Pokemon Tourmaline (v1.0.0) GBA Rom Hack

Pokemon Tourmaline is a Completed GBA Rom Hack made by tdilos. Discover a new region with unique Fakemons, a fresh storyline, new characters, 2 new types, 60 new moves, and 20 new abilities.

Pokemon Tourmaline Completed GBA Rom Hack

Author: tdilos
Hack Off: Emerald
Language: English
Latest Version: v1.0.0 hotfix
Last Updated: October 05, 2025

Description

Pokemon Tourmaline is a Completed GBA ROM Hack of and loose sequel to Pokemon Emerald. This game is intended to take place in an alternate timeline where the setting and events have diverged a bit from the official games. Most notably, some mechanics from later gens are absent while others have been reworked, and a number of new mechanics have been introduced.

Story

It’s been several years since the battle of Groudon and Kyogre wrought havoc on the Hoenn region. Humanity’s understanding of Pokemon has deepened as more discoveries are made about the origins of Pokemon. A recent surge of discoveries in the nearby Issho region has drawn researchers from all over the world, including May, now an assistant Pokemon professor. After receiving a Pokemon from her, the player sets out to investigate the reports coming from all over the Issho region of new species of Pokemon, new types of Pokemon, and even more strange phenomena. Meanwhile, a new threat is on the rise in Issho, a mysterious crime syndicate who use exceptionally powerful Pokemon.

Features

Original story, characters, and region
Return of many old characters
A custom regional Pokedex with 386 Pokemon
New regional forms of Pokemon 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 Pokemon, 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

Change Log

v1.0.0 hotfix

Some of the Dive areas were bugged. You can now access Sunken Isle.
You can now change the nicknames of traded Pokemon.

v1.0.0

Added a new Karma feature (see the FAQ in the pokecommunity thread for an explanation).
Added Wonder Trading to the 2nd floor of PokeCenters.
Added the Game Corner to Turquoise City.
Added new sprites for Vert.
Updated the region map to include Ever Grande City.
Added missing Pokedex pages for some of the Isshoan forms.
Fixed glitch causing Potion-like items to heal some status conditions.
Fixed speed up glitch causing battles to freeze after learning a new move.
Fixed various tile/collision errors.

v0.2.2

Hotfix for the last update. There was a glitch that would freeze the game when throwing pokeballs on speeds above x1. For now, I’ve changed the catch sequences to always run at normal speed ^{(v0.2.2-Hotfix)}
Added battle speed up to the Options menu (credit to Pokabbie)
Increased text speed in battle
R button in battle now flees immediately instead of moving the cursor to ‘RUN’
The DAZ status now has a 20% chance of wearing off at the end of each turn
Added new quests to Amber City and Cobalt City
Berry Master now shows up in Cobalt City every Sunday
Some improvements to trainer AI and parties
Fixed glitch with the Houndoom battles near Cinerous Tower, they now always use the player’s first 3 pokemon
Fixed Jace glitch in Amber City
Fixed graphics glitch with gate in Cinerous Town
Fixed various typos and grammar mistakes

Version 0.2.0

Added many new maps
Added option to nickname starter in Hazel’s Lab
Added weekday-based events
Added an Unbound-style quest menu
Added hidden grottos
HM moves can now be forgotten like ordinary moves
Pokemon caught in Dream Balls now have their hidden abilities
Medicine items can now be used repeatedly in the party menu just like in the newer games
Gym guides now give out fresh water and type gems
Changes/updates to various NPC teams
Fixed warp glitch between Meridia/Aurora temples
Fixed other minor issues with old maps/events

Version 0.1.2

Echo type now resists Flying instead of Steel. The type quiz in Xanthos Library has been updated too.
Fixed difficulty modes not working properly. They should now work as described in the README.
Fixed level caps not working properly. Pokemon at or above the level cap no longer gain EXP.
Fixed issues with EXP not being distributed correctly between two or more Pokemon.
Fixed glitch causing the player to sometimes respawn in the wrong city after whiting out.
Added PC script to the player’s bedroom.
First TV swarm is now randomized, previously it was always Gulpin.
Hazel now gives the player an Exp Share instead of an Itemfinder.
Increased wild Pokemon levels around Cobalt City.
The gift Eevee now has its hidden ability.
Added unique badge icons to the player’s trainer card.
Fixed Jace/May overworld glitches.
Fixed glitch causing the player to battle themselves in Cinerous Town
Fixed nighttime palette glitches in Cobalt City.
Fixed minor glitch in the May event in Cobalt City.
Fixed the Strength puzzles in the temples, they were previously unsolvable.
Fixed minor graphics glitch in Resound’s final turn animation.
Fixed various typos/grammar.
Miscellaneous fixes to overworld tile errors.
Minor updates to trainer AI and movesets.

Known Issues v1.0.0

EMULATOR SPEEDUP: This has a tendency to glitch the game in unpredictable ways. Use it sparingly and save often if you do.
BAD EGGS IN PC: This happened to me once (invisible sprite in Box 3) and I’m not sure what caused it. Trying to access its summary screen crashes the game, so avoid that if it happens to you. Everything else in the PC box should still work normally.
TAG BATTLE GLITCH: Sometimes these will be strange colors instead of the correct yellow shade. Entering and exiting a building fixes this for now.
DOUBLE BATTLE GLITCH: After fighting a double battle trainer (e.g. Twins), during wild battles, the player will send out two Pokemon as if it were a double battle. These battles otherwise seem to behave normally. The player can even catch the wild Pokemon without issue. Fighting a single battle trainer fixes this issue. This glitch does NOT happen after fighting a double battle against two separate trainers.
TAG BATTLE GLITCH: When teaming up with Vert/Violet, the player’s party can sometimes get mixed up with the OPC’s. In the worst case, this can result in the player’s Pokemon getting overwritten. I’m still looking for a fix to this, so make sure you save before these battles.
POKEDEX GLITCH #1: The Pokedex pages for new regional forms don’t show the correct sprites. The player may see the base form or a question mark instead.
POKEDEX GLITCH #2: Some new Pokemon show the wrong Pokedex page when they’re first caught. Checking the Pokedex after catching them will show the correct page.
STATUS BAR GLITCH: Enemy status bars sometimes show the wrong color for status conditions. For example, the BRN symbol may be black instead of the correct red color. This is a minor graphics glitch that I haven’t found a fix for yet. It doesn’t affect anything else and it often fixes itself, so just ignore it.
WINDOWS AT NIGHT: Sometimes these will be strange colors instead of the correct yellow shade. Entering and exiting a building fixes this for now.