Overview
Rocky Ridges is the third story area in Pokemon Pokopia, built on the remains of Pewter City and Mt. Moon from the original Kanto region. the area "makes up the area that used to be Pewter City and Mt. Moon, and includes a mine going deep underground into the mountain." The surface features volcanic terrain, rocky formations, dried-out grass coated in layers of volcanic ash, and a prominent volcano at its peak. Underground, an extensive mine network contains ore deposits, lava sections, crystal formations, and the buried remains of the Pewter City Museum.
Rocky Ridges is where the Cooking system is unlocked through Chef Dente, a special culinary Greedent. The area's gameplay focuses heavily on mining, smelting, and crafting with metallic resources. It also contains the legendary Pokemon Volcanion and the Pewter Museum trading post run by Gimmighoul.
How to Unlock
Rocky Ridges unlocks after completing the "Yawn up a Storm" Important Request in the Withered Wasteland. This quest raises the player to Great Trainer Rank, which opens the green gates leading to both Rocky Ridges and Bleak Beach. Rocky Ridges is accessed through the northwest gate in the Withered Wasteland. Professor Tangrowth accompanies the player upon first entry. Both Rocky Ridges and Bleak Beach unlock simultaneously, so players can explore them in either order.
Pokemon and Habitats
Rocky Ridges is home to many Pokemon that can be attracted by building the correct habitats. Many of the habitats here involve volcanic materials, hot springs, rocky terrain, and unique hedge types. Rocky Ridges has its own exclusive hedge type called the Damp Hedge.
Story and Quest Pokemon
These Pokemon are encountered through the main storyline and quests in Rocky Ridges:
Pokemon | Habitat | Role |
|---|---|---|
Red Tall Grass (4 connected pieces of red grass) | One of the first Pokemon befriended in the area; appears when habitat is built near the Pokemon Center | |
Grassy Training Field (2 Sandbags + 2x2 Red Tall Grass) | Teaches the Strength move; helps push the PC onto the electrical socket to restore it | |
Pointy Tree-Shaded Rocky Tall Grass | Provides the Cutting Board recipe through a quest, enabling salad making which powers up Leafage for clearing vegetation | |
Mossy Hot Spring | Found near hot spring areas; teaches how to build a bread oven | |
Digging and Burning | Needed to heat the Smelting Furnace for ore processing (Burn specialty) | |
Mossy Boulder (inside a cave) | Teaches the Rollout move for high-speed movement and block destruction | |
Uplifting Duckweed (pond with cleared weeds) | Required for the Time to Party quest; helps with party atmosphere | |
Rescued from hanging barrel | Special NPC who unlocks the Cooking system; provides recipes and hosts feasts | |
Found in mine tunnel | Rotom inhabiting a mini stereo; central to the Time to Party quest | |
Pewter Museum (deep in mines) | Museum operator who trades Rainbow Feathers and Silver Feathers for furniture | |
Volcanic summit | Legendary Fire/Water-type; appears after completing Time to Party quest |
Habitat-Spawned Pokemon
Additional Pokemon that can be attracted by building habitats in Rocky Ridges:
Pokemon | Habitat | Components |
|---|---|---|
Tree-Shaded Red Tall Grass | 1 Large Tree + 4 Red Tall Grass | |
Tree-Shaded Red Tall Grass | 1 Large Tree + 4 Red Tall Grass | |
Mossy Rest Spot | 4 Moss pieces | |
Tree-Shaded Red Tall Grass | 1 Large Tree + 4 Red Tall Grass | |
Graceful Flower Bed | 4 Mountain Flowers | |
Graceful Flower Bed | 4 Mountain Flowers | |
Boulder-Shaded Tall Grass | 4 Tall Grass + 1 Large Boulder |
Additional habitat types found in Rocky Ridges include Open-Air Bath, Harmonious Hot Spring, and Piping-Hot Lava configurations. The game has over 200 habitats total, and not all Rocky Ridges habitats have been fully documented yet.
Moves Learned
Several moves are unlocked or powered up in Rocky Ridges through befriending Pokemon and eating specific foods from Chef Dente.
