Ruby vs Sapphire: Version Exclusives, Differences & Pokédex Completion
Which Pokémon you can only get in Ruby or only in Sapphire, worked out from every wild encounter table, gift, static encounter and trade in the game, plus the story differences and what you need to complete the Hoenn Pokédex.
- Ruby only
- 7
- Sapphire only
- 7
- Hoenn Pokédex
- 202
Ruby 7 Pokémon
Other differences
- Ruby: Team Magma is the villain team (Maxie, Tabitha and Courtney) and wants to expand the land with Groudon; Team Aqua helps you at the end.
- Sapphire: Team Aqua is the villain team (Archie, Matt and Shelly) and wants to expand the sea with Kyogre; Team Magma helps you at the end.
- At the bottom of the Cave of Origin you can catch Groudon (Ruby) or Kyogre (Sapphire) at level 45. Rayquaza waits at the top of Sky Pillar at level 70 in both versions.
- After the Hall of Fame, Latios roams Hoenn in Ruby and Latias roams in Sapphire. The other one appeared on Southern Island only with the event-only Eon Ticket.
- Both team hideouts are reached from Lilycove City: Ruby uses the Magma Hideout and Sapphire the Aqua Hideout, with the same items in both.
- The Gym Leaders, Elite Four and Champion Steven have the same teams in both versions.
Completing the Hoenn Pokédex
- Trade with the other version for its 7 or 7 exclusives (including their evolutions).
- Choose one starter and trade for the other two lines; the rival never gives you one.
- Lileep and Anorith come from fossils: you can only take one of the two in each game, so trade for the other.
- Feebas (Route 119) and Milotic, Shedinja (from Nincada with a free party slot) and the babies Azurill and Wynaut need extra steps.
- Jirachi and Deoxys were only available through official events.
FAQ
Is Ruby or Sapphire better?
They are the same game apart from the villain team, the cover legendary, the roaming Lati and a few wild Pokémon. Pick the one with the Pokémon you want and trade for the rest.
What are the Ruby exclusives?
Seedot, Nuzleaf, Shiftry, Mawile, Zangoose, Solrock, Groudon.
What are the Sapphire exclusives?
Lotad, Lombre, Ludicolo, Sableye, Seviper, Lunatone, Kyogre.
Sources & picture credits
Guide text is original retrogameindex writing, checked against Bulbapedia and the game data. Wild Pokémon and encounter chances for both versions, items, trainers, gifts, trades and shops come from the pret/pokeruby decompilation (pret/pokeruby 5784633ce4). Maps and sprites © Nintendo / Creatures / GAME FREAK, archived from the Bulbagarden Archives; the Hoenn map is drawn from the game’s own PokéNav map graphics.