Pokemon LeafGreen Player Beats the Elite Four Using Only Version Exclusives

This article was updated by Andrea Trama on April 29, 2026, with a list of FireRed exclusives and ways to get the Pokemon used in this article. It was first published on April 21.

A Pokemon LeafGreen trainer defeated the Elite Four and the Champion using a team consisting of only version-exclusive Pokemon that can be found throughout the game. The Pokemon LeafGreen player shared proof of their victory, and stated that one member of their version-exclusive squad stood out above the rest.

The version-exclusive challenge is just one of several self-imposed challenges that Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen players have undertaken throughout 2026. Since the February 2026 relaunch of Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen on Nintendo Switch consoles, several Pokemon trainers have taken it upon themselves to become the Kanto Pokemon League Champion by using unconventional strategies or restrictions to add some difficulty to the games. One such challenge asks Pokemon trainers to beat Kanto’s Elite Four without catching any wild Pokemon, relying instead on their starter and some Pokemon obtained from NPCs throughout Kanto.

Pokemon LeafGreen Player Uses Version-Exclusive Roster To Beat The Game

Although Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen players have long used their chosen starter to claim victory, one trainer chose six other Pokemon to become the Pokemon League Champion. On the Pokemon LeafGreen subreddit, a Redditor named ImSoRad87 shared a screenshot from Pokemon LeafGreen of their Hall of Fame team, which consisted entirely of six version-exclusive Pokemon that are not available in Pokemon FireRed without trading. ImSoRad87’s team consisted of Slowbro, Starmie, Sandslash, Victreebel, Pinsir, and Ninetales. ImSoRad87 stated their challenge had no other clauses to abide by, other than benching other team members, including their starter Pokemon. Although ImSoRad stated that it was “a bit too much of a grind,” they said that they had fun with their challenge.

There are 24 Pokemon that are exclusive to Pokemon LeafGreen, compared to the 23 exclusive critters in Pokemon FireRed. Though the version-exclusive options of Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen can influence which version of the remakes to play, most of the games’ best Pokemon can be caught in either version. Although ImSoRad87 had a full team of Pokemon LeafGreen‘s exclusive critters to pick from, they stated that one member of the team stood out above the rest.

List of Version-Exclusive Pokemon in Pokemon LeafGreen (Listed in National Pokedex Order)

• Sandshrew
• Sandslash
• Vulpix
• Ninetales
• Bellsprout
• Weepinbell
• Victreebel
• Slowpoke
• Slowbro
• Staryu
• Starmie
• Magmar
• Pinsir
• Marill
• Azumarill
• Slowking
• Misdreavus
• Sneasel
• Remoraid
• Octillery
• Mantine
• Magby
• Azurill
• Deoxys (Defense Forme)

In short, Starmie was the MVP of ImSoRad87’s Pokemon LeafGreen squad. As a Water and Psychic dual-type Pokemon with high speed and decent special attack power, Starmie can use attacks like Psychic, Ice Beam, Thunderbolt, and Surf to defeat most of Pokemon LeafGreen‘s final challenges with ease. ImSoRad87 stated that their Starmie swept through all but one part of the Elite Four slate, with their Pinsir taking down Lorelei’s Jynx instead. Considering that Starmie is a top-tier Pokemon to utilize in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen, using it to defeat Kanto’s Elite Four is a strategy for players to consider.

In response to ImSoRad87’s post, some Pokemon trainers complimented them for undertaking an interesting Pokemon LeafGreen challenge. As more Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen players take on various challenges to show the different ways both games can be beaten, it remains to be seen what challenges The Pokemon Company has planned for the next generation of Pokemon games.

Systems

Released

September 7, 2004

ESRB

Everyone 10+ / Mild Fantasy Violence, Simulated Gambling

Multiplayer

Local Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer

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