Pokemon Inflamed Red

Pokemon Inflamed Red is a FireRed hack by Greenphx that does for Kanto what Inclement Emerald did for Hoenn: it raises the difficulty, expands the Pokedex and removes as much busywork as possible. It is built on the Complete FireRed Upgrade (CFRU) and the Dynamic Pokemon Expansion, the same engine work that powers several of the biggest modern GBA hacks.

The core journey is still Kanto, from Pallet Town to the Indigo Plateau, but who you meet along the way changes. Two new rivals, May and Barry, join the story, and you can choose a starter from any region while the rival always takes a Kantonian one. Trainers are higher level, Gym Leaders use full teams, and an optional Hard Mode gives opponents perfect IVs and EVs.

What sets Inflamed Red apart is how much it lets you skip. A No IV Grinding mode gives every caught Pokemon 31 IVs, a No EV Grinding mode makes power items grant 252 EVs, and there is a Nature Changer, an IV Perfecter, a Stat Checker, a toggleable EXP Share, a Pocket PC and a PocketCentre item. Level scaling based on your party's average level keeps encounters relevant.

The latest version is v1.0.5, released in spring 2022 and listed as complete. Once you have finished the game, every Pokemon from Generations 1 to 8 — plus the Hisuian forms from Legends: Arceus — can be caught. Raid battles and buffs for weaker species give you more reasons to experiment with team building.

• Built on CFRU and the Dynamic Pokemon Expansion
• All Gen 1-8 Pokemon and Hisuian forms catchable after completing the game
• Two new rivals, May and Barry
• Choose a starter from any region
• Higher trainer levels and full-team Gym Leaders
• Optional Hard Mode with 31 IVs and EVs on enemy Pokemon
• No IV Grinding and No EV Grinding modes
• Nature Changer, IV Perfecter, Stat Checker and toggleable EXP Share
• Level scaling based on your party's average level, plus raid battles
• Black/White-style summary, party and bag screens and HGSS text boxes

On default settings Inflamed Red is a firm but fair step up from FireRed. Turning on Hard Mode, where opponents have maxed IVs and EVs, makes boss fights much more serious and pushes it closer to competitive hacks.

It is a great match if you want a modern Kanto run without learning a new region, or a Nuzlocke base with lots of species variety. Because so much grinding is optional, it also suits players with limited time.

• Decide on No IV and No EV Grinding before you start, so your whole team is built on the same rules.
• Pick a starter from a different region than usual — the rival will still use a Kanto starter, so plan around it.
• Use the PocketCentre and Pocket PC to change your team on the go.
• Check stats with the Stat Checker before committing items to a Pokemon.
• If a tutor's dialogue glitches visually, avoid pressing B too early; that is a known issue.

v1.0.5 is a polish release on top of the full 1.0 game, out of beta and marked complete. Two small known issues remain: some birds that should cause confusion may not appear, and pressing B too early when talking to move tutors can cause visual glitches.