Pokemon Modern Emerald ROM

Pokemon Modern Emerald is a GBA ROM Hack by resetes12 based on Pokemon Emerald. It was last updated on January 19, 2025.

Description

To put it simply, “Pokémon Modern Emerald” is a modernization of the original “Pokémon Emerald” game. This game offers all the QOL features and improvements that I’ve wanted since I got my hands on the original game in 2005. Think of this as a 2.0 update for the original game. This game is not a “difficulty hack-rom”, and never will be. If you want a super difficult version of Pokémon Emerald there are already a lot of good hack-roms available. The idea behind this game is to play it instead of the original “Pokémon Emerald”, especially for those who want a vanilla experience with more features: simple difficulty modes, move splits, QOL features, new Pokémon, new areas, new rematches, and a large etc.

This hack is a “3rd generation hack”, meaning that it doesn’t try to mimic later generations and, although certain features and improvements from later generations are included, this hack is a 3rd generation game at its core. Don’t expect all the new moves from later generations, or being able to catch 900 different Pokémon. This hack does not include the “Battle Engine Upgrade” or anything similar, but it does include certain mechanics from it (like the OPTIONAL Physical / Special split that happened in Gen. IV, or the Fairy Type).

There’s a total of 423 Pokémon, including 2 from Generation 8 and 3 from Generation 9. There are two modes that can be selected from the Challenges screen at the start of the game. If you don’t touch anything, spawns will be just like the original Emerald without the version exclusives. If you enable “Modern Spawns”, all 423 will be obtainable. The game also includes Day/Night spawns for both modes (although without Modern Spawns the change is minimal and it’s mostly a rate change for certain species).

There are also WONDER-TRADES, which can help you complete your national Pokédex (All Pokémon are available for Wonder-Trade except legendaries, and you are limited to 3 Wonder-Trades every day).

Features

Story related:

• Gym rematches are easier to trigger. After 10 wild battles won, or 5 trainer battles won, there is a 50% chance of getting a rematch.
• The Elite Four can be rematched after battling with Steven, and they are double battles.
• After completing the Elite Four Rematch, a rematch with Steven will be available. You will get a unique, special prize.
• The Sealed Chambers puzzles have changed slightly. Learn braille and find out what changed!
• Also, there are 6 Regis. Try to discover where are the new 3!
• All the trainer rematches scale up a lot more than in the original game, and their parties have been changed.
• All the trainers in the Battle Frontier have new Pokémon in their teams and have been buffed or modified.
• All the gym leaders, Elite Four, the 2 champions, Wally, Magma / Aqua leaders, and Red and Leaf will appear during the Battle Frontier challenges.

Pokémon related:

• Following Pokémon (Optional, with a second option to enable or not Big Followers like Rayquaza).
• 40 new Pokémon species, mostly from Gen. IV and 3 from Gen 9 (Annihilape, Dudunsparce, Farigiraf).
• Night encounters. Certain species will have a higher rate during night and others will only be available during night (only with Modern Spawns).
• Modern Spawns! Optionally, you can now capture the 423 new Pokémon available. Only changes wild Pokémon, not trainers. Modern Spawns have also a Night encounter version for each route, making certain Pokémon night exclusive.
• Optional Shiny chance: 8192 (Emerald default) – 4096 (Gen VI+) – 2048 – 1024 – 512.
• All the buffs from later generations are in.
• Extra buffs for other Pokémon are in. Includes stats, abilities and/or typings. (Ex. Arbok is now POISON / DARK and Meganium is now GRASS / FAIRY). You can have a look at them in my personal document, on the “4. Pokémon changes” tab.
• All the move buffs AND nerfs from later generations are in, with small changes to make them work in a 3rd gen game.
• All Egg moves and tutor moves have been improved with data from later generations.
• New evolution methods.
• Optional Item Drop when defeating a Pokémon. Forget about catching it or using Thief!
• Pokémon inherit 5 IV’s from their parents, no item needed.
• Everstone works on male or female Pokémon and guarantees nature.
• Gen. VIII Synchronize.
• Kanto fossils are available in 3 different caves.
• Shuckle can make berry juice just like in Gen. II!! Yay?
• Nature Mints are available to buy in the Flower Shop after the 5th Gym.
• Deoxys forms can be changed.

Battle related:

• Modern Battle Frontier, Battle Tents and Trainer Hill. Your Pokémon will be limited to level 50 when playing in those battle facilities, even if your level is 100.
• 9 new moves from Gen IV to buff typings that didn’t have a certain Physical / Special move. (Ex. Dark Pulse, as Dark type didn’t have a Special Dark type move).
• Fairy type introduced. Hyper-voice (Special) and covet (Physical) are now Fairy type since this typing didn’t have any attacking moves.
• HM01 Cut is now Grass type.
• EV Training available in Lilycove.
• IV Maximizer available in Lylicove, after beating the game. Needs a lvl.100 Pokémon.
• Hidden power is now 60 always, and shows the type in the summary screen and in battle.
• A nurse NPC is available after beating the game to farm EXP in Lilycove.
• Faster battle intros. Enable “Fast Intros” option in the options menu.
• Faster-paced battles. Enable “Fast Battles” option in the options menu.
• No low-health beeping.
• Press START while selecting a move to open a new Submenu with information about the selected move.
• Trainer class-based Pokéballs.
• Catching EXP.
• Gen. VI EXP. SHARE.
• Macho Brace multiplies EV gain * 5.
• Gen. IV Sitrus Berry.
• Gen. IV Sitrus Berry.

