diff --git a/assets/fonts/plainpixel/PlainPixel-Regular.ttf b/assets/fonts/plainpixel/PlainPixel-Regular.ttf
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..873fe5f5
Binary files /dev/null and b/assets/fonts/plainpixel/PlainPixel-Regular.ttf differ
diff --git a/assets/fonts/plainpixel/README.md b/assets/fonts/plainpixel/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..22509351
--- /dev/null
+++ b/assets/fonts/plainpixel/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# Plain Pixel font
+
+"Plain Pixel Font" by Douglas Vautour (Burpy Fresh) is licensed under
+CC-BY 4.0: https://burpyfresh.itch.io
+
+Version 0.009 (CJK character additions), unmodified. Characters for most
+languages have a 5x11 base but can extend vertically; double-width
+characters such as Hiragana and Katakana are 11x11.
+
+Bundled so a translation mod can opt into TTF text rendering
+(`mod.content.font:register("ttf", {})`; see the Translation support
+section of docs/new-features.md) instead of drawing hundreds of glyph-page
+tiles. The tile font extracted from the player's ROM stays the default.
diff --git a/docs/launcher.md b/docs/launcher.md
index dde41189..065d40d0 100644
--- a/docs/launcher.md
+++ b/docs/launcher.md
@@ -153,6 +153,17 @@ before `Game:load`, so **it never loads a mod's entry chunk**; only
 - `LauncherMods.uninstall(id)` removes `mods/<id>/` and clears
   `options.mods[id]` so a later reinstall starts from the loader's default
   (enabled). The mods panel Delete control calls this and re-derives the list.
+- A mod that declares `github` shows its total GitHub downloads (every
+  release's summed asset `download_count`, from the same cached release
+  fetch the update check uses) as a highlighted body line like "12,345
+  downloads across all releases - Released 2024-05-31 - Updated 2026-07-01"
+  (first and latest `published_at`). Old cache entries written before the
+  counts existed show no line rather than a wrong zero; a manual check
+  refreshes them.
+- The MODS panel sorts its rows by Name, Popularity (downloads),
+  Release date (first release), or Last updated, chosen by chips under the
+  header and persisted in `options.modSort`. Mods without release data
+  (no `github` field, or a stale cache) sink to the bottom of data sorts.
 
 ## Import / Export save
 
diff --git a/docs/new-features.md b/docs/new-features.md
index c3e6d30f..c3c901e3 100644
--- a/docs/new-features.md
+++ b/docs/new-features.md
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 # New features (deliberate additions beyond the original)
 
-Intentional enhancements this port adds on top of faithful Pokémon Red
-behavior. They have no Game Boy equivalent and are kept by design.
+Intentional enhancements this port adds on top of faithful Pokémon Red, Blue,
+and Yellow behavior. They have no Game Boy equivalent and are kept by design.
 Genuine divergences from the original (things still missing, wrong, or
-approximated) live in docs/known-differences.md; faithfully-ported
-behavior is in docs/behavior-porting-notes.md.
+approximated) live in docs/known-differences.md; faithfully-ported behavior is
+in docs/behavior-porting-notes.md.
 
 ## Survey zoom
 
@@ -376,6 +376,19 @@ plus a glyph-page and charmap stub, a naming-grid stub, and a
 be packed). `--refresh` re-harvests after an engine update, keeping
 existing translations and parking orphaned keys rather than dropping them.
 
+A translation can also skip glyph pages entirely: scaffolding with
+`--pixel-font` (or registering `mod.content.font:register("ttf", {})` in
+an existing mod) renders text through a bundled TTF covering Latin with
+diacritics, Cyrillic, kana and CJK, while box borders and `<PK>`-style
+macro glyphs keep their tiles. The font is "Plain Pixel Font" by Douglas
+Vautour (Burpy Fresh), licensed under CC-BY 4.0 (5x11 base characters,
+11x11 double-width; see `assets/fonts/plainpixel/README.md`). Options on
+the registry entry: `file` for a mod-shipped TTF, `size` (the font's
+design em; Plain Pixel rasterizes cleanly only at multiples of 15),
+`spacing` added to every advance, `yOffset` for vertical alignment
+against the 8px cell grid, and `bold`, which double-prints at a 1px
+offset for fonts whose strokes read too light.
+
 See the wiki's Translations guide.
 
 ## Save editor (bundled, reachable from the launcher)
diff --git a/docs/required-to-function.md b/docs/required-to-function.md
index b6b6ea2a..bc681949 100644
--- a/docs/required-to-function.md
+++ b/docs/required-to-function.md
@@ -1,12 +1,11 @@
 # What This Port Requires
 
 The packaged desktop app requires one user-supplied input on first boot: a
-canonical 1 MiB US Pokemon Red ROM.
+canonical 1 MiB US Pokemon Red, Blue, or Yellow ROM.
 
-The importer verifies SHA-1
-`ea9bcae617fdf159b045185467ae58b2e4a48b9a`. Other revisions, Virtual
-Console releases, and Pokemon Blue are rejected rather than decoded with
-incorrect addresses.
+The importer verifies the SHA-1 for the game (see `src/core/GameVersion.lua`
+for specific hashes). Other revisions and Virtual Console releases are rejected
+rather than decoded with incorrect addresses.
 
 After verification, the app generates its private cache in the LÖVE save
 directory. It does not keep a copy of the ROM. Later boots use the cache.
@@ -15,9 +14,11 @@ Python and Pillow are not required by the packaged app.
 ## Bundled Metadata
 
 Assembly removes high-level names and some relationships that the Lua port
-needs. `tools/rom_manifest.json` therefore contains:
+needs. The version-specific files `tools/rom_manifest.json`,
+`tools/rom_manifest_blue.json`, and `tools/rom_manifest_yellow.json` therefore
+contain:
 
-- the 3,268 ROM symbol addresses actually read by the extractor
+- the ROM symbol addresses actually read by the extractor
 - symbolic IDs and ordering for maps, species, moves, items, and trainers
 - source-erased dimensions, image names, and map object integration names
 - hand-ported field/script integration tables
diff --git a/libs/flexlove/FlexLove.lua b/libs/flexlove/FlexLove.lua
index 2f72f720..eaf749af 100644
--- a/libs/flexlove/FlexLove.lua
+++ b/libs/flexlove/FlexLove.lua
@@ -230,7 +230,9 @@ function flexlove.init(config)
   -- Initialize Performance if available
   if Performance then
     flexlove._Performance = Performance.init({
-      enabled = config.performanceMonitoring or true,
+      -- ~= false (not `or true`): `performanceMonitoring = false` must
+      -- actually disable the per-frame timers + memory sampling.
+      enabled = config.performanceMonitoring ~= false,
       hudEnabled = false, -- Start with HUD disabled
       hudToggleKey = config.performanceHudKey or "f3",
       hudPosition = config.performanceHudPosition or { x = 10, y = 10 },
diff --git a/libs/flexlove/modules/Element.lua b/libs/flexlove/modules/Element.lua
index 5a2da8db..bdf47c63 100644
--- a/libs/flexlove/modules/Element.lua
+++ b/libs/flexlove/modules/Element.lua
@@ -2709,6 +2709,7 @@ function Element:_drawChildren(backdropCanvas)
 
     -- Set up clipping: rounded-corners (stencil) > overflow (scissor) > none
     local clipMode = "none"
+    local prevSx, prevSy, prevSw, prevSh
     if hasRoundedCorners then
       local roundedBoxWidth = self._borderBoxWidth or (self.width + self.padding.left + self.padding.right)
       local roundedBoxHeight = self._borderBoxHeight or (self.height + self.padding.top + self.padding.bottom)
@@ -2721,7 +2722,18 @@ function Element:_drawChildren(backdropCanvas)
       love.graphics.setStencilTest("greater", 0)
       clipMode = "stencil"
     elseif needsOverflowClipping then
-      love.graphics.setScissor(self.x + self.padding.left, self.y + self.padding.top, self.width, self.height)
+      -- Intersect with (and later restore) any ancestor scissor: replacing
+      -- it let a nested scroller widen its parent's clip, and the bare
+      -- setScissor() restore then cleared it entirely - scrolled page
+      -- content drew straight over the pinned header.
+      -- transformPoint: scissor rects live in window coordinates and ignore
+      -- the scroll translate an ancestor scroller has pushed, so a nested
+      -- scroller's clip sat at its untranslated layout position and cut its
+      -- own rows away once the page scrolled.
+      prevSx, prevSy, prevSw, prevSh = love.graphics.getScissor()
+      local scx, scy = love.graphics.transformPoint(
+        self.x + self.padding.left, self.y + self.padding.top)
+      love.graphics.intersectScissor(scx, scy, self.width, self.height)
       clipMode = "scissor"
     end
 
@@ -2745,7 +2757,11 @@ function Element:_drawChildren(backdropCanvas)
     if clipMode == "stencil" then
       love.graphics.setStencilTest()
     elseif clipMode == "scissor" then
-      love.graphics.setScissor()
+      if prevSx then
+        love.graphics.setScissor(prevSx, prevSy, prevSw, prevSh)
+      else
+        love.graphics.setScissor()
+      end
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/libs/flexlove/modules/ScrollManager.lua b/libs/flexlove/modules/ScrollManager.lua
index a23d4d19..3a616ee3 100644
--- a/libs/flexlove/modules/ScrollManager.lua
+++ b/libs/flexlove/modules/ScrollManager.lua
@@ -112,7 +112,8 @@ function ScrollManager.new(config, deps)
   self.touchScrollEnabled = config.touchScrollEnabled ~= false -- Default true
   self.momentumScrollEnabled = config.momentumScrollEnabled ~= false -- Default true
   self.bounceEnabled = config.bounceEnabled ~= false -- Default true
-  self.scrollFriction = config.scrollFriction or 0.95 -- Exponential decay per frame
+  self.scrollFriction = config.scrollFriction or 0.95 -- legacy per-frame decay; superseded by _momentumDecel
+  self._momentumDecel = config.momentumDecel or 2.0 -- fling decay rate (1/s), dt-based; ~iOS "normal"
   self.bounceStiffness = config.bounceStiffness or 0.2 -- Spring constant
   self.maxOverscroll = config.maxOverscroll or 100 -- pixels
 
@@ -127,7 +128,8 @@ function ScrollManager.new(config, deps)
   self._scrollY = config._scrollY or 0
   self._targetScrollX = nil
   self._targetScrollY = nil
-  self._smoothScrollSpeed = 0.25 -- Interpolation speed (0-1, higher = faster)
+  self._smoothScrollSpeed = 0.25 -- Interpolation speed (0-1, higher = faster); legacy, superseded by _smoothScrollRate
+  self._smoothScrollRate = config.smoothScrollRate or 30 -- dt-based decay constant (1/s); ~90% converged in 2.3/rate s
   self.smoothScrollEnabled = config.smoothScrollEnabled or false -- Enable smooth wheel scrolling
   self._maxScrollX = 0
   self._maxScrollY = 0
@@ -925,9 +927,15 @@ function ScrollManager:handleTouchMove(touchX, touchY)
   dx = -dx
   dy = -dy
 
-  -- Calculate velocity (pixels per second)
-  self._scrollVelocityX = dx / dt
-  self._scrollVelocityY = dy / dt
+  -- Velocity tracking (pixels per second).  Not the raw last-sample d/dt:
+  -- touch samples jitter, and the final pre-release sample often reads near
+  -- zero, which is why single-sample flings feel dead compared to a native
+  -- list.  Blend toward the instantaneous velocity with a ~50 ms time
+  -- constant instead, like OS velocity trackers that average recent samples.
+  local instX, instY = dx / dt, dy / dt
+  local blend = math.min(1, dt / 0.05)
+  self._scrollVelocityX = self._scrollVelocityX + (instX - self._scrollVelocityX) * blend
+  self._scrollVelocityY = self._scrollVelocityY + (instY - self._scrollVelocityY) * blend
 
   -- Apply scroll with bounce if enabled
   if self.bounceEnabled then
@@ -968,6 +976,15 @@ function ScrollManager:handleTouchRelease()
 
   self._touchScrolling = false
 
+  -- A finger that pauses and then lifts is a stop, not a fling: without
+  -- this, the smoothed velocity from the earlier drag still launches the
+  -- list after a deliberate hold (native lists kill the tracker the same
+  -- way).
+  if love.timer.getTime() - (self._lastTouchTime or 0) > 0.1 then
+    self._scrollVelocityX = 0
+    self._scrollVelocityY = 0
+  end
+
   -- Start momentum scrolling if enabled and velocity is significant
   if self.momentumScrollEnabled then
     local velocityThreshold = 50 -- pixels per second
@@ -990,12 +1007,23 @@ end
 --- Update momentum scrolling (call every frame with dt)
 ---@param dt number Delta time in seconds
 function ScrollManager:update(dt)
-  -- Smooth scroll interpolation
+  -- Smooth scroll interpolation.  The blend factor is derived from dt
+  -- (exponential approach) rather than a fixed per-frame fraction, so the
+  -- animation converges in the same wall-clock time regardless of frame
+  -- rate; a fixed fraction made scrolling visibly slower whenever frame
+  -- time rose.  _smoothScrollRate is the decay constant in 1/seconds:
+  -- ~90% of the remaining distance is covered in 2.3/rate seconds.
+  -- dt can legitimately be 0 here: in immediate mode beginFrame resets the
+  -- accumulated dt BEFORE endFrame updates the elements, so the launcher's
+  -- update order always hands this 0. Treat that (and nil) as one nominal
+  -- 60 Hz step so the interpolation still advances one frame's worth.
+  local step = (dt and dt > 0) and dt or (1 / 60)
   if self._targetScrollX or self._targetScrollY then
+    local alpha = 1 - math.exp(-(self._smoothScrollRate or 30) * step)
     if self._targetScrollY then
       local diff = self._targetScrollY - self._scrollY
       if math.abs(diff) > 0.5 then
-        self._scrollY = self._scrollY + diff * self._smoothScrollSpeed
+        self._scrollY = self._scrollY + diff * alpha
       else
         self._scrollY = self._targetScrollY
         self._targetScrollY = nil
@@ -1005,7 +1033,7 @@ function ScrollManager:update(dt)
     if self._targetScrollX then
       local diff = self._targetScrollX - self._scrollX
       if math.abs(diff) > 0.5 then
-        self._scrollX = self._scrollX + diff * self._smoothScrollSpeed
+        self._scrollX = self._scrollX + diff * alpha
       else
         self._scrollX = self._targetScrollX
         self._targetScrollX = nil
@@ -1021,25 +1049,43 @@ function ScrollManager:update(dt)
     return
   end
 
-  -- Apply velocity to scroll position
-  local dx = self._scrollVelocityX * dt
-  local dy = self._scrollVelocityY * dt
+  -- Apply velocity to scroll position (step, not dt: dt is 0 in the
+  -- immediate-mode endFrame path, which left touch flings completely dead)
+  local dx = self._scrollVelocityX * step
+  local dy = self._scrollVelocityY * step
 
   if self.bounceEnabled then
-    -- Allow overscroll during momentum
-    self._scrollX = self._scrollX + dx
-    self._scrollY = self._scrollY + dy
+    -- Allow overscroll during momentum, but never past maxOverscroll: an
+    -- unclamped fling carried a list hundreds of pixels past its edge
+    -- (rows vanished into a blank card until the spring crawled back).
+    self._scrollX = self._utils.clamp(self._scrollX + dx,
+      -self.maxOverscroll, self._maxScrollX + self.maxOverscroll)
+    self._scrollY = self._utils.clamp(self._scrollY + dy,
+      -self.maxOverscroll, self._maxScrollY + self.maxOverscroll)
   else
     self:scrollBy(dx, dy)
   end
 
-  -- Apply friction (exponential decay)
-  self._scrollVelocityX = self._scrollVelocityX * self.scrollFriction
-  self._scrollVelocityY = self._scrollVelocityY * self.scrollFriction
+  -- Frame-rate-independent exponential decay tuned to native list feel:
+  -- iOS "normal" deceleration is ~0.998 per millisecond, i.e. exp(-2.0 t).
+  -- The old per-frame 0.95 factor killed a fling in a fraction of a second
+  -- (and faster the higher the frame rate).  Total fling travel is
+  -- velocity / rate.
+  local decay = math.exp(-(self._momentumDecel or 2.0) * step)
+  -- Past the content edge, kill the fling an order of magnitude faster so
+  -- the rubber band absorbs it instead of stretching to the clamp and
+  -- sitting there (native lists do the same).
+  local overX = self._scrollX < 0 or self._scrollX > self._maxScrollX
+  local overY = self._scrollY < 0 or self._scrollY > self._maxScrollY
+  if overX or overY then
+    decay = decay * math.exp(-20 * step)
+  end
+  self._scrollVelocityX = self._scrollVelocityX * decay
+  self._scrollVelocityY = self._scrollVelocityY * decay
 
   -- Stop momentum when velocity is very low
   local totalVelocity = math.sqrt(self._scrollVelocityX ^ 2 + self._scrollVelocityY ^ 2)
-  if totalVelocity < 1 then
+  if totalVelocity < 5 then
     self._momentumScrolling = false
     self._scrollVelocityX = 0
     self._scrollVelocityY = 0
diff --git a/libs/flexlove/modules/behaviors/Scrollable.lua b/libs/flexlove/modules/behaviors/Scrollable.lua
index 7c909e72..39ad438e 100644
--- a/libs/flexlove/modules/behaviors/Scrollable.lua
+++ b/libs/flexlove/modules/behaviors/Scrollable.lua
@@ -214,10 +214,13 @@ local function onDraw(element, _ctx)
   if not (scrollbarDims.vertical.visible or scrollbarDims.horizontal.visible) then
     return
   end
-  -- Clear any parent scissor clipping before drawing scrollbars so they render
-  -- fully visible (scrollbars must not be clipped by ancestor overflow).
+  -- Lift the parent scissor while drawing scrollbars so they render fully
+  -- visible, then RESTORE it: clearing it outright let every later sibling
+  -- draw unclipped (scrolled page content over the pinned header).
+  local sx, sy, sw, sh = love.graphics.getScissor()
   love.graphics.setScissor()
   element._renderer:drawScrollbars(element, element.x, element.y, element.width, element.height, scrollbarDims)
+  if sx then love.graphics.setScissor(sx, sy, sw, sh) end
 end
 
