Gotta catch 'em all? Well, that is the official motto of the worldwide phenomena that is known as Pokémon. But what is it about these little, cute, animalistic creatures that we all love so much? Maybe it's because they appeal to the eyes, or perhaps it is something more.

Whatever your reason for loving these awesome critters, one fact remains dominant: as new generations of people are born in the real world, so are Pokémon. Growing up, it was all about the Kanto region for me, especially Red and Blue versions. Can't go wrong with the original starters, Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur!

However, as more years passed, more Pokémon, regions, games, and merchandise were introduced. At first, I was all for the arrival of the Johto region and the games that followed, Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal versions. As I got older, the Pokémon scene became more and more redundant in my opinion. Honestly, I simply fell out of love with Pokémon.

Then came generation three with there new graphics that were made possible with the Game Boy Advance and Advance SP systems. Pokémon once again crept back into my heart with both Ruby and Sapphire and their three starters, Treecko, Torchic, and Mudkip. Generation three came out with their own versions of the classics which retold the Kanto tale. In this article, I will discuss 25 attributes you could do in Generation 3.

25 Beat A Gym Leader? Why Not Do It Again?

If you were like me and played the classic Pokémon games over and over, then you too must have been frustrated with the fact that you could not go back to any gym leader and beat them time and time again.

Even though in the predecessors you could not go back to challenge gym leaders all over again, Pokémon Emerald changed that.

It was the first Pokémon game that let its gamers challenge gym leaders all over again after defeating them in battle. Hold your horses; to be able to have a rematch with any gym leader, the player has to be inducted into the Pokémon Hall of Fame before any offers of rematches can be made. With that said, the player must defeat the Elite Four and become Pokémon champion before gaining the ability to go up against the gym leaders again.

Okay, let's say you, the gamer, already defeated the Elite Four and thus the game and are ready to re-take said gym leaders, but these once defeated leaders are no slumps. Yes, that's right, these once defeated leaders revamped their Pokémon for a chance to reclaim their former glory. Not only are the leaders' Pokémon stronger, but you must battle two of them at a time when the rematch commences.

24 The Golden Ticket For Rare Pokémon

So apparently there is an ultra-secret way in obtaining either Latios or Latias depending on which version you carry, Sapphire or Ruby.

Where does one find either of these highly rare Pokémon? Well, according to legend, these Pokémon are found in the Southern Island. How do you get there? The task is not an easy one. First, one must acquire an Eon Ticket. How do you do that, you ask?

Well, at the time, Nintendo had special events and whoever was lucky enough to get their mittens on one was headed towards the right step.

If you (the player) are unable to get your hands on a ticket through the special events, then I suggest obtaining it through Game Shark, that is the only realistic way one might be able to acquire such a rarity.

Once you obtain a ticket, quickly head over to Lilycove Harbour. Once you talk to the woman there, she will be baffled by the ticket that you have in your possession. Moments later, a sailor will become nosy and see what all the fuss is about. Let him observe the ticket then he will offer you a voyage on his boat.

The destination is the secret island where either Latios or Latias are. Please keep in mind that if you (the player) attempt this, go to the island well prepared with a wide variety of Poké Balls; it wouldn't hurt to be prepared for the unknown.

23 The Right Way To Use The Storage System

In recent Generations, like Gen 1, the storage system was found in every Poké Center, and occasionally in random buildings throughout the Kanto region. But that is beyond the point I am trying to make. Gen 1's interface for the storage system was just a list of names of the player's Pokémon in which they had to store for safe keeping. Now, in Gen 1, the storage system was limited to how many Pokémon can fit in each box. Again, the system only displayed the Pokémon's name, so if you (the player) gave the Pokémon a nickname it would be quite difficult to determine which Pokémon you are trying to withdraw or move.

However, Generation 2 saves the day in the end. For starters, Generation 2 was the first Generation to include pictures to the names of the Pokémon in said storage system. It is no major upgrade to the list of names, but hey, it helps, right? It wasn't until Generation 3 when the storage system became a little bit more creative. That was the generation that introduced "wallpapers" for different backgrounds for said boxes to help determine which Pokémon are associated with which storage box.

22 You Can Actually Battle Both Magma And Aqua

As I said before, Generation 3's Sapphire, Ruby, and Emerald all introduced to the public and fans a gang of new attributes including some pretty cool villains. However, the sad thing about these villains is that not all of them appear in the same game.

