FireRed hack: Pokemon FireRed: Bill's Secret Garden v1.3 [HARD MODE Release!]

[TibJib]

Hello Everyone!
Bill's Secret Garden (BSG) is a Vanilla+ rom hack for FireRed. The namesake feature of this hack is a new garden area accessed from a teleporter in Bill's house. Here, you will find Pokémon from the GS Spaceworld Beta that were cut from the original Gold & Silver versions! Between the Pokémon you can find in the garden and new evolutions, there are a total of 40 new Pokémon to find. In addition to that, there are many other changes to make the experience more interesting:

• This hack uses the Complete FireRed Upgrade as a base. All the changes associated with this new engine are included, such as the Fairy-type, modern moves and battle mechanics, and the DexNav.

• Encounter tables have been updated so all 386 Pokémon originally in Generation 3 are catchable, with nearly all of them able to be found before the Elite Four.

• Any pre-evolutions, evolutions, forms, or variants of the original 386 Gen3 Pokémon that were introduced in later generations have been made available. This includes Paradox forms, which are accessible as split evolutions from the original line they are based on.

• Trainer teams have been updated to take advantage of the newly available Pokémon. While this isn't intended as a difficulty hack, this does mean some trainers will naturally be harder than the base game.

• Various other changes such as new move tutors and shops, as well as adjustments to item availability and moves.

There are a ton of smaller changes as well, but these are the big ones. Just enough to put an interesting twist on your next playthrough of FireRed. While this mod isn't as flashy as some others, I hope you'll take some time to try it out! I've also included a download for the sprites I created or edited for this hack. Feel free to use them for your own projects, just be sure to credit all the other artists mentioned in the Credits file!

A Hard Mode patch is now included, introducing various changes to make the game much more difficult. Check out the Readme/Documentation for a full list of changes!

The README with a more complete list of changes and other information can be found here:
Bill's Secret Garden v1.3

Documentation for the game, such as data regarding the new Pokémon, encounter locations, and important item locations, can be found here:
Bill's Secret Garden Guide Info

Downloads

Spoiler:

Pokémon FireRed: Bill's Secret Garden v1.3
Beta Pokémon Sprite Pack

Screenshots

Spoiler:

Credits

Spoiler:

Tools:

CFRU by Skeli789, ghoulslash and more
https://github.com/Skeli789/Complete-Fire-Red-Upgrade

Dynamic Pokemon Expansion
https://github.com/Skeli789/Dynamic-Pokemon-Expansion?tab=readme-ov-file

HexManiacAdvance by haven1433
https://github.com/haven1433/HexManiacAdvance


Sprites:

I edited most of the new sprites for the beta Pokemon myself, creating GBA-styled sprites using existing GB-style sprites as a base. However, I did not create the original GB sprites, so I'd like to highlight the many talented sprite artists behind these original images.

Most of the Beta Pokemon sprites were edited from those found in the Pokemon GS '97: Reforged rom hack. Credit to Rool, Smalls, Pik, Bencc, Nuuk, Scarlax, Sam the Salmon, and SoupPotato for the original GS versions of these Pokemon:

https://www.pokecommunity.com/threads/pok%C3%A9mon-gold-and-silver-97-reforged-complete.437360/

-Flambear -Sunmola
-Volbear -Anchorage
-Dynabear -Grotess (Back)
-Cruize -Wolfur
-Aquallo -Alphur
-Aquarius -Meowsy (Back)
-Kotora -Raika
-Raitora -Enta
-Rinring -Suica
-Bellarin -Bellmit
-Ghual -Cottomew
-Kurstraw -Praxe
-Pangshi -Numpuff
-Rayleep -Mafetch'd
Credit for the following sprites goes to MultiDiegoDani:
https://www.deviantart.com/multidiegodani/art/Some-Beta-Pokemon-Gold-Silver-Sprites-843651024

-Dewpodd
-Grotess (Front)
-Meowsy (Front)
-Anchorage (Tail)


Credit for the following sprites goes to Aethestode:
https://www.deviantart.com/aethestode/art/Spaceworld-Demo-Beta-Pokemon-Sprites-Revamped-856667682

-Bomsheal
-Lickilord
-Gelania
-Noctowl Beta
-Remoraid Beta


Beta Octillery sprite created by peeboy:
https://www.spriters-resource.com/custom_edited/pokemongeneration2customs/sheet/134704/


The front sprite for Gorochu was edited from the sprite found in the Kanto Expansion Pak rom hack. Credit to artists RacieBeep, Martha's Against Humanity and Albatross:
https://www.pokecommunity.com/threads/kanto-expansion-pak.525646/