Move | Source | Function |
|---|---|---|
Machoke (Grassy Training Field habitat) | Hold the A button to push heavy boulders, objects, and the PC. Essential for clearing paths and solving puzzles. | |
Transform into Graveler and roll at high speed to cover ground quickly and destroy blocks in your path. | ||
Cut (Enhanced) | Eat Simple Bread (3 Wheat) | Strengthens the Cut move to slice through chains, wire mesh, and solid objects. Required to free Chef Dente. |
Rock Smash (Enhanced) | Eat Simple Hamburger Steak (3 Beans) | Powers up Rock Smash to destroy hard rocks, harvest Volcanic Ash from black soil, and mine ore deposits. |
Leafage (Enhanced) | Eat Simple Salad (2 Leaves) | Strengthens Leafage to clear weeds from water, enabling Uplifting Duckweed habitat creation for Ludicolo. |
Story Walkthrough
Restoring the PC
Upon arriving with Professor Tangrowth, the first objective is to examine the broken Pokemon Center PC. The PC needs to be pushed onto an electrical socket, but it is too heavy to move alone. The professor suggests befriending Machoke for help.
Use Water Gun on dried-out grass near the Pokemon Center, then use Leafage to grow Red Tall Grass. Connect four pieces of red grass to form the habitat.
A Pokemon (often Scorbunny) will appear in the grass. Interact with it and ask about Machoke to learn the Grassy Training Field habitat requirements.
Place two Sandbags (found near the Crafting Table by the PC) next to a 2x2 square of Red Tall Grass to create the Grassy Training Field.
Machoke appears. Register it in the Pokedex, then follow Machoke's instructions to collect 5 stones from the surrounding area.
Machoke teaches the Strength move. Use Strength to push the PC onto the electrical socket and restore it.
Rescuing Chef Dente
After restoring the PC, the next objective involves rescuing Chef Dente, a special culinary Greedent trapped inside a hanging barrel. To free Chef Dente, the player must first strengthen the Cut move by eating Simple Bread (crafted from 3 Wheat). The enhanced Cut can slice through the chains holding the barrel.
Once freed, Chef Dente sets up a kitchen and begins teaching Cooking recipes. This kitchen becomes the hub for learning new recipes and preparing feasts. Chef Dente provides the Frying Pan (crafted from 2 Copper Ingots) and teaches players to cook Simple Salad, Simple Bread, and Simple Hamburger Steak, each of which powers up a different move.
Setting up the Smelting Furnace
To craft metal items like the Frying Pan and Party Platters, players need access to the Smelting Furnace. One furnace can be found inside a cave behind a metal fence (cut through with enhanced Cut). Alternatively, a new Smelting Furnace can be crafted using 4 Iron Ore and 4 Stone. Invite Magmar by building the Digging and Burning habitat; Magmar's Burn specialty heats the furnace, enabling ore smelting.
Smelting ratios are 1:1, meaning 5 copper ore produces 5 copper ingots.
The Time to Party! Quest
"Time to Party!" is the main Important Request in Rocky Ridges. It involves helping Chef Dente and DJ Rotom throw a celebration. DJ Rotom is a Rotom inhabiting a mini stereo (its Stereo Rotom form), found in a hidden tunnel in the mines. Scorbunny leads the player there, and the player must use enhanced Rock Smash to break through a glowing stone wall to reach DJ Rotom.
Quest Steps:
Speak to Chef Dente to clear ash from the designated area and place the Party Cooking Pot.
Find and give DJ Rotom a CD (obtainable through exploration or found in the cleared area).
Build the Uplifting Duckweed habitat to recruit Ludicolo. Use powered-up Leafage (from eating Simple Salad) to clear weeds from a pond.
Bring Ludicolo to DJ Rotom to help with the party atmosphere.
Speak to Professor Tangrowth, who requests a large Lost Relic. Obtain one by digging up glowing spots found throughout the area.
Craft Party Platters (5 Iron Ingots each) and fill them with five different meals.
Raise the party hype to 100 points by decorating the area and completing tasks from DJ Rotom and Chef Dente.
Gather the final cooking ingredients: 15 Leppa Berries, 15 Wheat, 15 Beans, and 5 Honey.
Bring one Pokemon with the Party specialty plus four additional Pokemon to the cooking pot.
Cook the curry. This takes approximately 6 minutes in real-world time.
