2nd Gen Metal & Color Generation Help Thread

[Zehn]

Thanks for replying.

I see, so you can't transfer forward after Crystal, is that right? Does that mean I can't catch some/all of the Pokemon from Crystal and before in any of the later releases? As in, no legendary birds or dogs, or Ho-Oh or Lugia + the regulars.

Also, any ideas regarding other questions?

Well no because you can still trade from the remakes. And as far as I know you will need 2 gba/sp and link cable, a ds/dsi and a 3ds to trade and get all the generations connected

 

[ZapdosVictrix]

Well no because you can still trade from the remakes. And as far as I know you will need 2 gba/sp and link cable, a ds/dsi and a 3ds to trade and get all the generations connected

So what order of play do you recommend, then? Start on Yellow, move over to FireRed and LeafGreen, then move to Crystal or bypass Crystal and move to HeartGold and SoulSilver, then Emerald or bypass Emerald, then OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire, then Platinum or Diamond and Pearl, then Black and White, Black and White 2 and finally X and Y.

Is this the correct order? Honestly I am confused by the Director's Cut editions such as Crystal, Emerald and Platinum.

To clarify, I can have a continuous chain, keeping all of my Pokemon from Yellow onwards, so long as I use the remakes?


Thanks again.

 

[Zehn]

So what order of play do you recommend, then? Start on Yellow, move over to FireRed and LeafGreen, then move to Crystal or bypass Crystal and move to HeartGold and SoulSilver, then Emerald or bypass Emerald, then OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire, then Platinum or Diamond and Pearl, then Black and White, Black and White 2 and finally X and Y.

Is this the correct order? Honestly I am confused by the Director's Cut editions such as Crystal, Emerald and Platinum.

To clarify, I can have a continuous chain, keeping all of my Pokemon from Yellow onwards, so long as I use the remakes?


Thanks again.

I mean it really depends on weather you want to play all the games or just every region.
If you don't want to keep the Pokemon go
Red/blue - crystal - emerald - platinum - black/white - black2/White 2 - x/y
Or if you wanna keep you Pokemon and not bothered by playing the originals go
Fire red/ leaf green - heart gold/soul silver - Omega Ruby/ Alpha sapphire - b/w - b2/w2 - x/y

Even you do the second, I would highly recommend playing the gen 2 games, as it is a great way to experience the games again, without the glitches/ lact of feature compared to the future games of gen 1, but you can do whatever

If you wanna play them all I would do
Red/blue - yellow - fire red/leaf green - gold/silver- crystal - heart gold/soul silver - Ruby/sapphire - omega Ruby/alpha sapphire - diamond/pearl - platinum - black/white - black2/White 2 - x/y

The director cuts are definitely good, but if you have the chance play the originals of that first to better appreciate the changes, or if you can't, only play the director cuts. Note that black/white compared to black2/White 2 are such different games that you have to play them both, black2/White 2 are a sequel to black/white so much has changed and improved

 

[ZapdosVictrix]

I mean it really depends on weather you want to play all the games or just every region.
If you don't want to keep the Pokemon go
Red/blue - crystal - emerald - platinum - black/white - black2/White 2 - x/y
Or if you wanna keep you Pokemon and not bothered by playing the originals go
Fire red/ leaf green - heart gold/soul silver - Omega Ruby/ Alpha sapphire - b/w - b2/w2 - x/y

Even you do the second, I would highly recommend playing the gen 2 games, as it is a great way to experience the games again, without the glitches/ lact of feature compared to the future games of gen 1, but you can do whatever

If you wanna play them all I would do
Red/blue - yellow - fire red/leaf green - gold/silver- crystal - heart gold/soul silver - Ruby/sapphire - omega Ruby/alpha sapphire - diamond/pearl - platinum - black/white - black2/White 2 - x/y

The director cuts are definitely good, but if you have the chance play the originals of that first to better appreciate the changes, or if you can't, only play the director cuts. Note that black/white compared to black2/White 2 are such different games that you have to play them both, black2/White 2 are a sequel to black/white so much has changed and improved

What I want is a progression. To start at the beginning, catch the original 150, then move onto the next game, where I can catch the rest and basically continue in that way, all the time keeping my Pokemon. Naturally I want to experience all of the regions but basically be able to catch most of them (notable exceptions being Celebi and Mew for various reasons) and keep playing with the pokemon I started with in Gen 1.

For me, the only point of having Red/Blue and Yellow is to catch the first 150 - but if I can catch the original 150 on FireRed and LeafGreen, I don't really see the point of playing Blue/Red/Yellow. But unless I'm mistaken, you can't catch the original 150 Pokemon on 1 version - I suppose on FireRed + LeafGreen you can catch the original 150. Otherwise Blue,Red and Yellow are basically the same. If I can avoid having to play the same game 3 times, I would be happy. The same goes for all the generations.

The same goes for the appreciation of changes. I would rather play the latest version of that generation, rather than play through what is roughly the same game multiple times. Of course, if I have to buy the sister release(s) to catch all of the Pokemon from that generation, then that's ok.

I'm not sure I understand what you put here ''Fire red/ leaf green - heart gold/soul silver - Omega Ruby/ Alpha sapphire - b/w - b2/w2 - x/y''. I understand that FireRed/LeafGreen are remakes of Red/Blue which allow me to catch the original 150 Pokemon, which is fine. But then I play HeartGold/SoulSilver without Crystal - why is that? Is that because the upgrades from Crystal feature in both Heart and Soul or what? Or is Crystal and all of the other director's cuts pointless because of the remakes?

Also, why have Diamond/Pearl and Platinum been excluded?



Thanks again.

 

[Zehn]

That's because I forgot to put platnium on that one, but that's the one you want to do

 

[ZapdosVictrix]

That's because I forgot to put platnium on that one, but that's the one you want to do

Sorry but is it possible to help me point by point?

1) I understand starting with FireRed/LeafGreen makes sense because I can trade upwards that way, even with the latest releases. But in the case of SoulSilver and HeartGold, Don't I need to play Crystal? Will I be missing Pokemon, or do Soul and Heart include all of the Pokemon and content from Gold/Silver and Crystal?