The back sprite for Goruchu was edited from sprites made by Keiitan and JabariWilliams:
https://www.deviantart.com/keiitan/art/Gorochu-revamped-795662678
https://www.deviantart.com/jabariwilliams/art/Gorochu-GBA-Style-957712705


The sprite for Keelisk was edited from sprites made by Abeshoken on DeviantArt and the Earthretha Fakemon Pack by NanaelJustice:
https://www.deviantart.com/abeshoken/art/Drakkarow-Betamon-840880948
https://www.pokecommunity.com/threads/earthretha-fakemon-pack.527306/


The back sprite for Meowsy was edited from sprite made by Drafex14 on DeviantArt:
https://www.deviantart.com/drafex14/art/Beta-Sprites-All-Copia-895048858


The "puffball" part of the Cottomew sprite was edited from a sprite made by Pokemon-Future:
https://pokemon-future.tumblr.com/about


Sprites for Gen 6-9 Pokemon taken from the PokeCommunity Sprite Repository:
https://www.pokecommunity.com/threads/ds-style-gen-vii-and-beyond-pok%C3%A9mon-sprite-repository-in-64x64.368703/


The sprites for the SECRET Pokemon were taken from the rom hack TPP Burning Red. Credit for original design goes to Warupua on DeviantArt:
https://github.com/TwitchPlaysPokemon/tpp_burning_red
https://www.deviantart.com/warupua


The sprites used for Beta Girafarig and Tangel came from unknown/lost sources. If anyone knows the origin of these particular sprites, please let me know and I will be happy to credit the original artists.


The female trainer sprite of LGPE Blue (JP) was created by LouLilie.
https://x.com/Lou_Lilie


Special thanks to the HexManiac Discord server, for helping me throughout this entire process.

8/16/24 Edit: Verison 1.1 has been released!
9/22/24 Edit: Verison 1.2 has been released!
12/25/24 Edit: Version 1.3 has been released, along with the new Hard Mode patch!

 

[WeegeeP]

Downloaded this last week, great job on the sprites.

 

[eno22]

This looks awesome can't wait to play! Is there an easy way to get the hidden Abilities? And is there a nature changer or mints in game?

 

[TibJib]

This looks awesome can't wait to play! Is there an easy way to get the hidden Abilities? And is there a nature changer or mints in game?

The DexNav is obtained pretty early and can be used to chain encounters for Hidden Abilities. You can also buy Ability Patches on Two Island. Unfortunately, the version of CFRU that I used didn't have the nature mints in it, so I couldn't implement them.

That said, you probably won't need them. The game isn't a difficulty hack, so unless you get a nature that goes against your attacking stat or something, you'll probably be fine. At least until I add the super bosses in v1.1...

 

[eno22]

The DexNav is obtained pretty early and can be used to chain encounters for Hidden Abilities. You can also buy Ability Patches on Two Island. Unfortunately, the version of CFRU that I used didn't have the nature mints in it, so I couldn't implement them.

That said, you probably won't need them. The game isn't a difficulty hack, so unless you get a nature that goes against your attacking stat or something, you'll probably be fine. At least until I add the super bosses in v1.1...

The dexnav is great! Really enjoying so far thanks!

 

[TibJib]

Version 1.1 of Bill's Secret Garden has been released! This will probably be the last update, just adding in a few more things I wanted in but weren't required for the first version. There are a ton of smaller changes, but the biggest one is adding in "Super Boss" trainers to Seven Island, as a final challenge for the end game. I hope you all enjoy!

 

[sylinuser]

Good Job, nice work btw

 

[FeraligatrMaster]

Can you add a mode or a cheat block option to give every Pokemon the player obtains perfect IV's?

 

[SolarisLumos]

Out of curiosity, are these sprites usable for other hacks with corresponding credits? Noticed the ZIP file, so I thought I'd ask. I've had ideas for a similar project thanks to KEP, albeit quite different in execution.

 

[TibJib]

Out of curiosity, are these sprites usable for other hacks with corresponding credits? Noticed the ZIP file, so I thought I'd ask. I've had ideas for a similar project thanks to KEP, albeit quite different in execution.

Yep! Feel free to use them as long as you credit the proper artists.

 

[Albel]

This is excellent, thanks for doing this! I've either found a bug, or am being stupid. You can talk to that NPC in Professors Oak's lab to turn on the exp share, but it's not doing anything for me. Am I doing it wrong?

 

[TibJib]

This is excellent, thanks for doing this! I've either found a bug, or am being stupid. You can talk to that NPC in Professors Oak's lab to turn on the exp share, but it's not doing anything for me. Am I doing it wrong?

