Pokémon Platinum
Pokémon Platinum

Underground Mining & Sphere Collecting — Pokémon Platinum Guide

Navigate the Sinnoh Underground in Pokémon Platinum. Find rare items and evolution stones by mastering Sphere Collecting and Underground Mining.

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Underground Mining & Sphere Collecting

The Sinnoh Underground is a vast network of tunnels beneath the region, accessible early in your adventure. It's a treasure trove for rare items, evolution stones, and a unique social experience. To begin your subterranean journey, you'll first need the Explorer Kit.

Obtaining the Explorer Kit

  1. After defeating Roark at the Oreburgh Gym, head to Oreburgh City.
  2. Locate the house directly to the right of the Pokémon Center.
  3. Speak to the old man inside. He will gift you the Explorer Kit.
  4. With the kit in hand, select it from your Key Items pocket and use it to instantly descend into the Underground from almost any outdoor location in Sinnoh.

Mining for Treasures

Once in the Underground, your primary activity will be mining. Walls with sparkling points indicate dig sites. Approach these points and press 'A' to begin mining. The touch screen will display a cross-section of the wall, revealing buried items.

Mining Tools & Strategy:
  • Pickaxe: This tool is for precise, single-square digs. Use it to carefully chip away at the dirt around valuable items.
  • Hammer: The hammer clears a 3x3 area, making it faster for clearing large sections of dirt or revealing hidden items. Be cautious, as it can cause the wall to collapse more quickly.
  • Wall Stability: A crack meter at the top of the screen indicates the wall's stability. Each hit from your tools adds to the crack. If the meter fills, the wall collapses, and you lose any uncollected items.
  • Strategic Digging: Prioritize uncovering the edges of items first to identify them. Use the pickaxe for delicate work around fossils and rare stones, and the hammer for clearing large, empty areas or less valuable items like Spheres.
What You Can Find:

The Underground is rich with valuable finds:

  • Evolution Stones: Fire Stone, Water Stone, Thunder Stone, Leaf Stone, Moon Stone, Sun Stone, Oval Stone, Everstone, Dawn Stone, Dusk Stone, Shiny Stone.
  • Fossils: Armor Fossil (Platinum exclusive, for Shieldon), Skull Fossil (Platinum exclusive, for Cranidos), Old Amber (for Aerodactyl), Root Fossil (for Lileep), Claw Fossil (for Anorith). These can be revived at the Oreburgh Mining Museum.
  • Shards: Red Shard, Blue Shard, Green Shard, Yellow Shard. These can be traded for TMs from the Move Tutor on Route 212.
  • Plates: Various elemental plates (e.g., Flame Plate, Splash Plate) that boost the power of Arceus's moves.
  • Heart Scales: Essential for the Move Relearner in Pastoria City.
  • Spheres: These are the most common find and are crucial for the Sphere Collecting mechanic.

Sphere Collecting & Base Customization

Spheres are colored orbs found during mining. They come in various sizes and colors (Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Prism). Their primary use is for trading with other players or burying them to grow larger.

Burying Spheres:
  1. To bury a Sphere, open your Bag in the Underground and select the Sphere you wish to bury.
  2. Choose "Bury" and select a spot on the ground in your Secret Base.
  3. Over time, buried Spheres will grow in size and value. The more valuable the Sphere, the faster it grows.
  4. You can dig up buried Spheres at any time by interacting with the spot where they are buried.
Secret Bases:

You can create a Secret Base in the Underground. Speak to the old man who gave you the Explorer Kit again, and he will give you a Digger Drill. Use this item on any suitable wall in the Underground to carve out your own personal base.

  • Decorations: You can decorate your Secret Base with various items purchased from Underground traders using Spheres. These include dolls, chairs, tables, and even Pokémon statues.
  • Traps: Underground traders also sell traps that you can set in your Secret Base or in the general Underground area to hinder other players (in multiplayer).
Trading with Underground Traders:

Scattered throughout the Underground are various NPCs who will trade items with you for Spheres. These traders offer a rotating stock of valuable items, including:

  • Base Decorations: Essential for customizing your Secret Base.
  • Traps: For use in multiplayer or just for fun.
  • Evolution Items: Sometimes rare evolution items like Up-Grade or Dubious Disc can be found.
  • TMs: Certain Technical Machines can be acquired this way.

The types and values of Spheres required for trades will vary, so collect a diverse range to maximize your trading potential.