Pokemon Mercury (Azoth)
Game description
Pokemon Mercury, also known as Azoth, rebuilds a Johto adventure on Pokemon FireRed for the Game Boy Advance. It uses the Complete FireRed Upgrade engine, with expanded systems and new story material inspired by Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold and SoulSilver. Azoth is also used by the original project; the two names do not identify unrelated games.
Side stories give towns and routes more to do between major battles. Multi-stage requests involve dialogue, locations and rewards. Some tasks unlock services or depend on the time of day, giving you reasons to revisit areas and speak to their residents again.
English beta-29, released on 30 October 2026, is a separate fan translation of Chinese 1.3.3. It covers extensive game text but remains a beta release: translation polish, graphical text and known progression issues still need work.
Storyline
The story looks back 150 years to Ecruteak's tower fire and the uneasy relationship between people and legendary Pokemon. It asks what was forgotten about that night and the people who tried to protect one another.
Your present-day route begins around New Bark Town and Cherrygrove and follows Johto's Gym journey. Early scenes involve Pichu, Lyra, Yellow and Dawn, while Team Rocket and the region's legends become part of the conflict.
First Chapter covers the Johto arc. Material beyond it is limited; the inherited Kanto and Sevii maps do not amount to a completed second campaign.
Features
- Quest tracking: multi-stage requests cover exploration, character stories and useful services. Consult the quest overview for progress instead of relying only on memory of NPC dialogue.
- Visible encounters and quick battles: defeat visible wild Pokemon outside the battle screen when your Pokemon exceeds their level by the required margin.
- Virtual time: an adjustable in-game clock and a pass-time option help reach time-dependent events without changing your device's system clock.
- Training controls: choose EV feathers instead of direct effort values. Updates also refine stat adjustment using vitamins and feathers.
- Help and achievements: in-game help explains unlocked systems, and achievements record progress.
- Modern battle foundations: CFRU powers the expanded FireRed battle system, with later-generation Pokemon and Mega Evolution content. Not everything is obtainable during the first campaign.
- English interface work: beta-29 translates additional Pokedex graphics, battle status labels and menu text. Some Pokedex screens and inherited Chinese names still need translation polish.
- Translation-added Spectrum Frontier: beta-25 and later English builds include this separate fan-made facility. It is not part of Chinese 1.3.3. Testing has been scripted rather than based on extensive human playthroughs.
Gameplay screenshots
Additional notes
Versions and language
English beta-29 is based on Chinese 1.3.3. The original adventure covers First Chapter; the English translation remains in beta.
Emulator and saves
The English project recommends mGBA. Beta-29 supports ordinary .sav files from earlier English betas, but not emulator save states. Back up your in-game save before changing versions. Support for individual phone emulators and cartridges is unconfirmed.
Translation and known issues
Text and graphical polish remain in progress. Some Pokedex areas still need checking, and gifts or existing saves can retain Chinese names. Unresolved progression issues include reports involving the Cianwood puzzle; not every player encounters the same problems.
Other editions
River Edition is a separate fan continuation. The original project's Battle Tower special edition uses pokeemerald-expansion and focuses on its battle facilities. Neither is the FireRed-based game and English beta covered here.
Project documentation
Download options
Frequently asked questions
Are Mercury and Azoth the same game?
Yes. Mercury and Azoth refer to the same Chinese FireRed-based Johto hack and its English translation. River Edition and the separate Battle Tower build are different editions.
Is Mercury fully translated and complete?
No. English beta-29 remains in beta, with text and progression issues still to resolve. The original adventure covers First Chapter in Johto; the inherited Kanto maps do not make it a finished multi-region campaign.
Is Spectrum Frontier part of the original Mercury release?
No. The English project added Spectrum Frontier in beta-25. This fan-made addition has its own testing and balance limitations and is separate from the original Chinese release.
Can an earlier English beta save be used with beta-29?
Yes. Beta-29 supports ordinary in-game .sav files from earlier English betas. Keep a backup and load through the game's normal continue option rather than an emulator save state.
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