2) That brings me back to Platinum. If Platinum is the director's cut of Diamond and Pearl, am I going to be missing Pokemon again by not playing all 3? I also noticed that Diamond and Pearl are the only one's which haven't been remade yet.

3) Same goes for Emerald. Am I going to be missing Pokemon and/or features by bypassing it and playing only Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire?

4) Again, I just want to ensure I get all of the content, while being able to catch and keep all of the Pokemon from the first game I play till the last. Judging by the Bulbapedia on ''version exclusive Pokemon'' it could be a little tricky.


Thanks again.

 

[Zehn]

I wouldn't matter because you can't trade forward from crystal
I haven't memorised which Pokemon you can get, but I'm sure you can google it easy enough

 

[Sydian]

Sorry but is it possible to help me point by point?

1) I understand starting with FireRed/LeafGreen makes sense because I can trade upwards that way, even with the latest releases. But in the case of SoulSilver and HeartGold, Don't I need to play Crystal? Will I be missing Pokemon, or do Soul and Heart include all of the Pokemon and content from Gold/Silver and Crystal?

2) That brings me back to Platinum. If Platinum is the director's cut of Diamond and Pearl, am I going to be missing Pokemon again by not playing all 3? I also noticed that Diamond and Pearl are the only one's which haven't been remade yet.

3) Same goes for Emerald. Am I going to be missing Pokemon and/or features by bypassing it and playing only Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire?

4) Again, I just want to ensure I get all of the content, while being able to catch and keep all of the Pokemon from the first game I play till the last. Judging by the Bulbapedia on ''version exclusive Pokemon'' it could be a little tricky.


Thanks again.

HeartGold and SoulSilver are not a part of the same generation as Gold, Silver, and Crystal. They are remakes of the original Gold and Silver with elements of Crystal added in, such as Eusine who searches for Suicune. Between HeartGold, SoulSilver, and the other generation 4 games, Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, you should be able to complete your generation 4 national dex and move them up from there, if I'm understanding your project correctly. Just note that starter Pokemon are going to be tricky. You'll have to restart a game a few times to get all of the starters in these older games since there's no wifi trading anymore, unless you're okay with waiting on those til you make it up to a gen 6 game where there is wifi trading and getting starters is easy breezy.

DPPt aren't my forte, but between Diamond and Pearl, I believe you are able to get everything without Platinum. Platinum has some extra things like Battle Frontier, forms of Shaymin, Rotom (but only with a wifi event that has already passed), and Giratina, an expanded regional Pokedex, etc, but I think Diamond and Pearl have you covered as far as all of the Pokemon introduced in that generation go. If you were trying to complete a National Dex in generation IV as a whole, you'd need the help of HGSS.

Like HGSS is to GSC, ORAS is to Emerald, Ruby, and Sapphire. If you bypass the original RSE, you won't miss anything if you move on to ORAS (in fact, it would be easier because wifi trading exists in this generation and you wouldn't have to buy both games to cover missed ground, you could just trade for what you can't get in your version).

Honestly, you would be better off just using XY or ORAS to complete your Pokedex, but I think I get what you're going for here. Just use this page to help guide you. There are probably some more simplified versions of those lists as well if you look at the page for the specific games you want to know about (ex. What's exclusive to Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum). If you are just looking to move up each Pokemon introduced in that area (ie. catching all Kanto Pokemon in FRLG, moving them up, catching all Johto Pokemon in HGSS, moving those two groups up, etc) then you would probably be looking to get each pair of games (FireRed and LeafGreen, HeartGold and SoulSilver, etc) to get all of those Pokemon and then move them. You could forgo the third versions like Emerald and Platinum for the most part, I believe.

Hope this helps somewhat.

 

[ZapdosVictrix]

HeartGold and SoulSilver are not a part of the same generation as Gold, Silver, and Crystal. They are remakes of the original Gold and Silver with elements of Crystal added in, such as Eusine who searches for Suicune. Between HeartGold, SoulSilver, and the other generation 4 games, Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, you should be able to complete your generation 4 national dex and move them up from there, if I'm understanding your project correctly. Just note that starter Pokemon are going to be tricky. You'll have to restart a game a few times to get all of the starters in these older games since there's no wifi trading anymore, unless you're okay with waiting on those til you make it up to a gen 6 game where there is wifi trading and getting starters is easy breezy.

DPPt aren't my forte, but between Diamond and Pearl, I believe you are able to get everything without Platinum. Platinum has some extra things like Battle Frontier, forms of Shaymin, Rotom (but only with a wifi event that has already passed), and Giratina, an expanded regional Pokedex, etc, but I think Diamond and Pearl have you covered as far as all of the Pokemon introduced in that generation go. If you were trying to complete a National Dex in generation IV as a whole, you'd need the help of HGSS.

Like HGSS is to GSC, ORAS is to Emerald, Ruby, and Sapphire. If you bypass the original RSE, you won't miss anything if you move on to ORAS (in fact, it would be easier because wifi trading exists in this generation and you wouldn't have to buy both games to cover missed ground, you could just trade for what you can't get in your version).

Honestly, you would be better off just using XY or ORAS to complete your Pokedex, but I think I get what you're going for here. Just use this page to help guide you. There are probably some more simplified versions of those lists as well if you look at the page for the specific games you want to know about (ex. What's exclusive to Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum). If you are just looking to move up each Pokemon introduced in that area (ie. catching all Kanto Pokemon in FRLG, moving them up, catching all Johto Pokemon in HGSS, moving those two groups up, etc) then you would probably be looking to get each pair of games (FireRed and LeafGreen, HeartGold and SoulSilver, etc) to get all of those Pokemon and then move them. You could forgo the third versions like Emerald and Platinum for the most part, I believe.

Hope this helps somewhat.

Hello,

Well, if I can't trade upwards from Crystal and HGSS = Gold/Silver + Crystal, then HGSS seems the way forward. I suppose when you say elements of Crystal, you mean most of the content, or will I still be missing something? Also, which starter Pokemon are you referring to? The Pokemon which feature in Gen 1 and 2 only? I thought there were tricks to acquire them all. If not, I can restart the game a few times as you have said.

As for D, P and Platinum, if there are any features which I may be missing, I would rather just go ahead and get them.

Your third paragraph is pretty clear. Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald can be bypassed for the updated versions.

