Pokemon Radical Red Guide - Pok Universe (2024)

In the late 1990s, a bunch of developers made a game that they thought would be fun for children all over the world. They made cute creatures that kids would get attracted to while also making cool-looking beasts. However, they probably did not anticipate their game to be a competitive one.

Some players say that the Pokémon games are becoming easier, especially the newer ones. Many fans out there want a challenge in Pokémon, and if you are one of those people, you can indulge yourself in Pokémon Radical Red, a Pokémon ROM hack of Fire Red.

Released to the public in 2020 by soupercell, it is a hack for the hardcore fans out there who want a difficult experience. As a child, I played through Pokémon Emerald and breezed through with my starter Pokémon. However, in Radical Red, you need to put some thought into your team.

Do you have plans to get into playing Radical Red? Are you playing it already and are stuck in a certain area, unsure of what to do next? This guide is for you. I have included the most straightforward way to beat the game, as well as some useful insight for strategies against enemies.

Story Synopsis

Pokémon Radical Red’s story is incredibly similar to its original game (Fire Red), albeit with some minor changes. I think it is simply an enhanced version of Fire Red with tons of additions and customization, but the story remains unaffected.

You still start in Pallet Town, where Prof. Oak gives you a starter Pokémon together with his grandson, i.e., your rival. He sets the both of you off on a mission to complete the Pokédex, a device that records information about the different Pokémon out there.

You are also determined to be the very best Pokémon trainer out there, so you defeat some Pokémon gyms to gather badges. Badges are proof of your skill, and the more badges you have, the higher your credentials as a Pokémon trainer are.

Along your journey, you will encounter an evil organization known as Team Rocket. Their boss, Giovanni, is an ambitious person; he wants to capture the legendary Pokémon Mewtwo. It is your duty to stop the heinous activities of the organization as they meddle with the lives in the cities.

After you thwart Team Rocket and gather eight badges, you go to the Indigo Plateau to prove your skill and earn a title. You will also meet a few friends along the way in Radical Red, such as Brandon and May, who are Pokémon trainers in the Hoenn Region.

Key Features

• It has the Physical and Special split for attack moves.
• It applies the Fairy type similar to Generations VI and above.
• It contains Pokémon from Generation I to VIII, including the Pokémon from the Hisui Region.
• It contains the Mega Evolution system and adds new and original ones, e.g., Mega Centiskorch.
• It has lots of customization options, including difficulty settings, starter Pokémon generation, and more.
• It retains a storyline similar to Pokémon Fire Red, so experienced players will not have a hard time familiarizing the game’s flow.
• It has reusable TMs.
• It removes the standard HM system; you can directly use HMs without the need to teach them to your Pokémon.
• It has hidden abilities.
• It has Day and Night Cycles.
• It contains new systems such as the Skills Menu.

The Guide to Pokémon Radical Red

Picking a Starter in Radical Red

After choosing a name for yourself and your rival, the game asks you if you want to play without any custom options. Choosing no will take you to a menu of customizable options, namely difficulty options, minimal grinding mode, and randomizer options. Choosing yes will let you play on the default settings.

If you want to customize your experience, like making the game harder or easier, choose no. I picked the default experience for this guide. Once you are done, go downstairs. Your mom will ask you if you have a preference on which region your starter will be.

Choosing yes will give you a selection of regions from Johto to Galar. Meanwhile, choosing no will provide you with starters from the Kanto region, i.e., Gen I starters. I chose to select from the Sinnoh starters because I want to pick up one of my favorite Water-type starters, Piplup.

Go outside and head north to the forest; Prof. Oak will stop you and lead you to the gym. After a discussion with your rival, you can pick your starter from the table. Your rival will pick a starter that is super effective against yours. Then, you need to defeat your rival’s Pokémon.

Pewter Gym Leader Brock in Radical Red

Head north and make your way to Route 1 to reach Viridian City. Go to the Poké Mart to receive Oak’s Parcel, then return to Pallet Town. Talk to Prof. Oak to receive the Pokédex and Poké Balls. Go to the house next to yours and talk to the girl; she will give you the Town Map.

Head back to Viridian City and continue heading north until you reach Route 2. There, Prof. Oak’s aid will give you the Dex Nav. Continue north until you reach Viridian Forest. Follow the path, and you will meet Brendan; he will fight you with his Treeko and Corphish.

After defeating him, he will give you the EXP Share and Stat Scanner. Another trainer near the exit to Pewter City will give you the Infinite Repel. Upon reaching Pewter City, head north and go inside the museum.

