I've been a fan of Pokemon since its inception, and I still enjoy the videos games a lot. The only thing is that the mainline series and other releases in recent years seem to be lacking compared to the older generations. Game Freak tends to take one step forward and two steps backward when they release a Pokemon game. These were already easy to play RPGs, but now they are just streamlined completely.

Nonetheless, the remedy for fans that want a decent and balanced RPG out of Pokemon in 2025 is Romhacks (and also fan games)! I won't go into too much depth on these romhacks, as this is more to catalog or promote some of the romhacks I've been enjoying. I may or may not go extensively into reviewing specific romhacks in the future though.

Here are some of the Romhacks that have kept me satisfied as a Pokemon fan:

Pokemon Crystal Legacy - https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/8134/

Pokemon Crystal is probably my favorite Pokemon title, and it just celebrated its 25th anniversary (released JP 14. December 2000). This romhack is faithful to the original Pokemon Crystal, with QoL updates (running shoes, for one), single-player-ified (trade mons have alternatives for evolution), and also overall balancing to make the experience more of a challenge (Kanto region trainers got tremendously boosted!).

Overall, I really enjoyed this romhack. This is definitely the way to play Pokemon Crystal in 2025.

Pokemon Crystal Clear - https://shockslayer.com/crystal-clear/

This is Pokemon Crystal if it was open-world/zone. You can choose from many different starters (I believe even import your own if you prefer), pick your region and town to start in, and also customize your avatar (you can even import your own). There is a lot of addition content, and this is regularly updated. It has QoL and the typical updates that allow for you to complete the dex without the need to trade with another gameboy.

If you love Pokemon Crystal, but want something different and new, then this is the one to play.

Pokemon Run&Bun (emerald hack) - https://www.pokecommunity.com/threads/pok%C3%A9mon-run-bun-v1-07.493223/

I play v1.07, and I believe this is regularly updated on their discord server. I don't care to update just yet because I'm still in the middle of a playthrough. This is basically Pokemon Emerald difficulty hack with Pokemon up to Gen VIII obtainable. (and of course, there is QoL) Every route is revamped with different mons to catch. Basically the point of this title is that you are "just another trainer" and each battle will present challenges. There is definitely a need to balance between grinding and strategizing. Later in the game, grinding alone will barely be enough, if at all.

If you like Pokemon META and want to play a title that gives you a fair challenge, then I recommend this one.

BONUS - Poke Wilds - https://www.pokewilds.com/

Not a romhack, but a fan game! A game I play on my steam deck once and awhile is PokeWilds. It is basically minecraft meets pokemon. Generation II style/graphics.

For the creative/survival gamer that also likes RPGs.