Route 215 & Veilstone City
Prepare for a damp journey! Route 215 is characterized by perpetual rainfall, which significantly impacts battles. The rain boosts the power of Water-type moves by 50% and simultaneously weakens Fire-type moves by 50%. Keep this in mind when planning your team and battle strategies. This route is also home to some interesting wild Pokémon, including the Poison/Fighting-type Croagunk and the Bug/Flying-type Scyther (Platinum exclusive, often holding a Metal Coat!).
Route 215 Walkthrough
This route is fairly linear, but it offers plenty of opportunities for trainer battles and item collection. We recommend battling every trainer to maximize experience gains for your team.
- Upon entering Route 215 from Oreburgh City, head east.
- Trainer Battle: First up is PKMN Breeder David. He uses a Lv. 20 Ponyta and a Lv. 20 Roselia.
- Continue east. You'll find an item hidden in the grass.
- Item: Pick up the hidden Super Potion in the patch of tall grass near David.
- Trainer Battle: Just past David, you'll encounter Ninja Boy Zach, who battles with a Lv. 20 Croagunk.
- Head north slightly, then east.
- Trainer Battle: Black Belt Gregory will challenge you with a Lv. 22 Machoke.
- Item: To the north of Gregory, you can find a TM34 (Shock Wave). This is a useful Electric-type move that never misses!
- Continue following the path east.
- Trainer Battle: Next is Rancher Marco, who uses a Lv. 19 Buizel, a Lv. 19 Ponyta, and a Lv. 19 Staravia.
- Item: Just south of Marco, in a small alcove, you'll find a Great Ball.
- Trainer Battle: Further east, you'll face PKMN Breeder Laura. She has a Lv. 20 Budew and a Lv. 20 Dustox.
- Item: To the south of Laura, you can pick up a Full Heal.
- Trainer Battle: The final trainer on this route is Fisherman Brett, who uses two Lv. 19 Goldeen and a Lv. 21 Seaking.
- After defeating Brett, continue east, and you will arrive in Veilstone City.
Wild Pokémon Encounters (Route 215)
Keep an eye out for these Pokémon in the tall grass:
- Croagunk (Common) - Poison/Fighting
- Scyther (Uncommon, Platinum exclusive) - Bug/Flying. Can evolve into Scizor when traded holding a Metal Coat.
- Marill (Uncommon) - Water/Fairy
- Kadabra (Rare) - Psychic
- Abra (Rare) - Psychic
Veilstone City: The Metropolitan Hub
Welcome to Veilstone City, a bustling metropolis and a significant hub in your Sinnoh journey. This city offers a wealth of resources and activities essential for any aspiring Pokémon Champion. Upon arrival, your first priority should be to heal your Pokémon at the Pokémon Center, then explore the city's various attractions.
Key Locations and Activities in Veilstone City:
- Pokémon Center: As always, the first stop for healing your team and managing your PC boxes.
- Veilstone Department Store: This is the largest shop in the Sinnoh region, offering an extensive range of items across multiple floors.
- 1F: General goods, including various Poké Balls, Potions, and status-healing items.
- 2F: Battle items like X Attack, X Defense, and Fluffy Tail.
- 3F: TMs (Technical Machines) for several moves. The selection here expands as you progress through the game.
- 4F: Secret Base decorations and furniture.
- 5F: Vitamins (HP Up, Protein, Iron, Calcium, Zinc, Carbos) to boost your Pokémon's stats permanently.
- Rooftop: Vending Machines for Fresh Water, Soda Pop, and Lemonade, which are cheaper healing options.
Pro-Tip: Stock up on essential items like Super Potions, Great Balls, and status heals here. The TM selection is also worth browsing for potential upgrades to your team's movesets.
- Veilstone Game Corner: A place for a bit of fun and a chance to win valuable prizes! You can exchange money for Coins and play slot machines or the card flip game.
- Coin Exchange: Speak to the clerk to buy Coins.
- Prizes: The prizes include TMs (e.g., TM90 Substitute, TM58 Endure), evolution items (e.g., Porygon), and rare Pokémon (e.g., Abra, Clefairy, Dratini). These can be incredibly useful for strengthening your team.
Note: The Game Corner can be a time sink, but the prizes are often worth the effort, especially the TMs and rare Pokémon.
- Veilstone Gym: This is the third Gym you'll challenge in Sinnoh, led by Maylene, a master of Fighting-type Pokémon.
- Gym Type: Fighting-type.
- Recommended Pokémon Types: Flying, Psychic, and Fairy-type Pokémon are highly effective against Fighting-types. Ghost-type Pokémon are immune to Fighting-type attacks.
- Gym Puzzle: The gym features a puzzle where you need to move punching bags to clear paths to the trainers and eventually Maylene.
Strategy Tip: Before challenging Maylene, ensure your team has good coverage against Fighting-types. Staravia, Kadabra (if you caught one on Route 215), or even a well-trained Gastly/Haunter can be invaluable here. Watch out for Maylene's Lucario, which is a Fighting/Steel type and resists Flying and Psychic attacks, but is weak to Fire and Ground.
- Massage Girl's House: In the house just south of the Department Store, a woman will give one of your Pokémon a daily massage, which increases its happiness. High happiness is required for certain evolutions (e.g., Chansey into Blissey, Togepi into Togetic) and powers up moves like Return.
- Move Deleter's House: Located in the southwestern part of the city, this NPC can make your Pokémon forget any move, including HM moves. This is crucial if you want to replace an HM move that's no longer needed for field navigation.
- Galactic Veilstone Building: Team Galactic's main headquarters in Sinnoh. You won't be able to fully explore it yet, but you'll have a significant encounter here later in the story. For now, you can only access the first floor.
- Daily Meteorite: In a house near the Galactic Building, a man will give you a Meteorite once a day. These can be used to change the form of certain Pokémon (e.g., Deoxys, though Deoxys isn't obtainable in Platinum without an event).
Take your time to explore Veilstone City thoroughly. It's a key location for preparing your team for future challenges and stocking up on vital resources. Once you're ready, the Veilstone Gym awaits!