Pokemon Core Crystal

Download Pre-Patched Pokemon Core Crystal GBC ROM Hack

• Creator: Sakaysen 
• Version: 1.0.3
• Hack of: Crystal
• Updated: September 19, 2025
• Language: English
• Status: Completed

Pokemon Core Crystal is a GBC ROM Hack by Sakaysen  based on Pokemon Crystal in English. It was last updated on September 19, 2025, and is now available to download.

Description

Inspired by TheSmithPlays’ Crystal Legacy and the PRET pokecrystal tutorials, Pokemon Core Crystal is best described as a “Crystal Legacy”-style experience with my own improvements and preferences layered in.

The goal was to preserve the feel of the original Crystal while adding quality-of-life updates to make it more enjoyable today. It started as something I made just for myself, but I feel it’s now in a place where other fans of the series can enjoy it as well.

Features & Changes

General

• Suicune’s base stats are slightly improved as a nod to the games namesake.
• Blue color palette priority to match the game theme (Male sprite is now also blue).
• Lugia and Ho-oh can be caught before fighting the Elite-4.
• Celebi Encounter is restored
• Ruins of Alph Fossil Pokemon added
• Legendary Birds have been added back
• Mewtwo and Mew encounters
• Pick your starting pokemon options by region
• View Shiny pokemon in the Pokedex
• TM Names now visible
• Gen 6 Exp. Share (Toggleable Key Item)
• Shiny Pokemon calculation updated after encounter with Suicune. From: 1/8192 -> To: 1/1024

Pokemon Changes

• GHOST type is now SPECIAL
• DARK type is now PHYSICAL
• FAIRY type added to the game as SPECIAL.
• Trading is no longer required for evolution, new ways to evolve have been added.
• Evolution moves have been added
• Move menu for the party menu shows more information
• tat Screen page for DV’s
• Happiness increases quicker and is displayed on the pokemon stat page
• Base Stats reworked for certain pokemon
• Certain Pokemon Moves have had some rebalancing.
• Pokemon Route Encounters have been changed.
• Shiny ditto has been added as an option for the Odd Egg (1%).
• New Pokemon Additions:

• Pokemon Type Changes:
  • Typhlosion is now Fire/Ground
  • Meganium is now Grass/Fairy
  • Feraligatr is now Water/Dark
  • More type changes listed in the guide
• The following pokemon have been removed from the game to make room for some additions:
  • Lickitung
  • Shuckle
  • Aipom
  • (If any of these is your favorite pokemon, I do apologize but you will not find them in this ROM hack)

Gym Leader, Rival, E4

• Gym Leader Parties reworked. Feature more Johto mons.
• Gym Leader Rematches added
• Rival Party has been improved
• Elite 4 Rematch Teams

Pokemon Battle Changes

• Gym Badge Stat Boosts removed
• Gym Badge Type boosts only apply to STAB attacks
• Removed the -30% chance for enemy pokemon to land status moves
• Weather Icons in battle
• Time of Day Icons in battle
• Only Berry items can be stolen from the Players pokemon via the move thief
• Kurts pokeballs actually work as intended (Bugs fixed)
• HM Moves can be forgotten
• When a pokemon levels up, its stat increases are displayed
• The move menu in battle shows additional information about the move.

Overworld Changes

• Viridian Forest has been added back
• HM moves no longer need to be taught to be used in the Overworld
• Evening has been added as a time of day
• Faster Nurse Joy Healing
• Item bag can hold more items (50)
• Berry bag addition
• Blackthorn Move Deleter also has a Move Relearner
• Berry bushes provide 1-3 berries
• Berry Bushes have berry sprites to show when they can be picked.
• You can fish while surfing
• Items in the overworld have updated sprites
• Pokemon in the overworld look correct rather than generic sprites
• Berry shop in Goldenrod
• Auto reuse repel prompt.
• I did not add running shoes since the only option I could easily find moves the player at the same speed as the bike.

Screenshots

Useful Stuff

Downloads

Credits

Sakaysen (Creator)

I want to be very sincere that my ability to fully credit other developers and artists whose content I have appropriated is surely lacking. Here are the ones I know for sure:

• yenatch, kanzure, Pikalax, iimarckus, and everyone else who’s contributed to disassembling Pokemon Crystal.
• TheSmithPlays and the team that worked on Crystal Legacy
• Rangi and everyone who has worked on Polished Crystal
• Blue Emerald, Chamber, solo993, Lake, Neslug, and Pikachu25 for many Pok?mon sprites and icons. (Some of my sprites were pulled from Polished Crystal, these artists were credited on Rangi’s post)
• Satoshi Tajiri, Game Freak, and Nintendo for creating Pok?mon Crystal in the first place.