Go upstairs and talk to the purple-haired man; he is Falkner from Johto, and he will fight you. He will fight you with:

• Lv. 13 Rufflet
• Lv. 14 Corvisquire
• Lv. 13 Emolga

Rock or Ice-type moves will be great. After defeating him, visit the Pewter Gym to face Brock. He has the following Pokémon along with their, items, abilities, and moves:

Water-type moves work great against them, but be careful because Alolan Geodude has an Electric-type move. Ground-type moves would also work for everyone except for Archen. After you defeat him, you get the Boulder Badge.

Cerulean Gym Leader Misty in Radical Red

Head east to Route 3, and someone will give you the Dynamax Band. Continue going through Route 3 until you reach Mt. Moon. Reach the last ladder going down and defeat the Team Rocket Grunts on your way. You will eventually stumble upon a nerd who found some fossils.

After you defeat him, you can choose between the Dome or Helix Fossils; the nerd will take the other. Continue down the stairs, and Rocket Admin Archer will interrupt and fight you. He has:

• Lv. 18 Impidimp
• Lv. 19 Houndour
• Lv. 21 Mightyena

After defeating him, take the ladder going up to reach Route 4. Head east until you reach Cerulean City. Go inside the Cerulean Gym to fight Misty, the Water-type expert. She has:

Electric-type moves are great to use. Be careful with using Grass-type Pokémon because everyone in her team has an Ice-type move. After defeating her, you will get the Cascade Badge. Get out and head north to Route 24 to meet your rival; he will initiate a Pokémon battle with you.

S.S. Anne in Radical Red

He has:

• Lv. 18 Kirlia
• Lv. 19 Staravia
• Lv. 20 Rockruff
• Lv. 21 Ivysaur

After defeating him, he will give you the Poké Rider. Cross the bridge while fighting against the NPCs guarding it. At the end of the bridge is a Team Rocket Grunt who will entice you to join them.

Defeat him and continue your way to Route 25. Enter the house at the end of the route and talk to the Clefairy inside. Then, interact with the computer; Bill will come out. After talking to him, he will give you an SS Ticket. Return to Cerulean City and enter the house with the policeman by the door.

Go through the tunnel. On the yard, a Team Rocket Grunt will stop and fight you; defeat him to go through. Head south through the narrow passage of fences to reach Route 5. In the end, enter the small hut to the right with a sign that says “Underground Path; Cerulean City – Vermilion City.”

Go through the passage, and you will end up on Route 6. Head south until you reach Vermilion City. Go to the wooden dock to enter the S.S. Anne. Go upstairs once, then go right until you reach another flight of stairs. Brendan will stop and fight you. His Pokémon’s levels are near to yours. They consist of:

• Loudred
• Lunatone
• Grovyle
• Crawdaunt

After defeating him, he will give you a Lucky Egg. Go upstairs and talk to the captain; he will give you the HM01 Cut. Leave the ship, and it will set sail. Thankfully, you do not need to teach your Pokémon the move to cut down the small trees.

Vermilion Gym Leader Lt. Surge in Radical Red

Go left and cut down the small tree blocking the Vermilion Gym. The gym leader is Lt. Surge, an Electric-type expert. However, two lasers block the room he is in. You can find their switches in the trash cans. However, their positions are randomized; keep looking through them.

When you find a switch, the second switch is directly next to it. After turning the lasers off, talk to Lt. Surge to start the fight. He has:

Electric-type Pokémon’s only weakness is Ground-type moves. However, be careful, as all his Pokémon have moves that are super effective against Ground-type Pokémon. His Manectric will also mega-evolve during the battle. After defeating him, he will give you the Thunder Badge.

Before you leave Vermilion City, you can talk to the Pokémon Fan Club President (the building is directly north of the gym) to receive a Bike Voucher. Then, head east and go through Diglett’s Cave. Reach the end until you exit out of Route 2. Go south and cut down the small tree blocking the way.

Go inside the building at the end and talk to Prof. Oak’s aid; he will give you HM05 Flash. Then, go outside and use your Poké Rider to fly to Cerulean City. There, you can exchange the Bike Voucher for a Bicycle.

Celadon Gym Leader Erika in Radical Red

Go east to Route 9 and cut down the small tree blocking the way. Make your way through Route 9 until you reach the Rock Tunnel. Make your way through the Rock Tunnel while fighting some unavoidable NPC battles. Eventually, you will end up on Route 10. Continue south until you reach Lavender Town.

Head west and enter the hut with a sign that says “Underground Path; Celadon City – Lavender Town.” Go through the passage until you reach Route 7. Head west, and you will reach Celadon City. To reach the Celadon Gym, head south until you see a horizontal line of trees.

A small tree occupies one spot among them; cut it down. Then, follow the patch. Go inside the gym and face off against Erika’s beauties to reach her. Gym leader Erika is a Grass-type expert. Talk to her to start the battle. She has five Pokémon:

Her Venusaur will mega-evolve. Fire, Ice, Flying, and Bug-type moves will do wonders, but be careful, as all her Pokémon have counters against each type.

