Red hack: Kanto Expansion Pak

[MementoMartha]

Kanto Expansion Pak

EDIT (SEPTEMBER 3rd 2024): Update 1.3 is now live!

Download: https://github.com/PlagueVonKarma/kep-hack/releases

This is a ROM Hack of Pokémon Red and Blue, aiming to expand the Kanto region with new Kanto-related Pokémon, more interesting locations, QoL changes, and more.
Initially started off as a Showdown mod on the DragonHeaven server (Playable here!) before being developed as a full ROM Hack.

If playing on an emulator, BGB is strongly recommended for its accuracy and features. Inaccurate emulators, such as VBA and TGB Dual, can experience unintended glitches. This hack is fully playable on official hardware as well.

A full, more detailed description of the hack's added features can be found in the GitHub repository's README, which I'd recommend reading here: https://github.com/PlagueVonKarma/kep-hack/blob/master/README.md

The patch is confirmed to work with a Red ROM, Blue may work as well but going with Red is a safer bet.

Important links:
https://github.com/PlagueVonKarma/kep-hack (the hack's GitHub repo, where you can view the source code and download the patch.)
https://discord.gg/Dk4rkexErc (the hack's associated Discord server)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cP8tvoj19__bx08hSG7dOtefVcdaNwZXohVu1RKzjPI (a Pokedex spreadsheet for the hack, made by LadyMisticus, that details each Pokemon's stats, location, the teams of important trainer fights, where to find useful items, TMs, and more!)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdXNklPbyHXa-1szOZJjn2NBS-uUoXf69 (a playlist of newly-added songs for the hack, all composed by LuciShrimp)

Summary:

Spoiler:

- 100 new Pokemon, including post-Gen 1 evolutions (such as Kingdra and Rhyperior), Pokemon found in prototype assets (such as Gorochu and Kotora, as well as several cut evolutions from the Spaceworld 1997 demo), regional variants of Kanto Pokemon, convergent evolutions and Paradox relatives of Kanto Pokemon (the Wiglett and Toedscool lines, Scream Tail and Sandy Shocks) and even Meltan and Melmetal!

- Dark, Steel and Fairy types for the new Pokemon! Pokemon such as Clefable are still pure Normal type. The type chart for Dark and Steel matches the Spaceworld 1997 demo, and as a result is much different.

- Some select new moves have been added for the new types, along with two moves from Red and Green's prototype.

- New items, including a new fossil, new evolution items, Bottle Caps and more!

- Several new locations, some just for worldbuilding, others to add new content around the game, especially after beating the Champion!

- New music tracks for several parts of the game, such as for battling Legendaries, Team Rocket, and a handful of restored prototype tracks. A playlist of a handful of them can be found here, all composed by LuciShrimp.

- A few areas have been improved, some looking nicer, having extra content or being easier to navigate.

- MANY QoL enhancements, like having a feminine character option, no version exclusivity, being able to hold more items, additional PC boxes, a better Exp. All, Gym Leader and Elite Four rematches, and so much more!

- A handful of bug fixes and translation errors, mainly to do with the overworld or with trainer AI. Bugs within the battle system itself (like Focus Energy reducing crit rate) are preserved to keep the feel that Gen 1 had.

Screenshots:

Spoiler:

Credits:

Spoiler:

