TIPS & TRICKS
GAMEPLAY ADVICE FOR THE ILIOS REGION
DIFFICULTY MODES
Change difficulty on the second page of the Options menu at any time
NORMAL
Normal Mode
Soft level caps — your Pokémon can overlevel but gain reduced EXP. Standard Gym Leader teams. Beatable with most team compositions, though a few fights may require extra planning.
HARD
Hard Mode
Hard level caps — your Pokémon cannot exceed the cap. Modified Gym Leaders with stronger moves, better coverage, and held items. Opponents gain bonus levels as the game progresses (up to +5 by endgame). Team planning before Gym battles is essential.
STARTER POKÉMON (9 CHOICES)
Choose from 3 regions — each trio offers a different early-game experience
PALDEA STARTERS
TIP: Your starter gets a friendship boost, making it stronger early on. Build your team around your starter's weaknesses!
DEXNAV SYSTEM
Unlocked by Professor Elia after the 2nd Gym
HOW IT WORKS
Hold the A Button to creep up on overworld Pokémon. The DexNav lets you search for specific species, view details before the encounter, and chain captures for better rewards.
CHAIN BONUSES
Chain milestones at 5, 10, and 25 captures reward buffs like extra egg move slots, increased shiny odds, and double loot from Hidden Grottos. Search Level maxes at 100 for +2 shiny rerolls.
SHINY HUNTING
Base shiny rate: 1/4096. Chains of 100+ give +10 rerolls, chains of 50+ give +5, and chains above 20 give +3. Shinies are visible in the overworld — if you KO one, you can soft reset and it will still be there!
MEGA EVOLUTION
Unlocked at Sofos City (Gym 4) — only 1 Mega per team per battle
HOW TO ACCESS
Niko gives you the Ampharosite Mega Stone after Gym Badge 3. After reaching Sofos City (Gym 4), Niko opens a Mega Stone Shop at Acrisia University. His selection grows as you progress through the story — check back after each Gym!
NEW MEGAS IN LAZARUS
Plus all standard Mega Evolutions. Evolution items can also be bought at the Ruins of Ahiyawa!
KEY NPC REWARDS
Talk to these NPCs regularly — their rewards grow as you progress
NIKO
Badge 1 → 3 Nest Balls · Badge 2 → 3 Timer Balls · Badge 3 → Ampharosite · After "Chimera's Mega Plan" quest → Mega Stone Shop at Acrisia University (grows with story progress)
RANIA
Badge 2 → 2 Wishing Stars · Badge 3 → Rocky Helmet · Badge 5 → See wild Pokémon natures (after Péntepetal City sidequest) · Badge 6 → TM Steel Wing
PROFESSOR ELIA
After Gym 2 → DexNav unlocked · Catch 30 Pokémon → EXP Share · Complete Dex milestones → further rewards
UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
Found on most routes doing field studies. Complete a route's Pokédex catches and show them to earn unique rewards!
USEFUL LOCATIONS
Move Relearner
Pythios Town (south beach)
Artist NPC — requires 20 caught Pokémon to unlock
Berry Club
Jusmail Town
Sells Nature Mints, Berries, and Mulch. Rewards for planting berry trees!
Cheat Code PC
Acrisia University Lab
Small PC in back-left of starter lab. Enter codes for items & Pokémon. See all codes ▸
Wishing Well
Jusmail Town
Use Wishing Stars to encounter 1st-stage non-legendary Pokémon. See full list ▸
Evo Item Shop
Ruins of Ahiyawa
All evolution items can be purchased here in endgame
Fishing
Various locations
Stardew Valley-style minigame with moving bar. Different rods = bigger bar + unique encounter pools. Can teach tutor-exclusive moves as bonus!
GENERAL TIPS
▸ The game rewards slow play — check side paths, talk to every NPC, and revisit areas after getting new key items or HMs.
▸ Time of day matters! Routes have different encounter tables for day and night. Some Pokémon only appear during specific windows.
▸ Don't skip side quests — many reward items, unlock useful systems, or give access to otherwise unavailable Pokémon.
▸ Check shops often! New items become available as you progress. Niko's Mega Stone shop at Acrisia University expands after each badge.
▸ Use mGBA or RetroArch with an mGBA core. MyBoy and VBA are outdated and cause bugs with modern ROM hacks.
▸ Berry mutations can produce damage-reducing berries for Nuzlocke or Hard Mode fights. Plant two different berry types next to each other!
▸ In v2.0, you can edit IVs to perfect values when selecting a Pokémon — no cheat needed for competitive builds.
Tips compiled from official documentation by Nemo622, community guides, and player experience.