Ok, so what I gather is that to make sure I keep all of content/latest content, allow myself to catch most if not all of the Pokemon, and trade them up, I should progress from -

FireRed, Leaf Green to
Heart Gold, Soul Silver to
OmegaRuby, Alpha Sapphire to
Diamond, Pearl and Platinum (just to get those features which you mentioned) to
Black and White to
Black and White 2 to
X and Y


Is this about right? If so, will it still be necessary to have 2 devices and a link cable at any point, or should all of these releases have an online feature for trading?


Thanks for the help!

 

[Imperator161]

Hello,

Well, if I can't trade upwards from Crystal and HGSS = Gold/Silver + Crystal, then HGSS seems the way forward. I suppose when you say elements of Crystal, you mean most of the content, or will I still be missing something? Also, which starter Pokemon are you referring to? The Pokemon which feature in Gen 1 and 2 only? I thought there were tricks to acquire them all. If not, I can restart the game a few times as you have said.

As for D, P and Platinum, if there are any features which I may be missing, I would rather just go ahead and get them.

Your third paragraph is pretty clear. Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald can be bypassed for the updated versions.

Ok, so what I gather is that to make sure I keep all of content/latest content, allow myself to catch most if not all of the Pokemon, and trade them up, I should progress from -

FireRed, Leaf Green to
Heart Gold, Soul Silver to
OmegaRuby, Alpha Sapphire to
Diamond, Pearl and Platinum (just to get those features which you mentioned) to
Black and White to
Black and White 2 to
X and Y


Is this about right? If so, will it still be necessary to have 2 devices and a link cable at any point, or should all of these releases have an online feature for trading?


Thanks for the help!

I didn't write the previous post, and am just jumping into this thread, but I'll try to help. Re: your suggested playing order, it does a good job of following the progression of the original releases (Kanto [RBY and FRLG], Johto [GSC and HGSS], Hoenn [RSE and ORAS], Sinnoh [DPP], Unova [BW1/2], Kalos [XY]), but if you want to transfer your Pokemon from one game to the next, you'll want to move Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire to the end of your list (either before or after X and Y). This is because unlike in Gold/Silver and Red/Blue/Yellow, where you could trade from the newer games to the older games using the time capsule, you can only transfer Pokemon forward in "time" now. This can only be done one generation at a time. That means that anything you catch in your third generation games (FRLG) will need to be transferred to one of the fourth generation games (DPP or HGSS), and then from those games to Black and White (1 or 2), and then from those to X and Y or Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. Thus, if you play ORAS third, you won't be able to transfer your Pokemon to the next game you play (Diamond/Pearl), and you also won't be able to use the Pokemon from your HGSS playthrough in ORAS because you won't be able to transfer them until you have BW1/2 available. So, if you want to have access to your Pokemon throughout, I would do:

1. FireRed or Leafgreen
2. HeartGold or Soulsilver
3. Diamond/Pearl and Platinum
4. Black and White
5. Black and White 2
6. X and Y or OmegaRuby/AlphaSapphire
7. Whichever option you didn't take in 6

ORAS have some Pokemon (mega evolutions) that can't be used in XY, but everything in XY can be used in ORAS, so you may want to do XY sixth, then ORAS seventh.

As for the trading, you will need multiple DS systems for trading/transferring among the gen 4/5 games and between those generations (that includes HGSS, DPP, and BW1/2). If you want to complete your Pokedex in FRLG before moving on, you will need both games and a game link cable (or the wireless adapter that came with them originally) and 2 GBAs to do that. The only games with wifi trading at the moment are XY and ORAS, so you'll have to have multiple systems and all of the older games to complete your Pokedex earlier than in XY/ORAS. (Everything but FRLG used to have wifi trading, but Nintendo shut down their pre-3DS wifi services a little more than a year ago.) That's why one of the previous posters recommended dealing with the Pokedex completion in the sixth generation games.

Starter Pokemon are the ones given to you at the beginning of the game by the professor (e.g., Bulbasaur/Charmander/Squirtle in Red/Blue and Chikorita/Cyndaquil/Totodile in Gold/Silver/Crystal). Every generation has its own set of starters, so there are 18 standard starters now (3 for each of the six generations, all following the Grass/Fire/Water motif to some degree). For the starters, there are not generally ways to get more than one starter of a particular starter set (e.g., Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle) in one game (that only happened in Yellow). Thus, in the older games,you'll have to restart the game several times, and be able to trade with yourself to hold onto the Pokemon.

By "elements of Crystal," I think the previous poster means the plot elements (e.g., Suicune's involvement, etc.). HGSS add new elements and features as well, so they're more fleshed out than Crystal (though I'm personally still a huge gen 2 fan, partially for the nostalgia). You should be fine without Crystal, as fun a game as it is.

Hope that helps, and hope I'm not overloading you with too many abbreviations. (I get sick of typing the game names out over and over again.) Let me know if you have more questions.

 

[ZapdosVictrix]

I didn't write the previous post, and am just jumping into this thread, but I'll try to help. Re: your suggested playing order, it does a good job of following the progression of the original releases (Kanto [RBY and FRLG], Johto [GSC and HGSS], Hoenn [RSE and ORAS], Sinnoh [DPP], Unova [BW1/2], Kalos [XY]), but if you want to transfer your Pokemon from one game to the next, you'll want to move Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire to the end of your list (either before or after X and Y). This is because unlike in Gold/Silver and Red/Blue/Yellow, where you could trade from the newer games to the older games using the time capsule, you can only transfer Pokemon forward in "time" now. This can only be done one generation at a time. That means that anything you catch in your third generation games (FRLG) will need to be transferred to one of the fourth generation games (DPP or HGSS), and then from those games to Black and White (1 or 2), and then from those to X and Y or Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. Thus, if you play ORAS third, you won't be able to transfer your Pokemon to the next game you play (Diamond/Pearl), and you also won't be able to use the Pokemon from your HGSS playthrough in ORAS because you won't be able to transfer them until you have BW1/2 available. So, if you want to have access to your Pokemon throughout, I would do:

1. FireRed or Leafgreen
2. HeartGold or Soulsilver
3. Diamond/Pearl and Platinum
4. Black and White
5. Black and White 2
6. X and Y or OmegaRuby/AlphaSapphire
7. Whichever option you didn't take in 6

ORAS have some Pokemon (mega evolutions) that can't be used in XY, but everything in XY can be used in ORAS, so you may want to do XY sixth, then ORAS seventh.