 -- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/scripts/build.sh b/scripts/build.sh
index 9573f5b9..e21c5832 100755
--- a/scripts/build.sh
+++ b/scripts/build.sh
@@ -72,8 +72,13 @@ rm -f "$LOVE_FILE"
   tools/rom_manifest.json tools/rom_manifest_blue.json \
   tools/rom_manifest_yellow.json \
   -x '*.DS_Store' 'data/generated/*' 'assets/generated/*')
-if unzip -Z1 "$LOVE_FILE" \
-    | grep -Eq '^(data|assets)/generated/[^/]+|^(data|assets)/generated/.+/'; then
+# Materialize the listing once and grep the file: piping unzip straight into
+# grep -q under `set -o pipefail` SIGPIPEs unzip when grep exits early on a
+# match, and the pipeline's failure reads as "missing <file>" for whichever
+# entry happened to match first (see the same fix in pack_love.sh).
+LOVE_LISTING="$WORK/love-listing.txt"
+unzip -Z1 "$LOVE_FILE" > "$LOVE_LISTING"
+if grep -Eq '^(data|assets)/generated/[^/]+|^(data|assets)/generated/.+/' "$LOVE_LISTING"; then
   fail "game.love unexpectedly contains generated ROM data"
 fi
 # The editor is only reachable if its entry point and both module directories
@@ -86,7 +91,7 @@ for required in tools/save-editor/App.lua tools/save-editor/Kit.lua \
                 libs/flexlove/FlexLove.lua \
                 tools/rom_manifest.json tools/rom_manifest_blue.json \
                 tools/rom_manifest_yellow.json; do
-  unzip -Z1 "$LOVE_FILE" | grep -qx "$required" \
+  grep -qxF "$required" "$LOVE_LISTING" \
     || fail "game.love is missing $required"
 done
 say "game.love: $(du -h "$LOVE_FILE" | cut -f1)"
diff --git a/scripts/build_ios.sh b/scripts/build_ios.sh
index ddc6fb1b..90989f60 100755
--- a/scripts/build_ios.sh
+++ b/scripts/build_ios.sh
@@ -695,7 +695,11 @@ run_xcodebuild() {
   fi
 
   # Fuse even if the pbxproj wire-up failed,  LÖVE runs any bundled *.love.
-  if [ ! -f "$app/game.love" ]; then
+  # Byte-compare, never just existence: xcodebuild's incremental Copy Bundle
+  # Resources can leave a previous build's game.love in a surviving .app, and
+  # an existence check shipped that stale payload in the .ipa (today's Lua
+  # fixes present in ios/resources/ but absent from the installed app).
+  if ! cmp -s "$LOVE_FILE" "$app/game.love"; then
     say "fusing game.love into $(basename "$app")"
     cp "$LOVE_FILE" "$app/game.love"
   fi
diff --git a/src/battle/BattleState.lua b/src/battle/BattleState.lua
index 9334bf92..6a95b79b 100644
--- a/src/battle/BattleState.lua
+++ b/src/battle/BattleState.lua
@@ -380,18 +380,21 @@ local CHARGE_TEXT = {
 -- pokered's <USER>/<TARGET> text macros (home/text.asm
 -- PlaceMoveUsersName): battle texts naming the enemy mon print
 -- "Enemy " before the nickname; player-side mons never get it.
+-- Translatable as one "Enemy %s" template (#779) so languages that
+-- qualify after the name, or decline, can (e.g. "%s ennemi").
 local function displayName(b)
-  return b.isPlayer and b.name or ("Enemy " .. b.name)
+  return b.isPlayer and b.name or Strings("Enemy %s", b.name)
 end
 
--- Apply the "Enemy " prefix to a pre-built message from a module that
--- only knows the raw nickname (Status.beforeMove/residual,
--- TrainerAI.useItem): splice it in before the first name occurrence.
+-- Apply the enemy qualifier to a pre-built message from a module that
+-- only knows the raw nickname (Status.beforeMove/residual): replace the
+-- first name occurrence with the qualified form.
 local function prefixEnemy(msg, battler)
   if battler.isPlayer then return msg end
   local s = msg:find(battler.name, 1, true)
   if not s then return msg end
-  return msg:sub(1, s - 1) .. "Enemy " .. msg:sub(s)
+  return msg:sub(1, s - 1) .. Strings("Enemy %s", battler.name)
+      .. msg:sub(s + #battler.name)
 end
 
 -- Level-up stats window (PrintStatsBox .LevelUpStatsBox: box (9,2)
@@ -3044,8 +3047,11 @@ function BattleState:executeAction(user, target, action)
     -- trainer class AI actions (engine/battle/trainer_ai.asm)
     if action.special == "aiItem" then
       self.aiUses = (self.aiUses or 1) - 1
+      -- useItem's messages arrive final: its item line prints the raw
+      -- nickname on purpose (no "Enemy " in AIPrintItemUseText), so the
+      -- prefix splice must not touch them.
       for _, m in ipairs(TrainerAI.useItem(self, action.item)) do
-        self:sayNext(prefixEnemy(m, self.enemy))
+        self:sayNext(m)
       end
       self:drainNext()
       require("src.core.Sound").play(self.data, "Heal_Ailment")
diff --git a/src/battle/EffectRegistry.lua b/src/battle/EffectRegistry.lua
index a6789ade..de443a72 100644
--- a/src/battle/EffectRegistry.lua
+++ b/src/battle/EffectRegistry.lua
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ end
 -- pokered's <USER>/<TARGET> text macros print "Enemy " before the enemy
 -- mon's nickname (home/text.asm PlaceMoveUsersName)
 local function displayName(b)
-  return b.isPlayer and b.name or ("Enemy " .. b.name)
+  return b.isPlayer and b.name or Strings("Enemy %s", b.name)  -- #779
 end
 EffectRegistry.displayName = displayName
 
diff --git a/src/battle/MoveEffects.lua b/src/battle/MoveEffects.lua
index acdd2118..e9d97e6c 100644
--- a/src/battle/MoveEffects.lua
+++ b/src/battle/MoveEffects.lua
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ local MoveEffects = {}
 -- pokered's <USER>/<TARGET> text macros print "Enemy " before the
 -- enemy mon's nickname (home/text.asm PlaceMoveUsersName)
 local function displayName(b)
-  return b.isPlayer and b.name or ("Enemy " .. b.name)
+  return b.isPlayer and b.name or Strings("Enemy %s", b.name)  -- #779
 end
 
 local STAT_LABEL = {
diff --git a/src/battle/Status.lua b/src/battle/Status.lua
index 8fad8716..a42062ae 100644
--- a/src/battle/Status.lua
+++ b/src/battle/Status.lua
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 -- back to the vanilla records, which is bit-identical behavior.
 
 local Strings = require("src.core.Strings")
+local romText = require("src.core.RomText")
 
 local Status = {}
 
@@ -34,8 +35,8 @@ end
 -- sentence rather than the noun: "hurt by poison" and "hurt by the burn"
 -- decline differently once translated, so a shared fragment cannot be the
 -- translatable unit.
-local function damageOverTime(template)
-  return function(battler)
+local function damageOverTime(label, template)
+  return function(battler, _, battle)
     local mon = battler.mon
     local base = math.max(1, math.floor(mon.stats.hp / 16))
     local dmg = base
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ local function damageOverTime(template)
       battler.toxicCounter = battler.toxicCounter + 1
     end
     mon.hp = math.max(0, mon.hp - dmg)
-    return { Strings(template, name(battler)) }
+    return { romText(battle and battle.data, label, template, name(battler)) }
   end
 end
 
@@ -63,53 +64,63 @@ Status.RECORDS = {
     id = "SLP", label = "SLP", hudLabel = "SLP",
     catchBonus = 25, shakeBonus = 10,
     beforeMovePriority = 40,
-    beforeMove = function(battler)
+    beforeMove = function(battler, _, battle)
       battler.sleepTurns = (battler.sleepTurns or 1) - 1
       if battler.sleepTurns <= 0 then
         battler.mon.status = nil
-        return false, { Strings("%s\nwoke up!", name(battler)) } -- wakes, loses the turn
+        -- wakes, loses the turn
+        return false, { romText(battle and battle.data, "_WokeUpText",
+          "%s\nwoke up!", name(battler)) }
       end
-      return false, { Strings("%s\nis fast asleep!", name(battler)) }
+      return false, { romText(battle and battle.data, "_FastAsleepText",
+        "%s\nis fast asleep!", name(battler)) }
     end,
     onInflict = function(battle, target, opts, display)
       target.sleepTurns = battle.rng(1, 7)
-      return { Strings("%s\nfell asleep!", display) }
+      return { romText(battle.data, "_FellAsleepText",
+        "%s\nfell asleep!", display) }
     end,
   },
   FRZ = {
     id = "FRZ", label = "FRZ", hudLabel = "FRZ",
     catchBonus = 25, shakeBonus = 10,
     beforeMovePriority = 30,
-    beforeMove = function(battler)
-      return false, { Strings("%s\nis frozen solid!", name(battler)) }
+    beforeMove = function(battler, _, battle)
+      return false, { romText(battle and battle.data, "_IsFrozenText",
+        "%s\nis frozen solid!", name(battler)) }
     end,
     canInflict = function(target) return not hasType(target, "ICE") end,
-    onInflict = function(_, _, _, display)
-      return { Strings("%s\nwas frozen solid!", display) }
+    onInflict = function(battle, _, _, display)
+      return { romText(battle and battle.data, "_FrozenText",
+        "%s\nwas frozen solid!", display) }
     end,
   },
   PSN = {
     id = "PSN", label = "PSN", hudLabel = "PSN",
     catchBonus = 12, shakeBonus = 5,
-    residual = damageOverTime(Strings.source("%s's\nhurt by poison!")),
+    residual = damageOverTime("_HurtByPoisonText",
+      Strings.source("%s's\nhurt by poison!")),
     canInflict = function(target) return not hasType(target, "POISON") end,
-    onInflict = function(_, target, opts, display)
+    onInflict = function(battle, target, opts, display)
       if opts.toxic then
         target.toxicCounter = 1
-        -- _BadlyPoisonedText
-        return { Strings("%s's\nbadly poisoned!", display) }
+        return { romText(battle and battle.data, "_BadlyPoisonedText",
+          "%s's\nbadly poisoned!", display) }
       end
-      return { Strings("%s\nwas poisoned!", display) }
+      return { romText(battle and battle.data, "_PoisonedText",
+        "%s\nwas poisoned!", display) }
     end,
   },
   BRN = {
     id = "BRN", label = "BRN", hudLabel = "BRN",
     catchBonus = 12, shakeBonus = 5,
     statPenalty = { stat = "attack", div = 2 },
-    residual = damageOverTime(Strings.source("%s's\nhurt by the burn!")),
+    residual = damageOverTime("_HurtByBurnText",
+      Strings.source("%s's\nhurt by the burn!")),
     canInflict = function(target) return not hasType(target, "FIRE") end,
-    onInflict = function(_, _, _, display)
-      return { Strings("%s\nwas burned!", display) }
+    onInflict = function(battle, _, _, display)
+      return { romText(battle and battle.data, "_BurnedText",
+        "%s\nwas burned!", display) }
     end,
   },
   PAR = {
@@ -117,10 +128,11 @@ Status.RECORDS = {
     catchBonus = 12, shakeBonus = 5,
     statPenalty = { stat = "speed", div = 4 },
     beforeMovePriority = 10,
-    beforeMove = function(battler, rng)
+    beforeMove = function(battler, rng, battle)
       -- cp 25 percent / jr nc: fully paralyzed on rand < 63 (63/256)
       if rng(0, 255) < 63 then
-        return false, { Strings("%s's\nfully paralyzed!", name(battler)) }
+        return false, { romText(battle and battle.data, "_FullyParalyzedText",
+          "%s's\nfully paralyzed!", name(battler)) }
       end
       return true, {}
     end,
@@ -128,9 +140,10 @@ Status.RECORDS = {
       -- ParalyzeEffect_: Electric-type moves can't paralyze Ground-types
       return not (opts.moveType == "ELECTRIC" and hasType(target, "GROUND"))
     end,
-    onInflict = function(_, _, _, display)
-      -- _ParalyzedMayNotAttackText (primary and secondary paralysis)
-      return { Strings("%s's\nparalyzed! It may\nnot attack!", display) }
+    onInflict = function(battle, _, _, display)
+      -- primary and secondary paralysis share this line
+      return { romText(battle and battle.data, "_ParalyzedMayNotAttackText",
+        "%s's\nparalyzed! It may\nnot attack!", display) }
     end,
   },
 }
@@ -166,7 +179,8 @@ function Status.beforeMove(battler, rng, battle)
   end
   if battler.flinched then
     battler.flinched = false
-    return false, { Strings("%s\nflinched!", name(battler)) }
+    return false, { romText(battle and battle.data, "_FlinchedText",
+      "%s\nflinched!", name(battler)) }
   end
   local record = Status.recordFor(battleStatuses(battle), mon.status)
   local handler = record and record.beforeMove
@@ -184,23 +198,27 @@ function Status.beforeMove(battler, rng, battle)
   end
   if battler.boundTurns and battler.boundTurns > 0 then
     battler.boundTurns = battler.boundTurns - 1
-    msgs[#msgs + 1] = Strings("%s\ncan't move!", name(battler))
+    msgs[#msgs + 1] = romText(battle and battle.data, "_CantMoveText",
+      "%s\ncan't move!", name(battler))
     return false, msgs
   end
   if battler.disabledTurns then
     battler.disabledTurns = battler.disabledTurns - 1
     if battler.disabledTurns <= 0 then
       battler.disabledTurns, battler.disabledSlot = nil, nil
-      table.insert(msgs, Strings("%s's\ndisabled no more!", name(battler)))
+      table.insert(msgs, romText(battle and battle.data, "_DisabledNoMoreText",
+        "%s's\ndisabled no more!", name(battler)))
     end
   end
   if battler.confusedTurns then
     battler.confusedTurns = battler.confusedTurns - 1
     if battler.confusedTurns <= 0 then
       battler.confusedTurns = nil
-      table.insert(msgs, Strings("%s\nsnapped out of\nconfusion!", name(battler)))
+      table.insert(msgs, romText(battle and battle.data, "_ConfusedNoMoreText",
+        "%s\nsnapped out of\nconfusion!", name(battler)))
     else
-      table.insert(msgs, Strings("%s\nis confused!", name(battler)))
+      table.insert(msgs, romText(battle and battle.data, "_IsConfusedText",
+        "%s\nis confused!", name(battler)))
       -- cp 50 percent + 1 / jr c: hurt itself on rand >= 128 (128/256)
       if rng(0, 255) < 128 then
         return false, msgs, true -- hurt itself
@@ -241,7 +259,8 @@ function Status.residual(battler, opponent, battle)
     dmg = math.min(dmg, mon.hp)
     mon.hp = mon.hp - dmg
     opponent.mon.hp = math.min(opponent.mon.stats.hp, opponent.mon.hp + dmg)
-    table.insert(msgs, Strings("LEECH SEED saps\n%s!", name(battler)))
+    table.insert(msgs, romText(battle and battle.data, "_HurtByLeechSeedText",
+      "LEECH SEED saps\n%s!", name(battler)))
   end
   return msgs
 end
diff --git a/src/battle/StatusRegistry.lua b/src/battle/StatusRegistry.lua
index 55de40c3..ba3afa7e 100644
--- a/src/battle/StatusRegistry.lua
+++ b/src/battle/StatusRegistry.lua
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ local StatusRegistry = {}
 -- pokered's <USER>/<TARGET> text macros (home/text.asm
 -- PlaceMoveUsersName): enemy-mon texts print "Enemy " before the name
 local function displayName(b)
-  return b.isPlayer and b.name or ("Enemy " .. b.name)
+  return b.isPlayer and b.name or Strings("Enemy %s", b.name)  -- #779
 end
 
 -- opts: toxic (start the Toxic counter), moveType (for the type gates),
diff --git a/src/battle/TrainerAI.lua b/src/battle/TrainerAI.lua
index 08b9aca0..9654029a 100644
--- a/src/battle/TrainerAI.lua
+++ b/src/battle/TrainerAI.lua
@@ -20,9 +20,16 @@
 
 local TypeChart = require("src.battle.TypeChart")
 local Strings = require("src.core.Strings")
+local romText = require("src.core.RomText")
 
 local TrainerAI = {}
 
+-- pokered's <USER>/<TARGET> text macros print "Enemy " before the
+-- enemy mon's nickname (home/text.asm PlaceMoveUsersName)
+local function displayName(b)
+  return b.isPlayer and b.name or Strings("Enemy %s", b.name)  -- #779
+end
+
 local HEAL_AMOUNT = { POTION = 20, SUPER_POTION = 50, HYPER_POTION = 200 }
 local X_STAT = { X_ATTACK = "attack", X_DEFEND = "defense", X_SPEED = "speed" }
 
@@ -95,12 +102,16 @@ function TrainerAI.switchAction(battle)
   return { special = "aiSwitch", index = alive[1] }
 end
 
--- Apply an aiItem action to the enemy battler; returns messages.
+-- Apply an aiItem action to the enemy battler; returns messages, already
+-- final: the item line prints the raw nickname (AIPrintItemUseText has no
+-- "Enemy " prefix in pokered), the stat lines carry it via displayName, so
+-- the caller must not run these through prefixEnemy.
 function TrainerAI.useItem(battle, item)
   local enemy = battle.enemy
   local trainerName = battle.trainer.name
   local itemName = battle.data.items[item] and battle.data.items[item].name or item
-  local msgs = { Strings("%s\nused %s!", trainerName, itemName) }
+  local msgs = { romText(battle.data, "_AIBattleUseItemText",
+    "%s\nused %s!", trainerName, itemName, enemy.name) }
   if item == "FULL_HEAL" then
     enemy.mon.status = nil
     enemy.toxicCounter = nil
@@ -113,10 +124,10 @@ function TrainerAI.useItem(battle, item)
   elseif X_STAT[item] then
     local stat = X_STAT[item]
     enemy.stages[stat] = math.min(6, (enemy.stages[stat] or 0) + 1)
-    table.insert(msgs, Strings("%s's\n%s rose!", enemy.name, stat:upper()))
+    table.insert(msgs, Strings("%s's\n%s rose!", displayName(enemy), stat:upper()))
   elseif item == "GUARD_SPEC" then
     enemy.mist = true
-    table.insert(msgs, Strings("%s's\nprotected against\nstat changes!", enemy.name))
+    table.insert(msgs, Strings("%s's\nprotected against\nstat changes!", displayName(enemy)))
   end
   return msgs
 end
diff --git a/src/import/LauncherView.lua b/src/import/LauncherView.lua
index 04402f42..342cc0b8 100644
--- a/src/import/LauncherView.lua
+++ b/src/import/LauncherView.lua
@@ -143,21 +143,24 @@ LauncherView._refreshAutoHeight = refreshAutoHeight
 
