Video Game / Pokémon Heart and Soul

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Pokémon Heart and Soul is a ROM hack of Pokémon Emerald created by Lil Dill. Although technically a mod of Emerald, having been developed using its game engine, Heart and Soul is actually set in the Johto region. The mod serves simultaneously as a remake of the original Gen II installments and a demake of their Gen IV versions, blending both generations together to create what is considered the definitive Johto experience. However, Heart and Soul also goes the extra mile and incorporates elements from later Gens — including the Fairy-typing, the updated Exp. Share, infinite TMs, and post-Gen III evolutions (e.g., Roserade, Ursaluna, etc.) — among other quality of life improvements.

The game's latest update, version 1.2.1, was released in December 2025. A new patch, said to incorporate additional features that were purposefully left out, is currently in the works.

Pokémon Heart and Soul provides examples of:

• 100% Completion: As per typical with Pokémon mods, every Pokémon from the first three generations (save for the Regi trio) are available in a single playthrough.
• Adaptation Dye-Job: Downplayed in that it's an optional feature, but several shiny Mons are given new color palettes. This includes Gengar, ^note who's a pinkish-white, resembling its Mega Evolution. the first three Eeveelutions,^note Flareon, Jolteon, and Vaporeon are now yellow, blue, and red respectively., and Scyther.^note who's bright red.
• Adaptational Early Appearance:
  • Cross-generation evolutions like Munchlax and Ursaluna are included in the mod.
  • Moves from future gens, like Play Rough and Dark Pulse, are also present to accommodate the Physical-Special split.
• Adapted Out: Several features from GSC and HGSS were removed entirely, with Lil Dill citing said features as being too complex or time-consuming to code.^note Dill has noted, however, that they are working to reinsert these features in the upcoming 2.0 patch. This includes:
  • The ability for trainers to give out their phone numbers. As such, there's no way to rebattle trainers that aren't major characters (e.g., Gym Leaders, the Elite Four, etc.).
  • The player's mother taking their money after each battle.
  • Hidden items. This also means the Itemfinder was removed as well.
  • Trades in Kanto.
  • Apricorns. Kurt now makes balls out of berries.
  • The move Rock Climb, due to the mod using the original TM/HM list from Emerald. As a result, there are no rocky cliffs to scale.
  • The Regi trio. They're notably the only Mons completely cut from the game.
• Anti-Frustration Features: The mod makes a conscious effort to undo many of the issues that plagued the original games, while also incorporating plenty of its own QoL improvements.
  • The ROM features extensive customization when starting a new game, including adjusting shiny rates, experience yields, enabling or disabling the Fairy-typing, turning off the Physical-Special split, setting level caps, and allowing all Mons to have perfect IVs. Essentially, players can modify the difficulty to their liking.
  • The actual in-game settings now include additional, toggleable features such as even faster text speed, autorunning (the ability to run without having to press the B button), autorunning while surfing, easier fishing, faster Nurse Joy interactions, quicker battles, and the ability to quick run from battles without having to send out a Mon.
  • The Exp. Share is available at the start of the game, and applies to all Mons in one's team as from Gen VI onwards. Said Exp. Share can be turned off, and players can obtain the Exp. Share S early on for those who prefer individual grinding.^note Unfortunately, however, the two Shares do not stack with each other.
  • Pokémon are now visible in the overworld. This was done to give players an idea of what Mons are present in each location of the game, negating the need to look up guides.
  • Although the TMs in the mod follow the same list as the original Gen III games, the overall movepool was greatly expanded to accommodate the inclusion of both the Fairy-type and the Physical-Special split. Many Mons also learn stronger STAB moves earlier; Zubat, for example, can learn Poison Fang at Level 14.
  • The leveling curve and Pokémon availability are significantly improved. Not only is Dynamic Difficulty implemented, meaning Gym Leaders will have their teams adjusted depending on which ones are fought first, but many late game Mons are available earlier. For example, Larvitar can be found in the Dark Cave, just before the first gym.^note Dill admitted to using Pokémon Crystal Legacy as a reference for this.
  • Each Pokémon Center has a clock on the wall, allowing players to manually adjust the time of day whenever they want without having to go all the way back home to do so.
  • HMs can be used without Mons having to know them, completely negating the need for an HM slave. For that matter, HMs can be forgotten without the need for the Move Deleter.
  • TMs can be infinitely used like from Gen V onwards.
  • A handful of moves had their typings changed to make them more useful in battle. Cut, for example, is now a Bug-type move, giving Mons like Heracross a usable early STAB.
  • Kurt's custom made pokéballs are not only processed much quicker, but they were changed to where they work best on specific types. Fast balls, for example, are better for catching Fire, Fighting, and Electric-types.
  • Nature Mints can be purchased from the Goldenrod City flower shop as soon as the player beats Morty, making breeding and catching wild Mons significantly less tedious.
  • While only accessible in the post-game, there's an NPC in Saffron City who can change a Mon's ability for the player.
  • The player can obtain the first three fossils from the Ruins of Alph and revive them at the Alph lab. Kabuto, in particular, can be obtained as early as the first gym. For that matter, the Ruins of Alph is also how the player can get the GS Ball.
  • The game allows the ability to sort items in the player's bag by pressing Start.
  • Pokémon in one's team can now be sorted by pressing Select, as opposed to having to manually select "switch" when choosing a Mon.
  • The Odd Egg is no longer random; instead, you have to read the bookshelves inside the Day-Care Center and input a specific answer^note "BABE, POKEMON, [ANSWER 3], [ANSWER 4]" and whatever answer the player give with automatically determine what's inside the egg.^note For example, "BABE, POKEMON, CUTE, STATIC" will give the player a Pichu.
• Dynamic Difficulty: Having taken direct inspiration from Pokémon Crystal Legacy, the mod adjusts the levels and teams of the three Gym Leaders following Morty (Chuck, Jasmine, and Pryce) depending on who is challenged first.
• Guide Dang It!: The Ruins of Alph chamber rooms were changed to where, instead of needing to use Flash or have a Water Stone in your possession, you need to have the revived fossil Mons (or Ho-Oh) in the front your party. The hint in the actual game is extremely vague about this.