Overview
Rainbow Feathers and Silver Feathers are rare collectible items in Pokemon Pokopia dropped by the two flyby legendary Pokemon. Rainbow Feathers come from Ho-Oh, which appears during sunny weather, and Silver Feathers come from Lugia, which appears during rainy or overcast weather. These feathers serve two purposes: crafting the bells needed to summon and register Ho-Oh and Lugia in your Pokedex, and trading with Gimmighoul for exclusive Pop Art furniture. Since flyby appearances are infrequent and you need at least five of each type, farming feathers efficiently is important.
How Feather Drops Work
Ho-Oh and Lugia periodically fly overhead while you go about your normal activities: building, exploring, crafting, or farming. They can appear above any of the five islands. When a legendary flies over, two things happen:
Audio cue: The legendary emits two loud cries that are audible across the entire zone. This is your first and most reliable signal.
Visual marker: A ground marker appears beneath the legendary's flight path. For Ho-Oh, this is a column of smoke and flames. For Lugia, it is a swirling tornado with silver sparkles.
The ground marker indicates exactly where the feather has landed. You have a limited window to reach the marker and collect the feather before it disappears.
Collecting Rainbow Feathers (Ho-Oh)
Ho-Oh drops Rainbow Feathers during sunny, clear weather. It will not appear during rain, storms, or cloudy skies. When you see the smoke and flame column on the ground:
Run to the flame column as quickly as possible.
Use Water Gun on the flames to extinguish them. The feather is too hot to pick up while burning.
Pick up the Rainbow Feather from the cooled spot.
If you do not reach the feather in time or fail to use Water Gun, the feather burns away and is lost. Always keep a Pokemon with Water Gun available while exploring during sunny weather.
Collecting Silver Feathers (Lugia)
Lugia drops Silver Feathers during overcast or rainy weather. When you see the swirling tornado column with silver sparkles on the ground:
Run to the tornado column before it dissipates.
Use Cut on the wind column to slice through the turbulence and disperse the tornado.
Pick up the Silver Feather from the cleared spot.
If you do not reach the feather in time or fail to use Cut, the Silver Feather blows away and is lost. Always keep a Pokemon with Cut available during rainy or overcast conditions.
Using Mosslax to Increase Feather Spawns
The single most effective way to farm feathers is to feed Mosslax a cooked meal with the Dry flavor. Mosslax is a special Pokemon found in Bleak Beach with the unique Eat specialty. When offered Dry-flavored food, Mosslax causes Rainbow Feathers and Silver Feathers to spawn more frequently for the rest of that in-game day.
Without the Mosslax buff, feather drops are extremely rare. Reports from players suggest that in 30+ hours of gameplay without the buff, only one or two feathers may appear total. With the Dry food buff active, encounters become noticeably more common.
Important rules for feeding Mosslax:
You can only feed Mosslax once per real-time day.
Cooked food produces stronger effects than raw ingredients. Always use a cooked recipe.
The Dry flavor is specifically what boosts feather spawns. Other flavors provide different buffs.
Recommended Dry Recipes
The following cooked meals all have the Dry flavor profile and work for boosting feather spawns:
Recipe | Ingredients | Cooking Station | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Leaf x1, Chesto Berry x1 | Chopping Board | Easiest Dry recipe to prepare; Chesto Berries grow on berry trees | |
Mushroom x1, Water x1 | Cooking Pot (Stove or Campfire) | Mushrooms are abundant in Rocky Ridges | |
Mushroom x1, Any x1 | Frying Pan (Stove or Campfire) | Flexible second ingredient slot |
The Crushed-Berry Salad is the most convenient option because it requires no heat source. Just place a Leaf and a Chesto Berry on a Chopping Board.
What to Do with Feathers
Feathers have two main uses. Prioritize saving the first five of each type for bell crafting.
Crafting Bells (Pokedex Registration)
You need exactly five feathers of each type to craft the summoning bells that let you register Ho-Oh and Lugia in your Pokedex:
Bell | Recipe | Prerequisite | What It Does |
|---|---|---|---|
Clear Bell (Ho-Oh) | 5 Rainbow Feathers + 5 Rare Pokemetal | Befriend all three Legendary Beasts (Raikou, Entei, Suicune) | Summon Ho-Oh when it is flying overhead to register it in the Pokedex |
Tidal Bell (Lugia) | 5 Silver Feathers + 5 Rare Pokemetal | Befriend all three Legendary Birds (Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres) | Summon Lugia when it is flying overhead to register it in the Pokedex |
Both bell recipes unlock during the endgame, after completing the main story and Important Requests. You need 10 Rare Pokemetal total (5 for each bell), so mine it in Sparkling Skylands or purchase it from the Pokemon Center PC Shop.
Trading with Gimmighoul
After completing the "Show Off a Rainbow Feather" request, Gimmighoul's Collect specialty unlocks. You can then trade one feather at a time (Rainbow or Silver) to Gimmighoul at the Museum in Rocky Ridges in exchange for a random piece of exclusive Pop Art furniture. Small and Large Lost Relics can also be traded.
Trading tip: Always save your first five Rainbow Feathers and five Silver Feathers for bell crafting. Only trade surplus feathers with Gimmighoul after you have secured the five you need for each bell.
Farming Strategy Summary
Putting it all together, here is the most efficient daily routine for farming feathers:
Cook a Dry meal. Prepare a Crushed-Berry Salad, Mushroom Soup, or Mushroom Hamburger Steak.
Feed Mosslax. Visit Mosslax in Bleak Beach (or its habitat if moved) and offer the Dry-flavored dish. This boosts feather spawn rates for the day.
Explore during both weather types. Spend time in sunny weather to attract Ho-Oh and rainy/overcast weather to attract Lugia. The weather can change naturally throughout the day, or you can use the Day and Night Cycle to your advantage.
Listen for the cries. Keep your volume up or use headphones. The two consecutive cries are your most reliable early warning.
Keep Water Gun and Cut ready. Make sure you have both moves available so you can collect whichever feather type drops.
Repeat daily. Since Mosslax can only be fed once per real-time day, this is a daily routine. You will need multiple days of farming to reach 5 of each feather type.
Feather Requirements at a Glance
Purpose | Rainbow Feathers Needed | Silver Feathers Needed |
|---|---|---|
Clear Bell (summon Ho-Oh) | 5 | 0 |
Tidal Bell (summon Lugia) | 0 | 5 |
Gimmighoul furniture trade | 1 per trade (unlimited) | 1 per trade (unlimited) |
Minimum for Pokedex completion | 5 total | 5 total |
Tips and Common Mistakes
Do not ignore the audio cue. The two loud cries are often heard before you can see the ground marker. Stop what you are doing and look up immediately.
Do not forget to use the right move. Water Gun for Rainbow Feathers (fire), Cut for Silver Feathers (tornado). Using the wrong move wastes time.
Do not trade feathers before you have five of each. Gimmighoul's furniture is nice, but losing a feather before you can craft the bell sets you back significantly.
Feed Mosslax every day. Even on days when you are not actively farming, the buff increases passive feather chances while you go about normal gameplay.
Explore in open areas. The flame and tornado columns are easier to spot on flat terrain. Avoid spending all your time in caves or dense builds when trying to catch flyovers.