Note: I am posting my question in this thread, but please move it if there is a preferred place for questions like these.
I purchased a copy of LeafGreen from Target when it was released back in 2004, and have played through and enjoyed the game multiple times on both my GBA and GBA SP. Earlier this month I picked the game up again to start a new playthrough in my spare time, and when I booted it up I discovered that my previous save file had been wiped. The game displayed the statement: "The 1M sub-circuit board is not installed" upon clicking on the start new game button.
Interestingly, the game loaded a new file just as normal, with Oak appearing and asking for both me and my rival's names. However, once the game started and I attempted to save my file, the following message appeared: "Save error. Please exchange backup memory." And the game would not save my file.
I thought maybe the connectors were a bit dirty so I removed the circuit board and cleaned them with some isopropyl alcohol, but the same messages keep appearing when I try to start a new game and save my file. There appears to be a bit of corrosion on a couple of the pins which I could not remove.
Does anyone have any experience with this sort of issue, or know of an easy fix for this problem? I am hoping my cart is not a total loss.
Thanks for your help!