Buffering in Pokemon Red

(From unpublished, unfinished "Comprehensive Red guide")

A. BUFFERING
Like many Game Boy Color games, Pokemon Red allows inputs to be buffered. This means if you want an input to be executed on a certain frame -- let's say an A input to talk to an NPC -- you can do so by pressing an appropriate button during a window of frames before it. In the NPC example, the button is A, and the window is the length of a step in the overworld.

Buffer windows can be found in most transitions in movement, text boxes and menus -- but never map loads. You can also buffer while a Pokemon's cry is playing or its HP bar is going up or down. Windows range from 3 to ~200 frames.

In many cases, if the desired input is the same as your last input, it can't be buffered with the same button. For example, if you use B to close your inventory, you can't buffer a B input to close the main menu. For this reason, it's preferable to close the main menu with Start. Similarly, you can't close the Pokemon menu and inventory consecutively with B. This mechanic, known as "consecutive input lag," is crucial to understanding Red speedrunning.

More examples of consecutive input lag:
- You can buffer "FIGHT" in the battle menu with A, but you can't buffer A to use the move your cursor is on. You can buffer A+Down+A to use the move in slot 2, but you can't buffer A+Down+Down + A to use the move in slot 3.
- If you're in the main menu and your cursor is on POKEDEX, you can't buffer Down+A+Down (as you might to do use an HM move in the overworld) unless you release the first Down input very quickly.
- You can't do A presses on consecutive tiles in the overworld (only relevant for RNG manipulation).
- If you clear a text box with A or B, and the buffer window for the next box begins before you release that button, you can't use that same button to buffer the new box.
- If you buffer Down+A to switch to a Pokemon in battle, you can't buffer a Down input to "ITEM" unless you release the first Down input very quickly.

B. TEXT BOXES
To new runners, all text boxes probably look alike, and mashing is an effective enough strategy to clear them quickly. For advanced runners, understanding the different types of text boxes is important if you want to clear them as fast as possible without hand fatigue or pain.

Text boxes exist in lines -- strings of characters that fill the screen horizontally. Each character takes one frame to display, and the game can fit 18 characters on one line. Apostrophes do not count as characters. Spaces count, but there is never a space at the end of a line. The game can fit two lines onscreen at once. A group of lines strung together is called a paragraph. A paragraph ends whenever the physical white box disappears from the screen.

There are six types of text boxes: normal, jingle, self-clearing, extended, end, and instant.

A normal text box has an arrow at the end of it, and no other defining properties. There is a 3-4 frame window to clear these text boxes, with the frame the arrow appears being the last one. As with any buffer, hitting the earliest frame does nothing if you release it before the last one (this is one reason mashing has limited effectiveness). It makes no difference which button you use to clear a normal text box (A or B). Normal text boxes are the most common and can be found in most interactions during the run.

A jingle text box is any text box with a jingle at the end of it. The buffer window is as long as the jingle (usually multiple seconds). If the jingle is also an end text box, it should be cleared with B; otherwise, it doesn't matter.

A self-clearing text box is one that will always close by itself, regardless of any inputs you do. It's most commonly seen when picking up an item. For certain RNG manipulations, it may be necessary to hold A during the pickup jingle; otherwise no inputs are required.

An extended text box is one that continues past the normal two lines without any inputs. This is seen in battle when a move effect has text that doesn't always fit on two lines (e.g., Enemy PIDGEOT's SPEED greatly rose!"). In many cases, holding A or B skips a half-second of lag that occurs between the second and third lines.

An end text box is one that ends a paragraph. There is no buffer window to close these text boxes, so the game will not execute any held inputs. If you use A to close an end text box, the box will not close until you release A. Thus, pressing B to close an end text box is always at least 1 frame faster than pressing A. End text boxes are the second-most common.

An instant text box is one in which each character is displayed on the same frame. This is most commonly seen when Cutting bushes. The buffer window is as long as the lag that precedes the box -- which is more than a second for Cut bush boxes.

C. MENUS
Menuing techniques are the defining characteristic of a Red speedrun. Most of the techniques below rely on buffering, some require good timing, and all require practice.

Menuing refers to execution that occurs in six areas: the main menu, the Pokemon menu, your inventory, the battle menu, shopping inventories, and sub-menus.

