Emerald hack: Pokémon Run & Bun (v1.07)

[dekzeh]

Introduction
Pokémon Run & Bun is at it's core a difficulty hack of Emerald, slightly inspired by games such as Emerald Kaizo and Radical Red, but offering a lot of new takes on ways to make battles interesting. Plenty of quality of life features will make sure you spend your time on the fun side of it instead of worrying about gruesome, tedious tasks.
The game features almost 500 battles, and all of them were designed with custom movesets and synergistic parties, making each trainer feel unique in it's own way within the world. You will not be stomping your way through battles here, you will simply be another trainer in the world, making your journey feel like an actual journey and not a slog.
Gym Leaders and Teams Aqua and Magma have been given extra attention and boss fights were added to complement the game. Each victory should feel rewarding.

Features

Spoiler:

• Mechanics updated to match Gen 8 (with some tweaks)
• Pokémon up to Gen 8 obtainable
• Revamped map, changed the path the player takes through Hoenn and making some previously optional areas mandatory.
• Unique trades
• Custom field effects to specific locations increasing difficulty
• Mega Evolution
• Unique roaming legendaries and mythicals
• Expanded bag
• Unique move tutors
• No need to teach HMs
• Able to select multiple key items
• Revamped Trick House
• Removed EVs completely
• Able to check IVs on Pokémon Summary screen
• Level caps tied to boss fights
• Repellent key item (toggle On/Off to avoid wild battles)
• Endless Candy key item (infinite Rare Candy)
• NPC at every PC that allows players to relearn moves, maximize IVs, change natures (for a price)
• Complete documentation on Pokémon and Item Locations, Trainer Battles and more
• And much more

Screenshots and Gifs

Documentation
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1M-PdZrACBkGPpceTanCq_ltbGNT24lR8
Credits

Spoiler:

• PRET: pokeemerald
• Dizzy Egg and RHH: Battle Engine, Pokémon Expansion, Item Expansion
• Contributors to the Simple Modifications thread: various small changes
• Ghoulslash: fast surf, medicine reuse, plural giveitem, and much more
• AsparagusEduardo: more bag pockets

Download Release Version 1.06
You can easily patch the game using https://www.marcrobledo.com/RomPatcher.js/ with a 1986 - Pokemon Emerald (U)(TrashMan) ROM and the patch file you just downloaded here.

Join the discord server for updates, bug reports, discussion and much more!

 

[DuelingPotato]

This looks like a lot of fun. Looking forward to playing it! Is every mon up to gen 8 catchable? Or are some not available till post game?

 

[ShockinglyGongas]

Havent had this much fun with a game in a long time, already looking like one of the best games this year, well done and these 2 years were worth the wait: I recommend this to anyone that reads this post. perfect for nuzlocking and even if you dont like nuzlocking, the region was changed so much and theres so much encounter variety you will 100% have fun

 

[dekzeh]

This looks like a lot of fun. Looking forward to playing it! Is every mon up to gen 8 catchable? Or are some not available till post game?

Not all Pokémon are obtainable. There is a detailed list on what's unavailable and where everything is in the documentation.

 

[Porygon 3]

Is the BF available?

 

[ctmason39]

This hack looks really cool, I especially love the switch-in AI prioritizing speed and the player's damage. Its honestly a huge flaw in the newer games since the AI will often just sends in something that gets OHKOed by the player because it only calculates its highest base power move.

Something I'm curious about - Are there any changes to the move selection AI? For example, a lot of times an AI Pokemon will be slower than the players and in range of getting 2HKOed, and if the AI doesn't see a kill it will just go for a setup or status move rather than doing some damage and then die on the next turn. Its something that has come up a lot for me when making hacks and it kind of discourages me from putting setup moves on enemy mons since the AI can't use them properly.

Overall super excited to play this if I can get some time to.

 

[dekzeh]

This hack looks really cool, I especially love the switch-in AI prioritizing speed and the player's damage. Its honestly a huge flaw in the newer games since the AI will often just sends in something that gets OHKOed by the player because it only calculates its highest base power move.

Something I'm curious about - Are there any changes to the move selection AI? For example, a lot of times an AI Pokemon will be slower than the players and in range of getting 2HKOed, and if the AI doesn't see a kill it will just go for a setup or status move rather than doing some damage and then die on the next turn. Its something that has come up a lot for me when making hacks and it kind of discourages me from putting setup moves on enemy mons since the AI can't use them properly.

Overall super excited to play this if I can get some time to.