 -- ------- lifecycle
 
--- NX-only: FlexLove's init maps `performanceMonitoring = false` to true
--- (`false or true`), which leaves layout/render timers + memory sampling on
--- every immediate-mode frame and makes the pad cursor feel lagged. Force
--- them off after init. Desktop keeps the library default. Exported so the
--- engine tier can assert the Switch guards without drawing the full tree.
+-- All platforms: FlexLove used to map `performanceMonitoring = false` to
+-- true (`false or true`), leaving layout/render timers + memory sampling on
+-- every immediate-mode frame (pad-cursor lag on NX, scroll drag on desktop).
+-- The vendored init is fixed, but force the flags off here too so a hot
+-- reload against an already-inited FlexLove stays clean. Exported so the
+-- engine tier can assert the guards without drawing the full tree.
 function LauncherView.applyNxPerfGuards(imp)
-  if not (imp and imp.isNX and FlexLove.isReady() and FlexLove._Performance) then
+  if not (imp and FlexLove.isReady() and FlexLove._Performance) then
     return false
   end
   FlexLove._Performance.enabled = false
   local mp = FlexLove._Performance._memoryProfiler
   if mp then mp.enabled = false end
   -- Immediate-mode rebuilds allocate a full tree every frame; the default
-  -- auto GC steps hitch the pad cursor on Switch. Less frequent steps, higher
-  -- threshold — desktop keeps FlexLove defaults.
+  -- "auto" GC strategy triggers a full blocking collect past 100 MB, a
+  -- visible hitch mid-scroll. Less frequent steps, higher threshold, on
+  -- every platform (was NX-only; desktop hit the same hitch, see the
+  -- scroll-sluggishness investigation).
   if FlexLove._gcConfig then
     FlexLove._gcConfig.strategy = "periodic"
     FlexLove._gcConfig.interval = 90
@@ -332,12 +335,22 @@ end
 local function textWidth(size, text) return mfont(size):getWidth(text) end
 local function textHeight(size) return mfont(size):getHeight() end
 
--- wrapped text height at a width, from the same font the element renders
+-- wrapped text height at a width, from the same font the element renders.
+-- Memoized: the immediate-mode rebuild asks for the same (size, width,
+-- text) every frame for every visible row, and Font:getWrap re-shapes the
+-- whole string each time - one of the hottest calls in the frame on mobile.
+-- The key space is small (mod summaries and notes at a handful of widths).
+local wrapHeightCache = {}
 local function wrapHeight(size, text, width)
   if not text or text == "" or (width or 0) <= 0 then return 0 end
+  local key = size .. ":" .. width .. ":" .. text
+  local h = wrapHeightCache[key]
+  if h then return h end
   local f = mfont(size)
   local _, lines = f:getWrap(text, width)
-  return math.max(1, #lines) * f:getHeight()
+  h = math.max(1, #lines) * f:getHeight()
+  wrapHeightCache[key] = h
+  return h
 end
 
 -- Every text size in this file is already scaled by m.s, so FlexLove's own
@@ -421,6 +434,45 @@ local function button(imp, parent, key, text, opts)
   return mk(p)
 end
 
+-- Measured single-row width of a header's labels and buttons, using the
+-- same integer-sized fonts label()/button() render with (button() adds
+-- 12px horizontal padding + 1px border per side).  Tab headers use this to
+-- decide between one row and a split title/buttons pair: flexWrap cannot
+-- save a narrow window here, because the engine does not grow an
+-- auto-sized parent for wrapped children (#748 family), so a wrapped
+-- button used to land on top of whatever followed the header.
+local function headNeededW(m, items)
+  local w, n = 0, 0
+  for _, it in ipairs(items) do
+    local size = math.floor(it.size + 0.5)
+    local tw = math.ceil(textWidth(size, it.text))
+    w = w + (it.btn and (tw + 26) or tw)
+    n = n + 1
+  end
+  -- inter-item gaps, plus one gap of slack where the flex spacer sits
+  return w + n * (10 * m.s)
+end
+
+-- One header row when everything fits, otherwise a title row and a
+-- right-aligned button row stacked under it.  Returns the row for the
+-- title/status labels and a function to call AFTER adding them, which
+-- returns the row for the buttons (inserting the flex spacer so buttons
+-- sit flush right in both shapes).
+local function headRows(parent, m, items)
+  local split = headNeededW(m, items) > (parent._innerW or m.contentW)
+  local function row()
+    return mk({ parent = parent, width = "100%",
+      positioning = "flex", flexDirection = "horizontal",
+      alignItems = "center", gap = 10 * m.s })
+  end
+  local titleRow = row()
+  return titleRow, function()
+    local btnRow = split and row() or titleRow
+    mk({ parent = btnRow, flex = 1 })
+    return btnRow
+  end
+end
+
 local function card(parent, props)
   local p = {
     parent = parent,
@@ -1012,30 +1064,40 @@ end
 
 local function buildModsPanel(imp, parent, m)
   imp:_ensureMods()
+  local ModUpdate = require("src.mods.ModUpdate")
   local mods = imp.mods or {}
   local enabledCount = 0
   for _, mod in ipairs(mods) do
     if mod.enabled then enabledCount = enabledCount + 1 end
   end
 
-  local head = mk({ parent = parent, width = "100%",
-    positioning = "flex", flexDirection = "horizontal", flexWrap = "wrap",
-    alignItems = "center", gap = 10 * m.s })
-  label(head, Strings("Mods"), 22 * m.s + 4, C("white"), { textWrap = false })
-  label(head, Strings("%d of %d enabled", enabledCount, #mods),
-    12 * m.s + 2, C("warn"), { textWrap = false })
-  mk({ parent = head, flex = 1 })
+  local title = Strings("Mods")
+  local count = Strings("%d of %d enabled", enabledCount, #mods)
+  local importLabel = imp:_modsImportButtonLabel()
+  local items = {
+    { size = 22 * m.s + 4, text = title },
+    { size = 12 * m.s + 2, text = count },
+    { size = 13 * m.s + 1, text = importLabel, btn = true },
+  }
   if #mods > 0 then
-    button(imp, head, "mods-enable-all", Strings("Enable all"), {
+    items[#items + 1] = { size = 11 * m.s + 1, text = Strings("Enable all"), btn = true }
+    items[#items + 1] = { size = 11 * m.s + 1, text = Strings("Disable all"), btn = true }
+  end
+  local head, buttonsRow = headRows(parent, m, items)
+  label(head, title, 22 * m.s + 4, C("white"), { textWrap = false })
+  label(head, count, 12 * m.s + 2, C("warn"), { textWrap = false })
+  local btnRow = buttonsRow()
+  if #mods > 0 then
+    button(imp, btnRow, "mods-enable-all", Strings("Enable all"), {
       size = 11 * m.s + 1, kind = "neutral",
       action = function() imp:_setAllMods(true) end,
     })
-    button(imp, head, "mods-disable-all", Strings("Disable all"), {
+    button(imp, btnRow, "mods-disable-all", Strings("Disable all"), {
       size = 11 * m.s + 1, kind = "neutral",
       action = function() imp:_setAllMods(false) end,
     })
   end
-  button(imp, head, "mods-import", imp:_modsImportButtonLabel(), {
+  button(imp, btnRow, "mods-import", importLabel, {
     h = m.btnH, size = 13 * m.s + 1, kind = "neutral",
     action = function() imp:chooseMod() end,
   })
@@ -1060,6 +1122,89 @@ local function buildModsPanel(imp, parent, m)
     return
   end
 
+  -- Sort row: Name / Popularity / Release date / Last updated.  The choice
+  -- persists in options.modSort; data-less mods (no github field, or a
+  -- cache that predates the feature) sink to the bottom of data sorts.
+  local sortKey = imp.modSort or "name"
+  if imp.modSort == nil then
+    local ok, opts = pcall(require("src.core.SaveData").loadOptions)
+    if ok and type(opts) == "table" and type(opts.modSort) == "string" then
+      sortKey = opts.modSort
+      imp.modSort = sortKey
+    end
+  end
+  local sortRow = mk({ parent = parent, width = "100%",
+    positioning = "flex", flexDirection = "horizontal",
+    flexWrap = "wrap", alignItems = "center", gap = 6 * m.s })
+  label(sortRow, Strings("Sort:"), 11 * m.s + 2, C("detail"), { textWrap = false })
+  local sorts = {
+    { key = "name", label = Strings("Name") },
+    { key = "popularity", label = Strings("Popularity") },
+    { key = "release", label = Strings("Release date") },
+    { key = "updated", label = Strings("Last updated") },
+  }
+  for _, s in ipairs(sorts) do
+    local active = sortKey == s.key
+    local key = "mod-sort-" .. s.key
+    mk({
+      parent = sortRow, text = s.label,
+      textColor = active and C("green")
+        or (imp._hot[key] and C("white") or C("detail")),
+      textSize = 11 * m.s + 2, textAlign = "center-center", autoScaleText = false,
+      backgroundColor = active and C("green", 0.18) or C("border", 0.10),
+      border = 1,
+      borderColor = active and C("green", 0.6) or C("border", 0.35),
+      cornerRadius = 999,
+      padding = { horizontal = 10, vertical = 4 },
+      onEvent = handler(imp, key, function()
+        imp.modSort = s.key
+        pcall(function()
+          local SaveData = require("src.core.SaveData")
+          local opts = SaveData.loadOptions()
+          opts.modSort = s.key
+          SaveData.saveOptions(opts)
+        end)
+      end),
+    })
+  end
+
+  -- Immediate mode rebuilds this panel every frame; re-sorting the whole
+  -- mod list per frame (with lowercased-string allocations in the
+  -- comparator) fed the GC for nothing. Cache the sorted array, keyed on
+  -- the list identity/length, the sort mode, and the update-info revision
+  -- that _syncModUpdateInfo bumps when release data changes.
+  local cache = imp._modSortCache
+  if cache and cache.src == mods and cache.n == #mods
+      and cache.key == sortKey and cache.rev == (imp._modUpdateRev or 0) then
+    mods = cache.list
+  else
+  local sorted = {}
+  for i, v in ipairs(mods) do sorted[i] = v end
+  table.sort(sorted, function(a, b)
+    local function value(mod)
+      if sortKey == "name" then return (mod.name or ""):lower() end
+      local info = mod.github and mod.github ~= "" and imp:_modUpdateInfo(mod.id)
+      if sortKey == "popularity" then
+        return info and info.downloads and info.downloads.total or -1
+      end
+      local date = info and info.dates
+      if sortKey == "release" then
+        return date and date.first or "0000-00-00"
+      end
+      return date and date.latest or "0000-00-00"
+    end
+    local va, vb = value(a), value(b)
+    if va ~= vb then
+      if sortKey == "name" then return va < vb end
+      return va > vb  -- data sorts newest / most popular first
+    end
+    return (a.name or ""):lower() < (b.name or ""):lower()
+  end)
+  imp._modSortCache = { src = mods, n = #mods, key = sortKey,
+    rev = imp._modUpdateRev or 0, list = sorted }
+  mods = sorted
+  end
+
   -- Explicit column widths AND heights: a flex-grown container collapses
   -- its children's layout in this engine, and card auto-height came up
   -- short on some displays, dropping the bottom action row out of the card.
@@ -1091,6 +1236,19 @@ local function buildModsPanel(imp, parent, m)
     elseif mod.github and mod.github ~= "" then
       checkLine, checkCol = Strings("Not checked for updates yet"), "warn"
     end
+    -- Total downloads plus first/latest release dates, all from the same
+    -- cached release fetch.  Only shown once that data actually carries
+    -- counts, so a pre-downloads cache entry costs the line, not a wrong "0".
+    local dlLine
+    if info and info.downloads then
+      local formatted = ModUpdate.formatCount(info.downloads.total)
+      if info.dates then
+        dlLine = Strings("%s downloads across all releases  -  Released %s  -  Updated %s",
+          formatted, info.dates.first, info.dates.latest)
+      else
+        dlLine = Strings("%s downloads across all releases", formatted)
+      end
+    end
 
     -- measure the body: name (with the badge beside it only when it fits),
     -- version, check line, wrapped description
@@ -1104,6 +1262,9 @@ local function buildModsPanel(imp, parent, m)
     if checkLine then
       bodyH = bodyH + 4 + wrapHeight(smallSize, checkLine, bodyW)
     end
+    if dlLine then
+      bodyH = bodyH + 4 + wrapHeight(smallSize, dlLine, bodyW)
+    end
     if mod.description ~= "" then
       bodyH = bodyH + 4 + wrapHeight(smallSize, mod.description, bodyW)
     end
@@ -1155,6 +1316,9 @@ local function buildModsPanel(imp, parent, m)
     if checkLine then
       label(body, checkLine, smallSize, C(checkCol), { width = "100%" })
     end
+    if dlLine then
+      label(body, dlLine, smallSize, C("gold"), { width = "100%" })
+    end
     if mod.description ~= "" then
       label(body, mod.description, smallSize, C("detail"), { width = "100%" })
     end
@@ -1212,18 +1376,26 @@ local function buildFindPanel(imp, parent, m)
   local rows = imp:_findRows()
   local total = #((imp.findIndex and imp.findIndex.mods) or {})
 
-  local head = mk({ parent = parent, width = "100%",
-    positioning = "flex", flexDirection = "horizontal", flexWrap = "wrap",
-    alignItems = "center", gap = 10 * m.s })
-  label(head, Strings("Find Mods"), 22 * m.s + 4, C("white"), { textWrap = false })
+  local title = Strings("Find Mods")
+  local count = (#sources > 0) and ((#rows == total) and Strings("%d mods listed", total)
+    or Strings("%d of %d mods", #rows, total)) or nil
+  local addLabel = (#sources == 0) and Strings("Add an index") or Strings("Add index")
+  local items = {
+    { size = 22 * m.s + 4, text = title },
+    { size = 13 * m.s + 1, text = addLabel, btn = true },
+  }
+  if count then items[#items + 1] = { size = 12 * m.s + 2, text = count } end
   if #sources > 0 then
-    label(head, (#rows == total) and Strings("%d mods listed", total)
-      or Strings("%d of %d mods", #rows, total), 12 * m.s + 2, C("warn"),
-      { textWrap = false })
+    items[#items + 1] = { size = 13 * m.s + 1, text = Strings("Refresh"), btn = true }
   end
-  mk({ parent = head, flex = 1 })
+  local head, buttonsRow = headRows(parent, m, items)
+  label(head, title, 22 * m.s + 4, C("white"), { textWrap = false })
+  if count then
+    label(head, count, 12 * m.s + 2, C("warn"), { textWrap = false })
+  end
+  local btnRow = buttonsRow()
   if #sources > 0 then
-    button(imp, head, "find-refresh", Strings("Refresh"), {
+    button(imp, btnRow, "find-refresh", Strings("Refresh"), {
       h = m.btnH, size = 13 * m.s + 1, kind = "neutral",
       action = function()
         imp._findSearchFocus = false
@@ -1232,11 +1404,10 @@ local function buildFindPanel(imp, parent, m)
       end,
     })
   end
-  button(imp, head, "find-add",
-    (#sources == 0) and Strings("Add an index") or Strings("Add index"), {
-      h = m.btnH, size = 13 * m.s + 1, kind = "neutral",
-      action = function() imp:_promptAddIndex() end,
-    })
+  button(imp, btnRow, "find-add", addLabel, {
+    h = m.btnH, size = 13 * m.s + 1, kind = "neutral",
+    action = function() imp:_promptAddIndex() end,
+  })
 
   if imp.findNotice then
     label(parent, imp.findNotice.text, 12 * m.s + 2,
diff --git a/src/import/RomImporter.lua b/src/import/RomImporter.lua
index 99c0e782..749b5b9f 100644
--- a/src/import/RomImporter.lua
+++ b/src/import/RomImporter.lua
@@ -2593,6 +2593,8 @@ function RomImporter:_syncModUpdateInfo(force)
           latest = best and best.version or nil,
           best = best,
           releases = packed.releases,
+          downloads = ModUpdate.totalDownloads(packed.releases),
+          dates = ModUpdate.releaseDates(packed.releases),
           err = nil,
           checkedAt = packed.checkedAt or os.time(),
         }
@@ -2609,6 +2611,9 @@ function RomImporter:_syncModUpdateInfo(force)
       self.modUpdateInfo[m.id] = nil
     end
   end
+  -- Bump so the view's sorted-list cache (keyed on this revision) rebuilds
+  -- when release/download data actually changes, not every frame.
+  self._modUpdateRev = (self._modUpdateRev or 0) + 1
 end
 
 function RomImporter:_modUpdateInfo(id)
@@ -2722,6 +2727,8 @@ function RomImporter:_modGithubAction(id, action)
       self.modUpdateInfo[row.id] = {
         status = status, latest = best and best.version, best = best,
         releases = releases,
+        downloads = ModUpdate.totalDownloads(releases),
+        dates = ModUpdate.releaseDates(releases),
       }
       self._modVersions = {
         id = row.id, name = row.name, current = row.version,
@@ -2765,6 +2772,8 @@ function RomImporter:_modGithubAction(id, action)
     self.modUpdateInfo[row.id] = {
       status = status, latest = best and best.version, best = best,
       releases = releases, checkedAt = os.time(),
+      downloads = ModUpdate.totalDownloads(releases),
+      dates = ModUpdate.releaseDates(releases),
     }
     if status == "available" and best then
       self.modNotice = { ok = true,
@@ -2980,12 +2989,22 @@ end
 -- The rows the filters leave, and the installed-mod context the compatibility
 -- warnings are judged against.
 function RomImporter:_findRows()
-  local ModIndex = require("src.mods.ModIndex")
   local all = (self.findIndex and self.findIndex.mods) or {}
-  return ModIndex.filter(all, {
+  -- The view asks every frame (immediate mode); only re-filter when the
+  -- index, query, or category actually changed.
+  local c = self._findRowsCache
+  if c and c.src == all and c.query == self.findQuery
+      and c.category == self.findCategory then
+    return c.rows
+  end
+  local ModIndex = require("src.mods.ModIndex")
+  local rows = ModIndex.filter(all, {
     query = self.findQuery,
     category = self.findCategory,
   })
+  self._findRowsCache = { src = all, query = self.findQuery,
+    category = self.findCategory, rows = rows }
+  return rows
 end
 
 function RomImporter:_findInstalledMap()
diff --git a/src/inventory/ItemEffects.lua b/src/inventory/ItemEffects.lua
index ad1e2165..f7c1b9b3 100644
--- a/src/inventory/ItemEffects.lua
+++ b/src/inventory/ItemEffects.lua
@@ -12,9 +12,19 @@
 
 local Flags = require("src.script.Flags")
 local Strings = require("src.core.Strings")
+local romText = require("src.core.RomText")
 
 local ItemEffects = {}
 
+local function notTime(data, save)
+  return romText(data, "_ItemUseNotTimeText",
+    "OAK: %s!\nThis isn't the\ntime to use that!", save.player.name)
+end
+
+local function noEffect(data)
+  return romText(data, "_ItemUseNoEffectText", "It won't have\nany effect.")
+end
+
 local HEAL_AMOUNT = {
   POTION = 20, SUPER_POTION = 50, HYPER_POTION = 200,
   FRESH_WATER = 50, SODA_POP = 60, LEMONADE = 80,
@@ -82,6 +92,14 @@ local function cureActiveToxic(battle, target)
   end
 end
 