- The main menu is the one that opens when you press Start in the overworld. After a battle, your main menu cursor is always on POKEDEX.

- The Pokemon menu is the one that appears when you select "POKEMON" from the main menu or "PKMN" from the battle menu. After a battle, the cursor is always on your lead Pokemon.

- Your inventory is the one that appears when you select "ITEM" from the main menu or battle menu. It can fit up to 20 items, and each space is known as an "item slot." However, the inventory window can only fit four slots at a time. The position of your cursor within the window is known as its "window slot." If you're at the top of your inventory, you'll be in item slot 1 and window slot 1. Press Down once to reach item slot 2 and window slot 2; press it twice to reach item slot 3 and window slot 3. Three Down inputs brings you to item slot 4 -- but the cursor remains on window slot 3 as the window shifts to display item slots 2-5. When you use or sell the last of an item in your inventory, the cursor resets to the item slot 1. After a battle, the cursor is always on item slot 1.

- The battle menu is the one that appears during battle. Your cursor starts on FIGHT, and you can go down to ITEM, right to PKMN, or down+right to RUN. Your ITEM cursor always starts in item slot 1, and your PKMN cursor always starts on the lead Pokemon. The PKMN cursor stays on the Pokemon you last interacted with, not the Pokemon you have out, so if you heal your main Pokemon while a slave is out, your cursor will be on your main.

- Shopping inventories are the lists of items sold in Pokemon Marts. When you buy an item, your cursor resets to window slot 1. When you try to buy something you don't have money or space for, the inventory will close.

- Sub-menus consist of the "USE/TOSS" box that appears when you select certain items, the "STATS/SWITCH/CANCEL" box that appears when you select a Pokemon, and the "BUY/SELL/QUIT" menu in shops.

The following is a list of menuing techniques and the menus in which they work. When a technique can't be used, a menu functions intuitively: The A button is used to confirm/interact, B is used to say no/cancel, and directional buttons move the cursor once per input wherever there's room.

TECHNIQUE               MAIN?           BATTLE?         POKEMON         INVENTORY?      SHOP?           SUB?
Single buffer           Yes             Yes             Yes             Yes             Yes             No
Double buffer           No              Up/Down only    Yes             Yes             Yes             No
Triple buffer           No              No              No              Yes             Yes             No
Double input            No              No              No              Yes             Yes             No
Slot 2 double input     No              No              No              Yes             Yes             No
Triple input            No              No              No              Yes             Yes             No
Fast scroll             No              No              No              Yes             Yes             No
Fastest scroll          No              No              No              From Pkmn only  Yes             No
YOLO scroll             No              No              No              Yes             Yes             No
Keizascroll             No              No              No              Yes             No              No

- A single buffer occurs when any input is buffered. Very intuitive.

- A double buffer occurs when two single buffers are executed on the same frame. For example, A and Down can be held to access your inventory from the battle menu, or to select a Pokemon in the Pokemon menu.

- A triple buffer occurs when any input is executed, the button used for that input is held, and another button is held to execute the same input used for the single buffer. For example, B can be pressed to close the Pokemon menu, and then B can be held along with Start, Select or a directional input to reapply that B input and close the inventory. Similarly, A can be pressed to access the inventory, and then A can be held along with Start, Select, B or a directional input to reapply the A input and select the item your cursor is on. If your directional input is Up or Down, your cursor will go up 1 or down 1 if there's room. An A input will always override a B input, meaning B can reapply A, but not vice versa.

- A double input is the fastest way to move from window slot 1 to 3, or 3 to 1, while in your inventory or a shopping inventory. To execute it, wait until you're in the inventory, then press Down, hold it, and press any other button to reapply the Up or Down input while executing the input for that button. In almost all cases, you'll be pressing A to use an item.

- A slot 2 double input is the fastest way to move up or down 2 item slots when your cursor is on window slot 2. To execute it, do the same as a double input, but do not use A or Select to reapply the Up or Down input. This means using or swapping the desired item requires an additional input.

- A triple input is an extension of a slot 2 double input that allows you to move the cursor by 4 item slots from any window slot. Again, you must wait until you're in the inventory, then press Down and hold it. While Down is held, you must press Start, then Left or Right, in quick succession (Left/Right --> Start also works). This technique is much more difficult than a double input for two reasons. One, the game does not allow you to use A to execute the third input; rather, you must press A after executing the triple input if you want to use an item. Two, the Start button is positioned awkwardly on most controllers, making it impractical to attempt even if practiced.

