Pokémon SAlt Crystal
Everything that changed in the overworld.
World Exploration
- Added a time skip mechanism at Pokémon Centers to skip from night to morning, morning to day and day to night.
- Field moves (e.g. Cut, Surf, Strength) are available by species, regardless of the battle moves each individual Pokémon knows.
- The availability of field moves is not necessarily tied to the Pokémon being able to use the move in combat (e.g. Pidgey can use Fly as an attacking move, but is too small to carry a person for quick travel).
- Locations where HMs were previously obtainable now have different items.
- A Professor Oak's aide at Cherrygrove City's Pokémon Center will offer Kanto starters for trade.
Trainers
- Most trainers have had their party rosters updated.
- Ace Trainers, Gym Leaders, Gym Trainers, Rocket Executives and the Rival have considerably stronger and more balanced teams.
- Gym leaders reward trainers with thematic HMs.
- Gym trainers in Johto will turn into Move Tutors after beating them. They will teach their special move in exchange for an item.
Wild Pokémon
- Updated the wild encounter tables of Johto and Kanto maps for grass, tree, fishing and surfing encounters.
- Wild encounters have a wider range of levels for the available Pokémon, spanning 12 levels and with higher levels being more uncommon. Example: in Route 29 you can find Pidgey from level 2 up to level 14.
- Wild encounters have a wider variety of Pokémon, based on the geography of the current map and biology of the Pokémon. Example: Route 45, also known as the Mountain Road, features Pokémon that live in mountains, such as Cubone, Larvitar, Skarmory, Machop and Fearow.
- Most areas feature a rare wild species (2% encounter rate).
- Wild encounters change throughout the different phases of the day (Morning, Day and Night encounters are often different).
- Starter Pokémon and other previously unobtainable Pokémon can be found in the wilds.
New and Updated Maps
- Helix Fossil, Dome Fossil and Old Amber were added to the game, at the Ruins of Alph, including a mechanism to revive them.
- Added a volcanic cave deep under Mount Mortar.
- Added a map for the Viridian Forest featuring a few daily exploration events.