Pokemon: Dark Rising + Kaizo GBA ROM Hack – Full Game Overview
Game Information
Hack Name: Pokemon: Dark Rising + Kaizo
Original Game (ROM Base): Pokemon: FireRed
Hack Status: Completed
Language: English
Release Type: Fan-made ROM Hack
Related Content: Pokemon DarkRising 2
Table Of Contents
About This ROM Hack
Pokémon: Dark Rising is a fan‑made ROM hack developed by DarkRisingGirl. This project represents the creator’s second attempt to complete a full Pokémon hack featuring a new region, a deeper narrative, original characters, and expanded mechanics. The hack was designed with an emphasis on storytelling, character depth, and emotional engagement, and it is intended to be the first part of a larger series.Within the game, players will encounter Pokémon from all five generations, access many new moves, and follow a unique storyline that diverges significantly from the standard gym‑and‑league structure of official Pokémon titles.
Pokémon: Dark Rising is an expansive and story‑driven hack with a unique narrative focus, original characters, and broad generational Pokémon support. As Part 1 of a planned series, it aims to blend classic Pokémon gameplay with an enriched plot and character depth, expanding the possibilities of what Pokémon ROM hacks can accomplish.
You start in Fells, a town in the Core Region, and are quickly drawn into a crisis affecting the entire region in the form of catastrophic climate changes and natural disasters. While delivering a package from Professor Oak, you encounter a mysterious girl connected to the dream you experienced, involving a creature known as Darugis. Shortly after receiving the package, you face an early battle against a powerful Pokémon that overwhelms you, knocking you unconscious.
Upon recovering at home with your friend Pete and your mother, you begin to understand that this is only the start of a much larger journey. The adventure ahead is filled with mystery, powerful Pokémon, and events that will test your skills and resolve.
General Issues
Battle & Script Issues
Compatibility Notes
Q: Is Pokémon: Dark Rising a complete game?
Story Overview
The story of Dark Rising begins with a mysterious dream. A Pokémon appears and seemingly chooses you — the young boy or girl at the center of the story — tasking you with saving both it and the world. After waking, you are confronted with confusion and unanswered questions, but an urgent message from the town’s Professor forces you to begin your journey.You start in Fells, a town in the Core Region, and are quickly drawn into a crisis affecting the entire region in the form of catastrophic climate changes and natural disasters. While delivering a package from Professor Oak, you encounter a mysterious girl connected to the dream you experienced, involving a creature known as Darugis. Shortly after receiving the package, you face an early battle against a powerful Pokémon that overwhelms you, knocking you unconscious.
Upon recovering at home with your friend Pete and your mother, you begin to understand that this is only the start of a much larger journey. The adventure ahead is filled with mystery, powerful Pokémon, and events that will test your skills and resolve.
Characters:
- Oren / Orena — Your playable protagonist, presented in both male and female options.
- Kaz — Your best friend and main rival.
- Pete — A close friend who accompanies you early in the journey.
- Sydney — A mysterious trainer with ties to the legendary dragon Kyurem. Her partner Axew appears later in the game.
- Kayo — A rival figure associated with the Grunts and leader of a criminal group. His partner Deino appears later in the game.
- Dray — A self‑proclaimed “Number 1 Trainer in the World,” winner of the Sinnoh League, and boyfriend to Florina.
- Florina — A Unova League champion and Dray’s partner, who defeated him in the final battle.
- V — The general of the Grunts, commanding Darugis’s forces and connected to the player’s father. He also has a son and daughter who are skilled Pokémon Trainers.
Key Features
- All 386 Pokémon from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova are available.There are eight badges to earn, and each Gym Leader has a signature Pokémon that cannot be obtained normally in the game.
- The game includes original characters and trainers alongside familiar characters from the anime, such as Ash Ketchum, Misty, and Brock.
- A cameo by Yami Yugi from the Yu‑Gi‑Oh! series appears as a Gym Leader.
- Many new moves from later generations are featured, including Shadow Claw, Roost, Scald, and more.
- Dream World (DW) Abilities are implemented, including popular abilities like Drizzle, Drought, and Speed Boost on appropriate Pokémon.
- Pokémon will learn many of their best egg moves through level‑up instead of breeding, using data based on Serebii.net.
