Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen Will Likely Be Missing One Feature on Switch 2

February 23, 2026, 3:00pm

Nintendo has re-released the Gen 3 Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen GameBoy Advance titles on the modern Switch 2, much to the shock and approval of Pokémon fans. These remakes are widely considered the definitive way to experience the first story in the series, going back to the Kanto region with the original 151 Pokémon that started it all. However, the remakes themselves had many new features when they came out, which may be harder to access on the Switch 2.

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The improvement in visuals for FireRed and LeafGreen came during a time when other beloved Pokémon titles were releasing, specifically the Gen 3 games like Ruby, Sapphire, and eventually Emerald. These classics are still considered by some fans to be Pokémon at its best, with the Kanto remakes specifically adding far more content than the Gen 1 Pokémon Red and Blue games ever were capable of having. This included a variety of postgame activities, but it is unclear whether the Switch 2 versions of these games will have some of those features at all.

Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen Will Lack Trading Content With Other Gen 3 Games

One of the biggest mechanics in Pokémon is the ability to trade with other players, which helps friends gain Pokémon their game version doesn’t have. In Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen‘s case, exclusive Pokémon to either edition and specific trade evolutions makes trading even more important, and likely still a feature in the Switch 2 versions. However, these Gen 3 games also shared trading with the Hoenn region games, letting players trade across regions for the first time in series history.

This process was only achieved once you entered FireRed and LeafGreen‘s postgame, after you defeat the Elite Four and get the National Pokédex by collecting 60 different types of Pokémon. By traveling to the Sevii Islands, you can embark on a quest to connect the island’s computers to Hoenn’s by collecting rare items called the Ruby and Sapphire from various locations. Battling remnants of Team Rocket and using HM moves help you unlock these items, which are plugged into the Network Machine and directly connect trading with the other games.

The Switch 2 Doesn’t Have Ports For Ruby, Sapphire, Or Emerald Yet To Allow For Multi-Region Trades

As of this time of writing, there are no ports to other Gen 3 games on the Switch 2, making the cross-region trading systems in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen obsolete. This could change with additions to the Switch 2 library, but for now, all it does is add some postgame content to the Kanto remakes that don’t really go anywhere. This is somewhat disappointing, as it prevents players from using Hoenn region Pokémon at all for the time being.

Part of the fun of multi-region trading in FireRed or LeafGreen was setting up ways to restart your adventure using Pokemon not originally from Kanto. For example, having your starter be Torchic instead of Charmander to fight the original Gyms of Kanto is a fun experience that is rarely repeated in any other Generation. This rare crossover of Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, and FireRed/LeafGreen being available at the same time made a one-of-a-kind collaboration that is impossible on the Switch 2.

Future Ports Could Make This Underrated Feature Available Again In The Kanto Remasters

FireRed and LeafGreen Nintendo Switch — Image courtesy of Game Freak and The Pokemon Company

If the Hoenn trading still exists somewhat in the Switch 2 FireRed and LeafGreen ports, there’s a strong argument to be made for Ruby, Sapphire, or Emerald to receive similar treatment in the future. Not only are these among the most beloved games in the series, but allowing them to trade with the Kanto games adds far more variety to the Pokémon players can encounter in both experiences.