Red (Japanese: レッド Red) is the player character in the Generation I games Pokémon Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow and the male choice in their Generation III remakes Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, where his female counterpart is Leaf.
Red is known throughout the Pokémon world as the Champion from Pallet Town, as well as a living legend for his defeat of Team Rocket in Kanto during his quest. He is the final opponent in the Generation II games Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, their Generation IV remakes Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, and Pokémon Stadium 2. He is a participant in the Pokémon World Tournament's Champions Tournament in Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 and works as a boss of the Battle Tree alongside Blue in the Generation VII games Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon. In Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, he appears as the highest-level Trainer in the game, capable of being challenged after defeating six Master Trainers.
Terminology
Red named イエロー (Yellow) in the manual of Pokémon Yellow 
Red named グリーン (Green) on a playing card from the Pokémon Green deck released in Japan 
Red named サトシ (Satoshi) by Game Freak 
Red and Blue called "Ash" and "Gary" in the Nintendo Power guideWhile he had various names in Generation I, from Generation II onwards he is referred to as Red (Japanese: レッド Red) in several core series games where he appears as a non-player character, in Pokémon Stadium 2, and he is known by the same name in Pokémon Masters EX. He is also known by this name in the game data of Pokémon FireRed, LeafGreen, and Emerald, but this is not seen in normal gameplay. He was named after the Generation I game Pokémon Red.
In the player's story as seen in the Japanese game manuals from Generation I, the player name refers to the name of the current game: レッドR, グリーンG, ブルーB, or イエローY (Red, Green, Blue, or Yellow). However, this was adapted as "you" instead in the English version. For instance:
- In the Japanese manuals of the Generation I games: 「レッド(主人公(しゅじんこう))は11歳(さい)」 (Red (player character) is 11 years old.)R 「グリーン(主人公(しゅじんこう))は11歳(さい)」 (Green (player character) is 11 years old.)G 「ブルー(主人公(しゅじんこう))は11歳(さい)」 (Blue (player character) is 11 years old.)B 「イエロー(主人公(しゅじんこう))は11歳(さい)」 (Yellow (player character) is 11 years old.)Y
- In the English manuals (except his age is not mentioned in Pokémon Yellow's English manual): "You are an 11-old boy [...]"RB
In the Japanese playing cards, he is named レッド (Red) in the Pokémon Red deck and グリーン (Green) in the Pokémon Green deck. The text 主人公(しゅじんこう) (player character) also appears on his card from both the Red and Green decks. However, in the Pokémon Blue and Yellow decks released later, he is unnamed and simply referred to with this Japanese text meaning "player character".
In some game screenshots from the English manuals, the male player character is named BlueRB, AshY, RedFR, or GreenLG (while the female player character is named FireFR or LeafLG).
He was also named Ash (Japanese: サトシ Satoshi) in some early official media, sharing the name of his anime counterpart. This is also found in the list of default names. The Japanese version is also the name of the creator of the franchise and one of Red's default names.
- In the Official Fan Book of Pocket Monsters (Japanese: ポケットモンスター公式ファンブック) from 1997, the player is named サトシ (Satoshi) according to Game Freak, in which his appearance (as well as Professor Oak and Giovanni) in the then-upcoming Pokémon Gold and Silver games was teased.[7] This may indicate that this name was originally considered for this game character.
- In Pokémon: Official Nintendo Player's Guide (Nintendo Power, 1998), the player is named Ash (while the rival is named Gary at this point).
- In Pokémon Gold and Silver: Official Nintendo Player's Guide (Nintendo Power, 2000), he is usually named Red in several sections explaining the story and mechanics of the games, except he is also named Ash at some point. In Pokémon Crystal: Official Nintendo Player's Guide (Nintendo Power, 2001), some content was reused but the name "Ash" was edited out: "Pokémon Gold & Silver also feature the world of Kanto, which Ash explored in Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow." (Pokémon Gold and Silver guidebook, page 4) "Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal also feature the world of Kanto, which originally appeared in Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow." (Pokémon Crystal guidebook, page 4)
In the Super Smash Bros. series, the male version of the character known only as "Pokémon Trainer" is based on Red.
