20 Hidden Locations You Never Found In Pokémon
Table of Contents
If you want to be a master of Pokémon, you’re going to need to know all of the secrets hidden in the world.
You Are Reading :20 Hidden Locations You Never Found In Pokémon
Category : Pokemon
I’ve played a lot of open world exploration games. Skyrim, Fallout, No Man’s Sky – they were all great for exploration, for getting down in the dirt and teasing out every last bit of information I could from the land. But they all lacked a certain magic that’s hard to describe. It felt more like a compulsion, like that was simply what you did in those games so you did it unthinkingly.
Pokémon was different though. Every game was open world, albeit only providing you with a grid to explore up until very recently, but you wanted to explore not because that was what you’re supposed to do but because you never knew what you’d find or who you’d meet. Maybe you’d find a brand new TM to teach your Pokémon a new move, or maybe you’d find a fellow trainer eager to do battle.
Or maybe you’d find a legendary Pokémon, ripe for the taking, and you’d pray to whatever gods you held dear you had enough ultra balls to bag the sucker. That’s why I always took 100 wherever I went.
Of course, even the most devoted explorer can still miss a few things. Pokémon is a series notorious for cleverly hiding it’s juiciest secrets from trainers, and it’s totally possible to play a game several times and never find everything there is to find.
Here are a few locations you might have missed in your earlier playthroughs.
20 The Ruins Of Alph – Behind Every Door Is A Story
Found in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, the Ruins of Alph are home to the Unown, a mysterious Pokémon that seems to be shaped like letters. And also the name of the place is the first four letters of the word “alphabet”. A little on the nose there.
Ok, so the place isn’t exactly a hotbed of a paranormal activity, but there’s plenty of secrets found in the ruins. Within each chamber found in Alph is a secret room that requires the player to use a specific item or move to open. In the northernmost ruin, you can go to the inscription at the end of the chamber and use an Escape Rope to open the door.
In the southern ruins across the lake, you can use Flash to open the chamber, while the other two chambers need to be accessed from Union Cave. For one of those chambers, you’ll need a Water Stone to open the door, and the last one will require you to have Ho-Oh in your party.
19 Union Cave – Lapras Awaits
Union Cave isn’t just for getting access to goodies in the Ruins of Alph in HeartGold and SoulSilver – it’s also where you find Lapras, one of the rarest and most sought-after water/ice types. But it’s easy to miss if you don’t have the right HMs or you’re just not in the habit of diving to the deepest reaches of dungeons.
Union Cave can be found just off Route 32 or Route 33 (it actually connects the two routes – hence the name Union Cave). Once inside you’ll need to find the southernmost steps which will take you to a small pond and a few ace trainers. You’ll need Surf to go across and reach the second basement level. Once there you’ll again need to find the southernmost area where there’s a large pool, and in the center of that pool is Lapras.
18 Whirl Islands – Where Lugia Guards The Seas
To find Lugia in HeartGold and SoulSilver will require a trip to Whirl Islands, so named for the dangerous whirlpools that surround them. Accessing them will require the HM Surf as well as Whirlpool to cross the dangerous rapids. You’ll also need Rock Smash to get through the various rocks that block your path, as well as smash open them for hidden items.
It doesn’t matter which island you decide to enter from, but getting around the first basement floor can be a daunting task without a map. There are two ladders you’ll need to find, and both are near the southern area of the map. Once you find one things get easier as the second floor is fairly straightforward and leads you directly to Lugia. However, you’ll need the Silver Wing from Goldenrod Radio, and the Tidal Bell from the Kimono Girls in Ecruteak city to make the legendary Pokémon appear.
17 Finding Mew – The Most Legendary Of Pokémon
This is going to sound strange, but finding Mew in the original Pokémon Red/Blue is really difficult because he’s technically nowhere. You can never find him anywhere in the game because he doesn’t spawn anywhere, and the only way to legitimately obtain Mew is by having Nintendo directly trade one to you at an event.
