Pokemon FireRed Version Gotta Catch Em All Achievement Guide - RetroAchievements/guides GitHub Wiki

Pokémon FireRed Version - Gotta Catch 'Em All Achievement Guide

Box art for Pokémon FireRed Version

            Achievement image shows Professor Oak in a red frameGuide written by bdjeffyp

Version History

  • v1.1.0 (10/12/2024): In order to emphasize how important it is to NOT trade with other games, I split up the Introduction section into more unique sections and titled the original discussion about not trading into "Important Introduction". I also added a FAQ section with one question and answer, but it is the most commonly asked question about this achievement. Huge thanks to NewfieCatgirl for the ideas on how best to articulate the importance of NOT trading!
  • v1.0.1 (08/24/2024): QoL patch link updated. Thanks for fixing that, SuperGamer18!
  • v1.0.0 (04/04/2024): Initial release.

About

This is a checklist for the Gotta Catch 'Em All! - FireRed achievement. It allows the reader to mark off which Pokémon have been recorded in the Pokédex while providing pointers on how to potentially best acquire said Pokémon.

Important Introduction

The Gotta Catch 'Em All! - FireRed achievement requires the player to obtain every single Pokémon that is accessible to the game without trading across cartridges. This means that Pokémon can only be caught, evolved, or obtained via in-game events (NPC trades, Game Center, etc).

You are NOT trying to complete a Pokédex! I can't emphasize this enough. Understandably, a LOT of the questions asked about this achievement center around being able to complete it without trading, probably because the name of the achievement is "Gotta Catch 'Em All". The tagline is more than likely synonymous in people's minds with the Pokédex completion, hence the confusion around not trading with other Gen 3 games.

Attempting to bring in Pokémon from other Gen 3 Pokémon games via trades will result in invalidating this achievement.

The achievement is missable for a variety of reasons so the goal of this guide is to avoid missing the achievement while providing a way to track progress.

About

In order to centralize information about Pokémon locations and the best way to obtain them, I made this guide. Pokémon FireRed Version has 170 Pokémon to register in the Pokédex to obtain this achievement. As you progress in the game (or perhaps as you search for that remaining Pokémon to finish the set!), use the checklist below to mark what you have found and get direction on how to obtain the Pokémon you need!

The primary source of data is Serebii.net. I also used Bulbapedia as a backup reference as well as the game itself as I worked on this achievement.

Quality of Life Patch

I recommend use of the Quality of Life Enhancement Patch that is authorized for use with this achievement set. This will be very useful for the evolution of some Pokémon that need specific stats since this patch reveals letter grades for stat growth potential of each Pokémon on the Summary screen.

Checklist

The Notes section of the checklist identifies what may be the best way to efficiently find the particular Pokémon. However, your mileage may vary and I may not have noted something that may be easier. If you know of a better method, let me know and I will update the checklist!

Gotta Catch 'Em All Checklist

To use the checklist, click on the link above. Open the File menu and choose "Make a copy". Name your copy of the checklist whatever you'd like and press the "Make a copy" button. Now you can mark off the Pokémon you have caught in the checklist and it will save automatically as you go.

NOTE: Any requests to edit the spreadsheet will be ignored. You MUST make a personal copy of the spreadsheet in order to use the checklist. If you have an issue or found an error with the checklist itself, please let me know via RetroAchievements' DM feature.

Happy hunting!

FAQ

Q: How am I supposed to get the other two starters or evolve an Alakazam if I can't trade outside of the game?

  • The achievement doesn't require you to complete the Pokédex or have every single Pokémon at once, including trade evolutions like Alakazam or the starters that you didn't pick. Simply concentrate on Pokémon that you can catch within the game, evolve by levels or other requirements discussed below, and track what you registered in the checklist and you will have this achievement fair and square!

Evolution Items

It is important to keep in mind that some evolution items are limited and require thoughtful use to prevent locking the achievement due to running out of items.

  • Moon Stone
    • There are only five of them found in the game: Rocket Hideout, Pokémon Mansion, Joyful Game Corner (from Lostelle's father), and two in Mt. Moon
    • Only four Pokémon need one to evolve: Nidoking, Nidoqueen, Clefable, and Wigglytuff
    • There is very low chance (5%) of finding Clefairy holding a Moon Stone when caught. This is not ideal though as the grind to get an extra Moon Stone could be quite lengthy.
  • Sun Stone
    • There is only one, which is located in Ruin Valley (found in a Pokéball requiring Strength to access)
    • Thankfully, there is only one Pokémon that can use it that is accessible without trading: Gloom!
  • King's Rock
    • One is found in Sevault Canyon. More can be obtained via winning Mixed Battles in the Trainer Tower.
    • Only one is needed for FireRed Version to evolve a Politoed, since Slowpoke/Slowbro are not accessible.
  • Soothe Bell
    • Helps expedite friendship evolutions, such as Crobat and Chansey
    • Find it on the top floor of the Pokémon Tower by using ItemFinder where Mr. Fuji stood
  • Lax Incense
    • While functional in battle, it provides a unique function for breeding Wynaut by giving this item to Wobbuffet.
    • There is only one of this item, found at Lost Cave, so don't throw it away or you become locked out of the achievement.

