emerald [Emerald] NBL Battle Frontier + Any-Ability + Deoxys-Formes (IPS + patched PKHeX)

[isleep2late]

 

This was a fun little project someone from the PH community requested. Here's the link to the patches (modded PKHaX.exe also in the release page).

1. Unrestricted Battle Frontier: Removes the banned-species list and the registration validator's
level cap + species clause + item clause** (`AppendIfValid`/`CheckPartyIneligibility`), and un-nerfs
Soul Dew inside the Frontier (its +50% Sp.Atk/Sp.Def for Lati@s is normally disabled there). Covers Singles/Doubles/Multi/Link and all facilities.

2. Any ability on any Pokémon: Gen 3 doesn't store an ability — only a 1-bit slot index into the
species table, which is why it looked locked. This adds a real per-mon ability ID in the unused PK3
Sanity byte 0x1E (outside the checksum), and patches every site that sets a battler's ability to read
it. Set it with the included patched PKHeX (Gen-3 Ability dropdown now lists all 78; pick one, save).

Key offsets (clean Emerald USA/EU): banned list `0x08611C9A`; `AppendIfValid` NOPs at `0x081A3F5E`
(level), `0x081A3F82` (species), `0x081A3FA8` (item); Soul Dew gate `0x080697A0`/`0x080697D6`; ability hooks read PK3 0x1E with routines in free space `0x0837F260`, hooked at `0x0806AA2A`, `0x0806B694`, `0x0804C99A`, `0x0803AD68`, `0x0806BC62`.

Files: three IPS (frontier-only / ability-only / full) + `PKHeX.exe` (net10, needs .NET 10 Desktop
Runtime) + source. Apply to a clean Emerald; saves are cross-compatible.

This project was assisted by the developments/contributions made by pret many years ago.
Patched routines verified in Unicorn, behavior confirmed in-game (Soul Dew and Huge Power both measured dealing boosted damage).

 

Here's the full write-up and a video demonstration.

 

-IS2L

 

*UPDATE*: For those interested in playing with the Emerald patch, I created a custom PKHaX program with the latest source code ( https://github.com/kwsch/PKHeX ) you can find here: https://github.com/isleep2late/Un-Nerf-Compendium/releases/tag/PKHeX This version of PKHeX now only lets you edit any ability in gen 3 but also lets you modify sprites/typing in Gen 1 the same way Pikasav can do. See: 

 

 

Edited 2 hours ago by isleep2late
Updated to include a patched PKHeX for people who want to enjoy this version of Emerald.

[isleep2late]

I added some cool stuff that I mentioned to people on the PP Discord. Instead of telling, I'll just show:

 

- Any-ability (the PK3 0x1E "sanity" byte trick) works in singles and doubles. In MULTI it is intentionally disabled - the shared-party array makes the override unsafe - and the multi receptionist now says so in-game. Everything else in multi (unban, clauses) still applies.
- Deoxys forms are fully implemented: per-form stats, battle sprites, party icons, summary screen, and a PKHaX box icon; default form gets Attack/Defense/Speed correctly; trading keeps the partner version's form.
- Flexible party size: Battle Tower singles 1-6, doubles 2-6 (multi stays at the legal 2)
- Soul Dew un-nerf restored inside the Frontier.