There are plenty of changes to move selection AI, yes, we made a huge effort to prevent those weird 'feel bad' moments where you win but only because the AI keeps making awful decisions. Of course it's not perfect but I will say it is better than any other hack I've played, and I've tried many of them.

Hope you have fun if you decide to try it.

 

[Keyacom]

Since I'm here, and I saw that there are no EVs in the game, does that mean every single enemy trainer (even in the Battle Frontier) has no EVs either?

 

[dekzeh]

Is the BF available?

Since I'm here, and I saw that there are no EVs in the game, does that mean every single enemy trainer (even in the Battle Frontier) has no EVs either?

Right now the game ends after you defeat the Elite 4 and champion. There is no post-game.

We also just updated to 1.01, changelog below:
- Fixed bugged interactions involving Intimidate (most notably with Eject Button).
- Fixed Metronome sometimes crashing the game.
- Repellent, Endless Candy and Devon Radar key items can no longer be sold.
- Fixed Berries still growing.
- Removed extra "Cancel" option in the Give/Take Item menu.
- Fixed typo on dialogue from NPC at Verdanturf's PokéCenter.
- NPC at Route 111 faces player when talked to.
- Added interaction to Billy the Zigzagoon at Route 104's beach.
- Victory Road's Wally Azumarill ability corrected to Huge Power.
- Fixed Bonsly and Sudowoodo not having a learnset.

 

[Corveone]

Since I'm here, and I saw that there are no EVs in the game, does that mean every single enemy trainer (even in the Battle Frontier) has no EVs either?

Curious about this too. Is it like playing Kaizo or Stadium R2 with Rental Pokémon where the player has zero EVs but the AI has full EV train, or is it no EVs for everyone like Radical Red's Minimal Grinding mode?

Anyway, congratulations for the release. Looks interesting from what I've seen.

 

[dekzeh]

Curious about this too. Is it like playing Kaizo or Stadium R2 with Rental Pokémon where the player has zero EVs but the AI has full EV train, or is it no EVs for everyone like Radical Red's Minimal Grinding mode?

Anyway, congratulations for the release. Looks interesting from what I've seen.

There are no EVs for the AI trainers either, so similar to Radical Red's Minimal Grinding mode in that aspect.

Hey, having a blast so far. Very weird question, I just caught 15 remoraid and none of them have Sniper. Is this a specific change to how abilities are handled or if is this Pokémon specific?

Sniper has been changed to be the Hidden Ability on Remoraid, quite a few Pokémon have had their ability slots swapped like that, so I recommend checking either our documentation or our Dex here: https://ydarissep.github.io/Run-Bun-Pokedex/
Hidden Abilities are not obtainable for the player, except for the starters, which will have guaranteed Hidden Ability.

 

[esub]

I might be missing something but after handing the letter to steven Mr Briney and his boat is no longer at the docks. Is this a bug? I can't go anywhere/do anything.

 

[dekzeh]

I might be missing something but after handing the letter to steven Mr Briney and his boat is no longer at the docks. Is this a bug? I can't go anywhere/do anything.

This is a bug we are aware and looking into, but it's hard to replicate consistently. Sometimes purposefully whiting out solves the issue, but sometimes people seem to be getting stuck. It will be fixed as soon as we can.

 

[Gligarfan12]

So I have started playing this rom and although there are a lot of cool ideas I have some problems with the hack. I don't think attract should work differently than in the main series game( lady Cindy's male minccino attract working on my male chimchar). So this game has a bit of work to be done to be compared to something like radical red or the kaizo game. That being said I want to make it clear that this seems like a really good game.

 

[Tauric]

I've just noticed that you can enter mount chimney before meteor falls. Is that intended? i'm playing on 1.0 in case that is relevant.

 

[blazed511]

I'm up to the aqua hideout and I will say this game is an absolute grind and a half. Removing all set up moves like DD/Swords Dance etc. and not giving access to us getting even weather up. I'm not nuzlocking it but I am only catching the first encounter per location and it's ridiculously hard. Took me 2 hours to figure out how to beat the groudon magma boss... on a sidenote, looks like using honey on ursaring does not work to evolve to ursaluna. At least I tried and it wouldn't work, maybe I'm missing something else. Also, in PokemonChallenges stream, a challenge was "to beat the trick house". I never encountered the trick house, where was it?

 

[dekzeh]

So I have started playing this rom and although there are a lot of cool ideas I have some problems with the hack. I don't think attract should work differently than in the main series game( lady Cindy's male minccino attract working on my male chimchar). So this game has a bit of work to be done to be compared to something like radical red or the kaizo game. That being said I want to make it clear that this seems like a really good game.

