Pokemon Modern Emerald ROM

Pokemon Modern Emerald is a GBA ROM Hack by resetes12 based on Pokemon Emerald. It was last updated on June 07, 2026.

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

V3.4

ADDITIONS

• Rock Smash sometimes gives Shards and Heart Scales
• The whole games has been decapitalized by @fanyx ! Report any capitalization mistakes or errors to me, via this post or github.
• Keyboard automatically switches to lowercase after the first character
• Hard mode allows the usage of 4 items during trainer battles (Careful! Held berries used by your Pokémon also count!)
• Trainer Hill awards players 20BP every time is beaten, no time requierement.
• Added Bag and Pokedex scrolling wrap (credits to HnS 1.2.2 team)
• Added 9 window frames, ported from FRLG.
• Added an option to select between FRLG or Emerald font type.
• Pokedex from the summary menu (ported & credits: @Skeletonkey36 )
• Added new Type Effectiveness indicator, together with a Stab indicator (credits to: @worpbane and its Modern Emerald Worped branch)
• Added “Heal pulse”, only Chimecho learns it. (credits to: @friendlymammal) and its animation

IMPROVEMENTS

• Static legendaries are now Fateful Encounters, and when playing in Nuzlocke, it means that they work like Shiny clause encounters (you’ll be able to catch them always, no capture will be blocked).
• The Pokémon Shiny Star from the Summary Screen now shows up in eggs, denoting that the Pokémon that is going to hatch is going to be shiny.
• Pokémon fainted in Nuzlocke will revive after beating the game, if “Nuzlocke Deletion” is not enabled.
• Nuzlocke Ribbon is now shown in Debug Party Edit
• Added Regi Battle Transitions to Regieleki and Regidrago
• Hard Mode exp. reduction gets disabled after beating the game (as the player has easy access to Exp. farms)
• Easy Mode gives +30% Exp. compared to Normal Mode (was 20%)
• Exp. Share S is given by Mr. Stone together with the Key Item Exp. Share, and it’s explained better (it can still be bought in Slateport).
• Lit up Chinchou and Lanturn sprites (Ported and credits to @InfiniteBacon42 )
• Celebi encounter is now at level 45, so it doesn’t faint itself with Perish Song anymore
• Renamed “Type effective” option in the options menu to “STAB/Effective”.
• Reworked Chimecho’s moveset
• Added False Swipe to Absol’s moveset

FIXES

• Temporal fix for Shade weather disappearing with time of day color changing.
• Fixed not being able to use Vitamins after becoming champion when EVs are set to off
• Fixed player being able to move after leaving the PC Challenges viewer
• Fixed needing 424 Pokémon to get the Diploma (it’s 423 again, last in the list being what hatches from Steven’s Pokémon Egg)
• Fixed Battle Dome type checks (by @nlordell)
• Fixed partner battles graphics in Battle Tower and Link Battles (both Gen 3 or Modern battle background)
• Fixed berries being plural in rainy routes
• Fixed Link connection with “Skip Intro” set to “On”
• Fixed damage not being correct on first hit, sometimes
• Fixed SSTidal progress when playing the Pokecenter Challenge
• Fixed HGSS caught music
• Fixed water collision in Mewtwo’s room
• Fixed Croconaw’s follower sprite and its shiny surfable sprite
• Fixed active Challenges preventing the use of WonderTrade after beating the game

V3.3.1

IMPROVEMENTS

• Swapped Ho-Oh beasts and Lugia birds unlock, so it makes sense lore-wise now.
• Added information about not being able to catch Suicune, Raikou and Entei, so it’s clearer for the player when they can be caught.
• Added Hard mode stats for Lugia, Ho-Oh and Deoxys
• Added HM override (anti-softlock) to Nuzlocke Easy mode
• Lati@s roamer music matches Southern Island Lati@s legendary battle music

FIXES

• Fixed Parasect original type
• Added “Lock difficulty” and “Pokemon types” to challenge viewer
• Fixed Suicune’s soft-lock in Shoal Cave
• Fixed being able to use Pokéballs when catching is disabled by using the R button

V3.3

ADDITIONS

• Heart and shiny indicator in party (ported from HnS, credits to the whole HnS team).
• 4 little secrets that can only be obtained one way (and they are rare).
• Added unique Overworld Surfing Sprites for each Pokémon that knows surf (Thanks @Exclsior).
• Added an option to enable the Unique Surf Sprites or not in the Options Menu.
• Added an option to enable Modern Emerald shiny colors or not in the Challenges Menu.
• New shinies added to the above option! Paras has blue mushrooms now.
• You can now change the clock by pressing R while looking at it, again, and time events won’t break. You can still use the Main Menu button combo to access the “change clock” menu, just in case, as it’s the “official intended way by GF”.
• New “Nuzlocke Easy mode” that can be enabled in the Nuzlocke Menu. It removes the “Pokémon Faint” from the Features section, as it’s exactly the same thing. It gets disabled after beating the game, just like the other Nuzlocke modes. It resets the game if no Pokémon are left!
• Challenge Viewer on the PC! Use it to see which options you have enabled at the start of the game. Also useful to report bugs! (Credits to HnS team).
• New “Catch Rate” option at the start of the game. Choose between x1, x0.5, x2 or x3 catch rate (Credits to @InsertCreativeName5).
• New Stats Editor added to the Party Menu. Only shows up if you’ve accepted all Cheating Items from the Cheating Girl in Oldale Town (Credits to @TeamAquasHideout).