After the curry is finished, a cutscene plays. Speak to Professor Tangrowth, then climb to the volcanic summit where Volcanion appears. The legendary Fire/Water-type Pokemon can be invited to the party. Volcanion celebrates with a fireworks show, and completing the encounter unlocks recipes for a cannon and fireworks.
Mining and Resources
Rocky Ridges has the most extensive mining system in Pokopia. The underground mines extend deep into the mountain, with multiple levels containing different ore types. Using Ditto's Rock Smash ability, players can carve away hundreds of ashy blocks to unearth cave systems, a hidden greenhouse, and other buried structures.
Resource | How to Obtain | Used For |
|---|---|---|
Use Rock Smash on black soil deposits near the Pokemon Center and throughout the area | Smelted into Glass; crafting the Bread Oven (2 Stones, 2 Small Logs, 4 Volcanic Ashes) | |
Mine rocky deposits with Rock Smash; plentiful in the mines | Smelted into Copper Ingots for crafting (Frying Pan requires 2 Copper Ingots) | |
Found deeper in cave systems | Smelted into Iron Ingots for advanced crafting (Party Platter requires 5 Iron Ingots); Smelting Furnace recipe (4 Iron Ore + 4 Stone) | |
Found in deeper volcano mine sections | Smelted into Gold Ingots for premium crafting | |
Deep in volcano mines in glowing rock deposits; requires powered-up Rock Smash | Critical endgame crafting resource | |
Crystal Fragments | Destroy large blue crystals in lava-section mine rooms behind Strength boulders | Decorative items and advanced crafting |
Collectible throughout the area; 5 needed for Machoke quest | General crafting ingredient | |
Grown at southwestern farm fields at the old farmstead | Simple Bread, cooking recipes, party ingredients (15 needed for curry) | |
Beans | Grown at southwestern fields near waterways | Simple Hamburger Steak, party ingredients (15 needed for curry) |
Leppa Berries | Found on berry bushes throughout the area | Cooking recipes, party ingredients (15 needed for curry) |
Collected from glowing flowers when sparkles appear | Cooking recipes, party ingredients (5 needed for curry) |
Pewter City Museum
Deep within the Rocky Ridges mines, following the old cart tracks, players discover the buried remains of the Pewter City Museum of Science. The museum is now operated by a Gimmighoul in its Chest Form, who is both curator and trader. Gimmighoul recognizes fellow collectors and offers exchanges for special items.
Fossil Restoration
Players can bring fossils discovered throughout Pokopia to the museum. Placing the relevant fossil pieces together restores ancient Pokemon creatures, and may unlock unique habitats in the process.
Trading with Gimmighoul
Gimmighoul accepts several types of collectibles in exchange for exclusive furniture:
Trade Item | Source | Reward |
|---|---|---|
Rainbow Feathers | Dropped by Ho-Oh after sky flights | Pop art furniture and exclusive decorative items |
Silver Feathers | Obtained from Lugia encounters | Pop art tables and themed furniture |
Appraised large Lost Relics | Dug from glowing spots; appraised by Professor Tangrowth | Pop art sofas and additional furniture pieces |
Lost Relics must be appraised by Professor Tangrowth before they can be traded. After completing initial trades, Gimmighoul may request the player build a mini museum habitat using harbor poles, large Lost Relics, and exhibition stands.