However, Emerald allows the player to battle both Team Magma and Team Aqua. So if you were hoping to come across Team Magma in Sapphire or vice-versa, the chances of running into them are slim to none. If you (the player) really wanted to take on both teams, I suggest getting a copy of Emerald. At least in Emerald Version, the player has the opportunity to face not just one of the villainous teams but both. But then again, who would want to take on both teams? Unless the player absolutely wants to be a hero, I suppose.

Personally, I think it's rather interesting to be able to battle two teams of foes. It makes the game interesting, but I am a stickler for nostalgia, so I am going to stay a loyal fan of Team Rocket. However, one thing I do enjoy about facing off against two teams is the amount of battle time my Pokémon get opposed to only battling a handful of Rocket members. Double the opponents, double the leveling rate.

21 Wait! What's This? Hail And Rain?

One thing I found quite fascinating about Gen 3 was the weather attribute of the games Sapphire, Ruby and Emerald Versions. Let's wind the clocks back again to take another look at Gen 3's predecessors. For starters, the weather never changed in the original games, even if a Pokémon used a special move, such as "Rain Dance." If a water Pokémon did do such a move, the weather would only alter in that particular battle, never outside of it as your player is roaming the region.

Going forward a decade or two, the weather is evident in Gen 3 versions of Pokémon. However, there is a huge explanation on why the weather is able to change in Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald rather than their predecessors. First of all, there is a building in the 3rd generation games called "The Weather Institute." In this building, there is a Pokémon in which the scientists of the institution created in order to predict the weather patterns and to help control them.

All in all, both Teams Magma and Aqua show up to the institution in search for the whereabouts of the legendary Pokémon, including that artificially made weather Pokémon as well. I'm sensing a theme here with all these references to weather!

20 Exploring The Islands

The Sevii Islands were first introduced in Generation 3 with the release of versions FireRed and LeafGreen. However, even though these said games are remakes of the originals, the originals did not have the Sevii Islands in them. The Sevii Islands are something extra that developers plugged in FireRed and LeafGreen to connect a bridge between the newer games of Pokémon, hence Emerald, Sapphire, and Ruby.

There are a lot of fun things there: legendary Pokémon are said to rest in these islands, Pokémon such as Ho-Oh, Lugia, Moltres, Articuno, etc. Just in case if you the reader were wondering, yes, the Sevii Islands are part of the Kanto region; however, there are some Pokémon from the Johto region that can be found on said Islands.

There are approximately 9 large islands with several smaller islands surrounding them. The way to get to said islands is to defeat Cinnabar's gym leader, Blaine. Once you have done so, your player will have access to three of the islands, which are numbered numerically: one, two, and three. It is not until the player defeats the Elite Four that access will granted to the other islands. They're all worth exploring.

19 A New Way To Learn This Famous Move

In Generation 3, as of now, Lotad is the only Pokémon who can learn the move "water gun" by breeding alone. This is a huge advantage if you do not have a strong water type Pokémon from the start. I know in the original generations, especially generation 1, it took quite some time before Squirtle actually learned a water move that was strong enough to do some serious damage.

I am curious to know what makes Lotad so special to be the only Pokémon to have a move such as water gun be taught to him in the breeding process.

I know, it's not like Lotad is learning "bubblebeam" or "surf," some of the more powerful attacks that would render water gun useless, but water gun is still an attack that you as a trainer would love to start out with.

Don't get me wrong, it is not like Lotad can learn water gun just by breeding with any Pokémon, it has to be a specific type of water Pokémon that Lotad has to be paired off with in order for the procedure to work properly. For example, a Pokémon such as Lapras, Squirtle, and Slowpoke would work, so pretty much any common water type will do the trick just fine.

18 Evolving Into Two Pokémon At Once

Now, this little fact takes the cake. Prior to Generation 3, Pokémon usually had three evolutions, some even had maybe only two, (i.e.) Mankey or Voltorb. However, as the years progressed so did the evolutions of Pokémon. When the Johto region was introduced it brought forth new and exciting Pokémon and with that said, it also brought some new evolutions to some already existing Pokémon, (i.e.) Onix to Steelix.

