Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen

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Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen
Developer(s)	Game Freak
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Release date(s)	January 29, 2004 (JP) September 9, 2004 (US) October 1, 2004 (EU)
Genre(s)	Console role-playing game
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: Everyone USK: Unrestricted OFLC: G8+ PEGI: 3+
Platform(s)	Game Boy Advance
Media	128-megabit cartridge

Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen are two titles in the Pokémon video game series, released for the Game Boy Advance in 2004. They are enhanced remakes of the original Pokémon video games released in North America and Europe, Pokémon Red and Blue (Red and Green in Japan).

The games were released on January 29, 2004 in Japan, September 9, 2004 in North America, and October 1, 2004 in Europe. They could also be obtained early at Pokémon Center New York on August 28, 2004, as part of a special pre-release event for players who pre-ordered the game.

FireRed and LeafGreen feature the original 150 Pokémon from the original Game Boy games, along with many others from later games in the series. While players could still play the originals, they could not trade Pokémon to the Advanced generation. The upgraded games bring the Kanto region Pokémon, and experience to the third generation of Pokémon (the Advanced generation). These games finally completed the loop; now players could catch all 386 Pokémon that existed at the time, since many of the Kanto (and Johto) Pokémon were unavailable in Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald.

Because it is a third-generation game, it is compatible with all games of its generation, including Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald; Pokémon Box; and Pokémon Colosseum and XD. This compatibility is unlocked after beating the entire game and completing a sidequest.

Contents 1 Setting and plot 2 New features 2.1 From Pokémon Yellow 2.2 From Gold/Silver/Crystal 2.3 From Ruby & Sapphire 2.4 Missing Features 2.5 Sevii Islands 3 Other changes 4 Music 5 Trivia 6 References

[edit] Setting and plot

The game is set in the same fictional universe as other Pokémon games, in the Kanto region. This temperate area features half a score of towns and cities, a mountain range in the north, and is the home of the Indigo Pokémon League.

In the beginning, the player is greeted by Professor Oak. Oak allows player to choose the sex and name of the protagonist, and his/her rival’s name.

