Here is a list of secrets, tricks and glitches you can exploit in Red and Blue.
Quick access:
Secrets common to Blue, Red and Yellow:
– Cloning Pokémon
You will need:
– 2 Game Boys
– 2 Pokémon games
– 1 Link Cable
– the Pokémon to clone
– a weak Pokémon, which will disappear
Go to a Pokémon Center and let the trade proceed normally. The moment the message “Please wait!” appears, quickly count to 3, and when the screen is completely white, turn off the console that holds the rare Pokémon. When you turn the game back on, surprise: the Pokémon is in both versions!
Warning: this is dangerous, as there is a risk of losing your save file by abruptly turning off the console.
Bugville
Follow the instructions to the letter to visit the hidden town of Bugville:
1) Go to the Safari Zone, take 280 steps, save, turn the console off, then on again.
2) Leave the Zone… and when you are asked whether you want to leave, answer “No”.
3) Go back into the Zone, enter the hut near the entrance, save, turn the console off, then on again.
4) Leave the Zone and Fly to Cinnabar Island.
5) Surf up and down along the right-hand side.
6) After 500 steps, you will hear the Safari Zone loudspeaker (even though you are on Cinnabar Island) and you will be teleported to the Zone’s exit.
7) Leave the Zone and you will arrive in Bugville!
You can’t do anything there… The only way out is to use Fly.
S.S. Anne glitch:
Stand in front of the man who tells you that the S.S. Anne has set sail (by trying to walk onto the water).
Press Start, save, turn the console off, then on again.
Use Surf and you will surf… on the character!
Evolving a Pokémon without a Moon Stone:
To do this, during a battle, send out the Pokémon that is going to evolve, then withdraw it.
Fight with an Noadkoko and win the battle so that the 2 Pokémon share the Exp. Points.
Very important: the Pokémon that is going to evolve must gain a level from the Exp. Points: and, miracle, it will evolve!
Useful items
Here is where to find items that exist in limited numbers in the game:
– PP Up locations:
1 – Stand in front of the Celadon City Hotel, go right, then go up: the PP Up is at the very top.
2 – Go down to the first basement floor of the Game Corner, then search the small bush at the bottom right.
3 – Between Route 12 and Route 15 there is a sort of maze; stay as far down as possible and you will find a PP Up.
4 – In the Power Plant: just before Zapdos, at the bend, use the Dowsing Machine.
5 – In Mewtwo’s cave:
Yellow: you will find 3 PP Up with the Dowsing Machine.
Red and Blue: you will find 1 PP Up and 2 Rare Candies with the Dowsing Machine.
– Rare Candy locations:
1 – In Cerulean City, in the garden of the man who describes the badges (Dowsing Machine).
2 – In Mt. Moon.
3 – In one of the cabins of the S.S. Anne.
4 – On the second basement floor of the Game Corner.
5 – On Victory Road.
6 – In Pokémon Tower.
7a and b – In Mewtwo’s cave (Dowsing Machine).
8 – In the Safari Zone Warden’s house.
9 – In the Power Plant.
10 – In the Pokémon Park.
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Red and Blue secrets:
– The Cinnabar Island east coast glitch
This glitch lets you encounter Pokémon above level 100. It also lets you catch the Safari Zone Pokémon, which can no longer run away when you use this method.
– Encountering Pokémon above level 100:
– Go to Viridian City and let the man who teaches you how to catch a Pokémon talk to you
– Answer “no” to his question: he shows you how to catch a Pokémon
– Fly to Cinnabar Island and surf along the east coast, from top to bottom.
– Encountering Safari Zone Pokémon:
– Fly to the Safari Zone
– Go to the area containing the Pokémon you are looking for
– Use Dig or Teleport
– Fly to Cinnabar Island
– Surf along the east coast of the island
This glitch also works on any route in the game.
The invincible Pokémon glitch:
Thanks to this glitch, you can avoid every attack aimed at your Pokémon.
– Method A:
Perform the Missingno trick (see below) to get the maximum number of HP Up and Rare Candies…
Once you have those items, perform the trick to catch a Pokémon above level 100. (see above)
Do not battle with this Pokémon for now. Just raise its HP with the “HP Up” until it can’t take any more, and raise it to level 255 with the Rare Candies.
The Pokémon will now be at level 0, but when it battles it will be invincible. However, you must never heal it, or it will go back to normal.
– Method B:
Use the level 100+ Pokémon glitch.
When you encounter one, put it to sleep, then catch it.
Go to Viridian City, all the way at the bottom in the first tall grass to meet a wild Pokémon… Switch Pokémon and defeat it.
And there you go: a level 100 Pokémon with infinite health.
But if you heal it, it will go back to normal!
– Method C:
Battle with a Pokémon that knows Fly or Dig and is paralyzed.
Use one of those two moves. If paralysis prevents the second turn from happening, the glitch is triggered.
The Pokémon can no longer be hit by any move, except Bide, Swift and Transform.
The effect is lost if the Pokémon uses Fly or Dig again, if the Trainer switches Pokémon or if they run away.
Curing the paralysis does not stop the glitch.
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Finding Missingno:
Missingno is a glitch Pokémon. Its only use is to add 128 copies to the 6th item in your Bag.
There are two ways to get it:
– by using the Cinnabar Island east coast glitch (see above). After a few seconds, Missingno will appear or the screen will turn white. The screen may also stay black. In that case, it is impossible to get Missingno on your cartridge. (glitch fixed in the French versions). This glitch only works in Red and Blue.
– by using the Gambler glitch to get Mew (see below), but with a different character. Instead of battling the Youngster on Route 25, you must battle the Rocker next to the Fishing Guru’s house, south of Lavender Town, or the first Jr. Trainer on Route 15 when coming from Fuchsia City. Then you have to finish the glitch. By pressing the B button when the menu screen appears, Missingno will appear!
After catching it:
– 128 copies will be added to the 6th item in your Bag,
– the Hall of Fame may be scrambled,
– your save file may be erased, but this is rare.
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Getting Mew:
Mew, the 151st Pokémon of the first generation, cannot be found in the Blue, Red and Yellow cartridges. It can therefore be obtained using an Action Replay, but here is the only way to find it without cheating.
Codes to use with the Action Replay:
– Blue and Red: 0115DDCF
– Yellow: 0125DCCF
The Gambler glitch:
Preparation:
– When crossing the “Trainer corner” after Nugget Bridge north of Cerulean City, make sure you do not battle a Trainer (seen from behind in this image, the one closest to the hero).
– Make sure you do not battle the “GAMBLER” Trainer facing a house on Route 8.
– You need HM02 (FLY) and must have taught it to a Pokémon you will carry during the trick.
– Make sure you have plenty of good Poké Balls!
The trick:
– Now go into the house in front of Gambler (Route 8) – whom you must absolutely not have defeated – which is actually the tunnel leading to Celadon City.
– Inside the house, save (it’s safer).
– Leave the house, take one step and press Start at the same time, so that Gambler doesn’t have time to battle you (technical note: the game loads the step, the Start menu, then GAMBLER, so he is “out of time” for his challenge).
– Use Fly to go to Cerulean City, then go to the spot where you did not battle the Trainer.
– Move away from him (so that he moves to challenge you, otherwise the Game Boy freezes), then defeat him.
– Once that is done, use Fly to go to Lavender Town, then walk to Route 8.
As you enter, the Start menu appears without you having opened it…
– Press B, and… MEW APPEARS!
It is level 7 and only knows Pound.
Catching it is simple: spam it with Poké Balls!
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