Yet, Generation 3 once again introduced a wave of new recruits to the already packed Pokémon roster and the future Generations do not seem to be letting up either. With that being said, above is a picture of the Pokémon who is called Nincada. Nincada is afraid of the sunlight so it spends most of its time underground and in dark places; however, that doesn't stop it from burrowing under trees and roots in order to obtain nutrients. In the Generation 3 video games (i.e.) Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald if you (the gamer) level up your Nincada to level 20 it will evolve into Ninjask, but if you have a slot open on your roster and a standard Poké Ball in your bag a Shedinja will appear, thus giving you two Pokémon for the price of one.

17 A Flashy Pokémon

The Pokémon move known as "Flash" has its perks during and out of battle. Back in the day, Flash was given to the main character via Professor Oak's aide, or some other person. The purpose of the move Flash in battle was to blind the opposing Pokémon in battle. Yet, outside of battle a Pokémon, with the right badge, could use the move to illuminate dark caves to successfully navigate through said cave or tunnel.

However, in Generation 3, a little Pokémon by the name of Volbeat can do just that without trying to search for the missing HM.

You see, HMs are not like TMs. TMs that contain certain moves and abilities can be used only once. HMs, on the other hand, can be used multiple times depending on which Pokémon can learn that particular move or not. The list of HMs goes something like this: HM01 Cut, HM02 Fly, HM03 Surf, HM04 Strength, HM05 FLASH, HM06 Rock Smash, HM07 Waterfall, and HM08 Dive.

As you can see, not all Pokémon can accept any HM thrown their way. Yet, Volbeat is capable to learn Flash all on its own with using HM05. Thus rending the HM pointless at if you have a Volbeat in your party.

16 A Single Parent No More

In the predecessors, Gen 1 and Gen 2, the main character always had one parent, the mother. In the animated Pokémon shows, the main protagonist only had a mother figure, never a father figure. Does that mean Gen 1 and Gen 2 main character had father issues?

Not at all; in fact, it was not until Generation 3 when a father figure would be introduced to the storyline. With that said, in Generations prior, the only figures that seemed to resemble a father figure would be the professors, Oak of the Kanto region and Elm of the Johto region. However, in Generation 1, the rival's grandfather is actual Professor Oak.

As said before, Generation 3's Sapphire, Ruby, and Emerald versions all introduced both parents in their games.

What is most intriguing about said games was that this time the father figure is actually one of the gym leaders that you as a player will face. However, in Gen 3's games, the player will get to choose between two characters one being a male (Brendan) or his female counterpart (May). Whichever you pick, your father is the Petalburg gym leader (Norman) and your mother is just known as Mom. The rival, on the other hand, is the child of Professor Birch.

15 Which Legendary To Choose...

I remember when coming across a legendary Pokémon meant something special. Growing up with Red and Blue, and even Gold and Silver versions, finding a rare Pokémon was something to boast about. Don't get me wrong, these new Pokémon are meant for a much younger generation of fans; however, I am a true fan of the original legendary Pokémon (i.e.) Mew, Mewtwo, plus the three legendary birds Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno.

Those days are long gone, now with the new advances in the Pokémon series and with new regions to explore it is only natural for new and exciting Pokémon to take the spotlight. Generation 3 has in total 10 legendary Pokémon; that's right, you heard me, ten. Among those said Pokémon are Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza, which we'll discuss in more detail later, followed by 7 more scattered throughout the games, including Regirock, Regice, and Registeel.

The last of the legendary Pokémon include Latias, Latios, Jirachi, and Deoxys, the Pokémon from outer space. So, there you have it, ten new legendary Pokémon from Generation 3. In my honest opinion, the original legendary Pokémon hold a special place in my heart, so I am unfamiliar with these said Pokémon, but I will give them a try.

14 Keeping Things Mythical

Unlike its predecessors, Generation 3 has mythical Pokémon; that's right, you heard me correct, mythical Pokémon. What makes mythical and legendary Pokémon so distinct and different? Well, legendary Pokémon can actually be obtained in the video games. According to Japanese lore, they make it distinct in between the two types.

In Generation 3, there are only two types of mythical Pokémon; however, these two Pokémon are also in the legendary category.

