The Final Leveling-Up for the Elite 4

The Final Leveling-Up for the Elite 4

The building to the left of the entrance that looks sort of like an observatory is actually the local Pokemon Center, so you can head inside to heal, re-supply your kit, and save your game.  In addition to marking your arrival at your destination, getting here also marks this as a location that you can travel directly to via Fly.

Before you continue from here, you need to check the status of your team and decide if they have achieved the level you want in order to move forward from here.  For me that was a target of Level 75 across the board.  If they are not where you want them to be, you have several options – you can grind levels in the grass/caves (not my first choice), you can use some of the Rare Candy you have been collecting (again not my first choice) or you can revisit some of the areas along the main path we have already followed that we did not fully explore. 

Doing that allows you to re-fight the trainers who have reset their battle status, or alternatively you can check the Habitat listing and re-visit any areas where you missed some of the Pokemon – most notably those that you could not get previously for lack of Surf and Waterfall.  While you will not be visiting areas that we have not already visited, you will be wrapping up some of the outstanding Pokemon as you level, and that can only be a good thing.

The best way to do this is to check the Habitat and then start at the earliest location, then simply work your way forward along the already traveled path, using the Habitat listings as your guide.  Or you could just follow along with the route I chose to take....

– Route 16 –

There was a reason we did not do this Route when we were first in Nimbasa City, and this is it!  So Fly back to the City and then enter the east gate and talk to the trainer there to get a Macho Brace, then exit onto Route 16, at which point you should check your Habitat list as you should have fully completed all of the Pokemon here automatically.  That is OK, these were not why we came here :)

Head along the Route and battle Depot Agent Hank, who has a Level 25 Drilbur and pays $1000.

Cyclist Hector has a Level 25 Tranquill and pays $800.

Backers Stu & Art have a pair of Level 24 Scraggy and pay $1152.

Cyclist Krissa has a Level 25 Whirlipede and pays you $800.

The real reason that we came is the Lostlorn Forest, which is above here on the Route, and as we have Strength we can push the boulder into the pit and gain access to the main area, so let us do that with no further delay and enter the forest proper!  Actually before we do that head into the first area that you don't need to push a boulder to access...

Backpacker Ivan has a Level 25 Watchog and pays $600.

Cut the tree here and grab the Heal Ball from the Treasure Ball here and then zone to the next area, entering the Lostlorn Forest!

– Lostlorn Forest –

Right, first thing first, the Wild Pokemon you can encounter here include Level 21 to 25 Combee, Cottonee, Herecross, Roselia, Swadloon, and Venipede in the Tall Grass, and Combee, Cottenee, Heracross, Roselia, Swadloon, and Whirliipede in the Dark Grass.  In the Shaking Grass you will find Audino, Emolga, Leavanny, Panpour, Pansage, Pansear, Roserade, Whimsicott, and Vespiquen.  In the Water via Surf you will find Basculin and Buizel, and in the Water Holes Basculin, Buizel, and Floatzel.

Of the Pokemon here the only ones you should need are Pansage, Pansear, Panpour, and maybe Whimsicott depending on whether you got it before.  But the first three for sure!

Move north and battle with Pokemon Breeder Galen, who has a Level 24 Tranquill and a Level 24 Liepard and pays you $768.

Grab the Ultra Ball from the Treasure Ball in the stump and then head up to the pile of leaves to reveal Pokemon Ranger Serenity who has a Level 26 Trubbish and pays you $1560, gifting you with a Pecha Berry.

Pokemon Ranger Forrest has a Level 26 Emolga and pays $1560 and a Cheri Berry.

Talk to the trainer to the northwest and receive TM95 Snarl, and then it turns into Zoroark!  You were tricked mates!  That was a Pokemon you were talking to!

To the east is a Treasure Ball with a Net Ball in it, and that almost wraps up this area!  Head back to the bridge and use Surf and Waterfall to reach the upper level...

Veteran Murphy has a Level 51 Larvesta, Level 51 Heracross, Level 51 Leavanny, Level 51 Scolipede, and a Level 51 Pinsir, and pays you $4080.

Surf to the other side of  the stream to grab the Rare Candy from the Treasure Ball there, and then use your Dowser to find the hidden Grass Gem.  With that managed backtrack to the Route and the other entrance to the Forest and use Strength to push the boulder into the pit.

Backpacker Blossom has a Level 25 Liepard and pays you $600.

Follow your Dowser to grab the TinyMushroom, then claim TM66 Payback from the Treasure Ball along the fence here.  This completes the area, so well done mates!  Time to move on to the next area!

– Route 14 –

Use Fly to Undella Town and head around the bay to the south, where you will find the entrance to Route 14, which is another area that we did not explore previously – just before you enter Route 14 is a Treasure Ball with a Big Pearl in it - so grab that and then head up the stairs onto Route 14.

Gentleman Sheldon who has a Level 39 Delcatty and pays $7800.

Battle Girl Glinda has a Level 40 Gurdurr and pays you $1280.

As you have found the first grass patch and there is a set of water runs ahead now is a good time to discuss the Wild Pokemon that can be had on this Route!  You will find in the Tall and the Dark Grass Level 33 to 36 Absol, Altaria, Drifblim, Golduck, Swablu, and Mienfoo, and in the Shaking Grass Audino and Emolga.  On the water will be found Basculin and Buizel, and in the Water Holes, Basculin, Buizel, and Floatzel.

The Pokemon you likely still need from here is Swablu.  Once you have that, it is time to head to return to Undella and Surf to the Seaside Cave, heading inside to clear up the outstanding Pokemon there!


– Seaside Cave –

This will be a very brief visit as there are only two Pokemon that we are missing and that we can actually get (that is to say that does not require a fishing pole) and they are Dewgong and Elektrik, the first of which can only be had in the Water Holes – so run around spawning those and Surf them until you have captured one, and then you need to go to the part of the cave where there is no water, since that is where Elektrik can be had.

Getting Dewgong can be a bit on the frustrating side due to the fact that the entire zone here (and the Giant Chasm which is the other place it can be found) is an active Wild Pokemon area, so getting the Water Holes to spawn can feel like it is impossible.  Basically you just have to keep at it, as eventually you WILL succeed!

Note: If you have already obtained these two than you can ignore this bit.


– Necessary Grindage –

If you have reached this point and you still need some levels for your team, what I suggest that you do is head to one of the areas close to Victory Road – or on Victory Road where there is Tall Grass – and then do the run-to-spawn Shaking Grass, and use Audino to grind levels since they give a measure of XP that is nearly equal to trainer battles.  The best place to do this is the grass patch near the Doctor you previously bear who is standing outside of the second cave entrance.  Just saying...

Using this method you should be able to quickly obtain the levels that you need to begin the last two surges towards status as the Regional Champion - that is to say beating the Elite Four, and then beating the current Regional Champion!

When you are ready – when you are satisfied with your levels – head for the Pokemon League and gird your loins!