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How to Get a Shiny Charmander in Pokemon Fire Red

Introduced in the second-generation Pokemon games, shiny Pokemon are like trophies in the Pokemon franchise. Players have a 1-in-8,192 chance of finding one through breeding or a random encounter, meaning getting a shiny depends on a lot of luck and patience. The "Fire Red" starter Pokemon, such as Charmander, work differently. Since you can't encounter these Pokemon in the wild, the only way to get a shiny starter in "Pokemon Fire Red," aside from trading with someone who's already found one, is to repeatedly soft-reset at the beginning of the game.

Things You'll Need

Pokemon "Fire Red"
Game Boy Advance

Instructions

- 1
  Insert "Pokemon Fire Red" into your Game Boy Advance and power on the console. From the title screen, press "Start" and choose "NEW GAME." Press "A" to proceed through the dialogue, choose whether you're a BOY or a GIRL, enter your own name and then enter your rival's name.
- 2
  Use the directional pad to walk down the stairs at the top-right corner of the room. Then move south to exit your house.
- 3
  Head north once outside and walk into the tall grass. You'll be stopped by Professor Oak. He wants to give you your first Pokemon and brings you to his lab.
- 4
  Press the "Start" button and choose "SAVE" to save the game.
- 5
  Walk over to the Pokeball on the right side of the table and press the "A" button. A picture of Charmander appears. Confirm this is the Pokemon you want.
- 6
  Press the "Start" button and select "Pokemon." Then highlight Charmander and press "A," then press "A" again to select "SUMMARY." If you have a shiny Charmander, the Pokemon will be a slightly different color, and a small star is displayed next to the Pokemon. If your Pokemon is shiny, save the game immediately. If not, proceed to Step 7.
- 7
  Press "Select," "Start," "A," and "B" all at the same time to do a soft reset.
- 8
  Press "Start" on the title screen and choose to continue.
- 9
  Repeat Step 5 through Step 8 until you're given a shiny Charmander.

Game Boy