A guide to trading DS Pokémon with the DELTA emulator through MelonDS

*Quick Disclaimer: I am no tech-savvy person, I simply have been pondering for the last year how to do this, and I finally worked it out with this new internet feature that Delta has released. Although the internet feature just didn’t work for me, so this is how I powered through it. 

(I've yet to try GBA pkm as i haven't had the incentive to. I might post one later for funsies since I am currently playing pkm yellow tho)

>>>This is for people who want to take the extra step to see a trade in action, but please refer to other discussions if you want to try cheats, rom hacks, and various, much likelier, easier methods to trading/finishing pokedexes and such.

I’ve only tested this on Pokémon BW (Gen 5)

Unfortunately, melonDs (ver 1.0 RC) is required for this to happen. This calls for a PC or MacBook (I have a MacBook, so I can have pointers on how to work melonDS on MacBook, Such as the option tabs being at the top of the desktop instead of being the top of the program window.)

1. Go to the Delta app (On your phone)

2. Hold on to the particular Pokémon game till you get the settings.

3.  Manage save files

4. Export the save file (The format of the file shouldn’t matter as Melonds 1.0 should be able to run .dsv and will likely not need to convert it.)

5. Upload to files on your phone or another storage app of your choice

6. Transfer the file to your PC

7. This can be done by email

8. Uploading to Google Drive via the mobile app

9. I’m sure other ways to approach this as well

10. You will also need a copy of the game's ROM for your pc (This can just exist in your downloads as a zip file)

11. This can be easily found in the files that you downloaded the version for your Delta app on your mobile device’s files, or you can get another similar ROM. 

8.  Skip this if you are familiar with Melon DS if not, continue

1. Launch MelonDs

2. File->Open Rom(Or drag the rom into the window)

3. File->Import Savefile

   1. This is your delta file that you uploaded in step 4

4. A message -> “The emulation will be reset and the current savefile overwritten”

   1. Say “ok” to this

5. To configure your keybinds

   1. Config->Input and Hotkeys
   2. This should give a hotkeys layout for the DS
      1. Feel free to ask me how I did my keybinds (They’re not sophisticated)

6. Once your save is set up on MelonDS, find the pokemon wireless club union room

(I used this video to help me through this process, so there is a visual component to all of this! Thank you so much, Voltzo and many others, for showcasing this.)

1. This can vary from game to game so this should be the connection service for local interactions. YOU WILL NOT NEED A FRIEND CODE FOR THIS.

2. Once you’re transported to this local lobby —--> Go to back the MelonDs tabs -> System -> Multiplayer -> Launch New instances

   1. If you need a visual of this go to 0:35 in the video
   2. MAKE SURE to to fix the input and hotkeys for this second window as the windows work separately. (You can bind different keys on the keyboard)
      1. You have to click on the different windows to access each game one at a time, and they will only respond to their given keybinds.

3. This will open a new window to run a second game

   1. (Repeat steps 8-9) so that both players can begin a trade.
   2. The second player can be a duplicate of your own save file (essential trading with yourself) OR you can upload the sister game with its own save file to do this.

4. Finish the trade according to the game

5. The trading format can vary game to game so I can only give a viable experience with BW’s trading system.

6. Once the trade is done, Save in game. 

7. File -> Save State -> 1

8. Look into your downloads folder

9. You will see 2 files appear/created

   1. .ml1
   2. .ml1.sav

10. YOU ONLY NEED THE .sav file

11. You can export this file from your PC back into your mobile device via the methods you considered for step 6.

12. Open your delta app

13. Make sure to save your previous state just in case if there is a case of corruption or a mistake in the files (Just to save you some unnecessary headache unlike me)

14. Run through steps 1-3 and import files

15. Import the .ml1.sav file.

16. Load up the save file and start playing! :)

General advice from me about this process:

1. Closing one MelonDs window, WILL CRASH both windows!
   1. Make sure to see both files mentioned in step 13 before trying to close either windows.
2. Name your files, and you’ll easily lose files in the clutter ;-;

Please don’t roast me for taking all these extra steps, I just wanted to help my little brother get a Gigalith and me a Conkeldurr without cheats. But feel free to give me some feedback on how to improve this lengthy guide from Delta to MelonDs back to Delta. Lastly, I’ll try to answer any questions that I can get to if y’all have any.