• Plague von Karma - Creator of the Showdown Mod, Director, Developer, Scenarios, Balancing, Dialogue, Pokedex entries, Maps (Mt. Moon Crater, Galarian Bird dungeons, Rock Tunnel, Cinnabar Volcano floors, enhanced Diglett's Cave, Shinjuku Jacky's room, and more), Event scripting, Hyper Training, FRLG Tea, post-game rematches, male/female character selection, Meltan implementation, Yellow backports, and occasional spriter (assisting with Bellignan, Carapthor)
• Martha's Against Humanity - Developer, Pokémon implementation, Pokedex entries, event scripting, tweaks of Albatross's sprites, Sylveon, Bellignan, Galarian Slowking, Galarian Slowbro and Mimmeo sprites, Maps (Citrine City, Cinnabar Volcano, Underwater Tunnel, Silph Gauntlet,), Giovanni's battle theme, SGB border, new palettes for postgame areas and Game Corner, etc.
• Ema Skye - Developer, Maps (Silph Co. and Pokemon Tower shortening), Mt. Moon Crater Guard, Showdown Mod assistance.
• BlueZangoose / Vimescarrot - Pokemon box expansion, Instatext option, general assistance.
• Albatross - Many of the new sprites used in the hack (A significant number of post-Gen 1 evolutions, all regional variants, Meltan and Carapthor lines, etc.)
• LuciShrimp - Mewtwo & FireRed/LeafGreen Legendary custom battle music; Area Zero map theme for Mt. Moon Crater, Team Rocket theme changes and Giovanni's battle theme.
• jojobear13 & Mateo - DV/StatExp display, move deleter, & move relearner functionality from Shin Pokered, followed this guide. Tweaks were made to make it compatible with the pokered version we worked off of. Thanks specifically to Mateo's Red++ for the ferry system! Jojobear also provided bug fixes!
• thornAvery - Various bug fixes, notably to text speed errors, as well as making the Battle Tent a lot more functional.
• LadyMisticus - Bug fixes and minor adjustments, and made a well-documented spreadsheet for the hack that details every Pokemon's stats, movepools and locations, plus more!
• pret et al - Pokémon Red and Blue Disassembly Project, many tutorials helped us!
• ausma - Showdown Mod assistance
• Paulluxx - Showdown Mod assistance
• DuoM2 - Showdown Mod assistance
• dannye33 - Assisting with crysaudio implementation.
• Frrf - Assisting with the development of the Pikachu / Eevee Mode + 5 Starters scenes in Oak's Lab, debugging.
• erosunica - Assistance with developing Celadon University & Citrine City, plus sources for various subjects.
• Chatot4444 - Assisting with gym scaling code.
• Enigami - Reworking the Battle Tent's RestoreTeam code to make it work properly.
• HeadBoiSkye - Helped with writing NPC dialogue and Pokédex entries for new Pokémon such as Gyopin.
• ZumiIsawhat? - Restorations of prototype OST.
• FrenchOrange - Reconstructions of various overworld prototype sprites.
• Helix Chamber (RacieBeep & Orchid) - Prototype Pokémon sprites. Precise credits are available here and below.
• Vortiene/Vortyne - Reused a bit of code from their pureRGB hack, including their Trainer AI, move animations and Pokedex stats page. Assisted in bug fixes. Used their sprite sheet generator.
• Pigu-A, RevoSucks, walle303 - Contributors to Pokemon Anniversary Red's repository, where we reused the Green/FemC sprites and the Battle Tent.
• Rangi - Reused a bit of code from their Red* / Blue* hack to make HMs usable in the overworld, and generally being an amazing individual.
• BGVC - Composed the original 4-channel version of the unused Koukan (trading) music.
• Rainbow Metal Pigeon - Bug fix relating to Gym Leader rematches.
• SatoMew - Technical advice.
• wrulfy - Technical advice.
• suloku - Technical advice regarding setting where you spawn after beating the Elite Four, Exp. All modernisation code
• 大吟醸 (Daiginjo) - Assistance in translating the Tamamushi University Student Book, allowing for an accurate adaptation of the location.
• Molk - Balancing of some prototype Pokemon, most notably Ramoose.
• Shellnuts - Balancing of some prototype Pokemon, especially Omegadge. Made the SW97 type chart suggestion to balance Galarian Moltres; this would go on to define the mod's identity.
• ViWalls - Extremely early adopter of the hack who reported numerous bugs and gave many useful suggestions as a prime member of our target audience.
• Dr. Lava - Translations of some content used in this hack, particularly the 1996 Pokedex book's entries for DYKG.
• Nob Ogasawara - Prototype Pokemon names, produced for DYKG.

 

[Inner Rhymes]

This seems wonderful! I am surprised that nobody has commented yet. I will definitely give this a spin sometime.

 

[Inner Rhymes]

Hey! Not to sound like quite the noob, I went through the docs in order to learn how to evolve a Raichu into a Gorochu and it just said trade, Is this referring to an item like a Trade Stone, or do I have to literally trade via another copy of Kanto expansion pak via an emulator? Thanks in advance!

 

[qazmachuck]

Hey! Not to sound like quite the noob, I went through the docs in order to learn how to evolve a Raichu into a Gorochu and it just said trade, Is this referring to an item like a Trade Stone, or do I have to literally trade via another copy of Kanto expansion pak via an emulator? Thanks in advance!

Copied the relevant part from the github. Enjoy!

A Trader NPC is featured in Cinnabar Lab's trade room to allow for evolving in-game trade evolutions without requiring another game. When doing this, the OT, ID, and statistical traits are preserved, making the NPC effectively a really snazzy evolution stone. This is done with the understanding that trading is an evolution method in and of itself, and thus should not be excluded from the game like it is in some ROM Hacks, nullifying it through level-based evolution. Cinnabar Lab was the chosen location for theming and to balance the extremely strong trade evolutions RBY has, chief among them Alakazam.