As for the trading, you will need multiple DS systems for trading/transferring among the gen 4/5 games and between those generations (that includes HGSS, DPP, and BW1/2). If you want to complete your Pokedex in FRLG before moving on, you will need both games and a game link cable (or the wireless adapter that came with them originally) and 2 GBAs to do that. The only games with wifi trading at the moment are XY and ORAS, so you'll have to have multiple systems and all of the older games to complete your Pokedex earlier than in XY/ORAS. (Everything but FRLG used to have wifi trading, but Nintendo shut down their pre-3DS wifi services a little more than a year ago.) That's why one of the previous posters recommended dealing with the Pokedex completion in the sixth generation games.

Starter Pokemon are the ones given to you at the beginning of the game by the professor (e.g., Bulbasaur/Charmander/Squirtle in Red/Blue and Chikorita/Cyndaquil/Totodile in Gold/Silver/Crystal). Every generation has its own set of starters, so there are 18 standard starters now (3 for each of the six generations, all following the Grass/Fire/Water motif to some degree). For the starters, there are not generally ways to get more than one starter of a particular starter set (e.g., Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle) in one game (that only happened in Yellow). Thus, in the older games,you'll have to restart the game several times, and be able to trade with yourself to hold onto the Pokemon.

By "elements of Crystal," I think the previous poster means the plot elements (e.g., Suicune's involvement, etc.). HGSS add new elements and features as well, so they're more fleshed out than Crystal (though I'm personally still a huge gen 2 fan, partially for the nostalgia). You should be fine without Crystal, as fun a game as it is.

Hope that helps, and hope I'm not overloading you with too many abbreviations. (I get sick of typing the game names out over and over again.) Let me know if you have more questions.

Hi,

Well since I want all of the evolutions and stuff, this order seems the best, going on what you have said.

1. FireRed and Leafgreen
2. HeartGold and Soulsilver
3. Diamond/Pearl and Platinum
4. Black and White
5. Black and White 2
6. X and Y
7. Omega and Alpha

I was a little confused by what you said here '' That's why one of the previous posters recommended dealing with the Pokedex completion in the sixth generation games. ''. Do you mean through trading? Are there not some Pokemon besides the starters which can't be caught in the newer releases, or do new generations include earlier generation pokemon as well?

Well if all of the Pokemon and features from Crystal are in HG/SS, then I can do without.

OK, can you help me clarify which consoles and equipment I need to play in regards the the 7 points I have listed here?

Many thanks again!

 

[ZapdosVictrix]

Any ideas, guys?

 

[Sun]

Any ideas, guys?

I hope I'm not understanding your question wrongly.

Normally you can get Pokémon without an another Generation's help.
That means Diamond and Pearl, HeartGold and SoulSilver along Platinum can capture all the Pokémon without a Gen III game's help. Similarly, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire can capture all non-event Pokémon with X and Y versions.

The only exceptions so far are Gen II games and Generation V games, as old Pokémon like Zapdos, can't be found in the Unova based games as well as in Gold, Silver and Crystal versions. Gen V games need the help of Gen IV games, while Gen II games need the help of Gen I games.

 

[ZapdosVictrix]

I hope I'm not understanding your question wrongly.

Normally you can get Pokémon without an another Generation's help.
That means Diamond and Pearl, HeartGold and SoulSilver along Platinum can capture all the Pokémon without a Gen III game's help. Similarly, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire can capture all non-event Pokémon with X and Y versions.

The only exceptions so far are Gen II games and Generation V games, as old Pokémon like Zapdos, can't be found in the Unova based games as well as in Gold, Silver and Crystal versions. Gen V games need the help of Gen IV games, while Gen II games need the help of Gen I games.

I was hoping either the previous poster or the next would address the points here -




Hi,

Well since I want all of the evolutions and stuff, this order seems the best, going on what you have said.

1. FireRed and Leafgreen
2. HeartGold and Soulsilver
3. Diamond/Pearl and Platinum
4. Black and White
5. Black and White 2
6. X and Y
7. Omega and Alpha

I was a little confused by what you said here '' That's why one of the previous posters recommended dealing with the Pokedex completion in the sixth generation games. ''. Do you mean through trading? Are there not some Pokemon besides the starters which can't be caught in the newer releases, or do new generations include earlier generation pokemon as well?

Well if all of the Pokemon and features from Crystal are in HG/SS, then I can do without.

OK, can you help me clarify which consoles and equipment I need to play in regards the the 7 points I have listed here?

 

[Imperator161]

When I said "That's why one of the previous posters recommended dealing with the Pokedex completion in the sixth generation games," I was referring to your need to trade in order to complete your Pokedex, whether to obtain version exclusive Pokemon or evolve those that only evolve by trading. While you could get all of the Pokemon by owning the games yourself, you'll need to be able to trade with yourself to do so. That requires multiple game systems in the older games, but with the current, wifi-enabled generation, you can trade with other people to obtain all of the Pokemon without needing more than one game system.

For the most part, GameFreak has tried to make all of the Pokemon (or almost all of them) available within the games of a particular generation. For example, the generation 6 games (ORAS and XY) allow you to obtain many of the starter and legendary Pokemon from other regions. For instance, you'll be able to choose one of the Kanto starters, Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle, shortly after you earn your first badge in XY. However, to obtain the other two, you'll either need to trade, transfer them from previous generations, or get their second-stage evolutions via Friend Safari. (Don't worry about friend safari right now, just be aware that it's a way of obtaining additional Pokemon that requires you to beat the Elite Four and add other users' 3DS friend codes.) So you can get these Pokemon within the sixth generation, but you can't get all of them on a single file without trading or interacting with other people. As a general rule, new generations do include previous generations' Pokemon; however, how to obtain these varies, and in some cases, you'll need to wait until after the main game (post-Elite Four) or play one particular game within a generation to obtain them. There may be exceptions (I know that was definitely the case for gen 1 legends and starters in gen 2, and it may have been the case in gen 5 with the legendary birds), but in general, you can find most current and old generation Pokemon within a particular generation.

