Pokémon Gaia is a ROM hack of Pokémon FireRed. Taking place in the new region of Orbtus, you can find and catch Pokémon up to Generation 6. It is authored by Spherical Ice, who released the latest update of the game in October 2018. It can be downloaded here.
This game provides examples of:
- Bad Vibrations: Earthquakes periodically occur throughout the game as part of the New Elders' plot to reawaken Regigigas.
- Big Bad: The leader of the New Elders is Morgana, who seeks to reawaken the Regis.
- Blatant Burglar: One found in in the offices of Pokémon Gaia's development team in Atsail City breaks the fourth wall."I'm a dastardly criminal! I take decades-old video games that this company produces... Over many years, I transform them into brand new games, and then... Then I publish them on the Internet, for zero profit!"
- Decoy Hiding Place: You hide behind some crates in Atsail City's Cold Storage to listen into the New Elders' plan to reawaken Registeel.
- Festival Episode: Edashore Town has the Meteor Festival, involving a Meteor Dance from the town's shiny Clefairy. The first time you go to Edashore Town, the festival is initially interrupted by an earthquake, which causes the Clefairy to flee. You then have to go to Cosmic Caverns to find it, after which the festival goes on as normal.
- First Town: Celanto Town is your hometown. Unlike other similar towns in the series, however, Professor Redwood has no lab, instead giving your first Pokémon in the town's library.
- Foreshadowing: One of the trainers that challenges you in Victory Falls tells you they have a team made in accordance to the types used by the Elite Four, giving you clues to what types they do use. Their team is has a Krookodile (strong against Nicola's Electric-types), Conkeldurr (strong against Knight's Dark-types), Alakazam (strong against Kara's Fighting-types) and Arcanine (strong against Leif's Grass-types).
- The Lost Woods: Fernando's gym puzzle requires finding the correct path through a forest.
- Luck-Based Mission: The Bug-Catching Contest, as in Pokémon Gold and Silver. Unlike those games, however, you're required to participate in a contest, to get Vernon back to his gym.
- Optional Boss: You can fight Cynjo in the offices of Pokémon Gaia's development team after beating the Elite Four.
- Piñata Enemy: Nurse trainers often use Audino and Chansey/Blissey, which give a large amount of experience when defeated.
- Recurring Boss:
- You fight your rival several times throughout the game.
- During the game you get to fight each Elder Knight twice and you get to fight Morgana a total of four times.
- Songs in the Key of Lock: Aria's gym puzzle involves remembering a series of notes and playing them back by hitting the colored Chatot in the right order.
- Sore Loser:
- After beating Fernando, he refuses to give you his badge until you find him in Wisp Forest.
- Kara from the Elite Four defies this. Losing to you clearly bothers her, but she does her best to be graceful about it.
- Super Mode: Mega Evolution is in the game. Some boss fights use Mega Pokémon, including gym leaders and the Elite Four.
