Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire owned by Nintendo. Images used for educational purposes only.
Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire owned by Nintendo.
Images used for educational purposes only.
Part Twenty-Nine: Mossdeep City and Mossdeep Pokemon Gym

Main Walkthrough Page

Ready for a long trek through the water? Are you really ready? (I'm not.) Let's do this.

One important thing to note here is the use of Dive. We'll be Diving a lot in this walkthrough, and if you want to get a lot of valuable items you'll want to do the same. This means outfitting one of your pokemon with Dive. Do not put Dive and Surf on the same pokemon unless it is an HM slave. Both moves are decent enough in battle, particularly Surf, but having both is overkill. This becomes especially egregious later, when you throw Waterfall into the mix.

Route 124

Pokemon Rarity Version Time of Day Location
Chinchou Uncommon Both Either Dive
Clamperl Common Both Either Dive
Pelipper Rare Both Either Surf
Tentacruel Rare Both Either Surf
Tentacool Common Both Either Surf

(Quick note: So far as I can tell, the pokemon available on these Routes are pretty much the same. That includes from fishing, which I haven't included here as of yet. For the sake of not cluttering this space too much, I won't bother replicating these tables. If you wanna know whether there are more Tentacool on your current Route, check out this table.)

(The answer is yes, by the way. Freaking Tentacool.)

- We skipped the first, tiny portion of Route 124 previously when making our way out to Mossdeep City. Now that we have Dive, however, we'd best see what Route 124 has to offer. We'll begin by setting sail from the entrance onto the Route near the villainous team's Hideout.

- There are three trainers between Lilycove and Mossdeep. We'll start with them. Two are on the way to Mossdeep; one is just north of the island.

Swimmer Jenny
  • Luvdisc, level 39
Reward: $624

Meet Luvdisc. These pokemon suck. 'nough said.

Swimmer Roland
  • Sealeo, level 39
Reward: $624

Meet Sealeo. These pokemon don't suck, but you can take them down easily enough. They're part ice, so fighting-type moves work quite nicely alongside electricity.

Swimmer Grace
  • Wailmer, level 36
  • Azumarill, level 38
Reward: $608

Wailmer is no big deal. Azumarill can get really annoying if you let it set up Aqua Ring. Zap it before it can.

- There are Dive spots near the first and third trainers above. The first will take out down to an underwater dead end, and a trainer floats nearby. Up and to the right of him is a hidden Heart Scale.

Scuba Diver Kylan
  • Seadra, level 41
Reward: $1,640

Oooo, a near-dragon. Seadra is relatively tough, but it's not dragon-type yet. Normal water-type weaknesses apply.

- The second dive spot leads to a passage beneath the water, then back up near a dry path; follow it east to find a Red Shard. Their usefulness will be detailed shortly. (you can also find a hidden Green Shard while underwater, between the two Dive points.) Continue east from here to find another Dive spot with another trainer, as well as several clusters of Luvdics. Check the spots where they linger to find Heart Scales. Down and to the left of the trainer is a gap in the seaweed; check it for a hidden Pearl. That done, look on the right edge of the area to find a semi-hidden path. It leads to a dead end - though if you search the ground you'll find a Sky Plate.

Scuba Diver Dmitry
  • Starmie, level 41
Reward: $1,640

Ever dangerous, is the Starmie, but AI-controlled Starmies never seem to use dangerous moves. Eh.

- Return to the main Route. South of the second Dive spot you'll find a house on a small island. This is the home of the Treasure Hunter, a collector who will give you items in exchange for coloured Shards found while Diving. You can receive the following for your Shards:
  • Red Shard = Fire Stone
  • Yellow Shard = Thunder Stone
  • Blue Shard = Water Stone
  • Green Shard = Grass Stone
- To the left of this house is a trainer, and beside him is a Dive point. Dip into the underwater tunnel and you'll find absolutely nothing... unless you hunt around to the left of the Dive spot, where you can find a hidden Carbos. Stupid deceptive ocean. South of these you'll find another trainer swimming back and forth near the southern edge of the Route.

