• Our software update is now concluded. You will need to reset your password to log in. In order to do this, you will have to click "Log in" in the top right corner and then "Forgot your password?".
  • Forum moderator applications are now open! Click here for details.
  • Welcome to PokéCommunity! Register now and join one of the best fan communities on the 'net to talk Pokémon and more! We are not affiliated with The Pokémon Company or Nintendo.

Crystal hack: Pokemon Pyrite

170
Posts
11
Years
ZZ7FC8I.png


Relive the adventure of the second generation Pokemon games in a more challenging and complete way!


Hack of: Pokemon Crystal


Features

  • Very exhaustive work on the selection of wild Pokemon, including fishing, headbutt, rock smash and all types of event Pokemon, and trainer parties including every single trainer in the game, as well as around 100 additional trainers carefully distributed throughout the adventure. Similar work on choosing the items found, sold in marts, or obtained in any different way, as well as on adjusting their prices.
  • Plenty of mechanical changes that contribute to the difficulty increase, such as the progressive level increase of wild and trainer Pokemon, the inability to use healing items whilst in battle, a forced "set" battle style, developments regarding the experience mechanics, a trainer EV system, the removal of badge boosts, improved AI, and more.
  • Extensive work on the balancing of learnsets (without altering the movepools), evolution levels, base experience, growth rates, catch rates, held items and other aspects inherent to the Pokemon, adequated to the usefulness and strength of each Pokemon species and other characteristics of the game.
  • Enjoy additional events and other existing events that have been modified, explore new places and plenty of remodeled maps like caves and several routes, and fight lots of additional trainers distributed in caves, routes, gyms, or in the new events. Most of these features are located in Kanto to extend and make more enjoyable the second part of the adventure. Speaking of Kanto, now you can enjoy the Kanto journey following the order of the first generation games!


Screenshots

KRD0McV.png
GJIcGIK.png
iUwrtbi.png
PfLOZeP.png
IYaiVHc.png
oJJ2IrS.png

NWTf7iH.png
43uvUr5.png
OI3Uz8B.png
eQLXJ3f.png
JHLaUU1.png
07pk0Im.png

Mlk39tm.png
GzG9Cg4.png
Ey67HUe.png
zWHlhtC.png
jG8Wxr2.png
s0svxUp.png

ym5z0Q6.png
FxgXmF5.png
t9FTBGw.png
kIdWm6b.png
Bv87rPI.png
S6kph6v.png



What the players said

This hack has forced me to resort to strategies I usually never use ingame. I have to applaud the creator of this hack for making the hack difficult while not making it a grindfest. I mean, sure the level curve is a bit high, but the game goes out of it's way to make sure you don't fall behind.

I just beat the Elite Four a few days ago and I must say, this hack was excellent. It was hard, but never so hard that I just gave up and didn't come back to it. The changes to the movepools were spot on and the evolution delay fit perfectly with the curve.

I joined specifically for the purpose of thanking you for this ROM. I've been looking for a hard mode version of Crystal for...jeez, at least ten years and now I can finally play one that doesn't change the game into a completely different ROM. It's one of the few hacks true to our memories, minus the map edits which are a welcome change.

So I just made ano account to post on here but I LOVE Pyrite. it's my new all time favorite game. You took a game I grew up with and made it grow up with me. I appreciate all the work you put into this hack.

This is not only the best Pokemon game I've played, but the best Japanese rpg experience. Thanks for a wonderful, meticulously crafted experience.

This was a really fun hack. Overall, it feels a lot more balanced in terms of difficulty than other Pokemon games I've played, and it always forced me to stay aware of what's going on. The AI, as well as moveset selections, are so much better than the originals. I wish someone would make something like this for one of the later gens.

I barely beat the 1st gym but I already fell in love with it. This hack is amazing, it uses the original GSC story so it's perfect and it's harder than normal game!


Want more details?

