The most complex Pokemon speedrun I've ever seen involves playing two games at the same time with four controllers mashed together, alongside voice controls and a foot pedal

Pikachu fainted, looking worn out on the ground in the Pokemon anime.

Speedrunners are some of the most talented gamers out there, but I don't think I've ever been more impressed by a speedrun than I am by this Pokemon Red and Green catch 'em all challenge, which involves playing two games simultaneously with a plethora of different controllers for the optimal setup.

The speedrun in question was carried out at RTA in Japan Summer 2024 by Japanese speedrunner Zunow, who's been focusing on this exact challenge since 2022. Rather than reaching the end credits of one of the games, he instead challenges himself to obtain the 150 Pokemon required to get the complete Pokedex diploma without using glitches – the mythical Mew doesn't count since you need to pull off a massive glitch to get it these days.

Given that obtaining all those Pokemon in one game isn't possible, thanks to trade evolutions and version exclusives, the run requires Zunow to play both Red and Green simultaneously to trade everything onto one game. This alone would be quite a feat, but Zunow's method of streamlining the operation is mind-boggling. As reported by Automaton, Zunow previously showcased his unique setup over on Twitter – in each hand, he wields two Super Nintendo Entertainment System controllers strapped back to back, which each control one game. These are set up so he can control the D-pads with his thumbs and press the other buttons with his fingers on the opposite side.

まず全体像がこちら。左から時計回りに、配信用PC、メインのモニタ、サブのモニタとなってます。手前の机にチャートを映したタブレットが2枚と乱数調整用タイマーとコメビュを映したPCがあり、タイマーは机の下のペダルで操作しています。本体はGC+GBP2台で通信ケーブルで繋がっています。 pic.twitter.com/3A2n6XEPpWMay 3, 2022

現在のタイムアタックは『ポケットモンスター赤緑』頑張っている両手への応援のメッセージを受けて会場ではインタビューが行われています！...え？配信はこちらから⇒https://t.co/iSbmGPKZXj#RTAinJapan pic.twitter.com/C0U3PP3sbEAugust 13, 2024

As if that wasn't enough, Zunow also uses voice controls to update a spreadsheet with every Pokemon he catches, and Automaton adds that he even has a foot pedal which is used to keep track of both games' RNG (random number generation). It's an obscene level of multitasking – watching him speed through battles without breaking a sweat on one game while doing a completely different task with just as much focus on the other is enough to make you feel dizzy, but he's clearly very well-practiced. Catching 'em all is serious business, after all.

Zunow's best-ever time was set earlier this month, and it came in at five hours, 15 minutes, and 27 seconds. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to beat this during Tuesday's stream at RTA in Japan, where he obtained his final Pokemon – an Oddish, of all things – before quickly grabbing his Pokedex diploma to finish the run at the five hour, 30 minutes and 14 seconds mark. No one can deny his skills, though – it's certainly not a challenge I'll be trying myself any time soon. 

Laughing then crying in the face of 1-in-8000 odds, the luckiest and unluckiest Pokemon Sapphire player finds 2 shiny starters at the same time and then immediately loses them both.