Emerald hack: Pokémon Tourmaline (v0.2.1 Released 04/22/2025)

[tdilos]

INFO

Pokémon Tourmaline is a ROMhack of and loose sequel to Pokémon Emerald. This game is intended to take place in an alternate timeline where the setting and events have diverged a bit from the official games. Most notably, some mechanics from later gens are absent while others have been reworked, and a number of new mechanics have been introduced (see below for more information).


STORY

It's been several years since the battle of Groudon and Kyogre wrought havoc on the Hoenn region. Humanity's understanding of Pokémon has deepened as more discoveries are made about the origins of Pokémon. A recent surge of discoveries in the nearby Issho region has drawn researchers from all over the world, including May, now an assistant Pokémon professor. After receiving a Pokémon from her, the player sets out to investigate the reports coming from all over the Issho region of new species of Pokémon, new types of Pokémon, and even more strange phenomena. Meanwhile, a new threat is on the rise in Issho, a mysterious crime syndicate who use exceptionally powerful Pokémon.


FEATURES

• Original story, characters, and region
• Return of many old characters
• A custom regional Pokédex with 386 Pokémon
• New regional forms of Pokémon from gens 5-8
• There is no Mega Evolution, but some Megas have returned as natural evolutions
• A small number of additional fakemon, including some SpaceWorld designs
• Updated type chart including Fairy type and a new type, Echo, designed to counter Fairies and Ghosts
• 4 new status conditions
• 2 new weather types
• Over 60 new moves and over 20 new abilities
• Buffs to some old Pokémon, moves, and abilities
• Other aspects of the battle system have been updated to gen 8 standards unless otherwise noted
• A custom set of over 100 TMs and HMs
• A large number of other moves available through move tutors
• Return of old features like the day/night cycle, headbutt trees, and daily events
• Various changes to the UI to create a unique experience
• Minor QoL features including faster text, Repel prompts, increased bag size, and menu looping

RELEASES

v0.2.1 Patch: https://www.mediafire.com/file/u0tq9kemwkp8h3l/tourmaline_v0.2.1.zip/file

DISCORD

Join the Discord.

CREDITS
Message me if you don't see your name here and would like to be credited for something.

Spoiler:

pokeemerald - DizzyEgg
pokeemerald-expansion - rh-hideout
Porymap - huderlem
Gen 4 music - CyanSMP64
DNS graphics - ShinyDragonHunter
Bag sorting - ghoulslash
Daily swarm engine - Skeli
Scrolling multichoice menus - DizzyEgg
Adding New Weather - Sonikku A
Add Frostbite status (very helpful for setting up new statuses) - Bassoonian
Team Genesis boss sprites - SchizoFriendOfYa
Sprites for Spaceworld Betamons - AtecainCorp.
Quest menu - pkmnsnfrn, ghoulslash
Playtesting - various anonymous players

HELP WANTED

I'm looking for volunteers to help with certain aspects of the game, mainly sprites and music. PM me if you're interested.


SCREENSHOTS



KNOWN ISSUES:

Spoiler:

EMULATOR SPEEDUP: This has a tendency to glitch the game in unpredictable ways. Use it sparingly and save often if you do.

DOUBLE BATTLE GLITCH: After fighting a double battle trainer (e.g. Twins), during wild battles, the player will send out two Pokemon as if it were a double battle. These battles otherwise seem to behave normally. The player can even catch the wild Pokemon without issue. Fighting a single battle trainer fixes this issue. This glitch does NOT happen after fighting a double battle against two separate trainers.

POKEDEX GLITCH: The pokedex pages for new regional forms don't show the correct sprites. The player will see the base form instead.

STATUS BAR GLITCH: Enemy status bars sometimes show the wrong color for status conditions. For example, the BRN symbol may be black instead of the correct red color. This is a minor graphics glitch that I haven't found a fix for yet. It doesn't affect anything else and it often fixes itself, so just ignore it.

