These 2 Pokemon Are The Secret FireRed and LeafGreen 'Version Exclusives' No One Talks About

Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen on Switch have been and will keep on being an interesting experience for all kinds of fans, as they are very different from modern titles with their Physical and Special split for types, and they are 1:1 ports of the originals for all intents and purposes. What this means is that not only can you expect the same highs and lows in the Switch version as opposed to the Game Boy Advance originals, but you can also encounter most of the same glitches and weird differences between Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen. Among them is the fact that two species of Pokemon are basically version exclusives, and that’s a big deal.

Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen have been dominating the charts of the Nintendo eShop since they were announced and made available as pre-orders on the Switch and Switch 2, with FireRed leading the charge. Given Charizard’s popularity, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Pokemon FireRed is outselling LeafGreen, but it also makes sense in terms of version exclusives. The version exclusives in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen include Growlithe and Arcanine for the former, which are considerably better than the latter’s Vulpix and Ninetales due to Intimidate and better stats. Similarly, two critters can be found in both games, but one version is much better than the other.

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 Has Already Beaten LeafGreen

While Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen are both doing well, the former’s larger sales success is no surprise when considering that some of its version-exclusive critters are more popular overall, or they’re better for teambuilding purposes. The differences encompass another species of Pokemon that is crucial to the best team in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen: the Nidoran line.

Nidoran is the only Pokemon in the series with the male and female symbols as part of its name, as these two distinct critters evolve into different species. Nidoran male evolves into Nidorino and then Nidoking, whereas Nidoran female evolves into Nidorina and then Nidoqueen. Given Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen‘s Physical and Special split, as well as their stats and the type of moves that Nidoking and Nidoqueen can learn, Nidoking is often considered one of the single best Pokemon to have on every team for the Kanto remakes.

Yet, to get Nidoran in FireRed and LeafGreen early, you need to find it on Route 3, after Brock. And this is where the difference comes into play, as Pokemon FireRed has Nidoran male as a 14% chance spawn and Nidoran female as a 1% chance spawn, whereas LeafGreen has the numbers inverted.

Making Nidoran male a 1% spawn in Route 3 can be excruciatingly painful for Pokemon LeafGreen players, as it can take a long time to find one. For example, it took me well over 100 encounters, despite statistics suggesting I should have found one sooner. Not only that, but if you want one with a specific Nature to train for your team, it can take a disgusting amount of time that I would never recommend you to spend on this specific grind. Likewise, if you want a shiny Nidoran male in LeafGreen, it can be one of the longest grinds in the game because you have to hit the 1% encounter, and then the 1/8,192 chance for it to be shiny.

This distinction carries over in the Safari Zone, where Nidorino and Nidorina are wild encounters exclusive to FireRed and LeafGreen, respectively.

Why Nidoking is OP in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen

Despite the Physical and Special split, Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen‘s Thunderbolt TM can be fantastic on Nidoking, and the same goes for Surf or even FireBlast.
Nidoking is arguably the best user for the Earthquake TM, which you get after Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen‘s Giovanni Gym battle.
Nidoking can be obtained as early as the middle of Mount Moon after getting a Moon Stone and evolving Nidoran male into Nidorino at level 16, meaning this Pokemon can carry you through most Gyms and Elite Four in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen after Misty.
You can teach Nidoking Rock Slide very early, and it learns Megahorn at level 43, becoming a massive carry against several trainers.