PSA: You Can’t Fully Beat Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen Because of Your Trainer Card

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Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen have been out on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 for nearly a month, and players are finding unique ways to challenge themselves against the Elite Four. Whether you’re trying to find shiny versions of the starter Pokémon (and maybe still stuck in Professor Oak’s lab – it happens!), playing through the game for the first time, or setting up a new challenge, completing 100% of these games can be surprisingly difficult. Believe it or not, one of the biggest obstacles might be your trainer card.

Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen have a number of difficult, hidden tasks. For example, you need to defeat the Elite Four over 200 times to collect all the plush toys in Lorelei’s house. Many of these challenges aren’t explained in the game itself, so players have discovered them through years of sharing theories and experiences since the game’s release in 2004. The trainer card can be customized, but unlocking all the options often requires playing with multiple people.

Say Goodbye to 100% Completion in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen

Even with two Nintendo Switch consoles to trade Pokémon, completing the Pokédex in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen is difficult due to version-exclusive Pokémon. This limitation extends beyond trading, as trainer cards can be customized with stars and stickers, which are earned through various accomplishments.

  • Trainer Card Stars in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen:
    • 1 star for defeating the Champion in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen the first time
    • 1 star for completing the Kanto Pokedex besides Mew (first 150 species registered)
    • 1 star for completing the National Dex in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen, which is currently impossible due to Pokemon Home limitations
    • 1 star for jumping 200 times in the Pokemon Jump mini-game and collecting 200 berries in the Dodrio Berry Picking mini-game
  • Trainer Card Stickers in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen:
    • 1 sticker for entering the Hall of Fame in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen
      • There are four levels of the sticker, requiring 1, 40, 100, and 200 completions to achieve
    • 1 sticker for hatching Pokemon eggs
      • There are four levels of the sticker, requiring 1 egg, 100 eggs, 200 eggs, and 300 eggs to achieve
    • 1 sticker for Link Battles
      • There are four levels of the sticker, requiring to win 1 Link Battle, 20, 50, and 100 to achieve

Who’s That Character? Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

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If you’ve played Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen, you’ll know it’s impossible to get 100% completion in the game. To fully complete the National Pokedex, you’d need to trade with games from the third generation, but Pokemon Home only lets you transfer Pokemon to it from these games, not back. Plus, some achievements require online play, which isn’t available in FireRed and LeafGreen, meaning you can only complete those locally with friends.

Why It’s Virtually Impossible to 100% Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen

To fully complete the Kanto Pokédex, you’d need to trade exclusive Pokémon with other players – and because of the starter Pokémon, you’d need three of them. Beyond that, several other tasks require multiple players: Pokémon Jump needs at least two, with 200 jumps required in one session, and Dodrio Berry Picking needs three players to collect 200 berries. Finally, getting the best sticker requires winning 100 Link Battles, meaning you and a friend would each need to play through 200 battles to get everything. It’s a huge undertaking, and since finishing the Pokédex in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen isn’t currently possible, completionists should probably wait until the Generation 3 games are released on Switch before attempting it.

Even if you finish Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen, there’s still more to do in the game right now. You can choose to ignore collecting all the stars and stickers for your trainer card if you want, and that’s perfectly okay given what the game asks of you.

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2026-03-23 03:07