State of the Game #8

A fan-made Pokémon game focused on open-world exploration and experimentation, built with Pokémon Essentials and PSDK.

Game Development: Climbing the Narrative Ladder

Just wanted to share some thoughts from the story development side of Pokémon TestFlight. While the game isn’t super narrative-driven, I do have a general structure in mind—and it’s starting to take shape.

Before diving into the finer details, here’s a rough outline of the current story concept:

The Story So Far...

Pokémon TestFlight is a fangame created by Emerald_Void using Pokémon Essentials and PSDK.
Your dream Pokémon journey is about to begin! Armed with running shoes, some pocket money (thanks, Mom!), and plenty of ambition, you’re ready to explore a new world.
After receiving your first Pokémon from the esteemed Professor [NAME], you’re introduced to a bold new challenge: Battle Tower—a massive skyscraper on the mysterious Battle Island.
Built by the powerful Pokételion Group, Battle Tower replaces the traditional Gym circuit. Instead of traveling across towns, trainers climb floor by floor, taking on eight Gym Leaders, the Elite Four, and finally the Champion—under one roof.
Invited to the island by Pokételion’s enigmatic CEO, Thorn, the professor sees your potential and offers you a place on the journey.
Your mission is clear: conquer the tower, rise through the ranks, and discover what secrets lie at the top.
Adventure, mystery, and intense battles await—are you ready to climb?
⚠️ Names like Battle Tower, Professor [NAME], and Thorn are placeholders and may change as development progresses.

Intro Cutscene

No Pokémon game is complete without a classic intro speech from a professor. TestFlight sticks to tradition, though the message is tweaked to suit its structure.

The setup is simple: You’ve been invited by Executive Thorn to challenge the Battle Tower. No traveling between towns—just an intense ascent, floor by floor.

Character Creation

After the intro, you’ll select your appearance and name—standard stuff, but still a key part of your journey.

Choosing Your Starter

As always, the first big choice: your starter Pokémon.

TestFlight features three brand-new Fakémon starters—Grass, Fire, and Water. You’ll pick one to begin with, and the remaining two will be obtainable later, likely through in-game events or NPCs. I also plan to include mainline starters (Gen 1–9) as obtainable, though that’s still in the works.

Arrival at Battle Island

Once you arrive on the island, a brief cutscene plays—and then the world opens up. From here, it’s all up to you: Battle trainers, explore maps, or head straight to the first Gym Leader. The main "story" from this point on is simple: Beat the eight Gym Leaders, defeat the Elite Four, challenge Thorn, and become the Champion.

That’s it for now! More updates coming soon as development continues. Thanks for following along!