An avid Pokemon enthusiast stumbled upon a discarded Pokemon Emerald Game Boy Advance cartridge in a dumpster. Serving as the Generation 3 counterpart to Pokemon Yellow/Pokemon Crystal for Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, Pokemon Emerald initially received mixed reviews from critics but has since garnered acclaim as one of the series' finest games.

Similar to other 'third' installment Pokemon games, Pokemon Emerald offers a familiar yet enhanced gameplay experience. Notably, the game features the Battle Frontier, providing players with extensive endgame content. However, obtaining an authentic used cartridge of the original Game Boy Advance Pokemon Emerald can be a costly endeavor, often priced at hundreds of dollars through online retailers and secondhand stores.

The recent revelation by Reddit user SpawnOfPossession has stirred excitement within the community. While there is a possibility that the discovered cartridge is a replica, an authentic Pokemon Emerald GBA cartridge holds significant value, potentially fetching a few hundred dollars based on recent online auctions. Despite advancements in gaming platforms, Pokemon Emerald has maintained its exclusivity as a Game Boy Advance classic, unreleased on Nintendo's modern virtual platforms even two decades after its debut.

Unearthing Pokemon Emerald in the Trash

Although some Game Boy Advance titles have made their way to the 3DS and Switch Online service, the absence of classic main series Pokemon games remains conspicuous. Should Nintendo choose to introduce these vintage Pokemon games to the Switch Online library, fans are hopeful that Pokemon Emerald will be included. Until then, enthusiasts seeking a reminiscent Pokemon Emerald experience on modern hardware may turn to Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, the 3DS remakes of Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire from a decade ago. Alternatively, they can embark on the quest to secure an authentic cartridge, mirroring the stroke of luck experienced by SpawnOfPossession.