There are so many tough decisions to make in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen. Heck, '90s kids have been dealing with one of the hardest choices of all time since Red and Green first dropped in Japan and Red and Blue dropped in Europe - picking the right starter Pokémon. Then there's the choice of which Pokémon you drop out of your team in favour of new ones, whether to evolve Pikachu or not... It's never-ending.
And then there's the choice of whether to get the Helix or Dome fossil once you get into Mt. Moon. Heck, we're not archaeologists or Kanto historians, how should we know?
If you've never played the original Pokémon before, then you definitely won't know, and if you played it back in the day, well, your mind is probably filled with bills and where you left your keys now you're in your 30s. Don't worry; if you're sitting there with your Nintendo Switch wondering what to do, then I've got a guide to help you out.
Kabuto vs Omanyte
Before I go any further, you probably want to know which fossil gives you which Pokémon so you can make your decision in Mt. Moon.
The Dome Fossil gives you Kabuto, who will eventually evolve into Kabutops, one of my favourite ever Pokémon. Kabuto is a Water and Rock-type Pokémon and will start off at Level 5 once it's been brought back to life, evolving into Kabutops at Level 40.
Kabuto has Scratch and Harden as its moves to start off with. It can learn Grass, Ground, Steel, Rock, Normal, and Water moves, as well as some Fighting, Psychic, Flying, & Poison TMS. Kabuto/Kabutops can also learn Rock Smash, Waterfall, and Surf.
The Helix Fossil gives you Omanyte, a prehistoric octopus-looking critter. Like Kabuto, it revives at Level 5 and evolves into Omastar at Level 40. It's also a Water and Rock-type and learns Dark, Water, Ground, and Normal moves natively. You can teach it Ice, Poison, Rock, Psychic, Water, & Normal TMS, and it can learn Surf, Rock Smash, Waterfall, and Dive HMs.
Now that you know which fossil has which Pokémon lurking inside it, let's figure out how to get them!
Choosing The Helix Or Dome Fossils In Mt Moon
Once you've made your way through Mt. Moon and beaten Super Nerd Miguel (I don't know what makes him a Super Nerd, but there it is), you'll get the chance to pick one of two fossils - the Dome or Helix Fossil. Beat Miguel, and he'll tell you that he will share his fossils with you.
All you really need to do at this point is pick one of the fossils using the information I've given you above. Remember:
- The Helix Fossil will give you Omanyte, which evolves into Omastar
- The Dome Fossil holds Kabuto, which evolves into Kabutops.
Make your choice, and Miguel will take the other. Your chosen Fossil will then go into your Bag until you need it. If you're playing on Nintendo Switch and not using cheats, then just forget about it for a while, as you won't be able to do anything with it until you get Surf. If you're using Fire Red or Leaf Green cheats on an Emulator or through the GBA with a Code Breaker, then you can always walk through walls (and over water) to the location you'll need to revive your fossil.
What Do I Do With The Helix/Dome Fossil?
I'm going to assume that you're playing on the Nintendo Switch version of the game, however, so let's do things properly.
Once you've got Surf, you're going to want to travel to Cinnabar Island. It's just south of Pallet Town, so you shouldn't have much trouble getting there.
Once you're there, you'll need to walk down to the lab and enter it. There are lots of 'weird doctors' (brainy people get a hard rap in this game), hanging about, but you'll want to enter the last room at the end of the corridor to the right. That's where you'll find the guy who can revive your fossil.
After a quick chat, he'll ask you for your fossil. Hand it over, and then wait a little while for him to work his magic. It doesn't take long; just have a mooch around the Poké Mart for a while and then come back. He'll have your Kabuto or Omanyte ready to take away and start training, depending on what fossil you give him!
And that's how you get Kabuto or Omanyte in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen! If you're playing through the game on the Switch and need some more advice, then check out our guide on how to get all of the Legendary Pokémon in both games!
