Generation III

Generation III (often referred to as the advance generation) Pokémon games consist of Pokémon Ruby, Pokémon Sapphire, Pokémon Emerald, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen on Gameboy Advance and Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness on Nintendo GameCube at the present time. The Generation III games take place in the Kanto region, the Hoenn region, and in the Orre region. The generation started with the 2002 release of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire in Japan and 2003 release elsewhere.

Advances in Gameplay

The third generation, while incompatible with Generation II and Generation I, boasts the most changes in the world of Pokémon. Many new Pokémon are added with strange type combinations such as fighting/psychic. The advances include:

• New streamlined Pokémon storage system.
• Pokémon Contests.
• 135 Pokémon added to the Pokémon world, bringing the total to 386.
• New teams involving one specific Legendary Pokémon - Groudon in Pokémon Ruby and Kyogre in Pokémon Sapphire.
• Natures, which determines a Pokémon's stat growth, and can be affected by an item attached to a Pokémon while breeding (Pokémon Emerald only.).
• New environments can be explored: Underwater, Desert, Mountain and Jungle.
• Wireless communication (Only available in: Fire Red, LeafGreen and Emerald)
• Nintendo E-Reader communication.
• Abilities, which can affect Pokémon inside and outside of battle.
• Improved Graphics.
• More moves added, bringing total to over 350.
• Berries have greater use; can be used for Pokémon Contests, regular battle, or in stat training (Pokémon Emerald, specifically).
• Double battles are available.

Hoenn Starters

Players begin their journey in Littleroot Town with a choice of Treecko, Torchic, or Mudkip. The Grass-Fire-Water type triangle from previous generations remains, and the difficulty setting follows Generation I where Grass-type or Water-type Pokémon will serve to make the beginning gyms easier, wheras choosing the Fire-type provides an extra challenge. However, on Generation II, Fire Types are better at the start to defeat the second gym leader, Bugsy.

Gym Leaders

1. Roxanne
2. Brawly
3. Wattson
4. Flannery
5. Norman
6. Winona
7. Tate & Liza
8. Wallace (Juan in Pokémon Emerald)

Other Generation III games

Pokémon Colosseum, for the Nintendo GameCube, features a new land called Orre where several Generation II and Generation III Pokémon are altered by two teams called Cipher and Team Snagem. Players must "snag" the "Shadow Pokémon" and cure them of their darkness. Once this is completed, the Pokémon may be transferred to the other Generation III games. Pokémon Colosseum is the first 3D Pokémon RPG.

This game also features an advanced stadium mode similar to those of the Pokémon Stadium games.

Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, which return to the world of Generation I for an updated telling of its story.

Pokémon Box Ruby and Sapphire is another Generation III game, which allows for:

• Storage of up to 1500 Pokémon from Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, and LeafGreen games.
• Playing Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire on the television.

Pokémon XD, also for the Nintendo GameCube, follows a storyline that takes place a few years after the story of Colosseum. It allows for snagging of rare Generation II and III Pokémon as well, and includes a difficult to purify final Shadow Pokémon, a Shadow Lugia.

Generation III is the biggest generation of its time, and Generation IV is on the horizon with games for the Nintendo DS.

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