- Pokémon Centers include both Doctor Roy, who heals Pokémon, and Nurse Joy, who challenges the player to a double battle alongside Doctor Roy for additional experience points.
Known Bugs & Issues
While Pokémon: Dark Rising has been widely played and discussed, several issues have been reported by players over time. Most of these do not prevent game completion, but they may affect gameplay or visuals depending on the emulator or patch version used.General Issues
- Some scripted events may not trigger correctly on certain emulators; testing with alternative emulation software can sometimes resolve event glitches.
- Minor text overlap or missing punctuation has been observed in some dialogue boxes.
- A small number of trainer sprites or overworld sprites may appear misaligned or flicker on screen during transitions.
- In rare cases, post‑battle screens may display minor graphical artifacts depending on emulator settings.
Battle & Script Issues
- A handful of battle scripts (especially early‑game tutorial or cutscene battles) may behave differently than expected if save data is corrupted or loaded mid‑event.
- Some moves with later‑generation mechanics (e.g., Dream World abilities or certain egg moves) may not function identically across all emulators.
Compatibility Notes
- The hack is designed for use with a clean Pokémon FireRed ROM; applying the patch to a modified or non‑standard base ROM may cause unpredictable behavior.
- Some features may not render correctly on hardware flash carts or older handheld models; emulation is recommended for consistency.
Screenshots
Download Links
Download: Mediafire
Kazio Version Download: Mediafire
Documentation
How to Play
Requirements
- A Game Boy Advance emulator
- A compatible ROM base
- Patch file (IPS / UPS / BPS)
Developer Information
Developer / Team: DarkRisingGirl
Credits:
- DarkRisingGirl — Story and creator
- Tajaros — Scripting and support
- Wesley FG — Overworld sprites
- Kyledove — Tiles
- Alienhunterx — Official walkthrough
- Mewmasterifly — Two Evil Fakemon sprites (for beta)
- NO_obslayer — Title screen
- Nightkymz — Tile insertion
- Atif — Mapping (1st half)
- DanielEvans / Pokemon Giratina X / Elite Four Lucian — Banners
- Evil Arms — Fan‑made title screen
- PokemonShinySilver — Wii U support
- Darthatron — Trainer card glitch fix
- Hinkage — Scripting and mapping
- Additional unseen contributors (community tools, testers, and graphic supporters)
Source & References
Official Thread / Website: Pokecommunity
Legal Disclaimer
All content referenced on this page belongs to its respective owners.
This site does not host or distribute copyrighted game files.
Any content will be removed upon request by the rightful owner.
Frequently Asked Questions
A: Yes. As originally released, the hack is considered fully playable from start to finish and contains a complete story chapter, though it is explicitly labeled as Part 1 of a larger planned series.
Q: Are all Pokémon available?
A: All Pokémon from Kanto through Unova (Gen 1–5) appear in the game. Some Pokémon may require specific conditions or events to encounter.
Q: Why does Nurse Joy challenge me in the Pokémon Center?
A: In Dark Rising, Doctor Roy heals Pokémon, while Nurse Joy issues a double battle alongside him. This design adds a consistent source of experience points without disrupting progression.
Q: Are anime characters like Ash, Misty, and Brock actually part of the story?
A: Yes. Certain well‑known anime characters appear in the game, but their roles are adapted to fit the hack’s original narrative rather than replicate anime plots.
Q: What Generation mechanics are included?
A: The hack incorporates moves and abilities from later generations (Gen 4 and Gen 5), Dream World abilities, and updated move pools that are not present in the original FireRed.
Q: Does the game have new moves and abilities?
A: Yes. Many newer moves (like Shadow Claw, Roost, Scald, etc.) and Dream World abilities are implemented and accessible through normal gameplay.
Q: What should I do if an event doesn’t trigger?
A:
- Save and reset the game normally.
- Try interacting with the triggering NPC or object again.
- If using an emulator, try switching to another (e.g., mGBA if you were using VBA‑M).
- Incomplete emulator compatibility is the most common cause of event issues.
Q: Can I catch every Pokémon in the game?
A: Most Pokémon are catchable through normal progression, but a few require specific conditions, items, or story triggers to appear.
){kind=link}