Crafting Recipes
Several key crafting recipes are unlocked or commonly used in Rocky Ridges:
Item | Materials | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
Perch | 2 Small Logs, 1 Leaf | Resting spot for flying Pokemon |
Cutting Board | 2 Lumber | Required for advanced cooking |
Frying Pan | 2 Copper Ingots | Unlocks additional cooking recipes |
Bread Oven | 2 Stones, 2 Small Logs, 4 Volcanic Ashes | Bakes bread and other oven-based recipes |
Party Platter | 5 Iron Ingots | Required for the Time to Party quest (fill with 5 different meals) |
Smelting Furnace | Processes raw ore into ingots when heated by Magmar | |
Wooden Stairs | Logs | Recommended to craft beforehand for traversing elevation changes |
Notable Locations
Location | Description |
|---|---|
Initially in ruins. The PC must be pushed onto an electrical socket using Strength. Rebuilding the full center requires Environment Level 5 and a Pokemon Center rebuilding kit. | |
Chef Dente's Kitchen | Where the special Greedent operates after being rescued. The hub for learning cooking recipes, preparing meals, and hosting feasts. |
Pewter City Museum | Buried deep in the mines, accessed by following old cart tracks. Operated by Gimmighoul; trades feathers and relics for pop art furniture. Also houses fossil restoration. |
Smelting Furnace | Found inside a cave behind a metal fence (cut with enhanced Cut). Used to process all ore types into ingots when heated by Magmar. |
Mine Tunnels | Extensive underground passages following old cart tracks. Contain ore deposits, crystal formations, lava sections, and connect to the museum. Players can carve new pathways using Rock Smash. |
DJ Rotom's Tunnel | Hidden tunnel accessible by breaking through a glowing stone wall with enhanced Rock Smash. Contains the Stereo Rotom form of DJ Rotom. |
Natural springs located north of the Pokemon Center, near the mine entrance. Site for Mossy Hot Spring habitats (Torkoal). | |
Volcanic Peak | The summit area where Volcanion appears after completing the Time to Party quest. Volcanion celebrates with a fireworks display. |
Southwestern Farmstead | An old tattered farmstead with fields where Wheat and Beans can be grown for cooking ingredients. |
Hidden Greenhouse | Uncovered by using Rock Smash to carve through ashy blocks deep in the mine system. |
Human Records (Outfits)
Two outfits can be found in Rocky Ridges inside Human Record collectibles. Human Records are lore items that look like books on the ground with yellow sparkles emanating from them, indicating they have not been collected yet.
Outfit | Human Record Name | Location |
|---|---|---|
Super Nerd Outfit | Super Nerd Record | Near the train tracks in the mine area |
Rock-Solid Outfit (Brock reference) | Gym Leader Monthly | Near Chef Dente's kitchen. References Brock, the Pewter City Gym Leader from the original games. |
Environment Level
Story progression in Rocky Ridges requires raising Environment Level to at least 3 before Professor Tangrowth allows the story to continue. Environment Level is the sum of all Pokemon's Comfort Levels in the area, increased by befriending Pokemon, building habitats, and placing decorations. Comfort Levels have six tiers: No Home, Iffy, Average, Nice, Great, and Awesome.
To rebuild the Pokemon Center in Rocky Ridges (required for game credits), the Environment Level must reach 5 and the Pokemon Center rebuilding kit must be purchased. Along with rebuilding the Pokemon Center in all other story areas, this is part of the requirement to see the game's ending.
Flora
Rocky Ridges has region-specific plants that are used for habitats and crafting:
Plant | Description |
|---|---|
Red Tall Grass | Created by using Water Gun on dried-out grass, then Leafage. Grows in red patches unique to the area. Used in multiple habitat types. |
Mountain Flowers | Dark blue flowers found throughout the area. Used to create Graceful Flower Bed habitats for Clefable and Fidough. |
Damp Hedge | A hedge type exclusive to Rocky Ridges. Each area in Pokopia has its own exclusive hedge type. |
Red Tall Grass | A variant of tall grass used in Tree-Shaded Red Tall Grass habitats for Pupitar. |
Tips
Craft Wooden Stairs before entering Rocky Ridges. The area has significant elevation changes and stairs make traversal much easier.
Invite Magmar early by building the Digging and Burning habitat. Magmar enables copper ore smelting, which unlocks the Frying Pan and other copper-based recipes.
Stock up on Wheat and Beans for the Time to Party quest. You need 15 of each, so start growing them at the southwestern farmstead as soon as possible.
Eat Simple Bread before attempting to free Chef Dente. The enhanced Cut move is required to slice through the chains on the barrel.
Eat Simple Hamburger Steak before mining. The enhanced Rock Smash is needed to break through hard rocks, black soil deposits, and glowing stone walls.
Use salad-powered Leafage to clear unbreakable bushes and weeds from ponds.
The curry in the Time to Party quest takes about 6 minutes in real time to cook. Make sure all ingredients and Pokemon are ready before starting.
Smelting is 1:1 (e.g., 5 copper ore = 5 copper ingots). Plan your crafting recipes accordingly.
Look for glowing rock deposits deep in the volcano mines for Glowing Stone, a critical endgame resource.
After completing the Volcanion encounter, check for the cannon and fireworks recipes that unlock as rewards.