Pokémon Sapphire, along with Pokémon Ruby and Emerald, is part of the third-generation Pokémon games, after Pokémon Gold and Silver. Noticeable differences include the graphics and interface, Pokémon abilities, and the running shoes that allow the player to move around in the outside overworld very fast, before getting the bike.
This run improves on the author's previous run by 96 seconds, mostly due to using a different Pokemon a third of the way through. Mudkip, the chosen starter, is a Water Pokémon that has Water/Ground evolutions. After the third gym, Machop, a Fighting type, is used. Its ability allows the Attack stat to be multiplied by 1.5x if it receives a status condition. The paralysis effect is no accident.
Note: You need to have Real Time Clock on and use Flash 128k as Save Type. Real Time Clock is for sync, while Flash 128k is to prevent the game from giving a white screen.