Fighting Dojo Pokémon Evolution

You can only obtain one of the three Tyrogue evolutions (specifically Hitmonlee or Hitmonchan) via completing the Fighting Dojo battles. The other two (one of the two from the dojo plus Hitmontop) must be carefully evolved from Tyrogue.

The problem with this is that evolution is based on the Attack and Defense stats when Tyrogue hits level 20:

  • Hitmonlee: Attack stat is greater than Defense stat.
  • Hitmonchan: Attack stat is less than Defense stat.
  • Hitmontop: Attack and Defense stats are equal.

To get the two remaining Pokémon, you will need at least two Tyrogues. I say "at least two" because if a mistake happens with the stats, you'll need backups.

To get Tyrogue, you need to get an egg from the Four Island Day Care using your Ditto and FIghting Dojo Pokémon of choice. Eggs can take a while to appear, requiring walking in a location away from the Day Care. Once you have the egg, walk to hatch it. It takes a considerable amount of steps to hatch Tyrogues, even with a Slugma in your party. Pick a spot to pace that is comfortable for you. I used Fast Forward and paced up and down Route 5 to do this. After walking a while, I would go back to the Day Care to pick up another egg and continuing to walk both eggs at the same time. By the time the first egg hatches, another egg should be ready at the Day Care. Repeat until you have the number of Tyrogues you want.

When a Tyrogue hatches, check the Summary page to see the stats. If Attack and Defense are different, this Tyrogue would be ideally suited to become a Hitmonlee or Hitmonchan. If you have the Quality of Life Enhancement patch, you can even have a better idea of how different the stats will be as the Tyrogue levels up toward level 20. This isn't hard and fast though, as you can also use Protein and Iron items (purchased at Celadon Store and found throughout the game) to punch up specific stats as desired.

The problem lies with Hitmontop. Evolution will be based on the state of the stats at the time of leveling up to Level 20. The easiest way to do this is to save the game just prior to your Tyrogue reaching level 20. Then:

  • Note the stats (and growth potential with the QoL patch).
  • Adjust the stats using Protein and Iron so that Attack and Defense become even once it levels up.
  • Get into battle and level up. If the Attack and Defense stats don't match, note how much the stats increased on the level up. Reload the save and use Protein or Iron to increase the opposite stat enough so that the level up will cause the stats to match.
    • For example: Tyrogue is level 19 with Attack and Defense both at 19. It seems like this will become a Hitmontop at the next level. After the next battle, Tyrogue gains +1 in Attack and +0 in Defense for a result of 20/19, so the stats are not matched. Reset the game and give the Tyrogue Iron to increase the Defense stat by 1. Next battle should have the same result on level up, and so now Attack and Defense are both 20/20 and evolution to Hitmontop will occur.
    • Note: There is a lot more nuance to stat growth, such as the IVs of the Tyrogue (which can be seen in the QoL patch) and EVs earned from fighting different Pokémon. EVs in particular can affect the stat growth from level 19 to 20. Fighting the same Pokémon for the level up should keep things consistent. All of this being said, your mileage may vary from the example above. Make use of the tools at your disposal to eventually get the Hitmontop. That is what the extra Tyrogues are for. 😅

The Legendary Beasts

One of the three Legendary Beasts will begin to appear as a random encounter anywhere in the Kanto region (meaning they don't appear in Sevii Islands) grass tiles. The beast that appears is based on the starter chosen with a type advantage. For example: choosing Squirtle as a starter means that Raikou will appear as your legendary beast.

Since Kanto is very large, running into your legendary beast is very slim as they move around the map with every single map change! Additionally, the beasts like to run away! Fortunately, damage to the legendary Pokémon is retained across battles so you can reduce their health over time until they are catchable... or you can just throw a Master Ball at them.

Using a Master Ball is definitely ideal for this encounter as traditionally catching one of the legendary beasts is a huge time commitment and needs a lot of luck. We can also manipulate the game's mechanics to ensure that we encounter these beasts:

  • Have a Pokémon between level 40-49 at the front of the party
  • Have a bunch of Max Repels on hand (20 should be enough)
  • Go to Route 2, to the grass area just south of the gate to Viridian Forest
  • Save your game!
  • Use your Repels and walk in the grass for about 10 seconds.
  • If you don't have an encounter, go into the Viridian Forest gate and right back into the grass and repeat the walk for 10 seconds.
  • Continue this loop until the legendary dog appears! Throw a Master Ball and win!
  • If you didn't encounter one and ran out of your Repels, load your save and try again.
  • DANGER: If Entei or Raikou use Roar, they are gone forever due to a bug. This is the other reason why it is ideal to use a Master Ball for this capture. If Roar is used, reload your save. This is also one of the biggest reasons why Gotta Catch 'Em All - FireRed (and why The Legendary Beasts) is missable.