As for equipment you'll need, it really depends on just how extensive you want to be in your Pokedex completion at each stage. Do you want to fully complete the Pokedex within each generation (in which case you'll need to play almost every game), or are you ok playing the main story for each game, transferring your team forward, and dealing with Pokedex completion in XY or ORAS?

For a minimalist playthrough (the games you mentioned, worrying about Pokedex completion at the end but transferring your team forward each time), you'll need:

--2 DS systems (if you're only playing FRLG and don't plan on trading, you won't need a GBA or GBA SP; just transfer at the end to HGSS. You'll need two of these to transfer from gen 4 to gen 5.)
--1 3DS (or 3DS XL, or 2DS) system
--One copy of each game of interest (if you're willing to wait until the end to complete your Pokedex, you don't need every game, just one from each pair)
--One annual subscription to Pokemon Bank, and the accompanying transfer tool ($5 for a year for Bank, buy it in the 3DS eShop; PokeTransfer is free)

With this approach:
1. Play FireRed or LeafGreen using the GBA slot of the DS. Note that you won't be able to trade at all, so you won't be able to complete the Pokedex along the way.
2. Play HeartGold or Soulsilver on the DS. At the end of the game, you can transfer Pokemon from FRLG to HGSS via Pal Park.
3. Play Diamond or Pearl on the DS. Trade everything from HGSS to DP using your 2 DS systems.
4. Play Platinum on the DS. Trade everything from DP to Platinum using your 2 DS systems.
5. Play Black or White on the DS. Transfer from Platinum to BW using your 2 DS systems (one with BW, one with Platinum).
6. Play Black2 or White2 on the DS. Trade everything from BW to BW2 at your earliest convenience.
7. Play XY on the 3DS. Download Pokemon Bank and PokeTransfer and move your Pokemon from BW2 to XY.
8. Play ORAS on the 3DS. To avoid buying a second 3DS, use Pokemon Bank to transfer your team from XY to ORAS. Use the GTS, Wonder Trade, the trade boards here, etc., to obtain the rest of the Pokemon you need and/or breed/train to complete your Pokedex.

That's probably the most doable route, though it doesn't really involve completing the Pokedex at all until gen 6. Still, many of these games aren't cheap these days, so if you plan to buy physical copies (and game systems to go with them), this is probably your best approach.

If you want to complete your Pokedex in each successive generation, you'll need to take a more comprehensive approach. Additionally, there will be some event-only Pokemon that you will not be able to obtain. That being said, if you want to do that, I believe this is what you will need for each step:

1. Completing the Kanto Dex in FRLG:
Equipment needed: 2 GBA systems, both game versions, 2 wireless adapters or a GBA link cable. (If you want to complete the 386 Pokemon national dex in this generation, minus events, you'll want to use the GBA link cable so you can trade with RSE.)
Just like with Red and Blue, using these two games, you'll be able to catch the first 150 Pokemon.

2. Completing the Hoenn Dex (optional, do this only if you want to complete the 386 national dex):
What you'll need: Ruby and Sapphire, GBA link cable, 2 GBAs.

3. Completing the 386 National Dex (minus events):
What you'll need: FRLG, RSE, Colosseum, and XD (the last two are GameCube games; I don't think you actually need all of these, but I would need to look up exactly which combination you need to complete your national dex; I want to say you can do it with RSE/LG/Colosseum, and maybe one of the other two games, but I'm not sure). Also, a GameCube, one or two GBAs (you can trade with the GameCube game with only one GBA, saving you a GBA, if you want), and a GameCube/GBA connector cable. The GBA link cable is optional in this case, but if you completed the Kanto Dex first, you'll already have it by this point.

3. Complete the Johto Dex.
What you'll need: 2 DS systems, both HG and SS.

4. Complete the original (non-expanded) Sinnoh Dex.
What you'll need: 2 DS systems, both Diamond and Pearl.

5. Complete the expanded Sinnoh Dex.
What you'll need: Platinum plus what you already have up to this point.

6. Complete the 493 National Dex (minus events).
What you'll need: 2 DS systems, DP/HGSS; don't recall if you need Platinum for anything or not.

7. Complete the Black and White Dex.
What you'll need: Black and White, 2 DS systems.

8. Complete the National Dex in gen 5.
What you'll need: BW plus the gen 4 games. BW2 are definitely worth playing and may make this easier, but I don't think you technically need them.

9. Complete the Kalos Dex.
What you'll need: 1 3DS, either X or Y, an internet connection that works with your 3DS (if you're using an enterprise network like those found at some universities, you may have problems, but if you have your own router/network, you should be fine). If you are someplace where you can't get your 3DS to connect, phone hotspots can work too.

10. Complete the ORAS Hoenn Dex.
What you'll need: One 3DS, either OR or AS, and an internet connection that works with your 3DS.

11. Complete the gen 6 national dex.
What you'll need: Technically, just one 3DS, one gen 6 game (OR or AS if you want all of the megas), and a working internet connection. If trading with yourself for trade evolutions, you'll need 2 3DS systems. Otherwise, you can use Bank to move your own Pokemon from one game to another.

That second list was probably long and somewhat confusing. You're probably best sticking with the minimalist approach, and getting an extra system or two if you want to play all of the games and trade with yourself.

Hope this helps somewhat. Let me know if you have more questions.

 

[ZapdosVictrix]

When I said "That's why one of the previous posters recommended dealing with the Pokedex completion in the sixth generation games," I was referring to your need to trade in order to complete your Pokedex, whether to obtain version exclusive Pokemon or evolve those that only evolve by trading. While you could get all of the Pokemon by owning the games yourself, you'll need to be able to trade with yourself to do so. That requires multiple game systems in the older games, but with the current, wifi-enabled generation, you can trade with other people to obtain all of the Pokemon without needing more than one game system.