- A fast scroll occurs when you enter your inventory with Up or Down held. This allows you to scroll through it with only ~12 frames of wind-up lag. If you press Up or Down after entering your inventory, the cursor will move down one slot, then pause for ~20 frames, then resume the scroll. This mechanic can be found in many games and computer programs, such as your Internet browser. If you need to move the cursor 3 or fewer item slots, it is better to count directional inputs (e.g., Down, Down, Down) rather than fast scroll, because that avoids the wind-up lag.

- A fastest scroll is the same as a fast scroll, but with 0 frames of wind-up lag. It occurs when you execute a fast scroll in a shopping inventory, or when entering your inventory from the Pokemon menu (not the main menu).

- A YOLO scroll is a fast scroll in which the player interacts with the desired item slot as soon as possible, rather than after reacting to the cursor's position. To execute this, hold Down, then mash A as soon as you believe you've reached the desired slot. If your timing was off, you'll try to use the wrong item, which can be very costly (e.g., accidentally Escape Roping out of Mt. Moon). If your timing was correct, you'll save a number of frames equivalent to your reaction time (generally about 20). YOLO scrolling can be used to greater effect when swapping items. The cursor always stops when you press Select, and then the game checks whether Up or Down is held. If it's not, you'll lose 20 frames to wind-up lag. YOLO scrolling is recommended for fast scrolls in which failure wastes fewer than 2 seconds. However, you should never do it without having practiced. One consistent method for YOLO scrolling is to begin mashing A as soon as you see the item that's 2-3 slots above it (depending on your reaction time).

- A Keizascroll is an user-friendly technique named after speedrunner Keizaron. It allows the player to quickly swap an item with the last item in their inventory without risking a YOLO scroll. To do this, scroll down to "CANCEL," press+hold Select, then press+hold Up. Once you've made the swap, you can mash A to use the item above it (in window slot 1). This is particularly useful on the Bicycle/TM24 menu in Cerulean City, as demonstrated here: youtube.com/watch?v=zGVaAf_uj6I.

Even the simplest menus often require multiple techniques. For example, if your main menu cursor is on ITEM and your Bicycle is in item slot 1, you'd mount your bike using this input sequence:
- Start (single buffer during movement, or during lag after battle)
- A (single buffer during menu-opening lag)
- B/Start/Select/Up/Left/Right (triple buffer; hold during inventory-opening lag while A is held)
- A or B to clear the normal text box "A got on the BICYCLE" (can mash, a single buffer is ideal)

This sequence is also used to throw a Poke Ball frame perfectly.

Another example: You ended a battle and need to Potion before the next one. Your cursor is on Pokedex, and your Potions are in item slot 1. Your input sequence should be the following:
- Start (single buffer)
- Down
- Down
- A
- A (to select the Potion)
- A (to use it from the "USE/TOSS" box)
- B (single buffer while your Pokemon's HP is going up)
- Start/Select/directional (triple buffer; hold during white screen after exiting Pokemon menu while B is held)
- Start (single buffer as soon as inventory closes)

In this sequence, you can also single buffer the first Down input (Down), single buffer the first A input (A) and triple buffer the second A input (B/Start/Select/Up/Left/Right while holding A). But the difficulty is high and the time save is small.

A Red run features many menus like the Potion menu -- except the desired item is often in window slot 2. This creates a problem. If Down and A are held while the inventory opens, the cursor will do nothing, as consecutive input lag is preventing Down and A from being executed. If you hold B/Start/Select/Left/Right, you can reapply the Down and A inputs, and this is done whenever the item in slot 2 does not have a "USE/TOSS" box. But if that box comes up, you must release and re-press A very quickly to avoid losing time.

A simple fix is to keep Down held, release A, then start mashing A once in the inventory. Runners often use this for Super Repel menus, since Super Repels are kept in slot 2. If the menu is Super Repel+bike, you'd close the "used SUPER REPEL" text box with B, then hold Up+A to get on the bike. If your main menu cursor is already on item when you need to repel, you can't have Down held without wasting time, but you can use one of several methods that require more precise timing.