Pokémon Generation 9 Countdown: The Best of Generation 3

Welcome to Part 3 of my series where I take a look back at each of the eight Pokémon generations we have experienced so far prior to the start of Generation 9 when Pokémon Scarlet and Violet come out in November. This entry will cover the collection of games headlined by Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald.

If you missed one of the previous entries, check out the links below:

Generation 1

Generation 2

All release dates are North American

Ruby and Sapphire (March 2003)

Two years after Pokémon Crystal launched, Ruby and Sapphire launched the series into a distinct era from the previous two generations.

Gold and Silver appeased new and old fans alike by including all 251 Pokémon at the time in the regional Pokedex, with all species besides the Kanto starters, fossils (Aerodactyl the exception), and legendaries/mythicals available within the newer games. While we have since experienced games such as X and Y, Ultra Sun and Moon, and Sword and Shield featuring regional Pokédexes with more than the 386 species that existed in Generation 3, it did feel unlikely that Pokémon could continue this trend of complete inclusivity. These games took a risk by limiting the roster to 202 and not allowing trade compatibility with older games, meaning until other games on this article were released, just under half of all Pokemon could not be obtained.