Pokémon FireRed Version and Pokémon LeafGreen Version/Part I (2024)

After selectingNew Game,Professor Oakappears! He briefly introduces the world of Pokémon and thePokémonthemselves. Choose either themaleorfemaleprotagonist, then choose a name for both them and therival.

Pallet Town[]

Pallet Townis rather boring, quaint town, with only three buildings. The house to the west belongs to theplayer, the one to the east belongs to the rival, and the big building to the south isOak's Laboratory.

Player's house[]

The game begins in theplayer's house, with him/her standing in front of aNES. Boot up the PC on the desk and access the Item Storage function. There is already aPotionstored here, so selectWithdraw Item, thenPotion ×1to retrieve it. Shut down the machine and head downstairs.Momsays thatOak has been looking for him/her, so head outside. Welcome to Pallet Town!

Oak is nowhere to be found, so head north into the tall grass on the edge of town. From out of nowhere, Oak appears! He yells at the player for trying to leave on his/her own, without a Pokémon for defense against the wild Pokémon roaming around, and leads the player back to the lab.

Professor Oak's Laboratory[]

Oak offers a choice of a very first Pokémon. Each one has its advantages and disadvantages, and some are more challenging to raise than the others.

• Bulbasauris easy for a beginner. It has the type advantage over thePewter,Cerulean, andViridian Gyms, and it resists the Pokémon in theVermilion andCeladonGyms. It is also immune to thePoisonstatus ailment. It may have trouble with theSaffronandCinnabarGyms if the player does not have other Pokémon to back it up. Bulbasaur's final form,Venusaur, is capable of learningEarthquake, a useful move when facingFire-typePokémon. Due to Sludge Bomb being unobtainable until post Elite 4, Venusaur will only have Grass type moves for STAB. It can learn Razor Leaf (a Grass-type move with a high critical hit ratio), and can be taught more powerful grass moves likeFrenzy PlantandSolar Beam.
• Charmanderis difficult for a beginner, since it will be at a disadvantage early on. However, it learnsMetal Clawon level 13, which gives it a fighting chance at thePewter Gym. Adding to this, its disadvantages are done with after the Cerulean Gym. While Charmander's only real advantage is at theCeladon Gym, you will still be able to deal with the remaining Gyms fairly well. Its final evolution,Charizard, is noted for being quite powerful, and is capable of learningBrick Break andEarthquaketo deal with itsRockandElectric weaknesses.Dragon Clawis also an option for dealing with Lance's Dragon types. It will learnWing AttackandFlamethrowervia level up for STAB. And the player may teach it more powerful STAB moves likeFly,Fire Blast,Overheat, andBlast Burn.
• Squirtleis medium for a beginner. It can defeat the Pewter, Cinnabar, and Viridian Gyms without much effort, but can do little against theVermilionandCeladonGyms. Its move pool is relatively limited, and it may have trouble against the otherWater-typePokémon in theCerulean Gym. Squirtle's final evolution,Blastoise, is capable of learningIceandGroundmoves likeBlizzardandEarthquaketo cover its weaknesses. For STAB, it can learnSurfas well asHydro CannonandHydro Pump.

After selecting a Pokémon, the rival chooses the Pokémon with an advantage type. Head for the door to be drawn into battle! During the battle, Oak will explain a few basics. If the player's Pokémon is running low onhealth, the player may use thePotionfrom the PC. Regardless of which two Pokémon face off, their chances of winning are about the same; none of them know any moves of their own type, so the rival has no advantage just yet. When the battle ends, he leaves the Lab.

Exit the building and head north to reachRoute 1.

Route 1[]

Route 1is a short path that connectsPallet TowntoViridian Cityin the north. WithoutPoké Balls, it is impossible to catch any of the wildPidgeyorRattatayet, but battling a few will earn the player's young Pokémon someexperience.

The man at the south end of the route works at the Poké Mart in Viridian, and gives away a freePotion as a sample. It is also possible to rest up at home by talking toMom.

Viridian City[]

Viridian Cityis a small city, and the first with a Pokémon Gym. However, the mysteriousGym Leaderis out of town, and the Gym has been closed indefinitely.

Pokémon Center[]

The southernmost building is the localPokémon Center. This Pokémon hospital will heal a Trainer's team to full health and normal status, and the PC in the corner is free to use. In addition to accessing the Item Storage system, these PCs can also access the Pokémon Storage system. As Trainers may only travel with up to six Pokémon at once, any others are immediately transferred to storage upon capture.

Poké Mart[]

Behind the Pokémon Center is the localPoké Mart. These stores offer a variety ofPoké Balls,Potions, and other items. Upon entering the building, the cashier asks the player to delivera packagetoProfessor Oak. The cashier will not sell anything until the delivery is made.

Pokémon Academy[]

This schoolteaches young Pokémon Trainers about the basics of battle. The blackboard in the front of the room lists the fivestatus ailmentsthat can affect a Pokémon.

Pallet Town[]

Professor Oak's Laboratory[]

Upon deliveringthe packagetoOak, his grandson returns to the lab. Oak then gives each Trainer aPokédex, an electronic encyclopedia that will be used to catalog every Pokémon in existence. In addition, each receives fivePoké Ballsto start them on their journey. The rival remarks that he doesn't need any help — he will get aTown Mapfrom his sister,Daisy, and tell her not to give the player one. Despite this, Daisy will still give out a map anyway.

Viridian City[]

Stop in the Poké Mart to buy a fewPoké Balls, then visit Routes1and22to hunt for new Pokémon.

Route 22[]

Route 22is a short route that leads west fromViridian. The path is a dead-end right now, but there are still new Pokémon to find. TheFighting-type Mankeywill be useful at the first Gym, and even more so if the player choseCharmander.

The rival reappears halfway along the route, and challenges the player to another battle. He has added aPidgeysince the previous battle, but this should still be an easy fight.

After the battle, return to Viridian City and head north. Theold manstops Leaf to apologize for being rude earlier. Seeing her Pokédex, he offers to demonstrate how to catch a Pokémon. After catching aWeedle, he hands over theTeachy TV, a portable television that is tuned to a program with useful tips for novice Trainers.

Route 2[]

Route 2links Viridian City toPewter Cityin the north. Much of the area is occupied byViridian Forest, a large maze of trees. The east side of the route is currently inaccessible. Head through thegateto enter the forest, a new area with new Pokémon to catch!

Viridian Forest[]

Check the tree near the entrance for a hiddenAntidote, then follow the trail to the northwest to reach aPoké Ballin the tall grass. Turn around and head for the southeast corner to get aPotion. Head north for anotherAntidote, then turn west. Zigzag through the trees, then collect anotherPotionfrom the clearing. Trek through the tall grass to fight Bug Catcher Sammy and find anotherPotion, then exit through the gate to re-emerge onRoute 2, and continue north toPewter City.