For the most part, GameFreak has tried to make all of the Pokemon (or almost all of them) available within the games of a particular generation. For example, the generation 6 games (ORAS and XY) allow you to obtain many of the starter and legendary Pokemon from other regions. For instance, you'll be able to choose one of the Kanto starters, Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle, shortly after you earn your first badge in XY. However, to obtain the other two, you'll either need to trade, transfer them from previous generations, or get their second-stage evolutions via Friend Safari. (Don't worry about friend safari right now, just be aware that it's a way of obtaining additional Pokemon that requires you to beat the Elite Four and add other users' 3DS friend codes.) So you can get these Pokemon within the sixth generation, but you can't get all of them on a single file without trading or interacting with other people. As a general rule, new generations do include previous generations' Pokemon; however, how to obtain these varies, and in some cases, you'll need to wait until after the main game (post-Elite Four) or play one particular game within a generation to obtain them. There may be exceptions (I know that was definitely the case for gen 1 legends and starters in gen 2, and it may have been the case in gen 5 with the legendary birds), but in general, you can find most current and old generation Pokemon within a particular generation.

As for equipment you'll need, it really depends on just how extensive you want to be in your Pokedex completion at each stage. Do you want to fully complete the Pokedex within each generation (in which case you'll need to play almost every game), or are you ok playing the main story for each game, transferring your team forward, and dealing with Pokedex completion in XY or ORAS?

For a minimalist playthrough (the games you mentioned, worrying about Pokedex completion at the end but transferring your team forward each time), you'll need:

--2 DS systems (if you're only playing FRLG and don't plan on trading, you won't need a GBA or GBA SP; just transfer at the end to HGSS. You'll need two of these to transfer from gen 4 to gen 5.)
--1 3DS (or 3DS XL, or 2DS) system
--One copy of each game of interest (if you're willing to wait until the end to complete your Pokedex, you don't need every game, just one from each pair)
--One annual subscription to Pokemon Bank, and the accompanying transfer tool ($5 for a year for Bank, buy it in the 3DS eShop; PokeTransfer is free)

With this approach:
1. Play FireRed or LeafGreen using the GBA slot of the DS. Note that you won't be able to trade at all, so you won't be able to complete the Pokedex along the way.
2. Play HeartGold or Soulsilver on the DS. At the end of the game, you can transfer Pokemon from FRLG to HGSS via Pal Park.
3. Play Diamond or Pearl on the DS. Trade everything from HGSS to DP using your 2 DS systems.
4. Play Platinum on the DS. Trade everything from DP to Platinum using your 2 DS systems.
5. Play Black or White on the DS. Transfer from Platinum to BW using your 2 DS systems (one with BW, one with Platinum).
6. Play Black2 or White2 on the DS. Trade everything from BW to BW2 at your earliest convenience.
7. Play XY on the 3DS. Download Pokemon Bank and PokeTransfer and move your Pokemon from BW2 to XY.
8. Play ORAS on the 3DS. To avoid buying a second 3DS, use Pokemon Bank to transfer your team from XY to ORAS. Use the GTS, Wonder Trade, the trade boards here, etc., to obtain the rest of the Pokemon you need and/or breed/train to complete your Pokedex.

That's probably the most doable route, though it doesn't really involve completing the Pokedex at all until gen 6. Still, many of these games aren't cheap these days, so if you plan to buy physical copies (and game systems to go with them), this is probably your best approach.

If you want to complete your Pokedex in each successive generation, you'll need to take a more comprehensive approach. Additionally, there will be some event-only Pokemon that you will not be able to obtain. That being said, if you want to do that, I believe this is what you will need for each step:

1. Completing the Kanto Dex in FRLG:
Equipment needed: 2 GBA systems, both game versions, 2 wireless adapters or a GBA link cable. (If you want to complete the 386 Pokemon national dex in this generation, minus events, you'll want to use the GBA link cable so you can trade with RSE.)
Just like with Red and Blue, using these two games, you'll be able to catch the first 150 Pokemon.

2. Completing the Hoenn Dex (optional, do this only if you want to complete the 386 national dex):
What you'll need: Ruby and Sapphire, GBA link cable, 2 GBAs.

3. Completing the 386 National Dex (minus events):
What you'll need: FRLG, RSE, Colosseum, and XD (the last two are GameCube games; I don't think you actually need all of these, but I would need to look up exactly which combination you need to complete your national dex; I want to say you can do it with RSE/LG/Colosseum, and maybe one of the other two games, but I'm not sure). Also, a GameCube, one or two GBAs (you can trade with the GameCube game with only one GBA, saving you a GBA, if you want), and a GameCube/GBA connector cable. The GBA link cable is optional in this case, but if you completed the Kanto Dex first, you'll already have it by this point.

3. Complete the Johto Dex.
What you'll need: 2 DS systems, both HG and SS.

4. Complete the original (non-expanded) Sinnoh Dex.
What you'll need: 2 DS systems, both Diamond and Pearl.

5. Complete the expanded Sinnoh Dex.
What you'll need: Platinum plus what you already have up to this point.

6. Complete the 493 National Dex (minus events).
What you'll need: 2 DS systems, DP/HGSS; don't recall if you need Platinum for anything or not.

7. Complete the Black and White Dex.
What you'll need: Black and White, 2 DS systems.

8. Complete the National Dex in gen 5.
What you'll need: BW plus the gen 4 games. BW2 are definitely worth playing and may make this easier, but I don't think you technically need them.

9. Complete the Kalos Dex.
What you'll need: 1 3DS, either X or Y, an internet connection that works with your 3DS (if you're using an enterprise network like those found at some universities, you may have problems, but if you have your own router/network, you should be fine). If you are someplace where you can't get your 3DS to connect, phone hotspots can work too.

10. Complete the ORAS Hoenn Dex.
What you'll need: One 3DS, either OR or AS, and an internet connection that works with your 3DS.

11. Complete the gen 6 national dex.
What you'll need: Technically, just one 3DS, one gen 6 game (OR or AS if you want all of the megas), and a working internet connection. If trading with yourself for trade evolutions, you'll need 2 3DS systems. Otherwise, you can use Bank to move your own Pokemon from one game to another.

That second list was probably long and somewhat confusing. You're probably best sticking with the minimalist approach, and getting an extra system or two if you want to play all of the games and trade with yourself.

Hope this helps somewhat. Let me know if you have more questions.

Thank you for your No Stone Left Unturned approach.

I see the sense in completing the Pokedex at the end with Wifi Trading. I'm happy to do so infact, although my only reservations are how safe the trading is, the popularity of trading in general and the availability of the Pokemon which I will likely need, such as starter Pokemon? I presume.

