Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen hit the Nintendo Switch on February 27, 2026, as part of Pokemon’s 30th anniversary celebration. Whether you’re a veteran returning to Kanto or a new player experiencing these Game Boy Advance classics for the first time on modern hardware, these games play very differently from modern Pokemon titles. Here are 10 tips for Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen on Switch that will save you hours of frustration.
1. Pick Your Starter Wisely — It Defines Your Early Game
Your choice between Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle matters more here than in modern Pokemon games because the early game is less forgiving.
- Bulbasaur (Easy Mode): Super effective against the first two Gyms (Rock and Water). Has the smoothest early game by far. Recommended for first-time players.
- Squirtle (Medium): Beats the first Gym easily but needs team support for the second. Balanced pick with solid defensive stats.
- Charmander (Hard Mode): Weak against the first two Gyms. You’ll need to grind or catch support Pokemon early. Charizard is worth it late-game, but the road there is rough.
There’s no wrong choice long-term — all three fully evolved starters are excellent. But Bulbasaur gives you the biggest early advantage, and in these games, early momentum matters.
2. The Physical/Special Split Does NOT Exist
This is the biggest shock for players coming from modern Pokemon games. In FireRed and LeafGreen, whether a move is Physical or Special is determined entirely by its TYPE, not the move itself.
- Physical types: Normal, Fighting, Flying, Poison, Ground, Rock, Bug, Ghost, Steel
- Special types: Fire, Water, Grass, Electric, Psychic, Ice, Dragon, Dark
This means a Pokemon like Gyarados — which has massive Physical Attack — can’t effectively use Water moves because Water is a Special type. Meanwhile, Alakazam’s Psychic-type moves hit incredibly hard because they’re Special and Alakazam has huge Special Attack.
Build your team and movesets around this system. Don’t teach a Physical attacker Special-type moves, and vice versa.
3. TMs Are Single-Use — Don’t Waste Them
In modern Pokemon games, TMs are unlimited. In FireRed and LeafGreen, each TM can only be used once. If you teach Earthquake to the wrong Pokemon, that TM is gone forever.
Key TMs to save for the right Pokemon:
– TM26 Earthquake — Give to a strong Physical Ground-type like Rhydon or Nidoking
– TM24 Thunderbolt — Save for a Special attacker like Jolteon or Alakazam
– TM13 Ice Beam — Perfect for Lapras or Starmie
– TM29 Psychic — Alakazam or any Pokemon with high Special Attack
When you get a rare TM, save your game first, think about which Pokemon benefits most, and only then use it.
4. You NEED HM Slaves
Hidden Machines (HMs) are required to progress through the game. You need Cut, Fly, Surf, Strength, Flash, Rock Smash, and Waterfall at various points. Unlike modern games, these moves take up regular move slots, and you can’t delete them without visiting a specific NPC.
Don’t teach HMs to your main battlers. Instead, keep one or two “HM slaves” in your party — Pokemon that exist solely to use field moves.
Best HM Slaves in FireRed/LeafGreen:
– Farfetch’d — Can learn Cut and Fly. Available early via in-game trade in Vermilion City
– Golduck/Poliwrath — Can learn Surf, Strength, Rock Smash, Waterfall
– Sandshrew/Geodude — Can learn Cut, Strength, Rock Smash
Having a dedicated HM carrier means your battle team keeps four strong attacking or support moves.
5. Exp. Share Is a Held Item, Not a Party-Wide Effect
If you’re used to the modern Exp. Share that gives experience to your entire party, forget everything you know. In FireRed and LeafGreen, the Exp. Share is a held item. Only the Pokemon holding it receives shared experience, and it splits the XP 50/50 between the active battler and the holder.
You get the Exp. Share from Professor Oak’s aide on Route 15, but only after you’ve registered at least 50 Pokemon in your Pokedex. It’s worth the effort — the Exp. Share is essential for leveling up underleveled team members or freshly caught Pokemon.
