Pokemon Null is a heavily modified ROM hack of Pokémon Emerald built from the ground up for the Nuzlocke experience. Every trainer has been hand-crafted, every route rebalanced, and the Pokédex expanded to include Pokémon from Generations 1–9, including brand-new Mega Evolutions. Expect no mercy.
Features
- 275+ Hand-Crafted Competitive Battles: Every single trainer battle has been personally designed with a competitive mindset, featuring synergistic held items and teams that work together to challenge even veteran players.
- Next-Generation Custom AI: Features a brand-new AI system built from the ground up to counter player strategies, predict switches, and play with a professional competitive mindset.
- Generations 1–9 Roster: The Pokédex has been expanded to include Pokémon from all nine generations, featuring updated abilities with new functionality to keep the meta fresh.
- New Mega Evolutions: Includes classic Mega Evolutions plus brand-new Megas for beloved Pokémon, including those inspired by Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
- Reshuffled Hoenn Routing: The standard Hoenn journey is reimagined with a reshuffled gym order, 3 new explorable areas, 10 new boss fights, and various new rivals and characters.
- Hardcore Nuzlocke Balance: Meticulously balanced for the Nuzlocke challenge with tuned encounter tables, resource management, and a difficulty curve where every loss matters.
- In-Menu Pre-Status & Pre-Damage: A revolutionary party menu feature that allows you to instantly apply status conditions or set specific HP levels for strategic play with abilities like Guts or Flail.
- Hard Level Caps: Built-in level caps ensure you never overlevel the next boss, maintaining a consistent and fair challenge throughout the game.
- Resource-Based Customization: Access a dedicated system that allows you to change your Pokémon’s Natures and IVs, allowing you to optimize your team for specific encounters.
- HM-Free Exploration: Use all HM moves directly in the overworld without needing to teach them to your Pokémon or carry “HM Slaves.”
- Infinite Rare Candies & Candy Bag: Completely eliminates level grinding with a dedicated Candy Bag that instantly raises your Pokémon to the current level cap.
- Porta-PC & Toggleable Repel: Access your Pokémon storage boxes from anywhere and manage wild encounters with an infinite, toggleable Repel.
- PokéRider Traversal: Run anywhere and fly to previously known locations instantly using the PokéRider item, replacing the need for Fly.
- Simplified Evolution Methods: Over 50 generational lines have been updated with simplified evolution methods, removing the need for trade-based evolutions.
- Balanced Starter Selection: Start your journey with Chespin, Fennekin, or Froakie, chosen specifically for their balanced viability in a tactical Nuzlocke setting.
- Status Immunity Bypassing: Innovative battle gimmicks allow certain Pokémon to bypass traditional type-based status immunities (e.g., Corrosion Salandit or Soak strategies).
- Casual Mode Toggle
- Legendary Status Rework
- Guaranteed Fishing Pulls
- Dual Bike Access
- Sped-up Traversal
- No Poison Overworld Damage
- Heal from Menu
Changelog
V1.2.3
- Adjusted the three Finizen in the Finizen Fanclub so they now only use Sonicboom, allowing for easier pre-damage setup for Sailor MSPaint.
- Fixed an issue where the Air Slash and Signal Beam tutors were not functioning as intended.
- Fixed a bug where a placeholder species could be encountered while fishing on Route 124.
- Fixed an issue in Belly Drum AI logic where the AI incorrectly evaluated post-Belly Drum survival.
- Fixed various Covert Cloak and Shield Dust interactions. Trapping effects, Obstruct/Silk Trap, and hazard effects are no longer incorrectly prevented.
- Fixed Stomping Tantrum not receiving its power boost when a move failed due to an immunity-granting Ability that raises stats (e.g. Motor Drive).
- Fixed a rounding error affecting Protean and Libero.
- Fixed an issue with Sticky Barb being duplicated.
- Fixed Me First only copying the first hit of multi-hit moves.
- Fixed various issues involving Mycelium Might.
- Fixed Dipplin’s icon missing its animation.
V1.2.2
AI Fixes
- The full AI documentation is now available and can be found in the drive.
- Removed AI considering Zap Cannon when attempting to spread paralysis through Nuzzle AI logic.