He is also known by some other placeholder names, which are stored in the game data but not available in normal gameplay: NintenRBY (Japanese: やまぐち YamaguchiRG; ゲーフリ GēfuriB; ゲーフリ1 Gēfuri1Y). At least in Generation I, there are some hidden game mechanics that would display this name, therefore it should become visible if some RAM addresses were changed.[8]
- The English "Ninten" is short for Nintendo, while the rival's placeholder name is "Sony" in those games. This references the fact that in the years surrounding the releases of the Generation I games, Sony was Nintendo's main competition. Ninten is also the default name of the main protagonist of Mother, a game developed by Creatures, Inc..
- The Japanese やまぐち (Yamaguchi) refers to Wataru Yamaguchi, an art director that worked on the original games.
- The Japanese ゲーフリ (Gēfuri) and ゲーフリ1 (Gēfuri1) refer to Game Freak (Japanese: ゲームフリーク Gēmu Furīku).
In some screenshots of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen on the Japanese website pokemon.co.jp, the player is named オサム (Osamu).[9]
In the Spanish version of FireRed, LeafGreen, and Emerald, his placeholder name has the syllables reversed: he is known as "Joro" instead of "Rojo" (while his female counterpart is known as "Jaho" instead of "Hoja").
In the core series games
Red is introduced as a curious 11-year-old boy from Pallet Town. According to the instruction manuals of Red, Green, and Blue, Red gained an interest in Pokémon after his best friend, Blue, stopped playing with him and became a bully, although in the games Professor Oak says the two have been rivals since infancy. His adventure begins one day when Professor Oak calls the two to his lab for a first partner Pokémon. Red has a choice of a Bulbasaur, Charmander, or SquirtleGRBFRLG. Depending on the Pokémon that Red chooses, Blue will choose the Pokémon that has a type advantage over itGRBFRLG. In Pokémon Yellow, Red was originally intended to get an Eevee, which was swiped by Blue. As a result, Blue keeps the Eevee and Red receives a Pikachu that Professor Oak caught earlierY. Blue challenges Red to a battle immediately to test out his new Pokémon, thinking he will easily beat Red.
After Red has made his way to Viridian City to the north and taken a package back to Oak in Pallet Town, Oak gives Red and Blue each a Pokédex with which to record data on all known Pokémon in the Kanto region to fulfill Oak's dream of creating a full guide on all Pokémon in Kanto. From here, Red and Blue journey across Kanto, collecting Pokémon to build up their teams, and defeating each of the Gym Leaders in turn, with Blue always one step ahead, showing up from time to time to impede Red's progress.
Red also comes across a gang of Pokémon thieves, Team Rocket, several times through his journey. He first encounters them trying to steal fossils within Mt. Moon. Then he encounters a member who is running the Nugget Bridge challenge to recruit for the organization on Route 24; and another lone member who has stolen a TM from a family in Cerulean City. Eventually, Red uncovers a plot by Team Rocket, infiltrating their hideout beneath the Celadon Game Corner and encountering their boss, Giovanni. Defeating him and ousting Team Rocket from Celadon, Red uses the Silph Scope that Giovanni leaves behind to battle Ghost-type Pokémon and save Mr. Fuji in the Pokémon Tower in Lavender Town, who is being held hostage by Team Rocket. Red soon journeys into Saffron City in the heart of Kanto to find it overrun by Team Rocket, who is attempting to take the recently invented Master Ball from the Silph Co. President, and defeats Giovanni again, ending the group's plots for the time being.
With seven Badges in hand, Red encounters Giovanni for the final time—this time as the Leader of the Viridian Gym, his final obstacle before the Elite Four of Indigo Plateau. Red defeats him in battle, earning his eighth and final Badge—the Earth Badge. He disbands Team Rocket, promising to go into solo training to become a better Trainer.
Making it through Victory Road and finally to Indigo Plateau, Red challenges the Indigo League. First, he defeats the Elite Four and discovers, to his surprise, that Blue has defeated them before him and is therefore the Champion of Kanto. Red defeats Blue in the final battle, becoming the Champion himself, but then continues his training, rather than staying at Indigo Plateau. Encountering an offshoot of Team Rocket in the southern Sevii Islands, lead by Executive Archer, Red reveals with his Earth Badge that Giovanni has disbanded the organization, and, though defeated, the group there intends to revive Team Rocket and bring Giovanni back, having already made plans to force Pokémon to evolve with radio waves.