The following Pokemon evolve via trade, and thus require Cinnabar Island access to evolve:

PokemonEvolutionNotes
GravelerGolem
KadabraAlakazam
MachokeMachamp
HaunterGengar
SeadraKingdra
RaichuGorochu (Reference to the mistranslated man in Cinnabar Lab
PrimeapeAnnihilape)

 

[Inner Rhymes]

Thank you so much! Kinda low-key sucks that I have to be that far into the game in order to use Annihilape and Gorochu, but it is what it is. :/

 

[qazmachuck]

Thank you so much! Kinda low-key sucks that I have to be that far into the game in order to use Annihilape and Gorochu, but it is what it is. :/

Yeah, I feel the same for Annihilape but the creator is right especially for Alakazam...

 

[Inner Rhymes]

Turns out you can actually trade with the same copy of the game if your emulator supports it. I tested it out on pizzaboy, and it worked like a charm! Got myself an Annihilape with 3 badges so far.

 

[Mariohammer]

Hey, loving the hack so far. Quick question. I screwed up and didn't even think to throw a Pokeball at a certain Pokemon in Silph Co. Was that my one shot at getting that guy? Saved after for the following boss fight haha. Thanks!

 

[MementoMartha]

Hey, loving the hack so far. Quick question. I screwed up and didn't even think to throw a Pokeball at a certain Pokemon in Silph Co. Was that my one shot at getting that guy? Saved after for the following boss fight haha. Thanks!

You'll get another chance after beating the Champion! It'll be on the top floor again in a different room.

 

[qazmachuck]

Turns out you can actually trade with the same copy of the game if your emulator supports it. I tested it out on pizzaboy, and it worked like a charm! Got myself an Annihilape with 3 badges so far.

I'm so happy for you! But I already think I have more than enough emulators in my phone. I don't need another one 😂

 

[Inner Rhymes]

I've noticed that a lot of the alternate forms of Pokemon like Hisuian Arcanine are only available through in-game trades. Does this mean that they will eventually disobey if I level them up above the level that badges permit traded mons to? Asking because my traded mons don't seem to get boosted experience. Thanks in advance!

 

[MementoMartha]

I've noticed that a lot of the alternate forms of Pokemon like Hisuian Arcanine are only available through in-game trades. Does this mean that they will eventually disobey if I level them up above the level that badges permit traded mons to? Asking because my traded mons don't seem to get boosted experience. Thanks in advance!

Disobedience was removed as well, don't worry!

 

[Inner Rhymes]

Hey-o, so I reached Articuno in Seafoam islands, but whenever I throw an ultra ball it says "It's too strong, it destroyed the Ultra ball". Is there anyway I can catch it, or is it impossible?

 

[OGArcanine]

I'm having the same problem but with Galarian Moltres in Citrine City, it keeps destroying my ultra balls T_T

Do I need to use a master ball, or need to do something else to catch it?

 

[Inner Rhymes]

I actually managed to catch my Articuno, what I did was whittle its hp down to red, and paralyse it. I kept chucking ultra balls, and eventually it got caught. Do you know where Galarian Articuno is located, and is it available before the league! Thank you!

 

[OGArcanine]

I actually managed to catch my Articuno, what I did was whittle its hp down to red, and paralyse it. I kept chucking ultra balls, and eventually it got caught. Do you know where Galarian Articuno is located, and is it available before the league! Thank you!

Yep, it's also somewhere around Citrine City, I don't want to spoil anything though.

You can only get it in the post game, after beating the league

 

[OGArcanine]

And only 18 Ultra Balls later I got that Galarian Moltres

 

[Inner Rhymes]

Ahhhh! Dang, that sucks, thank you though!

 

[Inner Rhymes]

So, I just managed to catch Moltres, and I saved my game. However, I cannot seem to get out of the volcano. I tried using Strength on the boulder, but to no avail as it refuses to budge despite saying that I can use strength. This might be a possible soft lock. I am the Pizza Boy Emulator.

 

[MementoMartha]

So, I just managed to catch Moltres, and I saved my game. However, I cannot seem to get out of the volcano. I tried using Strength on the boulder, but to no avail as it refuses to budge despite saying that I can use strength. This might be a possible soft lock. I am the Pizza Boy Emulator.

This was an issue that's been fixed in 1.2. If you're on 1.0, you'll have to let your team faint to get back to a Pokémon Center.