CINEROUS TOWN GLITCH: The gate at the top of the map sometimes pulls from the wrong tileset. Entering and exiting a building fixes it for now.

WINDOWS AT NIGHT: Sometimes these will be strange colors instead of the correct yellow shade. Entering and exiting a building fixes this for now.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
(1) What are the differences between difficulty options?

Spoiler:

As of v0.2.1, the differences are
Normal: mostly the same as a vanilla Pokemon game except switch mode is the default
Hardcore: switch mode is enforced, no bag use in battle, the player earns 10% less money, decreased level caps
Insane: switch mode is enforced, no bag use in battle, the player earns 50% less money, decreased level caps, and PokeCenters and PCs require a small fee to be used

(2) Can the difficulty be changed?

Spoiler:

The difficulty is selected during the new game intro sequence and CANNOT be changed thereafter. If you're not sure which difficulty you want, I'd recommend playing on Normal.

(3) Do enemy trainers use different teams/levels/movesets/EV spreads on different difficulties?

Spoiler:

No, all enemy trainers are the same regardless of the difficulty chosen. Some important trainers like gym leaders use fully EV'd teams. All Team Genesis trainers, including the grunts, have perfect IVs.

(4) How do the level caps work?

Spoiler:

A Pokemon at the current level cap is treated like the game normally treats level 100 Pokemon; i.e. it won't gain any experience from battle or in the daycare, and Rare Candies will have no effect on it.

(5) What are the level caps?

Spoiler:

The level cap changes based on how many gym badges the player has. Note that some badges can be obtained in different orders, so each level cap is tied to the number of badges the player has rather than a specific badge.

Spoiler: Normal level caps

lvl 16 (default)
lvl 24 (1st gym badge)
lvl 32 (2nd gym badge)
lvl 40 (3rd gym badge)
lvl 44 (4th gym badge)
lvl 48 (5th gym badge)
lvl 52 (6th gym badge)
lvl 56 (7th gym badge)
lvl 60 (8th gym badge)
lvl 64 (defeat final Team Genesis boss)
lvl 100 (become champion)

Spoiler: Hardcore level caps

lvl 15 (default)
lvl 22 (1st gym badge)
lvl 30 (2nd gym badge)
lvl 37 (3rd gym badge)
lvl 40 (4th gym badge)
lvl 44 (5th gym badge)
lvl 49 (6th gym badge)
lvl 52 (7th gym badge)
lvl 55 (8th gym badge)
lvl 60 (defeat final Team Genesis boss)
lvl 100 (become champion)

Spoiler: Insane level caps

lvl 14 (default)
lvl 21 (1st gym badge)
lvl 28 (2nd gym badge)
lvl 35 (3rd gym badge)
lvl 38 (4th gym badge)
lvl 42 (5th gym badge)
lvl 45 (6th gym badge)
lvl 49 (7th gym badge)
lvl 52 (8th gym badge)
lvl 56 (defeat final Team Genesis boss)
lvl 100 (become champion)

(6) Is there a guide to new Pokemon/moves/abilities?

Spoiler:

I'm in the process of putting one together and will post it here when it's done.

 

[Joegreenbeen]

This looks super interesting! I'll have to check out the demo once it's released

 

[Inner Rhymes]

This looks gorgeous! I love this! Let's gooo!

 

[QueenRoe]

Definitely looking forward to this. Always on the look for original ideas or sequels to the timeline in the main line games,

 

[pizzapies]

INFO

Pokémon Tourmaline is a ROMhack of and loose sequel to Pokémon Emerald. This game is intended to take place in an alternate timeline where the setting and events have diverged a bit from the official games. Most notably, some mechanics from later gens are absent while others have been reworked, and a number of new mechanics have been introduced (see below for more information).


