Pokémon Black and White - ''Emerald Style'' Double Battles

[Oxnite]

Soo...

I joyfully stated that ''Emerald Style'' Double Battles will be available in the next version of Pokémon Black & White Deluxe.

''Emerald Style'' Double Battles are what I call them, since they are the main introduction of Pokémon Emerald in my eyes. For some examples, see the following YouTube video parts:

[

] - [

] - [

] - [

]

I assumed these kind of Double Battles would be possible in Pokémon Black & White since they were available in Pokémon Emerald, Diamond, Pearl, Platinum and I guess HeartGold and SoulSilver, too.

So now I moved around some Trainers on the map so an ''Emerald Style'' Double Battle would be started, which means that I made two Trainers face each other. By walking in front of them, they should both challenge me. It turns out that it actually works, except there are two errors is one error:

• Both Trainer's salutations (opening sentences) are not correctly displayed when they challenge me. Only a blank textbox shows up. I spotted a striking resemblance with the error neltazero's Trainer's Pokémon Editor is giving:

  Details:
  As I mentioned, I use my tool to edit the trainers (from Route 1 till Elite 4) and try to play through it. However, when I reached the 6th badge, there's one trainer in Route 7 (Pkmn Ranger) with missing dialog (the dialog box still pop up, but give me blank text). Although this is not some major bug, it prove that my technique to try to extract everything and recompile everything is flawed and some major bug might pop up.
  Edit: Apparently it's not the way I compile the ROM that caused the problem, as I tried to use NitroExplorer to put the modified narc into the ROM and it still caused the same bug. Maybe this bug occur only when the number of Pokemon in a/0/9/3 exceed certain number?

• The following ''error'' only applies when you play an ''Emerald Style'' Double Battle on an Emulator, so it's not a real error after all. At least not an error that will keep me from implementing ''Emerald Style'' Double Battles: I can actually battle both Trainers in an ''Emerald Style'' Double Battle and the game mechanics completely allow to battle with two Trainers at once. Also, both Trainers show up on the screen after each other to say their valedictions, without any errors. However, during the actual battle, the menu screen become messed up heavily. I think that the game somehow processes the battle as if two battles are taking place at the same time. (Take a look at the third spoiler below, you'll probably understand what I'm saying by looking at them)

And to make it clearer, here are screenshots regarding the actual problems.

Before the Double Battle (shows the textbox errors)

During and after the Double Battle (shows that the game mechanics can actually handle certain ''Emerald Style'' Double Battles)

Menus during the Double Battle (shows the errors that appear ONLY when the battle is started on a PC Emulator - this does NOT happen when playing on a flashcart second error, as well as showing the ''Fight!'' button even though the Moves screen is already opened)[/s]

Just for fun, I tried something else, i.e. adding a third person and that way I was trying to create a Triple Tag Battle, but that didn't seem to work. Two of the three Trainers spotted me and battled me in this ''Emerald Style'' double battle (though still with the messed up menus and missing introduction text, of course), while the third Trainer battled me afterwards.

But after all, the ''Emerald Style'' Double Battle doesn't seem to work correctly in Pokémon Black & White. Does anybody know what could be causing the missing introduction text? Or are these Double Battles impossible to do in Pokémon Black & White - which I think would be very, very odd if it's true. Maybe there's a certain unknown Trainer Data value that I have to change...

If somebody does know how to solve this, that would be great (or if there's no solution at all, tell me, too).

Edited May 2, 2012 by Oxnite

[Drayano]

The message thing will fix if you replace the relevant trdata file that corresponds to that trainer. I had that same problem with BBVW, but if you insert a fresh copy of that file and then edit it with either Kazo's tool or hex to get the specifications you want then that should be fine.

...Although, that was for trainers that gave you items after the battle. It might not work in that particular case... it's probably worth a shot but I can't guarantee it'll work.

As for the menu, I have no idea. That is really weird. ._.; It is possible B/W don't support the trainer doubles naturally, since if I remember correctly they don't occur in the game normally. And yet, it actually enters the battle fine. That is very, very odd...

(P.S: Have you actually tried/had success with that moving trainers to different positions thing? I recall trying to transplant a script before and failing utterly, but I dunno what sort of method you'd be using.)

[Oxnite]

The message thing will fix if you replace the relevant trdata file that corresponds to that trainer. I had that same problem with BBVW, but if you insert a fresh copy of that file and then edit it with either Kazo's tool or hex to get the specifications you want then that should be fine.

Your method might indeed affect this case, too, though I'm not very sure what you actually mean. Do I have to insert an original trdata.narc (from an original, unedited Pokémon White rom) and edit that one to get it working?