+-- the per-item cure lines (item_effects.asm .cureStatusAilment picks the
+-- text by item id); FULL_RESTORE lands here too when it acts as a cure
+local CURE_TEXT = {
+  ANTIDOTE = "_AntidoteText", BURN_HEAL = "_BurnHealText",
+  ICE_HEAL = "_IceHealText", AWAKENING = "_AwakeningText",
+  PARLYZ_HEAL = "_ParlyzHealText", FULL_HEAL = "_FullHealText",
+}
+
 -- battle-only stat boosters (engine/items/item_effects.asm ItemUseXStat)
 local X_ITEMS = {
   X_ATTACK = "attack", X_DEFEND = "defense", X_SPEED = "speed",
@@ -130,8 +148,7 @@ function ItemEffects.use(data, save, itemId, target, battle, moveIndex, ow)
   if battle and (VITAMINS[itemId] or STONES[itemId] or itemId == "PP_UP"
                  or itemId == "RARE_CANDY" or itemId == "COIN_CASE"
                  or (itemDef and itemDef.machine)) then
-    return "failed", { Strings("OAK: %s!\nThis isn't the\ntime to use that!",
-                               save.player.name) }
+    return "failed", { notTime(data, save) }
   end
 
   if BALLS[itemId] then
@@ -148,13 +165,14 @@ function ItemEffects.use(data, save, itemId, target, battle, moveIndex, ow)
       -- data/scripts/story.lua's snorlaxWake)
       local mapId, npc = adjacentSleepingSnorlax(save, ow)
       if npc then
-        return "flute_wake", { data.text._PlayedFluteHadEffectText
-          or Strings("{PLAYER} played the\nPOKé FLUTE.") },
+        return "flute_wake", { romText(data, "_PlayedFluteHadEffectText",
+          "{PLAYER} played the\nPOKé FLUTE.") },
           { mapId = mapId, npc = npc }
       end
       -- otherwise: play the tune, nothing happens (ItemUsePokeFlute's
       -- PlayedFluteNoEffectText branch)
-      return "flute_field", { Strings("Played the POKé\nFLUTE.\fNow, that's a\ncatchy tune!") }
+      return "flute_field", { romText(data, "_PlayedFluteNoEffectText",
+        "Played the POKé\nFLUTE.\fNow, that's a\ncatchy tune!") }
     end
     local woke = false
     local function wake(mon)
@@ -169,17 +187,20 @@ function ItemEffects.use(data, save, itemId, target, battle, moveIndex, ow)
     -- WakeUpEntireParty runs on the enemy's bench too
     for _, mon in ipairs(battle.enemyParty or {}) do wake(mon) end
     if not woke then
-      return "failed", { Strings("Played the POKé\nFLUTE.\fNow, that's a\ncatchy tune!") }
+      return "failed", { romText(data, "_PlayedFluteNoEffectText",
+        "Played the POKé\nFLUTE.\fNow, that's a\ncatchy tune!") }
     end
-    return "flute", { Strings("%s played the\nPOKé FLUTE.", save.player.name),
-                      Strings("All sleeping\nPOKéMON woke up!") }
+    return "flute", { romText(data, "_PlayedFluteHadEffectText",
+                        "%s played the\nPOKé FLUTE.", save.player.name),
+                      romText(data, "_FluteWokeUpText",
+                        "All sleeping\nPOKéMON woke up!") }
   end
 
   -- battle-only items
   if X_ITEMS[itemId] or itemId == "DIRE_HIT" or itemId == "GUARD_SPEC"
      or itemId == "POKE_DOLL" then
     if not battle then
-      return "failed", { Strings("OAK: %s!\nThis isn't the\ntime to use that!", save.player.name) }
+      return "failed", { notTime(data, save) }
     end
     local b = battle.player
     -- PIKAHAPPY_USEDXITEM (item_effects.asm ItemUseXAccuracy /
@@ -201,7 +222,8 @@ function ItemEffects.use(data, save, itemId, target, battle, moveIndex, ow)
       -- effect, so at +6 it is still consumed and StatModifierUpEffect
       -- just prints "Nothing happened!"
       if cur >= 6 then
-        return "consumed", { Strings("Nothing happened!") }
+        return "consumed", { romText(data, "_NothingHappenedText",
+          "Nothing happened!") }
       end
       b.stages[stat] = cur + 1
       return "consumed", { Strings("%s's\n%s rose!", b.name, stat:upper()) }
@@ -210,7 +232,8 @@ function ItemEffects.use(data, save, itemId, target, battle, moveIndex, ow)
     -- the item, even when it is already active
     if itemId == "DIRE_HIT" then
       b.focusEnergy = true
-      return "consumed", { Strings("%s's\ngetting pumped!", b.name) }
+      return "consumed", { romText(data, "_GettingPumpedText",
+        "%s's\ngetting pumped!", b.name) }
     end
     if itemId == "GUARD_SPEC" then
       b.mist = true
@@ -219,10 +242,10 @@ function ItemEffects.use(data, save, itemId, target, battle, moveIndex, ow)
     if itemId == "POKE_DOLL" then
       if battle.kind ~= "wild" then
         -- ItemUsePokeDoll jumps to ItemUseNotTime in trainer battles
-        return "failed", { Strings(
-          "OAK: %s!\nThis isn't the\ntime to use that!", save.player.name) }
+        return "failed", { notTime(data, save) }
       end
-      return "consumed_escape", { Strings("The wild POKéMON\nran away!") }
+      return "consumed_escape", { romText(data, "_WildRanText",
+        "The wild POKéMON\nran away!", battle.enemy and battle.enemy.name) }
     end
   end
 
@@ -231,7 +254,7 @@ function ItemEffects.use(data, save, itemId, target, battle, moveIndex, ow)
   -- restore every move with no menu.
   if itemId == "ETHER" or itemId == "MAX_ETHER"
      or itemId == "ELIXER" or itemId == "MAX_ELIXER" then
-    if not target then return "failed", { Strings("It won't have\nany effect.") } end
+    if not target then return "failed", { noEffect(data) } end
     local restored = false
     local full = itemId == "MAX_ETHER" or itemId == "MAX_ELIXER"
     local allMoves = itemId == "ELIXER" or itemId == "MAX_ELIXER"
@@ -253,9 +276,10 @@ function ItemEffects.use(data, save, itemId, target, battle, moveIndex, ow)
       restored = mv and restore(mv) or false
     end
     if not restored then
-      return "failed", { Strings("It won't have\nany effect.") }
+      return "failed", { noEffect(data) }
     end
-    return "consumed", { Strings("%s's PP\nwas restored!", monName(data, target)) }
+    -- pokered's line names no mon, so the extracted text takes no args
+    return "consumed", { romText(data, "_PPRestoredText", "PP was restored.") }
   end
 
   -- PIKAHAPPY_USEDITEM (item_effects.asm ItemUseMedicine, item id up to
@@ -280,10 +304,11 @@ function ItemEffects.use(data, save, itemId, target, battle, moveIndex, ow)
       target.status = nil
       cureActiveToxic(battle, target)
       require("src.core.Sound").play(data, "Heal_Ailment")
-      return "consumed", { Strings("%s's\nstatus returned\nto normal!", monName(data, target)) }
+      return "consumed", { romText(data, CURE_TEXT.FULL_HEAL,
+        "%s's\nstatus returned\nto normal!", monName(data, target)) }
     end
     if not target or target.hp <= 0 or target.hp >= target.stats.hp then
-      return "failed", { Strings("It won't have\nany effect.") }
+      return "failed", { noEffect(data) }
     end
     -- wHPBarOldHP: the bar animation starts from the HP the mon had BEFORE
     -- the item landed (item_effects.asm latches it with the party menu still
@@ -295,7 +320,10 @@ function ItemEffects.use(data, save, itemId, target, battle, moveIndex, ow)
     else
       target.hp = math.min(target.stats.hp, target.hp + heal)
     end
-    local msgs = { Strings("%s's HP\nwas restored!", monName(data, target)) }
+    -- _PotionText's second slot is the recovered amount ({NUM:
+    -- wHPBarHPDifference}); the engine fallback never prints it
+    local msgs = { romText(data, "_PotionText", "%s's HP\nwas restored!",
+                     monName(data, target), target.hp - before) }
     if itemId == "FULL_RESTORE" then
       target.status = nil
       cureActiveToxic(battle, target)
@@ -307,17 +335,18 @@ function ItemEffects.use(data, save, itemId, target, battle, moveIndex, ow)
   local cures = STATUS_HEAL[itemId]
   if cures then
     if not target or not target.status or not cures[target.status] then
-      return "failed", { Strings("It won't have\nany effect.") }
+      return "failed", { noEffect(data) }
     end
     target.status = nil
     cureActiveToxic(battle, target)
     require("src.core.Sound").play(data, "Heal_Ailment")
-    return "consumed", { Strings("%s's\nstatus returned\nto normal!", monName(data, target)) }
+    return "consumed", { romText(data, CURE_TEXT[itemId],
+      "%s's\nstatus returned\nto normal!", monName(data, target)) }
   end
 
   if itemId == "REVIVE" or itemId == "MAX_REVIVE" then
     if not target or target.hp > 0 then
-      return "failed", { Strings("It won't have\nany effect.") }
+      return "failed", { noEffect(data) }
     end
     target.status = nil
     target.hp = itemId == "REVIVE" and math.floor(target.stats.hp / 2) or target.stats.hp
@@ -329,13 +358,14 @@ function ItemEffects.use(data, save, itemId, target, battle, moveIndex, ow)
     if battle and battle.participants then
       battle.participants[target] = true
     end
-    return "consumed", { Strings("%s\nis revitalized!", monName(data, target)) },
+    return "consumed", { romText(data, "_ReviveText",
+      "%s\nis revitalized!", monName(data, target)) },
            { healedFrom = 0 }
   end
 
   if itemId == "RARE_CANDY" then
     if not target or target.level >= 100 then
-      return "failed", { Strings("It won't have\nany effect.") }
+      return "failed", { noEffect(data) }
     end
     local Growth = require("src.pokemon.Growth")
     local Stats = require("src.pokemon.Stats")
@@ -348,12 +378,13 @@ function ItemEffects.use(data, save, itemId, target, battle, moveIndex, ow)
     -- PIKAHAPPY_LEVELUP on a candy level (item_effects.asm:1540)
     require("src.world.PikachuFollower")
       .modifyHappiness(save, "LEVELUP", target)
-    return "consumed", { Strings("%s grew\nto level %d!", monName(data, target), target.level) },
+    return "consumed", { romText(data, "_RareCandyText",
+      "%s grew\nto level %d!", monName(data, target), target.level) },
            { leveledTo = target.level }
   end
 
   if STONES[itemId] then
-    if not target then return "failed", { Strings("It won't have\nany effect.") } end
+    if not target then return "failed", { noEffect(data) } end
     -- Yellow's starter Pikachu never evolves: ItemUseEvoStone runs
     -- IsThisPartyMonStarterPikachu (OT identity match) before
     -- TryEvolvingMon and bails with the voiced cry + RefusingText.
@@ -363,10 +394,8 @@ function ItemEffects.use(data, save, itemId, target, battle, moveIndex, ow)
        and target.ot == save.player.name
        and target.otId == save.player.id then
       require("src.core.Sound").playCry(data, "PIKACHU")
-      local raw = data.text and data.text._RefusingText
-      local line = raw and raw:gsub("{RAM:[^}]*}", monName(data, target))
-        or Strings("%s\nis refusing!", monName(data, target))
-      return "failed", { line }
+      return "failed", { romText(data, "_RefusingText",
+        "%s\nis refusing!", monName(data, target)) }
     end
     local speciesDef = data.pokemon[target.species]
     for _, evo in ipairs(speciesDef.evolutions) do
@@ -374,44 +403,48 @@ function ItemEffects.use(data, save, itemId, target, battle, moveIndex, ow)
         return "consumed", nil, { evolveTo = evo.species }
       end
     end
-    return "failed", { Strings("It won't have\nany effect.") }
+    return "failed", { noEffect(data) }
   end
 
   -- vitamins: +2560 stat exp, refused at 25600+ (ItemUseVitamin,
   -- engine/items/item_effects.asm)
   local vitaminStat = VITAMINS[itemId]
   if vitaminStat then
-    if not target then return "failed", { Strings("It won't have\nany effect.") } end
+    if not target then return "failed", { noEffect(data) } end
     target.statExp = target.statExp or {}
     local cur = target.statExp[vitaminStat] or 0
     if cur >= 25600 then
-      return "failed", { Strings("It won't have\nany effect.") }
+      return "failed", { noEffect(data) }
     end
     target.statExp[vitaminStat] = math.min(65535, cur + 2560)
     local Stats = require("src.pokemon.Stats")
     target.stats = Stats.calc(data.pokemon[target.species], target.level,
                               target.dvs, target.statExp)
     target.hp = math.min(target.hp, target.stats.hp)
+    -- _VitaminStatRoseText's slot order is localization-dependent (the
+    -- Spanish ROM puts the stat before the name), so the extracted line
+    -- cannot be filled positionally; the engine wording stands
     return "consumed", { Strings("%s's %s\nrose!", monName(data, target),
       vitaminStat == "hp" and "HP" or vitaminStat:upper()) }
   end
 
   -- PP UP boosts the move the player picked (ItemUsePPUp's move menu)
   if itemId == "PP_UP" then
-    if not target then return "failed", { Strings("It won't have\nany effect.") } end
+    if not target then return "failed", { noEffect(data) } end
     local mv = target.moves[moveIndex or 1]
     local mdef = mv and data.moves[mv.id]
     if mdef and (mv.ppUps or 0) < 3 then
       mv.ppUps = (mv.ppUps or 0) + 1
       -- each PP UP adds maxPP/5 uses on top of the base maximum
       mv.pp = mv.pp + math.floor(mdef.pp / 5)
-      return "consumed", { Strings("%s's PP\nincreased!", mdef.name) }
+      return "consumed", { romText(data, "_PPIncreasedText",
+        "%s's PP\nincreased!", mdef.name) }
     end
-    return "failed", { Strings("It won't have\nany effect.") }
+    return "failed", { noEffect(data) }
   end
 
   if itemDef and itemDef.machine then
-    if not target then return "failed", { Strings("It won't have\nany effect.") } end
+    if not target then return "failed", { noEffect(data) } end
     local speciesDef = data.pokemon[target.species]
     local ok = false
     for _, m in ipairs(speciesDef.tmhm) do
@@ -422,11 +455,16 @@ function ItemEffects.use(data, save, itemId, target, battle, moveIndex, ow)
       -- plays SFX_DENIED before MonCannotLearnMachineMoveText (the generic
       -- ItemUseNotTime/NoCyclingAllowedHere paths are silent)
       require("src.core.Sound").play(data, "Denied")
-      return "failed", { Strings("%s can't\nlearn that move!", monName(data, target)) }
+      local moveName = data.moves[itemDef.machine.move].name
+      return "failed", { romText(data, "_MonCannotLearnMachineMoveText",
+        "%s can't\nlearn that move!",
+        monName(data, target), moveName, moveName) }
     end
     for _, mv in ipairs(target.moves) do
       if mv.id == itemDef.machine.move then
-        return "failed", { Strings("It knows that\nmove already!") }
+        return "failed", { romText(data, "_AlreadyKnowsText",
+          "It knows that\nmove already!",
+          monName(data, target), data.moves[itemDef.machine.move].name) }
       end
     end
     -- HMs are never consumed; TMs are single-use
@@ -435,21 +473,21 @@ function ItemEffects.use(data, save, itemId, target, battle, moveIndex, ow)
 
   if itemId == "OLD_ROD" or itemId == "GOOD_ROD" or itemId == "SUPER_ROD" then
     if battle then
-      return "failed", { Strings("OAK: %s!\nThis isn't the\ntime to use that!", save.player.name) }
+      return "failed", { notTime(data, save) }
     end
     -- FishingInit (engine/items/item_effects.asm): cp wWalkBikeSurfState, 2
     -- (surfing) sets carry, and every ItemUseXRod does jp c, ItemUseNotTime
     -- on that carry -- surfing refuses the rod with the same OAK text as
     -- the mid-battle case above, no rod-specific message (#533)
     if ow and ow.player and ow.player.surfing then
-      return "failed", { Strings("OAK: %s!\nThis isn't the\ntime to use that!", save.player.name) }
+      return "failed", { notTime(data, save) }
     end
     return "fish", itemId
   end
 
   if itemId == "BICYCLE" then
     if battle then
-      return "failed", { Strings("OAK: %s!\nThis isn't the\ntime to use that!", save.player.name) }
+      return "failed", { notTime(data, save) }
     end
     return "bicycle"
   end
@@ -459,18 +497,19 @@ function ItemEffects.use(data, save, itemId, target, battle, moveIndex, ow)
   end
   if itemId == "TOWN_MAP" then
     if battle then
-      return "failed", { Strings("OAK: %s!\nThis isn't the\ntime to use that!", save.player.name) }
+      return "failed", { notTime(data, save) }
     end
     return "townmap"
   end
   if itemId == "ITEMFINDER" then
     if battle then
-      return "failed", { Strings("OAK: %s!\nThis isn't the\ntime to use that!", save.player.name) }
+      return "failed", { notTime(data, save) }
     end
     return "itemfinder"
   end
   if itemId == "COIN_CASE" then
-    return "failed", { Strings("Coin count:\n%d", save.coins or 0) }
+    return "failed", { romText(data, "_CoinCaseNumCoinsText",
+      "Coin count:\n%d", save.coins or 0) }
   end
   if itemId == "REPEL" or itemId == "SUPER_REPEL" or itemId == "MAX_REPEL" then
     local steps = itemId == "REPEL" and 100 or itemId == "SUPER_REPEL" and 200 or 250
@@ -478,7 +517,7 @@ function ItemEffects.use(data, save, itemId, target, battle, moveIndex, ow)
     return "consumed", { Strings("%s used\n%s!", save.player.name, name) }
   end
 
-  return "failed", { Strings("OAK: %s!\nThis isn't the\ntime to use that!", save.player.name) }
+  return "failed", { notTime(data, save) }
 end
 
 return ItemEffects
diff --git a/src/mods/ModUpdate.lua b/src/mods/ModUpdate.lua
index ce69328b..ff872232 100644
--- a/src/mods/ModUpdate.lua
+++ b/src/mods/ModUpdate.lua
@@ -102,7 +102,9 @@ function ModUpdate.previewLine(text, maxChars)
   return s
 end
 