- Fixed Fake Out KOs being discouraged against targets that cannot be flinched.
- Fixed Metal Burst not receiving its baseline score, causing AI to almost never use it.
- Fixed Magnet Rise AI incorrectly evaluating the player’s Electric-type moves instead of Ground-type moves.
- Fixed an incorrect percentage in the Round AI logic.
- Fixed AI using Focus Energy and Laser Focus against targets that are immune to critical hits.
- Fixed Stockpile AI score increases being applied twice.
- Fixed errors in hazard AI logic when the AI was on its last remaining Pokémon.
- Fixed inconsistencies with Feint AI logic, and corrected an issue where Hyperspace Hole was being incorrectly discouraged by the AI.
- Fixed Salt Cure and Syrup Bomb score penalties being applied when the user was affected instead of the target.
Bugs
- Fixed an issue where using a Tutor would sometimes result in a Pokémon losing levels.
- Fixed Mighty Cleave incorrectly removing the effects of protection moves.
- Fixed frozen Pokémon taking crash damage.
- Fixed Pain Split not being treated as passive damage, causing abilities such as Electromorphosis to activate incorrectly.
- Fixed Symbiosis activating when an Eject item was consumed.
Hotfixes
- Motivation: Slowking has been one of the most heavily debated Pokémon in the game and is widely considered to be overtuned. As a result, it will receive a slight adjustment while still retaining access to its maximum potential at the cost of a Heart Scale. As compensation, a handful of generally underappreciated Pokémon will receive small positive changes.
- Replaced Slowking’s Yawn with Hypnosis and added Yawn as a Scale Move.
- Replaced Slowbro’s Heal Pulse with Extrasensory
- Replaced Chip Away with Aqua Cutter in Feraligatr’s learnset.
- Added Follow Me (at Level 29), Flail (at Level 37), Reversal (at Level 38) and Torment (at Level 50) to Grafaiai’s learnset. * Added Clear Smog (at Level 25), Giga Drain (at Level 38), Fissure (at Level 39) and Coil (at Level 99) to Arbok’s learnset and swapped Gastro Acid and Disable.
- Tornadus-Therian Ability: Unnerve → Regenerator; Tangela Ability: Chlorophyll → Regenerator
- Added Sky Uppercut to several learnsets so Fighting-types are not limited to Brick Break or Low Kick as their primary Fighting-type STAB options.
Quality of life
- Casual Mode now provides 200 Heart Scales instead of 50.
- Added Revive to Oldale Town mart
- Added a “Return All Items” feature, allowing all held items to be removed from either the party or PC boxes at once. (Credits Maxime)
- Increased the Poké Ball catch rate modifier from 1× to 1.5×, matching the effectiveness of a Great Ball.
- Added Fly points at Mt. Pyre Summit and Route 128 (above Seafloor Cavern).
- Added a new post-Maxie cutscene in Magma Hideout that allows quick travel to Slateport City for the next story event.
Other
- Added Signal Beam and Air Slash as tutor moves in Route 120.
- Midturn Switch AI: Added OHKO moves to the “Avoid Switch” condition.
- Adjusted Gloom’s moveset in Root Academy to remove a duplicate Moonblast (Moonblast → Worry Seed).
- Removed a duplicate Sentret from Root Academy.
- Reduced specific IVs for the following Pokémon in Root Academy: Pikipek, Wooloo, Machop, Remoraid, Makuhita, Gurdurr, Arctibax, Metang
- Renamed Camper Derek on Route 111 to Camper Tanjiro, as Bug Maniac Derek already exists on Route 117.
V1.2.1
Aesthetics
- Updated the following sprites and/or icons for improved quality: Mega Greninja, Mega Delphox, Mega Chesnaught, Mega Barbaracle, Mega Baxcalibur, Mega Clefable, Mega Chimecho, Mega Crabominable, Mega Drampa, Mega Eelektross, Mega Excadrill, Mega Froslass, Mega Golisopod, Mega Lucario Z, Mega Heatran, Mega Meganium, Mega Scovillain, Mega Staraptor, Mega Starmie, Mega Zeraora, Mega Meowstic.