Swimmer Spencer
  • Staryu, level 37
  • Tentacruel, level 37
Reward: $592

Tentacruel doesn't hit that hard but is hard to kill; Staryu is easy to kill but hits hard. Still not a huge challenge.

Swimmer Chad
  • Golduck, level 39
Reward: $624

Chances are good you've never seen one of these in the game before. It's a water-type that uses psychic-type moves, but isn't actually a psychic-type. Go fig. Respond accordingly.

- Head southwest of the Shard cabin. You'll find a pair of trainers guarding a Dive point. Dip down to find another trainer, then surface to the west to find a small beach. There's a Blue Shard sitting in the middle, and beside it some Pinsirite. Back underwater you can find another trainer to the south; the Dive point to the east of her will take you to a small beach with a Yellow Shard.

Sis & Bro Rita & Sam
  • Whiscash, level 38
  • Pelipper, level 39
Reward: $760

Not much to say, really. Grass for one, electric for the other.

Free Diver Rischel
  • Seaking, level 41
Reward: $1,640

How utterly underwhelming.

Free Diver Arzu

  • Clamperl, level 39
  • Clamperl, level 39
Reward: $1,560

Ehhhh. So weak.

- To the south of here is Route 126. It's the next plot-important area, so, naturally, we're going to ignore it for now. Head northwest from Mossdeep City (you'll see the rocket when you're going the right direction) to find the next Route on the list, Route 125.

May stands outside the Shoal Cave on Route 125.
May stands outside the Shoal Cave on Route 125.
Route 125

- Head north from the entrance of this short Route. A short trip north of a Secret Base spot you'll find a cave with two trainers standing outside. This is the Shoal Cave, a side area that's good for catching ice-type pokemon. We'll explore it in this article. Make sure you have the Mach Bike and Strength before bothering to enter.

Teammates Kim & Iris
  • Camerupt, level 39
  • Altaria, level 38
Reward: $1,872

Camerupt seems an incredibly poor choice for this area, as it has a four-times weakness to water. Altaria is tough, but a fairy- or dragon- (or ice-, if you've already explored Shoal Cave) type move will slaughter it.

- West of here you'll find two trainers, one in the water and one out. 

Sailor Ernest
  • Wailmer, level 36
  • Tentacruel, level 36
  • Machoke, level 36
Reward: $1,440

A surprisingly robust crew, but you should be fine anyway.

Swimmer Stan
  • Seadra, level 39
Reward: $624

Some day this thing will be really tough. Today, though... eh. Average.

- East of here you'll find three trainers, one to the left of the Shoal Cave and two more to the northeast. In the midst of the trainers you'll find a small island with a lonely Big Pearl.

Swimmer Tanya
  • Luvdisc, level 39
Reward: $624

Sad. Just sad.

Swimmer Sharon
  • Clamperl, level 38
  • Seaking, level 36
Reward: $576

Standard water-type stuff. Joys.

Swimmer Cody
  • Staryu, level 37
  • Staryu, level 37
Reward: $592

Eh. Strong, but not tough.

- Aaaaaand that's it for Route 125. It basically exists for Shoal Cave. Huzzah! Head back south through Route 124 and we'll check out Route 126 next.

Route 126

- Head south from the entrance of the Route. There's a trainer on your left. Continue counter-clockwise around the island in the middle of the Route to encounter several more trainers.

Triathlete Denzel
  • Azumarill, level 39
Reward: $1,560

Azumarill are incredibly dangerous in the metagame, but they never quite reach such peaks of lethality in the game itself. Still, watch out for Play Rough.

Swimmer Barry
  • Gyarados, level 39
Reward: $624

Use an electric-type move and this battle is a cinch. Anything else and it'll be a bit of a struggle, but nothing overly terrible.

Swimmer Dean
  • Wailmer, level 35
  • Staryu, level 36
  • Golduck, level 37
Reward: $592

A big heap of meh.

Ace Trainer Harriet
  • Crobat, level 41
Reward: $2,460

Crobats can be pretty dangerous, but this one's not too bad. Acrobatics stings if your defence is poor, though. (Also, what the hell is she Surfing on? Clearly not the Crobat.)