After defeating her, she will give you the Rainbow Badge. Go outside and head to the Rocket Game Corner (the orange building with an arch at the entrance). Talk to the Team Rocket Grunt, looking at the poster on the wall near the counter; a fight will begin.

Rocket Hideout in Radical Red

After defeating him, interact with the poster; you will find a switch behind it, and a staircase will appear. Go down the stairs until you reach Rocket Hideout B3F. Head to the maze room on the west and follow the movement in the picture below. Exit the maze room, and you will find a staircase going down.

Defeat the Team Rocket Grunt in this area to get the Lift Key. After getting it, go back up to Rocket Hideout B2F. Head to the maze area and follow the movement in the pictures below. Head east and enter the red elevator; select B4F on the elevator panel. Exit the elevator and head north.

Defeat the two Team Rocket Grunts guarding the door for it to open. Talk to Boss Giovanni, sitting on the couch, to initiate a Pokémon battle. He has:

• Lv. 46 Mega Kangaskhan
• Lv. 45 Nidoking
• Lv. 45 Honchkrow
• Lv. 45 Infernape
• Lv. 46 Frost Rotom

I suggest using Ice-type moves for Nidoking and Honchkrow and Ground-type moves for Infernape and Frost Rotom. However, be careful because Honchkrow has a Fire-type move. After you defeat him, pick up the Silph Scope on the ground. Head back to the elevator and select B1F on the elevator panel.

Return to the surface and go to the Celadon Mansion (look for a sign near a building in the northern area of Celadon City). Go west and talk to the old lady near the table; she will give you Tea. Then, go outside and use your Poké Rider to fly to Lavender Town.

Pokémon Tower and Silph Co. in Radical Red

Go inside the Pokémon Tower and climb the stairs to the top. As you reach the final stairs, a battle will commence with a shiny level 58 Alolan Marowak; defeat it to proceed. Upstairs, you also need to defeat three Team Rocket Grunts. Afterward, talk to the old man, and he will lead you to his house.

Talk to him in his house to get the Poké Flute. Then, head west to Route 8 and enter the building at the end. Thanks to the Tea that the old lady gave you in Celadon Mansion, you can now enter Saffron City. Enter the tall building in the middle of the city; it is the Silph Co. Office Building.

You can fight everyone in this building to get some free loot, money, and XP. If not, reach 5F through the elevator. Head west and then go south through the narrow hallway; eventually, you will reach a warp tile. Enter the warp tile to 9F, then warp back to 5F. You can head east and get the Card Key.

Go to 3F via the elevator and unlock the electronic door in this area using your Card Key. Go to the warp tile to warp to 7F, where you will find your rival who will battle you. He has:

• Lv. 54 Staraptor
• Lv. 55 Darmanitan
• Lv. 55 Azumarill
• Lv. 55 Electivire
• Lv. 55 Mega Venusaur

After defeating him, head to the other warp tile; it will send you to 11F. Head down to trigger a cutscene, and a tag team battle will start. You and Brendan will fight against Rocket Admins Archer and Ariana.

Boss Giovanni in Silph Co. in Radical Red

They have:

• Lv. 54 Incineroar
• Lv. 54 Gothitelle
• Lv. 55 Houndoom
• Lv. 55 Primarina
• Lv. 55 Aegislash
• Lv. 55 Mega Mawile

I recommend bringing a Pokémon with Ground-type moves because they are super effective against Incineroar, Houndoom, Mawile, and Aegislash.

After defeating them, Brendan will give you a Treeko. Unlock the electronic door here to access Boss Giovani; he will fight you again. He has:

• Lv. 54 Hippowdon
• Lv. 55 Excadrill
• Lv. 56 Mega Kangaskhan
• Lv. 56 Garchomp
• Lv. 55 Poltergeist

Water or Grass-type moves can help wipe out his fodder. After you defeat him, talk to the Silph Co. President sitting on the couch, and he will give you a Master Ball. Exit the building by going to 1F via the elevator. Then, visit the Saffron Gym to challenge the Psychic-expert gym leader Sabrina.

Before you can enter the gym, someone will approach you and give you the Mega Ring; it allows you to mega-evolve your Pokémon if they have the appropriate mega-stone.

Saffron Gym Leader Sabrina in Radical Red

Enter the warp tile at the entrance. Then, enter the top-left warp tile. Next, enter the bottom-left warp tile. Finally, enter the bottom-left warp tile in this room; it will lead you to gym leader Sabrina. She will fight you via a double battle.

She has:

A Steel-type Pokémon will prove effective against Hatterene and Gardevoir while resisting the advances of Ursaluna, Porgyon2, and Indeedee.

After defeating her, she will give you the Marsh Badge. Exit the gym via the warp tile on the bottom-right and fly to Vermilion City via the Poké Rider. Head west to Route 11 until you reach the building at the end. Go through it and head west to Route 12; you will find a sleeping Snorlax blocking the way.

