Red (Pokémon Adventures)

Red (Japanese: レッド Red) is a central character in the Pokémon Adventures manga series. his story begins much like his video game and anime counterpart, in Pallet Town, Kanto. However, he differs greatly in personality, being often described as rash and having immense potential as a trainer, even among his peers.

Names	Red レッド, The Fighter,
Gender	Male ♂
Race	Human
Occupation	Pokémon Trainer
Origin	Pokémon Adventures (Japanese: ポケットモンスターSPECIAL Pocket Monsters SPECIAL) Chapter 1: A Glimpse of the Glow (Japanese: VS ミュウ VS Mew) March 1997
Alignment	Heroic
Height	172 cm (5ft 8in)
Weight	58 kg (127 lbs) (9.13 st)
Age	20 (as of Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire arc)
Created By	Hidenori Kusaka (Japanese: 日下秀憲)
Personality Type	ENFP 7w8 (Ennegram)

Appearance

Red has a lean yet athletic build, reflecting his extensive experience as a Pokémon Trainer. He typically wears a red and white cap with a black Poké Ball symbol, a signature look that has remained consistent throughout his journey. In his early appearances, he dons a red jacket with white sleeves, a black T-shirt underneath, blue jeans, and sneakers.

Starting from the FireRed & LeafGreen arc, Red updates his outfit with a new FireRed jacket and cap while keeping the same jeans and shoes. His design evolves over time, but his determined expression and confident stance remain key aspects of his appearance.

Personality

Red embodies the classic hero archetype—brave, kind, and always eager to help others, whether with or without his Pokémon. He possesses impressive agility and resourcefulness, making him an exceptional Pokémon Trainer. Professor Oak describes his special talent as Pokémon battling, earning him the title of "The Fighter" (戦う者 Fighter).

Despite his strengths, Red can be slow to pick up on certain sensitive matters. For instance, he is the last of the original seven Pokédex holders to realize Yellow’s true gender.

Biography

Background

As a young boy, Red’s first Pokémon was a Poliwag named Poli. During a swimming accident where Red nearly drowned, Poli—unable to help in its original form—evolved into a Poliwhirl to save him.

Red, Green & Blue Arc

Red serves as the main protagonist of this arc, with Blue as his primary rival. He is first introduced impressing a group of children with his Pokémon-catching skills, but their excitement fades when they mention Professor Oak and his grandson, prompting them to leave. Soon after, Red overhears Team Rocket grunts discussing Mew and manages to locate it—only to find Blue already battling the Mythical Pokémon with his Charmander. Red, frustrated by Blue’s decision to recall his Pokémon mid-battle, challenges Mew himself but is swiftly defeated. Blue’s words of wisdom encourage Red to put aside his pride and seek out Professor Oak.

Upon entering Oak’s lab, Red finds a Bulbasaur but is mistaken for a thief. In the ensuing commotion, all of the Professor’s Poké Balls are scattered, and Red volunteers to retrieve them. He succeeds, except for the elusive Bulbasaur, which he eventually finds in the Viridian Gym. After calming the Pokémon and facing a wild Machoke, Red figures out how to use Solar Beam on his own. Impressed, Oak rewards him with a Pokédex and entrusts Bulbasaur to his care. Tasked with capturing Pokémon, Red soon crosses paths with Blue again in Viridian Forest, where they compete over a Kangaskhan. It is here that Red learns Blue’s true identity as Oak’s grandson, cementing their rivalry.

As Red’s journey unfolds, he captures a mischievous Pikachu in Pewter City and learns about the Gym Badge challenge. After an intense battle against Brock’s Onix, Red earns the Boulder Badge by earning Pikachu’s trust. Later, he meets Misty, whose stolen Gyarados had gone berserk. After helping to subdue and return the Pokémon, Red learns of Team Rocket’s activities and sets off to Mt. Moon with Misty to stop them. There, they defeat Koga, one of Team Rocket’s admins, despite his Rhydon being forcefully evolved through an injection. While staying at Misty’s mansion, Red loses to her in battle, prompting him to train harder. After several days, he emerges victorious, earning the Cascade Badge.

Red’s adventure leads him to the S.S. Anne, where he discovers that Pokémon are being stolen. This brings him face-to-face with Lt. Surge, another Team Rocket admin, who throws him overboard. In a moment of crisis, Poli evolves into Poliwrath, saving Red’s life.

Later, during a bike race, Red catches a Snorlax that blocks the path, but all his prize money is spent feeding it. In Lavender Town, he ventures into Pokémon Tower to find Blue, who has mysteriously disappeared. There, he encounters Koga again and watches as Blue defeats his Arbok by slicing it in half. Witnessing Blue’s strength, Red begins to respect his rival.

