The River is the fourth course. The ZERO-ONE moves along in float mode on a peaceful river running next to a dense forest. Much of the trip takes place under the canopy, where Metapod hang from the branches. Twelve species can be photographed, including rarities such as Bulbasaur and Porygon. Schools of Shellder and Cloyster rise out of the water and float in the air for a few seconds; signs planted on the banks mark the spots where you can see them.
Access and unlocking
The River opens once you have photographed 22 different species on the Beach, in the Tunnel and in the Volcano. You then need the Pester Ball to find its secret exit. Very near the end, a red button sits on the bank, and a camouflaged Porygon waits not far from it. Hit with a Pester Ball, it jumps onto the button, which opens the way to the Cave. The vehicle’s mode then changes: the ZERO-ONE takes off in flight mode.
The twelve species
| Pokémon | Where and how | Useful item |
|---|---|---|
| Poliwag | Several hide on the right bank at the start. Hit by enough Pester Balls, they dive in, running. They then pop out several times together along the river, and an item thrown into the water can also attract them. | Pester Ball |
| Bulbasaur | On the left bank, two bulbs poke out of stumps. A Pester Ball makes them come out. Another hides in the opening of a fallen trunk, and can be lured out with a Fluffruit. | Pester Ball, then Fluffruit |
| Slowpoke | Two are sitting on the left bank. With Fluffruit, you lead them to platforms where they fish for Shellder with their tails. | Fluffruit |
| Shellder | Shellder come out of the water and float in the air for several seconds. You also see them briefly when a Slowpoke pulls one out of the water, just before the evolution. | None |
| Slowbro | Lead a Slowpoke, with Fluffruit, to one of the spots marked by a Shellder sign: it fishes, a Shellder bites its tail and it evolves. | Fluffruit |
| Vileplume | It sleeps on the right bank, releasing a cloud of spores. The Poké Flute wakes it up and makes it dance. | Poké Flute |
| Metapod | Several dangle from a branch. Hitting them makes them drop down until the next hit. Two of them are placed so as to stop the ZERO-ONE. | Pester Ball or Fluffruit |
| Psyduck | It first swims near the second Slowpoke, then around small islets. When hit, it sinks, then comes out of the water holding its head. | Fluffruit or Pester Ball |
| Porygon | On the right bank, triangular shapes poke out of the bushes: camouflaged Porygon. An item makes them come out; a Pester Ball strips off their camouflage. A third stands near the button of the secret exit. | Pester Ball |
| Cloyster | It appears with the Shellder, toward the end. The photo is rare. | None, but throwing items into the water can trigger its appearance |
| Magikarp | Throw an item into the water: a Magikarp leaps out. | Fluffruit or Pester Ball |
| Pikachu | Near the end, a pile of logs lets its head stick out. Photographing it makes it run off with Quick Attack. | Fluffruit or Pester Ball to make it come out |
Slowpoke’s fishing
According to Bulbapedia, Pokémon Snap is the only game to show Slowpoke’s evolution the way the Pokédex tells it: a Shellder bites its tail and transforms it. To trigger it, lure a Slowpoke with a Fluffruit to a platform marked with a Shellder sign. It dips its tail in; after a few seconds, a Shellder bites it and the Pokémon turns into a Slowbro. The Slowpoke, the Shellder and the Slowbro each count as a separate species. Remember to take a shot at each stage, and also one with a Fluffruit to stretch out the pose: speedrunners note that a Fluffruit thrown to the right of the first Slowpoke makes it stretch to eat, which earns the full points.
The Pikachu logs, the Metapod and the Psyduck
The Metapod in the trees serve as both a target and an obstacle. When hit, they come down to the ZERO-ONE’s level, which allows a close-up shot, but they can also stop it. The Psyduck are more spectacular: after a Pester Ball or Fluffruit hit, they sink then come back out leaping, hands on their heads, sometimes shooting out very fast in a spray of sparks. Finally, the Pikachu in the logs is ready as soon as you hit it: take it as it runs across the frame.
Vileplume and the Pokémon Sign: the Cubone Tree
Halfway through the course, on the right bank, Vileplume sleeps, releasing a cloud of spores. Behind it stands a large mossy tree, barely visible in the mist, that looks surprisingly like a Cubone. Play the Poké Flute: Vileplume wakes up, dances, and the cloud disperses. The tree is only visible as long as the flute keeps playing without interruption: as soon as you stop, Vileplume falls back asleep and its cloud returns. So photograph the tree during the melody. This is Oak’s Cubone Tree.
Continuing the guide
After the River, the Cave awaits you, reached thanks to the Porygon and its button. To understand all the access conditions for the seven courses, see the progression page.