For sure, possessing the Legendary birds is a big deal for me, so being able to get those is a priority. I suppose when you talk about exceptions, you mean that you could catch them whenever you liked, no? Or my memory of Gen 1 is worse than I thought.

To confirm, yes I am happy enough to complete the story and move my team onto the next game. I don't need to complete the pokedex within each generation, so long as it can be done at the end via wifi trading.

Ok. So let me just clarify that point. I don't need GBA x2 at all, for any reason, if I take the minimalist approach?

As for point 1 of the minimalist approach, I was just a little confused by " Note that you won't be able to trade at all, so you won't be able to complete the Pokedex along the way". Do you mean that I can't trade between FR and LG using the DS slot for GBA? And that I must wait until HG and SS? If I can't trade between FR and LG unless I have 2 GBA's, then it doesn't matter, as long as I can transfer my team forward from one game to the next.

On a side note, should I be concerned about version exclusive moves?


Thanks again for taking the time to address all of my points!

 

[ZapdosVictrix]

Any ideas, guys?

 

[Imperator161]

Thank you for your No Stone Left Unturned approach.

I see the sense in completing the Pokedex at the end with Wifi Trading. I'm happy to do so infact, although my only reservations are how safe the trading is, the popularity of trading in general and the availability of the Pokemon which I will likely need, such as starter Pokemon? I presume.

For sure, possessing the Legendary birds is a big deal for me, so being able to get those is a priority. I suppose when you talk about exceptions, you mean that you could catch them whenever you liked, no? Or my memory of Gen 1 is worse than I thought.

To confirm, yes I am happy enough to complete the story and move my team onto the next game. I don't need to complete the pokedex within each generation, so long as it can be done at the end via wifi trading.

Ok. So let me just clarify that point. I don't need GBA x2 at all, for any reason, if I take the minimalist approach?

As for point 1 of the minimalist approach, I was just a little confused by " Note that you won't be able to trade at all, so you won't be able to complete the Pokedex along the way". Do you mean that I can't trade between FR and LG using the DS slot for GBA? And that I must wait until HG and SS? If I can't trade between FR and LG unless I have 2 GBA's, then it doesn't matter, as long as I can transfer my team forward from one game to the next.

On a side note, should I be concerned about version exclusive moves?


Thanks again for taking the time to address all of my points!

Sorry for the slight delay. It's a busy week for me, so I'll try to keep this reasonably short and elaborate more later if you want.

Re: your reservations with trading:
1. Safety: If you're concerned about someone trading you something that could corrupt your game file, that isn't a concern. While I recall hearing rumors about bad eggs corrupting people's save files in the early days of Wonder Trade (a random trading activity), I never saw any concrete evidence to support the notion that that was actually a problem (and if it was, it was for a very small subset of games, and should be resolved by now). If you're worried about receiving non-legit Pokemon (i.e., ones not generated by the game itself, but by outside devices), that's possible, but they should, for the most part, be "legal" (have normal movesets, abilities, etc.), or they won't be able to be traded. For most Pokemon, you can breed the Pokemon you receive from trading and then raise your own, legitimately-hatched offspring. And if you want to be able to trade-evolve your own Pokemon, rather than just trading for the evolutions, you can find plenty of trustworthy people here to help with trading and trading back. (Assuming I'm not too busy, I'd be happy to help with that if and when the time comes.)

If by safety, you're concerned about privacy-related concerns, most trading is fairly anonymous anyway, and if it really bothers you, don't use your really name for your character.

2. Popularity of trading: Trading is still pretty popular. It will likely die down over time, depending on how long it takes before you get to the gen 6 games, but there should be enough activity that you can get most of what you want from the GTS if need be. (A good strategy is to offer up Pokemon you've bred in exchange for those you're looking for; you may have to wait a bit to get a response, but since I can normally get people to trade legendaries for my custom-bred starters, it shouldn't be too hard to get most Pokemon.)

3. Pokemon availability: Most Pokemon are readily available via trading. Starters are among the easiest to find, because so many people want to breed them, so I wouldn't worry about that. The main Pokemon that are difficult to get are the few that cannot be traded over the GTS due to special ribbons that they hold. These are generally event Pokemon, so you'll need to find someone on the trade boards to help with those. For better or for worse, the trading economy has kind of been shot by the availability of cloning services and means of creating/modifying your own Pokemon, so you should find people who are willing to give you some of the things you're looking for at relatively little expense on your part. (Look for giveaway threads.)

When talking about the legendary birds as exceptions in gen 2 and gen 5, I meant that in gen 2, there was no way to catch them other than to trade them from RBY. In gen 5, I believe you cannot catch them in game (I don't quite remember, but that's what another user mentioned), so you need to transfer them from gen 4. In this case, you can catch one legendary bird in the post-Elite 4 part of X and Y (depending on which Kalos starter Pokemon you picked), though you'll need to trade for the other two.

If you take the minimalist approach, you won't need to trade from FR or LG to any other games, so you are correct that you will not need a GBA. As long as you have a DS with GBA slot, you'll be fine. The 2x GBAs are for trading purposes between multiple gen 3 games. If you aren't trading, you would only need a GBA if you decided to add in and transfer Pokemon from the GameCube games (Colosseum and XD), which are not part of my minimalist approach (though I liked those game, and they're a little different from the other "main series" games, if you ever get a chance to play them).

You will not be able to trade between GBA games via the GBA slot on the DS. You need 2 GBAs (or GBA SPs) and a GBA link cable or two wifi adapters to do this. You can only use the GBA slot of the DS to transfer from gen 3 to gen 4 (so in this case, from FR or LG to HG or SS), so if you do not have multiple GBAs, you'll just want to transfer your FR or LG team forward once you're done with those games.

I wouldn't worry about version-exclusive moves. (I assume you mean moves that can be learned in one generation but not another, or the special moves Pokemon from Colosseum come with that others do not. There aren't generally any move differences between two games of a pair within the same generation, unlike the version differences in which Pokemon appear in the wild.) If you want to use any Pokemon competitively, you'll usually need to rebreed with the moves available in the most recent games anyway, so it isn't terribly relevant. (And if you do want to get into competitive battling, you'll probably want to breed your team in the new games, as it's a lot easier to get perfect IVs--think of them as being like genes for each stat--in the new games than it used to be.)