The first mythical Pokémon is called Jirachi. Jirachi is a steel-psychic type of Pokémon who has the ability to grant any wish just by writing it down on its tags once it is awake. This Pokémon only wakes up for seven days every thousand years. Talk about a power nap! Even though it has a long duration of slumber, this Pokémon can still fight back when it is being attacked, even in its sleep.

On the other hand, like its counterpart, Deoxys is a mythical Pokémon with psychic abilities; however, this Pokémon is from outer space. This said Pokémon can alter its shape, which also alters its abilities in combat. The crystal on its chest acts as its brain and also a defense mechanism when in danger.

13 Double Trouble

Generation 3 once again outdoes its predecessors, Generations 1 and 2, by debuting their two-on-two battles. Before, in the Silver and Gold versions, trainers would challenge the main character in pairs, but they would send out their Pokémon only one at a time. In Generation 3, two Pokémon could be summoned at the same time. I guess that can be useful, but wouldn't that deplete the main character's roster?

In Generation 3, some of these trainers were divided up into classes, (i.e.) "Sis and Bro," or "Sr. and Jr." As I said before, each trainer controls two Pokémon. If more trainers come into the battle then the battle is referred to as a multi-battle, which in fact can work either greatly against you or in your favor.

Let's say you (the gamer) find yourself in this predicament, the opposing trainers could either team up against you or take each other out first, or you can take them out first. That is something that Generations 1 and 2 did not offer in their video games nor in their television shows.

Growing up with both said generations I can honestly say that it was probably better that they had not introduced that feature. Call me old-fashioned, but the one-on-one style seemed to hold more of an effect of being more competitive, if that makes any sense.

12 A Strong Defense Gets The Job Done

Who says a strong defense is useless against a strong offense? Well, time and time again has shown that the stronger defense always prevails, unless you have a strong water-type Pokémon up your sleeve to take out this fire-type Pokémon. If you're a fan of Torkoal, then you must already know that this form is it for it. Yes, that means there is no evolution for this fire-breathing Pokémon!

However, there is an upside to this, don't worry! You see that hard thing on the Pokémon's back? That's a shell where the Pokémon can recoil. The shell protects the Pokémon from serious damage.

The little Pokémon has a hidden ability called "Shell armor," which, in fact, eliminates the chance of any critical or direct hit from its opponents. This can be a useful tool when it comes down to the wire in certain battles. Back in the day, the best line of defense my Pokémon had was either Metapod or Kakuna when they both used the move known as "harden." However, those moves such as harden or "defense curl" stood no match to the awesome might of Torkoal's rock hard shell of a defense. No one is scoring today!

11 Going Wireless

Prior to the release of Generation 3, way back in the prehistoric days, there was a little thing called the "Link Cable." What is the link cable? I'm glad you asked. Back who knows when, the link cable connected Game Boy to Game Boy, usually the regular thick gray Game Boy or Game Boy Pockets. Using said cable, players were able to either battle or trade their prized Pokémon.

Why? Because any movement could disrupt the connection between the Game Boys. However, all that changed when the Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Advance SP came to market. Sure, Game Boy Advance in its earlier stages still required the link cable, it even had a port for it, but it wasn't until the wireless adapter came out is when the game changed in a huge way. No more lugging around a cable when your friend challenges you to a Pokémon duel!

No, indeed! In fact, as the years progressed so did the tech. The wireless age boomed and so did the way we as gamers played our games. Pokémon online trading recently came a thing, when about fifteen years ago only trade by hard cable was possible.

10 No New Evolutions For Eevee In Gen 3

In Generations 1 and 2, players and fans were introduced to five evolutions of Eevee. In case you (the reader) forgot the original three, they were Jolteon the electric type, which could only evolve if the trainer presents what is known as a "Thunder Stone" to Eevee, then the Pokémon will evolve into Jolteon. Simple so far, right?

The next form for Eevee is Flareon, the fire-type. Again, just like its electric counterpart, Eevee can only achieve this form if it is presented with a what is called a "Fire Stone" then and only then will Eevee evolve into Flareon. Next on the list is Vaporeon the water type. Yes, the same rules apply, for Eevee to obtain this form, the trainer must present it with a "Water Stone." However, in Gen 2, Eevee gets two evolutions which do not involve a stone, but rather its next evolution depends on the time of day.