--- Decode one GitHub release object into { version, tag, zip, prerelease, body }.
+-- Decode one GitHub release object into { version, tag, zip, prerelease,
+-- name, body, downloads }. `downloads` is the sum of every asset's
+-- download_count, GitHub's own measure of a release's downloads.
 function ModUpdate.parseRelease(doc, modId)
   if type(doc) ~= "table" or not doc.tag_name then
     return nil, "no tag_name in release"
@@ -114,6 +116,13 @@ function ModUpdate.parseRelease(doc, modId)
   local triple = version:match("^(%d+%.%d+%.%d+)")
   local zip = ModUpdate.pickZipAsset(doc.assets, modId, triple)
   local body = type(doc.body) == "string" and doc.body or ""
+  local downloads = 0
+  if type(doc.assets) == "table" then
+    for _, a in ipairs(doc.assets) do
+      local d = type(a) == "table" and tonumber(a.download_count)
+      if d and d > 0 then downloads = downloads + d end
+    end
+  end
   return {
     version = triple,
     tag = tostring(doc.tag_name),
@@ -121,6 +130,8 @@ function ModUpdate.parseRelease(doc, modId)
     prerelease = doc.prerelease == true,
     name = type(doc.name) == "string" and doc.name or triple,
     body = body,
+    downloads = downloads,
+    published = (doc.published_at or doc.created_at or ""):match("^(%d+%-%d+%-%d+)"),
   }
 end
 
@@ -154,7 +165,7 @@ function ModUpdate.parseReleases(jsonText, modId, Json)
 end
 
 function ModUpdate.apiReleasesUrl(repo)
-  return "https://api.github.com/repos/" .. repo .. "/releases?per_page=30"
+  return "https://api.github.com/repos/" .. repo .. "/releases?per_page=100"
 end
 
 function ModUpdate.apiLatestUrl(repo)
@@ -180,6 +191,52 @@ function ModUpdate.pickBest(releases)
   return releases[1]
 end
 
+-- Sum of per-release download counts.  Returns nil when no release carries
+-- the field (a cache entry written before downloads existed), else
+-- { total = <sum>, releases = <release count> } so a caller can tell a
+-- real "0 downloads" apart from "no data yet".
+function ModUpdate.totalDownloads(releases)
+  if type(releases) ~= "table" or #releases == 0 then return nil end
+  local total, hasData = 0, false
+  for _, rel in ipairs(releases) do
+    local d = type(rel) == "table" and tonumber(rel.downloads)
+    if d then
+      hasData = true
+      total = total + d
+    end
+  end
+  if not hasData then return nil end
+  return { total = total, releases = #releases }
+end
+
+-- First and latest release dates ("YYYY-MM-DD", ISO strings compare in
+-- calendar order).  Returns nil when no release carries a date -- same
+-- "no data yet" rule as totalDownloads.
+function ModUpdate.releaseDates(releases)
+  if type(releases) ~= "table" or #releases == 0 then return nil end
+  local first, latest, has = nil, nil, false
+  for _, rel in ipairs(releases) do
+    local p = type(rel) == "table" and rel.published
+    if type(p) == "string" and p ~= "" then
+      has = true
+      if not first or p < first then first = p end
+      if not latest or p > latest then latest = p end
+    end
+  end
+  if not has then return nil end
+  return { first = first, latest = latest }
+end
+
+-- Thousands-separated count for the launcher ("12,345"), plain for small
+-- numbers.  Never throws; garbage in, "0" out.
+function ModUpdate.formatCount(n)
+  n = tonumber(n)
+  if not n or n ~= n or n < 0 then return "0" end
+  local s = tostring(math.floor(n))
+  s = s:reverse():gsub("(%d%d%d)", "%1,"):reverse()
+  return (s:gsub("^,", ""))
+end
+
 -- ------- cache (options.modUpdateCache[repo])
 
 local function cacheStore()
@@ -210,6 +267,22 @@ function ModUpdate.cacheFresh(entry, now, ttl)
     and (now - entry.checkedAt) < ttl
 end
 
+-- A cache entry written before download counts existed carries no
+-- `downloads` on any release.  It is provably stale -- parseRelease always
+-- sets the field now -- so treat it as expired: the next fetch rewrites
+-- the entry in the current format, one refetch per repo, and the launcher's
+-- download line stops hiding behind an old cache.
+function ModUpdate.cacheUsable(cached)
+  if type(cached) ~= "table" or type(cached.releases) ~= "table" then
+    return false
+  end
+  if #cached.releases == 0 then return true end
+  for _, rel in ipairs(cached.releases) do
+    if tonumber(rel.downloads) then return true end
+  end
+  return false
+end
+
 function ModUpdate.writeCache(repo, releases)
   if type(repo) ~= "string" or repo == "" then return false end
   local ok = pcall(function()
@@ -226,6 +299,8 @@ function ModUpdate.writeCache(repo, releases)
         name = rel.name,
         prerelease = rel.prerelease == true,
         body = type(rel.body) == "string" and rel.body or "",
+        downloads = tonumber(rel.downloads) or 0,
+        published = rel.published,
         zip = rel.zip and {
           name = rel.zip.name,
           url = rel.zip.url,
@@ -280,7 +355,7 @@ function ModUpdate.fetchReleases(repo, modId, opts)
   end
   if not opts.force then
     local cached = ModUpdate.readCache(repo)
-    if ModUpdate.cacheFresh(cached) then
+    if ModUpdate.cacheFresh(cached) and ModUpdate.cacheUsable(cached) then
       return cached.releases, nil, { fromCache = true }
     end
   end
diff --git a/src/mods/Schemas.lua b/src/mods/Schemas.lua
index 42f5bc66..ebd1e7f6 100644
--- a/src/mods/Schemas.lua
+++ b/src/mods/Schemas.lua
@@ -1064,6 +1064,12 @@ local function fontIsCharmap(id)
   return tostring(id):match("^charmap:.+$") ~= nil
 end
 
+-- the third id form: "ttf" switches text rendering to a real TTF (the
+-- bundled Plain Pixel when `file` is omitted -- src/render/Font.lua)
+local function fontIsTtf(id)
+  return tostring(id) == "ttf"
+end
+
 R.font = {
   semantics = "record", target = "font",
   value = f.union{
@@ -1071,6 +1077,9 @@ R.font = {
            advance = f.opt(f.int(1)),
            charmap = f.opt(f.list(f.rec{ code = f.int(0), seq = f.str })) },
     f.rec{ seq = f.str, code = f.int(0) },
+    f.rec{ file = f.opt(f.path), size = f.opt(f.int(1)),
+           spacing = f.opt(f.num), yOffset = f.opt(f.num),
+           bold = f.opt(f.bool) },
   },
   extra = function(id, value)
     if fontIsCharmap(id) then
@@ -1080,12 +1089,18 @@ R.font = {
       if type(value.code) ~= "number" then
         return "a charmap: entry needs a code"
       end
+    elseif fontIsTtf(id) then
+      -- every field optional: {} is "the bundled font at its native size"
+      if value.image ~= nil or value.base ~= nil then
+        return 'the "ttf" entry takes file/size/spacing/yOffset/bold, not a page'
+      end
     elseif value.image == nil or value.base == nil then
       return "a font page needs an image and a base"
     end
   end,
   baseAt = function(base, id)
     if fontIsCharmap(id) then return nil end
+    if fontIsTtf(id) then return base.ttf end
     return base.pages and base.pages[id] or nil
   end,
   baseIds = function(base)
@@ -1096,6 +1111,9 @@ R.font = {
   write = function(target, registry)
     local pages = target.pages or {}
     target.pages = pages
+    -- the extractor never emits a ttf entry, so like the charmap rows it is
+    -- rebuilt from the registry each merge: disabling the mod disables it
+    target.ttf = nil
     -- the extractor's rows have no id and stay put; the registry's own are
     -- rebuilt every merge so a re-merge replaces them instead of stacking
     local rows = {}
@@ -1108,6 +1126,8 @@ R.font = {
         if value ~= nil then
           rows[#rows + 1] = { id = id, seq = value.seq, code = value.code }
         end
+      elseif fontIsTtf(id) then
+        target.ttf = value
       else
         pages[id] = value
       end
diff --git a/src/pokemon/Evolution.lua b/src/pokemon/Evolution.lua
index c2df1741..b92352b6 100644
--- a/src/pokemon/Evolution.lua
+++ b/src/pokemon/Evolution.lua
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ local Screens = require("src.ui.Screens")
 local Stats = require("src.pokemon.Stats")
 local TextBox = require("src.render.TextBox")
 local Strings = require("src.core.Strings")
+local romText = require("src.core.RomText")
 
 local Evolution = {}
 
@@ -140,7 +141,8 @@ function Evolution.learnEvolutionMoves(game, mon, onDone)
       table.insert(mon.moves, { id = moveId, pp = mdef.pp })
       Runtime.emit("pokemon.move_learned", { mon = mon, moveId = moveId })
       game.stack:push(TextBox.new(game,
-        Strings("%s learned\n%s!", name, mdef.name), nextStep))
+        romText(game.data, "_LearnedMove1Text",
+          "%s learned\n%s!", name, mdef.name), nextStep))
     else
       -- LearnMoveFromLevelUp with a full moveset: the forget UI
       Screens.push(game, "MoveLearnMenu", mon, moveId, nextStep)
@@ -161,8 +163,12 @@ function Evolution.evolve(game, mon, newSpecies, onDone, via)
   Music.play(game.data, Music.special(game.data, "evolution"))
   local oldName = mon.nickname or game.data.pokemon[mon.species].name
   Evolution.apply(game, mon, newSpecies, via)
-  local msg = Strings("What?\n%s is\nevolving!\fCongratulations!\nYour %s\nevolved into\n%s!",
-                      oldName, oldName, game.data.pokemon[newSpecies].name)
+  -- the congrats page keeps the engine wording: _EvolvedText extracts
+  -- truncated (it stops at a dynamic marker the decoder does not follow)
+  local msg = romText(game.data, "_IsEvolvingText",
+                "What?\n%s is\nevolving!", oldName)
+    .. "\f" .. Strings("Congratulations!\nYour %s\nevolved into\n%s!",
+                 oldName, game.data.pokemon[newSpecies].name)
   game.stack:push(TextBox.new(game, msg, function()
     Music.restoreMap(game.data)
     -- re-run the evolved species' level-up learn check before onDone
diff --git a/src/render/Font.lua b/src/render/Font.lua
index 33f1a97a..7015a3fc 100644
--- a/src/render/Font.lua
+++ b/src/render/Font.lua
@@ -6,6 +6,13 @@
 -- for variable-width text; the default is the GB's flat 8px.
 -- The charmap is matched greedily (longest sequence first) so multi-byte
 -- UTF-8 chars and ligature glyphs like 'd 'l 's map to single glyphs.
+--
+-- A translation may instead set data.font.ttf and render its text through a
+-- real TTF (the bundled Plain Pixel by default), so a script that would need
+-- hundreds of page tiles works out of the box.  Single characters then draw
+-- from the TTF; multi-character charmap sequences (<PK>, the 'd ligatures)
+-- and the sub-0x80 chrome glyphs (borders, arrows) keep their tiles, which
+-- is why the box border never depends on the TTF's coverage.
 
 local Assets = require("src.render.Assets")
 
@@ -13,6 +20,19 @@ local Font = {}
 
 local GLYPH = 8
 
+-- TTF glyph codes are the Unicode codepoint offset far above any page base,
+-- so they flow through the same span/encode/drawCode pipeline as tiles.
+local TTF_BASE = 0x400000
+Font.TTF_BASE = TTF_BASE
+
+-- The engine's bundled TTF (assets/fonts/plainpixel/README.md: CC-BY 4.0,
+-- Douglas Vautour).  data.font.ttf.file overrides for a mod-shipped font.
+-- 15 is the font's design em: its glyphs only rasterize at their true
+-- pixel size (5x11 base, 11x11 double-width) at multiples of 15; at any
+-- other size they downscale unevenly (at 11, M comes out 4px and A 5px).
+Font.PLAINPIXEL = "assets/fonts/plainpixel/PlainPixel-Regular.ttf"
+Font.PLAINPIXEL_SIZE = 15
+
 local state
 local loadedFrom
 
@@ -83,6 +103,42 @@ function Font.load(data)
   Font.BORDER = {}
   for key, code in pairs(Font.DEFAULT_BORDER) do Font.BORDER[key] = code end
   for key, code in pairs(def.border or {}) do Font.BORDER[key] = code end
+
+  -- TTF mode.  All fields optional: {} means "the bundled Plain Pixel at
+  -- its native 11px".  A failed load logs and falls back to tiles, so a
+  -- typo'd path degrades exactly like a missing page image does above.
+  if type(def.ttf) == "table" then
+    local file = def.ttf.file or Font.PLAINPIXEL
+    local ok, obj = pcall(love.graphics.newFont, file,
+                          def.ttf.size or Font.PLAINPIXEL_SIZE, "mono")
+    if ok and obj then
+      -- nearest keeps the pixel font crisp under the integer UI scale
+      if obj.setFilter then pcall(obj.setFilter, obj, "nearest", "nearest") end
+      state.ttf = {
+        font = obj, file = file,
+        -- the font's own advances already carry a 1px gap at its design
+        -- size; spacing adds to (or, negative, takes from) every advance
+        spacing = def.ttf.spacing or 0,
+        -- bold double-prints each glyph at a 1px offset, for fonts whose
+        -- single-pixel strokes read too light against the tile art
+        bold = def.ttf.bold == true,
+        -- glyphs are taller than the 8px cell (11px base, and the em box
+        -- reserves even more for vertical extension); anchor the font's
+        -- baseline to the tile font's, which sits on row 7 of the cell, so
+        -- caps line up and descenders hang below as the GB font's own do
+        yOffset = def.ttf.yOffset or (obj.getBaseline
+          and (GLYPH - 1 - obj:getBaseline()) or (GLYPH - obj:getHeight())),
+        widths = {}, chars = {},
+      }
+    else
+      require("src.core.Logger").warn("font: could not load ttf %q (%s)",
+        tostring(file), tostring(obj))
+    end
+  end
+end
+
+function Font.ttfActive()
+  return state ~= nil and state.ttf ~= nil
 end
 
 -- re-run load against the data it last saw, so hot reload picks up an
@@ -104,6 +160,49 @@ end
 
 local SPACE = 0x7F
 
+-- Decode one UTF-8 sequence: codepoint and the index of its last byte, or
+-- nil on a malformed lead/continuation (the caller falls back to bytes).
+local function utf8Decode(text, i)
+  local b = text:byte(i)
+  if not b then return nil, i end
+  if b < 0x80 then return b, i end
+  local cont, cp
+  if b >= 0xF0 then cont, cp = 3, b - 0xF0
+  elseif b >= 0xE0 then cont, cp = 2, b - 0xE0
+  elseif b >= 0xC0 then cont, cp = 1, b - 0xC0
+  else return nil, i end
+  for k = i + 1, i + cont do
+    local c = text:byte(k)
+    if not c or c < 0x80 or c > 0xBF then return nil, i end
+    cp = cp * 64 + (c - 0x80)
+  end
+  return cp, i + cont
+end
+
+local function utf8Encode(cp)
+  if cp < 0x80 then return string.char(cp) end
+  if cp < 0x800 then
+    return string.char(0xC0 + math.floor(cp / 64), 0x80 + cp % 64)
+  end
+  if cp < 0x10000 then
+    return string.char(0xE0 + math.floor(cp / 4096),
+                       0x80 + math.floor(cp / 64) % 64, 0x80 + cp % 64)
+  end
+  return string.char(0xF0 + math.floor(cp / 262144),
+                     0x80 + math.floor(cp / 4096) % 64,
+                     0x80 + math.floor(cp / 64) % 64, 0x80 + cp % 64)
+end
+
+-- the character a TTF code draws, cached per code
+local function ttfChar(ttf, code)
+  local ch = ttf.chars[code]
+  if not ch then
+    ch = utf8Encode(code - TTF_BASE)
+    ttf.chars[code] = ch
+  end
+  return ch
+end
+
 -- Segment text into glyph spans: `{ from, to, code }` byte ranges, one per
 -- drawn glyph, code nil when the charmap has nothing.  A span is a whole
 -- charmap sequence, so a multi-byte char ("é", "♂") and an ASCII ligature
@@ -119,6 +218,7 @@ local SPACE = 0x7F
 -- boundaries, which is all a headless paginate needs.
 function Font.split(text)
   local spans = {}
+  local ttf = state and state.ttf
   local i, n = 1, #text
   while i <= n do
     local span
@@ -127,11 +227,23 @@ function Font.split(text)
       for _, entry in ipairs(candidates) do
         local len = #entry.seq
         if text:sub(i, i + len - 1) == entry.seq then
+          if ttf then
+            -- single characters belong to the TTF; only multi-character
+            -- sequences (ligatures, <PK> macros) keep their tile mapping
+            local cp, last = utf8Decode(entry.seq, 1)
+            if cp and last == len then break end
+          end
           span = { from = i, to = i + len - 1, code = entry.code }
           break
         end
       end
     end
+    if not span and ttf then
+      local cp, last = utf8Decode(text, i)
+      if cp and cp >= 0x20 then
+        span = { from = i, to = last, code = TTF_BASE + cp }
+      end
+    end
     if not span then
       -- Nothing matched.  Still keep a UTF-8 sequence whole, so a cut never
       -- lands mid-character even for a glyph we cannot draw.
@@ -185,14 +297,37 @@ function Font.encode(text)
 end
 
 function Font.drawCode(code, x, y)
+  local ttf = state and state.ttf
+  if ttf and code >= TTF_BASE then
+    local prev = love.graphics.getFont()
+    love.graphics.setFont(ttf.font)
+    local ch = ttfChar(ttf, code)
+    love.graphics.print(ch, x, y + ttf.yOffset)
+    if ttf.bold then love.graphics.print(ch, x + 1, y + ttf.yOffset) end
+    if prev then love.graphics.setFont(prev) end
+    return
+  end
   local page = pageFor(code)
   if not page then return end
   local quad = page.quads[code - page.base]
   if quad then love.graphics.draw(page.image, quad, x, y) end
 end
 
--- how far the pen moves past a glyph; 8 unless its page says otherwise
+-- how far the pen moves past a glyph; 8 unless its page says otherwise.
+-- TTF glyphs answer with the font's own metrics (5px base, 11px for
+-- double-width kana/CJK in Plain Pixel), which is what makes TextBox's
+-- pixel-budget pagination fit more of a narrow script per line.
 function Font.advanceOf(code)
+  local ttf = state and state.ttf
+  if ttf and code >= TTF_BASE then
+    local w = ttf.widths[code]
+    if not w then
+      w = ttf.font:getWidth(ttfChar(ttf, code)) + ttf.spacing
+        + (ttf.bold and 1 or 0)
+      ttf.widths[code] = w
+    end
+    return w
+  end
   local page = pageFor(code)
   return page and page.advance or GLYPH
 end
diff --git a/src/render/TextBox.lua b/src/render/TextBox.lua
index df502512..43696871 100644
--- a/src/render/TextBox.lua
+++ b/src/render/TextBox.lua
@@ -370,8 +370,12 @@ function TextBox:draw()
   local ys = { self.line1Y, self.line2Y }
   for i, line in ipairs(self.shown) do
     local y = (ys[i] or self.line2Y) + (i == 1 and off or 0)
-    for j, code in ipairs(line) do
-      Font.drawCode(code, self.textX + (j - 1) * 8, y)
+    -- the pen advances per glyph, matching the pixel budget paginate
+    -- measured with; every fixed-width page still lands on the 8px grid
+    local pen = self.textX
+    for _, code in ipairs(line) do
+      Font.drawCode(code, pen, y)
+      pen = pen + Font.advanceOf(code)
     end
   end
   if (self.waiting or (self.done and not self.choice and not self.auto
diff --git a/src/save_convert/GenSave.lua b/src/save_convert/GenSave.lua
index 06d170fc..8c226292 100644
--- a/src/save_convert/GenSave.lua
+++ b/src/save_convert/GenSave.lua
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ local function decodeName(bytes, off, len)
   return table.concat(out)
 end
 
