>>32864902>mid/late game encounterIt's early game, you can get it as early as right after Ecruteak Gym by backtracking to Union Cave.
>have to raise it like magikarp because its moves are gimmicksYou can teach it Fly, it has Night Shade. That's already in a completely different ballpark compared to old Magikarp. Shame you can't get Psychic on it until Kanto in GSC/HGSS though. Gen 6 touched up its learnset significantly so it's competent right out the gate in ORAS.