Interact with it to wake it up using the Poké Flute. After defeating or catching it, head south via Route 12; eventually, you will reach Routes 13, 14, and 15. After passing through, you will reach Fuchsia City. Visit the Fuchsia Gym to battle the gym leader Koga, the Poison-type expert.

Fuchsia Gym Leader Koga in Radical Red

The gym has invisible walls. You can faintly notice them through the white corners of the tiles. Walk through the eastmost area and expect to battle some of the trainers. Reach the end of the room, then head west for a few tiles. Go south and follow the path to meet Koga.

He has:

While Ground-type moves will be super effective, especially against Toxtricity, be sure to clear out Greninja first. After defeating him, he gives you the Soul Badge.

Head north to go to the Safari Zone; Brendan will come out from the building and fight you. After defeating him, he will give you HM06 Rock Smash. Then, head inside and pay 500 Pokémon Dollars to participate. Head east to enter Area 1. Go up the stairs and down again to the west.

Head straight north and go over the small hill using the stairs. Follow the path to reach Area 2. Go over the left stairs, then head north. Follow the path until you reach Area 3. Go south to pick up the warden’s Golden Teeth. Then, continue to the house in this area to get HM03 Surf from the man inside.

Exit the safari and go in the house to the south with a mailbox nearby. Talk to the old man to give him his Golden Teeth. In return, he will give you HM04 Strength. Use the Poké Rider to fly to Pallet Town. Then, use Surf on the shores south of town to get to Route 21.

Pokémon Mansion in Radical Red

Continue heading south on Route 21; eventually, you will reach Cinnabar Island. Go inside the Pokémon Mansion, and May will interrupt you. She will battle you with:

• Lv. 71 Solrock
• Lv. 71 Breloom
• Lv. 72 Manectric
• Lv. 72 Relicanth
• Lv. 72 Flygon
• Lv. 73 Mega Blaziken

After the fight, she will give you a Torchic. Go inside and go upstairs to the second floor. Go to the northwest room and go up the stairs. Then, press the secret switch on the statue in this area. Head south and jump off the large balcony on the left. You will land on the first floor.

Go downstairs to reach the basement. Then, go inside the room in this area and flip the secret switch on the statue. Go out of the room and head west; you will see that a new area has opened going north. Flip the secret switch in the northern room, then head west. Get the Secret Key on the table.

Head back to the room with the statue and flip it back off. Head to the southern room with a statue and flip it back on. Go back up to the first floor and head straight to the exit on the east. Now, you can enter the Cinnabar Gym to battle Blaine, the Fire-type expert.

Cinnabar Gym Leader Blaine in Radical Red

Closed doors block the path to Blaine, and the way to open them up is to answer the questions that the machine gives; the machines are near the door. For the first question, answer “yes.” The door opens, and you proceed to the next machine. For the second question, answer “no.”

The second door opens, and you go to the next machine. For the third question, answer “no.” The next rooms do not have a machine. Instead, you need to defeat the trainers inside to open the doors. You will finally arrive at Blaine.

He has:

I recommend having a Water or Rock-type move, but be careful against his Grass-type Pokémon. After defeating him, he will give you the Volcano Badge.

Fly to Viridian City using your Poké Rider. Proceed to the Viridian Gym, and Brendan will interrupt you. He wants your help against Team Rocket in Cerulean Cave. As you arrive, Ariana will stop you, but Brendan holds her off. Head north and use Surf at the end of the river.

Follow the path until you reach a ladder at the end. Go up, and you will find yourself in a maze of rocks. From the ladder, go through the first path south. At the next fork, go to the eastmost path and break the rocks to proceed. Continue the path until you find a ladder going down.

Cerulean Cave in Radical Red

As you go down, the Team Rocket Admins catch up to you and will fight you. Firstly, Rocket Admin Archer has:

• Lv. 77 Mamoswine
• Lv. 79 Mimikyu
• Lv. 78 Durant
• Lv. 79 Mega Houndoom

Steel-type moves would be effective against his first two Pokémon. Meanwhile, I recommend using Ground-type moves for the others. After you defeat him, Rocket Admin Ariana will go next. She has:

• Lv. 77 Hatterene
• Lv. 78 Rhyperior
• Lv. 78 Honchkrow
• Lv. 79 Mega Mawile

Steel, Ground, and Rock-type moves would do great in this battle. After defeating them, they will give you the Mawilite and Houndoomite.

Continue to the ladder going down and follow the straight path leading to Boss Giovanni catching a Mewtwo. Lance will arrive to help you fight him, so you need to pick three Pokémon only from your party.

