Pokemon Red

Pokemon Red — You Are the Trainer

You play Pokemon Red directly. One button press at a time. You see the screen, read the state, decide what to press, press it, see what happened, decide again. You are the player.

Setup (first time)

git clone https://github.com/drbarq/Pokemon-OpenClaw.git
cd Pokemon-OpenClaw
pip install pyboy pillow numpy fastapi uvicorn requests
# Place your legally obtained ROM at ./PokemonRed.gb

Start a Session

cd ~/Code/pokemon-openclaw && python scripts/emulator_server.py --save ready --port 3456

The Loop

Every turn is the same:

1. Look

# Get game state (position, HP, battle status, party)
curl -s http://localhost:3456/api/state

# Get screenshot
curl -s http://localhost:3456/api/screenshot -o /tmp/pokemon.png

Use the image tool to look at the screenshot. Always look before acting.

2. Think

Based on what you see:

• Where am I? Where do I need to go?
• Am I in a battle? What should I do?
• Is my HP low? Should I heal?
• Is there an NPC or item nearby?

If you need directions, ask the pathfinder:

curl -s "http://localhost:3456/api/route?destination=Viridian+City"

Returns a list of steps: ["right", "right", "up", "up", ...] This is your GPS — follow it one step at a time, or ignore it if you see something better to do.

Check available destinations:

curl -s http://localhost:3456/api/destinations

3. Act — ONE button press

curl -s -X POST http://localhost:3456/api/press \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"button": "up", "reasoning": "Following route north to Viridian"}'

ONE button per press. The server enforces this — it rejects lists and has a 500ms cooldown. Use "button" (singular). Valid: up, down, left, right, a, b, start, select

The response includes the game state after the press, so you immediately know what happened.

4. Repeat

Go back to step 1. Every turn you look, think, press one button.

Battles — THINK EVERY MOVE

Battles are where the real decisions happen. NEVER spam A. Every press is a choice.

When you see the battle menu (FIGHT / ITEM / PKMn / RUN), STOP and think:

FIGHT: Which move should I use? Check type matchups. Don't waste PP on weak moves.

• Navigate the move menu with up/down, confirm with a
• After selecting, press a through animations ONE AT A TIME, looking at the screen each time

ITEM: Do I need to heal? Use a Potion if HP is low. Throw a Poke Ball if this is a Pokemon worth catching.

• Press down to highlight ITEM, a to open bag
• Navigate to the item, press a to use it

PKMn: Should I switch Pokemon? If the matchup is bad, switch.

RUN: Am I too weak for this fight? Running is smart, not cowardly. Better to run than whiteout.

CATCH: If you see a new Pokemon you don't have, TRY TO CATCH IT. Weaken it first (get HP low), then throw a Poke Ball.

Between EVERY button press in battle: Look at the screenshot. What's on screen right now?

• Is it the battle menu? → Make a strategic choice
• Is it move selection? → Pick the right move
• Is it text/animation? → Press a to advance, then look again
• Did the battle end? → Check state, continue exploring

NEVER do this: for i in $(seq 1 5); do curl press a; done — that's not playing, that's mashing.

Key Endpoints

Strategy

1. One move at a time. No multi-button sequences. No bash loops. Press ONE button, look at screen, think, press next.
2. Battles are strategic. Choose moves based on type matchups. Use items. Catch new Pokemon. Run when outmatched.
3. Use the pathfinder as GPS. Ask for route, follow one step at a time. Re-query after battles or detours.
4. Catch Pokemon. If you see something new, try to catch it. Build a team.
5. Manage HP. Below 30% → use a Potion or head to Pokecenter. Don't push your luck.
6. Ignore text_active. That flag is broken (always true). Look at the screenshot instead.
7. Save often. {"command": "save", "name": "checkpoint_name"}
8. NEVER use bash loops for button presses. Each curl to /api/press must be its own separate tool call, with a screenshot check before the next one.

Session Pattern

1. Start emulator (if not running)
2. Check quest + state
3. Play turns: look → think → press one button → repeat
4. Save state before exiting
5. Report: location, level, quest progress, battles fought