You’re standing in the middle of Mauville City, likely right next to that flashy Square or the Pokémon Center, and honestly, it’s a lot. Mauville is the literal heart of Hoenn. Whether you’re playing the classic Ruby, Sapphire, or Emerald versions or the updated Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire (ORAS), this is where the game stops holding your hand and basically tells you to figure it out.
Most players just beat Wattson. You’ve got the Dynamo Badge. You might’ve even grabbed the Rock Smash HM from the guy in the house near the shop. But now what? The road splits in four directions. If you try to go east, there’s water you can’t cross yet. If you go south, you’re just heading back to Slateport.
Knowing where to go after Mauville City isn't just about the next gym; it’s about navigating the massive difficulty spike that happens between the third and fourth badges. If you go the wrong way, you’re going to hit a wall. If you don't prepare, Flannery is going to absolutely destroy your team with Overheat.
The Northern Path: Route 111 and the Desert Problem
First things first: head North.
Route 111 is your immediate destination. You’ll see a giant desert. Don’t get excited, though—you can’t go in there yet. You need the Go-Goggles, and you won’t get those until much later. Instead, you have to take the detour to the left onto Route 112.
This is where the game’s scale starts to feel real. You’ll run into the Winstrate family. They’re basically a gauntlet of four trainers you have to fight in a row. It’s a great way to see if your team is actually leveled high enough. If you struggle with the grandmother at the end of that chain, you are nowhere near ready for the next leg of the journey. Take the time to grind here.
Once you pass the Winstrates, you’ll see Mt. Chimney. In the original games, Team Magma or Team Aqua will be blocking the cable car. In ORAS, they’re still there, but the vibe is a bit more cinematic. Since you can't ride the lift, you have to go through Fiery Path. It’s a short tunnel, but it’s vital. You’ll find Torkoal and Grimer here. If you didn’t pick Mudkip as your starter, catching a Numel in this area is a smart move for later.
Fallarbor Town and the Meteor Falls Detour
After exiting Fiery Path, you’re back on the other side of the desert on Route 113. This is the "ashy" route. Everything is covered in volcanic soot. It’s visually one of the coolest parts of Hoenn. Keep heading west until you hit Fallarbor Town.
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Don't just heal and leave.
Fallarbor is home to the Move Tutor. If you’ve found any Heart Scales (check the beaches near Slateport), this is where you use them to relearn moves you accidentally skipped. More importantly, you need to head south from Fallarbor to Route 114. You’re looking for Professor Cozmo.
This leads you to Meteor Falls. It’s a short sequence, but it’s the first time you’ll see the legendary conflict between the teams really heat up. You’ll witness a confrontation between Magma and Aqua. This "distraction" is actually the trigger that clears the path back at Mt. Chimney. Without doing this, the cable car stays blocked forever.
Returning to Mt. Chimney: The Real Boss Fight
Once the drama at Meteor Falls is done, trek all the way back to the cable car near the Fiery Path entrance. The grunts are gone. Take the ride up.
The view is great, but the fight is better. You’re going to face either Maxie or Archie at the summit, depending on your version. This is the first "real" boss fight against a team leader. They use Poochyena, Zubat, and their signature Camerupt or Sharpedo.
Pro Tip: Do not use a Fire-type against Maxie’s Camerupt. It sounds obvious, but Camerupt’s Magnitude can end your run before it starts. If you have a Water-type, this is their time to shine.
Winning this battle gives you the Meteorite. Most people think this is just a plot item, but in ORAS, you can actually give this to Professor Cozmo later for some decent rewards. More importantly, defeating the boss clears the path to the Jagged Pass. This is a bumpy, downward-sloping trail that leads directly to Lavaridge Town.
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Lavaridge Town: Where the Heat Is
Lavaridge is your final destination in this specific "where to go after Mauville City" cycle. It’s a hot spring town.
Go to the Pokémon Center first. There’s an old lady standing outside next to the hot springs. Talk to her. She will give you an Egg. In the original games and the remakes, this egg hatches into a Wynaut. It takes a while to hatch, but it’s a free Pokémon, so just stick it in your party while you walk.
Then, there’s Flannery.
The Lavaridge Gym is a nightmare if you aren't prepared. It’s a Fire-type gym filled with steam traps and hidden trainers. Flannery’s Torkoal is notorious for using Sunny Day followed by a boosted Overheat. It can one-shot almost anything that isn’t a dedicated tank. If you have a Marill with Huge Power or a Marshtomp, you’ll be fine. If you don't, you might want to head back to the ponds near Mauville and fish for a Magikarp to evolve. A Gyarados makes this fight trivial.
Common Misconceptions About the Mauville "Lock"
A lot of players get stuck thinking they need to cross the water to the East (Route 118) immediately. You can't. You need the Surf HM for that. And to use Surf outside of battle, you need the Balance Badge from Petalburg City.
Wait. Petalburg? That’s the first town you visited!
Yep. After you beat Flannery in Lavaridge, your rival (May or Brendan) will show up and give you the Go-Goggles. They’ll also offer to "fast travel" you back to Petalburg. Say yes. This is the game’s way of telling you that your dad, Norman, is finally ready to fight you.
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The pathing is basically a giant circle:
- Mauville (Badge 3)
- Route 111/112 (The detour)
- Fallarbor Town
- Meteor Falls
- Mt. Chimney (The Boss)
- Lavaridge City (Badge 4)
- Petalburg City (Badge 5)
Essential Checklist for the Mauville-to-Lavaridge Stretch
Don't leave the Mauville area without checking these off. You'll regret it if you have to backtrack on foot.
- The Mach Bike or Acro Bike: Talk to Rydel in the bike shop. The Mach Bike is better for the early game because it lets you go up the muddy slopes on Route 112.
- The Coin Case: You can’t use the Mauville Game Corner without it. You get it by trading a Harbor Mail (bought in Slateport) to a woman in one of the Mauville houses.
- HM04 Strength: In ORAS, you get this from your rival on Route 112. In the original games, you get it in Verdanturf Town after smashing the rocks in the cave. You can't finish the game without this, so make sure you have it before hitting the mountains.
- Secret Power TM: On Route 111, a guy standing near a tree will give you this. It allows you to make Secret Bases. It's not mandatory for the plot, but it's half the fun of the Hoenn region.
What Happens if You Get Stuck?
If you find yourself at a dead end, 90% of the time it’s because you didn't trigger the cutscene at Meteor Falls. The game won't let you progress to the top of the volcano until you've "chased" the bad guys to the falls west of Fallarbor.
Also, watch out for the sandstorm on Route 111. Without those Go-Goggles (which you only get after beating the 4th Gym), that area is completely impassable. Don't waste time trying to "hug the wall" to get through. It’s a hard coded barrier.
The transition from Mauville to the rest of the map is arguably the most complex part of the early game. It involves a lot of "V-shaped" traveling—going far north, then far west, then back east, then south. But once you bag that 4th badge and get the goggles, the whole map opens up. You’ll finally be able to cross the water east of Mauville and enter the jungle-heavy second half of the game.
Actionable Steps for the Player:
- Level to 28-30: Ensure your lead Pokémon is at least level 28 before hitting Mt. Chimney.
- Visit Verdanturf: Before heading North, go West to Verdanturf Town. Clear the Rusturf Tunnel with Rock Smash. This gives you easy access back to Rustboro and earns you the Strength HM (in classic versions).
- Capture a Numel: Seriously. It evolves into Camerupt and makes the middle-game much easier if you didn't pick Blaziken.
- Defeat Flannery: Use the Go-Goggles she gives you to finally explore the Route 111 desert on your way back to Petalburg.