Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen Aren't Making Any Changes, So That Means the Creepy Old Man is Coming Back

Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen are being re-released tomorrow on Switch and Switch 2 as separate purchases with no changes from the originals, meaning that the creepy old man in Celadon City is coming back. The fact that no changes are being made to the base games can be a double-edged sword, as some very outdated and frustrating features in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen can ruin the experience for veterans of the series. The decision preserves the classic charm of these games, but it has its fair share of issues.

For example, Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen‘s Golbat can’t evolve into Crobat until the post-game section, once the National Dex is acquired. Yet, if your Golbat has high enough friendship, it will play the evolution animation every single time it levels up, despite being unable to actually evolve. Also, in Celadon City, there is the problem of the infamous slot machines, which are pure RNG if you want to get your hands on the premium prizes, like the TM for Thunderbolt, a Dratini, or a Porygon. These issues will stay, and so will the creepy old man staring into Celadon City’s Gym.

Say Goodbye to These 46 Pokemon in FireRed and LeafGreen on Switch

Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen on Switch and Switch 2 will force you to say goodbye to 46 Pokemon that you won’t be able to get.

Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen’s Celadon City Gym Keeps The Peeping Old Man

For those unaware, Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen‘s Gyms include the infamous Celadon City Gym, which has Erika as its leader. Here, players will fight multiple Grass-type Pokemon and trainers, and they’re all young girls. The list of trainers (and their Pokemon) in the Gym is as follows:

Lass Kay
- Bellsprout (23)
- Weepinbell (23)

Beauty Tamia
- Bellsprout (24)
- Bellsprout (24)

Beauty Bridget
- Bellsprout (21)
- Bellsprout (21)
- Oddish (21)
- Oddish (21)

Picknicker Tina
- Bulbasaur (24)
- Ivysaur (24)

Cooltrainer Mary
- Bellsprout (22)
- Oddish (22)
- Weepinbell (22)
- Gloom (22)
- Ivysaur (22)

Gym Leader Erika
- Victreebel (29)
- Tangela (24)
- Vileplume (29)

If you pick Charmander as your starter in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen, this Gym will be a complete breeze, and the same goes if you use any other level 20+ Fire or Flying Pokemon, even Ice-types if you have them.

As can be noted by the names and trainer types of each trainer in the gym, these are all female characters, and that’s where the infamous creepy old man comes in. Right outside the Celadon City Gym is an NPC who is happy that the building has only women inside, which he knows because he’s peeking through the window.

Why Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen’s Creepy Old Man is Staying

This was probably intended to be a joke in the original games, but it aged poorly within the community, to the point that Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu! and Eevee! changed the old man’s dialogue from “Heheh! This Gym is great! It’s full of women!” to “Hahaha! This gym is great! It has people inside!”, which shows that The Pokemon Company is aware of the creepy nature of the original NPC. Still, with no changes, it means that Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen‘s Celadon City will keep both their original charm and the original peeping old man.

Considering how far the franchise has come in terms of female representation, the old man in Celadon City sticks out like a sore thumb, and it would have been much better to outright remove him. The problem obviously comes from the fact that making changes like this would have opened a can of worms, and then fans would have been unhappy if more pressing gameplay changes were skipped. The games are so identical to the original that they even skip the online functionalities of modern releases, so you’ll be stuck with local co-op to complete Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen‘s Pokedex.