Boss Giovanni has:

• Lv. 80 Tapu Lele
• Lv. 80 Scrafty
• Lv. 80 Mega Mewtwo Y
• Lv. 80 Tyranitar
• Lv. 80 Excadrill
• Lv. 80 Celesteela

This battle can become incredibly difficult. I suggest bringing a Pokémon with Fighting-type moves for Scrafty, Tyranitar, and Excadrill.

Steel-type moves would be great for Tapu Lele, and Fire-type moves for Celesteela. A Dark-type Pokémon can work against Mewtwo, but be careful because it has a Fighting-type move. After defeating him, Mewtwo will escape and teleport everyone out of the cave.

Viridian Gym Leader Clair in Radical Red

Boss Giovanni becomes humbled by the whole experience, and he gives you the Mewtwonite Y. Then, Lance will give you the Salamencite as thanks. Fly back to Viridian City using your Poké Rider and head back to the gym. Inside is Clair, the Dragon-type expert.

She has:

The first half of her team are physical attackers, while the second half are special attackers. I recommend bringing Ground and Fairy-type moves to your team.

After you defeat her, she will give you the Rising Badge. Exit the gym and head west to enter Route 22. As you do, Prof. Oak’s Aid will approach you and inform you about roaming Legendary Pokémon. Continue along, and your rival will stop you to have a Pokémon battle with you.

He has:

• Lv. 80 Staraptor
• Lv. 80 Electivire
• Lv. 81 Azumarill, Barbacle, or Darmanitan
• Lv. 81 Kartana
• Lv. 81 Hatterene
• Lv. 81 Mega Venusaur, Blastoise, or Charizard X

Use Ground-type moves against Electivire and Darmanitan, Electric-type moves against Staraptor and Azumarill, and Fire-type moves for Kartana and Venusaur.

Victory Road in Radical Red

After you defeat him, continue your way through Route 22. Enter the building to make your way to Route 23. Head north until you reach the Victory Road Gate; Brendan will catch up to you and start a Pokémon battle with you.

He has:

• Lv. 81 Attack Form Deoxys
• Lv. 81 Jirachi
• Lv. 81 Galarian Zapdos
• Lv. 81 Huntail
• Lv. 82 Landorus
• Lv. 82 Mega Sceptile

Ghost or Dark-type moves will effectively work on Deoxys and Jirachi. Meanwhile, Ice-type moves are super effective against Landorus, Galarian Zapdos, and Sceptile.

Go inside the Victory Road after defeating Brendan. You need to move the boulders to the white spots to open up the path. For the first boulder, move it down. Then, move it all the way right. Next, move it up and all the way right again. Next, move it up but leave one space between the wall and the boulder.

Finally, move it right, then down. Refer to the pictures above; the red line indicates the boulder’s path, while the blue arrows indicate your position to move it. After doing so, the path up the small hill will open up. Make your way through the path while battling Ace Trainers to access the ladder going up.

On this floor, you need to put another boulder into a white spot again. However, it is a much shorter and easier process. First, move it down. Then, move it all the way to the left until it hits the rock. Move it down, and finally, move it left. The path opens up again. Continue your way to the ladder going up.

Soupercell “Dumbass Creator” in Radical Red

Another boulder puzzle exists in this area. Move the boulder up, but leave one tile of space between the wall. Next, move it all the way left. Then, move it down once, and move it left four times. Reposition yourself and move it down all the way to the rock. Finally, move it to the right. The path will open again.

Go up the hill and continue onward. In the end, you will notice a boulder next to a hole; push the boulder into it to make it fall back to the previous floor. Then, fall into the hole, and move the boulder all the way to the left to put it in the white spot.

On the small hill, you will notice a ladder going up now accessible; go to it. Move past the Cool Couple to go to the north ladder going down. Finally, you will find the Victory Road’s exit. Head north to get into the Indigo Plateau. As you try to enter the building, the game’s creator’s self-insert character pops up.

Named the “Dumbass Creator,” he will start a Pokémon battle with you. All his Pokémon are level 100. One is a Gigalith, and the rest are Shedinjas. Gigalith will probably use Explosion, so switch to a Steel or Ghost-type Pokémon to mitigate the damage.

The Shedinjas will automatically die from his Gigalith’s sandstorm, so do not clear the weather. After the fight, he will give you the Metagrossite. Continue inside, heal up, and if you are ready, go face the Elite Four.

Elite Four Lorelei in Radical Red

All the Elite Four members have two different team setups; you will face one or the other. The first of the Elite Four is Lorelei, an Ice-type expert. Her first team revolves around using the hailstorm weather. She has:

Note that the Abomasnow will mega-evolve for this team composition. I would advise having a Pokémon that changes the weather to your advantage instead, like Mega Charizard Y’s Drought or Tyranitar’s Sand Stream. Fire-type moves would prove useful against this team composition.

