Yes. In Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, players can hunt for a shiny Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle before setting off on the main adventure. The routine is simple but potentially long: save before choosing, check the starter, and reset if it is not shiny. Game8 reports odds of 1 in 8,192 per check; Nintendo has not published a shiny rate for the 2026 Switch editions.
How the shiny starter hunt works
The opening starter choice gives players a repeatable opportunity to check for a shiny Pokémon before progressing through the adventure. Choose Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle, inspect the Pokémon, and restart the game if it is not shiny. Each new check is another chance, not progress toward a guaranteed result.
Reset-and-check steps
- Save your game before you choose a starter.
- Choose Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle and check whether it is shiny.
- If it is not shiny, soft-reset the game and repeat the choice and check. Game8 describes this method in its FireRed and LeafGreen shiny guide.
What are the odds?
Game8 gives the shiny odds in FireRed and LeafGreen as 1 in 8,192 per check. That is an individual probability, not a limit: it does not mean a shiny is guaranteed after 8,192 resets, nor does it predict how many attempts a particular player will need. Nintendo’s announcement and support FAQ for the Switch rereleases do not state a shiny rate, so the figure should be treated as secondary guidance rather than an officially confirmed rate for those editions.
What changes with the 2026 Switch editions?
Nintendo announced the digital Switch editions for February 27, 2026. Nintendo says that, broadly speaking, their contents match the original releases, while noting that some specifications may differ. The FAQ does not confirm that the Switch versions’ shiny odds or random-number behavior exactly match the Game Boy Advance releases, so the reported rate and reset method should not be presented as verified Switch-specific mechanics. See Nintendo’s release announcement and Nintendo’s support FAQ.
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Availability and connectivity
The Switch editions are digital software, not physical releases. Nintendo lists English, European French, and European Spanish language editions in the Americas; check the selected language when purchasing. The games work on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, and Nintendo’s FAQ says a Nintendo Switch Online membership is not required. Online play is not supported; connectivity features use local wireless.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why some players wait at the opening
A shiny starter can become the goal before the journey itself: players stay at the first choice, repeating the reset loop until they see the variant they want. That is a player-driven challenge built around the starter decision, not a requirement to complete either game. There is no verified measure of how many players are delaying their playthroughs, so the trend is best understood as anecdotal rather than a quantified player movement.
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- Pokémon Adventures Fire Red & Leaf Green / Emerald Box Set: Includes Volumes 23-29 (Pokemon) Paperback – October 6, 2015 by Hidenori Kusaka (Author), Satoshi Yamamoto (Illustrator)
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