diff --git a/scripts/pipeline.py b/scripts/pipeline.py
index 2c2f23ede..244c19aa5 100644
--- a/scripts/pipeline.py
+++ b/scripts/pipeline.py
@@ -562,6 +562,7 @@ def check_emulator_packs(
     comparison holds them together. No archive is written and no file read.
     """
     import generate_pack  # noqa: PLC0415
+    import packresolve  # noqa: PLC0415
     import verify  # noqa: PLC0415
     from common import (  # noqa: PLC0415
         ProfileSelectionError,
@@ -580,16 +581,23 @@ def check_emulator_packs(
 
     def compare(names: list[str], standalone: bool, label: str, **narrowing: object) -> bool:
         record = generate_pack.PackRecord()
-        with contextlib.redirect_stdout(io.StringIO()), \
-                contextlib.redirect_stderr(io.StringIO()):
-            generate_pack.generate_emulator_pack(
-                names, emulators_dir, db, "bios", "", standalone, zip_contents,
-                offline=True, platforms_dir=platforms_dir, record=record, **narrowing,
-            )
-            report = verify.verify_emulator(
-                names, emulators_dir, db, standalone, platforms_dir=platforms_dir,
-                **narrowing,
-            )
+        was_offline = packresolve._OFFLINE
+        # The pack is built offline: verify counts a release asset the cache
+        # lacks the same way, missing, as the narrowed-pack step does.
+        packresolve.set_offline(True)
+        try:
+            with contextlib.redirect_stdout(io.StringIO()), \
+                    contextlib.redirect_stderr(io.StringIO()):
+                generate_pack.generate_emulator_pack(
+                    names, emulators_dir, db, "bios", "", standalone, zip_contents,
+                    offline=True, platforms_dir=platforms_dir, record=record, **narrowing,
+                )
+                report = verify.verify_emulator(
+                    names, emulators_dir, db, standalone, platforms_dir=platforms_dir,
+                    **narrowing,
+                )
+        finally:
+            packresolve.set_offline(was_offline)
         lines = _set_difference_lines(
             label, set(report["pack_destinations"]), set(record.files)
         )
diff --git a/scripts/verify.py b/scripts/verify.py
index f47c7f011..9fbdfa9a3 100644
--- a/scripts/verify.py
+++ b/scripts/verify.py
@@ -2058,7 +2058,7 @@ def verify_emulator(
     it and every member it carries are optional, as the builder leaves them.
     """
     from packextras import expand_agnostic_entries
-    from packresolve import resolve_file
+    from packresolve import pending_release_asset, resolve_file, run_is_offline
     from packpaths import (
         _archive_destination,
         _register_path,
@@ -2084,6 +2084,16 @@ def verify_emulator(
     validation_index = _build_validation_index(selected_profiles)
     data_registry = load_data_dir_registry(platforms_dir)
 
+    def pending(entry: dict, local_path: str | None, status: str) -> tuple[str | None, str]:
+        # Read from disk and the cache, as _resolve_for_platform does: a
+        # release asset the cache lacks is fetched by an online build
+        # (generate_emulator_pack resolves with offline=offline).
+        if status in ("not_found", "hash_mismatch") and not run_is_offline():
+            asset = pending_release_asset(entry, db)
+            if asset:
+                return asset, RELEASE_ASSET_PENDING
+        return local_path, status
+
     details = []
     file_status: dict[str, str] = {}
     file_severity: dict[str, str] = {}
@@ -2223,14 +2233,15 @@ def verify_emulator(
             archive = file_entry.get("archive")
             if archive and archive not in seen_archives:
                 seen_archives.add(archive)
-                local_path, resolve_status = resolve_file(
-                    archive_entry(archive, files),
+                own_entry = archive_entry(archive, files)
+                local_path, resolve_status = pending(own_entry, *resolve_file(
+                    own_entry,
                     db,
                     DEFAULT_BIOS_DIR,
                     zip_contents,
                     data_dir_registry=data_registry,
                     offline=True,
-                )
+                ))
                 required = any(
                     f.get("archive") == archive and f.get("required", True)
                     for f in files
@@ -2254,6 +2265,8 @@ def verify_emulator(
                         "required": required,
                         "path": local_path,
                     }
+                    if resolve_status == RELEASE_ASSET_PENDING:
+                        result["release_asset"] = local_path
                 else:
                     result = {
                         "name": archive,
@@ -2314,7 +2327,7 @@ def verify_emulator(
 
             dest_hint = file_entry.get("path", "")
             # The emulator pack's resolution, release assets included.
-            local_path, resolve_status = resolve_file(
+            local_path, resolve_status = pending(file_entry, *resolve_file(
                 {**with_archive_members(file_entry, files), "source_profile": emu_name},
                 db,
                 DEFAULT_BIOS_DIR,
@@ -2322,7 +2335,7 @@ def verify_emulator(
                 dest_hint=dest_hint,
                 data_dir_registry=data_registry,
                 offline=True,
-            )
+            ))
             if resolve_status in ("not_found", "user_provided", "external"):
                 local_path = None
             name = file_entry.get("name", "")
@@ -2332,6 +2345,15 @@ def verify_emulator(
             stored = _storage_verdict(file_entry, emulator_pack=True)
             if stored is not None:
                 result = stored
+            elif resolve_status == RELEASE_ASSET_PENDING:
+                result = {
+                    "name": name,
+                    "status": Status.OK,
+                    "required": required,
+                    "path": local_path,
+                    "release_asset": local_path,
+                    "reason": "release asset, fetched when the pack is built",
+                }
             elif not local_path:
                 result = {"name": name, "status": Status.MISSING, "required": required}
                 # An entry the profile documents as unsourceable is absent by
@@ -2582,6 +2604,10 @@ def print_emulator_result(result: dict, verbose: bool = False) -> None:
     if unsourceable:
         parts.append(f"{unsourceable} unsourceable")
     print(f"{label}: {', '.join(parts)} [{mode}]")
+    fetched = sorted({d["name"] for d in result["details"] if d.get("release_asset")})
+    if fetched:
+        shown = ", ".join(fetched[:10]) + (f" (+{len(fetched) - 10})" if len(fetched) > 10 else "")
+        print(f"  Release assets fetched when the pack is built ({len(fetched)}): {shown}")
 