  • AI: Improved the AI of the lesser trainer classes as well as a few other aspects of the AI. The 25% added chance of missing with a status or stat reduction move by the opponent has been removed.
  • BADGE BOOSTS: Stat and type boosts provided by badges removed in order to give the game a more "professional" feel and increase the difficulty by removing an unfair advantage.
  • BASE EXPERIENCE: Adequated to the stats of each Pokemon (proportional to the base stat total of each Pokemon).
  • BASE MONEY: Adequated to each trainer class, and to how early can it be found for the first time and in general.
  • BATTLE STYLE: Battle style option removed; it's SET by default.
  • BERRY TREES: A few different berry trees, and two berries found per tree instead of one!
  • BERSERK GENE: Berserk Gene is no longer removed permanently once used, similarly to what occurs with other in-battle effect items such as Quick Claw and Leftovers. However, it's temporarily removed for as long as the current battle lasts, meaning that it will only activate once per battle.
  • BUG CATCHING CONTEST: The formula that determines the points obtained has been adjusted according to the changes in Pokemon and levels.
  • CATCH RATES: Adequated to how common and useful each Pokemon is.
  • CATCH RATE FORMULA: Four minor bugs in the catch rate formula of the original Pokemon Crystal have been fixed.
  • EXPERIENCE GAIN: The changes in the experience mechanics have been mainly applied to encourage training a full team of Pokemon over training just one or two Pokemon. The experience formula has been modified to make the experience gain increase by multiplying the original experience with the result of player's Pokemon level / enemy's level (*). The other main change consists on a badge-sensitive experience cap, that prevents your Pokemon from growing up past certain levels depending on the amount of badges collected.
  • EVOLUTIONS: Changes on evolution levels, adequated to the strength of the evolution chain and to the level at which the Pokemon appears for the first time. For a few Pokemon, different methods in which they evolve. Trade evolutions have been replaced. **
  • FLEEING POKEMON: Some different species of Pokemon that can flee.
  • GROWTH RATES: The growth rate of each species of Pokemon has been adequated to the general usefulness of the evolution chain the Pokemon belongs to. Every Medium Slow growth rate has been replaced.
  • GYMS: The player is unable to leave a Gym until he or she beats the Gym Leader or all his/her Pokemon faint in battle (blackout). Thus, Gym trainers and the Leader have to be beaten in succession. Gym Leaders all have 6 Pokemon, so do members of the Johto League.
  • HEALING ITEMS: Properities of healing items (potions, berries...) edited so that said items can't be used in the middle of a battle. However, no changes in the functions of the items when held by a Pokemon (berries still heal, boosting items still boost a type etc.). Trainers no longer will use healing items themselves either.
  • HELD ITEMS: Different wild held item data and increased probability of appearing the second item. More emphasis on generic items but rarer or unique items like Leftovers, Scope Lens and type boosting items can also be found.
  • ITEMS: Different items found in the floor, and different hidden items. Some differences in items sold in marts as well as in other events such as the Game Corner, Lucky Number, Bug Catching Contest or Buena's Show. As usual, lower profile items are found earlier while higher profile items are found as the game progresses, but more emphasis on more useful and obscure items. Different item prices (or coins @ Game Corner), adequated to the utility and accessibility of each item.
  • LEAGUE REMATCH: Rematch a stronger version of the Johto League after completing the Kanto adventure!
  • LEARNSETS: Minor changes on learnsets like level modifications or twists and, to a lesser extent, egg moves or RBY/GSC TM moves made level up moves as long as legally possible. In any case, move compatibilities and illegal combinations are left unchanged. **
  • MONEY LOST: Money lost upon losing a battle is no longer halved, as the money lost depends on the highest leveled Pokemon in the player's party, following the formula [ Level * (No. Badges + 4) * 10 ].
  • MOVE TUTOR: A new unique move tutor found in Johto that can teach your Pokemon a variety of R/B/Y TM moves, always accounting for illegal move combinations.
  • NEW MAPS: Visit Viridian Forest, explore Cerulean Cave and Seafoam Islands, enjoy the remodeled caves, routes and gym puzzles, and more!
  • OBEDIENCE: The obedience will never be a factor due to the experience gain capping at a certain level (see EXPERIENCE GAIN) before the obedience level is reached.
  • POKEMON: Modified wild, fishing, headbutt, rock smash, trainer, and event Pokemon species and levels as well as amount of Pokemon used by trainers and their movesets. Logic prevails on wild encounters. Pokedex completion is possible.
  • SHINY POKEMON: Different DV requeriments and increased probability (1/256) for a Pokemon to be shiny. The properities of the shiny Gyarados and Odd Egg Pokemon have been adequated accordingly. In addition, new shiny Pokemon colors.
  • TEXT: All the corresponding text edits to make everything coherent to the changes applied in Pokemon, mechanics and events.
  • THIEF: Thief has no effect unless it's used in a wild battle (no wild Pokemon knows Thief), or in a link battle.
  • TIME OF DAY: Morning, day and night times delayed two hours (06-11 morn | 12-19 day | 20-05 nite).
  • TRAINER DVs: Different trainer DVs (usually higher), mostly adequated to how early a trainer of that class can be found. DVs of many classes are maximized.
  • TRAINER EVs: A Trainer EV System that provide trainer's Pokemon a gradual and controlled boost of their stats according to their levels to simulate boosts provided by EVs.
  • TRAINER HOUSE: The Trainer House event (in Viridian City) now includes battles that become more difficult progresively and the player will receive a prize after a win.
  • X ITEMS: The use of "X Items" (besides X Accuracy) such as X Attack and X Defend limited to one at the same time (in other words, these items are not stackable).

