Pokemon Trade&'Stache ROM

Pokemon Trade&’Stache is a GBA ROM Hack by CSQ4778 based on Pokemon Emerald in English. It was last updated on August 14, 2025.

Also, be sure to check out Pokemon Throwback Unofficial Expansion.

Description

Features

• Encounter traders: you can trade the pokémon you just got on a route for useful items such as held items or tms, creating an interesting decision making opportunity. This is by far the biggest game changing mechanic in the game and one that I think is a ton of fun. Also, you finally have a use for that 5th water type you just got!
• A “minimized” map where the routes are usually blocked off and only contain grass to encounter Pokémon, making everything faster and more convenient.
• A Super Candy that allows you to instantly level up to the next level cap.
• Status Spray items that allow you to instantly inflict status to your Pokémon.
• Reduced the number of enemy trainers to about 40-50, all being handcrafted to be interesting fights.
• A SUPER buffed Swalot and a reasonably buffed Whiscash.
• All modern movesets and battle mechanics, though only Pokémon from Generations 1-3 are available. Almost all Pokémon species, except for box legendaries and a few exceptions, are obtainable.
• Physical/Special Split

Additional Info

• The movesets are largely the same as Gen 9 learnsets, with mostly just level changes. Some niche moves or additional stab moves were also added sometimes
• If you don’t know how to evolve a certain Pokémon, it’s probably Moon Stone (Porygon, Onix, Clamperl -> Huntail, and some more)
• The AI behaves very similarly to vanilla Gen 3 AI, with some slight changes. The biggest difference is the switch-in after you KO an enemy, where it looks at a super effective move against your Pokémon but looks for the best typing against your Pokémon instead of the weakest type, like in vanilla. What is considered “best typing”? I am not 100% sure, but it should be obvious most of the time. It also seems to like damaging moves that are guaranteed to lower some of your stats (Rock Tomb, Skitter Smack, Icy Wind, etc.), though I am not sure how that works.
• If you are unsure of where to go, there’s probably a psychic male NPC that will warp you somewhere (very elegant solution, I know).
• The only 2 Pokémon to have received stat changes in Trade & ‘Stache are Whiscash and Swalot:
• Whiscash now has 110 hp and 90 in all other stats
• Swalot now has 110 in every stat

Changelog

V1.1

Trades

• changed petalburg woods trade to 6x Bright Powder
• changed granite cave trade to 1x Metronome
• changed routes 117 and 118 trades to 1x Earthquake
• fixed an issue where route 112 trade was giving 2 adamant and 2 modest mints instead of the intended 1 of each
• changed route 108 trade to 2x Protects
• changed route 104 trade to 2x Weakness 2x Blunder Policy
• changed route 121 trade to 2x Sunny Day
• changed route 124 trade to 1x Custap, Liechi, Petaya and Salac Berries
• changed shoal cave trade to 2x Rowap and 2x Jaboca Berries
• changed route 132 trade to 2x Serious Mints
• nerfed route 119 trade to 1x Focus Sash

Movesets

• Poliwrath now gets Brick Break and Close Combat
• Gyarados now only gets Dragon Dance at level 50 (was 36 before)
• Raikou now gets Scald and Aura Sphere
• There were also minor changes made to many other Pokémon, mostly just levels at which they learn certain moves.

Enemy Trainers

• Drake’s Latios now has Psychic over Stored Power (Important!)

Useful Links

Reddit

Pokecommunity

Documentation