Pokémon Red and Blue Version Exclusives
Red and Blue have 22 version-exclusive Pokémon: 11 only in Red and 11 only in Blue. See where to find each one, and how to get the other version's exclusives without buying both games.
Missing one? Trade with someone who has the other version, at the Cable Club counter in any Pokémon Center.
Displaying 22 of 22 Pokémon.
11 exclusives
#23
Ekans
Poison
Routes 4, 8-11, and 23
#24
Arbok
Poison
Route 23, or evolve Ekans at level 22
#43
Oddish
Grass
Poison
Routes 5-7, 12-15, 24, and 25
#44
Gloom
Grass
Poison
Routes 12-15, or evolve Oddish at level 21
#45
Vileplume
Grass
Poison
Use a Leaf Stone on Gloom
#56
Mankey
Fighting
Routes 5-8
#57
Primeape
Fighting
Evolve Mankey at level 28
#58
Growlithe
Fire
Routes 7 and 8, and Pokémon Mansion
#59
Arcanine
Fire
Use a Fire Stone on Growlithe
#123
Scyther
Bug
Flying
Safari Zone, or Game Corner prize (5,500 coins)
#125
Electabuzz
Electric
Power Plant
11 exclusives
#27
Sandshrew
Ground
Routes 4, 8-11, and 23
#28
Sandslash
Ground
Route 23, or evolve Sandshrew at level 22
#37
Vulpix
Fire
Routes 7 and 8, and Pokémon Mansion
#38
Ninetales
Fire
Use a Fire Stone on Vulpix
#52
Meowth
Normal
Routes 5-8
#53
Persian
Normal
Evolve Meowth at level 28
#69
Bellsprout
Grass
Poison
Routes 5-7, 12-15, 24, and 25
#70
Weepinbell
Grass
Poison
Routes 12-15, or evolve Bellsprout at level 21
#71
Victreebel
Grass
Poison
Use a Leaf Stone on Weepinbell
#126
Magmar
Fire
Pokémon Mansion
#127
Pinsir
Bug
Safari Zone, or Game Corner prize (2,500 coins)
About version exclusives
Every pair of Pokémon games splits some Pokémon between its two versions. Red has 11 Pokémon that Blue can't get, and Blue has 11 of its own. This page lists them side by side, shows where to catch or how to evolve each one, and lines each Pokémon up with its counterpart in the other version. Use it to pick a version, plan your team, or build a trade list to finish your Pokédex.
What this page is
Most main-series Pokémon games come in pairs, like FireRed and LeafGreen or Scarlet and Violet. The two versions tell the same story, but each one leaves out a handful of Pokémon that only the other version has. These are version exclusives. The split goes all the way back to the first games, and it's there for one reason: to get trainers trading with each other.
What it does
Each paired game has a page that lists every exclusive in both versions side by side. Each Pokémon shows where to find it or how to evolve it, and whether it turns up in the main story, after the credits, or in a DLC area. Switch to Pairs to see which Pokémon fill the same role in each version, like Scyther in FireRed and Pinsir in LeafGreen. When the other version can still get a Pokémon without a trade, such as through an in-game trade or another trainer's raid, the row says so.
Why it's worth a look
- Picking a version. See exactly what you'd give up before you buy.
- Planning a team. Know which Pokémon your version can catch before you set out.
- Finishing the Pokédex. The list doubles as a checklist of what you still need.
- Trading. Know what to ask a friend for, and what to offer back.
How we build it
Sources don't always agree on what counts as an exclusive, so we apply one rule to every game and check each Pokémon against several references and our own location data. Spot something wrong? Let us know and we'll fix it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are version exclusives in Red and Blue?
They're Pokémon you can only get in one of the two versions. Red has 11 and Blue has 11. To get the rest, trade with someone who has the other version.
Which version should I get, Red or Blue?
Neither is better. Pick the one whose exclusives you want on your team. Switch to Pairs to compare each Pokémon with its counterpart in the other version.
What counts as a version exclusive?
A Pokémon that one version can get and the other can't, playing alone with one copy of the game and its DLC. Wild encounters, gifts, fossils, one-time encounters, breeding, and evolving all count. Trades with other trainers, Pokémon HOME, and event distributions don't.
Do Pokémon that evolve by trading count?
Yes, when the Pokémon they evolve from is exclusive. Evolutions and baby Pokémon are listed on the same side as the Pokémon they come from, unless the other version can find them some other way.
Are forms counted?
Yes, when only one version can get that form. The form is spelled out in the Pokémon's name on the list.
Can I get version exclusives without trading?
Usually not. When the other version can get a Pokémon without a trade, for example through an in-game trade or by joining another trainer's raid, that Pokémon's row says how.
Version exclusives in other games
Yellow, Crystal, Emerald, Platinum, Legends: Arceus, and Legends: Z-A have one version, so they have no exclusives.