**: Since the gradual level increase inevitably makes the player's Pokemon grow much faster, a general delay on evolution levels and learnsets has been applied in order to prevent the player from obtaining fully evolved Pokemon or powerful moves early on (which, subsequently, would imply the need of making early trainers have, similarly, overevolved Pokemon or overpowered moves to make the game competitve enough). Every learnset and evolution level has been modified accordingly, and the availability of some TMs has been delayed as well.
(*): The effect will only take place if the opponent's level is the highest of the two, meaning that a high leveled Pokemon will not get disfavored. In addition, this factor caps at 2/1 to prevent ridiculous experience gains.



Bug fixes (Updated 14/3/2016)
  • Unlimited berries
  • Kadabra not evolving into Alakazam
  • Traded Pokemon possibly not obeying at high levels
  • Possibly getting stuck in Viridian Gym
  • Losing to Blaine and still getting the badge
  • Cooltrainer inside Victory Road challenging multiple times
  • Moltres not disappearing immediately after being fought
  • Names of some Elite Four members being incorrect
  • Cleanse Tag and Mystic Water properties (game crashing when depositing the former in the PC)
  • Some trainers in Rock Tunnel or in Vermillion Gym acting as "already fought" if found before beating Misty
  • Cinnabar gym statues freezing the game if talked to before defeating Blaine
  • A trainer inside Fuchsia gym challenging you after beating the leader and some trainers inside the gym having names
  • Not being able to return the Pokemon given by Mania in Cianwood city
  • A trainer inside the Mahogany Gym opening the gym's exit when you battle or talk to him
  • Shadow Ball (TM 30) prize in the Celadon Game Corner crashing the game


DOWNLOAD LINK (Updated 14/3/2016)


Used Tools
  • Gold Finger
  • BGB Debugger
  • CrystalMap
  • The One GSC Trainer Editor
  • GSC Moveset Editor
  • GSC Evolution Editor
  • GSC Wild Pokemon Editor
  • MartEd GSC
  • Tile Layer Pro (Titlescreen)
  • Title Screen Color Editor G/S/C (Titlescreen)


Credits
  • The community of Skeetendo for opening me up to the world of Pokemon hacking.
  • Everyone that helped me when I was stuck or needed advice. I'd especially like to thank Miksy91 and Comet for their help.
  • Tauwasser, for his amazing G/S Scripting Compendium that basically taught me how to script.
  • Everybody that contributed to the Disassembly of Pokemon Crystal. Without it, I wouldn't have been able to do half what I've done.
  • Last but not least, everybody that supported the hack and encouraged me to keep working on it, notably LC.Drake.
 
Last edited:
183
Posts
12
Years
  • Seen Mar 24, 2022
While it does look interesting, this really puts me off:

"...the inability to use healing items whilst in battle, a forced "set" battle style..."

Having these active at all times, without the option to turn it off, is really offputting. Can you also add a difficulty setting to turn these two aspects on and off at will? When you do that, I'll download it for sure.
 
170
Posts
11
Years
While it does look interesting, this really puts me off:

"...the inability to use healing items whilst in battle, a forced "set" battle style..."

Having these active at all times, without the option to turn it off, is really offputting. Can you also add a difficulty setting to turn these two aspects on and off at will? When you do that, I'll download it for sure.

This hack attempts to achieve difficulty through different means than playing overleveled and overpowered opponents and all the time. These two were mechanics that I wanted to implement since I started the hack even though I knew they won't please everyone. I am sorry to say that I'm not going to add a setting to turn those features off at will because that was never my goal.

There's also another way to look at the reasoning and logic behind these changes:
- It doesn't seem reasonable for a trainer to interfere in the midst of a Pokemon battle to hand his Pokemon a potion or a similar item. Similarly, the opponents will no longer use items either.
- It doesn't seem reasonable either that you can know which Pokemon the opponent is going to send in order to select the Pokemon you want to switch to accordingly. Admittedly, I thought about allowing a Shift mode without being told about the Pokemon the opponent is going to play, but turned it down for simplicity. I think it's fair that a switch costs you a turn just like it would do for the opponent.
 