IMPROVEMENTS

• Added an extra frame for some asymmetrical followers.
• Run with L+R renamed to L+R+A (Idea ported from HnS).
• Level capped or Level 100 Pokémon can still learn EVs (Thanks @Exclsior).
• Reverted EV cap from 252 to 255 (as it is in vanilla Emerald) to maintain better trading compatibility between Modern Emerald and official games.
• Changed Eevee –> Sylveon evolution method to be “Hold item: Heart Scale” to maintain a possible way to evolve it even if Fairy type has been disabled. Moonblast has been removed from it’s original (Emerald original) moveset.
• Yanmega is now Bug/Dragon, with a moveset improvement and with Levitate. Only fully available with Modified Learnsets and Modified Types (Thanks @bfedie518).
• Bulk buying coins at the Game Corner (Thanks @Exclsior).
• Original Type effectiveness is now Gen VI, not Gen III (Steel doesn’t resist dark / ghost, as it was pre-3.2). No changes to the Improved Type Effectiveness.
• Modern Sturdy improvements.
• Match calls only go through if the caller wants a rematch (Only if match calls are set to on).
• Trainer Chip now comments about Registeel tomb being open! What a change.
• Added partner pokémon to the trainers in the Hyper Training Gym.
• Added given Pokémon randomization (Castform, fossils, etc.).
• TM/HMs take into account the “Modern Movepool” setting, and uses the original TM/HM learnsets if set to “Original”.
• Big nuggets can be obtained with Pickup at higher levels, instead of normal nuggets.
• Wonder Trade now uses a Tier system, making certain species rarer than others.
• Randomizer enables the national dex from the start.
• Some moves got buffed or nerfed: Fly is now 80dmg (was 90, 70 in Gen3), Toxic accuracy is Gen3 default again (70 acc), Drill Peck is a better option than Fly (if available, 85dmg), Hydro Pump is 120dmg again (Gen3 default), and Dive is 90dmg because nobody uses it if it’s the same damage as waterfall, Comet punch is 100 accurate and damage is 30, and some more.
• Krabby and Kingler can learn Waterfall (wth GF, Corpish can, but Kingler can’t??) with Modern Moveset.
• Fly and Flash are shown in the Party Menu even if the player doesn’t have the required badge, in order to teach the player that they can use both without teaching the move.
• Cerulean Cave fossils are now only available with New Encounters (or Post-Game encounters), but not with Original Encounters
• Elite 4 and Champion rematch can be done in Double Battles or Single Battles.
• Starting Pokéballs don’t get randomized when playing with Random Items, to prevent first encounter on Route 101 issues.

FIXES

• Many, many typos and text fixes.
• Some tiles have been fixed.
• Slight fixed partner battles in Battle Tower. Battle transition is still broken, but the UI after that works correctly.
• Fixed Gen 8 Synchronize when set to “Modern”.
• Fixed (hopefully) the drama with the Outfit Box.
• Fixed Brendan (not May) text when giving the Go Goggles.
• Fixed victory music when the Pokémon is Level 100 (Thanks @Exclsior).
• Fixed Acid’s description.
• Fixed Unown Question Mark back sprite position in battle.
• Fixed the usage of EV items when playing without player EVs.
• Fixed National Dex not triggering after beating the game, only when using “Post-game encounters”.
• Fixed ALL follower sprites (hopefully).
• Fixed crunch description.
• Fixed followers breaking the triangle at deoxys island.
• Fixed deoxys pre-battle music.
• Fixed Mew’s elevation in grass (Thanks @DaniRainbow).
• Fixed possible sound crash with Music set to off.
• Fixed some Battle Frontier Reception Gate texts.
• Fixed Deoxys forms appearing in randomizers.
• Fixed Trainer Hill NPCs breaking graphics after losing.
• Fixed double FLY option in Nuzlocke and other challenge modes.
• Fixed fainted Pokémon with an item having ????? while in the PC, in Nuzlocke.
• Changed Title Screen RTC reset combo (Now uses R instead or L, to improve usage with L=A option).
• Fixed Hydro Cannon being unreacheable by the Elemental Tutor.
• Fixed new Egg moves added being wrongly added to the Original Egg movepool.
• Fixed “PC doesn’t heal” option healing for some reason while moving Pokémon.
• Fixed random music not being truly random (it is now).
• Fixed back Pokémon sprites disappearing when using HGSS sounds after catching a Pokémon and levelling up.
• Fixed Normal type being not effective at all to other Normal type Pokémon with Modern Typings.
• Fixed Faster Nurse Joy option being ignored if set before starting a game.
• Preventively “fixed” trainer AI by removing all AI changes made in Modern Emerald. Now AI is Gen 3 default.
• Removed chain fishing as it messed up with Synchronize.
• Fixed Nuzlocke/Onetype checks for certain Legendary Pokémon wild battles.
• Fixed Steven’s rematch with only 1 Pokémon (in that situation, it now forces a Single Battle).

Useful Links

Pokecommunity

Documentation

Github