UI related:

• Modern Battle Frontier, Battle Tents and Trainer Hill. Your Pokémon will be limited to level 50 when playing in those battle facilities, even if your level is 100.
• 9 new moves from Gen IV to buff typings that didn’t have a certain Physical / Special move. (Ex. Dark Pulse, as Dark type didn’t have a Special Dark type move).
• Fairy type introduced. Hyper-voice (Special) and covet (Physical) are now Fairy type since this typing didn’t have any attacking moves.
• HM01 Cut is now Grass type.
• EV Training available in Lilycove.
• IV Maximizer available in Lylicove, after beating the game. Needs a lvl.100 Pokémon.
• Hidden power is now 60 always, and shows the type in the summary screen and in battle.
• A nurse NPC is available after beating the game to farm EXP in Lilycove.
• Faster battle intros. Enable “Fast Intros” option in the options menu.
• Faster-paced battles. Enable “Fast Battles” option in the options menu.
• No low-health beeping.
• Press START while selecting a move to open a new Submenu with information about the selected move.
• Trainer class-based Pokéballs.
• Catching EXP.
• Gen. VI EXP. SHARE.
• Macho Brace multiplies EV gain * 5.
• Gen. IV Sitrus Berry.

Gameplay related:

• 3 difficulty modes (EASY, NORMAL and HARD). Selected at the start of the game, can be changed anytime from the options menu.
• Optional PHYSICAL / SPECIAL MOVE split from Gen. IV. Selected in the options menu, second page.
• New Challenge Menu at the start of the game. You probably have seen it in other hacks. Includes new options.
• Bag capacity increased to 90, and item capacity to x999.
• Day / Night System with Day / Night encounters. Now Daytime is from 6AM to 20PM. Night-time is from 20PM to 6AM. For (2 new) evolutions, Morning is from 6AM to 9AM. Also includes cool lighting at night!
• Run everywhere.
• Autorun (in the options menu).
• HM moves text and interaction is way faster.
• Link with Fire Red / Leaf Green available from the start.
• One-time tutors are infinite, but you have to pay now.
• Trainer HIll prizes are the berries that were not available in the GBA games.
• Match and Acro Bike are now one. Change between them by pressing “R”.
• Chain fishing has been added.
• Easier fishing has been added to the options menu (FR/LG fishing).
• All tickets are available to buy, together with its events.
• Faster nurse Joy healing.
• Daily money event with Meowth (post-game).
• You can check the Soot Sack to know how much ash you have.
• Interacting with berry trees is faster, berry trees that are in rainy routes don’t need to be watered, and berry trees don’t decay.
• New Self-trader to force trade evolutions (trading with another game still works).
• PokéMarts items change with every badge.
• AI improvements.
• Amulet coin works always, doesn’t matter who has it.

Map related:

• Altering cave is now an Unown cave.
• A few new maps to introduce the new Regis.
• Mirage Island can be forced with a certain Pokémon in the party, apart from its unusual rate.

KNOWN BUGS

• When not using Modern Spawns, certain Pokémon (especially from Gen 2) will show that they are available in a location they are not. Remember that if you are not playing with Modern Spawns set to on, wild encounters are (99.9%) from Emerald.

Changelog

V2.3.3

• IV setter: You can now choose between setting all IVs to the maximum value or selecting between 30 and 31 to allow different Hidden Potentials.
• Added how much money the ability tutor takes from the player (25.000).
• Leftovers healing animation is now shorter.
• Fixed weather ball.
• HGSS Pokedex fixes (order modes are still kinda buggy).
• Fixed money checks in the Hyper Training gym.
• Fixed the text of the Chansey Nurse trainer.

V2.3.2

• Added an ability changer NPC! Can be found in the Hyper Training gym, at the right. Only after becoming champion, costs 25.000$.
• Nature Mints can be bought even when the option is set to “OFF”, but only after becoming champion.
• BF win Streaks now have a multiplier to the amount of Battle Points being rewarded, which will reduced grinding but only if you are good.
• The “Even Faster Joy” option now does a sound effect after healing the party to notify the user of it.
• Added false swipe as egg move to a bunch of Pokémon.
• Added some checks to menus if users have “L=A option” enabled.
• Fixed Mauville’s coin price (only the text was wrong).
• (Kinda) Fixed multi-hit moves with Pokémon that have the ability Sturdy. Kinda janky fixed, but I believe it works.
• Fixed some Pacifidlog tiles.
• Fixed sprite duplication in HGSS Pokédex. More bugs remain, but are related to the HGSS Pokédex Dex and not the hackrom itself.
• Fixed too many typos, including “Citrus” to “Sitrus”.

V2.3.1

• Kingler is now Water/Steel with modern typings.
• Snubull and Granbull are now Fairy/Normal with modern typings.
• Hidden Power is now “??? Type” because why not.
• Added new moves and egg moves to some Pokémon.
• Fixed some moves being unreachable if the Pokémon had more than 20 moves.
• Pikachu can learn Play Rough just like Pichu and Raichu.
• Fixed Meganium’s BST (540 -> 535).
• Fixed Steven’s movement in Sootopolis.
• Fixed Mewtwo’s island collision.
• Fixed Castform OW palette.
• Fixed Hidden Power type display in double battles.
• Fixed Suicune’s cry at the entrance of Shoal Cave.

Useful Links

Pokecommunity

Documentation

Github