When the player tries to enter the rural Route 1 to the north of Pallet Town, Professor Oak will stop the protagonist and take him or her to the Oak Laboratory. The player will pick his or her Pokémon; he or she may choose between Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle. After the player picks his or her Pokémon, he or she will battle his/her rival, and Professor Oak will guide the player through the battle. Regardless of the battle’s outcome, the player’s Pokémon will be fully healed. The player’s journey begins here.
Along the way, the player will catch and train various Pokémon to aid the player in the storyline, and catching and training Pokémon to become strong fighters is crucial to the game, since untrained Pokémon at exceptionally low levels will not be able to help progress through the game.
The protagonist arrives in Viridian City, directly north of Pallet Town, to find the Pokémon Gym locked and abandoned. Upon entering the local shop, the protagonist is greeted by the clerk, who gives him/her a parcel to deliver to Oak. Upon delivery of the parcel, Oak grants the protagonist and the rival Pokédexes — automatically updating encyclopedias on Pokémon.
The protagonist heads back to Viridian City and north into Viridian Forest, ending up in Pewter City. The protagonist enters the Pewter City Gym, challenging Brock, the Gym Leader, for the Boulderbadge. He/she is greeted outside by an aide of Oak’s, who gives him/her running shoes. The protagonist heads east through the caves of Mt. Moon, where he/she discovers a fossil excavating expedition by Team Rocket. Battling his/her way out of the cave, the player can eventually choose to take either a Dome or Helix Fossil — remains of the Pokémon Kabuto and Omanyte, respectively.
The protagonist then arrives in Cerulean City, challenging the local Gym Leader Misty and winning the Cascadebadge. He/she then heads north, running into the rival, who challenges him/her to a Pokémon battle. Upon winning, the protagonist continues north, battling across Nugget Bridge, foiling what proves to be a secret recruitment test for Team Rocket. The protagonist arrives at Bill’s cottage, only finding a Clefairy, a PC, and two strange machines. The Clefairy identifies itself as the Pokémaniac Bill himself, having been transformed in an experiment involving the machines, and the protagonist assists in undoing it. As thanks, Bill gives him/her a pass for a party aboard the S.S. Anne. The protagonist soon stops another Team Rocket plot — a lone Rocket grunt had broken into a house and stolen a Technical Machine (TM) for the Dig technique.
After travelling south to Vermillion City and boarding the S.S. Anne; he/she is challenged by several restless Pokémon trainers aboard. Defeating his/her rival in another Pokémon battle, the player hears that the captain is seasick, and enters his cabin to massages his back, recieving as thanks the Hidden Machine (HM) for the Cut technique. The ship departs after the protagonist leaves, and he/she uses the HM to cut down a sapling blocking the entrance to the Vermillion City Gym. Defeating the Leader Lt. Surge and receiving the Thunderbadge, he/she continues to the Rock Tunnel, arriving in Lavender Town. From here, the protagonist travels to Celadon City, battling the Gym Leader Erika and winning the Rainbowbadge.
He/she then enters the local Game Corner, finding a secret entrance to a Team Rocket hideout. The protagonist eventually confronts the leader himself, Giovanni. After being defeated in a Pokémon battle, Giovanni contemplates how the protagonist treats his/her Pokémon with compassion, a sharp contrast to Giovanni’s cruelty. Giovanni disappears and leaves behind the Silph Scope, which the protagonist takes with him/her back to Lavender Town and uses to see the restless ghosts within Pokémon Tower, a structure dedicated to the Pokémon killed by Team Rocket. After putting the ghost of a Marowak to peace, the protagonist heads to the top floor, defeating several Rockets holding Mr. Fuji hostage for his endeavors against Team Rocket’s acts of hate. Fuji gives the protagonist the Pokéflute, which can be used to wake up the Snorlax blocking the routes to Fuchsia City.
After crossing the Safari Zone, receiving HMs for Surf and Strength, and defeating the Gym Leader Koga for the Soulbadge, the protagonist travels to Saffron City and foils Team Rocket once again, this time at Silph Co. Headquarters. Once again defeated by the player, Giovanni concedes as the loser and returns to his neglected Gym in Viridian City.
After winning the Marshbadge from Saffron Gym Leader Sabrina, the protagonist surfs to the volcanic Cinnabar Island. Finding the Gym locked, he/she heads instead to the Pokémon Mansion, finding strange records of an ancient Pokémon and a project to clone it. Finding the key to the Gym, the protagonist enters and defeats Blaine, winning the Volcanobadge. Bill shows up in a speedboat and greets the protagonist, taking him/her to the Sevii Islands. After returning to the mainland, the protagonist heads to Viridian City and enters the now-open Gym, discovering the Leader to be none other than Giovanni. After the protagonist wins the Earthbadge, Giovanni once again reflects on the protagonist’s love for his Pokémon partners. Touched, he decides to disband Team Rocket, then once again disappears.
Heading west to Indigo Plateau, the protagonist once again meets his/her rival. After losing, the rival remarks on how much the protagonist has grown, then continues on ahead of him/her. Flashing the eight badges to the guards and traveling through the cave of Victory Road, the protagonist finally arrives at the final challenge of the Pokémon League: the Elite Four. After consecutively defeating Lorelei, Bruno, Agatha and Lance, the protagonist discovers that his/her rival has previously defeated all four, and become the Pokémon League Champion. The protagonist defeats his/her rival and takes the title for him/herself, and is inducted into the Pokémon League Hall of Fame.
As Champion, the player can now access the Cerulean Cave, explore the Sevii Islands, catch some rare Pokémon, and even return for another challenge with the Elite Four, who have new and more powerful Pokémon.