As for the menu, I have no idea. That is really weird. ._.; It is possible B/W don't support the trainer doubles naturally, since if I remember correctly they don't occur in the game normally. And yet, it actually enters the battle fine. That is very, very odd...

(P.S: Have you actually tried/had success with that moving trainers to different positions thing? I recall trying to transplant a script before and failing utterly, but I dunno what sort of method you'd be using.)

Yeah, it's odd, isn't it?..

And by moving Trainers, do you mean moving Trainers from one map to another? I haven't tried that yet, but at least it's quite easy to move Trainers on their 'original' maps. Though I think it won't be that hard to add a Trainer by replacing an old NPC on a certain map. I guess all you have to do is change the script data, because Trainers don't actually have text data corresponding to the particular map they can be originally found on. I also found out that the eighth hex data of an overworld (the eighth ''hex data couple'', for example 00 00 or 04 00) corresponds with the Trainer's eye of sight length.

[Drayano]

Not the whole trdata.narc; it's like, say if the trainer without the text is trainer #23 (starting at 0). In that case you want to replace trdata_023 with the original, then edit that particular trdata_023 back to having the information you want.

Yeah, that's what I meant. Indeed, the co-ordinates are nice. :3 The thing is, every time I try to change the script data by hex the whole lot goes kaput, so it's a bit of a risky business to be honest. You can give it a whirl but I wouldn't count on it too much

Oh, yeah, the line of sight thing makes sense, it's like that in HGSS too.

[Oxnite]

Just to be sure, I added the original trdata and trpoke narc files.. To no avail. Both Youngsters had their original Pokémon but their introduction texts were still.. blank. Too bad.

[Drayano]

Oh, that was a good idea to test it, actually.

...Must be the double battles then. I guess it's either broken or nothing

[Oxnite]

Oh, I just made an amazing discovery!

Turns out the menus DON'T mess up if you play the game on a flashcart. Which means that it's actually DeSmuME that messes up the menu screens during such a battle.

Means there's hope after all!!

Now, all I need to find out is why the text disappears.. I tried editing an original Pokémon White rom - all I did was move two overworlds so they would face each other, but again, to no avail. Still no text showing up. What could be causing this...

[Drayano]

It's a platform problem? Oh boy O_O

Well, this certainly seems buggy all around, haha. Not sure what else to say about it.

[Oxnite]

It's a platform problem? Oh boy O_O

Well, this certainly seems buggy all around, haha. Not sure what else to say about it.

Yeah well, I don't really mind if it doesn't work correctly on DeSmuME. Other graphical errors tend to happen when playing on an emulator. I know of a certain HG/SS glitch that only happens on DeSmuME. So it's not that much of a problem, I think.

The only thing I want to see fixed is the missing introduction text.. What in the world could be causing that.. I'm going to try some more things but I really hope someone around here knows the answer. That would make my day.

[Exaskryz]

Maybe their dialogue is too long or something. Look into shortening the message they should say to be something that's a single word and see what happens.

I'm wondering if the game is attempting to render all of the words, and it goes off screen, so it gets buggy and you see a blank line...

[Oxnite]

Maybe their dialogue is too long or something. Look into shortening the message they should say to be something that's a single word and see what happens.

I'm wondering if the game is attempting to render all of the words, and it goes off screen, so it gets buggy and you see a blank line...

I changed their dialogue to one single word and that still didn't work.. I also tried copying the dialogue of Twins to see if they use special tokens for Double Battles, but that didn't work out either.

Though I found out that all Double Battle dialogues have a blank line after their 5 lines:

• First the introduction text of the right person;
  
• The ending dialogue;
  
• The dialogue for the right person that tells the player to bring more than one Pokémon;
  
• The dialogue for the left person that tells the player to bring more than one Pokémon;
  
• The introduction text of the left person;
  
• A blank line.

This counts for every Doube Battle, including the Twins, Hooligans, Backers (Supporters = Cheerleaders), etc.

EDIT: I tried adding a white line after the ''Emerald Style'' Double Battlers' dialogues, but to no avail.

Pff, why do they not have text?! What in the world could be causing this....

[Oxnite]

Bump.

Here's a note to myself / others regarding several possible options to solve this problem:

- Try to face two Trainer Classes that work correctly in Double / Triple Battles, for example facing two Gym Leader Trainer Classes and see what happens.

- Try to add a \efffe\efffe (or something) line at the very beginning of the introduction text and see what happens. It could possibly open up the next sentence of the introduction text correctly..

- ..

[Oxnite]

So apparently, ''Emerald Style Double Battles'' are very possible in the newest releases, Pokémon Black 2 and White 2.

For example, see

. Curious...

[Oxnite]

I can confirm that ''Pokémon Emerald Style'' Double Battles work completely in Pokémon Black 2 & White 2!

Seems they just weren't supported in B/W. Problem solved.