-local function encodeName(buf, off, len, text)
+local function encodeName(buf, off, len, text, padTail)
   local i, pos = 0, 1
   while i < len - 1 and pos <= #text do
     -- a bracketed control token (e.g. "<DOT>", from decodeName reading a
@@ -259,16 +259,17 @@ local function encodeName(buf, off, len, text)
     setByte(buf, off + i, charmap.byToken[ch] or charmap.byToken["?"] or 0x50)
     i, pos = i + 1, pos + clen
   end
-  -- Write exactly ONE $50 terminator and then $50-pad the rest of the
-  -- field: every real save the naming screen ever wrote fills the tail
-  -- with $50, and a zero tail is what PKHeX renders as garbage glyphs
-  -- after the name ("JOHN{}", #206).  Template bytes that are NOT zero
-  -- stay untouched, so an unchanged name still round-trips
-  -- byte-identical and stale template data survives.
+  -- Write exactly ONE $50 terminator.  The tail past it is $50-padded only
+  -- on a templateless (engine-origin) export, where the zero-filled buffer
+  -- is what PKHeX renders as garbage glyphs after the name ("JOHN{}", #206).
+  -- With a template the tail keeps the original save's bytes verbatim --
+  -- real cartridge saves legitimately hold 0x00 (and other stale glyph)
+  -- bytes after the terminator, and rewriting any of them broke the
+  -- import->export byte-identical round trip (the game and PKHeX both stop
+  -- reading at the terminator, so preserved tails are always safe).
   if i < len then setByte(buf, off + i, 0x50) end
-  for j = i + 1, len - 1 do
-    local cur = buf[off + j + 1]
-    if cur == nil or cur:byte() == 0 then setByte(buf, off + j, 0x50) end
+  if padTail then
+    for j = i + 1, len - 1 do setByte(buf, off + j, 0x50) end
   end
 end
 
@@ -781,8 +782,9 @@ function GenSave.encode(save, data, template)
     for i = 1, GenSave.SAVE_SIZE do buf[i] = zero end
   end
 
-  encodeName(buf, O.playerName, NAME_LENGTH, (save.player and save.player.name) or "RED")
-  encodeName(buf, O.rivalName, NAME_LENGTH, (save.player and save.player.rival) or "BLUE")
+  local padTail = not src
+  encodeName(buf, O.playerName, NAME_LENGTH, (save.player and save.player.name) or "RED", padTail)
+  encodeName(buf, O.rivalName, NAME_LENGTH, (save.player and save.player.rival) or "BLUE", padTail)
   setU16be(buf, O.playerId, (save.player and save.player.id) or 0)
   -- wOptions (engine/menus/main_menu.asm InitOptions): bit 7 = battle
   -- effects OFF, bit 6 = SET style, bits 2-0 = text speed -- the recomp's
@@ -875,11 +877,11 @@ function GenSave.encode(save, data, template)
     encodeMon(buf, O.partyMons + i * PARTY_STRUCT_SIZE, mon, true, cw)
     setByte(buf, O.partySpecies + i, cw.pokemonIndex[mon.species] or 0)
     encodeName(buf, O.partyMonOT + i * NAME_LENGTH, NAME_LENGTH,
-              mon.ot or (save.player and save.player.name) or "RED")
+              mon.ot or (save.player and save.player.name) or "RED", padTail)
     -- no nickname stores the species' DISPLAY name, not its ROM constant id
     -- ("NIDORAN_M" would charmap the "_" to "?") (#257)
     encodeName(buf, O.partyMonNicks + i * NAME_LENGTH, NAME_LENGTH,
-              mon.nickname or speciesName(cw, mon.species))
+              mon.nickname or speciesName(cw, mon.species), padTail)
   end
   -- $FF-terminate the species index list right after the last real mon. The
   -- struct, OT-name and nickname bytes of the empty slots past partyN are left
@@ -900,9 +902,9 @@ function GenSave.encode(save, data, template)
       encodeMon(buf, base + 22 + i * BOX_STRUCT_SIZE, mon, false, cw)
       setByte(buf, base + 1 + i, cw.pokemonIndex[mon.species] or 0)
       encodeName(buf, base + 22 + MONS_PER_BOX * BOX_STRUCT_SIZE + i * NAME_LENGTH, NAME_LENGTH,
-                mon.ot or (save.player and save.player.name) or "RED")
+                mon.ot or (save.player and save.player.name) or "RED", padTail)
       encodeName(buf, base + 22 + MONS_PER_BOX * (BOX_STRUCT_SIZE + NAME_LENGTH) + i * NAME_LENGTH, NAME_LENGTH,
-                mon.nickname or speciesName(cw, mon.species))  -- #257, as above
+                mon.nickname or speciesName(cw, mon.species), padTail)  -- #257, as above
     end
     -- $FF-terminate the species list after the last real mon; empty slots past
     -- n keep their template bytes (byte-identical round-trip) or zero (fresh
diff --git a/src/ui/EvolutionState.lua b/src/ui/EvolutionState.lua
index 5954d553..c6aebd0c 100644
--- a/src/ui/EvolutionState.lua
+++ b/src/ui/EvolutionState.lua
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 local Font = require("src.render.Font")
 local Music = require("src.core.Music")
 local Strings = require("src.core.Strings")
+local romText = require("src.core.RomText")
 
 local EvolutionState = {}
 EvolutionState.__index = EvolutionState
@@ -89,9 +90,9 @@ function EvolutionState:update(dt)
     self.done = true
     self.canceled = true
     local TextBox = require("src.render.TextBox")
-    -- mirrors data/generated/text.lua _StoppedEvolvingText
     game.stack:push(TextBox.new(game,
-      Strings("Huh? %s\nstopped evolving!", self.oldName),
+      romText(game.data, "_StoppedEvolvingText",
+        "Huh? %s\nstopped evolving!", self.oldName),
       function()
         Music.restoreMap(game.data)
         game.stack:pop() -- the evolution screen itself
@@ -106,6 +107,8 @@ function EvolutionState:update(dt)
     require("src.core.Sound").playCry(game.data, self.newSpecies)
     local TextBox = require("src.render.TextBox")
     local newName = game.data.pokemon[self.newSpecies].name
+    -- _EvolvedText extracts truncated (it stops at a dynamic marker the
+    -- decoder does not follow), so the engine's wording stands here
     game.stack:push(TextBox.new(game,
       Strings("Congratulations!\nYour %s\nevolved into\n%s!",
               self.oldName, newName),
diff --git a/src/ui/MoveLearnMenu.lua b/src/ui/MoveLearnMenu.lua
index 222f7f1c..f32a60de 100644
--- a/src/ui/MoveLearnMenu.lua
+++ b/src/ui/MoveLearnMenu.lua
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 local Font = require("src.render.Font")
 local Strings = require("src.core.Strings")
+local romText = require("src.core.RomText")
 
 local MoveLearnMenu = {}
 MoveLearnMenu.__index = MoveLearnMenu
@@ -43,10 +44,13 @@ function MoveLearnMenu:enter()
   local mdef = game.data.moves[self.newMoveId]
   local name = self:monName()
   self.selecting = false
+  -- _TryingToLearnText is the whole exchange in pokered, delete prompt
+  -- included, so the extracted line carries all four slots at once
   game.stack:push(TextBox.new(game,
-    Strings("%s is\ntrying to learn\v%s!\fBut, %s\ncan't learn more\vthan 4 moves!\f",
-            name, mdef.name, name) ..
-    Strings("Delete an older\nmove to make room\vfor %s?", mdef.name),
+    romText(game.data, "_TryingToLearnText",
+      "%s is\ntrying to learn\v%s!\fBut, %s\ncan't learn more\vthan 4 moves!\f"
+      .. "Delete an older\nmove to make room\vfor %s?",
+      name, mdef.name, name, mdef.name),
     nil, {
       choice = function(yes)
         if yes then
@@ -77,7 +81,8 @@ function MoveLearnMenu:update(dt)
         -- HMCantDeleteText, then back to the forget list
         local TextBox = require("src.render.TextBox")
         self.game.stack:push(TextBox.new(self.game,
-          Strings("HM techniques\ncan't be deleted!")))
+          romText(self.game.data, "_HMCantDeleteText",
+            "HM techniques\ncan't be deleted!")))
         return
       end
       local mdef = self.game.data.moves[self.newMoveId]
@@ -97,7 +102,8 @@ function MoveLearnMenu:confirmAbandon()
   local mdef = game.data.moves[self.newMoveId]
   self.selecting = false
   game.stack:push(TextBox.new(game,
-    Strings("Abandon learning\n%s?", mdef.name), nil, {
+    romText(game.data, "_AbandonLearningText",
+      "Abandon learning\n%s?", mdef.name), nil, {
       choice = function(yes)
         if yes then self:finish(false) else self:enter() end
       end,
@@ -113,12 +119,17 @@ function MoveLearnMenu:finish(learned)
   game.stack:pop()
   local msg
   if learned then
-    -- OneTwoAndText/PoofText/ForgotAndText
-    msg = Strings("1, 2 and... Poof!\f%s forgot\n%s!\fAnd...\f%s learned\n%s!",
-                  name, self.forgot, name, mdef.name)
+    -- pokered pages this as four texts in a row; _ForgotAndText carries
+    -- the "And..." tail
+    msg = romText(game.data, "_OneTwoAndText", "1, 2 and...")
+      .. romText(game.data, "_PoofText", " Poof!")
+      .. romText(game.data, "_ForgotAndText",
+           "\f%s forgot\n%s!\fAnd...", name, self.forgot)
+      .. "\f" .. romText(game.data, "_LearnedMove1Text",
+           "%s learned\n%s!", name, mdef.name)
   else
-    -- DidNotLearnText
-    msg = Strings("%s\ndid not learn\v%s!", name, mdef.name)
+    msg = romText(game.data, "_DidNotLearnText",
+      "%s\ndid not learn\v%s!", name, mdef.name)
   end
   game.stack:push(TextBox.new(game, msg, function()
     if self.onDone then self.onDone(learned) end
diff --git a/tests/drivers/plainpixel_font_test.lua b/tests/drivers/plainpixel_font_test.lua
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f6b42e7b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/drivers/plainpixel_font_test.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+-- Driver: TTF text mode through the bundled Plain Pixel font.  Teleports
+-- straight into the overworld (no intro) and shows one dialogue line per
+-- language back to back, shooting each: lang_english.png, lang_french.png,
+-- lang_german.png, lang_spanish.png, lang_russian.png, lang_japanese.png,
+-- lang_chinese.png in SHOT_DIR.  Judge glyph coverage, spacing, baseline,
+-- and that the tile box border survives every one of them.
+--   POKEPORT_DRIVER=tests/drivers/plainpixel_font_test.lua \
+--     POKEPORT_IDENTITY=ttfdemo POKEPORT_TOUCH=0 POKEPORT_VERSION=red \
+--     SHOT_DIR=/tmp/shots love .
+return function(game)
+  local U = dofile("tests/drivers/util.lua")
+  local DIR = os.getenv("SHOT_DIR") or "/tmp/shots"
+  local Font = require("src.render.Font")
+  local TextBox = require("src.render.TextBox")
+
+  local function check(label, ok)
+    U.log(ok and "PASS" or "FAIL", label)
+    return ok
+  end
+
+  -- ---- preconditions -----------------------------------------------------
+  check("the bundled TTF is present",
+        love.filesystem.getInfo(Font.PLAINPIXEL) ~= nil)
+  local okLoad, ttf = pcall(love.graphics.newFont, Font.PLAINPIXEL,
+                            Font.PLAINPIXEL_SIZE)
+  check("real LOVE can load it", okLoad and ttf ~= nil)
+
+  game.save.player.name = "bryan"
+  U.teleport(game, "PALLET_TOWN", 10, 8, "down")
+  U.wait(10)
+
+  -- what a translation's register("ttf", {}) merges to
+  game.data.font.ttf = {}
+  Font.invalidate()
+  check("ttf active after the merge", Font.ttfActive())
+
+  local LINES = {
+    { "english", "The quick brown fox\njumps over the lazy dog!" },
+    { "french", "Un \195\169clair enveloppe le\nPOK\195\169MON sauvage! \195\135a alors!" },
+    { "german", "Gr\195\182\195\159e und Gewicht des\nPOK\195\169MON \195\188berpr\195\188ft!" },
+    { "spanish", "\194\161El POK\195\169MON enemigo\nest\195\161 paralizado! \194\191Y ahora?" },
+    { "russian", "\208\148\208\184\208\186\208\184\208\185 "
+        .. "\208\159\208\158\208\154\208\149\208\156\208\158\208\157 "
+        .. "\208\191\208\190\209\143\208\178\208\184\208\187\209\129\209\143!" },
+    { "japanese", "\227\129\147\227\130\147\227\129\171\227\129\161\227\129\175! "
+        .. "\227\131\157\227\130\177\227\131\162\227\131\179\227\129\174\n"
+        .. "\227\129\155\227\129\139\227\129\132\227\129\184 "
+        .. "\227\130\136\227\129\134\227\129\147\227\129\157!" },
+    -- NB: Plain Pixel 0.009's CJK block is partial (e.g. U+62D3, U+5922
+    -- draw as tofu); stick to characters it covers
+    { "chinese", "\228\189\160\229\165\189! \230\136\145\230\152\175"
+        .. "\229\164\167\229\178\169\229\141\154\229\163\171!" },
+  }
+
+  for _, entry in ipairs(LINES) do
+    local name, text = entry[1], entry[2]
+    local done = false
+    local box = TextBox.new(game, text, function() done = true end)
+    game.stack:push(box)
+    -- let the typewriter finish the page before shooting it
+    for _ = 1, 300 do
+      if box.waiting or box.done then break end
+      U.wait(1)
+    end
+    U.wait(5)
+    U.shot(game, DIR .. "/lang_" .. name .. ".png")
+    for _ = 1, 20 do
+      if done then break end
+      U.tap(game, "a")
+      U.wait(10)
+    end
+    U.wait(5)
+    check("dismissed " .. name, done)
+  end
+
+  game.data.font.ttf = nil
+  Font.invalidate()
+  check("clearing the entry restores tile mode", not Font.ttfActive())
+
+  U.log("shots in", DIR)
+  U.log("DONE")
+  love.event.quit(0)
+end
diff --git a/tests/engine/flexlove_wheel_scroll_dt0.lua b/tests/engine/flexlove_wheel_scroll_dt0.lua
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..825146d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/engine/flexlove_wheel_scroll_dt0.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+-- Wheel scrolling must survive the launcher's immediate-mode frame order:
+-- FlexLove.update(dt) runs in love.update, but beginFrame (in draw) resets
+-- the accumulated dt to 0 BEFORE endFrame updates the elements, so
+-- ScrollManager:update always receives dt = 0 there. The smooth-scroll
+-- interpolation must still advance (it once used a fixed per-frame
+-- fraction; the dt-aware blend has to treat dt <= 0 as one nominal 60 Hz
+-- step, or every launcher list stops responding to the wheel entirely).
+package.path = "./?.lua;./?/init.lua;" .. package.path
+if not _G.love then _G.love = require("tests.love_stub") end
+love.window.getMode = function() return 1024, 768, { fullscreen = false } end
+love.window.getDesktopDimensions = function() return 1920, 1080 end
+love.mouse = love.mouse or {}
+love.mouse.getPosition = function() return 100, 100 end
+love.mouse.isDown = love.mouse.isDown or function() return false end
+package.loaded["libs.flexlove.modules.UTF8"] = {
+  char = string.char, charpattern = ".", codepoint = string.byte,
+  len = string.len, offset = function(_, n) return n end,
+  codes = function(s)
+    local i = 0
+    return function() i = i + 1; if i <= #s then return i, s:byte(i) end end
+  end,
+}
+
+local T = require("tests.modkit")
+local FlexLove = require("libs.flexlove.FlexLove")
+FlexLove.init({
+  immediateMode = true,
+  performanceMonitoring = false,
+  keyboardNavigation = false,
+})
+
+-- One launcher-shaped frame: update BEFORE beginFrame, exactly like
+-- LauncherView.update / draw, so endFrame sees _accumulatedDt == 0.
+local function frame(wheelAfterBuild)
+  FlexLove.update(1 / 60)
+  FlexLove.beginFrame()
+  local scroller = FlexLove.new({
+    id = "scroller", x = 0, y = 0, width = 400, height = 300,
+    overflowY = "scroll", hideScrollbars = true,
+    smoothScrollEnabled = true, scrollSpeed = 60,
+    positioning = "flex", flexDirection = "vertical",
+  })
+  for i = 1, 30 do
+    FlexLove.new({ parent = scroller, id = "row" .. i, width = 380, height = 40 })
+  end
+  FlexLove.endFrame()
+  if wheelAfterBuild then FlexLove.wheelmoved(0, -1) end
+  local sm = scroller._scrollManager
+  return sm and sm._scrollY or nil, sm and sm._targetScrollY or nil
+end
+
+for _ = 1, 3 do frame(false) end
+local y0, t0 = frame(true)
+T.eq(t0, 60, "one wheel notch targets one scrollSpeed step")
+T.eq(y0, 0, "the notch lands on the frame after input, not the same one")
+
+local y = y0
+for _ = 1, 5 do y = frame(false) end
+T.check(y ~= nil and y > 30, "smooth scroll advances past halfway within 5 dt=0 frames")
+for _ = 1, 60 do y = frame(false) end
+T.check(y ~= nil and math.abs(y - 60) < 1, "and converges on the target")
+
+T.finish("flexlove wheel scroll at dt=0")
diff --git a/tests/engine/launcher_nx_pad_cursor_test.lua b/tests/engine/launcher_nx_pad_cursor_test.lua
index 8e27bffd..eea416b1 100644
--- a/tests/engine/launcher_nx_pad_cursor_test.lua
+++ b/tests/engine/launcher_nx_pad_cursor_test.lua
@@ -253,8 +253,10 @@ do
     "NX guard disables Performance.enabled")
   check(view:find("mp.enabled = false", 1, true) ~= nil,
     "NX guard disables memory profiling")
-  check(view:find("if not (imp and imp.isNX", 1, true) ~= nil,
-    "perf guard is gated on imp.isNX")
+  -- The guard used to be NX-only; the same perf-timer and GC hitches showed
+  -- up in desktop scrolling, so it now applies on every platform.
+  check(view:find("if not (imp and FlexLove.isReady()", 1, true) ~= nil,
+    "perf guard applies on every platform (not gated on imp.isNX)")
   check(view:find("parkNxPointerForHost", 1, true) ~= nil,
     "detach parks NX pointer before tearing down")
 
diff --git a/tests/engine/mod_update_tests.lua b/tests/engine/mod_update_tests.lua
index 759d2f18..ae7c2c00 100644
--- a/tests/engine/mod_update_tests.lua
+++ b/tests/engine/mod_update_tests.lua
@@ -108,4 +108,133 @@ do
   check(preview:find("Changes", 1, true), "previewLine keeps heading text")
 end
 