Red later falls victim to a scam by a cunning girl named Green, who tricks him into buying fake items and steals his Boulder and Cascade Badges. After realizing that she also stole a Squirtle from Professor Oak (which had since evolved into Wartortle), Red tracks her down. However, upon hearing Team Rocket members discussing her, he infiltrates their hideout, finding Green cornered by them over a stolen data chip containing information on Mew. Despite her earlier deception, Red helps her escape.

Together, they track down Mew but discover that Team Rocket has already found it. Red bravely holds them off, allowing Mew to escape. Before departing, Green secretly returns Red’s stolen Badges, tucking them into his pocket.

While near Celadon City, Red accidentally swaps his Pokémon with Blue. When he tries to battle with them, they refuse to obey him. Instead of forcing them, he chooses to play with them, while Blue trains Red’s Pokémon, teaching them more exotic and useful moves. Over time, Blue’s Pokémon grow friendlier toward Red, developing a more lighthearted nature—something that greatly irritates Blue when he gets them back.

Red then challenges Erika but is first tasked with proving himself by capturing an Eevee. With Bill’s help, he finds and catches an unusual Eevee that can switch between its evolved forms due to a special device implanted in its ear. When he brings Eevee to Erika, she explains that Team Rocket is responsible for the experiment. Red battles Erika, but she easily defeats him. She then tests his character by pretending she intends to kill Eevee due to its deformity. When Red shields Eevee with his Pikachu, she reveals it was a ruse to see if he was truly worthy.

Later, Red visits the Safari Zone in Fuchsia City, where he smuggles in a Poké Ball and catches a Nidoqueen, angering two Nidoking who were fighting over her. He escapes them but is soon captured by a Victreebel, which intends to use him as part of an evolution ritual for Bellsprout and Weepinbell. Managing to break free, he runs straight into the furious Nidoking again, sparking a battle between them and Victreebel. Taking advantage of the chaos, Red captures both Pokémon and several others before the Safari Zone Warden catches him.

Unknowingly, Red assists Team Rocket’s boss, Giovanni—who he mistakes for a researcher—in retrieving Fossils and traveling through Diglett’s Cave to Pewter City. There, he witnesses the Pewter Museum of Science engulfed in flames, set by two Magmar. Red battles them as Giovanni carefully observes his strategies. Ultimately, Giovanni deems Red no real threat to Team Rocket, as he lacks the ruthlessness and cruelty to be truly dangerous. Before parting ways, Giovanni gives Red an Old Amber.

Seeking to reach the Seafoam Islands, Red dives into a lake to retrieve the HM for Surf but is confronted by a Dragonite. He uses all of his Pokémon to distract it, only for their combined weight to crush the HM and trap his leg under a rock. Misty arrives just in time, using her Starmie and Gyarados to drive Dragonite away. She then trades her Gyarados to Red in exchange for his Krabby, allowing him to cross the water. On the islands, he encounters Team Rocket, who are hunting for Articuno.

On Cinnabar Island, Red spots Team Rocket battling Blaine’s Pokémon from a cliff. When a grunt discovers him, he is threatened with being thrown off if he resists. Fortunately, Blaine intervenes, and together, they overpower the grunts until Team Rocket unleashes Moltres. As they flee on Blaine’s Rapidash, nothing they do seems to stop Moltres. Blaine, noticing Red’s Old Amber, instructs him to revive it immediately. With the newly revived Aerodactyl, Red finally manages to drive Moltres away.

Later, when Red, Blue, and Green fail to enter Saffron City due to a powerful psychic barrier, Red returns to Pallet Town for Professor Oak’s advice—only to find it abandoned. He is instead confronted by Sabrina, one of Team Rocket’s admins, disguised as Oak. Using her Kadabra, she pins Red down and taunts him, daring him to face her in Saffron City. Blue soon arrives, deducing that Saffron must be Team Rocket’s headquarters. When Green informs them that Red’s Eevee has gone missing, the three decide to team up. With Blue’s Golduck and Red’s Pikachu, they locate the source of the barrier—Sabrina’s Mr. Mime—and disable it, gaining entry.

Inside Silph Co., Red is separated from Blue by a trapdoor and encounters Lt. Surge, who is equipped with electric-powered gadgets enhanced by Zapdos. Red counters with Saur, using Razor Leaf to sever Surge’s power cables, electrocuting him in the process. He swipes the Thunder Badge and a pair of gloves before finding Koga standing victorious over Blue. Red attempts to intervene, but Koga’s Grimer restrains him. In a fierce battle, Red and Blue ultimately defeat Koga and his Articuno, with Red taking the Soul Badge before they split up once again.