Meanwhile, her second team consists of:

Swampert will mega-evolve in this battle. As opposed to the other team, this team relies on the rainy weather to power up Water-type moves and weaken Fire-type moves.

The same strategy of changing the weather can still apply to this team composition. Note that despite the team, the battle against Lorelei will be a double battle. So, find a good team synergy with the Pokémon you are planning to send out.

Elite Four Bruno in Radical Red

The next Elite Four member is Bruno, a Fighting-type expert; his fight will be single battles instead of doubles like Lorelei. His first team consists of:

Lucario will mega-evolve during the battle. Urshifu is a tank due to its high defense stat while slightly being slower than Infernape in the second team. You cannot one-hit KO Urshifu because of his Focus Sash, and Bruno can switch it for a better Pokémon using its U-turn.

Plus, it has a Water-type priority move (Aqua Jet) which it will spam after its Focus Sash gets broken. Psychic and Ground-type moves would probably be better against this team composition. His second team consists of:

Like the first team again, Lucario will mega-evolve in this battle. Infernape is incredibly fast, but the rest of the team is a bit slow, especially Conkeldurr. Thus, doing a Trick Room setup might push you to a disadvantage after dealing with Infernape.

In general, boost your stats and have super effective moves like Flying-type moves to wipe the first four Pokémon.

Elite Four Agatha in Radical Red

The third Elite Four member is Agatha, a Ghost-type expert. Like Bruno, her battles are singles. Her first team opens with a level 84 Zoroark holding a Focus Sash. The rest of her team is level 85, consisting of Spectrier, Aegislash, Silvally, Marshadow, and Gengar (which will mega-evolve).

Note that Zoroark has the ability to appear as the last Pokémon in Agatha’s party, so if the first Pokémon she sends out is Gengar, it is Zoroark using its ability. I would recommend having a Fighting-type move for Zoroark and Dark or Ghost-type moves for the other Pokémon in this team.

Her second team opens with a level 84 Grimmsnarl. The rest of this team is level 85, consisting of Dragapult, Hydreigon, Spectrier, Marshadow, and Gengar. Like the previous team composition, her Gengar will mega-evolve.

Grimmsnarl can be troublesome because of its Prankster ability; Prankster makes its status moves have priority. Plus, Grimmsnarl has three of them: Taunt, Light Screen, and Reflect. After dealing with Grimmsnarl, you can use Ghost-type moves to clean the rest, like Dragapult, Spectrier, etc.

Elite Four Lance in Radical Red

The last member of the Elite Four is Lance, the Dragon-type expert. All his Pokémon from both team compositions are level 85. The first team opens with Garchomp with a Focus Sash. The rest consists of Dragonite, Dracozolt, Melmetal, Primal Dialga, and Salamence (which will mega-evolve).

Because of Garchomp’s Focus Sash, you cannot one-hit KO it. If it starts with its Roar move, it will force you to change your Pokémon. It also has Stealth Rock, so a Pokémon that can clear up hazards will be appreciated in this battle. Dragon and Ground-type moves will do great against this team composition.

His second team starts with Aerodactyl with a Focus Sash, similar to Garchomp. The rest of the team consists of Dracovish, Melmetal, Dragonite, Dialga, and Salamence. It is significantly identical to the previous team, but instead of Dracozolt, this team has Dracovish.

Also, similar to the previous team, the Salamence will mega-evolve. Because it is similar to the first team, I would suggest applying the same strategies. Ground-type moves like Earthquake will be super effective against Primal Dialga and Melmetal, and Ice-type moves can annihilate the rest.

Champion Rival in Radical Red

After defeating the Elite Four, your next opponent is the Champion; as a plot twist, your rival defeated the Elite Four before you. Thus, he is the new Champion, and defeating him will transfer the title to you. So, head to the next room to face your rival. Unlike the Elite Four, he does not have two teams.

All his Pokémon are level 85, consisting of Pheromosa, Mega Metagross, Primal Groudon, Yveltal, Eternatus, and Ditto. All his Pokémon rarely have any status moves except for Primal Groudon, who has Thunderwave.

Although Ice-type moves are incredibly effective for Primal Groudon, Yveltal, and Eternatus, Ice-type Pokémon would suffer because these Pokémon have Fire-type moves. A great solution to this would be a Pokémon that is not Ice type, whose Hidden Power is Ice type.

After defeating your rival, Oak will arrive and lead you to the Hall of Fame.

Post-game: How to Reach the Sevii Islands in Radical Red

To get the Tri-Pass, i.e., the ticket to visit the Sevii Islands, you need to defeat some powerful Pokémon trainers. Perhaps along your journey, you have fought some of them. To check which of them you need to battle, fly to Celadon City via the Poké Rider. Then, head west to Route 16.