STORY

It's been several years since the battle of Groudon and Kyogre wrought havoc on the Hoenn region. Humanity's understanding of Pokémon has deepened as more discoveries are made about the origins of Pokémon. A recent surge of discoveries in the nearby Issho region has drawn researchers from all over the world, including May, now an assistant Pokémon professor. After receiving a Pokémon from her, the player sets out to investigate the reports coming from all over the Issho region of new species of Pokémon, new types of Pokémon, and even more strange phenomena. Meanwhile, a new threat is on the rise in Issho, a mysterious crime syndicate who use exceptionally powerful Pokémon.


FEATURES

• Original story, characters, and region
• Return of many old characters
• A custom regional Pokédex with 386 Pokémon
• New regional forms of Pokémon from gens 5-8
• There is no Mega Evolution, but some Megas have returned as natural evolutions
• A small number of additional fakemon, including some SpaceWorld designs
• Updated type chart including Fairy type and a new type, Echo, designed to counter Fairies and Ghosts
• 4 new status conditions
• 2 new weather types
• Over 60 new moves and over 20 new abilities
• Buffs to some old Pokémon, moves, and abilities
• Other aspects of the battle system have been updated to gen 8 standards unless otherwise noted
• A custom set of over 100 TMs and HMs
• A large number of other moves available through move tutors
• Return of old features like the day/night cycle, headbutt trees, and daily events
• Various changes to the UI to create a unique experience
• Minor QoL features including faster text, Repel prompts, increased bag size, and menu looping

RELEASES

A three gym demo is in the works and planned to release sometime this summer.


CREDITS

Will be posted with the release of the demo


HELP WANTED

I'm looking for volunteers to help with certain aspects of the game, mainly sprites and music. PM me if you're interested.


SCREENSHOTS

"image removed"

Cool I was wondering what type Atroceon is? Looks cool.

 

[ParkerRamsey]

INFO

Pokémon Tourmaline is a ROMhack of and loose sequel to Pokémon Emerald. This game is intended to take place in an alternate timeline where the setting and events have diverged a bit from the official games. Most notably, some mechanics from later gens are absent while others have been reworked, and a number of new mechanics have been introduced (see below for more information).


STORY

It's been several years since the battle of Groudon and Kyogre wrought havoc on the Hoenn region. Humanity's understanding of Pokémon has deepened as more discoveries are made about the origins of Pokémon. A recent surge of discoveries in the nearby Issho region has drawn researchers from all over the world, including May, now an assistant Pokémon professor. After receiving a Pokémon from her, the player sets out to investigate the reports coming from all over the Issho region of new species of Pokémon, new types of Pokémon, and even more strange phenomena. Meanwhile, a new threat is on the rise in Issho, a mysterious crime syndicate who use exceptionally powerful Pokémon.


FEATURES

• Original story, characters, and region
• Return of many old characters
• A custom regional Pokédex with 386 Pokémon
• New regional forms of Pokémon from gens 5-8
• There is no Mega Evolution, but some Megas have returned as natural evolutions
• A small number of additional fakemon, including some SpaceWorld designs
• Updated type chart including Fairy type and a new type, Echo, designed to counter Fairies and Ghosts
• 4 new status conditions
• 2 new weather types
• Over 60 new moves and over 20 new abilities
• Buffs to some old Pokémon, moves, and abilities
• Other aspects of the battle system have been updated to gen 8 standards unless otherwise noted
• A custom set of over 100 TMs and HMs
• A large number of other moves available through move tutors
• Return of old features like the day/night cycle, headbutt trees, and daily events
• Various changes to the UI to create a unique experience
• Minor QoL features including faster text, Repel prompts, increased bag size, and menu looping

RELEASES

A three gym demo is in the works and planned to release sometime this summer.


CREDITS

Will be posted with the release of the demo


HELP WANTED

I'm looking for volunteers to help with certain aspects of the game, mainly sprites and music. PM me if you're interested.