Red then stumbles upon the Badge Energy Amplifier, where Green hands him the Marsh Badge in exchange for his Moon Stone. When Red inserts his collected Badges into the device to empower Pikachu, Sabrina appears, revealing that the two Badges Green previously returned to him were fakes. Green takes the real ones and escapes, leaving Red to face Sabrina alone. Meanwhile, Green activates the Amplifier, merging Zapdos, Moltres, and Articuno into a single hybrid Pokémon. Red, Blue, and Green combine their efforts and ultimately defeat it.

Afterward, Red travels to Cerulean City in pursuit of a so-called "monster Pokémon," which turns out to be Mewtwo. Despite his attempts to capture it, Mewtwo’s Psywave nearly overwhelms him and his team. At the last moment, Blaine intervenes, helping Red trick Mewtwo before successfully sealing it inside a Master Ball. Red then hands Mewtwo over to Blaine for safekeeping.

Later, Red encounters Yellow being attacked by a Dratini in Viridian Forest. He helps her catch a Rattata and teaches her the basics of battling and capturing Pokémon. Taking her back to Viridian City, he discovers that Team Rocket has been releasing mistreated Pokémon into the forest to make them stronger. He also learns that the local Gym Leader has been absent for a long time. Determined to investigate, Red enters the Gym and comes face to face with Giovanni once more, who reveals his true motives behind their previous encounter at Diglett’s Cave. Giovanni challenges Red with a wager—if Red loses, he must join Team Rocket. After an intense, drawn-out battle, Red emerges victorious. Impressed, Giovanni offers him the position of Viridian City Gym Leader, but Red declines, choosing instead to improve as a Trainer and head to the Indigo Plateau.

With all his Badges, Red qualifies for the Pokémon League, making his way to the finals against Blue. As Professor Oak observes, Blue has become more instinctual like Red, while Red, in turn, has grown more analytical and strategic. In a fierce showdown, Red defeats Blue’s Charizard with Saur, claiming victory as Champion of the 9th triennial Pokémon League tournament. His performance draws the attention of the Elite Four, who have been watching from the sidelines.

Yellow Arc

Two years later, at the beginning of the Yellow arc, Red is invited to battle Bruno of the Elite Four at Mt. Moon. During the battle, Bruno suddenly halts as Diglett and Dugtrio pass through, and Agatha seizes the moment to use her mind-control abilities, incapacitating him. Red is then confronted by Lorelei and Agatha, who attempt to recruit him into their plan to eradicate humanity for the sake of Pokémon. They also demand information about Giovanni, seeking the Earth Badge to power the Badge Energy Amplifier, which Agatha retrieved from Silph Co.'s ruins. When Red refuses, Lorelei traps him in a block of ice, making him vanish from public sight for over a month. Only Pika escapes, reaching Professor Oak's lab and teaming up with Yellow.

Brock later finds Red’s frozen form in Mt. Moon, but by then, Red himself has disappeared. Even Bruno, eager to finish their interrupted battle, cannot locate him. It is eventually revealed that Giovanni rescued Red, allowing him to reunite with his friends and join the fight against the Elite Four on Cerise Island. Red arrives in time to save Bill and Lt. Surge, finally completing his long-awaited battle with Bruno.

Gold, Silver & Crystal arc

In the Gold, Silver & Crystal arc, Red first appears in a photograph at the Day Care Center, seen by Gold, identifying him as a former Pokémon League Champion.

Red is offered the position of Viridian City Gym Leader and passes the test with ease. However, he declines due to lingering injuries from his time frozen. He is also asked to assist Yellow in tracking Lugia in Johto but refuses for the same reason. Learning from Blue about a way to heal, he retreats to the hot springs of Mt. Silver, accompanied by Blue’s Charizard and Green’s Blastoise. There, he encounters Sabrina, who is also recovering from similar injuries. She informs him of an upcoming Gym Leaders’ meeting at the Pokémon League, and he later arrives just in time to save Blue, Brock, and Erika from a train crash.

Teaming up with Blue, Red travels underground toward Ilex Forest, where the villainous Masked Man has fled. Along the way, they receive assistance from former enemies, Bruno and Koga, who reveal critical information about Celebi. Upon reaching Ilex Forest, Red, Blue, and the other Pokédex holders join forces with legendary Pokémon to confront the Masked Man. During the battle, Red is surprised to learn that Yellow is, in fact, a girl.