Of all the criticisms I thought I could get get, and reasons people could dislike the game, making Attract gender neutral didn't cross my mind. That said, Attract is not a particularly prevalent mechanic in the game, as is hardly seen past the early game. If you give a try with an open mind I'm sure you could enjoy that game. That said, if games with slight mechanic modifications aren't for you, that's absolutely fine, plenty of great hacks to play out there.

I've just noticed that you can enter mount chimney before meteor falls. Is that intended? i'm playing on 1.0 in case that is relevant.

This was not intended and we have it fixed in the current release. The path is supposed to be blocked off by Magma Grunts until the events at Meteor Falls.

I'm up to the aqua hideout and I will say this game is an absolute grind and a half. Removing all set up moves like DD/Swords Dance etc. and not giving access to us getting even weather up. I'm not nuzlocking it but I am only catching the first encounter per location and it's ridiculously hard. Took me 2 hours to figure out how to beat the groudon magma boss... on a sidenote, looks like using honey on ursaring does not work to evolve to ursaluna. At least I tried and it wouldn't work, maybe I'm missing something else. Also, in PokemonChallenges stream, a challenge was "to beat the trick house". I never encountered the trick house, where was it?

The game is designed to feel like a proper journey, the grindness adds to that, hope you didn't find it excessive, and that it has enough variety to remain fun and not tedious. Ursaring evolution was also fixed on our current release, it was a bug.
As far as the Trick House goes, it was moved to the early game cause we wanted to showcase it and have a secondary race goal. It is available later in the game, it's still in Route 111, you just gotta find it, and figure out how to enter it :)

We also have just released version 1.02, download link updated on the OP.

Version 1.02 Changelog
- Fixed Ursaring not being able to evolve by using Honey.
- Fixed more bugged interactions involving Intimidate, notably the crashes with Dragon Tail/Red Card.
- Fixed Steven not disappearing, blocking the path to Berry Trees at Route 118 (won't remove him from a .sav that's past that point)
- Fixed Magma Grunts not showing up to block your path at Route 111 (won't show up in a .sav that's past that point)
- Fixed Dewford softlock with Mr. Briney disappearing.
- Fixed issue with traded Pokémon disobeying.
- Fixed issue where Tangling Hair activating allowed a Choice-locked pokémon to switch moves.
- Fixed issue with Weather Institute move tutor where it would teach the wrong move.
- Fixed issue with many grass types learning Blizzard.
- Fixed issue with multi-hit moves interacting poorly with Protect-style moves.
- Fixed issue where Primal Reversion weather was not permanent.
- Fixed issue with spread moves damage in double battles sometimes dealing single-target damage.
- Fixed oversight where newer generation Pokémon couldn't learn Secret Power or Hidden Power.
- Fixed oversight that allowed some trainers to be skipped (Hiker Bryan at Route 111, Beauty Bridget at Sootopolis Gym).
- Added a version check by interacting with the GameCube at the player's house.

 

[blazed511]

You've done an absolutely phenomenal job, well done.

 

[dekzeh]

Just released version 1.03, changelog below.

Version 1.03 Changelog
- Fixed oversight with sign at Route 111 being unreadable.
- Fixed bug that allowed the player to use Surf before defeating the Seashore House.
- Fixed issue that made AI unable to use Nature Power correctly.
- Fixed issue that made AI use speed boosting moves even at maxed speed.
- Fixed issue that made AI use Trick Room in situations it shouldn't.
- Fixed issue that made the AI switch out when the player used semi-invulnerable moves such as Dig.
- Fixed issue that made Thief and Covet trigger effects they shouldn't.
- Fixed bugged interaction when U-turn style moves triggered certain abilities on the defending side.
- Fixed bugged Intimidate interaction that allowed Red Card to trigger twice.
- Fixed oversight that allowed Fisherman Barny to be skipped.
- Fixed oversight that made Duraludon have no learnset.
- Added version check to the Save Game menu screen.

Edit:
Emergency 1.04 hotfix, download link updated on OP

Version 1.04 Changelog
- Fixed bug that caused spread moves to deal incorrect damage in single battles.
- Fixed bug that made the save menu print incorrect data for Badges.
- Fixed oversight that made Duraludon have no learnset.

 

[pipillaaa]

After getting surf, i went east of Mauville City and I found Steven. I had a small conversation like 2 or 3 messages and he is frozen.
https://imgur.com/bYcstsH

If I remember correctly, he is suppose to leave after talking with you but he is just there and if I try to talk with him nothing happens. Is it a bug or is it intended?