ok i got it sorted not long after posting this.
problem was i didnt have a c:/savegame_manager folder in my hardrive. so there was nowhere for the files to go.
the gbatemp tutorial i was using mentioned nothing of this.
thanks anyway!
No you need Homebrew to import and export a save. If it’s just Pokémon edits that you want you can use a sysbot on a some discord servers. That way you can get the Pokémon you want to edit with PKHeX and then have sysbot trade you the Pokémon.