+-- downloads: per-release sum over every asset's download_count
+do
+  local body = Json.encode({
+    {
+      tag_name = "v1.2.0",
+      assets = {
+        { name = "demo-1.2.0.zip", browser_download_url = "https://x/d.zip",
+          size = 99, download_count = 41 },
+        { name = "demo-1.2.0.sha256", browser_download_url = "https://x/d.sha",
+          download_count = 9 },
+      },
+    },
+  })
+  local list = ModUpdate.parseReleases(body, "demo")
+  eq(list[1].downloads, 50, "downloads sums every asset, not just the zip")
+end
+
+-- published: the release date is kept as an ISO day
+do
+  local body = Json.encode({
+    { tag_name = "v1.2.0", published_at = "2025-04-13T09:24:00Z",
+      assets = { { name = "demo-1.2.0.zip",
+        browser_download_url = "https://x/d.zip" } } },
+  })
+  local list = ModUpdate.parseReleases(body, "demo")
+  eq(list[1].published, "2025-04-13", "published_at is reduced to the day")
+  local noDate = ModUpdate.parseReleases(Json.encode({
+    { tag_name = "v1.0.0",
+      assets = { { name = "demo-1.0.0.zip",
+        browser_download_url = "https://x/d.zip" } } },
+  }), "demo")
+  check(noDate[1].published == nil, "missing dates stay nil, never throw")
+end
+
+-- releaseDates: first and latest across releases
+do
+  local d = ModUpdate.releaseDates({
+    { version = "1.0.0", published = "2024-05-31" },
+    { version = "1.2.0", published = "2025-11-02" },
+    { version = "1.1.0", published = "2025-01-15" },
+  })
+  eq(d.first, "2024-05-31", "first is the oldest release date")
+  eq(d.latest, "2025-11-02", "latest is the newest release date")
+  check(ModUpdate.releaseDates({ { version = "1.0.0" } }) == nil,
+    "releases without dates report no data")
+  check(ModUpdate.releaseDates({}) == nil, "empty list reports no data")
+  check(ModUpdate.releaseDates(nil) == nil, "nil list reports no data")
+end
+
+-- totalDownloads: totals across releases; nil until data actually exists
+do
+  local new = {
+    { version = "1.0.0", downloads = 41 },
+    { version = "1.1.0", downloads = 9 },
+  }
+  local dl = ModUpdate.totalDownloads(new)
+  eq(dl.total, 50, "totals across releases")
+  eq(dl.releases, 2, "counts the releases")
+  dl = ModUpdate.totalDownloads({ { version = "1.0.0", downloads = 0 } })
+  eq(dl.total, 0, "a real zero stays zero")
+  dl = ModUpdate.totalDownloads({ { version = "1.0.0" } })
+  check(dl == nil, "pre-downloads cache rows report no data")
+  check(ModUpdate.totalDownloads({}) == nil, "empty list reports no data")
+  check(ModUpdate.totalDownloads(nil) == nil, "nil list reports no data")
+end
+
+-- formatCount: thousands separators, never throws
+eq(ModUpdate.formatCount(0), "0", "zero formats plain")
+eq(ModUpdate.formatCount(999), "999", "below 1000 formats plain")
+eq(ModUpdate.formatCount(1000), "1,000", "1000 gets a separator")
+eq(ModUpdate.formatCount(1234567), "1,234,567", "large counts group by 3")
+eq(ModUpdate.formatCount("12345"), "12,345", "numeric strings are accepted")
+eq(ModUpdate.formatCount(nil), "0", "nil formats as zero")
+eq(ModUpdate.formatCount("garbage"), "0", "garbage formats as zero")
+
+-- cacheUsable: a cache entry from before downloads existed must not be
+-- trusted, everything current is
+do
+  local old = { checkedAt = os.time(),
+    releases = { { version = "1.0.0", tag = "v1.0.0" } } }
+  check(not ModUpdate.cacheUsable(old), "pre-downloads cache is unusable")
+  local zero = { checkedAt = os.time(),
+    releases = { { version = "1.0.0", downloads = 0 } } }
+  check(ModUpdate.cacheUsable(zero), "current cache is usable even at zero")
+  check(ModUpdate.cacheUsable({ checkedAt = os.time(), releases = {} }),
+    "empty release list stays usable")
+  check(not ModUpdate.cacheUsable(nil), "nil cache is unusable")
+  check(not ModUpdate.cacheUsable({}), "cache without releases is unusable")
+end
+
+-- fetchReleases: an old-format cache entry is refetched once and rewritten
+-- in the current format; a current one is served untouched
+do
+  local HostShell = require("src.core.HostShell")
+  local realRead, realWrite = ModUpdate.readCache, ModUpdate.writeCache
+  local realCanFetch, realHttpGet = HostShell.canFetch, HostShell.httpGet
+  local cached, fetched
+  ModUpdate.readCache = function() return cached end
+  ModUpdate.writeCache = function(repo, releases)
+    fetched = releases
+    return true
+  end
+  HostShell.canFetch = function() return true end
+  HostShell.httpGet = function()
+    return Json.encode({ {
+      tag_name = "v1.0.0",
+      assets = { { name = "demo-1.0.0.zip",
+        browser_download_url = "https://x/d.zip", download_count = 7 } },
+    } })
+  end
+
+  cached = { checkedAt = os.time(),
+    releases = { { version = "1.0.0", tag = "v1.0.0" } } }
+  fetched = nil
+  local list = ModUpdate.fetchReleases("acme/mod", "demo")
+  check(fetched ~= nil, "old-format cache triggers a refetch")
+  check(list[1].downloads == 7, "refetched release carries downloads")
+
+  cached = { checkedAt = os.time(),
+    releases = { { version = "1.0.0", tag = "v1.0.0", downloads = 0 } } }
+  fetched = nil
+  list = ModUpdate.fetchReleases("acme/mod", "demo")
+  check(fetched == nil, "current cache is served without refetch")
+  check(list[1].downloads == 0, "cached zero stays zero")
+
+  ModUpdate.readCache, ModUpdate.writeCache = realRead, realWrite
+  HostShell.canFetch, HostShell.httpGet = realCanFetch, realHttpGet
+end
+
 print("ok mod_update_tests")
diff --git a/tests/engine/ttf_font_mode.lua b/tests/engine/ttf_font_mode.lua
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3f4a4219
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/engine/ttf_font_mode.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,183 @@
+-- TTF TEXT MODE: a translation registers `font:register("ttf", {})` and the
+-- engine renders ordinary characters through a real TTF (the bundled Plain
+-- Pixel, assets/fonts/plainpixel/) instead of demanding a hand-drawn glyph
+-- page per script.  The contracts under test:
+--
+--   * with no ttf entry nothing changes: vanilla text stays tile-for-tile
+--     identical (the same guarantee Strings makes for an absent catalog);
+--   * with it, single characters become TTF glyph codes while multi-char
+--     charmap sequences (<PK> macros, the 'd ligatures) and the sub-0x80
+--     box chrome keep their tiles, so borders never depend on TTF coverage;
+--   * advances come from the font's metrics (5px Latin, 11px double-width
+--     kana/CJK in Plain Pixel), which TextBox's pixel-budget paginate and
+--     its per-glyph draw pen both honor;
+--   * the "ttf" id is a legal font-registry entry and merges to
+--     data.font.ttf, rebuilt each merge so disabling the mod disables it.
+--
+--   luajit tests/engine/ttf_font_mode.lua
+
+package.path = "./?.lua;./?/init.lua;" .. package.path
+
+local T = require("tests.modkit")
+local Font = require("src.render.Font")
+
+local BASE = Font.TTF_BASE
+
+-- a charmap with a single-char entry, a multi-byte single char, and a
+-- two-char ligature: the three shapes split() has to tell apart
+local CHARMAP = {
+  { code = 0x80, seq = "A" },
+  { code = 0xBA, seq = "\195\169" },   -- é
+  { code = 0xD0, seq = "'d" },
+}
+
+-- ------------------------------------------------- vanilla stays vanilla
+
+Font.load({ font = { charmap = CHARMAP } })
+T.check(not Font.ttfActive(), "no ttf entry means tile mode")
+T.eq(Font.encode("A")[1], 0x80, "charmap keeps mapping to tiles")
+T.eq(Font.advanceOf(0x80), 8, "and the pen stays 8px monospace")
+
+-- ------------------------------------------------- the ttf takes over
+
+Font.load({ font = { charmap = CHARMAP, ttf = {} } })
+T.check(Font.ttfActive(), "an empty ttf table loads the bundled font")
+
+T.eq(Font.encode("A")[1], BASE + 65,
+  "a single character routes to the TTF even with a charmap entry")
+T.eq(Font.encode("\195\169")[1], BASE + 0xE9,
+  "a multi-byte single character does too")
+T.eq(Font.encode("'d")[1], 0xD0,
+  "a multi-character ligature keeps its tile glyph")
+T.eq(#Font.encode("'d"), 1, "and still consumes the whole sequence")
+T.eq(Font.encode("\227\129\130")[1], BASE + 0x3042,
+  "kana with no charmap entry at all still gets a glyph")
+
+-- metrics come straight from the font object (the stub: half the point
+-- size per codepoint, doubled from U+1000 up, mimicking Plain Pixel's
+-- single/double width split)
+local latin = Font.advanceOf(BASE + 65)
+local kana = Font.advanceOf(BASE + 0x3042)
+T.check(latin > 0, "a TTF glyph reports a positive advance")
+T.eq(kana, latin * 2, "double-width kana advances twice a Latin glyph")
+T.eq(Font.width("AB"), latin * 2, "width() sums TTF advances")
+T.eq(Font.draw("AB", 0, 0), latin * 2, "draw() returns the same pen travel")
+
+-- border chrome stays on tiles: below every page base here, drawCode must
+-- not touch the TTF path (nothing to assert beyond "does not blow up",
+-- because with no page image loaded the tile path draws nothing)
+Font.drawCode(Font.BORDER.tl, 0, 0)
+
+-- ------------------------------------------------- draw details
+
+-- drawCode prints through the TTF at the configured vertical offset
+-- (default bottom-aligns the tall glyph to the 8px cell) and restores
+-- whatever font the caller had set
+do
+  local g = love.graphics
+  local prints = {}
+  local oldPrint, oldSetFont = g.print, g.setFont
+  local marker = { marker = true }
+  g.setFont(marker)
+  g.print = function(text, x, y) prints[#prints + 1] = { text = text, x = x, y = y } end
+  Font.drawCode(BASE + 65, 10, 20)
+  g.print = oldPrint
+  T.eq(#prints, 1, "a TTF code draws through one love.graphics.print")
+  T.eq(prints[1].text, "A", "printing the character it encodes")
+  T.eq(prints[1].x, 10, "at the pen x")
+  -- stub baseline is px - 2 = 13 at the size-15 default; tile row 7
+  T.eq(prints[1].y, 20 + (7 - 13), "baseline-aligned to row 7 of the cell")
+  T.eq(g.getFont(), marker, "the caller's font is restored")
+  g.setFont = oldSetFont
+end
+
+-- bold = true double-prints at a 1px offset and widens the advance
+Font.load({ font = { charmap = {}, ttf = { bold = true } } })
+do
+  local g = love.graphics
+  local prints = {}
+  local oldPrint = g.print
+  g.print = function(_, x) prints[#prints + 1] = x end
+  Font.drawCode(BASE + 65, 10, 20)
+  g.print = oldPrint
+  T.eq(#prints, 2, "bold prints twice")
+  T.eq(prints[2], 11, "the second pass sits 1px over")
+  T.eq(Font.advanceOf(BASE + 65), latin + 1, "and the advance grows with it")
+end
+Font.load({ font = { charmap = CHARMAP, ttf = {} } })
+
+-- spacing and yOffset are honored when a mod tunes them
+Font.load({ font = { charmap = {}, ttf = { spacing = 2, yOffset = -2 } } })
+T.eq(Font.advanceOf(BASE + 65), latin + 2, "spacing pads every advance")
+do
+  local g = love.graphics
+  local y
+  local oldPrint = g.print
+  g.print = function(_, _, py) y = py end
+  Font.drawCode(BASE + 65, 0, 20)
+  g.print = oldPrint
+  T.eq(y, 18, "yOffset overrides the bottom-align default")
+end
+
+-- a bad file degrades to tile mode instead of crashing the boot
+Font.load({ font = { charmap = CHARMAP,
+                     ttf = { file = "no/such/font.ttf" } } })
+T.check(not Font.ttfActive(), "an unloadable ttf falls back to tiles")
+T.eq(Font.encode("A")[1], 0x80, "and the charmap works as if never asked")
+
+-- ------------------------------------------------- TextBox draws with it
+
+-- the dialogue box pen must advance per glyph (it measured that way in
+-- paginate all along); with the TTF active a line of 5px glyphs would
+-- otherwise be drawn spread across the 8px grid
+Font.load({ font = { charmap = CHARMAP, ttf = {} } })
+do
+  local TextBox = require("src.render.TextBox")
+  local box = setmetatable({
+    boxTx = 0, boxTy = 12, boxTw = 20, boxTh = 6,
+    textX = 8, line1Y = 112, line2Y = 128,
+    shown = { Font.encode("AB'd") }, blink = 0,
+  }, TextBox)
+  local pens = {}
+  local oldDraw = Font.drawCode
+  Font.drawCode = function(code, x, y)
+    if code >= BASE or code == 0xD0 then pens[#pens + 1] = { code = code, x = x } end
+  end
+  box:draw()
+  Font.drawCode = oldDraw
+  T.eq(#pens, 3, "three glyphs drawn for AB'd")
+  T.eq(pens[1].x, 8, "the pen starts at textX")
+  T.eq(pens[2].x, 8 + latin, "and moves by the TTF advance, not 8px")
+  T.eq(pens[3].x, 8 + latin * 2, "the ligature tile sits after the TTF pair")
+end
+
+-- ------------------------------------------------- the registry entry
+
+do
+  local Schemas = require("src.mods.Schemas")
+  local spec = Schemas.REGISTRIES["font"]
+  T.check(select(1, Schemas.check(spec, "font", "ttf", {})) == true,
+    'register("ttf", {}) is legal: every field is optional')
+  T.check(select(1, Schemas.check(spec, "font", "ttf",
+    { file = "mods/x/f.ttf", size = 11, spacing = 1, yOffset = -3 })) == true,
+    "so is a fully tuned entry")
+  T.check(Schemas.check(spec, "font", "ttf", { image = "x.png", base = 0x100 })
+    == nil, "a page payload under the ttf id is refused")
+  T.check(Schemas.check(spec, "font", "page", {}) == nil,
+    "and a bare page still needs image and base")
+
+  -- write(): the entry lands on data.font.ttf and is rebuilt per merge
+  local target = { charmap = {}, pages = {} }
+  local registry = { order = { "ttf" },
+                     get = function(_, id) return { size = 11 } end }
+  spec.write(target, registry)
+  T.eq(target.ttf and target.ttf.size, 11, "write() fills data.font.ttf")
+  T.check(target.pages.ttf == nil, "and does not mistake it for a page")
+  spec.write(target, { order = {}, get = function() return nil end })
+  T.check(target.ttf == nil, "a merge without the mod clears it again")
+end
+
+-- leave the shared Font module in tile mode for whatever runs next
+Font.load({ font = { charmap = {} } })
+
+T.finish("ttf font mode")
diff --git a/tests/love_stub.lua b/tests/love_stub.lua
index 06fb2a91..56927689 100644
--- a/tests/love_stub.lua
+++ b/tests/love_stub.lua
@@ -74,11 +74,36 @@ stub.graphics = {
   -- newMesh / stencil stay absent on purpose: tools/save-editor/Theme.lua
   -- probes for them and falls back to flat fills, which is the path a
   -- headless run should take.
-  newFont = function(size)
-    local px = size or 12
+  -- Accepts both real signatures: newFont(size) and
+  -- newFont(filename, size, hinting), the latter for the TTF text mode
+  -- (src/render/Font.lua).  Width counts codepoints, not bytes, and CJK /
+  -- kana measure double, so tests can assert the wide-glyph metrics a real
+  -- pixel font (5px base, 11px double-width) exhibits without rasterizing.
+  newFont = function(a, b)
+    if type(a) == "string" then
+      -- real LÖVE raises on a missing file; callers pcall and fall back
+      local handle = io.open(a, "rb")
+      if not handle then error("Could not open file " .. a) end
+      handle:close()
+    end
+    local px = (type(a) == "number" and a) or b or 12
+    local unit = math.max(1, px * 0.5)
     return {
-      getWidth = function(_, text) return #tostring(text) * math.max(1, px * 0.5) end,
+      getWidth = function(_, text)
+        text = tostring(text)
+        local w, i, n = 0, 1, #text
+        while i <= n do
+          local byte = text:byte(i)
+          local len = byte >= 0xF0 and 4 or byte >= 0xE0 and 3
+                      or byte >= 0xC0 and 2 or 1
+          w = w + (byte >= 0xE1 and 2 or 1) * unit  -- U+1000+: double width
+          i = i + len
+        end
+        return w
+      end,
       getHeight = function() return px end,
+      getBaseline = function() return px - 2 end,
+      setFilter = noop,
     }
   end,
   setFont = function(f) gstate.font = f end,
diff --git a/tests/save_convert_tests.lua b/tests/save_convert_tests.lua
index a775f0c4..bd499eb2 100644
--- a/tests/save_convert_tests.lua
+++ b/tests/save_convert_tests.lua
@@ -590,5 +590,37 @@ do
         .. data.pokemon.NIDORAN_F.catchRate .. ")")
 end
 
