Both leave the official regions behind, but they make different promises. Gaia is a traditional FireRed-based journey through Orbtus that ends at the League; Lazarus is an Emerald-based Ilios adventure with nine starters and a larger optional-activity layer.
Choose by campaign shape and play style. Both entries are derived from the source-checked canonical catalog.
Players who value a believable new region, classic pacing, exploration and a story that reaches a satisfying League conclusion.
Players who want a genuinely new region and story, a large roster and plenty of optional activities without moving away from classic GBA controls.
Unknown mechanics stay “Not yet verified” instead of being inferred from another game or community copy.
| Game | Base and region | Campaign state | Starters | Pokémon scope | EXP Share | HM system | Fakemon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pokémon Gaiav3.2 · checked 2026-09-07 | Pokémon FireRed (English v1.0)Orbtus | Main story complete · no postgameAll eight Gyms, the main story, Elite Four and Champion are playable through the credits. Version 3.2 has no postgame. | Turtwig, Chimchar, Piplup | Generations 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6Pokémon from Generations 1–6 appear, but not every one of the 721 coded species is fully functional or catchable. | Classic | Classic | No Fakemon |
| Pokémon Lazarusv2.0 · checked 2026-09-07 | Pokémon Emerald (English; matching clean base required)Ilios | CompleteComplete main-story release. Version 2.0 is the current creator-owned package identified by this check. | Rowlet, Litten, Popplio, Chespin, Fennekin, Froakie, Sprigatito, Fuecoco, Quaxly | Generations 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9The developer package advertises more than 400 obtainable Pokémon; use the included encounter PDF for the exact version 2.0 locations. | Configurable | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
Gaia uses a developer-hosted UPS patch for FireRed; Lazarus uses the creator's BPS package for Emerald. Follow each bundled README and use your own legally obtained matching base game. Pocket Radar does not host ROMs, prepatched games or mirrors.