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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →You can get Mew in the original Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue through the Mew glitch, by trading with someone who already has one, or through an external-device or event route. There is no ordinary wild Mew encounter described for these games. The two best-known glitch setups—the classic Route 8 method and Quick Mew—use the same Trainer-Fly mechanism; they are different setups, not separate Mew glitches. “Without cheats” can mean without a cheat device, but the glitch methods still exploit unintended game behavior.
Which ways can you use to get Mew?
These four options differ in when you can try them, what they require, and whether they create an encounter in your game. The first three are variations on Trainer-Fly; only the fourth avoids that glitch.
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| Method | How early | Trainers to preserve | Escape move | Result and main risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classic Route 8 / Route 25 | After Fly is available | Route 8 Gambler and Route 25 Youngster | Fly | Creates a level 7 Mew encounter; losing the setup or battling another Pokémon can prevent the trigger. The Youngster setup can softlock if he is not made to walk at least one tile. |
| Quick Mew near Cerulean | Earlier, before Fly | Route 24 Jr. Trainer and the first Swimmer in Cerulean Gym | Abra’s Teleport | Creates the same kind of Mew encounter; both trainers and the return to the glitch area matter. |
| Alternate Trainer-Fly pairing | Depends on the trainers and move available | A suitable long-range trainer and a Pokémon whose Special is 21 | Fly, Dig, or Teleport | Can create Mew, but only if the trigger conditions are met; not every pairing is guaranteed to work. |
| Trade or external-device/event route | Depends on access to an existing Mew or applicable distribution | None in your game for the glitch setup | Not applicable | A trade transfers a Mew that already exists; it does not trigger a wild encounter. No current event availability or particular device/code is established here. |
How does the Mew glitch work?
The Mew glitch is a use of Trainer-Fly: you interrupt a long-range trainer’s attempt to challenge you by opening the Start menu and escaping, then battle another trainer before returning to the original area. The game later opens the menu automatically. Closing it triggers an encounter selected using the last Pokémon battled. For Mew, that Pokémon must have a Special stat of 21, matching Mew’s index number. The documented convenient choices are the Route 25 Youngster’s level 17 Slowpoke and the Cerulean Gym Swimmer’s Shellder. Bulbapedia’s Mew glitch guide documents the mechanism and variations.
How to do the classic Route 8 Mew glitch
Before you start
- Leave the long-range Gambler on Route 8 and the Youngster on Route 25 unbeaten.
- Bring a Pokémon that knows Fly.
- Do not battle another Pokémon between the Special-21 trainer battle and your return to Route 8.
Steps
- On Route 8, stand just below the Underground Path entrance, with the Gambler just offscreen.
- Step down and press Start during the step. If the menu opens before the trainer battle begins, choose Fly and leave the route. The Gambler should show his alert animation, but you should fly away before the battle starts.
- Go to Route 25 and initiate a battle with the Youngster who has the level 17 Slowpoke. Make sure he walks at least one tile toward you before the battle. Skipping this movement condition can softlock the game.
- Win the battle, then return to Route 8 without fighting any other Pokémon.
- When the Start menu opens automatically, close it to trigger the level 7 Mew encounter.
The exact trainer positioning, timing, and encounter sequence are documented in Bulbapedia’s Red and Blue procedure. If the setup is interrupted by another battle or the menu sequence is disturbed, the expected encounter may not trigger.
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How does Quick Mew work before Fly?
Quick Mew uses the same Trainer-Fly principle earlier in the game, near Cerulean City. Instead of the Route 8 Gambler, use the long-range Jr. Trainer west of Nugget Bridge on Route 24. Instead of the Route 25 Youngster, battle the first Swimmer in Cerulean Gym, whose Shellder provides the Special-21 trigger.
- Leave the Route 24 Jr. Trainer unbeaten and set up the long-range challenge interruption as in Trainer-Fly.
- Use Abra’s Teleport to escape; Fly is not yet available at this stage.
- Battle the first Swimmer in Cerulean Gym to set the needed Special value.
- Return to Route 24, the area where the glitch began, and follow the automatic menu trigger to produce the Mew encounter.
The Quick Mew instructions give the specific setup. It is an earlier alternative, not a different underlying glitch.
Rank #2
- This incredible redesign features a fantastic flip-screen; unopened, the unit fits easily in your pocket
- When it's opened, gamers are in for a treat -- the screen can display up to 32,000 colors, and has a backlit screen for comfortable game viewing
- Redesigned button and D-pad placement make for hours of more comfortable playing
- Powered by a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery that provides 18 hours of play with the light off(up to 10 hours with the light on)
- Games are backwards-compatible -- your Game Boy Advance games will play just fine on the GBA SP
Can another trainer or escape move work?
Yes, the long-range trainer and escape move are not restricted to the classic pair. The documented variations can use other long-range trainers and field moves such as Dig or Teleport. To get Mew, however, the last Pokémon battled must have Special 21. The cited convenient triggers are the Youngster’s Slowpoke and the Gym Swimmer’s Shellder; do not assume an arbitrary trainer pairing will produce Mew.
Can you get Mew without cheats?
If by “cheats” you mean an external cheat device or code, the Trainer-Fly methods do not require one. They exploit a glitch in the game, though, rather than use an ordinary intended wild encounter. Trading is another non-device option, but it only works if another compatible game or player already has Mew. Nintendo’s Red Version overview describes access to 150 Pokémon and notes that trading is part of collecting the full set across the versions.
External devices and event distributions are sometimes grouped with ways to obtain Mew, but no presently available distribution or verified device/code is established here. A trade is the clearest non-glitch route when a trading partner has a Mew.
What level is the Mew, and can you catch it with regular Poké Balls?
The classic Route 8 procedure produces a level 7 Mew. It is an ordinary encounter screen, so you can attempt to catch it with the Poké Balls available to you; the cited instructions do not establish a special ball requirement or a guaranteed capture. Save before attempting the setup if preserving your current progress matters.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Does the glitch work on 3DS Virtual Console, and can you transfer Mew?
Bulbapedia reports that these glitch methods also work in the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console releases. That does not mean every glitch-caught Mew is eligible for transfer: the documented Poké Transporter exception applies only when the original trainer name is GF or ゲーフリ and the trainer ID is 22796. This is a version-specific compatibility note, not confirmation that Poké Transporter or Pokémon Bank services are currently available. See Bulbapedia’s Poké Transporter notes.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- This incredible redesign features a fantastic flip-screen; unopened, the unit fits easily in your pocket
- When it's opened, gamers are in for a treat -- the screen can display up to 32,000 colors, and has a backlit screen for comfortable game viewing
- Redesigned button and D-pad placement make for hours of more comfortable playing
- Powered by a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery that provides 18 hours of play with the light off(up to 10 hours with the light on)
- Games are backwards-compatible -- your Game Boy Advance games will play just fine on the GBA SP
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