At the arc’s conclusion, Gold, inspired by Red’s strength, sets off to Mt. Silver to train under him.

FireRed & LeafGreen arc

Red and Blue meet at Professor Oak’s lab, where they discover mysterious messages instructing them to leave their Pokédexes behind and head to Vermilion City. Following the instructions, they board the Seagallop Ferry to the Sevii Islands, where they find Green under attack by Deoxys. Soon, they are confronted by Team Rocket’s new Admins, the Three Beasts, along with Giovanni, who has gained control of Deoxys. Meanwhile, Professor Oak has been kidnapped by Team Rocket once again.

Red undergoes special training with Ultima on Two Island, where his Venusaur masters the legendary Grass-type move Frenzy Plant. Despite this, he is still unable to defeat Deoxys, with whom he shares an inexplicable connection. His confidence wavers, but he eventually regains his determination, seeking to understand the meaning behind his bond with Deoxys.

Mewtwo appears and offers to fight alongside Red to settle the score with Deoxys. Together, they storm Team Rocket’s airship, which is hovering above Viridian City while Giovanni searches for his long-lost son. After an intense battle, Mewtwo finally overcomes Deoxys. However, their victory is short-lived as Carr, one of the Three Beasts, betrays Team Rocket. Planting Forretress throughout the airship, he orders them to use Explosion, threatening to destroy Vermilion City. As Deoxys teleports everyone to safety, Red stays behind to disable the Forretress and prevent disaster. In the process, he learns that Deoxys had absorbed his blood when escaping from Team Rocket’s lab, explaining their connection.

At the end of the arc, Red and the other main characters are turned to stone by Sird’s attack, which was originally meant for Deoxys.

Emerald Arc

Red, along with Blue, Green, Silver, and Yellow, is transported as a statue inside a box on the S.S. Tidal to the Battle Frontier in hopes of being restored. For most of the arc, the five Pokédex holders remain petrified. Only near the climax does Emerald, with the help of the wish-granting Mythical Pokémon Jirachi, successfully revive them. Once free, Red and the others join the battle against Guile Hideout. After the conflict, they participate in the Battle Dome tournament, where Emerald ultimately wins the Tactics Symbol.

HeartGold & SoulSilver arc

Red makes a brief cameo in a flashback when Gold recalls his training under him on Mt. Silver during the Gold, Silver & Crystal arc.

Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire Arc

In the Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire arc, Red receives a call from Bill, who warns him that the Ruby and Sapphire shards confiscated from Team Rocket have begun transforming into Orbs. Sensing danger, Bill asks for Red’s help. Red, Green, and Daisy head to Bill’s cottage, only to find him injured after being attacked. Before collapsing, Bill reveals that two men stole the Orbs and his boat. Leaving Daisy to care for Bill, Red and Green use a tracking device to locate the thieves.

Their pursuit leads them to Hoenn, where they catch up to the culprits—Maxie and Archie. Overhearing their plans to use the Orbs, Red and Green challenge them in battle to reclaim the stolen items. However, Maxie and Archie use Mega Evolution to power up their Pokémon. Red and Green counter with their own Mega Evolutions, ultimately defeating their opponents. Just as they celebrate their victory, Groudon and Kyogre appear. Maxie and Archie use the Orbs to trigger the Pokémon’s Primal Reversion, vastly increasing their strength. The now-massive Groudon crushes Red and Green beneath a pile of rubble, leaving them defeated.

Later, Red and Green awaken inside a building, stripped of their belongings and Poké Balls. There, they meet Blaise and Amber, who have also been captured. The mastermind behind their abduction soon reveals himself—Giovanni. He explains that they have been taken aboard the Team Rocket airship as part of his plan to help stop the meteoroid threatening Hoenn.

Red and the others later travel to Sootopolis City, where they find Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald discussing a plan to destroy the meteoroid. Red’s group demonstrates that Mega Evolution can be activated even outside of battle, leading Giovanni to suspect that the meteoroid may actually be a Pokémon from space. Green then suggests rallying allies from across Hoenn, Kanto, and Johto to combine their Pokémon’s power in an effort to slow the meteoroid’s descent.

Diamond and Pearl Arc

In the Diamond & Pearl arc, Red is referenced indirectly. In Cleaning Up Grimer, Diamond, while speaking to his mother from a Team Galactic aircraft bound for Veilstone City, reassures her by mentioning the heroics of Proteam Omega—fictional characters inspired by Red’s Pokémon team.

In High-tailing It from Haunter, Red appears briefly alongside the other Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn Pokédex holders when an Advanced level Grunt discusses the Pokédex with Diamond.