6. Build a Balanced Team of 6
Gym Leaders and the Elite Four in these games don’t mess around. A balanced team covering multiple types is essential. Here’s a solid template:
- Starter (Fire/Water/Grass)
- Flying type (Pidgeot, Fearow, or Dodrio) — handles Fly HM + Fighting coverage
- Electric type (Jolteon, Pikachu/Raichu, Magneton) — handles Water types
- Psychic type (Alakazam, Mr. Mime, Hypno) — Psychic types are absurdly strong in Gen 1 mechanics
- Ground/Rock type (Rhydon, Golem, Nidoking) — handles Electric immunity + Earthquake
- Water type (Lapras, Starmie, Gyarados) — if you didn’t pick Squirtle, you still need Surf coverage
Psychic types are essentially broken in these games. There are very few viable counters (Bug and Ghost types are terrible in Gen 1), making Alakazam one of the most overpowered Pokemon in the game.
7. Save Before Every Major Battle
There’s no auto-save in FireRed and LeafGreen. If you lose to a Gym Leader, Rival, or wild Legendary Pokemon, you’re sent back to the last Pokemon Center and lose half your money. Always manual save before:
- Gym Leader fights
- Rival battles
- Legendary encounters (Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Mewtwo)
- The Elite Four (it’s a gauntlet — 5 battles in a row with no checkpoints)
This is especially important before Legendary encounters. You only get one shot at catching each one, and if you KO it or run out of Poke Balls, it’s gone unless you reset.
8. Stock Up on Items Before Major Milestones
The Poke Mart sells different items based on how many Gym Badges you have. Before tackling the Elite Four, stock up on:
- Full Restores — 20+, they’re expensive but essential
- Revives — 15+, the Elite Four will knock out your Pokemon
- Ultra Balls — For post-game Legendary catches
- Repels — Max Repels for cave exploration (saves so much time)
Money isn’t hard to get if you fight every Trainer on every route. Use the Amulet Coin (doubles prize money) held item during Trainer battles to build your funds.
9. The Switch Version Has Local Wireless Trading
The original GBA games required link cables for trading and battling. The Switch version replaces this with local wireless connectivity, meaning you can trade and battle with nearby Switch players without any cables. This is crucial for evolving trade-evolution Pokemon like:
- Machoke → Machamp
- Haunter → Gengar
- Kadabra → Alakazam
- Graveler → Golem
If you don’t have a friend nearby with the game, you’ll miss out on some of the strongest final evolutions. Plan your team accordingly, or check online communities for local meetups.
If you’re planning to play on Nintendo Switch 2, the game is backward-compatible and runs identically.
10. The Post-Game Is Massive — Don’t Rush
After beating the Elite Four, FireRed and LeafGreen unlock the Sevii Islands — an entire post-game archipelago with new areas, Pokemon, and storylines. This is where you’ll:
- Catch Pokemon from the Johto region (Gold/Silver)
- Find the Ruby and Sapphire stones to enable trading with Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald
- Battle significantly tougher Trainers
- Access breeding at the Day Care on Four Island
Don’t rush through the main story just to “finish” the game. The post-game content adds 20+ hours of gameplay, and some of the best Pokemon are only available in the Sevii Islands.
Bonus Tip: Save Frequently on Switch
While the Switch does support suspend mode (closing the game and reopening it), the game itself has no auto-save feature. If your Switch loses power or the game crashes, you’ll lose everything since your last manual save. Get in the habit of saving every time you enter a new route, catch a new Pokemon, or finish a battle you don’t want to repeat.
For players setting up their Switch for the first time, check out our Switch 2 setup guide for tips on getting the most out of your console.
Final Thoughts
Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen are incredible games, but they’re products of a different era. The lack of modern conveniences like the Exp. Share party feature, infinite TMs, and the Physical/Special split means you need to plan more carefully. Embrace the old-school mechanics, build a balanced team, save often, and don’t waste your TMs. Kanto is waiting — and it’s just as good as you remember.
