Pokemon Gaia

Pokemon Gaia is a FireRed hack led by Spherical Ice and the Gaia Team that drops you into Orbtus, a brand-new region built around its own ruined history. Long ago an advanced Orbtus civilization fell apart after a series of earthquakes, leaving behind temples, idols and half-remembered legends. In the present day the ground is shaking again, and Professor Redwood — an archaeologist as much as a Pokemon researcher — asks new trainers from Celanto Town to help keep the region safe.

The threat behind the tremors is a group called the New Elders, led by Morgana, who wants to reawaken the legendary Regis. That gives Gaia a different tone from the usual crime-syndicate plot: much of the adventure is about exploring ancient sites, reading the region's past and getting to the truth before the New Elders do.

Under the hood, Gaia brings FireRed close to the Gen 6 era. Moves use the physical/special/status split, the Fairy type and its updated type chart are in, and Pokemon from Kanto through Kalos appear with movesets based on Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. Mega Evolution works in battle, and the Mega Stones are hidden around Orbtus, so exploring pays off directly in your team's power.

The current release is version 3.2, last updated in November 2018. It is still labelled a beta, so the story does not reach a final conclusion yet — but the content that exists is polished, and many players treat it as one of the best new-region hacks on GBA despite the long wait for more.

• Brand-new Orbtus region with original towns, routes and ancient temples
• Physical/special/status split and the Fairy type with the modern type chart
• Pokemon from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova and Kalos
• Movesets updated to match Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire
• In-battle Mega Evolution, with Mega Stones hidden across the region
• Competitive items such as Choice Specs, Assault Vest and the Ability Pill
• Rock Climb, climbable walls and diving to underwater maps
• Hidden Grottoes and Secret Temples with rare items and Pokemon
• A Bug-Catching Contest and the Battle Marsh, a Battle Maison-style facility
• Updated sprites, sideways stairs and original music

Gaia is not a Kaizo hack. Its battles are tougher than vanilla FireRed — trainers use modern items and better movesets — but the challenge sits in the "pleasantly demanding" range rather than the "read the documentation or die" range. It suits players who want a new story and a new map first, and a fair fight second.

If you have already played Unbound or Glazed and want another full region to explore, Gaia is a natural next step. If you want brutal level caps and no grinding, a difficulty hack such as Run & Bun or Radical Red will scratch that itch better.

• Explore side paths and temples: Mega Stones and rare Pokemon are hidden off the main road.
• Use the Rock Climb and diving areas once you can — some of the best rewards are behind them.
• Save in a separate slot before major New Elders encounters, since the beta has a few rough edges.
• Try the Battle Marsh for a break from the story and a good test of your team.
• Do not expect an ending yet; enjoy the region at your own pace.

Version 3.2 is mostly a fix-and-balance update. Edamist Steppes was renamed Edamist Heights, Aerous Road was rebalanced with stronger trainers and lower-level wild Pokemon, and the New Elders ambush in Frostbite Cave was softened so the fights start when you talk to or pass Eunice.

It also fixed a long list of smaller issues: Hidden Power now shows its type, Cranidos evolves into Rampardos properly, Mega Glalie gets Refrigerate and Mega Ampharos gets Lightning Rod, and many tile, palette and sprite bugs were cleaned up.