4th Gen New Feature: Farming Rocks

[Krobelus]

A lot of people are rushing through the game trying to cover everything, but I've been hanging around Violet City (only have my Second Badge) and I noticed something.

Each time you use Rock Smash on a rock, there is a chance for three things:
-Encounter a Pokemon
-Nothing happens
-Find an Item


I wasn't sure if it was specific rocks or not, so I continued to go in and out of the gatehouse to Ruins of Alph, and breaking the nearby 3 rocks. And I can confirm you always randomly get an item/encounter/nothing.



Edit: Seems like there are version exclusives so I'll list as much as I can based on the information found:
=------------=
Heart Gold:
-Heart Scale
-Red Shard
-Green Shard
-Yellow Shard
-Old Amber
-Max Revive
-Blue Shard
-Helix Fossil
-Max Ether

Soul Silver:
-Heart Scale
-Red Shard
-Green Shard
-Yellow Shard
-Old Amber
-Max Revive
-Blue Shard
-Dome Fossil
-Max Ether
=------------=


Anyone see something here? You can get incredible items from this. It also implies that you might be able to revive fossils somewhere. I think I've also gotten a Rare Candy from one before but I don't remember. The chances aren't even that hard to get an item, I mean out of those three rocks, the last time I broke them I got 2 items (1 Max Revive, 1 Yellow Shard) and a Geodude battle.

So now I'm looking forward to smashing every rock I find. I might update this post with newer items I get, and the amount I get, depending how much attention this gets.

-Krobelus

Edit 1: Just found a Blue Shard, another Old Amber and Yellow Shard, and not surprising, a Helix Fossil.

Edit 2: Just updated the list of items that you can find from the rocks, so far I haven't gotten anything other than what's listed.\

Edit 3: Updated the list again, this time including version exclusives. Note that my friend found a Max Ether, and I have yet to, so when/if I do I'll update accordingly. For all I know the Max Ether could very well be version exclusive, but I personally doubt it.

 

[Ru-Kun]

That's cool! I wonder if you get different items in each game? Like different fossils. I can't wait for my SS to come in the mail, it was shipped today! Oh and thanks for the info, I'll be sure to break each rock I find!

 

[Mitchman]

Wow rock hunting. That sounds cool.

 

[Yingxue]

Woah, fossils?

Does this mean that the Cinnabar Island Lab/ Pewter Museum are/is back? :D

 

[bit.trip void]

This might mean that the Pewter City Event (where you get the Old Amber) is either something else, or nothing there entirely.

 

[maplelame]

where do you get rock smash from?

 

[Timbjerr]

...sounds like I'll be spending quite some time mining for cool things like the fossils, evolution stones (just an assumption based on the similarities between this new and the Sinnoh underground), and shards. :D

 

[ShinyMeganium]

Probably their excuse for the underground in HGSS XD

 

[Yingxue]

where do you get rock smash from?

There's a fat guy near the Sudowoodo outside of Violet City. Talk to him and he'll give it to you.

 

[●•ΛΣЯӨЩ•●]

Good find keep it up and ya lets explore slowly

 

[Guy]

Probably their excuse for the underground in HGSS XD

Nevertheless, it will more than likely come in useful for players to find such needed items for later purposes along the game. Even if the idea of "Rock Hunting" is to replace that of the Underground, it at leasts gives players hope for finding a wild Pokémon or item rather than simply smashing the rock to move on.

It's sounds more or less pretty nice.

 

[bobandbill]

Aha! I noticed there was some dialogue appearing suddenly when I used Rock Smash indicating I got myself an item, but I though that since I was just mashing A I found the item underneath it rather than in it. Nice find!

Would be interesting to see what else one can find...

 

[maplelame]

There's a fat guy near the Sudowoodo outside of Violet City. Talk to him and he'll give it to you.

thanks, I totally forgot about him.

 

[Kleinchen]

I think it's not really a -new- feature, persay, because I remember you could occasionally find items rock smashing in the original GSC... but don't quote me on that, I'm not 100% certain, but I'm preeeetttyyyy sure... 8D;
But the variety of items (and the chances of getting them) seems a lot higher now than back then. It does seem like it's meant to replace the Underground, too.

 

[Tyrantrum]

You actually got some fossils after TWO badges? :O

That is one amazing feature~

 

[Guy]

You actually got some fossils after TWO badges? :O

That is one amazing feature~

Seeing as the Underground never limited the players on finding fossils, besides type, then smashing rocks and locating them earlier should be just about relevant. However, unlike the original GS, at least players can now obtains fossils nonetheless. Noting how Cinnabar island however is still closed off because of the erupted Volcano, then I suspect that it could be possible for revival of the fossils to be located in Pewter City's Museum or possibly even Silph Co., but we'll see as things progress.

 

[BeachBoy]

Thank you. Someone that actually took some time sniffing around and found a gem. (or in this case, rocky fossils and items)

Beautiful find, Krobelus. o/ I'll enjoy smashing rocks now.

 

[ArmchairRomeo]

Oh, nice! I just started playing Heart Gold, I'll have to try this! :P

 

[Krobelus]

I'm playing Heart Gold, and all I've been getting is Old Amber and Helix Fossil, so I'm assuming you get the Dome Fossil in Soul Silver. My friend is testing that out as I type.

But I have just over 11 hours of gameplay time and I just hit Goldenrod so.. I'm taking a break from mining for a bit. When I continue I'll update the first page.

In the meantime anyone else is free to contribute!
-Krobelus

 

[Isao]

This seems like a considerably more efficient than the Underground in terms of getting certain items. I'll definitely try it when my import comes in.