Overworld Weather - Rangi42/polishedcrystal GitHub Wiki

Overworld Weather in Polished Crystal

In Polished Crystal, certain areas will have dynamic overworld weather—rain, thunderstorms, snow, or sandstorms—based on story flags, day-of-week checks, or permanent map settings. While vanilla Pokémon Crystal only darkened the screen at night, Polished Crystal creates a more immersive experience with these weather visuals and sound effects. In battles, each overworld weather corresponds to its standard Pokémon battle weather (Rain, Hail, or Sandstorm).

Rain & Thunderstorm (Overcast Areas)

Polished Crystal designates some areas as “overcast,” meaning they can have rain or a thunderstorm instead of clear weather.

Where & When Overcast Occurs:

  • Azalea Town & Route 33

    • Overcast (rain/thunder) on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays after defeating Team Rocket in Slowpoke Well.
    • Before the Slowpokes return, the weather is clear.

  • Lake of Rage & Route 43

    • Always overcast before defeating Team Rocket in the Mahogany Hideout (i.e., before the civilians return).
    • Afterward, overcast only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; clear otherwise.

  • Stormy Beach

    • Permanently overcast year-round, with no day/event conditions.

  • Goldenrod City & Nearby Routes

    • Overcast only during the Team Rocket takeover event in Goldenrod.
    • Reverts to clear once the takeover is resolved.

How Rain vs. Thunderstorm Is Chosen:

  • When you enter or re-enter an overcast map, the game randomly decides whether it’s normal rain or a thunderstorm.
  • There is roughly a 25% chance for a thunderstorm (with lightning) instead of normal rain.
  • The weather stays the same while you remain on that map. Re-entering the map can cause it to recalculate, potentially switching from rain to thunder or vice versa.

Overworld Effects:

  • Rain: Falling raindrop sprites and raindrop splashes on the ground.
  • Thunderstorm: Heavier rain plus occasional lightning flashes and thunder sounds.
    • During a thunderstorm, each game frame has about a 0.5% chance to trigger a lightning flash and thunder crash.

Battle Weather Correspondence:

  • Overcast (rain or thunderstorm) in the overworld translates to Rain at the start of battle.

Snow

Primary Location:

  • Snowtop Mountain (Outside & Inside)
    • Always snowing in these maps; no special requirements or day-of-week checks.

Overworld Effects:

  • Gentle snowflake sprites drifting downward across the screen.

Battle Weather Correspondence:

  • Overworld snow translates to Hail at the start of battle.

Sandstorm

Primary Location:

  • Rugged Road (North & South)
    • A desert-like area with a permanent sandstorm.

Overworld Effects:

  • Blowing sand/sandgrain sprites across the screen.

Battle Weather Correspondence:

  • Overworld sandstorm translates to Sandstorm at the start of battle.

Additional Notes