However, do not go on the Cycling Road. Instead, cut the small tree between the fence and the large tree near the entrance to Celadon City. Go through this area and visit the house at the end. Inside is a girl who will tell you where the person you need to fight is.

In summary, you need to defeat all the Johto gym leaders scattered across the map. You also need to rematch the gym leaders and some meme NPCs. All of the Pokémon’s levels are always near or similar to the Pokémon with the highest level in your party.

Furthermore, if you are playing in hardcore mode, some of the Pokémon listed as part of their team may be different. However, their locations are the same. Below are the locations of the Johto gym leaders and meme NPCs.

After you defeat everyone in the list below, go back to the girl and talk to her; she will give you the Tri-Pass. Then, head to Vermillion City and go to the docks. The sailor will ask for your ticket, and you can choose to visit One Island, Two Island, and Three Island.

Gym Leader Rematches in Radical Red

Pewter Gym Leader Brock has:

• Gigalith
• Omastar
• Sandslash
• Lycanroc
• Tyranitar
• Mega Aerodactyl

I would recommend Flying-type moves as most of Brock’s Pokémon are weak to them, especially Tyranitar. After defeating him, he will give you a TM and the Aerodactlite.

Cerulean Gym Leader Misty has:

• Politoed
• Kingdra
• Greninja
• Gorebyss
• Inteleon
• Mega Gyarados.

All of them except for Kingdra are weak to Electric-type moves. She gives you a Froakie and the Gyaradosite for defeating her.

Vermillion Gym Leader Lt. Surge has:

• Pachirisu
• Dracozolt
• Wash Rotom
• Dedenne
• Mow Rotom
• Mega Manectric

Ground-type moves will be great, but I also suggest having Grass-type moves for Wash Rotom and Fire or Flying-type moves for Mow Rotom. He rewards you with a Light Clay and the Manectite for defeating him.

Talk to Celadon Gym Leader Erika, and she will mention that she needs medicine for her Gloom. Fly to Fuchsia City via the Poké Rider, cut some small trees in the north, and talk to the nurse near the Kangaskhan; she will give you some medicine.

Return to her and give her the item; she will then allow the rematch. She has:

• Tsareena
• Bellossom
• Hawlucha
• Rillaboom
• Serperior
• Mega Venusaur

Flying-type moves are super effective against all her Pokémon. After defeating her, she will give you a TM and a Snivy.

Post-game: Johto Leaders for the Tri-Pass in Radical Red

Where is Bugsy in Radical Red?

Bugsy is on Route 25 near Bill’s House.

Fly to Cerulean City via the Poké Rider and go north to Bill’s House; it is on Route 25, which you can reach through Route 24. Go to the right pond, and you can see a purple-haired girl standing nearby; she is Bugsy, a Bug-type expert and Johto gym leader.

She has:

• Kleavor
• Mega Scizor
• Scyther
• Heracross
• Araquanid
• Vikavolt

Fire and Flying-type moves are incredibly useful during her battles. After defeating her, she will give you a TM and five Nest Balls.

Where is Whitney in Radical Red?

Whitney is on Route 11.

Fly to Vermilion City via the Poké Rider and go east to Route 11. At the end of this route, you will find a pink-haired girl facing a rock north of the building; she is Whitney, a Normal-type expert and Johto gym leader.

She has:

• Wigglytuff
• Vigoroth
• Miltank
• Indeedee
• Drampa

A Ghost-type Pokémon with moves that are not Ghost type will be great because most of the enemy’s moves are Normal and Fighting type. However, be careful with Vigoroth as it has Knock Off, a Dark-type move.

After defeating her, she will give you a Normal Gem and Eviolite.

Where is Morty in Radical Red?

Morty is in Mr. Fuji’s house in Lavender Town.

Fly to Lavender Town via the Poké Rider and go inside Mr. Fuji’s house, i.e., the Lavender Volunteer Pokémon House. Sitting next to the Mega Gengar Is a blonde boy with a purple headband; it is Morty, a Ghost-type expert and Johto gym leader.

He has:

• Mimikyu
• Dusknoir
• Hisuian Zoroark
• Hisuian Typhlosion
• Mega Gengar
• Weavile

Ghost-type moves are great against most of his Pokémon except for Hisuian Zoroark and Weavile; the former is weak to Dark-type moves, while the latter is weak to Fire or Fighting-type moves.

After defeating him, he will give you a TM, Shed Shell, and Soothe Bell.

Where is Chuck in Radical Red?

Chuck is in the Fighting Dojo in Saffron City.

Fly to Saffron City via the Poké Rider and go to the Fighting Dojo next to the Saffron Gym. After fighting some of the Black Belts, talk to the shirtless man with mutton chops; he is Chuck, a Fighting-type expert, and a Johto gym leader.

