Pokemon Tourmaline

Download Pre-Patched Pokemon Tourmaline GBA ROM Hack

• Creator: tdilos
• Version: 0.2.1
• Hack of: Emerald
• Updated: April 23, 2025
• Language: English
• Status: Progressing. [Playable up to the sixth gym. The player won’t be able to progress any further without the Surf HM.]

Pokemon Tourmaline is a GBA ROM Hack by tdilos based on Pokemon Emerald in English. And it is now available to download. It was last updated on April 23, 2025.

Description

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

Story

It has been several years since the battle between Groudon and Kyogre wreaked havoc on the Hoenn region. As more information about Pokémon’s origins becomes available, humanity’s understanding of the game grows. A recent surge of discoveries in the nearby Issho region has attracted researchers from all over the world, including May, who is now an assistant Pokémon professor. After receiving a Pokémon from her, the player sets out to investigate reports of new Pokémon species and types from all over the Issho region, as well as other strange phenomena. Meanwhile, a new threat is emerging in Issho, a mysterious crime syndicate that employs extremely 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

Author Note

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

Change Log – What’s New in v0.2.1!

Gameplay Changes:

• Increased bag space (note: breaks old saves)
• Revised difficulty and level cap system (check the OP on the PokeCommunity thread)

Visual Enhancements:

• DNS color filters for morning and evening now last 2–3x longer

Quests & Items:

• More hidden items added to maps
• New quests added and old ones updated (example: “Fists of Steel” now rewards TM31)

Evolution Changes:

• I-Wooloo now evolves at level 24 (no Metal Coat needed)

Map and Area Updates:

• Grotto in Mt. Shiro is now accessible
• Cut trees in Scarlet Woods are now cuttable

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed Jace encounter glitch in Pitchblak City
• Fixed ice puzzles in Mt. Shiro
• Fixed roughneck battle glitches on Route 90
• Fixed missing sprites for I-Elgyem and I-Beheeyem
• Fixed party Pokémon overwrite issue in Mindaro Gardens
• Fixed wrong cries for some Isshoan forms
• Fixed healing items not working properly
• Fixed Strength battle effect glitch
• Fixed various typos and grammar errors
• Fixed tile and collision issues

Screenshots

Downloads

Previous Versions

Known Issues

• Emulator Speedup: Can cause unpredictable glitches. Use sparingly and save often.
• Double Battle Glitch: After a double battle (e.g., Twins), wild battles may behave like double battles, sending out two Pokémon. Catching Pokémon works normally, and fighting a single trainer fixes the issue. This glitch does not occur after double battles against two separate trainers.
• Pokédex Glitch: New regional forms may show incorrect sprites, displaying the base form instead.
• Status Bar Glitch: Enemy status bars may display incorrect colors for status conditions. This is a minor graphical issue and often resolves itself.
• Cinerous Town Glitch: The gate at the top of the map may use the wrong tileset. Entering and exiting a building temporarily fixes it.
• Doors: Some doors change color when entered. Proper animations will be added in a future update.
• Windows at Night: Sometimes display incorrect colors. Entering and exiting a building usually fixes it.
• Music Issues: Some Gen 4 tracks may not have enough sound channels, leading to partial playback. All tracks are still listenable.

Credits

tdilos

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
Playtesting – various anonymous players