Once again, a friend asked me which Pokémon game I'd recommend for them, only this time for the Game Boy Advance.

Considering that Pokémon from those games can be moved all the way up into the Gen 8 games for the Switch (and that there are certain advantages to having Pokémon from older games), I thought this blog would be worth making.

Ruby/Sapphire

The first games to take place in my favorite region: Hoenn.

These games added so many fun things that (unfortunately) aren't in many newer Pokémon games.
(Their Gen 6 remakes being an exception, of course.)

These games added the ability to enter your Pokémon in Contests, where you compete against other Trainers not by battling, but by showing off the "Coolness", "Beauty", "Cuteness", etc., of your Pokémon, in front of judges.

These games also were the first to give you the ability to have your own "Secret Base", which you can customize with a wide area of different furnishings.

They also added my favorite Field Move of all: Dive.

With Dive, you can actually dive underwater on the back of your Pokémon, and explore the vast seas of Hoenn.
(Which was REALLY cool, IMO.)

It's also interesting how the storyline in these 2 games is different: In Ruby, you try to stop Team Magma from awakening Groudon; and in Sapphire, it's Team Aqua trying to awaken Kyogre.
(Which means you can only get the Legendary Pokémon mascot for your game, and not the other.)

Fire Red/Leaf Green

If you're nostalgic about the Kanto region for whatever reason, then it doesn't get much better than these games.

You start out in Pallet Town (just like you do in the original Gen 1 games, and also like Ash from the anime series), receive a Starter Pokémon (Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle) from Professor Oak, and then travel throughout Kanto, catching Pokémon to complete the Pokédex, defeating Gym Leaders to earn Badges, and trying to stop the villainous Team Rocket.
(No Jessie, James, or talking Meowth, though.)

While you can't start out with a Pikachu like Ash did (you need Yellow Version for that, which has a VC version available in the eShop, for the 3DS), you can still catch one, and you even get to meet some of the same people Ash did in the anime.
(Like Misty and Brock, although they're a lot different in the games.)

These improved upon the classic Gen 1 games in countless ways, including by adding the ability to play a girl.
(Which is nice, if you find it annoying being forced to play male characters all the time.)

They also added things unavailable in the original GBA games, such as the Union Room (where you can Battle, Trade, and Chat with nearby players), and a special Game Corner with multiplayer mini-games.
(Both of which require the GBA's Wireless Adapter, though.)

Also, after completing the game, you get access to new "islands", where you can catch many Gen 2 Pokémon.
(I won't say anymore, though, to avoid spoilers.)

Emerald

Basically, this an improved version of R/S.

In Emerald, you fight against both Team Aqua and Team Magma, and can (eventually) catch both Groudon and Kyogre.

It has many of the same features that were added in FR/LG, but also adds a few more.

There are new battling facilities in this game, including new "Battle Tents" (which were fun, IMO), as well as everyone's favorite: The Battle Frontier.
(Complete with Move Tutors.)

There were lots of other interesting changes made in these games (compared to R/S), especially to the story.
(Which is IMO among the best storyline of any Pokémon game.)

Also, Emerald has all of the Gen 2 Pokémon that were absent from FR/LG, including the Starters.
(No Ho-oh or Lugia, though, which are only available in the GameCube games.)

Conclusion:

IMO, Emerald is among the best Pokémon games ever made, and is even superior to the Gen 6 Hoenn remakes in certain respects (the Battle Frontier, the Battle Tents, the Safari Game, and the Game Corners, just to name a few), and I'd HIGHLY recommend it for any Pokémon Player with a GBA.

If you're really into the old Gen 1 stuff, though, and are looking to (kinda) experience the origins of Pokémon (lol), then Fire Red/Leaf Green is the way to go.

As for Ruby/Sapphire, they're mostly just for if you REALLY want these Dress-up Backdrops in the Gen 4 Games, and don't mind missing out on the extra stuff you'd get in Emerald:

Ruby

Sapphire

Of course, there are benefits to having Emerald, Fire Red, and Leaf Green, too.
(All of those require a DS system with a GBA Cartridge slot to obtain, though, in addition to the correct GBA game.)

Anyway, I hope y'all found this useful and/or interesting!