About PolishedDex

Hi! I'm Cammy and I built PolishedDex.

I'll be honest, this project started as me being lazy and maybe also not wanting to look up source code data in GitHub. I had been itching to make a new hobby site of some sort, wanting to get into prompt engineering so I could get ahead at work - and here we are.

I'm a developer as my day job and work almost strictly with TypeScript and React as a front-end developer. I have no real experience with assembly or ROM hacking beyond editing Emerald as a kid. In the last few months I have learned a lot about how to read assembly and how to parse it, but I am not an expert. The data extractor I work on has been rebuilt multiple times and will always require some tweaking as the game is updated.

Anyways, what is PolishedDex?

PolishedDex is a comprehensive database and companion website for Pokémon Polished Crystal, which is a popular ROM hack started by Rangi42 and managed and maintained by many additional developers as well! My personal mission is to provide players with accurate, detailed, and easy-to-navigate information about every aspect of the game.

A lot of this project has been built with the help of AI tools such as Copilot. I completely understand that that is controversial! Remember, that this resource is not a substitute for reading the *actual source code* and coming to your own conclusions. AI is not a substitute for original human creativity and thought and never will be! My email is always going to be open for feedback and discussion as well.

It goes without saying, you do not have support PolishedDex or use it! I totally get it. I am just trying to be as transparent about my use of AI. Regardless of how you feel about it, I urge you to join the community and talk to humans who have played the game. The Discord server is for the community around Polished Crystal and not related to PolishedDex.

Please do not send any bug reports to me about the game itself as I am not a developer for the game. The best way to submit bug reports is via the Discord or the Github repo. Before submitting any bug reports, please make sure you are using a supported emulator and that you have the latest version of the game.

Our Unique Features

I have worked hard on trying to set PolishedDex apart from other Pokemon databases and guide sites. Here are some of the features that I added to try and make it the best it can be:

• Faithful vs Updated/"Polished" types: Because of the way Polished Crystal is built, there are two versions of the game - faithful build and the updated/polished build. PolishedDex has data for both versions which you can toggle in the top left corner of the site.
• Direct Source Extraction: Because almost all of the data is extracted directly from the game, it is faster for me to make updates due to the automatic function that I can run! Other sites rely on having the data manually inputted, updated by volunteers or even just in a Google Sheet. This leads to out of date information or inaccuracies, which I try to avoid as much as possible and address ASAP.
• Comprehensive Coverage: PolishedDex covers items, Pokemon, moves, trainers, locations, guides, etc! I also am always updating so the coverage will only continue to grow.
• Strategic Guides: There are user contributed guides for game settings, mechanics, and battle strategies! I am always looking for more contributors to write guides as well, so if you are interested please reach out!
• Mobile-Friendly: Most of the traffic on this site comes from mobile devices, so I made sure to prioritize a responsive design that works well on phones!

How It Works

The function and extraction behind PolishedDex is a bit complex but here is a high level overview of how it works:

• Data Extraction: I parse assembly (.asm) files from the game source to extract Pokémon data, moves, items, trainers, and more. These files are all JSON and created with manifests files. This allows for the data to be updated in pieces rather than in one big file. Having this file makes it easier to track updates when the game is updated and allows for expansion in the future.
• Regular Updates: When I see that the game has been updated, I re-run the extraction, check the files that have been updated and then rebuild the site with the new data. The last update date is displayed at the bottom of each page!
• Quality Assurance: After each update I test the site and fix any issues that arise from the data changes. I also rely on community feedback to catch any issues that I may have missed! I am one person and I do make mistakes - so please reach out if/when you see any issues.
• Community Feedback: Again, I rely on community requests, feedback, and bug reports to help prioritize updates and new features. I am always going to be open to suggestions and feedback to make this site the best it can be - so please reach out!

Independent Fan Project

I want to be clear about what PolishedDex is and isn't. This is an independent fan project that I built to support the Pokémon Polished Crystal community. I have no official connection to anything - I'm just a fan who wanted a better way to look up game data.

To spell it out:

• Not affiliated with the Pokémon Polished Crystal development team
• Not endorsed by Nintendo, Game Freak, or The Pokémon Company
• Not associated with any official Pokémon products or services

All Pokémon-related trademarks, names, and imagery belong to their respective owners. I made this site for informational and educational purposes under fair use principles.

Technology Stack

For anyone curious about what's under the hood, here's what I used to build PolishedDex:

• Next.js: My go-to React framework for building fast, SEO-friendly sites - I use this for work!
• TypeScript: Keeps my code from breaking in weird ways - I use this for work too!
• Tailwind CSS v4: Makes styling way less painful
• Radix UI: Handles accessibility because that is more important than people know
• Vercel: Where the site is hosted - fast and easy to deploy!

Contact & Feedback

I genuinely want to hear from you. Whether you've found something wrong, have an idea for a feature, or just want to say hi - my inbox is open. Specifically, reach out if you've:

• Found incorrect or outdated information
• Run into a bug or something that looks broken
• Have suggestions for new features or improvements
• Need to report a copyright concern

You can email me at polisheddex@gmail.com or use the form below.

Accuracy & Updates

I pull data directly from the Polished Crystal source files and update the site when new versions drop. That said, I want to be upfront about limitations:

• My parser isn't perfect - sometimes data slips through wrong or gets formatted weird
• There's usually a gap between when the game updates and when I can update the site - I go as fast as I can but it's not instantaneous as I rely on public channels to know when updates happen
• I can't be held responsible if you rely on this info and something goes wrong
• When in doubt, check the actual source code or ask the community directly

You can see when the site was last updated at the bottom of each page. If you spot something that looks off, please let me know!