In Double Trouble with Dialga and Palkia IV, at the Spear Pillar, Sird recounts how she previously escaped from Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, and Silver by turning them into stone using her Darkrai.

Powers and Statistics

Tier: Likely 9-A | 7-B | 6-C | 6-C | 5-B

Key: By Himself | Pokémon Team (Beginning of Red Chapter) | Pokémon Team (End and Post Red Chapter) | Current Team | With Mewtwo

Powers And Abilities: Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Sensing due to Deoxys sharing some of his DNA, Sealing (Via Pokéballs), Purification (Type 3. Has used an Antidote before) | Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Water Manipulation, Ice Manipulation, Electricity Manipulation, Status Effect Inducement (Sleep Inducement and Paralysis), Plant Manipulation, Absorption | All previous abilities and Poison Manipulation, Flight, Healing, Fire Manipulation, Minor Weather Manipulation, Minor Mind Manipulation (Confuse Ray), Statistics Amplification | Genius Intelligence, Only Weapon Creation, Flight, Regeneration (Mid-Low), Energy Manipulation, Air Manipulation, High level Psychic Manipulation (Mind Manipulation, Telekinesis, Telepathy and etc.)

Attack Potency: Likely Small Building level (Knocked out a Rocket Grunt, who should be strong as Jessie or James, and managed to free himself from the Grip of Carr’s Mech. Shouldn't be weaker than his Origins counterpart) | Small City level (His Pikachu is incredibly powerful among its race, to the point that its Thundershock can bypass immunity of Brock's well trained Onix. Most of his other Pokémon were also capable of Brock's admiration even while weakened) | Island level (Was considered such a threat by the Elite Four that they were forced to team up and attempt to get rid of him) | Island level (Became stronger than before and is capable of Mega-Evolving his Venusaur) | Planet level (Uses Mewtwo as his primary Pokémon)

Speed: Peak Human (Traveled 10 blocks while skipping over a jump rope on a floor that was moving backwards. Shouldn't be slower than his Origins counterpart) with FTL reactions (Can dodge and react to attacks from fully evolved Pokémon as Golem or Dragonite) | Sub-Relativistic | FTL | FTL | Massively FTL+

Lifting Strength: At least Class 10 | Class 50 | At least Class T (Has a trained Snorlax in his team) | At least Class T | At least Class T. At least Class Z, likely higher for Mewtwo

Striking Strength: Likely Small Building level | Small City level | Island level | Island level | Planet level

Durability: Building level (Took blasts of electricity from many electric Pokémon and survived a point-blank explosion) | Small City level (Pikachu was hit by one of Brock's attacks but was merely irritated, other Pokémon have much more experience) | Island level (Capable of taking hits from Blue / Green's team, who are considered equals to Red's Pokémon) | Island level | Planet level

Stamina: High (Have become exceedingly more conditioned from Blue's short training and years of fighting) | Very high (Team members like Saur and Poli fought several dozens of Pokémon without healing or resting) | Extremely high for Mewtwo.

Range: Standard Melee Range | Standard Melee Range, Hundreds of Meters on the Pokémon and Move | Standard Melee Range, Tens of Kilometers on the Pokémon and Move | Standard Melee Range, Tens of Kilometers depending on the Pokémon and Move | Standard Melee Range, Up to Planetary for Mewtwo.

Standard Equipment: Poké Balls , Pokédex, Bicycle, Pokéflute, Pokédoll, Item-Finder, Shock Proof Gloves, Permanent Evolutionary Stones, Pokégear, Vs Seeker, and Mega Ring.

Intelligence: Above Average (Capable of strategizing under bad conditions, capable of beating the first couple gym leaders) | Genius about Pokémon battling (Used physics and artificially created a thunderstorm mid-battle to become the champion of Kanto, has grown progressively since then)

Weaknesses: Normal human weaknesses. He can be quite rash and rather dense (Case in point, Yellow's feelings) | Varies on the Pokémon he is using

Trivia

• In VIZ Media's original translations of Pokémon Adventures, Red’s Pokémon were not given nicknames, except for Pika. The first official use of their English nicknames appeared in Chuang Yi’s translations of the FireRed & LeafGreen arc. However, VIZ later adopted the nicknames for Red’s other Pokémon, starting with Volume 9.
• Red shares the same birth month and blood type as his main rival, Giovanni.
• His birthday coincides with the release date of the first volume of Pokémon Adventures.
• According to Mato’s old website, Red was 11 years old and 4'11" (150 cm) tall during the Red, Green & Blue arc.