coolest pokemon games that you can play the bad guy.
back in 2020, a creator named colonelsalt dropped a rom hack pokemon game called pokemon team rocket. built on firered software, instead of being the hero, you started as a low-level team rocket grunt with nothing but a rattata.
your entire job was to lie, cheat, and literally steal pokemon from trainers across kanto. but the game actually has a much deeper storyline than you’d expect. the whole story runs parallel to the original firered timeline while red is out becoming the strongest trainer. you get to see everything he didn’t, shady gym leaders, corrupt police officers, scientists doing messed up experiments, and a much darker side of kanto.
the game gives you a full rank system inside team rocket. you start at the very bottom, only allowed to steal from kids and old people. every successful mission pushes you higher up the ladder until you reach executive status and begin stealing rare and powerful pokemon from the same gym leaders that red fights.
the entire kanto region is hiding a massive conspiracy involving giovanni, lance, and even professor oak himself. as you complete missions you slowly uncover dark secrets about the great pokemon war, the true origins and creation of mewtwo, professor oak’s hidden lab, and why red was really “chosen” in the first place.
one of the best and most ambitious pokemon rom hacks ever made.