[edit] New features

• The original 150 Pokémon are all included, most of which were not found in the Game Boy Advance games Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire.
• A “Help” feature is added which allows a player to look up data at almost any point in the game, also including a type matchup list for in-battle use. Additionally, a Key Item called the Teachy TV offers lessons on Pokémon basics.
• Changes (mostly cosmetic) have been made to items and bags. Images of all items are now shown along with a description, and an animation is shown when using an item on a Pokémon outside of battle.
• There are no longer TM or Berry pockets in the character’s bag (as in Ruby/Sapphire); instead, two key items (the TM Case and Berry Pouch) hold these items and allow the player to browse through TMs with an interface that allows showing all information about a move a TM holds before even teaching it.
• Berries can be crushed into Berry Powder by one or more players, and the Berry Powder can then be traded for rare power-ups.
• Items equipped to Pokémon can now be moved with the PC, which is much quicker than removing the item and placing it on another Pokémon.
• Trainer teams which fight 2-on-2 battles are now able to engage the player on sight, although they have a shorter sight range than regular trainers
• The brand new VS Seeker item allows players to seek rematches with other NPC trainers.
• The Fame Checker key item has been added which will save rumors and information on important people for future reference.
• After defeating the Elite 4, visiting the Sevii Islands, and having at least 60 Pokédex entries, players will receive the National Pokédex. This allows non-Kanto Pokémon to be caught or evolved (such as Chansey into Blissey, or Golbat into Crobat).
• After a side quest is completed, the Elite Four will strengthen, increasing the level of their Pokémon and adding some Johto Pokémon to their teams.
• “Previously on your quest...”. When continuing a saved game, the player is shown the last four significant events prior to his/her saving. This allows the player to remember what he/she was doing and what he/she is supposed to do next.
• Since the game uses the same TM set as Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, Move Tutors have been added who will teach a Pokémon a move for which a TM existed in only the original games.
• “Mystery Gift” has been added to this game, so players can use the wireless adapter to obtain special items, such as the Aurora Ticket, through Nintendo promotions.
• Using the Wireless Adapter, players can meet together in the “Union Room” where they may chat, trade and battle their Pokémon. The latter two options however, are severely limited compared to using the rooms dedicated to trading and battling, which can also be done with the Wireless Adapter.
• Using the Wireless Adapter, up to five players can compete in minigames like jump rope using their Pokémon.
• An animation is added to the background during Pokémon evolution.
• When all of a player’s Pokémon faint, a short cutscene plays, describing the protagonist taking his/her Pokémon to the nearest Pokémon Center and depicting him/her having them healed. Also, for the first time, the exact amount of money lost is displayed.

While the remakes have incorporated many brand-new features, several of the other upgrades are based on features which originated in Pokémon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition; the second-generation games (Gold, Silver, and Crystal); and the third-generation (Ruby, Sapphire, and later Emerald) versions.

[edit] From Pokémon Yellow

• Pokémon-specific overworld/menu/box icons. Yellow’s special Pikachu was the first Pokémon to have a custom sprite/icon on the overworld screen, and in the player’s roster and storage boxes. More box sprites were added for Gold/Silver, and all Pokémon have had their own since Ruby and Sapphire.
• Happiness/Friendliness. Again, Yellow’s Pikachu was the first to have its contentment measured. In Gold/Silver/Crystal this became a hidden stat and the basis of “friendly” evolution, and Pokémon Box: Ruby & Sapphire keeps track of this stat, among others, for GBA trainers.

[edit] From Gold/Silver/Crystal

• Pokémon have genders, as first seen in Pokémon Gold and Silver.
• Pokémon can now hold items, such as berries and other stat-boosting items, and some held items cause Pokémon to evolve when traded.
• Pokémon breeding has been included, a game element first seen in Johto.
• Daisy, the rival’s sister, can groom the player’s Pokémon. As FireRed and LeafGreen lack a clock function, the grooming is available at any time. (Pokémon grooming was only available at certain times in Gold and Silver.)
• After the player defeats the Elite 4 and obtains the National Dex, Raikou, Entei, or Suicune will wander throughout Kanto. The Pokémon the player faces will always have type advantage over his or her chosen starter Pokémon (e.g., a player who chose Squirtle will face Raikou).
• Islands 4-7 feature music from Gold, Silver and Crystal.
• The player character’s sex can be chosen at the start of the game. Apparently, the female protagonist’s character design is based on one the original designers had hoped to include in Pokémon Red, Green, and Blue^{[citation needed]}, but they were unable to implement the feature until Pokémon Crystal. This design is similar to the character Green (Blue in Japan) from the Pokemon Adventures manga.
• The “Mystery Gift” feature with the wireless adapter is slightly remniscent of the IR-port “Mystery Gift” function.