He has:

• Hitmontop
• Sneasler
• Breloom
• Poliwrath
• Lucario
• Mega Gallade

Most of them are weak to Flying-type moves except for Lucario. You can target Lucario’s Steel type instead, like using a Fire or Ground-type move.

After defeating him, he will give you a TM and Expert Belt. Behind him are two Poké Balls containing Crabrawler and Clobbopus; you can only pick one.

Where is Pryce in Radical Red?

Pryce is on the Seafoam Islands on Route 20.

You can follow the instructions to reach the Seafoam Islands in the “How to get Articuno in Radical Red” section. However, do not go inside the cave. Instead, speak to the old man with white hair near the entrance; he is Pryce, an Ice-type expert, and a Johto gym leader.

He has:

• Alolan Ninetales
• Alolan Sandslash
• Arctozolt
• Frosmoth
• Beartic
• Mega Glalie

I would suggest a Fire and Flying-type Pokémon with Fire-type moves like Talonflame so that you can attack with Fire-type moves while being immune to their Ground-type moves.

Pryce, like the Elite Four members, may have different teams. He has two other team compositions. The second one may compose of:

• Jynx
• Mr. Rime
• Mamoswine
• Walrein
• Arctovish
• Mega Glalie

The third one may compose of:

• Vanilluxe
• Weavile
• Dewgong
• Arctovish
• Crabominable
• Mega Glalie

After defeating him, he will give you a Glalitite and Choice Scarf.

Where is Jasmine in Radical Red?

Jasmine is in the Pokémon Lab on Cinnabar Island.

Fly to Cinnabar Island via the Poké Rider and go inside the Pokémon Lab. Speak to the lady sitting by the glass table; she is Jasmine, a Steel-type expert and Johto gym leader. She has:

• Forretress
• Melmetal
• Metagross
• Magnezone
• Lucario
• Mega Aggron

Ground-type moves would devastate this team, and weirdly enough, her Pokémon does not have any moves that can counter Ground-type Pokémon. Using Fire-type Pokémon would be a bit risky because most of her Pokémon have Ground-type moves.

Jasmine is also similar to Pryce in the sense of having different teams. She also has two other team compositions. The second one replaces Forretress, Metagross, and Lucario with Bronzong, Excadrill, and Scizor. The third one may compose of:

• Steelix
• Melmetal
• Duraludon
• Durant
• Aegislash
• Aggron

After defeating her, she will give you an Aggronite and Choice Band.

Where is Dumbass Kid in Radical Red?

Dumbass Kid is in the northwest house in Saffron City.

Fly to Saffron City via the Poké Rider and go inside the house northwest of the city. You will find two adults and a kid surrounded by Mudkip and its evolutions. Talk to the kid and disagree with whatever he says to start a fight.

He has:

• Swampert
• Pelipper
• Scizor
• Frosmoth
• Seaking
• Mega Swampert

His team centers around the rainy weather, so I would advise bringing in a Pokémon that can change the weather, like Tyranitar or Mega Charizard Y.

After defeating him, he will give you a Mudkip.

Where is Dumbass Jojo Fan in Radical Red?

Dumbass Jojo Fan is in the Power Plant on Route 10.

Fly to Route 10 via the Poké Rider and head north to find an opening through the fences leading to a river. Surf through the river to reach the Power Plant. Go inside and follow the path. At the first fork, go east, and you will find a blonde guy; he is the Dumbass Jojo Fan. Talk to him and say yes to start a battle.

He has:

• Aegislash
• Ferrothorn
• Simisear
• Celebi
• Mega Machamp
• Hoopa

Aegislash, Ferrothron, and Celebi are weak to Fire-type moves. Hoopa is extremely weak to Ghost and Dark-type moves. Bring a Pokémon with a Flying-type move to deal with Mega Machamp. After defeating him, he will give you the Machampite and Prison Bottle.

FAQs

Pokemon Radical Red Guide: Conclusion

As a fan of competitive Pokémon games, I think Pokémon Radical Red is a good game. It is pretty hard, but its difficulty makes the game more challenging and fun. You need to think about your party and strategy every time, especially before gym battles.

The vast pool of Pokémon to choose from is also incredibly attractive. Even the Hisuian Pokémon are included in Radical Red, which is so cool. Another appealing feature of this game is the freedom of customization.

If you think the game is too hard for you, you can make it easier. But if you want a challenge, you can make it harder. I think even the official Pokémon games should have something like this system where you can adjust the difficulty.

My issues with the game are actually issues with Pokémon Fire Red; it is easy to get stuck. For example, you can enter Saffron City if you get Tea from the old woman in Celadon Mansion. However, there is no indicator of its existence prior, nor any instructions on how to get it.

While it encourages exploration, it can be annoying. Still, it is how Fire Red made it. As for improvements made by Radical Red, I love them, especially the removal of the typical HM system. I think it is a Pokémon ROM hack that belongs in the Hall of Fame.