Pokémon False Red is a real ROM Hack where the dialogue is changed and there is constant falling snow, whenever the player is outside, although, according to TV Tropes, it might be volcanic ash. The characters note the player's resemblance to Red from Gen 1 and start to pick on him/her while also mourning Red's loss.
Details[]
A lot of minor NPCs often, rather than pick on the player, just mourn the loss of Red. Some NPCs are actually normal, like most of those on S.S.Anne, on some routes, and nearly all the NPCs in Rock Tunnel. Some NPCs still insult the player though. The trainers on Victory Road parrot "You're not him." and the guards in the area before Victory Road always say "...You can pass, but I wish you wouldn't." The Elite Four suggest that they're in an alternate universe. Those in the Pokémon League tell the player to quit.
Most gym leaders insult the player, but Lt Surge, after being defeated ends up respecting the player, while Bill is the complete opposite, being kind to the player until they get back from Sevii Islands, when he insults Fire. Blaine behaves in a similar way, acting nice around the player but he has a mean personality quiz. The Nurse Joy at the Pokémon Centre always says "Please don't come back," but if you have a Black Out, she encourages you and tells you to come back again at any time.
Then there's Gary, who absolutely hates Fire/Leaf for "replacing" Red and vows to defeat him/her or stop him/her, yet when you battle him in the Elite Four, he finally realises that it's Fire's story and it's just a game. After you defeat him, Oak arrives and they break the 4th Wall. On the S.S.Anne, once you beat him, he stays silent for a few lines and then says "Oh god. What have you done?" implying the theory that Fire killed Gary's Raticate, a popular theory to explain the absence of that said Raticate. Giovanni hardly puts up a fight, knowing it's the way the game goes and that he's destined to lose.
The mother also mourns for Red and has to deal with her son's disappearance. Professor Oak seems to treat Fire with decency but when you check his PC, it reads "I'm sorry, we couldn't find him," a letter probably for the mother.
Nearly all the signs say "Come home." This also happens if you encounter one of the legendary birds, Articuno, Zapdos or Moltres. They, instead of saying "Gyaoo," say "Come home" before you battle them, just like the signs. Every time you check a TV, it will often say something about a boy standing on a mountain.
Stolen Silver[]
There is a rumour about similar game called "Stolen Silver," which is supposedly a hacked SoulSilver cartridge. Not much is known about it but it's about how the very first female protagonist, Kris, is literally thrown out of the window and replaced by Lyra, who is only similar to Kris by her hairstyle. The colours are washed out but the game seems normal. That is, until you go downstairs and meet your mother, who has a question mark appear over her head before she runs to you and starts disowning you saying “Who are you? You’re not my daughter. Why are you here?” along with a few more lines of dialogue. If you interact with the rival outside of the Elm Pokémon Lab, he says “… This was the last place I saw her…” before turning to your character and shouting, in capital letters, "YOU STOLE HER LIFE!" before he shoves you away.
Trivia[]
- There are signs that don't read "Come home." These are town or place names and Trainer Tips
- The title screen still says "Fire Red," even though the real name of the ROM is "False Red." Furthermore, gameshark codes from Fire Red are just as effective in the ROM Hack, albeit with a few minor glitches.
- You can still choose a female character, but people will still compare you to Red, who's a boy. For this reason, it's considered more "heartbreaking" if the boy character is chosen.
- Also, you can still nickname your character, although the best fitting names would have to be Fire or Red.
- When you encounter Gary before you actually go to the Pokémon League, he acts normal, instead of shunning Fire.
- Once you defeat Gary on S.S.Anne, he will say "Oh god, what have you done?" implying the Dead Raticate Theory.
- The TV screens that have been implied to show a boy standing on a mountain may be implying Red standing on top of Mount Silver.
- After you defeat the Elite Four and complete the game, is it rumoured that the game is supposed to delete your save file, according to TV Tropes.
- There is a download link for False Red, which can be found here, even though there is no known download link for Stolen Silver.
- Pokémon False Red can be considered a creepypasta, and is often considered as one, even though it didn't start out as one due to the lack of "stories" about it (e.g. A person buying a Fire Red cartridge and finding out that it's hacked) and is more sad and disturbing than scary. However, there is a story on Pokémon Stolen Silver, which can be found here, along with more details about the explanation and meanings for both ROM Hacks.