Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen Version Exclusives Make Which Version to Buy an Obvious Choice

22 years after they were first released on the Game Boy Advance, Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen are making a comeback on the Nintendo Switch, but Pokemon fans may be unsure about which version they should buy. Like all mainline Pokemon games, Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen feature version exclusives that you can only catch in their game, meaning completing the Pokedex will require some serious trading.

Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen are coming to the Nintendo Switch on February 27 at $20 a pop instead of being added as part of the Nintendo Switch Online service like other Game Boy Advance games. This has caused some controversy, but there are still many Pokemon fans out there willing to at least drop $20 on one of the games. When it comes to picking FireRed or LeafGreen, it may boil down to whatever one you played back in the day, but for others, they will want to make the choice based on the version exclusives.

Pokemon Fans May Want to Prepare Their Wallets for February 27

Pokemon Day 2026 is fast approaching, and recent leaks and rumors suggest that fans may want to be prepared to drop some cash on shadow-dropped games.

It’s mostly a matter of taste, but as far as exclusive Pokemon go, Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen are pretty even. However, I do think that if you are someone that wants to get the most bang for their buck, strictly going by version exclusives, Pokemon LeafGreen is ultimately the way to go, especially if the other Game Boy Advance Pokemon games are eventually released for the Nintendo Switch. Before we get into that, though, there’s the simple fact that Pokemon LeafGreen has 23 version exclusives while Pokemon FireRed has 22, so LeafGreen technically gets you more exclusive Pokemon. That alone will be enough to tip the scales for some Pokemon fans.

Pokemon FireRed Exclusives

Ekans
Arbok
Oddish
Gloom
Vileplume
Psyduck
Golduck
Growlithe
Arcanine
Shellder
Cloyster
Scyther
Electabuzz
Bellossom
Wooper
Quagsire
Murkrow
Qwilfish
Scizor
Delibird
Skarmory
Elekid

Pokemon LeafGreen Exclusives

Sandshrew
Sandslash
Vulpix
Ninetales
Bellsprout
Weepinbell
Victreebel
Slowpoke
Slowbro
Staryu
Starmie
Magmar
Pinsir
Marill
Azumarill
Slowking
Misdreavus
Sneasel
Remoraid
Octillery
Mantine
Magby
Azurill

But the big reason why Pokemon LeafGreen is the obvious choice is the fact that it features Slowpoke and its evolutions. Pokemon LeafGreen is the only Generation 3 Pokemon game that lets you catch Slowpoke, meaning that if Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire or Pokemon Emerald ever get re-released on the Switch, LeafGreen will be necessary to fully complete the Pokedex to that point. This gives Pokemon LeafGreen the slight edge over FireRed, though admittedly it depends on whether other GBA Pokemon games come to Switch. However, if Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen are big hits on the platform, one has to imagine that the other GBA Pokemon games will come eventually. It’s really just a matter of time.

As far as coolness-factor goes, I do think Pokemon FireRed has a slightly better lineup than LeafGreen. Growlithe, Arcanine, Scyther, and Electabuzz are fan-favorites for a reason, though LeafGreen does have Sandshrew, Sandslash, Vulpix, and Ninetales. Ultimately, you should go with whatever Pokemon game has the version exclusives that you like more, but in terms of practicality, LeafGreen is the recommendation.

Future Pokemon Games Will Almost Certainly Have Version Exclusives As Well

It’s generally assumed that the Generation 10 Pokemon games are going to be revealed come February 27 on Pokemon Day. According to the leaks, the Gen 10 Pokemon games are called Pokemon Wind and Wave, and they will most likely have version exclusives as well. What those version exclusives are remains to be seen, but maybe we will get a better idea once the games are properly unveiled.

The more likely scenario is that Pokemon Wind and Wave will keep details like that secret until closer to launch. If the rumors are to be believed, the Gen 10 Pokemon games aren’t releasing until much later this year, so fans should be getting new info on the games throughout 2026.