The world has gone mad for FireRed and LeafGreen once again thanks to Nintendo releasing both games on Switch today. They're two of the best Pokémon games ever released and two of the most coveted GBA cartridges to boot, making them somewhat of a legendary entity for both Game Boy and Pokémon fans alike.
It's prompted us to take an in-depth look back at these exciting games, documenting the different exclusive Pokémon for each version and how to get everyone's favourite electric mouse in the game. Now, I want to take a look at how you can get hold of the Legendary Pokémon in both games, including some speculation as to whether Nintendo will hold new game events to let us catch some of the more mysterious critters.
I've also included some Code Breaker cheats in here too if you're planning on revisiting the games on GBA or through your chosen emulator. But, if like me, you're excited to get stuck into Pokémon FireRed very soon on the Switch 2, then let's kick off by discovering how you can get your hands on Kanto's Legendary Bird Pokémon!
Articuno
- Location: Seafoam Islands
- Level: 50
- Type: Ice/Flying
- HMs Needed: Strength, Surf
Getting Articuno takes a little bit of brainwork. You'll need to head for Seafoam Islands using Surf, going South and then West from Fuschia City, or East from Cinnibar Island along Route 20.
You'll also need Strength to move the rocks needed to get through the puzzle to approach Articuno. You can head here after you've beaten Koga in Fuschia City's Gym.
Zapdos
- Location: Power Plant
- Level: 50
- Type: Electric/Flying
- HMs Needed: Surf
Zapdos is the easiest of Kanto's legendary birds to catch, considering all you need to do is locate and navigate your way through the Power Plant.
To get there, all you need to do is locate the river near the Pokémon Center on Route 10 and surf down it towards the South. Follow the river West until you come to the shore where the entrance to the Power Plant is. Simple!
Moltres
- Location: Mt. Ember
- Level: 50
- Type: Fire/Flying
- HMs Needed: Surf, Strength, Rock Smash
I know what you're thinking - you got Moltres near the end of Victory Road in Pokémon Red and Blue, right? Well, in FireRed and LeafGreen, Moltres is chilling out on Mt. Ember on One Island.
You'll need to have defeated Blaine on Cinnabar Island and spoken to Bill to kick off the Sevii Islands part of the game. It's here on One Island that you'll find Moltres, hiding once again behind a boulder puzzle.
Mewtwo
- Location: Cerulean Cave
- Level: 70
- Type: Psychic
- HMs Needed: Surf
FireRed and LeafGreen throw a few extra tasks into getting Mewtwo than what you might remember from the Pokémon Red & Blue days. It's not just a case of beating the Elite Four anymore and Cerulean Cave opening. You'll need to speak with Celio on One Island after starting the Sevii Islands part of the game and hand him the Sapphire acquired by following the post-game quest.
You'll need to work your way from One Island to Six Island in search of the Sapphire, then follow those pests at Team Rocket back to Five Island to retrieve it. Once it's in Celio's hands, Cerulean Cave will open.
You'll need, Surf, Strength, and Rock Smash to get through the Cerulean Cave maze. As I've said already, make sure you save before you fight Mewtwo because this isn't an easy battle!
Mew
- Location: Unknown
- Level: Unknown
- Type: Unknown
- HMs Needed: Unknown
I know that's not a lot to go off, but hear me out. Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen have stated that there are 151 Kanto Pokémon to catch, which would insinuate that Mew is available to catch somewhere in the game, too. Mew was originally only available as part of an event back in 2006, which means that Nintendo might do some kind of event as part of the Pokémon 30th Anniversary celebrations. They might also add in other Gen 3 Pokémon games like Emerald, and allow local trading between FireRed and LeafGreen at a later date, too.
If you're playing FireRed or LeafGreen on an emulator like Delta, then you can make Mew appear by using the CodeBreaker code:
000014D1 000A
1003DAE6 0007
83007CEE 0097
Suicine, Entei, and Raikou
- Location: Kanto
- Level: 50
- Type: Electric/Fire/Water
- HMs Needed: N/A
Who let the dogs out? Well, it'll be you once you've completed the Sevii Islands section of the game. I say 'dogs' - there will only be one of the legendary dogs available to catch, depending on which starter you picked.
- Picking Charmander means you'll get Suicine
- Squirtle means you'll get Raikou
- And Bulbasaur means you'll get Entei.
Essentially, the legendary dog with the type advantage over your trusty starter, probably now Charizard, Blastoise, or Venusaur, will appear.
To make them appear, you'll need to have finished the Sevii Islands post-game quest, and then you'll just need a lot of patience as they literally appear randomly at any time throughout the entire map.
Using Repels and having a Pokémon at Level 49 in the top spot of your party has given some people success, though the main thing you'll need to think about is having a Pokémon that can stop the dogs from leaving the battle on the first turn with a move like Block.
There is a glitch in the original FireRed and LeafGreen where Entei and Raikou can use Roar and just disappear completely, never to be seen again, not reappearing after a while as you continue your search, like in Pokémon Gold. I don't know whether this will have been removed in the Nintendo Switch version or not, but honestly, it might be worth just keeping your Master Ball for your chosen Legendary Dog Pokémon and trying to get Mewtwo with a ton of Ultra Balls instead.
They're so slippery and such a pain to catch that if you want them, the Master Ball would be your best bet.
Lugia & Ho-Oh
- Location: Navel Rock
- Level: 70
- Type: Psychic/Flying, & Fire/Flying
- HMs Needed: Surf
In the original FireRed and LeafGreen games, both Lugia & Ho-Oh were available from Navel Rock, the eighth Island in the Sevii Island post-game sequence.
The main problem is that, like Mew, the main way of getting to Navel Rock came from a Pokémon game event. Players could get a MysticTicket and head to Navel Rock to pick up both Pokémon, but it's unknown at this time whether Nintendo are going to include MysticTickets in the game or not.
If you're reading this now and are playing FireRed or LeafGreen on the GBA or Delta, then you can always pick them up using Code Breaker cheat codes.
Lugia:
000014D1 000A
1003DAE6 0007
83007CEE 00F9
Ho-Oh:
000014D1 000A
1003DAE6 0007
83007CEE 00FA
Deoxys
Again, if Deoxys is going to be available on Switch, then it'll mean Nintendo providing the Aurora Ticket in-game or giving us some sort of event where it becomes available.
If the Aurora Ticket does become available, then Deoxys will be found on Birth Island. It will take on its Attack Forme for FireRed users and its Defense Forme for LeafGreen players.
The Code Breaker code for Deoxys is below, but just be aware that it won't obey you:
000014D1 000A
1003DAE6 0007
83007CEE 019A
Rayquaza
Rayquaza isn't going to turn up in FireRed or LeafGreen on the Switch, but if you do want to pick it up on the GBA, you can either find someone to trade with you or input a cheat. Cheating works on Delta or other emulators too -
000014D1 000A
1003DAE6 0007
83007CEE 0196