Hope that helps. I should have time to answer more questions or clarify anything I said that wasn't clear over the weekend.

 

[ZapdosVictrix]

Sorry for the slight delay. It's a busy week for me, so I'll try to keep this reasonably short and elaborate more later if you want.

Re: your reservations with trading:
1. Safety: If you're concerned about someone trading you something that could corrupt your game file, that isn't a concern. While I recall hearing rumors about bad eggs corrupting people's save files in the early days of Wonder Trade (a random trading activity), I never saw any concrete evidence to support the notion that that was actually a problem (and if it was, it was for a very small subset of games, and should be resolved by now). If you're worried about receiving non-legit Pokemon (i.e., ones not generated by the game itself, but by outside devices), that's possible, but they should, for the most part, be "legal" (have normal movesets, abilities, etc.), or they won't be able to be traded. For most Pokemon, you can breed the Pokemon you receive from trading and then raise your own, legitimately-hatched offspring. And if you want to be able to trade-evolve your own Pokemon, rather than just trading for the evolutions, you can find plenty of trustworthy people here to help with trading and trading back. (Assuming I'm not too busy, I'd be happy to help with that if and when the time comes.)

If by safety, you're concerned about privacy-related concerns, most trading is fairly anonymous anyway, and if it really bothers you, don't use your really name for your character.

2. Popularity of trading: Trading is still pretty popular. It will likely die down over time, depending on how long it takes before you get to the gen 6 games, but there should be enough activity that you can get most of what you want from the GTS if need be. (A good strategy is to offer up Pokemon you've bred in exchange for those you're looking for; you may have to wait a bit to get a response, but since I can normally get people to trade legendaries for my custom-bred starters, it shouldn't be too hard to get most Pokemon.)

3. Pokemon availability: Most Pokemon are readily available via trading. Starters are among the easiest to find, because so many people want to breed them, so I wouldn't worry about that. The main Pokemon that are difficult to get are the few that cannot be traded over the GTS due to special ribbons that they hold. These are generally event Pokemon, so you'll need to find someone on the trade boards to help with those. For better or for worse, the trading economy has kind of been shot by the availability of cloning services and means of creating/modifying your own Pokemon, so you should find people who are willing to give you some of the things you're looking for at relatively little expense on your part. (Look for giveaway threads.)

When talking about the legendary birds as exceptions in gen 2 and gen 5, I meant that in gen 2, there was no way to catch them other than to trade them from RBY. In gen 5, I believe you cannot catch them in game (I don't quite remember, but that's what another user mentioned), so you need to transfer them from gen 4. In this case, you can catch one legendary bird in the post-Elite 4 part of X and Y (depending on which Kalos starter Pokemon you picked), though you'll need to trade for the other two.

If you take the minimalist approach, you won't need to trade from FR or LG to any other games, so you are correct that you will not need a GBA. As long as you have a DS with GBA slot, you'll be fine. The 2x GBAs are for trading purposes between multiple gen 3 games. If you aren't trading, you would only need a GBA if you decided to add in and transfer Pokemon from the GameCube games (Colosseum and XD), which are not part of my minimalist approach (though I liked those game, and they're a little different from the other "main series" games, if you ever get a chance to play them).

You will not be able to trade between GBA games via the GBA slot on the DS. You need 2 GBAs (or GBA SPs) and a GBA link cable or two wifi adapters to do this. You can only use the GBA slot of the DS to transfer from gen 3 to gen 4 (so in this case, from FR or LG to HG or SS), so if you do not have multiple GBAs, you'll just want to transfer your FR or LG team forward once you're done with those games.

I wouldn't worry about version-exclusive moves. (I assume you mean moves that can be learned in one generation but not another, or the special moves Pokemon from Colosseum come with that others do not. There aren't generally any move differences between two games of a pair within the same generation, unlike the version differences in which Pokemon appear in the wild.) If you want to use any Pokemon competitively, you'll usually need to rebreed with the moves available in the most recent games anyway, so it isn't terribly relevant. (And if you do want to get into competitive battling, you'll probably want to breed your team in the new games, as it's a lot easier to get perfect IVs--think of them as being like genes for each stat--in the new games than it used to be.)

Hope that helps. I should have time to answer more questions or clarify anything I said that wasn't clear over the weekend.

Don't worry, thanks for covering everything in detail again, I appreciate it.

So, I suppose the way to start is to purchase 2 Nintendo DS's, FireRed and HeartGold. Sound good to you? /Edit. Is it a better option to buy 2 DS Lite? Looking at it, the DS Lite is a better option. Just to clarify then, I need 2 DS's followed by one 3DS. Is that all correct?

Also, thanks for the friend request, I look forward to hooking up and battling with all sorts of people later on when I'm involved with the later games. We can definitely do some trading at one point!


Thanks again!

 

[Imperator161]

Don't worry, thanks for covering everything in detail again, I appreciate it.

So, I suppose the way to start is to purchase 2 Nintendo DS's, FireRed and HeartGold. Sound good to you? /Edit. Is it a better option to buy 2 DS Lite? Looking at it, the DS Lite is a better option. Just to clarify then, I need 2 DS's followed by one 3DS. Is that all correct?

Also, thanks for the friend request, I look forward to hooking up and battling with all sorts of people later on when I'm involved with the later games. We can definitely do some trading at one point!


Thanks again!

DS vs. DS lite shouldn't make a difference, so just get whichever one you like better/is cheaper. (I have one DS and one DS lite, and the combination works well.) The hinges on those units can be a little fragile, though, so make sure to get one that is in decent shape. Just make sure you don't get a DSi, as that doesn't have a GBA game slot.

You'll eventually want two DS systems (and one 3DS system), but you'll only need one DS for the first two games (FireRed and HeartGold, or LeafGreen and SoulSilver, whichever games you can find), so it may be easiest to start with the first system and then pick up a second one once you confirm that you're enjoying the experience. Assuming you're fine with trading with others and/or transferring your Pokemon among your 6th generation games using Pokemon Bank, you should be fine with just one 3DS. Any model is fine, although if you haven't bought a 3DS yet, I personally find the XL more comfortable to hold (with medium-sized hands) than the standard one. (Or you could get the new 3DS, though I don't know much about that.)

Good luck with your journey!