Ace Trainer Leopold
  • Vibrava, level 39
  • Rhydon, level 39
Reward: $2,340

Reasonably powerful Rhydon is reasonably powerful. The Vibrava is eh. Water will slaughter both. (Again, Surfing...?)

Swimmer Brenda
  • Ludicolo, level 39
Reward: $624

Dance, you crazy duck, dance!

- The mountain in the middle of the Route is, in fact, the city of Sootopolis, the location of the final Pokemon Gym Challenge. You need to Dive to reach it the entrance, which is on the southern edge of the island. You can visit if you want - not a bad idea if you're getting weak, as there's a Pokemon Center - but you can't challenge the gym yet. We'll come back here later.

- You should, however, Dive in general. Start by Surfing to the southwest corner of Route. You'll find a small Dive point here. This leads to the Secret Islet, an island with a Secret Base on it. Might as well go swanky.

- Back to the main Route. Sootopolis is surrounded by Divable water. Dip down and you'll find more trainers in the seaweed surrounding Sootopolis.

Free Diver Jillian
  • Azumarill, level 41
Reward: $1,640

You know what to do.

Scuba Diver Yutaka
  • Pelipper, level 39
  • Lanturn, level 39
Reward: $1,560

Pelipper gets fried by electricity; Lanturn absolutely does not get fried by electricity. Grass is a good substitute.

Scuba Diver Tristan
  • Wailord, level 41
Reward: $1,640

Oooo, full on Wailord. Not much more difficult than Wailmer, to be honest. Physical attacks will shred the big galoot.

- There's a spot to rise above the waves on the west side of Sootopolis. It leads to a trainer (south) and a Secret Base (north).

Swimmer Nikki
  • Luvdisc, level 36
  • Tentacruel, level 38
Reward: $608

Why do Luvdisc even exist? Seriously, now...

- Head north of Sootopolis. You'll find several passages branching out in various directions. If you head west you'll find a spot to surface; this leads to another Dive spot, and to another place to surface (check the gaps in the seaweed in-between for a Heart Scale), until you eventually wind up at a small beach. Sitting here is a Green Shard

- Return to the main Route, north of Sootopolis, and continue west through the remaining underground path. You'll find a dead end with a hidden Mind Plate.

- That'll do for Route 126 for the moment. Head northeast from Sootopolis and you'll find an eastward passage through the rocks. This leads to the final Route on the tour.

May meanders beneath the seas on Route 127 atop her pokemon. (It was an Azumarill.)
May meanders beneath the seas on Route 127 atop her pokemon.
(It was an Azumarill.)
Route 127

- We'll start in the north. Surf along the edge of the cliffs until you find dry land. There's a trainer waiting to challenge you.

Bird Keeper Byron
  • Dodrio, level 38
  • Xatu, level 38
Reward: $1,520

Both dangerous, but both somewhat frail.

- East of this small sand bank is a path north to Mossdeep City. Continue east and you'll find a sand bar with three trainers; check to the far east to find a Zinc

Fisherman Jonah
  • Luvdisc, level 37
  • Relicanth, level 37
Reward: $1,184

Luvdisc is a joke, but Relicanth is interesting. These water- and rock-types have incredible defence. Nevertheless, a grass-type move should take it down easily.

Fisherman Roger
  • Wailmer, level 37
  • Sharpedo, level 37
Reward: $1,184

Eh. No big.

Fisherman Henry
  • Tentacruel, level 39
Reward: $1,248

Cool pokemon, bro. No, really.

- Head south from the island. There are trainers guarding both sides of the rocky land that separates the main path from the island's little diversion.

Ace Trainer Hisato
  • Pinsir, level 41
Reward: $2,460

A powerful pokemon, but its bug-type and slow speed hurts its survivability a little.

Ace Trainer Claudia
  • Snorunt, level 38
  • Masquerain, level 38
  • Dusclops, level 38
Reward: $2,280

The first two pokemon are meh, but Dusclops is reasonably tough. Use special moves to bring it down, as its defences are pretty hefty. Keep psychic-types out of the fight.

- Start heading south. There's a trainer to your left, swimming laps between darkened areas, and if you follow the right-most cliffs south you'll find a series of shallows. A trainer waits. Check down and to the left of where you land to find Heracronite shining away on the sand. 