Last edited:

Roger Davis

Goofball
77
Posts
14
Years
This looks like a very interesting hack! Since you didn't specify though I have to ask;

Is this a 251 hack, or will there be just a selection of Pokemon to catch between Kanto and Johto?

Also, is this the complete thing, since you have no text in the post mentioning progress or calling it a beta and such? Just curious.

Either way, I'm definitely playing this and I have to say good job! ^^
 
170
Posts
11
Years
Is this a 251 hack, or will there be just a selection of Pokemon to catch between Kanto and Johto?
Pokedex completion is possible, even though not all 251 Pokemon can be caught in the wild directly (there are other ways to get them).

This is one of the points under the "Want more details?" section

POKEMON: Modified wild, fishing, headbutt, rock smash, trainer, and event Pokemon species and levels as well as amount of Pokemon used by trainers and their movesets. Logic prevails on wild encounters. Pokedex completion is possible.

Also, is this the complete thing, since you have no text in the post mentioning progress or calling it a beta and such? Just curious.
Yes, the hack is finished! (there could be bugs that would need to be fixed, hopefully not!) I was waiting to get the hack completely done before opening a thread here, sice otherwise people can get tired of seeing the hack before even playing it. But actually, there's been a thread about this hack opened in Skeetendo for over 2 years and there's was even a shitty beta I uploaded a long time ago.
 

Roger Davis

Goofball
77
Posts
14
Years
My bad! I must have skimmed past that part. I've been playing for a while and I love it so far! Just curious though, would you consider releasing evolution changes in a document or something, so people will know how long they'll have to train their Abra, for example?

Also, I don't know if this is intentional, but Berries can be picked over and over without the time changing. Other than that, I haven't noticed any bugs.
 

Murkrow

Nasty Plotting
576
Posts
16
Years
  • Seen Nov 13, 2023
i never liked the "no usage of items during battle" rule. because in a competitive scenario you will have the full range of many different types of stall pokemon/recovery moves to utilise in your team, which you will not be able to get in the game until much later on. in a nuzlocke it will make such pokemon and moves almost mandatory if you want to succeed for long and hurt diversity/replayability

then it becomes pretentious when you actually allow x items once instead. might as well just remove x items and completely ban item usage during battle.
 
170
Posts
11
Years
Also, I don't know if this is intentional, but Berries can be picked over and over without the time changing.

I've found the cause of the bug and it was nothing but a very stupid oversight in the berry trees script. I'm surprised it's been there since I changed the berry trees engine without me ever noticing, but at least I'm glad it's been found early. The hack has been redownloaded with the fix subitted. Feel free to download it again, or keep playing with your current version avoiding to abuse the bug if possible. You may also fix the bug yourself with a hex editor by changing the byte at 0x45009 (11:5009) to 0x31 (it's currently 0x37) if this is less of an inconvenience.

Sorry for any inconvenience caused.

Just curious though, would you consider releasing evolution changes in a document or something, so people will know how long they'll have to train their Abra, for example?
That was never the plan, I'd rather it's a surprise and players have to find out how/at what level their Pokemon evolve. Only if a lot of people ask for it I will consider doing it, but right now it's not in the plans.

i never liked the "no usage of items during battle" rule. because in a competitive scenario you will have the full range of many different types of stall pokemon/recovery moves to utilise in your team, which you will not be able to get in the game until much later on. in a nuzlocke it will make such pokemon and moves almost mandatory if you want to succeed for long and hurt diversity/replayability

I don't believe nuzlocking it is viable at all, but that was never the idea anyway. This is by far not the hardest hack and reasonably easier compared to the Kaizo series and other hacks. But nuzlockes rely on overtraining your Pokemon and being able to switch around and using items, all of which aren't possible in this hack. It was always very clear to me what there features I wanted to implement were despite being aware that some people will dislike them, and the mechanics are going to stay that way.

then it becomes pretentious when you actually allow x items once instead. might as well just remove x items and completely ban item usage during battle.
Now this is a very good point and has already given me quite a lot to think about. It was either removing them altogether or keeping their effect. I regret in some way not just removing them but it ended up being too late as I had already made them available in different places as items that can be found in the floor, and unfortunately I didn't document the changes I did in item locations, so it was going to be a big headache. So in the end, I just decided to limit them not to make them too overpowered.

You know, I'm not kidding when I say that during the last year and a half probably over half the work I did was improving, adjusting and fixing stuff I did in the fist one or two years. I was getting really tired of it and just wanted to get the hack finally done. I know it isn't the best excuse but I guess it's the truth regardless.
 