Oops! That one is my bad actually. I attempted to get the Exp All functioning using that NPC, but I later found out that the flag for the Exp All is broken in the version of CFRU I'm using. As such, I couldn't implement that feature, but I forgot to remove the NPC. I'll see about removing that in another patch...

 

[Soulmates]

Oops! That one is my bad actually. I attempted to get the Exp All functioning using that NPC, but I later found out that the flag for the Exp All is broken in the version of CFRU I'm using. As such, I couldn't implement that feature, but I forgot to remove the NPC. I'll see about removing that in another patch...

if Exp Share is broken, how to use it? or is there a different one that does work? finally, which starter is best offensively?

 

[TibJib]

It's just the Gen6 and later style Exp All that doesn't work. And even then, I had only planned to have an option for it, not have it enabled by default. The normal Exp Share can still be obtained, though I moved it to the guard house next to Vermilion so it can be obtained earlier than the vanilla game.

As for starters, they're all the same as base FireRed.

 

[Danidark97]

is the Good Rod obtainable as usual in Fuchsia?
Because the fisherman does not appear

 

[acedadudegeofan]

will the red sprites also be changed?

 

[TibJib]

is the Good Rod obtainable as usual in Fuchsia?
Because the fisherman does not appear

The Good Rod is in Lavender now, so you can get access to more Pokémon sooner, especially a few in Bill's Garden. I never really like the placement of it in the vanilla game, as you basically get access to the Good Rod and the Super Rod at the same time...

 

[Kralus]

After suffering a sea of difficulty hacks, just looking for a fun time, i'm really glad to have found this, and see that beta pokemon are in it to boot! i did have a couple questions if you don't mind.

-i'm assuming the answer is yes considering the wording and the present of gen 9 paradoxes, but is Dudunsparce and Annihlape present in this hack?

-although they aren't related, is Wiglett/Wugtrio, and Toedscool/Toedscruel in the hack?

-Again, its also unrelated, but i guess kinda related? and also weirdly an honorary kanto pokemon, but would Meltan/Melmetal ever be considered

-Is there any consideration for other beta pokemon, whether it be others of Gen 2, or the good handful of beta pokemon for Generation 1 in the future?

-And finally, is there any chance of an option to add atleast a few of the beta pokemon to proper routes or fitting locations in the future?

Sorry for the question bombardment, this definitely looks like it'll be a good time for my next playthrough!

 

[TibJib]

Happy to answer your questions!

• Dudunsparce, Annihilape and Farigaraf are all in the game.
• The Convergent Species are not in the game.
• I had considered making Meltan/Melmetal available, but decided against it. I did give it's signature move to Mawile's evolution though...
• For the remaining Gen 2 beta Pokémon, I didn't include them for a few reasons.
  • The babies are mostly pointless. There are a few I could have used as the pre-evo for normal and regional forms, like Growlithe or Grimer, but I just didn't want to bother. It would be a lot of work making extra sprites for very little payoff.
  • There are a few that are very different designs for Pokemon that eventually made it in, like Politoed and Sneasel. For the most part, I just couldn't think of anything interesting to do with them. The only ones of these I did include was Rayleep, which was mostly because I liked its design so much, and the beta Legendary Dogs, as I could make them work as pre-evos.
  • Then there are a few that are closer to the final design but different, like Scizor or Hitmontop. I only included these if I could think of something to do with them, like turning a few into Regional Forms or turning Jumpluff's original design into an alternate Fairy-type evolution.
  • Finally, there were a few obscure ones that I had thought of including, but the existing sprites I could find just weren't inspiring to me and I didn't feel like adapting them to Gen 3. These were the flaming tanooki (Katchimatchi), the ninja flying squirrel (Kitana), and the one-eyed scorpion (Stingler).
• As for the Gen 1 betas, the difficulty there is the lack of sprites. Many of them only have a front sprite or back sprite, and pretty much all of them have that crazy Gen 1 style that doesn't really translate well into Gen 3 sprites. I would consider including some if I could find a good sprite for them. Gorochu, for example, was a late addition that only happened because I loved the sprite used for it in Kanto Expansion Pak.
• Concerning the locations of the Beta Pokémon, this project was originally conceived as just adding Bill's Garden with the Beta Pokémon being in it, so I'm kinda stuck to that idea. However, I have started another project I'm calling Pokémon: Shining Colors. All the Beta Pokémon from Bill's Secret Garden will also be included in that rom hack and will appear mixed in with all the normal Pokémon. Now, it will be a while before that project sees the light of day, as I'm still mostly in the planning phases, but perhaps that's something to look forward to. Have a sneak peek of the planned progression for the game!
  
  

 

[Kosiage]

Whats A-Meowth /G-Meowth. Is it only diff sprite?

And Gouging Fire is like Entei with diff sprite?