Red continues as a wandering Trainer, eventually making his way to Mt. Silver Cave, where he trains his Pokémon alone. In the process, he becomes so distant from the people close to him that he does not even talk to his mom via phone anymore.
Eventually, Ethan, Kris, or Lyra arrives at Mt. Silver Cave and challenges Red, identified only as a Pokémon Trainer. If defeated, Red vanishes from Mt. Silver, and returns every time the Elite Four is defeated again by the player of Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold, or SoulSilver.
Some time later, Red has been shown to finally come back into public life, as he enters the Champions Tournament of the Pokémon World Tournament in the Unova region. In Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon, a visibly older Red is invited to work as the boss of Alola's Battle Tree along with Blue. When Elio or Selene first visits the Battle Tree, they will encounter Red and Blue and battle one of them. After RedSMUSUM or BlueUSUM is defeated at the Battle Tree proper, Red will reward the player with a full set of Kanto first partner Pokémon Mega Stones.
Red makes an appearance in Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!. In this continuity, he and Blue completed their journeys and defeated the Elite Four years before the player character started their journey. If the player has defeated at least six Master Trainers and has six Pokémon in their party, Red can be found in front of the Pokémon League building at Indigo Plateau, where he may be challenged to a battle. Like during all Master Trainer battles, the player isn't allowed to use items from their Bag during this battle. After being defeated, Red will grant the player the title of Battle Master before leaving, though he will reappear for a rematch each time the player defeats the Elite Four.
Pokémon
As the player character, Red can have on his team any of the 151 Pokémon available during Generation I. In Generation III, he can have any of the 386 Pokémon available at that time, though only after the player has obtained the National Pokédex.
When he is encountered as an opponent in Generation II and Generation IV, Red has a set team, based on Generation I in-game event Pokémon, and has the highest leveled trained Pokémon yet encountered in the series, with his Pikachu at level 81 in Generation II and at level 88 in Generation IV. In HeartGold and SoulSilver, when he is defeated, all Pokémon in the player's party receive the Legend Ribbon.
In Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, he can be fought in the Pokémon World Tournament's Champions Tournament, using the same team he did in Generation IV, albeit with different movesets.
In Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon, Red once again uses his team from Generation IV, just with altered movesets. When battled in the Battle Tree proper, Red will use a randomly selected team from a preset selection of Pokémon.
In Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, Red's team has notable differences to his previous core series teams, replacing Charizard and Blastoise which now appear as the highest levelled Pokémon in Blue and Green's teams respectively.
Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal
Red uses two Full Restores.
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Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver
Red uses four Full Restores.
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Pokémon Black 2 and White 2
Red uses three of these Pokémon in Single Battles, four in Double and Rotation Battles, and all six in Triple Battles.
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Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon
First possible battle
Pokémon Sun and Moon
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Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon
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Battle Tree
Red uses three of these Pokémon in Single Battles and two in Multi Battles.
Single Battle (on 20th consecutive battle)
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Super Single Battle (on 50th consecutive battle)
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Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!
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In the side series games
Pokémon Stadium 2
Red appears in Pokémon Stadium 2. He can be battled in the Kanto Gym Leader Castle after the player has defeated all eight Kanto Gym Leaders, being the final opponent the player must defeat in order to clear the Gym Leader Castle challenge.
During the game's end credits, he is seen having a battle with Blue.
Pokémon
Red uses vastly different sets of Pokémon than in any of his other appearances, only sharing a couple Pokémon with the teams he uses in the core series. Notably, this is the only game where he's not seen using his Pikachu. In Round 2, each of his Pokémon knows Hidden Power.
Round 1
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Round 2
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Pokémon Colosseum and XD: Gale of Darkness
Red makes an appearance in both Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness. While he does not appear in the games' Story Mode, he is playable in the Battle Mode when a FireRed or LeafGreen cartridge is used, with a male player character chosen. He can take on Mt. Battle's 100-battle challenge, as well as compete in Colosseum battles.
Pokémon Battle Revolution
Red made a brief appearance in the debut trailer of Pokémon Battle Revolution, having a Double Battle against Leaf, using a Deoxys in its Attack Forme and a Wailord. Despite this, he didn't appear in the final cut of the game.