Last edited:
170
Posts
11
Years
I'm sorry to have to inform about another bug, where Kadabra doesn't evolve into Alakazam as intended. The hack has been reuploaded as a consequence. Following this, I've checked the evolution data of the other pokemon to make sure everything's right.

Alternatively, you can fix the bug with a hex editor by replacing the byte at address 0x42d05 with the value 0x41. Sorry for the inconvenience again.
 
45
Posts
9
Years
  • Seen May 15, 2022
How do i evolve schyther? does he need metal coat or by level? cause i spend some times in breading a nice EV schyther and i do like to have all the move for my scizor without losing any steel type=*

I'm sorry to have to inform about another bug, where Kadabra doesn't evolve into Alakazam as intended. The hack has been reuploaded as a consequence. Following this, I've checked the evolution data of the other pokemon to make sure everything's right.

Alternatively, you can fix the bug with a hex editor by replacing the byte at address 0x42d05 with the value 0x41. Sorry for the inconvenience again.

what if i do not change this? i cant get kazam?
 
170
Posts
11
Years
How do i evolve schyther? does he need metal coat or by level?

Trade evolutions have been replaced with either level up evolutions or stone evolutions. No more stones have been added so I'm pretty sure you can guess which of the two types of evolutions applies to Scyther.

what if i do not change this? i cant get kazam?
Unfortunately, if you downloaded the hack before the fix was submitted and the hack was reuploaded, you can't get Alakazam. Your options are replacing the value of that byte or downloading and patching the ips again (you can keep using your current save file).
 

Zef

zef
137
Posts
13
Years
  • Seen Jan 18, 2017
weedle isn't evolving lol

nvm it just evolved really late..
 
12
Posts
10
Years
  • Seen Dec 7, 2016
Would you consider this hack better than Complex Crystal? I've only played that version, but there were a lot of bugs. I do love that there was so much time and research put into this game. Big fan of G/S/C Rom hacks.

EDIT: Also, looking back on one of your older videos of this ROM hack (youtube.com/watch?v=8sGAdCimWWs) I noticed you used sprite icons for each pokemon. Is this also a feature in this version?
 
Last edited:
859
Posts
20
Years
Major Bug: Due to not being able to exit Gyms until either whiting out or defeating the leader, it's possible to get stuck inside Viridian's gym before Blue returns.

EDIT: Two more bugs:

-If you encounter a wild Pokémon on Route 22, the Johto wild battle music plays instead of the Kanto wild battle music.
-If you lose to Blaine, he acts as if you won and you still get the Volcano Badge.
 
Last edited:
102
Posts
12
Years
  • Seen Mar 20, 2024
Had me with every single bit except set play mode. Can tolerate no healing items but Set play is dull, for me personally anyway, you're guaranteed to lose a turn which is just surrendering HP that you can't recover, which is difficulty beyond what's required for a challenge. Looks pretty cool though man nice features.
 
12
Posts
10
Years
  • Seen Dec 7, 2016
Had me with every single bit except set play mode. Can tolerate no healing items but Set play is dull, for me personally anyway, you're guaranteed to lose a turn which is just surrendering HP that you can't recover, which is difficulty beyond what's required for a challenge. Looks pretty cool though man nice features.
Wi-fi battles are set though. And we've learned how to play around that. This adds a nice challenge to it imo.
 

Murkrow

Nasty Plotting
576
Posts
16
Years
  • Seen Nov 13, 2023
I don't believe nuzlocking it is viable at all, but that was never the idea anyway. This is by far not the hardest hack and reasonably easier compared to the Kaizo series and other hacks. But nuzlockes rely on overtraining your Pokemon and being able to switch around and using items, all of which aren't possible in this hack. It was always very clear to me what there features I wanted to implement were despite being aware that some people will dislike them, and the mechanics are going to stay that way.

LOL any hack that downright alter the pokemon stats/movesets (levelling up to 100 gives 0 learnable moves etc) and give enemies all sorts of illegal movesets to screw the players is downright bad in my books, kaizo is a bad difficulty hack in that regard when it has to resort to such crude means to give semblance of difficulty. please never mention that hack again.

set has always been easy lol. no usage of item might turn bad if you are nuzlocking and do not meet any bulky pokemon for use.

anyway i like your hack so far, pretty balanced
 
Last edited:
3
Posts
9
Years
  • Age 30
  • Seen Jan 17, 2016
I caught mew after it used transform and the game told me I caught a ditto. Looked in pc and it was a level 90 Ditto.
 
Back
Top