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To unlock National Mode in Pokémon FireRed or Pokémon LeafGreen, register at least 60 Pokémon as owned in your Kanto Pokédex, visit One Island, and enter the Hall of Fame. Then return to Professor Oak’s lab in Pallet Town and speak to him for the Pokédex upgrade. This unlock sequence is reported by Bulbapedia’s National Pokédex reference.
Steps to unlock National Mode
- Register 60 or more Pokémon as owned. The requirement is for Pokémon registered as owned in the Kanto Pokédex, not merely seen.
- Visit One Island.
- Enter the Hall of Fame. Defeat the Elite Four to complete this requirement.
- Talk to Professor Oak. Return to his laboratory in Pallet Town and speak to him. He upgrades your Pokédex to National Mode.
The specialist reference lists these requirements for both versions. It does not provide an official manual passage confirming the complete sequence across editions or localizations.
National Mode is not the same as completing the National Pokédex
Professor Oak’s upgrade changes the Pokédex mode; it does not mean you have caught every Pokémon in the National Pokédex. The 60-owned-Pokémon threshold is a prerequisite to unlock the mode, not a completion target.
Does the requirement differ between FireRed and LeafGreen?
The unlock sequence reported for FireRed is the same as for LeafGreen: register at least 60 owned Pokémon, visit One Island, enter the Hall of Fame, and speak to Oak in Pallet Town.
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Does the Switch release change how you unlock it?
Nintendo describes the Switch editions as broadly the same in content as the original Game Boy Advance releases, while noting some specifications may differ. Its FAQ says the Switch versions support local wireless connectivity for the original connectivity features, but not online play. These release details do not change the National Mode unlock requirements described above. See Nintendo’s Switch announcement and its FireRed and LeafGreen FAQ.
Nintendo says the Switch editions are digital software and “The games will not receive physical releases.” That applies to the Switch versions, not the original Game Boy Advance cartridges.
The Pokémon Company has announced that the Switch editions are set to link with Pokémon HOME beginning October 2026. That transfer-service context is separate from unlocking National Mode. See The Pokémon Company’s announcement.
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