Look, we’ve all been there. You’re standing in front of the Rustboro City gym, staring down Roxanne’s Nosepass, and your Treecko is barely level 12. You realize you need a Geodude or a Marill to soak up those Rock Tombs, but they’re sitting in your party at level 6. It’s a grind. It’s tedious. This is exactly where most players start wishing they could just speed things up.
Getting the exp share pokemon emerald players often hunt for isn’t just about making the game easier; it’s about managing the weird, specific math of Generation 3. Back in 2005, we didn't have the "all-party" experience share that people complain about in the modern Switch games. You had one item. It held one slot. If you didn't know how the division of points worked, you were basically throwing away potential levels.
Honestly, the Exp. Share is kind of a trap if you use it for the whole game. It’s great for catching up a Magikarp, sure. But if you’re trying to build a competitive team for the Battle Frontier later on, blindly slapping this item on a Pokemon can actually mess up your Effort Values (EVs).
How to Actually Find the Exp. Share in Hoenn
You can’t just buy this thing. That would be too easy.
The process is tied directly to the Plot. You have to deliver Steven’s Letter in Granite Cave. Most people sprint through that dark cave using Flash (or just hugging the walls like a madman) to find Steven Stone, give him the mail, and then bolt out of there. Don't do that. Once you’ve talked to Steven and he gives you the TM for Steel Wing, you need to backtrack all the way to Rustboro City.
Go to the Devon Corporation building. Talk to Mr. Stone, the president. Because you were a good little delivery person, he’ll hand over the Exp. Share. If you skip this, you’re stuck grinding the old-fashioned way—switching your weak Pokemon into battle on the first turn and immediately swapping them out. It sucks. It’s slow.
There is a second way to get one, but it's basically a lottery. Literally. The Lilycove Department Store has the Pokemon Lottery Corner. If you match three digits of a Pokemon's ID number, you win an Exp. Share. Since ID numbers are tied to the original trainer, the only real way to boost your odds is to trade with as many different people as possible. In 2026, unless you're using an emulator with trade patches or you have a weirdly dedicated group of friends with Game Boys and Link Cables, you're stuck with the one Mr. Stone gives you.
The Math: It’s Not Just a 50/50 Split
Here is where people get confused. They think the Exp. Share just gives half the points to the holder.
It’s more complex.
In Pokemon Emerald, the experience earned in battle is first divided by the number of Pokemon that actually participated. Then, the Exp. Share takes its cut.
If your Blaziken fights a Machoke and wins, and your Ralts is holding the Exp. Share:
The total experience is split into two "pots."
Pot A goes to the Pokemon who physically appeared in the fight.
Pot B goes to the holder of the Exp. Share.
If only Blaziken fought, it gets 50% and Ralts gets 50%.
But! If you send out Blaziken, then swap to Gardevoir to finish the fight, while Ralts is still holding the item? The "active" half is split between Blaziken and Gardevoir (25% each), while the Exp. Share holder still gets their full 50% chunk.
Basically, the item holder always gets half the total experience regardless of how many other Pokemon rotated through the actual battle. It is a massive shortcut for leveling up "dead weight" team members.
The EV Training Nightmare
We need to talk about Effort Values. If you’re just playing through the story to beat Wallace and the Elite Four, ignore this. But if you care about stats, the exp share pokemon emerald mechanics are a double-edged sword.
In Gen 3, if a Pokemon receives experience from a battle—even via the Exp. Share—it receives the full amount of EVs from that defeated Pokemon.
Imagine you’re trying to train a glass-cannon Alakazam. You want Speed and Special Attack. You put the Exp. Share on it while your Swampert mows down a bunch of Hariyama in Victory Road. Hariyama gives HP EVs. Your Alakazam is now gaining HP stats.
For a casual run? This is fine. It makes your Pokemon tankier.
For the Battle Frontier? You just ruined your build.
You have to be incredibly surgical. If you want specific stats, the Pokemon holding the Exp. Share must only be in the party when you are fighting specific monsters that drop the stats you want. It’s a micromanagement headache that most people realize far too late.
Why Emerald’s System is Better Than Modern Games
People argue about this constantly on Reddit and Smogon forums.
Modern Pokemon games (Sword/Shield, Scarlet/Violet) have a forced Exp. Share that applies to everyone. It makes the game feel like a breeze. Emerald’s version requires choice. You have to decide who is the "project" Pokemon.
It forces a certain kind of bond. You’re choosing to sacrifice a held item slot—meaning that Pokemon can’t hold Leftovers, a Silk Scarf, or a Choice Band—just to get them up to speed.
It also prevents your entire team from becoming overleveled. One of the biggest complaints about Hoenn is the level curve. There’s a massive jump between the seventh gym (Tate and Liza) and the eighth gym, and then another spike for the Elite Four. If you rely too heavily on one or two starters, the Exp. Share is your only lifeline to keep a balanced team of six without spending four hours fighting wild Linoone on Route 118.
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Surprising Glitches and Limitations
Did you know the Exp. Share can actually slow down evolution if you aren't careful? Well, not technically, but it feels like it. If a Pokemon levels up via the Exp. Share but isn't the one "active" when the battle ends, it will still evolve, but there were weird edge cases in the original Japanese Ruby/Sapphire code where messages could get skipped. Thankfully, Emerald is the "polished" version where most of these quirks were ironed out.
Also, don't try to use it to level up a Level 100 Pokemon to help others. If a Level 100 Pokemon is the one fighting, it still "takes" its share of the experience, but that experience just disappears into the void. It doesn't get redistributed to the Exp. Share holder. You’re always losing that 50%.
Strategies for the Mid-Game Grind
By the time you hit Fortree City, your team is usually a mess. You’ve probably picked up an Altaria or a Tropius that is ten levels behind your starter.
The best place to use your Exp. Share isn't actually in the wild. It's the trainers on the water routes between Lilycove and Mossdeep. Those Tentacruel and Pelipper give decent yield.
- Give the item to your lowest-level Pokemon.
- Put your strongest Pokemon with an AOE move (like Surf or Earthquake) in the first slot.
- Fly to an area with high-level trainers you haven't fought yet.
- Wipe them out.
Keep in mind that if the holder of the Exp. Share faints, they stop receiving experience from that point forward in the battle. Keep them healthy even if they aren't fighting.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Emerald Run
If you’re currently playing through Emerald on your phone or an old SP, here is exactly what you should do to maximize your time:
- Go Get It Now: If you’ve beaten Brawly and haven't gone back to Rustboro, do it. The trek back through Petalburg Woods is annoying, but the Exp. Share saves you hours of grinding later.
- The Rare Candy Reserve: Don't use Rare Candies yet. Use the Exp. Share to get your Pokemon to level 45 or 50, then use the candies to bridge the gap for the Elite Four.
- Check Your IDs: Every time you see a trade in-game (like the guy who wants a Ralts for his Seedot), do it. It adds a new Trainer ID to your save file, which increases your literal 1-in-65535 chance of winning a second Exp. Share at the Lilycove Lottery.
- EV Awareness: If you plan on taking this save file into the post-game, take the Exp. Share off before you go into "stat-heavy" areas like the Power Plant (Speed) or Mt. Pyre (Special Attack).
Emerald is a tough game. It’s arguably the hardest of the first three generations because of the gym leader AI and the diverse movepools. The Exp. Share is the only thing standing between you and a very frustrating loss to Drake’s Salamence. Use it, but don't let it become a crutch that ruins your stats.