Gen 2 introduced Espeon and Umbreon. Eevee evolves into Espeon during the day and if it is night, then it evolves into Umbreon. However, sadly in Generation 3 Eevee does not receive any new evolutions. We don't know why this was, but in future generations, Eevee received more evolutions, so it all worked out.

9 No Changing That Rival's Name

Do you (the reader) remember being able to type in any name you wanted for your rival no matter how lewd or provocative it may have been? Well, in Generation 3's Sapphire, Ruby, and Emerald versions, the player cannot alter the name of the rival what so ever.

That is really disappointing, I had a good name lined up for my rival. Oh well!

Anywho, so the reason why the player cannot change the name of the rival is that the story will get thrown out of loop. For starters, let's say the player chooses the boy, Brendan. Brendan is the son of a Gym leader, Norman and his wife, who is referred to as "Mom" for the duration of the game. May, the girl, along with a troubled boy named Wally become the main rivals in the game. May is the daughter of Professor Birch. Later, May becomes a Pokémon professor just like her father.

Now, if you (the player) choose the girl, May, then, of course, the roles reverse and now Brendan is the rival. So there you have it, the reason why the rival's name cannot be changed is due to story and background.

8 Switching Up The Tunes

If you hadn't figured it out by now, I make a grip of references towards Gen 1 and 2 in comparison to Gen 3. The iconic music for Red and Blue that I grew up with is no more. Now, the music for the battles, especially for the gym leaders and Elite Four, has significantly changed, and in a good way.

Before, the gym leaders all had the same music, even all the Elite Four members, to that respect. The previous games felt like they lacked originality for the most part when it came to theme music. I mean, sure, it takes time, money, and a good amount of effort to compose music scores for each villain, hero, gym leader, etc.

However, in Generation 3's Sapphire, Ruby, and Emerald, the developers heard the cries for change and gave each member of the Elite Four their own battle tune. Honestly, I have to applaud the developers for that number, because the whole gameplay and music seemed rather redundant at times. Don't get me wrong, I still like the games very much. So, there you have it, the Elite Four comes with their own music as yours and their Pokémon clash.

7 No After Game Special

In Pokémon Blue, Red, and Yellow versions they were all pretty straightforward. Venture off from Pallet Town, collect all eight badges, stop Team Rocket along the way, beat the Elite Four and finally face your rival one last time before dethroning him. Yellow Version is exactly the same, except that the starter Pokémon is a Pikachu instead of the three main starters, Squirtle, Charmander, Bulbasaur. Once you defeat the rival and become champ, there is one thing left to do and that is to face Mewtwo one-on-one. That's it, that's the end.

Well, in Pokémon Gold and Silver, they not only introduced a new lead character, but new Pokémon, a new rival, a new professor, and wait, what's this? A journey after you beat the game! Are you telling me in these games the player can collect sixteen gym badges and face off against Red or Blue in a final showdown?! How exciting! I can wait to see what the next Gen has to offer!

Yep, that's right Gen 3's Sapphire and Ruby didn't offer anything that felt remotely close to a post-journey after the game. Funny thing is, Emerald, FireRed, and LeafGreen all got a little something called the Sevii Islands, which I previously mentioned.

6 A Chance To Catch More Legendaries Than Ever

Generation 3 introduced to the gamers a new trio, the Weather Trio, if you will. The trio consists of the water type, Kyogre, the ground type, Groudon, and lastly, the Dragon-flying type, Rayquaza. The special attributes about these said legendary Pokémon is that each one controls an aspect of the weather. Let's take a look at each Pokémon and what makes them so special. For starters, Kyogre is the water type and also the mascot of Pokémon Sapphire Version, which said Pokémon appears on the main cover of the game. This legendary Pokémon has the ability to create huge storm clouds, which causes downpours of rain to occur. According to legend, this Pokémon is said to help regions suffering from severe droughts.

Unlike its counterpart Kyogre, Groudon is a ground-type legendary Pokémon whom slightly resembles that of a prehistoric dinosaur with the ability to summon severe droughts. This Pokémon's other attribute is that it has been known to save people from severe floods by raising land masses. According to legend, Groudon went into a deep sleep under the earth after a catastrophic fight it had with Kyogre.

On the other hand, the last of the Weather Trio, Rayquaza is an aggressive, territorial Pokémon who dwells in the sky. It is said that Rayquaza was responsible for interfering with the fight between Kyogre and Groudon.