Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen players will soon have another reason to complete their Pokédex. The Switch and Switch 2 versions of the classic Gen 3 remakes are set to receive official Pokémon Home support in October 2026, allowing players to transfer their Pokémon out of the games for the first time.
More importantly, the update will introduce a new reward for dedicated players. Completing the required Pokédex progress in FireRed and LeafGreen will unlock a free Celebi through Pokémon Home.
The mythical Pokémon will not become catchable inside FireRed or LeafGreen themselves. Instead, players will need to use the Pokémon Home mobile app to claim their reward.
FireRed and LeafGreen Are Getting Pokémon Home Support
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen arrived on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 as part of the Pokémon Day celebrations in 2026. The ports quickly became strong performers on the Nintendo Store, bringing the classic Kanto adventure to Nintendo’s current hardware.
However, one major feature was missing at launch: Pokémon Home compatibility.
That will change in October.
Once support goes live, Pokémon caught in the Switch versions of FireRed and LeafGreen can be transferred into Pokémon Home. This gives players a way to preserve Pokémon from their playthroughs and potentially move compatible creatures into other supported Pokémon games.
There is one major restriction, though.
Transfers only work in one direction.
Players can move Pokémon from FireRed and LeafGreen into Pokémon Home, but Pokémon stored in Home cannot be transferred back into the games.
That limitation means players cannot simply import missing Pokémon to complete their FireRed or LeafGreen Pokédex.
Completing the Pokédex Unlocks a Free Celebi
The biggest addition is undoubtedly Celebi.
Players who meet the required Pokédex completion conditions in the Switch versions of FireRed and LeafGreen will become eligible to receive Celebi through Pokémon Home.
The reward will need to be claimed through the Pokémon Home mobile application, so players who only use Home on Nintendo Switch will also need the mobile version connected to the same account.
Celebi itself will remain unavailable inside FireRed and LeafGreen. The Pokémon Home distribution effectively acts as the reward for completing the Pokédex rather than adding a new Celebi encounter to the games.
For collectors and players building a Living Pokédex in Pokémon Home, that makes the October update particularly interesting.
You Still Cannot Complete the National Pokédex Natively
Pokémon Home support does not solve every problem with the FireRed and LeafGreen ports.
Because Pokémon cannot be transferred into the games, the National Pokédex still cannot be completed entirely within FireRed and LeafGreen.
Several Generation 3 Pokémon are absent from the games and traditionally required interaction with Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald or other compatible titles.
Without inbound Pokémon Home transfers, those gaps remain.
This makes the timing of the October update especially noteworthy.
Could Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald Be Coming at the Same Time?
Leaks have suggested that Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald ports are also planned for October 2026.
If those reports prove accurate, the timing would make plenty of sense.
FireRed and LeafGreen were originally designed as part of the wider Generation 3 ecosystem. Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed and LeafGreen collectively allowed players to obtain a much larger selection of Pokémon than any individual game could provide.
Releasing the Hoenn games alongside FireRed and LeafGreen’s Pokémon Home update could therefore recreate at least part of that ecosystem on modern Nintendo hardware.
However, until Nintendo and The Pokémon Company officially confirm those reported October releases, the Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald information should still be treated separately from the confirmed FireRed and LeafGreen Home functionality.
FireRed and LeafGreen Already Include Several Rare Pokémon
Celebi may be the headline reward, but FireRed and LeafGreen already give players access to several extremely valuable Pokémon through their post-game content.
Players can obtain Ho-Oh, Lugia and Deoxys through the available events and additional content in the Switch releases.
Adding Pokémon Home support dramatically increases the value of those encounters because players will finally be able to move these Pokémon out of FireRed and LeafGreen and add them to their wider collection.
Celebi will work differently. Instead of being encountered inside the game, it will be awarded externally through Pokémon Home after the necessary Pokédex requirements have been completed.
October Could Be a Big Month for Pokémon Collectors
Pokémon Home support might sound like a relatively small update, but it could have major implications for collectors.
FireRed and LeafGreen Pokémon will no longer remain trapped inside their respective games, while the free Celebi gives players a meaningful incentive to work through the Pokédex.
The one-way transfer restriction also prevents Pokémon Home from trivializing progression inside the classic games. Players will still need to catch and register Pokémon through normal gameplay rather than importing an entire collection from Home.
And if the leaked Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald ports really do arrive during the same month, October 2026 could become one of the most important periods of the year for players trying to expand or complete their Pokémon Home collections.
For now, FireRed and LeafGreen players have a clear objective: get that Pokédex ready before Pokémon Home support arrives in October.