[edit] From Ruby & Sapphire

• Most Hoenn mechanics, such as natures, IVs, EV limits, and the same specialty Poké Balls have carried over to this game.
• The graphical engine developed in the Ruby and Sapphire was used and improved in these two games, though the Kanto Pokémon (and Teddiursa) have been given new in-battle sprites. [1]
• Berries (Hoenn varieties) can be found in certain spots through the game (particularly in the Three Island forest).
• The TMs are the same as those found in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, meaning some TM moves from Red and Blue must be learned from Move Tutors.
• 2-on-2 battles return. When picking a move to use on an opponent, if the move’s target cannot be selected, then the target(s) will be indicated when the move is highlighted.
• “Mystery Event” returns, though with a different application. It is a Wireless Adapter function, and no longer allows compatibility with the e-Reader (except in Japan).
• After receiving the National Dex, players must complete the Network Machine by collecting the Ruby and Sapphire items in the Sevii Islands. Celio will take both items and use them to connect to Lanette (in Hoenn). This unlocks trading to and from Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, Colosseum, Emerald and XD: Gale of Darkness, allowing the player to complete the National Dex. In order to connect with “Pokémon Box” the player must collect 100 species of Pokémon, in addition to fixing the Network Machine.
• The Move Re-learner returns, but requires a different item (the item that the Ruby/Sapphire re-learner required came from a Pokémon specific to that game and it does on this game too - the move tutor requires 2 tiny mushrooms or 1 big mushroom from wild Paras or Parasect.)
• The Sevii islands contain ancient ruins with inscriptions written in visual braille.
• Legendary Pokémon now have their own battle theme, although it’s really just the regular battle theme at a higher pitch.

[edit] Missing Features

Notably missing features include:

• The ability to store and remotely contact NPC trainers for news and rematches. Instead, the player must approach NPCs he/she wishes to battle again and call attention with the VS. Seeker, a new item included specifically for this purpose
• A clock. In previous games, the clock function required a battery inside the game cartridge to power the timekeeping. The downside to this was the battery eventually ran out, leaving the game stuck in whatever time of day, berry growth cycle, or Pokérus cycle it was in (or it corrupted the save file, making it impossible to save new games or access the old file). Because FireRed and LeafGreen does not have a clock, calendar, or day/night cycles, there are no events keyed to the time of day or day of the week, and Eevee cannot evolve into Espeon or Umbreon. The Pokérus is time-based, too, and so cannot be caught in FireRed or LeafGreen (however, this means that it will never go away, either, if an infected Pokémon is transferred to FR/LG).
• Contests and Pokéblocks. Because of this, a Pokémon’s contest stats (Cool, Beauty, Cute, Smart, and Tough) cannot be raised. Trainers wishing to evolve a Feebas into a Milotic must send it to Hoenn to have its Beauty increased.
• e-Reader support (except in Japan).

[edit] Sevii Islands

Main article: Sevii Islands

FireRed and LeafGreen include brand new region to explore: the archipelago known as the Sevii Islands (not to be confused with the Orange Islands). This allowed programmers to add many Johto- and Hoenn-related Pokémon and items without severely compromising the original Kanto story.

On these islands, many Johto Pokémon which are not available in Hoenn or Kanto can be found and caught. Island Four hosts a breeding center, allowing trainers to breed Pokémon and raise eggs without having to trade to Ruby and Sapphire.

Some Legendary Pokémon have been moved to the Sevii Islands. Moltres, originally found in Victory Road, can be found in Mt. Ember. Ho-oh and Lugia can be found on Navel Rock (with a special ticket). Deoxys, a special Pokémon that changes form when traded to certain games (high Attack in FireRed, high Defense in LeafGreen, high Speed in Emerald), can also be caught, on Birth Island; again, using an official Nintendo event special ticket.

[edit] Other changes

• Some cave areas, like the Seafoam Islands, Victory Road, and the Cerulean Cave (previously called the Unknown Dungeon) have changed slightly or dramatically.
• In Pokémon Red and Blue, the space shuttle Columbia orbiter could be found in the Pewter City museum. However, in response to the 2003 accident, the “Columbia” was removed, and the sign now simply says “Space Shuttle”. However edited versions of the Red and Blue have “Space Shuttle Discovery”.
• There have been minor edits to dialogue, including the removal of references to white magic and gambling. The class of trainers previously known as Gamblers are now called Gamers.
  • Additionally, male characters in the game have blue dialogue, and females have light red. Signs and Pokémon calls remain black in dialogue.
• The trainer sprites have been redesigned.
• Pokémon received in trades with NPCs have different nicknames.
• The Cerulean Cave is inaccessable until the Network Machine on One Island is completely functional. In Red, Blue, and Yellow, the hero could access the cave after becoming the League Champion.
• There are Move Tutors that teach Pokémon moves that could be learned from TMs in Red, Blue, and Yellow only.
• The protagonist must give a guard a drink to enter Saffron City. In Red, Blue, and Yellow, this could be any of the drinks from the Celadon City department store’s rooftop vending machines. In FireRed and LeafGreen, it must be tea, a key item given to the player by a lady in Celadon Mansion.
• Initially, the Elite Four’s Pokémon are two levels lower than in Red, Blue, and Yellow. However, after Team Rocket is defeated in the Sevii Islands, the Elite Four update their rosters with different and higher-level Pokémon, including Pokémon that originated in Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal.
• There is a cutscene that shows the protagonist, the rival, and Professor Oak leaving Indigo Plateau after the Elite Four are defeated.
• The text has been changed into a smaller size.
• The Pokémon specific to each version of the game have been changed.