In the spin-off games
Super Smash Bros. series
Pokémon Trainer
Main article: Pokémon Trainer (Super Smash Bros.)Red is known as the "Pokémon Trainer" in the Super Smash Bros. series. He has a team consisting of Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard. Rather than fighting himself like most other characters, Red sends his three Pokémon into battle, switching between them in order.
Red debuted as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. He was absent from Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U, the only game in the series where his Charizard is available as an individual fighter. Red returned as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and additionally Leaf debuted as part of his palette swaps, sharing the same title of "Pokémon Trainer". Red is voiced by Michele Knotz and Billy Bob Thompson in the English versions of Brawl and Ultimate respectively, and 半場友恵 Tomoe Hanba in the Japanese versions.
Other references
Pokémon GO
Main article: Style (GO)For Pokémon Day 2018, Red's outfit from Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen was released as free style option in Pokémon GO.
Pokémon Masters EX
Main article: Red (Masters)Red, who is based on the player character, forms a sync pair with Charizard, Snorlax, Pikachu, Articuno, and Venusaur in Pokémon Masters EX. His Charizard is capable of Mega Evolving into Mega Charizard X, while his Snorlax and Pikachu are both capable of Gigantamaxing, and his Venusaur is capable of Dynamaxing. Red became a playable sync pair on February 28, 2020.
In this game, Red is indirectly responsible for the creation of the Pokémon Masters League, as him defeating Lear before the events of the game was what inspired Lear to create Pasio and the PML in order to get another chance at beating him. Red first appeared as an NPC during the second chapter of PML Arc. He also made notable appearances later in the PML Arc, and the Villain Arc. Unlike in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, both Red and Leaf coexist in this game.
Quotes
Main article: Red (game)/QuotesOptional names
When starting a new game of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, if the player leaves the name writing screen without any written name, or with a name composed entirely of empty spaces, Professor Oak says, "Right... So your name is <optional name>", suggesting one of the 19 available names; there are 24 names in total, but there are 5 exclusive to FireRed and 5 exclusive to LeafGreen. The player may answer "Yes" to accept the suggested name, or "No" to return to the name writing screen.
| Game | Japanese | English | French | German | Italian | Spanish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red | レッド Red サトシ Satoshi ジャック Jack | RED ASH JACK | RED SACHA PAUL | ROT ASH JACK | ROSSO ASH GIGI | ROJO ASH JAIME |
| Green (Japan) Blue (international) | グリーン Green シゲル Shigeru ジョン John | BLUE GARY JOHN | BLUE REGIS JEAN | BLAU GARY JOHN | BLU GARY PIPPO | AZUL GARY JUAN |
| Blue (Japan) | ブルー Blue ツネカズ Tsunekaz ジャン Jean | |||||
| Yellow | イエロー Yellow サトシ Satoshi ジャック Jack | YELLOW ASH JACK | YELLOW SACHA PAUL | GELB ASH JACK | GIALLO ASH GIGI | GUALDO ASH JAIME |
| FireRed LeafGreen | レッド RedFR グリーン GreenLG ファイア FireFR リーフ LeafLG サトシ SatoshiFR ケン KenFR シゲキ ShigekiFR シゲル ShigeruLG ツネカズ TsunekazLG サトル SatoruLG ジャック Jack ジャン Jean ジョン John カモン Kamon タカシ Takashi テツオ Tetsuo トオル Tōru ヒロキ Hiroki マサオ Masao タカオ Takao タケヒロ Takehiro ケイ Kei ヒトシ Hitoshi ヒロアキ Hiroaki | REDFR GREENLG FIREFR LEAFLG ASHFR KENEFR GEKIFR GARYLG KAZLG TORULG JAK JANNE JONN KAMON KARL TAYLOR OSCAR HIRO MAX JON RALPH KAY TOSH ROAK | REDFR GREENLG FIREFR LEAFLG DANNYFR GURVANFR GONTRANFR YANLG MAELLG DAVYLG POLO ZACK MARIO LORIS MAX DAMIEN TOM GREG KAMEL FRANCK RALPH AYRTON TOSH VINCE | ROTFR GRÜNLG FEUERFR BLATTLG SVENFR GERDFR HANSFR GARYLG HUGOLG MICHAELLG JACK JAN JOHN DANIEL HELGE ULI TOBI UDO BERT JON RALF UWE CHRIS ROLF | ROSSOFR VERDELG REDFR GREENLG ASHFR DIMITRIFR ATTILIOFR GARYLG DAMIANOLG FABIOLG MATTIA SILVANO LUCIO KAMON KARL GABRY OSCAR DINO DANIEL MANUELE RALPH IVANO PAOLO ENZO | JOROFR VERTELG GUEFOFR JAHOLG FURIOFR LLAMÍNFR CANDELFR BOSCOLG FLORENLG SILVIOLG JUNO JUAN JUANMA ÁLVARO RAL MARINO TOILO NER MAX MOREL RAFA VER LERIO RODI |
In the TCG
This listing is of cards mentioning or featuring Red or his Pokémon in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.
