectly confused. (i.e Confused by Psybeam and Confusion.)

However, Substitute will protect the user from being poisoned, burned, frozen, and directly confused. (i.e being confused by Confuse Ray or Supersonic.)

Furthermore, the additional effects of certain moves won’t work if they break a substitute. Specifically:

  • Indirect confusion moves like Confusion and Psybeam can’t confuse the opposing Pokémon
  • HP draining moves like Mega Drain won’t drain HP
  • Recoil damage causing moves like Take Down won’t inflict recoil damage to the user
  • Moves that attack multiple times like Fury Attack will instantly end
  • Self-Destruction moves like Self-Destruct and Explosion won’t cause the user to faint. (Although the user’s sprite will disappear)
  • Pay Day won’t generate any money
  • Hyper Beam won’t require the user to “recharge” during the turn after using it.

With the ability to take damage for the user and protect against certain status conditions, Substitute makes for a decent defensive move.

Mr. Mime using Substitute against a wild Drowzee / Pokémon Yellow
Mr. Mime using Substitute against a wild Drowzee.
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Andrew Brisbane

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A retro game enthusiast since childhood, Andrew aka Andyb is a freelance writer from Canada. From intense games of Tetris to casual Pokémon playthroughs, he loves a wide variety of different genres. He’s also a very passionate musician.

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