How To Battle Red In Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu And Eevee

While Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee take most of their inspiration from Pokemon Yellow, the pair diverge from the classic Game Boy game in some notable ways. Rather than starring Red and Blue, the protagonist and rival of the original, the titles cast players in the role of a brand-new trainer who is setting off on a journey to become a Pokemon Master alongside a new rival character.

But while Red and Blue no longer share the spotlight in Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee, they do play a role in the games. As we learned from a recent trailer, both classic characters appear at some point during the adventure--as does Green, the female trainer who was seen standing alongside the other two characters in the original artwork for Pokemon Red and Blue.

All three trainers can be battled at different points in Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee, but as in previous games, Red is the most difficult to find and defeat of the three. While Blue and Green will challenge you to a match when you've made it to a certain part of the story, you'll need to fulfill a few conditions before you're able to take on Red. Some mild spoilers follow below.

If you're hoping to test your battle prowess against the iconic Pokemon trainer, you'll first need to complete the main story by defeating the Elite Four. Once you've taken the mantle of Pokemon League Champion, a new slew of characters known as Master Trainers will begin appearing around the Kanto region. Each Master Trainer specializes in one particular Pokemon, and you'll need to use that same Pokemon to defeat them in a one-on-one battle. True to their name, however, Master Trainers pose a significant challenge; the Pokemon they specialize in has high stats and knows attacks that give it an advantage over you.

In order to battle Red, you'll first need to defeat any six Master Trainers in Let's Go Pikachu or Eevee. Once you've accomplished that feat, Red will appear outside of the Pokemon League in the Indigo Plateau, where you can talk to him to initiate the battle. He has a diverse team that consists of Pikachu, Snorlax, Arcanine, Lapras, Machamp, and Mega Venusaur, all of which are level 85, so you'll need to bring a powerful team of your own to stand a chance.

After defeating Red, you'll earn the title of Battle Master, which you can display to other players in-game when challenging them to Link Battles. Red will then leave the area, but you'll be able to re-battle him in the same spot by defeating the Elite Four again.

Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee are available exclusively for Nintendo Switch. The games make a great entry point for the series, but we still have nine tips you should know before starting your adventure. We've also put together a detailed guide on how to catch Meltan, as well as one on how to get the original starting Pokemon Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. You can learn more about the games in our Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee review.