- Added shiny sprites for the Mega Evolutions introduced in Pokémon Legends ZA.
Learnset changes (exclusively in favor of the player)
- Move repeats: Scrafty, Togedemaru, Falinks, Pawmot
- Move swaps: Tatsugiri, Poliwrath, Tornadus, Dusknoir, Minior
- Move delay additions: Flittle, Whirlipede
- Move additions: Yanmega, Eelektross, Magcargo, Arbok
- Other: Infernape, Enamorus, Dragapult, Heatmor, Ampharos
- Added Hidden Power to the learnset of all Pokémon from Generation 7 onwards, alongside other learnset inconsistencies
- Some additional Pokémon received minor move changes to mirror adjustments made to the Pokémon listed above, without being intended as significant balance changes (e.g. Archaludon receiving Roar of Time to mirror Tatsugiri gaining Spacial Rend).
Bugs
- Fixed an issue where the final Surf encounter slot could never be selected.
- Fixed an issue where AI would retain Ability data after a Pivot Move KO, causing incorrect evaluations for the Pokémon switched in next.
- Fixed an issue where AI would retain Item data after an item was consumed on KO, causing incorrect evaluations for the Pokémon switched in next.
- Fixed Absorb, Recoil, and Rapid Spin effects failing to trigger when hitting a Substitute.
- Fixed AI choosing a wrong switch-in candidate after Eject Button activation.
- Fixed AI being able to mid-turn switch into a dead Pokémon in specific circumstances.
- Fixed AI using Shell Smash in unintended scenarios.
- Fixed an issue where moves like Echoed Voice would increase in base power even if they failed.
- Fixed Throat Chop effect lasting indefinitely.
- Fixed non-Tri Attack variants of Nature Power incorrectly being affected by abilities such as Refrigerate.
- Fixed an issue where attempting to Mega Evolve while transformed could cause the Pokémon to remain permanently transformed into its base form.
- Fixed an issue where transformed Pokémon could remain permanently transformed after fainting while on a form that changes upon fainting.
- Fixed Coaching succeeding if ally is in a semi-invulnerable state.
- Fixed Status Immunity abilities (e.g. Limber) failing to heal a user’s status if the original attacker has a Mold Breaker-like ability.
- Fixed Burning Bulwark not being removed correctly after being hit by Feint.
- Fixed various issues with Mold Breaker and Ability Shield.
- Fixed various issues involving Protect effects (e.g. Baneful Bunker), Clear Amulet, and Protective Pads.
- Fixed an issue where Population Bomb triggering Iron Barbs would incorrectly cause an additional Iron Barbs activation.
- Fixed an issue where AI calculates a higher Water Shuriken damage than intended, if the user is Ash-Greninja.
- Fixed issues with Encore interactions after a Pokémon was unable to move.
Other
- Reverted Blazikens Ability back to its previous version to avoid unwanted side-effects: Blaze -> Speed Boost
- Added a Speed Boost Tutor in the Lilycove City Contest Hall that can change Scolipede’s and Yanmega’s ability to Speed Boost. This change is permanent and cannot be reversed
- Corrected the nature of Pyre Team Aqua Grunt #3’s Rotom (Adamant -> Timid)
- Slightly adjusted the IVs of Youngster Ben’s Rotom-Frost to better align with the changes from Patch 1.2
- Replaced Probopass with Duraludon in the Navel Rock Sturdy Table due to Probopass losing Sturdy in Patch 1.2
- Removed the Focus Energy Tutor from the L-Menu
- Reverted the Jagged Pass met location name: it is now listed as “Jagged Pass”
- Replaced Wally’s Zigzagoon with Galarian Zigzagoon in the catching tutorial
- Improved the search functionality in the official Pokédex
AI Changes
- Reduced the chance for support Pokémon to receive a switch score boost to 10%
- Removed Future Sight Switch-AI due to several bugs. As compensation, adjusted the Latios set used by Shelly in the Weather Institute and the Deoxys set used by Leaf on Route 123.
- Changed some parameters for the midturn switch behavior to be slightly more lenient. For more information refer to the newly released Switch AI Documentation in the Documentations Drive.
