Made using Pokémon Essentials v20.1.
v.0.4.1 demo now available
play through Gym 6
(15-30 hours of content)
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Discord server
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Pokédex w/ all Pokémon changes/locations (spoilers)
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Updated type chart
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Full walkthrough (spoilers)
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Story
After a mysterious mass extinction in the Cyniir region, Pokémon were sparse for centuries. Seven years ago, Supreme Leader Gharal initiated Operation Migration, sending his ruthless Pokémon Rangers across the seas to other regions to migrate hundreds of species by force. Tensions with Paldea halted the operation, so the second phase has begun: bringing in Pokémon from other dimensions.
Scientists on Neon Island have discovered how to remotely harvest bits of DNA from extradimensional Pokémon. But their experiments have led to unusual anomalies in the region that some think are full gateways into those dimensions. And an ancient cult has resurfaced, believing these anomalies to be signs that their ascension to godhood is near.
All this has led to a scientific boom throughout Cyniir. The eccentric Professor Ginkgo is developing a new lab in Bismuth Village, and as top of your class at the Naranja Academy in Paldea, you’ve been sent to Cyniir to help. The biggest questions he seeks to answer: why did Pokémon in Cyniir go extinct? And could it happen again?
Discovering seemingly endless floors beneath the lab, Ginkgo decides to fund your scientific endeavors by turning it into a service hub that will revitalize Bismuth Village. But rumors say the town is cursed, and there may be more secrets hiding deep beneath the lab…
Features
950+ Pokémon available; all through Gen 8 (plus some Hisui, Gen 9, and Fakémon evolutions), start the game with a National Dex; Mega Evolutions and alternate forms available, with a plot-related reason why so many Pokémon are present in one region (~700 implemented in v0.4.0)
New region with 8 Gyms + 8 Dojos, using challenging custom movesets and a tough Elite 4, plus rematches for them and most trainers (6 Gyms + 6 Dojos implemented + rematches for Gym 1-3 + Dojo 1-3)
Reputation system, 6 factions that affect the plot and your rewards - work with the power-dismantling Team Autonomy, the labor-organizing Team Unity, the business-focused Team Fortune, the dictatorial Pokémon Rangers of Cyniir’s government, the mysterious Fellowship of the Ascendants, and/or another secret faction lying in wait…
Recruit system to build out a gargantuan hub and home base for shops and services, inspired by Suikoden and Legion Saga; upgrade it in a variety of ways; unlock deeper and deeper basement floors of your Research Lab as you progress, renovate them, and populate them with 40+ recruits (28 available in v0.4.0)
Crafting system with 100+ unlockable recipes (68 available in v.0.4.0); many Pokémon hold (and drop) crafting items
Study system that provides your character with new perks and other benefits the more you learn and experience in the world, ex. expertise in Hacking lets you break into computers, Negotiation gives you a word up in negotiation events, Botany gets you extra Apricorns, Finances gives you access to investment machines, etc.
Built-in quest log to keep track of hundreds of quests and side quests (157 currently completable, many more to come); some have multiple solutions (ex. unlock a locked door by bringing a Klefki or a Pokémon that knows Thief, crafting a Lockpick, or negotiating with the person holding the key)
Combat updates including Z-Moves, new Mega Evolutions, Strong and Agile Styles, statuses from Hisui, and 70+ new moves and Abilities
A variety of useful Pokégear apps to discover, including ones that show type matchups, access an array of Move Tutors, track available wild encounters, connect with NPCs for bond bonuses, and access a portable PC, plus customizable themes for different Pokégear displays
Every NPC has something to offer, no more useless one-liner NPCs - my least favorite quality of all RPGs!: get usable advice, quests, items, Pokémon, crafting recipes, new mechanics, Pokégear apps, faction reputation, recruits and upgrades for your lab, eggs, battles, clues to help solve quests, Move Tutors, and more; if an NPC seems like they provide nothing, they’ll likely offer something later (or you’ve made a choice that’s closed them off from you!)
Interacting with items that normally gave nothing of substance may now provide new benefits (ex. books, TVs, sinks, fridges, binoculars, etc.)
Choices matter; many different decisions you make will affect the plot, your standing with the six factions, how tough battles are, what rewards you’ll earn, how negotiations go, and what ways the world will change: Will you privatize the Poké Centers? Will you support the Poké Ranch strike? Will you insult the Supreme Leader on live TV?
100 TMs, 100 TRs, and 100 SMs to customize your movesets even further, with revised eligibility so more Pokémon are able to learn more moves; SMs are all former signature moves that were previously usable by only one or very few Pokémon
Reworked HM system; some obstacles only require an HM Device, but others require consumable HM Charges, offering limitations to HM field moves but without requiring HM slaves or entirely blocking progress
7 new types (Sound, Cosmic, Food, Mystic, Slime, Chaos, Dream), adds a variety of new moves, new evolutions, move type changes, and type changes for 250+ Pokémon; there are far fewer single-type Pokémon
Some Pokémon type changes and rebalances, boosts to weaker Pokémon like Magcargo, Ledian, and Tropius (among others), expanded movesets for many Pokémon, many additional Hidden Abilities, as well as overall type rebalances, including buffs to Bug, Ice, and Psychic and nerfs to Water, Fairy, and Steel; nearly every type combination is represented
Weather system to keep battles interesting, using seven location-based biomes that ensure certain areas only get certain types of weather
Social bonds with 25 NPCs, granting you XP, catch rate, and shiny rate bonuses for each of the 25 types as your choices and actions connect you with certain characters
No day/night system; no more limitations to when Pokémon can be caught or evolved, play whenever you want
New ways of acquiring shiny and other different-colored Pokémon
Loads of collectibles; not only can you catch them all, you’ll collect charms, recruits, Mega Stones, Z-Crystals, plushies, Diancie Jewels, Move Tutors, birthsign beads, Triple Triad cards, and more - and get rewarded for it!
An assortment of QOL upgrades including quicksave, multisave, and autosave, egg groups in the UI, new evolution stones for easier evolutions, a name randomizer, IV/EV indicators, unlockable happiness tracking, text skipping, in-battle move and stat change details, and a turbo speed toggle
Legendary breeding (with plot-related reason), new Natures, moves, and Abilities, a BerryDex, a Charm Case, Triple Triad, and numerous other special concepts and features!
Notes
This is a one-person project, and I don’t have a strong eye for design. This may not be the game for you if you’re looking for exceptional graphics or mapmaking, and I know there are mismatched/blurry sprites and some bad recolors, but my hope is that it’s feature- and content-rich enough to make up for what it’s missing in visuals.
There is a lot of additional content planned - so it’ll be a long while until this is in its finished state. I’ve been working on it for a few years and I estimate that it’s about 35% complete (including postgame).
ALSO: with the new type changes, rebalances, and new moves, I strongly recommend using the new battle info screens liberally (press M when selecting a move to see type effectiveness and press N at any time to see the types of all active Pokémon).
v0.4.1 is compatible with v04.0. It might be compatible with saves from v0.3.1, but I can’t guarantee it.
It is not compatible with saves from v0.3.0 or earlier.
There’s a higher chance that save files from v0.4.0 on out will be forward-compatible, but these are still just demos, and things may change significantly from version to version in ways that could corrupt save files or cause game-breaking bugs for previous saves.
I'm not currently looking for additional dev team members, but I may be open to that further down the line.
I'd love to hear any feedback that anyone has to offer, good or bad. Especially if you find any bugs!
If you get stuck anywhere, want to know something about the project, or want any specific guidance toward completing tasks/catching Pokémon/finding Crafting Plans/etc., let me know here or in the Discord!