[edit] Music

The games feature Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow’s music by Junichi Masuda, along with selections from Gold, Silver, and Crystal, arranged and featuring new compositions by Go Ichinose and Mori’ichi Aoki. A two-disc set of this music entitled GBA Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen Music Super Complete has been released; the first disc features all the music used normally in-game, while the second disc features bonus tracks and arrangements. Among these are two vocal tracks: “Oshiete! Oniisan”, sung by Hironobu Yoshida, and “memory P”, sung by Yumi Senka.

[edit] Trivia

• In the Sevii islands, after completing the final sidequest, a Team Rocket member wonders if the player is Giovanni’s son. He then corrects himself, remembering that Giovanni’s son has red hair. This is believed to be a reference to the rival from Pokémon Gold and Silver, who has a full head of long red hair. This is unconfirmed, but is also supported by that character’s personality: an abusive thief. In the Pokémon Special manga, though, the GSC antihero rival is revealed to be indeed Giovanni’s son.
• The music for Four through Seven Islands constists of remixes from G/S/C.
• After beating the Elite Four and fixing the Network Machine, several references to characters and events from G/S/C will appear.
  • Celio speaks about Bill’s family living in Johto’s Goldenrod City
  • A woman on Two Island noting that when Bruno visited, he was shocked when he learned that they were out of Rage Candybars, named after the Lake of Rage near Mahogany Town.
  • Lance’s grandfather, who is known as the leader of a clan of Dragon Pokémon trainers, and his cousin Claire, who is a Gym Leader in a far off town (Blackthorn City) are mentioned by a few NPC’s.
  • Koga’s daughter appears behind the Chansey cage outside the Safari Zone, and she mentions that she is training to use Poison-type Pokémon just like her dad. Strangely, while she was known as Janine in G/S/C, FireRed and LeafGreen refer to her as Charine.
  • In Professor Oak’s lab, a lab assistant hints that the Professor is getting his own radio show, which can be heard in G/S/C.
• In the Sevault Canyon on Seven Island, a woman says that Bruno of Kanto’s Elite Four trained alongside Brawly, one of Hoenn’s Gym Leaders. Another NPC trainer in Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald also mentions this.
• Raikou, Entei, Suicune, and Wobbuffet are the only Johto Pokémon that can be caught in continental Kanto. Wobbuffet is found in the Cerulean Cave, and one of the legendary beasts roams Kanto after the player defeats the Elite Four and earns the National Dex. Whichever beast appears depends on the player’s starter (the wandering Pokémon will have a type advantage).
• Only three Hoenn Pokémon are available without trading: Azurill and Wynaut by breeding, and Deoxys by special event.
• Ponyta, Rapidash, Tentacruel, Magmar and Moltres are the only original Pokémon which cannot be found wild in Kanto (all are caught on One Island, the Fire-types through the Mt. Ember/Kindle Road group and Tentacruel in the sea).
• Despite not being used, overworld sprites are in the game's data for Mew, Celebi, Raikou, Suicune, and Entei. This suggests that all of these Pokemon were at one point in development battled on the overworld.

[edit] References

Publications

• In-game content and the instruction manuals for Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen
• Nintendo Power. Official Nintendo Pokémon FireRed & Pokémon LeafGreen Player’s Guide. Nintendo of America Inc., August 2004. ISBN 193020650X

Web

• Serebii’s FireRed and LeafGreen Page

Pokémon video games v • d • e

Red, Blue and Green • Yellow • Gold and Silver • Crystal • Ruby and Sapphire • FireRed and LeafGreen • Emerald • Diamond and Pearl Stadium • Stadium 2 • Colosseum • XD • Battle Revolution