SCREENSHOTS

"image removed"

Nice, I love it <3

 

[tdilos]

Cool I was wondering what type Atroceon is? Looks cool.

It's a Dragon type.

 

[pizzapies]

It's a Dragon type.

Which pokemon will get the Echo typing? I'm just curious

 

[tdilos]

Which pokemon will get the Echo typing? I'm just curious

Some things are up in the air while I fill out the bulk of the game. These are the Echo types that are catchable in the demo.

(spoiler for anyone who wants to do a blind run)

Spoiler:

RETYPES
Jigglypuff line (Echo/Fairy)
Whismur line (Echo)
Chimecho line (Psychic/Echo)
Kricketot line (Bug/Echo)
Maractus (Grass/Echo)

REGIONAL FORMS
I-Woobat line (Echo/Flying)
I-Primarina (Water/Echo)
I-Silicobra line (Ground/Echo)

OTHER
Voxeon (Echo type Eeveelution)

 

[pizzapies]

Some things are up in the air while I fill out the bulk of the game. These are the Echo types that are catchable in the demo.

(spoiler for anyone who wants to do a blind run)

Spoiler:

RETYPES
Jigglypuff line (Echo/Fairy)
Whismur line (Echo)
Chimecho line (Psychic/Echo)
Kricketot line (Bug/Echo)
Maractus (Grass/Echo)

REGIONAL FORMS
I-Woobat line (Echo/Flying)
I-Primarina (Water/Echo)
I-Silicobra line (Ground/Echo)

OTHER
Voxeon (Echo type Eeveelution)

I was curious how do new eeveelution for echo type and dragon type evolve. Plus will this game have an area to multiple eevees?

 

[tdilos]

I was curious how do new eeveelution for echo type and dragon type evolve. Plus will this game have an area to multiple eevees?

There's an NPC in the demo that gives the player an Eevee. There will be an area to catch more Eevees, but it's not in the demo.

The new Eeveelutions are tied to contest stats and evolve like Feebas in gen 3. You get Sylveon this way too. There's a contest hall in the demo where you can blend pokeblocks.

Spoiler: Eevee evo methods

Vaporeon (Water stone)
Jolteon (Thunder stone)
Flareon (Fire stone)
Espeon (Level up with high Friendship, daytime)
Umbreon (Level up with high Friendship, nighttime)
Leafeon (Leaf stone)
Glaceon (Ice stone)
Sylveon (Level up with high Cuteness)
Voxeon (Level up with high Smartness)
Atroceon (Level up with high Coolness)

 

[tdilos]

Demo v0.1.1 is released. Check the OP for a link to the patch file.

Updated the screenshots in the OP.

 

[Hermione Granger]

How long is the demo?

 

[Safr]

Enjoy this game honestly not a fan's of mega become a natural evolution but other than that i love all the aspects of the new game especially the new type. Thank you for this and stay healthy

 

[clappo]

this will be a great game... you have wondrful ideas

 

[tdilos]

How long is the demo?

The demo goes up to the third gym. The player won't be able to advance further without an item that's not currently obtainable.

this will be a great game... you have wondrful ideas

Glad you like it!

 

[Inner Rhymes]

Congratulations on the release! Most definitely going to sink my teeth into this post-work!

 

[lweege]

So far, I am loving the fresh perspective of the game. I really like hacks that recreate the maps, and make their own story. Though I wish their were more diversity with the Pokemon encounters in the early routes. @tdilos can we have a EV/ IV checker in the status screen, please? or not no pressure, just a request.

 

[tdilos]

So far, I am loving the fresh perspective of the game. I really like hacks that recreate the maps, and make their own story. Though I wish their were more diversity with the Pokemon encounters in the early routes. @tdilos can we have a EV/ IV checker in the status screen, please? or not no pressure, just a request.

There will be a way to check EVs/IVs in the next part of the game (coming in v0.2).

 

[clappo]

Can you put hidden grottoes and eggs in the wild?