+-- (4) name-field tails: real cartridge saves legitimately hold 0x00 (and
+-- stale glyph) bytes after a name's $50 terminator, and rewriting them broke
+-- the import -> export byte-identical round trip.  With a template every
+-- tail byte must survive verbatim; only a templateless (engine-origin)
+-- export $50-pads the tail (#206).
+do
+  local s = SaveData.newGame({ playerName = "RED" })
+  for i = 1, 12 do s.boxes = s.boxes or {}; s.boxes[i] = {} end
+  local b1 = GenSave.encode(s, data, nil)
+  -- templateless: the tail past "RED@" must be all $50 padding
+  local ok50 = true
+  for i = 4, 10 do
+    if b1:byte(OFF.playerName + i + 1) ~= 0x50 then ok50 = false end
+  end
+  check(ok50, "templateless export $50-pads the player-name tail (#206)")
+  -- build a template whose player-name tail mixes 0x00 and stale glyphs
+  -- after the terminator, exactly like a real traded/edited cartridge save
+  local tpl = {}
+  for i = 1, #b1 do tpl[i] = b1:sub(i, i) end
+  tpl[OFF.playerName + 5] = string.char(0x00)
+  tpl[OFF.playerName + 6] = string.char(0x81)
+  tpl[OFF.playerName + 7] = string.char(0x00)
+  local tplBytes = table.concat(tpl)
+  local decoded = GenSave.decode(tplBytes, data)
+  check(decoded.player.name == "RED",
+        "a 0x00/stale tail past the terminator does not leak into the name")
+  local b2 = GenSave.encode(decoded, data)
+  check(b2:sub(OFF.playerName + 1, OFF.playerName + 11)
+          == tplBytes:sub(OFF.playerName + 1, OFF.playerName + 11),
+        "template name tails (incl. 0x00 bytes) round-trip byte-identical")
+end
+
 print(string.format("save convert: %d/%d checks passed", checks - failures, checks))
 if failures > 0 then os.exit(1) end
diff --git a/tools/gbromdiff/.gitignore b/tools/gbromdiff/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..036f67bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/gbromdiff/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+*.gb
+*.sym
+__pycache__/
diff --git a/tools/gbromdiff/LICENSE b/tools/gbromdiff/LICENSE
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..97d18c1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/gbromdiff/LICENSE
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+MIT License
+
+Copyright (c) 2026 hernan0078
+
+Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+
+The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
+copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+
+THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
+SOFTWARE.
diff --git a/tools/gbromdiff/README.md b/tools/gbromdiff/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..37e93e2b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/gbromdiff/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+# gbromdiff
+
+Compare two Game Boy ROMs bank by bank, and say **where** and **how** they
+disagree.
+
+Written for one specific problem: bringing a localised Gen 1 Pokémon release
+into a disassembly. It is not specific to Pokémon, or to Gen 1 — any pair of
+Game Boy ROMs will do.
+
+## Why
+
+The European Pokémon releases are rebuilds of their US counterparts. Most
+banks are byte-identical, the text banks are entirely different, and a handful
+of code banks are the US code with pointers shifted. Which bank is which is
+the first thing you need to know and the last thing anyone writes down.
+
+That distinction is the whole point of this tool:
+
+```
+  bank   differing bytes            shape
+  0x04       30 (  0.2%)   patched
+  0x10    16328 ( 99.7%)   replaced
+```
+
+A bank differing in 99.7% of its bytes is a **different payload** — translated
+text — and needs new source. A bank differing in 0.2% is **the same code with
+values moved**, and usually needs a pointer table corrected rather than a
+rewrite. Those two findings lead to completely different work, and a plain
+`cmp` cannot tell them apart.
+
+## The loop it is built for
+
+```
+1. build the disassembly
+2. diff the build against the retail ROM   ← this tool
+3. fix the banks that disagree
+4. go to 1, until nothing disagrees
+```
+
+Exit status is **0 when the ROMs are identical** and **1 when they differ**, so
+it drops straight into that loop:
+
+```bash
+make && ./gbromdiff.py build.gb retail.gb || echo "not there yet"
+```
+
+## Usage
+
+```bash
+./gbromdiff.py A.gb B.gb                        # bank-by-bank summary
+./gbromdiff.py A.gb B.gb --regions              # contiguous differing runs
+./gbromdiff.py A.gb B.gb --sym pokeyellow.sym   # name the symbols involved
+./gbromdiff.py A.gb B.gb --json                 # machine-readable
+```
+
+With an rgbds `.sym` file it names the symbol each differing region falls
+inside, which turns
+
+```
+0x0703A1 differs
+```
+
+into
+
+```
+0x0703A1-0x0703B4  bank 0x1C  20 bytes  TextPredef+0x3A1
+```
+
+`--gap N` controls how many matching bytes are tolerated inside one region
+(default 16). Without it, a shifted pointer table reports as hundreds of
+one-byte findings instead of one region worth looking at.
+
+No dependencies beyond Python 3.
+
+## What this does not do
+
+It does not build anything, and it does not write a disassembly. It tells you
+where two ROMs differ. Turning that into a source tree that rebuilds a
+localised ROM byte-for-byte is the actual project; this is the instrument you
+point at it between iterations.
+
+## Context
+
+The Spanish Red and Blue releases are supported in
+[gen1recomp](https://github.com/bryanthaboi/gen1recomp) by way of
+[einstein95/pokered-es](https://github.com/einstein95/pokered-es), a
+shift-matching disassembly whose `.sym` files provide Spanish addresses for
+every symbol.
+
+Spanish **Yellow** has no equivalent, so it cannot be supported the same way.
+French (`Narishma-gb/pokeyellow-fr`) and German (`Brianum/pokeyellow-de`)
+Yellow disassemblies both exist, so adapting pret's Yellow to a European
+release is demonstrably possible — it simply has not been done for Spanish.
+This tool exists to make that attempt less tedious.
+
+MIT licensed. Contributions welcome, particularly from anyone actually
+attempting `pokeyellow-es`.
diff --git a/tools/gbromdiff/gbromdiff.py b/tools/gbromdiff/gbromdiff.py
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..ded86510
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/gbromdiff/gbromdiff.py
@@ -0,0 +1,246 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Compare two Game Boy ROMs bank by bank, and say where they disagree.
+
+Written for the problem of bringing a localised Gen 1 release into a
+disassembly.  The European Pokemon releases are rebuilds of their US
+counterparts: most banks are byte-identical, the text banks are wholly
+different, and a handful of code banks are the US code with shifted
+pointers.  Knowing WHICH is which is the first thing you need and the
+last thing anyone writes down.
+
+The loop this is built for:
+
+    1. build the disassembly
+    2. diff the build against the retail ROM
+    3. fix the banks that disagree
+    4. go to 1, until nothing disagrees
+
+Step 2 is this script.  With a .sym file it also names the symbols that
+live inside each differing region, which turns "bank 0x1C differs at
+0x4A31" into "bank 0x1C differs, starting inside TextPredef".
+
+Usage:
+
+    gbromdiff.py A.gb B.gb                      bank-by-bank summary
+    gbromdiff.py A.gb B.gb --regions            contiguous differing runs
+    gbromdiff.py A.gb B.gb --sym pokeyellow.sym name the symbols involved
+    gbromdiff.py A.gb B.gb --json               machine-readable
+
+Exit status is 0 when the ROMs are identical, 1 when they differ, 2 on a
+usage error -- so it can drive a build loop directly.
+"""
+
+import argparse
+import json
+import os
+import sys
+
+BANK_SIZE = 0x4000
+
+
+def load(path):
+    with open(path, "rb") as fh:
+        return fh.read()
+
+
+def header(rom):
+    """Title, CGB flag and global checksum, straight out of the cartridge
+    header.  Useful for saying WHICH releases are being compared without
+    the caller having to know the hashes."""
+    if len(rom) < 0x150:
+        return {}
+    title = rom[0x134:0x143].split(b"\x00")[0]
+    try:
+        title = title.decode("ascii", "replace").strip()
+    except Exception:
+        title = repr(title)
+    return {
+        "title": title,
+        "cgb": rom[0x143],
+        "rom_size_code": rom[0x148],
+        "global_checksum": (rom[0x14E] << 8) | rom[0x14F],
+    }
+
+
+def banks(rom):
+    return (len(rom) + BANK_SIZE - 1) // BANK_SIZE
+
+
+def bank_report(a, b):
+    """Per-bank identical / differs / missing, with a byte count."""
+    out = []
+    for i in range(max(banks(a), banks(b))):
+        lo, hi = i * BANK_SIZE, (i + 1) * BANK_SIZE
+        ba, bb = a[lo:hi], b[lo:hi]
+        if not ba or not bb:
+            out.append({"bank": i, "state": "missing",
+                        "in_a": bool(ba), "in_b": bool(bb)})
+            continue
+        if ba == bb:
+            out.append({"bank": i, "state": "identical", "differing": 0})
+            continue
+        n = sum(1 for x, y in zip(ba, bb) if x != y)
+        # A bank that differs in nearly every byte is a different payload
+        # (translated text); one that differs in a scatter of bytes is the
+        # same code with pointers moved.  That distinction is the whole
+        # reason to look at a percentage rather than a boolean.
+        pct = 100.0 * n / min(len(ba), len(bb))
+        out.append({"bank": i, "state": "differs", "differing": n,
+                    "percent": round(pct, 2),
+                    "shape": "replaced" if pct > 60 else
+                             ("patched" if pct < 5 else "mixed")})
+    return out
+
+
+def regions(a, b, gap=16):
+    """Contiguous runs of differing bytes, merging runs separated by fewer
+    than `gap` matching bytes -- otherwise a shifted pointer table reads as
+    hundreds of one-byte findings instead of one region."""
+    out = []
+    n = min(len(a), len(b))
+    start = None
+    last = None
+    for i in range(n):
+        if a[i] != b[i]:
+            if start is None:
+                start = i
+            elif last is not None and i - last > gap:
+                out.append((start, last))
+                start = i
+            last = i
+    if start is not None:
+        out.append((start, last))
+    if len(a) != len(b):
+        out.append((n, max(len(a), len(b)) - 1))
+    return out
+
+
+def load_symbols(path):
+    """An rgbds .sym file: `BB:AAAA Name` per line.  Returned as a list of
+    (absolute_offset, bank, addr, name), sorted, so a region can be mapped
+    to whatever symbol most recently preceded it."""
+    syms = []
+    with open(path, "r", encoding="utf-8", errors="replace") as fh:
+        for line in fh:
+            line = line.split(";")[0].strip()
+            if not line or ":" not in line:
+                continue
+            try:
+                where, name = line.split(None, 1)
+                bank_s, addr_s = where.split(":")
+                bank, addr = int(bank_s, 16), int(addr_s, 16)
+            except ValueError:
+                continue
+            # bank 0 is 0000-3FFF; every other bank is paged in at 4000
+            offset = addr if bank == 0 else bank * BANK_SIZE + (addr - 0x4000)
+            syms.append((offset, bank, addr, name.strip()))
+    syms.sort()
+    return syms
+
+
+def symbol_before(syms, offset):
+    """The last symbol at or before `offset` -- i.e. the thing this byte is
+    most likely part of.  Binary search over the sorted table."""
+    lo, hi = 0, len(syms) - 1
+    best = None
+    while lo <= hi:
+        mid = (lo + hi) // 2
+        if syms[mid][0] <= offset:
+            best = syms[mid]
+            lo = mid + 1
+        else:
+            hi = mid - 1
+    return best
+
+
+def main():
+    ap = argparse.ArgumentParser(
+        description="Compare two Game Boy ROMs bank by bank.")
+    ap.add_argument("rom_a")
+    ap.add_argument("rom_b")
+    ap.add_argument("--regions", action="store_true",
+                    help="list contiguous differing runs, not just banks")
+    ap.add_argument("--sym", help="rgbds .sym file, to name the symbols "
+                                  "each differing region falls inside")
+    ap.add_argument("--gap", type=int, default=16,
+                    help="matching bytes tolerated inside one region "
+                         "(default 16)")
+    ap.add_argument("--limit", type=int, default=40,
+                    help="max regions to print (default 40)")
+    ap.add_argument("--json", action="store_true")
+    args = ap.parse_args()
+
+    for p in (args.rom_a, args.rom_b):
+        if not os.path.isfile(p):
+            print(f"error: no such file: {p}", file=sys.stderr)
+            return 2
+
+    a, b = load(args.rom_a), load(args.rom_b)
+    rep = bank_report(a, b)
+    same = [r for r in rep if r["state"] == "identical"]
+    diff = [r for r in rep if r["state"] == "differs"]
+
+    result = {
+        "a": {"path": args.rom_a, "bytes": len(a), **header(a)},
+        "b": {"path": args.rom_b, "bytes": len(b), **header(b)},
+        "banks_total": len(rep),
+        "banks_identical": len(same),
+        "banks_differing": len(diff),
+        "banks": rep,
+    }
+
+    if args.regions or args.sym:
+        regs = regions(a, b, args.gap)
+        syms = load_symbols(args.sym) if args.sym else None
+        listed = []
+        for start, end in regs[: args.limit]:
+            item = {"start": start, "end": end, "length": end - start + 1,
+                    "bank": start // BANK_SIZE}
+            if syms:
+                s = symbol_before(syms, start)
+                if s:
+                    item["symbol"] = s[3]
+                    item["symbol_offset"] = start - s[0]
+            listed.append(item)
+        result["regions_total"] = len(regs)
+        result["regions"] = listed
+
+    if args.json:
+        print(json.dumps(result, indent=2))
+        return 0 if not diff and len(a) == len(b) else 1
+
+    ha, hb = result["a"], result["b"]
+    print(f"A  {ha.get('title','?'):<16} {len(a):>8} bytes  {args.rom_a}")
+    print(f"B  {hb.get('title','?'):<16} {len(b):>8} bytes  {args.rom_b}")
+    print()
+    if not diff and len(a) == len(b):
+        print(f"IDENTICAL — all {len(rep)} banks match")
+        return 0
+
+    print(f"{len(same)}/{len(rep)} banks identical, {len(diff)} differ")
+    print()
+    print("  bank   differing bytes            shape")
+    for r in diff:
+        if r["state"] != "differs":
+            continue
+        print(f"  0x{r['bank']:02X}   {r['differing']:>6} "
+              f"({r['percent']:>5.1f}%)   {r['shape']}")
+    print()
+    print("  replaced = a different payload (translated text)")
+    print("  patched  = the same code with a few values moved")
+
+    if "regions" in result:
+        print()
+        print(f"{result['regions_total']} differing regions "
+              f"(showing {len(result['regions'])}):")
+        for item in result["regions"]:
+            line = (f"  0x{item['start']:06X}-0x{item['end']:06X}  "
+                    f"bank 0x{item['bank']:02X}  {item['length']:>6} bytes")
+            if "symbol" in item:
+                line += f"  {item['symbol']}+0x{item['symbol_offset']:X}"
+            print(line)
+    return 1
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    sys.exit(main())
diff --git a/tools/modkit.py b/tools/modkit.py
index fb0b9149..56e439fa 100644
--- a/tools/modkit.py
+++ b/tools/modkit.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ Subcommands:
     scaffold  <id> [--profile content|overhaul|total_conversion] [--api 2]
               [--github owner/repo] [--experimental] [--dest DIR] [--force]
     translation <id> [--language NAME] [--base auto|fixture|imported]
-              [--refresh] [--dest DIR]
+              [--refresh] [--dest DIR] [--pixel-font]
     validate  <id|path> [--strict] [--base auto|fixture|imported]
     lint      <id|path>
     pack      <mod-dir> [-o out.modpkg]
@@ -1475,6 +1475,17 @@ return function(mod)
   end
 
   -- ---- glyphs -------------------------------------------------------
+  -- Text rendering through the bundled Plain Pixel TTF ("Plain Pixel
+  -- Font" by Douglas Vautour (Burpy Fresh), CC-BY 4.0 -- see
+  -- assets/fonts/plainpixel/README.md).  Registered, it replaces the tile
+  -- font for ordinary characters, so a translation needs no glyph sheet
+  -- at all; box borders and <PK>-style macros keep their tiles.  Options:
+  -- { file = mod.assets:path("myfont.ttf"), size = 15, spacing = 0,
+  --   yOffset = -6, bold = true } -- size is the font's design em (Plain
+  -- Pixel only rasterizes cleanly at multiples of 15), bold thickens a
+  -- 1px-stroke font that reads too light.
+  {{ttf_register}}mod.content.font:register("ttf", {})
+
   -- Register the sheet BEFORE anything asks for a glyph on it.  base is
   -- the first code the page owns; 0x100 and up is free space above the
   -- vanilla pages, so a new alphabet never collides with them.
@@ -1567,6 +1578,14 @@ you can translate straight from it.
 
 ## Start with the font, not the text
 
+The fast path: scaffold with `--pixel-font` (or uncomment the
+`mod.content.font:register("ttf", {})` line in `main.lua`) and the game
+renders text through the engine's bundled Plain Pixel TTF, which already
+covers Latin with diacritics, Cyrillic, kana and CJK.  No glyph sheet, no
+charmap; `lang/font.lua` and `lang/charmap.lua` can stay empty.  The rest
+of this section is for translations that want the hand-drawn tile look
+instead.
+
 The engine draws from **glyph pages**: an image of 8x8 cells plus a charmap
 saying which byte sequence draws which cell. The vanilla pages sit at `$60`
 and `$80`. Anything from `0x100` up is free, so a new alphabet is added
@@ -1665,7 +1684,13 @@ Nothing is translated yet: {{total}} strings are waiting in `lang/`.
 - `assets/font/` - your glyph sheet
 '''
 
-FONT_README = '''Put your glyph sheet here.
+FONT_README = '''You may not need this directory at all: scaffold with
+`--pixel-font` (or uncomment the `register("ttf", {})` line in main.lua)
+and text renders through the engine's bundled Plain Pixel TTF, which
+covers Latin, kana and CJK out of the box.  A glyph sheet is only for a
+translation that wants the hand-drawn GB look.
+
+Put your glyph sheet here.
 
 A page is a PNG of 8x8 cells, 16 per row by default, black on white. Codes
 run left to right and top to bottom starting at the page's `base`, so the
@@ -1761,6 +1786,7 @@ def cmd_translation(args, repo):
         "{{extra}}": "",
         "{{github_line}}": "",
         "{{experimental}}": "false",
+        "{{ttf_register}}": "" if args.pixel_font else "-- ",
         "{{total}}": str(sum(counts.values())),
         "{{table}}": "\n".join(
             f"| `lang/{name}.lua` | {counts[name]} |" for name, *_ in catalogs),
@@ -1999,6 +2025,9 @@ def main(argv):
     p.add_argument("--dest")
     p.add_argument("--base", default="auto",
                    choices=["auto", "fixture", "imported"])
+    p.add_argument("--pixel-font", action="store_true",
+                   help="render text through the bundled Plain Pixel TTF "
+                        "instead of the tile font (no glyph sheet needed)")
     p.add_argument("--refresh", action="store_true",
                    help="re-harvest the catalogs, keeping existing work")
     p.add_argument("--force", action="store_true")