In the TFG
There are three Trainer figures based on Red with his design from Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, except with different names and colors.
The Red figure is part of the single released set, Next Quest. The other two sets were not released, so the Green and Yellow figures were not released either.
Counterparts
In the anime
Main series
Main article: Ash Ketchum Main article: Ash Ketchum (M20)
Ash Ketchum, Red's anime counterpartRed's loose anime counterpart, introduced in the first episode, is the anime's main character, Ash Ketchum. Like Red, Ash is from Pallet Town, on a journey to become a Pokémon Master. Unlike Red, Ash's journey did not end with Kanto, and Ash continued through every other region introduced in the core series games until Galar, as well as the Orange Archipelago south of Kanto, taking the place of the player characters of Generation II during Johto and Generation V during Unova, and being joined by the anime counterparts of May, Dawn, and Serena during the Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Kalos sagas respectively. Instead of starting with one of the standard three Kanto first partner Pokémon, however, Ash began his journey with a Pikachu, inspiring Pokémon Yellow's creation, as well as causing some to consider Red and Ash to be exactly the same person, most especially due to Red owning one as well.
Red has another anime counterpart, an alternate Ash Ketchum, who appeared in I Choose You!, The Power of Us, and Secrets of the Jungle; these movies are set in a timeline separate from the main series. This Ash shares the same basic characteristics as the main Ash, but goes on a different journey compared to the main series.
Pokémon Origins
Main article: Red (Origins)
Red also had a direct counterpart that appeared as the main character of the Pokémon Origins mini-series, which takes place in a separate continuity. This counterpart shared Red's name, in-game role, and design from FireRed and LeafGreen. The mini-series follows Red as he challenges the Indigo League and fights Team Rocket with his first partner Pokémon, Charmander.
Pokémon Generations
Another direct counterpart of Red appeared in Pokémon Generations. He first appeared in The Adventure, where he caught a Pikachu in Viridian Forest. He then went on to experience various other adventures with his Pikachu across other regions, during which he encountered various wild and Legendary Pokémon.
Red briefly reappeared at the end of The Challenger, having just defeated the Elite Four at Indigo Plateau, and preparing to challenge Blue for the title of the Champion.
Like the core series games, Red is not heard speaking during his appearances.
Pokémon
 | Pikachu ♂ | |
| Main article: Red's Pikachu Pikachu is one of Red's Pokémon and has been used by him in many of his battles. Red encountered Pikachu while in Viridian Forest. He sent out his Bulbasaur against it, but caught it in a Poké Ball without battling. After catching it, Red immediately let it out its Poké Ball and had it battle a Caterpie. Pikachu continued to travel with its Trainer throughout Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, and Kalos, battling against Pokémon such as Wooper, Vigoroth, Probopass, Regigigas, Volcarona, and Noivern. | ||
| Debut | The Adventure | |
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| Voice actors | ||
| Japanese | Fumiko Orikasa | |
| English | Fumiko Orikasa | |
- When Red caught Pikachu, he was revealed to have already obtained at least two other Pokémon besides Bulbasaur.
Achievements
Badges obtained
This listing is of the Badges Red has obtained in the Kanto region:
POKÉTOON
Red appeared in The Pancham Who Wants to Be a Hero. He was the Trainer of an Arcanine that became the hero of a wild Pancham ever since it stopped an Impidimp from stealing Pancham's Berry.
Pokémon
Pokémon Evolutions
Red briefly appeared in The Discovery, standing on Indigo Plateau.
Pokémon
GOTCHA!
Red briefly appeared in GOTCHA!, using his Charizard, Blastoise, and Lapras.
