Pokémon Fire Red and Leaf Green is back in the limelight after a rerelease on Nintendo Switch, and getting hold of a Mankey is an important stage for a lot of players.
While those who choose Bulbasaur or Squirtle in Pokémon Fire Red and Leaf Green will have an easy ride against Brock, those who selected Charmander are not so lucky. Additionally, a lot of the early Pokémon available to catch in the game are weak to Brock’s party.
Mankey is an exception, however, and Insider Gaming has all the details on where you can get your hands on this Fighting-type ace.
Where to Get Mankey in Pokémon Fire Red & Leaf Green
Mankey is available in several locations in Pokémon Fire Red & Leaf Green, with a first encounter being available on Route 22.
Route 22 is located east of Viridian City and can be visited extremely early in the game, despite the fact it leads to Victory Road and the Elite Four. While you won’t be able to get through to Route 23, you won’t need to in the hunt for a Mankey.
The odds to encounter a Mankey on Route 22 are favourable, with a 45% chance. That’s more than double the initial encounter odds available in Pokémon Red and Blue, where Mankey had just a 20% chance of being encountered.
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Later on in the journey through Kanto, Mankey is also available to encounter on Route 3, Route 4, and in the Rock Tunnel. While these are early enough in a playthrough, they crucially come after defeating Brock at the Pewter City Gym. If you’re facing off against Brock, choosing a Mankey is a wise choice due to its Fighting-type edge over the Gym Leader.
Finally, Mankey can also be encountered on Route 23, the location of Victory Road, but that is way past the expiration of Mankey’s usefulness.
How to Evolve Mankey in Pokémon Fire Red & Leaf Green
Mankey evolves into Primeape at level 28 in Pokémon Fire Red and Leaf Green, and it’s therefore unlikely you will have a Primeape for the early battle with Brock unless you do some major grinding.
In Pokémon Fire Red and Leaf Green, Primape is the fully-evolved form of the Mankey line, as Annihilape, introduced in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, is not available in the game.
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Like Mankey, Primeape is a Fighting-type Pokémon that is resistant to Dark, Rock, and Bug-type attacks. It also shares the same Psychic and Flying weaknesses, so keep that in mind when deploying Primeape into battle.
Is Mankey one of the best Pokémon you can catch early on in Fire Red and Leaf Green? Share your thoughts in the Insider Gaming Discord.
For more Pokémon Fire Red and Leaf Green, check out the complete Pokédex, and find out where you can catch Nidoran.