Note I said difficult, but not impossible to obtain Mew. There are several glitches you can exploit to get a Mew of your own without Nintendo’s help (which they probably won’t provide even if you ask nicely, given how old the game is). Two methods involve inputting hex code into your ancient Gameboy, while the other two involve a complicated series of actions that, if done correctly, will cause Mew to spawn and attack.
16 Nameless Cavern – The Most Ironic Cavern
In Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, there are a bunch of islands collectively called “mirage islands” that appear totally at random. That is, you can be soaring on the back of Latios or Latias on Route 126 and not see one the first time through, but then see one again on your return trip.
However, there are specific Mirage Islands that will appear if your Pokémon team has met certain conditions. For Nameless Cavern to appear you must have three Pokémon with maximum friendship.
The Cavern itself is fairly straightforward, but at the back is a “mysterious ring” that will allow you to fight either Uxie, Azelf, or Mesprit depending on the time of day. From 4 AM to 7:59 PM you fight Mesprit, from 8:00 PM to 8::59 PM you’ll fight Uxie, and from 9:00 PM to 3:59 AM you’ll fight Azelf.
15 Flyinium Z – The Flightiest Of Zs
The more recent Pokémon games like Sun and Moon are a little less tricky for hiding stuff from trainers, but there are still a few notable exceptions to the rule. Flyinium Z is one of them.
To acquire the crystal you’ll need to head to Ten Carat Hill on Melemele Island and also have Machamp Shove unlocked. There’s a massive rock blocking your path which Machamp can push out of your way, and that will open the way to Ten Carats Hill: Farthest Hollow. In the middle of the hollow is a pedestal, and on the pedestal in Flyinium Z.
However, you’ll also need Taurus Charge unlocked before you’ll even be able to access Ten Carat Hill, so this hidden area will have to wait a bit.
14 Hidden Grottos – It’s In The Name
Ever since Gen III all Pokémon have something called “abilities” that allow them to do something special, like find items after every battle (Pickup) or get a speed boost when hit with an Electric move (Motor Drive). Some Pokémon have Hidden Abilities that do something rarely found and can be entirely beneficial. Obtaining those coveted Hidden abilities was often difficult as they had a random chance to spawn in certain situations.
Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 changed that with Hidden Grottos. The Grottos are found all throughout the Unova region and can be pretty tricky to spot – you basically have to walk up to a bunch of suspicious trees and hope for the best. But if you find one, they not only contain items but any Pokémon you fight there will have a hidden ability.
13 Cerulean Cave – Finding Mewtwo Is Real Work
For much of Pokémon history, Mewtwo was the most powerful ‘mon a trainer could seek. To this day it remains one of the top Psychic types available, but getting to him has always been a difficult proposition.
Mewtwo can usually be found in Cerulean Cave, but getting access to that cave often required the trainer to jump through several hoops. For Gen I it was just a simple matter of becoming the League champion, but starting with FireRed and LeafGreen things got more complicated. First, you’d have to get the Network Center on Sevii Islands operational again, and that required you to find the Ruby And Sapphire from Mt. Ember and the Team Rocket Warehouse. Then you’ll be able to access Cerulean Cave and find your war to the bottom to fight Mewtwo.
12 Mirage Island – Not To Be Confused With Mirage Islands
Most trainers will speak to Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald as the heyday of hidden Pokémon locations, and it’s easy to see why. In Gen III there was an entire island that would have a totally random chance to spawn, which was the only place to get the Liechi Berry in that generation.
The only way to know if the island has spawned is to check with the old man in Pacifidlog Town and ask if he can see the island. If he does, it’ll stay available for the entire day, giving the player ample opportunity to hustle over there and harvest Liechi Berries.
Mirage Island is also the only place where Wynauts can be caught in the wild, although you do get one in egg form from an old couple in Lavaridge Town.
11 Trial Chamber – Terrakion Doesn’t Take No Guff From Nobody
In Pokémon Black and White getting Terrakion is no easy feat. You must first get to Victory Road, a place filled with confusing corridors and doors and cavern entrances that lead in and out of a cave system that seems to wind through the mountainside like an ant hill. Then once you’ve made your way nearly to the top, there’s an entrance blocked by a boulder that you can use Strength to get past. On the other side is the Trial Chamber.