In the manga
Red, like most player characters, also has several counterparts in various Pokémon manga series.
Pokémon Adventures
Main article: Red (Adventures)Red appears in Pokémon Adventures, and also appeared in a fantasy in Pokémon Ranger the Comic: Double Mission.
Pokémon Pocket Monsters
Main article: Red (Pocket Monsters)Red shares his game counterpart's name and appearance in Pokémon Pocket Monsters.
There is also a character in Pokémon Ruby-Sapphire named Red who is a rival of Red and is much stronger than him. This character is based on Red's appearance in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen.
Pokémon Zensho
Main article: Satoshi (Zensho)Satoshi from Pokémon Zensho is based on Red.
Pokémon Gotta Catch 'Em All
Main article: ShuShu from Pokémon Gotta Catch 'Em All is based on Red.
Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys
Red was briefly mentioned in Falkner The Bird Keeper's Challenge!! by Professor Oak, who said that Gold looks similar to him. However, due to the manga ending soon after Gold reaches Cianwood City, Red was never physically seen.
Pocket Monsters HGSS Jō's Big Adventure
Red in Pocket Monsters HGSS Jō's Big AdventureRed first appeared as a silhouette in JBA5. He then physically debuted in JBA6. He was first mentioned by Blue after Jō's battle with the Viridian Gym Leader. Jō later encountered Red when he reached the top of Mt. Silver, ready to battle him.
Pokémon
Gallery
Artwork
Sprites and models
In the core series
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Sprite from Red, Green, and Blue | Title screen sprite from Red and Green | Title screen sprite from Red, Blue, and Blue (JP) | Sprite from Yellow | Sprite from Generation II | Sprite from FireRed, LeafGreen, and Emerald | Early intro sprite from FireRed and LeafGreen | Intro sprite from FireRed and LeafGreen | Credits sprite from FireRed and LeafGreen |
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| Overworld sprite from Generation I | Backsprite from Red, Green, and Blue | Backsprite from Yellow | Overworld sprite from Generation II | Backsprite from FireRed and LeafGreen | Backsprite from Emerald | Overworld sprite from FireRed and LeafGreen | Overworld sprite from Emerald | |
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| Sprite from HeartGold and SoulSilver | Sprite from Black 2 and White 2 | VS sprite from Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon | High-poly model from Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon | VS model from Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! | ||||
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| Overworld sprite from HeartGold and SoulSilver | Overworld sprite from Black 2 and White 2 | Overworld model from Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon | ||||||
In other games
Trivia
- Red's title screen and profile front sprites from Pokémon Red and Green correspond to his earlier Capsule Monsters artwork instead of his final Generation I artwork. His title screen sprite was updated in Pokémon Blue but the profile front sprite remained unchanged.
- In Pokémon Yellow, he has no title screen sprite and his front sprite is updated in part to match his official artwork and possibly in part to match Ash Ketchum, his anime counterpart, as the frontal section of his hat has the same division in the middle as Ash's hat from the original series.
- Red's party in Generation II, Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, and Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon is based heavily on in-game events from the Generation I games and Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen:
- Charizard, Venusaur, Blastoise, and Pikachu are the game mascots of the four Generation I games: Pokémon Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow. They are also available in all iterations of the original Kanto plot and can all be obtained in a single save file in Pokémon Yellow;
- Espeon could have been obtained as an Eevee in Celadon City, and Eevee notably serves as Blue's first partner Pokémon in Pokémon Yellow;
- Lapras is given away by a Silph Co. employee shortly before Team Rocket is defeated there;
- Two Snorlax are required to be caught or defeated in order to travel to Fuchsia City. Furthermore, in the Generation II games and Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, only the Snorlax that was previously blocking Route 12 (now blocking the entrance to Diglett's Cave) is available to the player, suggesting that Red defeated and caught the one blocking Route 16.
- In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, apart from his Venusaur and Blastoise being fully evolved, Red's team is identical to that of Ash Ketchum throughout most of the Orange Islands anime arc.
- Also in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, the four game mascots all know their Generation III signature moves: Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise know Frenzy Plant, Blast Burn and Hydro Cannon, respectively, while Pikachu knows Volt Tackle. Furthermore, his Pikachu's moveset coincides with the four moves that Ash's Pikachu used during Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl: Volt Tackle, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, and Thunderbolt.
