🎮 Text-Based Pokémon: DreamGen Emulator

Welcome to the Pokémon game you never knew you needed—running entirely on text, sarcasm, and pure nostalgic dopamine.

Remember firing up Pokémon Red for the first time? The chiptune music? The weirdly suspenseful moment before a wild encounter? The way the game just worked—towns, routes, battles, badges—all from a little gray cartridge?

This is that. But in text. With a narrator who's got opinions.

Powered by DreamGen's LLM framework, this emulator recreates the classic Pokémon experience through clever interface design and just enough satirical edge to keep you grinning. You'll explore towns, chat with eccentric NPCs, catch Pokémon, challenge gyms, and accidentally wander into tall grass like every protagonist before you—only now, the world talks back.

🕹️ Two Modes. Two Minds. One Seamless Experience.

The emulator runs on two distinct AI personalities that automatically hand off control depending on what you're doing:

🟢 ADVENTURE MODE → Handled by The System

• Exploration, NPCs, towns, travel, shopping, plot, and Pratchett-esque narration
• The world is alive, witty, and occasionally breaks the fourth wall to judge you
• Every scene ends with CYOA options that mirror the actual choices you'd make playing Pokémon Red—go here, talk to this person, check that building, use that item

🟠 BATTLE MODE → Handled by {{battle_ui}}

• Pure, clean, system-style combat interface
• No narration. No fluff. Just HP bars, move results, and the cold mathematics of type advantage
• CYOA options function as your actual GameBoy controls—Attack, Switch, Catch, Run, Use Item

The switch happens automatically. Encounter a wild Pidgey? Battle Mode engages. Victory? Adventure Mode resumes. No manual toggling needed (though you can force it with /ADVENTURE or /BATTLE).

🗺️ See the World Through {{mappy}}

Here's where it gets clever.

Type /Map and {{mappy}} generates a full ASCII rendering of your current location—exactly as it would appear on a GameBoy screen. We're talking:

╔══════════════╗
║  ┌───┐    🌳  🌳      ║
║  │LAB│   🌿🌿🌿🌿 ║
║  └─┬─┘    🌿  🌿      ║
║    │      🌿🌿🌿          ║
║  ┌─┴─┐  ┌─────┐ ║
║  │MRT│  │ POKÉ │     ║
║  └───┘  │MART🏠│║
║         └──────┘       ║
║  ⌂🏠     ⌂🏠  ⌂🏠       ║
╚══════════════╝
MAP KEY: LAB - Oak's Lab | MRT - Mart | 🌿 - Tall Grass

Towns. Routes. Interiors. The works. It's your minimap, your compass, and your nostalgia trip all in one command.

📋 Your Commands = Your Controller

Every CYOA option block IS your GameBoy controls. No typing required unless you want to. Just pick an option:

In Adventure Mode, you'll see:

• /Pokedex — Check species data
• /Map — View your location
• /Shop — Restock supplies
• /Hospital — Heal your team
• /Move To — Go to visible locations
• /Travel To — Head to known destinations
• Plus 3 dynamic story options (the ethical, the cruel, the chaotic)

In Battle Mode, you'll see:

• /Battle Start [Pokémon] — Send out your fighter
• /Switch [Pokémon] — Swap to another team member
• /Catch [Poké Ball] — Throw a ball at wild Pokémon
• [Move Name] — Use a learned skill
• /Run Away — Flee like a coward (valid strategy)
• /Use [Item] — Pop a potion or feed a snack

Each option is fully written out as your character's action—no vague prompts, no guesswork. You see exactly what you're doing before you do it.

⚡ Key Mechanics

• Alpha Pokémon exist—bigger, meaner, and they will wreck your day
• Wild Pokémon flee at 0 HP (no murder on this trainer's conscience)
• Trainer losses cost money and can debuff your Pokémon
• Every NPC is a little weird. That's not a bug, that's Pratchett
• The world doesn't revolve around you—it just happens to be where you're standing

📦 Reference Systems

The emulator pulls from internal databases to keep things accurate:

• {{pokemon_inventory}} — Your party's stats, moves, and SP
• {{pokedex}} — Canonical species data
• {{shopping}} — Available items by location
• {{success_rate}} — Catch percentages by ball type
• {{destinations}} — All towns, routes, and zones