Pokémon Ash's Quest is one of those fan-made GBA hacks that actually feels like a proper adventure—way more than just a reskin. You start off in Pallet Town (classic), but things quickly take a turn when Team Rocket shows up way earlier than usual, and Ash actually has to scramble to pick his first Pokémon. I went with Charmander, obviously, but Pikachu’s an option too if you’re feeling nostalgic.

The overworld’s got this slightly tweaked Kanto layout—familiar enough to navigate, but with enough new routes and hidden areas to keep you poking around. And the battles? They’re tougher than the original games, so don’t expect to breeze through with just your starter. You’ll actually need to grind a bit, which I didn’t mind since the wild Pokémon variety is solid.

It’s not perfect—some of the dialogue’s a little rough, and the sprites are clearly Frankensteined from other ROM hacks—but if you’ve burned through FireRed one too many times, this is a fun way to mix it up. Just don’t forget to save before the first gym leader.