It may sound surprising but there are people that play Pokemon for the story or at the very least enjoy the story. That’s because some people just enjoy catching, battling, and enhancing their Pokemon.
There’s nothing wrong with that but why not take a look at our list of the 10 best Pokemon ROM hacks with a new a story.
That’s right, if you’ve played all of the Pokemon games, then you already know the story. You’re replaying for the sake of having different Pokemon.
These hacks can give you a different experience since they have different stories that you can enjoy and experience for the first time.
Editor’s Note (April 2024): ROM hacks with new stories add a new level of depth and interest to the classic Pokemon games. Read our list to learn more, and we just reviewed this article to ensure that it follows our current editorial standards.
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Table of Contents
List of the 10 Best Pokemon ROM Hacks with a New Story
10. Pokemon FireRed Rocket Edition
Let’s start this list of the best ROM hacks with a new story with Pokemon FireRed Rocket Edition. This hack is based on FireRed/LeafGreen’s story.
The gimmick here is that instead of taking the main characters’ perspective, you’re playing as a Team Rocket grunt. It has a nice story because you’re playing FRLG from the eyes of the villains.
You’ll also encounter some of the characters from the game, and some battles will force you to lose because you’re the bad guy, but there are some upsides to it.
Notable Features
- Catch all Gen 1 151 Pokemon
- Fairy-type included
- Steal the enemy Trainer’s Pokemon
9. Pokemon Voyager
The plot of Voyager is an interesting one. It takes place in the Keplara Region, and you live in the city of Andromeda. Your father is a policeman, and your mother is a Gym Leader.
Years before the game takes place, the world has experienced multiple calamities. Now, the world is covered with mostly water, and small patches of land let the people live.
That’s why the Voyager aspect comes in when the people of the world are thinking about space exploration.
Notable Features
- Character customization
- Nuzlocke
- Several Fakemon available
8. Pokemon Dark Cry Legend of Giratina
The game begins in a dream, so that’s very original, or not. Your dream is that you’re in a cave, and you witness some people plotting with something.
Then, suddenly one of those people does a prayer ritual which causes an earthquake. Just when you think you’re doomed, you wake up and realize it’s a dream. Unfortunately, the events unfold, and you realize the dream is coming true.
Dark Cry Legend of Giratina does have a much more serious tone compared to other hacks and can be a competitor for the best ROM hacks with a new story.
Notable Features
- Side quests
- Daily Missions
- Altered graphics
7. Pokemon Sovereign of the Skies
If you think the previous hacks have an interesting story, Sovereign of the Skies is the epitome of good and evil. There are two factions, with the Guardians of Amitec being the good guys and Team Tundra being the bad guys.
Team Tundra is up to no good, and they are trying to steal the Sacred Shards of Celestis. The Guardians of Amitec are a bit short on people, and that’s where you come in and join their ranks to stop Team Tundra from destroying the world.
Notable Features
- Roster goes up to Gen 7
- Day and Night cycle
- Arena Ladders
6. Pokemon Sevii
We’re going back to FireRed and LeafGreen because they have an area called the Sevii Islands. This game is called Sevii, and the story takes place in the Sevii Islands.
Think about the Sevii Islands having an original story rather than being post-game content for FRLG. You’re a 15-year-old being sent on an errand, and you get an Eevee for all of your troubles.
Everything goes smoothly until you meet Team Delta, and it all goes wild.
Notable Features
- 16 Gym Leaders
- 800+ Pokemon to get
- Physical/Special split
5. Pokemon Saffron
We’re halfway through our list of the 10 best ROM hacks with a new story, and we got Pokemon Saffron. An interesting note is that Saffron’s locations are based in South America.
They have the whole Aztec and Mayan motif going on for it. Something called the Great Migration happens when Pokemon flock to the Region of Azira.
You will be observing this Great Migration and the usual Pokemon shenanigans happen.
Notable Features
- Roster goes up to Gen 8
- Exclusive Azira forms
- Day and Night cycle
4. Pokemon Unbound
People love Pokemon Unbound, but the story is something that we would say is underrated. There’s an ancient history where the King of the Borrius Region caused their army to lose to the invading army.
Angered by the loss, the people of Borrius tried to revolt against the king with some dark magic. The king manages to seal the dark magic, and years later, a similar event happens where a group of people is trying to use dark magic in Borrius for something deadly. It’s a serious story, and the hack itself is fun and full of features.
Notable Features
- Roster goes up Gen 8
- Mega Evolution
- Customize your game settings at the start
3. Pokemon Gaia
We’re at the top 3 of our ROM hacks with a new story list with Pokemon Gaia. This hack is loved by a lot of people, and it’s very good. It’s been used on speed runs in some events, but we appreciate the story.
Years before the plot took place, the Orbtus Region was technologically advanced. For some reason, civilization ended, and the current people aren’t as advanced.
The recent seismic activity is cause for great alarm. You must help solve this mystery and get deeper into the world.
Notable Features
- Roster goes up to Gen 6
- Physical and Special split
- Fairy-type included
2. Pokemon Glazed
We have another popular ROM hack here which spawned numerous versions, but the original and updated Glazed is still something that you can try out for the story.
Glazed starts out as your typical Pokemon game where you’re a Trainer going the usual Pokemon route. You also have a murderous Pikachu following you and trying to spark a battle every time.
Then, you discover that the human world and Pokemon world are colliding, so you must help to stop them.
Notable Features
- A ton of Gym Leaders
- Mega Evolution
- Multiple Regions to explore
1. Pokemon Nameless Version
The number one game on our 10 best ROM hacks with a new story is the Pokemon Nameless Version. The story starts off intense right off the bat. You’re a little girl named Chronya who escaped an evil Empire with her mother Altena.
There’s a lot going on with this, but the Emperor wants to capture Chronya and Altena. While on the ship, the Emperor’s goons try to take them both but Chronya is tossed to the sea only to encounter more of the goons.
Years later, Chronya is a battle-hardened woman who seeks to reunite with her mother and take down the Empire. That’s a very intense story right there, and there are no Gyms in the hack, but those types of battles take place in Arenas.
Notable Features
- Roster goes up to Gen 8
- Black and White Repel System
- Skills replace HMs
In Closing
There you have it, the 10 best Pokemon ROM hacks with a new story. We’ve focused and fleshed out the story and plot of the game for you to dig into.
Naturally, aside from just having a new and interesting story, the features are also enough to keep you company.
There are other hacks that we didn’t include simply because some of them were a bit too serious and graphic, and some were just straight hilarious. Nevertheless, there are still a ton of hacks out there with new stories for you to try out today.
Which one from the list is your favorite? No doubt these are one of the many popular Pokemon rom hacks nowadays; chances are you have tried most of them. But there are still tons of Pokemon rom hacks that probably you never tried before.
