> > > Useful tips 
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I] Items to obtain:
1- Travel items
The Running Shoes |  At the very start of your adventure, after getting the Pokédex, you must go to Oldale Town…
On the way, your mother will hand you the Running Shoes.
This item is very useful, because it lets you run while you travel until you get one of the two bikes.
To use them, at any time in the game, press B while walking.
Of course, you can’t use them on the Cycling Road.
| | As in earlier versions, you can get a means of transport.
This one is far more advanced than the ones in the older cartridges, because there are two types:
 – the Mach Bike: It’s the one used most in the game, because it lets you cross the sand slopes on certain routes with enough momentum. It’s also the fastest, which is why I consider it the best, and that’s in most cases, around 90% of situations! It will also be useful for crossing crumbling floors, like when catching a certain Rayquaza…
 – the Acro Bike: In the remaining 10% of cases, you’ll need this acrobatic bicycle to get where you want.
To ride on one wheel, press B while riding!
It’s most useful in the Safari Zone near Lilycove City, where you’ll find white ramps that, when you ride up them, let you reach hidden areas of the park.
And to reach them, you’ll need this Acro Bike!
Find these ramps (see the park map by clicking here), then press B and the direction you want to go at the same time.  
How do you get them? Simply go to Mauville City, then talk to the man in the shop with all the bikes on display along the side!
He’ll give you either the Mach Bike or the Acro Bike.
Note that you can switch at any time by talking to him again! |
2- Other items
The different fishing rods | Where to find them?
The Old Rod: You’ll find your first rod in Dewford Town (right next to the Gym).
It lets you catch rather weak Pokémon (usually Magikarp). The Good Rod: You’ll find it on the left, on the beach of Route 118.
It lets you catch more Pokémon than the Old Rod. The Super Rod: You’ll find it in a house at the top right of Mossdeep City.
This rod is truly the ultimate one… it lets you catch the best Water Pokémon! How do you use them?
Simply, when you’re on the water or at its edge, select one of the rods you have, then when you see “Oh! A bite!“, press the A button quickly (and only once)!
After that, you may have to repeat the process several times until the battle starts. | | Some Pokémon still evolve using Evolution Stones.
Here is where to find them:
– Thunder Stone: the power plant in Mauville City
– Water Stone: the Abandoned Ship on Route 107
– Sun Stone: a house in Mossdeep City
– Fire Stone: the Fiery Path near Fallarbor Town
– Leaf Stone: north of Route 119
 A new feature in Ruby and Sapphire is the appearance of rare shards, which can be found underwater anywhere…
What can you do with these shards?
– Go to Mossdeep City
– Go to the west of the city (on the water).
– Enter the treasure hunter’s house, and trade your Shards for
Evolution Stones.
Fire Stone = Red Shard
Leaf Stone = Green Shard
Thunder Stone = Yellow Shard
Water Stone = Blue Shard | | From the very start of your adventure, you hold an official Trainer Card.
It is in fact your permanent “stats screen“.
It lets you check at any time the amount of your money, your Badges, your number of Pokémon in the Pokédex and your ID number, useful for trades from the earliest versions…
The same functions as in the older versions! But the big innovation with this card is that you can now collect stars and it shows you the goals you’ve achieved. To update your Trainer Card on the back, here are the goals to fulfil:
 – Beat the League at least once
– Have had at least one Link battle
– Have traded at least one Pokémon via Link
– Have had a Pokéblock battle via Link.
– Have entered a Beauty Contest via Link.
– Have beaten the Battle Tower at least once. To earn stars, here is what you must do:
– 1st star: Complete the game
– 2nd star: Beat the Battle Tower completely
– 3rd star: Win all the Pokémon Contests
– 4th star: Catch 202 Pokémon in the Pokédex. | The Ruby and Sapphire diploma | As in the older versions, the Pokémon diploma is back…
When you’ve caught every Pokémon, that is 200 or 386, with the help of the upcoming game “Pokémon Colosseum” (due out in March 2004), you’ll need to go to the Cove Lily Motel to the right of the Contest Hall in Lilycove City, then go up to the first floor and talk to the Game Designer!
If you have every Pokémon, he’ll give you either the Hoenn Pokédex diploma (200 Pokémon), or the National Pokédex diploma (386 Pokémon). Below is, as an exclusive, the National Pokédex diploma, which no one can obtain for now, since it requires 386 Pokémon in the Pokédex. | | TMs are very important for making your Pokémon powerful.
However, some rare TMs can’t be found anywhere, except in one place: the TM man! Just go to Pacifidlog Town and talk to the man in the house at the bottom left.
He’ll give you a TM related to the Pokémon in first position on your belt. |
II] Looking after your Pokémon Forgetting TMs/HMs and other moves | Sometimes you no longer want a Pokémon to know a move or an HM (HMs they can’t forget by themselves)… To get this privilege, you have to go to Lilycove City, to the house to the right of the Department Store and talk to the old man inside. | Finding out if your Pokémon is happy | For some Pokémon, happiness is very important, because it determines whether or not they will evolve, for baby Pokémon, for example!
To find out if your Pokémon is happy, go to Verdanturf Town and talk to the lady with her Pikachu in the house at the bottom left of the town. | Renaming your Pokémon | Many players love to rename their Pokémon…
In Ruby & Sapphire, you still can!
Go to Slateport City, south of the Contest Hall, then talk to the old man, who will ask whether you’d like to rename your Pokémon.
Warning:you can’t rename traded Pokémon. |
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