Viridian City/Places of interest/Old man

There is a grumpy old man in central Viridian who will not let Trainers pass through to until he has had his daily coffee. (In the original Japanese games, the old man is not grumpy from lack of coffee, but rather is drunk and has passed out in the middle of the road, much to the dismay of his grandchild.) The man is simply a barrier in the game, preventing players from wandering past Viridian City until the player has gone to the Viridian Poké Mart and delivered Oak's Parcel to Professor Oak.

Once the task is complete, the old man lightens up and teaches the player how to catch a Pokémon using a Poké Ball. This is a guide for novice players in, and. He will also give the player a Teachy TV in, which teaches the player a variety of things about battling and catching Pokémon.

He appears again in and, declaring that he has had his espresso and that he was once an expert at catching Pokémon. This is a reference to the events of three years before.