Ethan Crossfield 
The latest Pokémon Home support update for Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen brings a free Celebi reward, but it also underlines a major limitation for completion-focused players. Celebi can be claimed through the mobile app after finishing the Kanto Pokédex, yet it cannot be moved back into either game. That leaves one of the series' rarest creatures outside the reach of players trying to fill every National Pokédex slot in the modern ports.
What happened with the Celebi reward
Nintendo's Pokémon Home compatibility update added a Celebi giveaway tied to Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen. Players who complete the Kanto Pokédex, excluding Mew, can receive the Mythical Pokémon through Pokémon Home's mobile application. It is a notable anniversary-style reward and gives fans a legitimate route to add Celebi to their wider Pokémon Home collection.
The catch is that the reward remains in Home. The update supports transfers out of FireRed and LeafGreen into Pokémon Home, but it does not permit Pokémon to be sent from Home into the games. As a result, the newly available Celebi does not fill its entry inside either title's National Pokédex.
Why it matters for National Pokédex completion
The Switch and Switch 2 versions retained the original games' trade-dependent structure, despite updated visuals and fixes for older issues such as the Roar problem involving roaming Legendary Pokémon. Trading in the ports is limited to local wireless connections, which means the original Game Boy Advance versions cannot trade directly with the newer releases. Players also theoretically need access to two consoles if they want to handle trades themselves.
Completing the National Pokédex was already difficult because Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire are not currently available as Switch or Switch 2 ports. Even if those games eventually arrive, Celebi and Jirachi would still have no stated in-game acquisition route. Mew is also unavailable, while Ho-Oh, Lugia, and Deoxys can be obtained through other methods. The National Pokédex Certificate technically requires 380 of 386 Pokémon, excluding Mew, Ho-Oh, Lugia, Celebi, Jirachi, and Deoxys, but the missing creatures still matter to players pursuing a truly full collection.
What to watch next
The biggest unanswered question is whether Ruby and Sapphire will join FireRed and LeafGreen on modern Nintendo hardware. Reports and leaks have suggested that such ports could happen, but nothing in the available information confirms a release. Without them, several ordinary Generation 3 Pokédex entries remain inaccessible through the current Switch ecosystem.
More importantly, Pokémon Home's one-way transfer design signals that FireRed and LeafGreen may not receive a solution for their remaining Mythical Pokémon gaps. The free Celebi offer is useful outside the games, but it does not change the completion path within them. Unless a future update introduces inbound Home transfers or a separate in-game event, Celebi's National Pokédex space may remain permanently unfilled in these ports.
Key takeaways for players
- Complete the Kanto Pokédex, without Mew, to qualify for the Celebi reward in Pokémon Home.
- Do not expect the free Celebi to appear in FireRed or LeafGreen after claiming it.
- Local wireless trading is the only stated trade option for the modern ports.
- Original Game Boy Advance copies cannot trade directly with the Switch versions.
- A full National Pokédex remains dependent on future availability of other Generation 3 games and Pokémon.
Expert View
This is a frustratingly narrow implementation of Pokémon Home support. Giving players Celebi is a welcome gesture, but locking it outside the games turns a collector-friendly reward into proof of the ecosystem's limits. For a re-release built around preserving classic functionality, the inability to bring legally obtained Pokémon back into FireRed and LeafGreen is the part that will matter most to dedicated completionists.
