These 2 Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen 'Version Exclusives' make one version better than the other

Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen has well over 40 version exclusives between the two versions, and that alone has always been a good reason to debate which game is better and which should be chosen by whom. One could argue that this is true for most people Pokémon game, although version exclusivity has improved somewhat over the years. Apart from Paradox Pokemon, which can do Pokemon Scarlet the better Gen 9 version overall if you look at VGC, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet did a better job of making version exclusives more manageable and less FOMO inducing if you didn't buy both games. This is not exactly the case in the Gen 3 Kanto remakes.

The problem is that Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen not only have true version exclusives, with some critters being much better than their counterparts in the other version, but also cases where a given Pokémon is easier to find in one version over the other. A great early game example is with male and female Nidoran on Route 3, with male Nidoran spawning at 14% frequency and female Nidoran at 1% frequency in Fire redand the opposite for Leaf green. Since Nidoking is better than Nidoqueen in the Gen 3 remakes, this could be important. However, it applies to another set of Pokemon, namely Koffing and Grimer (as well as Weezing and Muk), and it may be more relevant to Pokemon champion.

Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen's intro screen showing Nidorino fighting Gengar, and Lorelei and Lance from the Elite Four

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Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen rare exclusives are not the same (and one version is much better than the other)

Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen have two rare exclusives that should be balanced, but one is more accessible and powerful.

Pokemon FireRed's Koffing and Weezing are better than LeafGreen's Grimer and Muk

Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreens exclusive versions are normally only available via trade with the other version, while Koffing and Grimer are just more likely to appear in one version than the other. Their evolution, Weezing and Muk, is something completely different, as they only play in one game. These Pokemon's locations are:

Coffee
- Pokemon Mansion, all floors, 30% in FireRed and 5% in LeafGreen
- Celadon City via fishing, 1% in both versions
Weezing
- Pokemon Mansion, all floors, 5% in FireRed and no spawn in LeafGreen
Grimace
- Pokemon Mansion, all floors, 5% in FireRed and 30% in LeafGreen
- Celadon City via fishing, 1% in both versions
Muk
- Pokemon Mansion, all floors, no spawn in FireRed and 5% in LeafGreen

Although rare in one version and more common in another, the Koffing and Weezing line and the Grimer and Muk line share this kind of “version exclusivity”, which also applies to Nidoking and Nidoqueen in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen. In the Gen 3 Kanto remakes, Weezing is overall better than Muk despite the latter's high Attack and HP because it learns better moves and is more versatile with how you can build it. The same applies to VGC, but for more important reasons.

A history of Pokemon's VGC, and why Weezing is better than Muk

Alolan Muk has seen a lot of use and love in competitive Gen 7 Pokémon over the years, but its base form is quite dull. On the other hand, both Weezing and Galarian Weezing can be very good in VGC due to their abilities and movepools. As for Weezing vs. Muk this is due to several reasons:

Weezing has the ability Neutralizing Gas, which causes all other Pokémon's abilities to be nullified or unable to trigger. This is especially good for damaging abilities, like Regigigas Slow Start or Slaking's Truant, which leads to the Weezing + Regigigas combo in VGC having some very good moments.
Weezing has a more varied movepool for a support role, while Muk is more focused on dealing damage. As an attacker, there are better options in terms of type, movepool and ability.
Muk has three possible abilities: Stench, Sticky Hold, and Poison Touch. Stench allows Muk's attack to have a 10% chance to flinch the target (or increase existing Flinch rates by 10%). Sticky Hold makes Muk's held items impossible to remove or change. Poison Touch causes Muk's contact moves to have a 30% chance to poison the target. These aren't terrible options, but they are very niche and don't really support a whole new strategy like Neutralizing Gas does.

Before the release of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's Ogerpon and Loyal Three in The Indigo Mask DLC, Galarian Weezing was the only Pokémon and Fairy-type Pokémon, now joined by Fezandipiti.

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While Pokemon champion' available Pokemon currently do not include Weezing and Muk, when they become available, Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen should have theirs Pokemon home support online. In that case, Pokemon FireReds rare exclusive will be better than Leaf greens, at least as far as competitive use is concerned. However, in regular playthroughs of the Gen 3 Kanto remakes, this will mostly boil down to which Pokemon you like the most.