However, as with most Pokémon games, it’s not as simple as that. First, you must have defeated Cobalion in Mistralton Cave before the Chamber even becomes accessible. Once you’ve done that then you can enter, but make sure you bring a boatload of ultra balls to even attempt to capture Terrakion.
10 P2 Laboratory – The Home Of Genesect
We return to Pokémon Black and White to find the P2 Laboratory, the place where Team Plasma performed “unknown research” (not to be confused with Uknown research, which is what happens at the Ruins of Alph). In reality, Plasma was trying to revive an ancient Pokémon from a deep slumber and enhance it with modern science to create the ultimate fighting force.
Simply getting to P2 lab requires the trainer know Surf as well as having beaten the main storyline. However, Genesect isn’t actually there when you show up. It’s an event-only Pokémon that occasionally sees release when Nintendo holds a special event. But if you can’t wait, there are ways around Nintendo’s’ stingy release schedule.
9 Wayward Cave – Where Waywardness Is Rewarded
Finally, we arrive at Gen IV, my favorite generation! Pearl, Diamond, and Platinum seemed to be the last of the Pokémon games that didn’t hold the player’s hand, that didn’t provide a nurse every 30 steps to heal your entire team after a single fight. It was also one of the last generations to have entirely optional areas a player could completely miss if they’re not paying attention.
Wayward Cave is one such area. Found just beneath Cycling Road in Sinnoh, it’s the only place in the region that has Gibles available for capture. It also requires Strength and Flash in order to access (unless you’re playing Platinum, in which case you only need Flash), so make sure you have those moves on your ‘mons before you venture forth.
8 Newmoon Island – It’s A Spoopy Place
Newmoon Island is an island in the Sinnoh region that’s home to the legendary Pokémon Darkrai. There are no other residents, and no wild Pokémon to find in the tall grass.
As usual, getting there is a bit of a pain. To travel to Newmoon Island you first need to get the Member Card at a Nintendo event. Then you can access the locked inn at Canalave City, where if you spend the night there you’ll have a nightmare and then wake up on Newmoon Island. Once there you can battle Darkrai and try to capture it.
You can head to that previous link I shared if you don’t want to wait for a Nintendo event, or if you’re lucky enough to have the Japanese version of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, you can perform the Surf glitch in order to access the island. There’s also the tweaking glitch for the North American release, but it’s much harder to perform.
7 Flower Paradise – A Fancy Place For A Fancy Pokémon
Shaymin has got to be one of the most adorable Pokémon out there. It’s also one of the hardest to obtain as, much like Genesect and Darkrai, it’s event-locked.
To get to Flower Paradise, the area of Sinnoh where Shaymin resides, you must first obtain Oak’s Letter, which only becomes available at special Nintendo events. As per usual, you can slyly edit your save file, or you can take advantage of the surf and tweaking glitch to get access to the area without being present for a Nintendo event.
However, you’re out of luck in Pokémon Platinum as both glitches were corrected for that game. Your only hope then is to cheat or wait for a Nintendo event that may never come.
6 Secret Bases – Shhh! It’s A Secret!
Secret Bases were a thing that got introduced in Gen III, and I frankly never got into it. They’re supposed to be secret clubhouses where you can hang out and decorate, and also take part in internet-based minigames, but I never bothered. Maybe that makes me antisocial.
In Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, many of the Secret Bases are pretty easy to find, but there are a few that are a little more off the beaten path. The most secretest of Secret Bases can be found on the Secret Islet, which is accessible only on the back of Latios or Latias or by diving down on Route 126 and resurfacing in the southwestern area underwater. There you’ll find a small island with a single tree on it where you can build the super Secret Base – which is the same as a regular Secret Base just really hard to get to.
5 Kyogre and Groudon – A Cave With Legs
To capture Kyogre and Groudon in most Pokémon games is simple: either it appears in only one location or it doesn’t appear at all. In Pokémon Emerald, they decided to make this exceedingly difficult for the trainer to find either legendary Pokémon.
