Hoenn. It’s basically just water and trumpets, right? Well, not exactly. Even if you've rolled the credits and watched the sunset over Ever Grande City, there is a massive amount of content in these 3DS remakes that most people just sort of breeze past. Honestly, if you haven't dealt with a space virus or spent three hours chasing a red sparkle in the sky, you haven't really finished your pokemon omega ruby alpha sapphire guide.
The 2014 remakes, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire (ORAS), were weird. They didn't just polish the graphics; they added mechanics like the DexNav and Soaring that changed the fundamental loop of how you catch 'em all. Whether you’re dusting off your 3DS in 2026 or playing on an emulator, you've got to know how to actually navigate the endgame.
The DexNav Is Not Just For Shiny Hunting
Most players get the DexNav from Brendan or May early on and think, "Cool, I can see what's in the grass." But you're leaving so much on the table if you don't level it up.
Basically, every time you encounter a specific Pokémon, your "Search Level" for that species goes up. Once you hit level 10, the DexNav starts showing you "Egg Moves" and "Hidden Abilities" before you even start the battle. Imagine catching a Taillow on Route 104 that already knows Brave Bird. That’s a game-changer for a regular playthrough.
If you're looking for those perfect stats, keep an eye on the stars. Three filled stars on the DexNav screen means that Pokémon has at least three perfect IVs (Individual Values).
Expert Tip: If you want to chain for shinies, don't worry too much about the 100-chain myth. While the 50th and 100th encounters have a flat-out boost, the real secret is just keeping the chain alive to increase the odds of seeing those high-IV, hidden ability spawns.
Finding the Legendary Mirage Spots
This is where the game gets actually dizzying. Once you get the Eon Flute from Steven after the Primal Groudon/Kyogre fight, you can summon Latios or Latias to soar through the sky. You’ll see red sparkles on the map. These are Mirage Spots.
Most of these are random. One appears every day. But some of the heavy hitters—the Legendaries—require very specific, almost cryptic conditions to spawn.
- The Lake Trio (Uxie, Mesprit, Azelf): You need three Pokémon with max friendship in your party. They spawn at Nameless Cavern near Sootopolis.
- The Swords of Justice (Cobalion, Terrakion, Virizion): You need three Pokémon with max EVs. They show up at Pathless Plain.
- Dialga and Palkia: You need Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf in your party simultaneously. (Note: Dialga is Ruby-exclusive, Palkia is Sapphire-exclusive).
- Giratina: You must have both Dialga and Palkia in your party. This means you’ll have to trade with a friend or have a second console.
It’s a lot of management. If you aren't checking the time, you'll miss Uxie, who only hangs out between 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM.
That Delta Episode Nobody Talks About
Once the Elite Four are down, the game doesn't stop. The Delta Episode is essentially a second mini-campaign involving a giant meteor and a new character named Zinnia. It's the only way to get Rayquaza and Deoxys without an event.
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You start this by heading back to Littleroot Town. Your dad, Norman, gives you tickets to a show in Mossdeep, but everything goes sideways when a meteor is discovered heading straight for the planet.
You’ll be bouncing between the Devon Corporation in Rustboro and the Granite Cave in Dewford. Eventually, you’ll end up at Sky Pillar. Pro tip: bring a lot of Ultra Balls. You have to catch Rayquaza to proceed, and immediately after that, you’re forced into a battle with Zinnia. Then, you literally fly into space to fight Deoxys. It is the most "un-Pokémon" moment in the series, and it's brilliant.
Secret Bases and the Flag Grind
Remember Secret Power? The move you used to make a little cubby in a tree? In ORAS, this became a full-blown social network. By scanning QR codes from other players (you can still find archives of these online), you can populate your world with other people’s bases.
If you talk to the NPCs in those bases, you can invite them back to your base as "Secret Pals." They have special skills. One might tell your fortune (giving you a random O-Power), while another can "Pick Up" stones like Moon Stones or Dusk Stones.
The real goal here is the Garchompite. To get it, you need to collect 1,000 flags from other bases. It sounds like a lot—and it is—but if you hit the "Update" button on the AreaNav while connected to the internet (or using local StreetPass), you can grab dozens of flags a day.
Getting All the Mega Stones
You don't just find Mega Stones lying around in the first half of the game. Most of the good ones are locked behind the post-game.
- Beedrillite: Hidden in the storage room of Sea Mauville.
- Altarianite: Show an Altaria to a guy in Lilycove City.
- Lucarionite: This one is a pain. You have to win every single Master Rank Pokémon Contest and then defeat the idol, Lisia, in a final showdown.
- Garchompite: Like I mentioned, that 1,000-flag grind in the Secret Base guild.
For the starter stones (Sceptilite, Blazikenite, Swampertite), if you didn't get yours from Steven, you can buy them from a weird old man on Route 114 after you've dealt with the super-ancient Pokémon. He calls them things like "Ebb Tide" or "Fading Fire."
Actionable Next Steps
If you want to 100% this pokemon omega ruby alpha sapphire guide, stop what you're doing and focus on these three things first:
- Max Friendship: Get three Pokémon to max happiness (use the massage lady in Mauville or just walk around) so you can trigger the Lake Trio spawns at the Nameless Cavern.
- Update the AreaNav: Every time you're near a Wi-Fi signal, sync your game. This refreshes the Mirage Spots and Secret Base flags, which are the hardest things to farm alone.
- The Sea Mauville Scanner: Surf to the abandoned ship on Route 108. Find the Scanner, trade it to Captain Stern in Slateport, and get the Clear Bell (Ruby) or Tidal Bell (Sapphire) to unlock Ho-Oh or Lugia.
Hoenn is huge. Most people stop at the Elite Four, but the real game starts when you're soaring 30,000 feet above the clouds. Don't leave those Legendaries sitting in a ring in the sky.