     seen = set()
     for d in result["details"]:
@@ -2712,8 +2738,6 @@ def _refuse_mode_flags(args: argparse.Namespace, parser: argparse.ArgumentParser
          "--destinations describes the full pack and is incompatible with --system"),
         (args.destinations and not (args.platform or args.all),
          "--destinations requires --platform or --all"),
-        (args.offline and not (args.platform or args.all),
-         "--offline requires --platform or --all"),
         # Game data is categorized against a platform's list and its cores.
         (getattr(args, "no_game_data", False) and not (args.platform or args.all),
          "--no-game-data requires --platform or --all"),
diff --git a/tests/test_verify_release_asset.py b/tests/test_verify_release_asset.py
index 58150b375..55afa91f0 100644
--- a/tests/test_verify_release_asset.py
+++ b/tests/test_verify_release_asset.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ import common  # noqa: E402
 import generate_db  # noqa: E402
 import generate_pack as builder  # noqa: E402
 import packresolve  # noqa: E402
-from verify import Status, verify_platform  # noqa: E402
+from verify import Status, verify_emulator, verify_platform  # noqa: E402
 
 PAYLOAD = b"a firmware image the repository does not commit"
 SHA1 = hashlib.sha1(PAYLOAD).hexdigest()
@@ -176,6 +176,65 @@ class CoreExtraReleaseAssetNotCached(ReleaseAssetNotCached):
     test_the_online_build_packs_it = None
 
 
+class EmulatorReleaseAssetNotCached(ReleaseAssetNotCached):
+    """verify --emulator against generate_emulator_pack: the emulator pack
+    resolves with offline=offline and fetched the asset online, while verify
+    forced offline resolution and called it missing."""
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        super().setUp()
+        self.profile = {
+            "emulator": "Big Core", "type": "libretro", "systems": ["sys"],
+            "files": [{"name": "big.bin", "required": True, "sha1": SHA1}],
+        }
+        Path("emulators/bigcore.yml").write_text(yaml.dump(self.profile))
+        common._emulator_profiles_cache.clear()
+
+    def _report(self) -> dict:
+        common._emulator_profiles_cache.clear()
+        return verify_emulator(["bigcore"], "emulators", self.db, platforms_dir="platforms")
+
+    def _entry(self) -> dict:
+        return next(d for d in self._report()["details"] if d["name"] == "big.bin")
+
+    def test_counted_as_fetched_when_the_pack_is_built(self):
+        entry = self._entry()
+        self.assertEqual(entry["status"], Status.OK)
+        self.assertEqual(entry["release_asset"], REGISTERED[0])
+
+    def test_its_path_is_a_pack_destination(self):
+        self.assertIn("big.bin", self._report()["pack_destinations"])
+
+    def test_offline_counts_it_missing(self):
+        packresolve.set_offline(True)
+        self.assertEqual(self._entry()["status"], Status.MISSING)
+        self.assertNotIn("big.bin", self._report()["pack_destinations"])
+
+    def test_an_asset_with_other_content_is_not_counted(self):
+        self.profile["files"][0]["sha1"] = "0" * 40
+        Path("emulators/bigcore.yml").write_text(yaml.dump(self.profile))
+        self.assertEqual(self._entry()["status"], Status.MISSING)
+
+    def test_an_archive_asset_is_counted_too(self):
+        self.profile["files"] = [{"name": "inner.rom", "archive": "big.bin"}]
+        Path("emulators/bigcore.yml").write_text(yaml.dump(self.profile))
+        self.assertIn("big.bin", self._report()["pack_destinations"])
+
+    def test_the_online_build_packs_it(self):
+        cache = Path("cache/big.bin")
+        cache.parent.mkdir()
+        cache.write_bytes(PAYLOAD)
+        record = builder.PackRecord()
+        with mock.patch.object(
+            packresolve, "fetch_large_file", return_value=str(cache)
+        ):
+            builder.generate_emulator_pack(
+                ["bigcore"], "emulators", self.db, "bios", "out",
+                offline=False, platforms_dir="platforms", record=record,
+            )
+        self.assertEqual(set(record.files), set(self._report()["pack_destinations"]))
+
+
 class OfflinePipelineVerifiesOffline(unittest.TestCase):
     """The offline pipeline builds packs without release assets: its verify
     step has to count them the same way, or step 5 compares two answers."""
diff --git a/wiki/tools.md b/wiki/tools.md
index dab60e5b0..78dfb21b1 100644
--- a/wiki/tools.md
+++ b/wiki/tools.md
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ python scripts/verify.py --platform recalbox --region us   # regional priority l
 python scripts/verify.py --platform emuelec --no-game-data  # the firmware-only pack, game data named
 python scripts/verify.py --emulator mame --required-only    # the pack built with --required-only
 python scripts/verify.py --all --destinations tmp/paths.json  # also write the paths each pack holds
-python scripts/verify.py --all --offline             # a release asset the cache lacks counts missing, as in an offline build
+python scripts/verify.py --all --offline             # a release asset the cache lacks counts missing, as in an offline build (any mode, --emulator included)
 python scripts/verify.py --list-platforms          # list all platforms
 python scripts/verify.py --list-emulators          # list all emulators
 python scripts/verify.py --list-systems            # list all systems