The problem wasn’t knowing where either Pokémon was – Kyogre is in the Marine Cave while Groudon is in the Terra Cave. The problem was you never knew exactly where either cave actually was since they appeared randomly throughout Hoenn. To have even a hope of finding the place, you’d need to talk to the Weather Institute on Route 119 to see where any weird weather is, and then you’d have to go there and search for the cave. Take too long and the weather will change, signaling the cave has moved on to another area.
To access all areas of the game you’ll naturally need every HM unlocked.
4 Regirock, Regice, Registeel – The Only Use For Wailord And Relicanth
Emerald was a bastard when it came to hiding Pokémon. Trying to get the three legendary Titans, Regirock, Regice, and Registeel, was an even bigger pain than trying to find Kyogre and Groudon.
First, you need a ‘mon with Surf, Dive, and Dig, and then you need Wailord and Relicanth in your party. Then, head to Pacifidlog Town and head west through the fast currents, being sure to stay on the southern line of rocks. In the middle of the currents is a calm spot where you can dive which leads to a cavern. The inscription instructs you to go back up, and doing so brings you to a cave. The cave will have another message instructing you to dig, which will open the door. Now is the part where Wailord must be first in your party while Relicanth is last. At the back of the cave is another inscription that if you read with the correct ‘mons in the right order will trigger an earthquake that reveals three hidden caves around Hoenn, which are where the Titans can be found.
The caves are near Route 105, Route 111, and Route 120, and require some insane actions to be taken in order to get the Titans to spawn.
3 Seafoam Islands – Back To Diving For The Bottom
I changed my mind – Emerald made getting legendaries too much of a chore. Thankfully things got easier after that. And before that. Really, anything was easier than Emerald.
Seafoam Islands are home to Cinnabar Gym in Gen II and IV, as well as the legendary bird Articuno. In Pokémon Red and Blue getting to the bottom (where Articuno roosts) is fairly straightforward, requiring the player to have Surf, Strength, and Rock Smash. In HeartGold and SoulSilver, the player needs all of that along with their wits since the cave system has become much larger than in the first generation.
Worst of all is a series of ice puzzles that the player is required to traverse. Most give up here and head back, but if you’re strong enough and clever enough, the bottom floor is home to Articuno who is just a quick Surf away.
2 Mt. Silver – Red’s Home Away From Home
In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, the Pokémon League was but a prelude. The true challenge lay at the very top of Mt. Silver. There, Red awaits, willing to battle any trainer strong enough or foolish enough to scale the mountain’s many, many levels.
Mt. Silver isn’t hard to find – it’s just west of the Pokecenter on Route 28 – but getting to the top is a real challenge. On top of that, there are a few hidden chambers along the way where you can get the Expert Belt as well as fight Moltres, the legendary Fire Bird Pokémon. On the first floor of Mt. Silver in the northwestern corner is the cave that leads to Moltres, but you’ll need Rock Slide and Waterfall to get to it. The Expert Belt can also be found on the first floor close to the entrance, and you just need Waterfall to get to it.
1 Unknown Dungeon – A Bit Of An Oxymoron As Soon As You Go There
Mewtwo is such a beloved Pokémon that Nintendo can’t stop at just having him in one game. Or even multiple games. He has to be in every game, but he doesn’t always need to be easy to find.
In Pokémon X and Y, getting to Mewtwo is fairly easy – you just need Surf and to beat the Pokémon league – but finding the cave itself is a little tricky. First head to Route 20, and then meander your way through the maze-like forest until you reach the entrance to the Pokémon Village. This is actually much more difficult than it sounds since many of the paths don’t connect in any logical way. You basically have to use trial and error until you find your way to the Pokémon Village.
Mewtwo is found in the cave in the northern part of the village. But be warned: he’s as angry as ever about the whole “genetically created death machine” thing.
Freelance writer and contributor at The Gamer, Sean hails from Toronto, Canada. If you ask Sean what he likes, he’ll say, “Robots, Ninjas, donuts – in that order.”
See more : PokemonWe