Triathlete Jaylon
  • Tentacruel, level 39
Reward: $1,560

Shrug?

Black Belt Koji
  • Machoke, level 37
  • Hariyama, level 39
Reward: $1,248

Strong pokemon, but you've probably have an effective anti-fighting-type move in your arsenal for a long time.

- North of the ambling Black Belt you'll find a Dive point. There's a trainer on the short path beyond, and when you surface at the end of the passage you'll find a small island. There's a Carbos sitting in plain sight, and if you go around the trees to the north of the island you'll find a less-obvious Rare Candy.

Free Diver Aileen
  • Sealeo, level 41
Reward: $1,640

Hold on to your butts, grass-types.

- Return to the main Route. You've seen all there is to see above the water, so dip down in one of the three darkened streaks of water that stretch far to the south. There's a trainer in the far north of the Route (to the right of him is a hidden Star Piece) and another where the centre path and the eastern path converge. You can also find a hidden Red Shard just south of the blackened divide between the western and central paths, and if you wander to the northwestern end of these underwater paths you can find a hidden Insect Plate at the northern tip of the western path. Check the tip of the northern path and you'll find a Spooky Plate in roughly the same area. (Thanks to Tekaramity for pointing this one out. I hate these stupid Plates. I'm never gonna get Arceus, y'know?)

Scuba Diver Javier
  • Relicanth, level 41
Reward: $1,640

Eh? Grass!

Free Diver Kailyn
  • Starmie, level 41
Reward: $1,640

Eh? Grass! And other stuff!

- Whether you're above the water or below, heading far enough south here will take you to the end of this Route and onto the last for this article (finally), Route 128.

May peers into the darkness of a mysterious cave on Route 128. Soon...
May peers into the darkness of a mysterious cave on Route 128.
Soon...
Route 128

- For your current purposes, the majority of the importance of this Route lies right at the beginning, as you'll find an underground cavern beneath the waves if you Dive. This is your next major destination. There's more to see here, however, and we'll explore these additional segments first.

- Surrounding the cave on the surface is a thin ring of rocky land. You'll find a hidden Heart Scale on the southern side of the ring, just south of the Dive point in the middle. Dip into the Dive spot in the middle of the ring and you can find a hidden Adamant Orb below, just north of where you appear. (Thanks to Roslyn Michély in the comments for pointing that one out.)

- There's a small island to the east of the ring; you'll find another hidden Heart Scale here. The same goes for the shoreline further east - Heart Scales abound! - where you'll also find a trainer. Skim back northwest a short ways to find another trainer Surfing in one spot.

Fisherman Wayne
  • Wailmer, level 37
  • Seadra, level 37
Reward: $1,184

You've fought so many Wailmers by now...

Ace Trainer Cornelius
  • Golem, level 39
  • Raichu, level 39
Reward: $2,340

Golem is so dead in the middle of the water, strong though it may be. Raichu is dangerous if you keep that water-type out front, however.

- North of the Fisherman is a single Dive spot. You'll find a trainer down here. Just south of her is a bare spot in the seaweed; search it for a hidden Protein.

Free Diver Mayu
  • Luvdisc, level 39
  • Luvdisc, level 39
Reward: $1,560

Way to waste everyone's time, Mayu.

- Head back to the surface and swim east. There are plenty of trainers along the way to the end of the Route.

Tuber Delmar
  • Luvdisc, level 38
Reward: $152

C'mon, kid, this is embarrassing...

Tuber Marlene
  • Luvdisc, level 38
Reward: $152

ARGH

Triathlete Isaiah
  • Starmie, level 36
Reward: $1,440

There, that's better. Still not difficult.

- Past the final trainer you'll find Ever Grande City, the final 'Route' before you reach Victory Road. There's very little to see here right now besides a massive waterfall. You'll eventually get the chance to climb this waterfall; right now, though, all you can do is stare uselessly at the thing. Best head back to that mysterious water cave you saw earlier and continue the story.

Part Thirty-One: Seafloor Cavern

Main Walkthrough Page