Core series
A version of the Pokémon games is a Pokémon game which follows the now-standard model of a player's journey through a specific region to collect all of the Pokémon. Collectively, the fourteen games released with the suffix "Version" are known as the main series of Pokémon games.
Version formula
All versions follow the same basic plot: The player grew up in a small town, and somehow meets the region's native Pokémon professor, who then allows him or her to keep a starter Pokémon, which is always of the Grass, Fire, or Water-type. The player's rival, of course, has or gets the starter Pokémon whose type is super effective against that of the player's choice.
From here, the player journeys throughout the region, challenging the eight Pokémon Gyms and receiving their badges upon defeating the Gym Leader. Usually, a villainous team will arrive to cause trouble, typically with plans to take over the world and capture legendary Pokémon to do their bidding.
After all eight Gym Leaders have been defeated, usually with each allowing for a specific HM move to be used outside of battle, the player must head to the Pokémon League, where the Elite Four and Champion are waiting. After the Generation I games, as well, the pathway there will require the player to climb waterfalls to reach their destination.
The games technically are over once the player has become the Champion, however, their Pokédex still remains to be filled. After this has been done, of course, and the player has talked with the Game Freak employees who reside within the game, they will receive a diploma. Starting with Generation III, getting all the Trainer card stars are needed to get 100% completion of the game.
Versions always have a Pokémon that represents them, known as a version mascot. Since Generation II, as well, this has been a legendary Pokémon that is available in the game.
Paired versions and third versions
Versions are always released in pairs to start a generation, then later, a third game is released that provides more features than the first two, but takes place in the same region with the same storyline with minor alterations. Most often, there are version-exclusive Pokémon that are available in one of the original two, but not in the other, with a counterpart in the other game, such as is the case with Ruby version's Zangoose and Sapphire version's Seviper. The third version, of course, will have some Pokémon unavailable as well, though these will often be Pokémon that were available in the other two, while the version-exclusives of the original two will often both be available in the third game. Generation III was the first generation to not only release two sets of paired versions (Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire and Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen), but also the first generation to lack a third version for a particular storyline, in this case that of Kanto.
List of paired and third versions
| Paired versions | Third version | |
|---|---|---|
| Generation I (Japan) | ||
| Red | Green | Blue |
| Yellow | ||
| Generation I (US) | ||
| Red | Blue | Yellow |
| Generation II | ||
| Gold | Silver | Crystal |
| Generation III | ||
| Ruby | Sapphire | Emerald |
| FireRed | LeafGreen | |
| Generation IV | ||
| Diamond | Pearl | |
|-
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