Fan favorite character could have been final boss in Pokemon Red and Blue

Long-time Pokemon fans will know the very first games in the series – Pokemon Red and Blue – finish with an epic battle against your rival. The game’s code has revealed there was supposed to be another, more powerful trainer to defeat, though.

The Generation 1 Pokemon games are still revered to this day, with many trainers returning to the remastered versions – Fire Red and Leaf Green – to enjoy them once again. Some trainers even like to relive them in their primitive glory, playing them in their original monochrome GameBoy port.

• Read More: Can you complete Pokemon Red/Blue with just a Magikarp?

The newer Pokemon games have followed a similar pattern to the 1996 classics – defeat the eight gym leaders, go throughout the Elite Four before facing a winner-takes-all battle against your rival. It’s a structure that gave Pokemon games longevity for years to come.

There a few games more iconic than the first Pokemon games…

Your rival’s Grandfather

It looks like there was supposed to be another facet to the story, though, and a shocking one at that. After defeating your rival, a battle with your mentor himself, Professor Oak, was supposed to follow, at least that is what the game’s code suggests.

Dr Lava’s Lost Pokemon channel revealed this interesting plot and even found which Pokemon he was supposed to have. Choosing between Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle at the beginning of the game is one of the most iconic scenes in any Pokemon game.

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You choose which you want, your rival will choose the starter that has a type advantage against it, leaving the final one to sit there and never be seen again. Or so it would seem. That ignored Pokemon ends up in Professor Oak’s team at a powerful level 69.

Would this have been the most difficult battle in all of Gen 1?

Professor Oak’s team

So, for example, if you pick Squirtle, your rival will pick Bulbasaur, leaving Charmander (or Charizard when you would have finally faced it) to be part of Professor Oak’s team. The most famous of all Pokemon researchers team would have been as follows:

• Charizard (or Venusaur/Blastoise) level 69
• Tauros level 66
• Exeggutor level 67
• Arcanine level 68
• Gyarados level 70

We may never know why Professor Oak was omitted from the first games but his inclusion would have made for a fascinating finish to the storyline. After all, he is the Grandfather to your rival and Pokemon Champion!