- All six of the Pokémon that Red uses in the core series from HeartGold and SoulSilver to Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are capable of Gigantamax in Sword and Shield.
- In HeartGold and SoulSilver, Red's level 88 Pikachu is the highest-leveled Pokémon owned by a non-player character outside of battle facilities, tied with Cynthia's Garchomp during the second rematch in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.
- However, the level of several NPCs' Pokémon in Black, White, Black 2, and White 2 are variable and can exceed that of the two, depending on the level of the Pokémon that is traded to them.
- When Red is encountered at the summit of Mt. Silver during Generation II and Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, he has no speech, merely repeating sets of ellipses before beginning the battle. This is a reference to his silent role in Generation I, as he only answered choice questions like Yes or No. This unique characteristic remains in later generations.
- In FireRed and LeafGreen, Blue sarcastically calls him a "chatty gossip".
- Blue also jokes about this in Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon.
- Despite this, dialogue that ensues when talking to Copycat in Generation I and FireRed and LeafGreen implies that Red is speaking.
- Also, only in the Spanish version of HeartGold and SoulSilver, the line "<Trainer> used one <item>!" for opponents using items in battle was localized as "<Trainer>: ¡Voy a usar <item>!" ("<Trainer>: I'm going to use <item>!"), thus causing Red to speak when using an item in battle.[12]
- In Pokémon Masters EX, while primarily silent, Red has several spoken lines of dialogue.
- In FireRed and LeafGreen, Blue sarcastically calls him a "chatty gossip".
- Much like there is minimal information on his anime counterpart's father, Red's father is mentioned only briefly when examining an SNES at the Celadon Department Store in the Generation I games and FireRed and LeafGreen.
- In HeartGold and SoulSilver, Red is the only Trainer who uses the battle transition effect from Generation II.
- All of his anime and manga counterparts also have owned a Pikachu, with Satoshi from Pokémon Zensho being the only one who evolved his one into a Raichu.
- Along with Blue, Lance, and the Generation I and III Kanto Gym Leaders (excluding Giovanni and Koga), Red has appeared in almost every generation of the Pokémon games, with six out of nine so far. He is the only protagonist with this feat.
- Red and Lance share the same unique Champion battle music in Johto-based games and Pokémon Black 2 and White 2's Champions Tournament.
- Red's T-shirt in Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon bears the number 96, referencing the original Japanese release year of Pokémon Red and Green.
- Red is the only protagonist to be battled, as an NPC, outside of the generation he was introduced in.
- A Trainer closely resembling an older Red briefly appears in POKÉMON Detective Pikachu, where he is shown in a promotional advertisement on the train to Ryme City. This Trainer is played by Japanese actor Ryoma Takeuchi.
Names
| Language | Name | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | レッド Red | From Pokémon Red |
| English, French, Brazilian Portuguese | Red | From Pokémon Red |
| German | Rot | From Pokémon Rote Edition (Pokémon Red) |
| Spanish | Rojo | From Pokémon Edición Roja (Pokémon Red) |
| Italian | Rosso | From Pokémon Versione Rossa (Pokémon Red) |
| Korean | 레드 Red | Transcription of his Japanese name |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 赤紅 / 赤红 Chìhóng | From 赤 chì / chek (red) and 紅 / 红 hóng / hùhng (red) |
| Chinese (Cantonese) | 赤紅 Chekhùhng | |
| Thai | เรด Ret | Transcription of his Japanese name |
Placeholder names
Pokémon Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow
| Language | Name | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | やまぐち YamaguchiRG | From Wataru Yamaguchi, an art director that worked on the original games |
| ゲーフリ GēfuriB | From Game Freak | |
| ゲーフリ1 Gēfuri1Y | From Game Freak | |
| English, French, German, Italian, Spanish | Ninten | From Nintendo |
Pokémon FireRed, LeafGeen, and Emerald
| Language | Name | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | レッド Red | From Pokémon Red |
| English, French | Red | From Pokémon Red |
| German | Rot | From Pokémon Rote Edition (Pokémon Red) |
| Italian | Rosso | From Pokémon Versione Rossa (Pokémon Red) |
| Spanish | Joro | From rojo (red) with the syllables reversed, from Pokémon Edición Roja (Pokémon Red) |
References
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