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| Titles | Pokémon Omega Ruby & Pokémon Alpha Sapphire ポケットモンスター オメガルビー · アルファサファイア |
| Platform | Nintendo 3DS – Game Card and Nintendo eShop download |
| Developer | Game Freak |
| Publisher | The Pokémon Company (Japan) / Nintendo (elsewhere) |
| Director | Shigeru Ohmori |
| Producers | Junichi Masuda, Shusaku Egami, Takato Utsunomiya, Hitoshi Yamagami |
| Composers | Shota Kageyama, Minako Adachi, Hideaki Kuroda and Hitomi Sato |
| Artists | Ken Sugimori and Mana Ibe |
| Players | 1–4 (local wireless; online play closed in April 2024) |
| Generation | Generation VI – remakes of Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire (2002) |
| New Pokémon | None (721 in the National Pokédex; a Hoenn Pokédex of 211) |
| New Mega Evolutions | 20 – 18 brand-new forms, plus Mega Latias and Mega Latios, already in X & Y’s data |
| Primal Reversions | 2 – Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre |
| Languages | Japanese, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Korean on every copy |
| Predecessor | Pokémon X & Y |
| Successor | Pokémon Sun & Moon |
| Released | 21 November 2014 in Japan, North America, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan; 28 November 2014 in Europe |
| Rating | CERO A · ESRB E (Everyone) · PEGI 7 · PG (Australia) |
| Bundles | Dual packs containing both versions, including Japan’s Double Pack |
| Sales | 14.68 million combined (31 March 2026) – 3.04 million in the first three days |
Overview
Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are enhanced remakes of Generation III’s Ruby & Sapphire titles, and they form part of Pokémon’s Generation VI games for the Nintendo 3DS. Like all remakes within the Pokémon series, these titles stay fairly true to the stories, plot, characters and flow of their original versions but offer additions and enhancements; in this case they bring in 20 new Mega Evolutions (18 brand-new forms, plus Mega Latias and Mega Latios, which made their official debut here), two Primal Reversions and enhancements to Secret Bases, which curiously make them less secret, amongst other new features.
The greatest enhancement over the original versions, however, has to come in the form of the 3D graphics, with stereoscopic 3D support: this was a significant advancement for gaming in general, let alone from their GBA predecessors, and as a result ORAS were well received by most fans and critics alike (see the review scores). Pokémon X and Y also harnessed the full power of the Nintendo 3DS hardware in this same way.
Following X and Y’s worldwide launch a year earlier, these titles were released on November 21st, 2014 in every release region except Europe, which got them exactly one week later, on November 28th, 2014. It’s unknown why the European release was delayed.
Ancient Powers Reawaken!
- Start your Pokémon adventure now!
- Behold the true Groudon (OR)/Kyogre (AS)!
- Pikachu likes to cosplay?!
- Build a Secret Base all your own!
— Official description
Quick Answers
The questions people ask about Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, answered first and explained further down the page.
What is the difference between Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, and which should I buy?
The story is the same, but Omega Ruby pits the player against Team Magma and Groudon, while Alpha Sapphire uses Team Aqua and Kyogre. Each version also has around 20 exclusive species, including Latios or Latias, Ho-Oh or Lugia, Palkia or Dialga, Reshiram or Zekrom and Tornadus or Thundurus. Choose by favourite legendaries; trading fills the gaps. More →
What is different from the Game Boy Advance Ruby and Sapphire?
Hoenn is rebuilt in 3D on the X & Y engine, and the remakes add 20 Mega forms, Primal Reversion, the DexNav, soaring with the Eon Flute, Mirage spots, Super Secret Bases, Contest Spectaculars with Cosplay Pikachu, Sea Mauville, the Battle Resort and the post-game Delta Episode. Team Magma and Team Aqua also get sharper motives and bigger admin roles. More →
What is the Delta Episode and how do I start it?
The Delta Episode is a post-game chapter that begins the first time the game is loaded after entering the Hall of Fame. A meteoroid threatens Hoenn, and the player follows Zinnia, Steven and Professor Cozmo, catches Rayquaza at the Sky Pillar, rides Mega Rayquaza into space to destroy the rock and battles Deoxys. Finishing it opens the Battle Resort. More →
How do I get the Mega Bracelet and my first Mega Stone, and how does Mega Rayquaza work?
Steven gives the Mega Bracelet after the Southern Island battle, which follows the encounter on Route 118, and Latios or Latias joins holding its own Mega Stone. Steven then hands over the starter’s stone with the Devon Scope on Route 120. Mega Rayquaza needs no stone at all: it must know Dragon Ascent, which it learns during the Delta Episode. More →
How does Primal Reversion work?
Give Groudon the Red Orb or Kyogre the Blue Orb and it reverts to its Primal form as soon as it enters battle, with no Key Stone needed. Primal Groudon becomes Ground/Fire with Desolate Land; Primal Kyogre stays Water-type with Primordial Sea. The orbs are ordinary held items, and Primal Reversion does not use up the battle’s single Mega Evolution. More →
How do I catch the legendaries?
Groudon (Omega Ruby) or Kyogre (Alpha Sapphire) and Rayquaza are story battles; Deoxys follows in space. Most others need the Eon Flute: soar to Mirage spots with the right party, such as the lake trio for the Dimensional Rift or a Lv. 100 Pokémon for the Fabled Cave. Ho-Oh or Lugia waits in Sea Mauville, Heatran in the Scorched Slab. More →
How do I get the Johto, Unova and Sinnoh starters?
Professor Birch offers one extra starter from each region, choosing from that region’s trio, at three points in the post-game: a Johto starter after the first Hall of Fame, once Zinnia has appeared; a Unova starter after completing the Delta Episode; and a Sinnoh starter after entering the Hall of Fame a second time. Each one is Lv. 5. More →
How do I get Cosplay Pikachu, and what are Contest Spectaculars?
Lisia gives the player a Contest Pass in Slateport; after the first Contest Spectacular, a Pokémon Breeder presents Cosplay Pikachu – Pikachu Rock Star for Brendan, Pikachu Pop Star for May. Contests judge Cool, Beautiful, Cute, Clever and Tough appeals, and changing Pikachu’s outfit in a Contest Hall dressing room swaps its exclusive move. More →
Do the online features still work?
Mostly not. Nintendo shut down 3DS online services on 8 April 2024 (the early hours of 9 April in the UK), ending the GTS, Wonder Trade, online battles and internet Mystery Gift. Local wireless play, StreetPass and Secret Base QR codes still work, and Pokémon Bank and Poké Transporter keep running for existing users until 25 February 2027 (26 February in the UK). More →
Are Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire on Nintendo Switch?
No. As of October 2026 the remakes remain Nintendo 3DS games, and no Switch or Switch 2 version has been announced. The Pokémon Company re-released FireRed and LeafGreen on Switch in February 2026, and rumours of Switch ports of the original Ruby and Sapphire have circulated, but nothing official covers the 3DS remakes. More →
Plot / Story
Arriving from Johto into Littleroot Town, the player’s family isn’t quite done with moving and unboxing everything, as their mother explains; they are in their new home and should meet up with Professor Birch, a friend of Norman, who is the player’s father. When they arrive at Birch’s house, Birch’s wife greets the player, who meets Brendan or May (depending on the player’s gender), the child of Professor Birch; afterwards they leave to join Birch, who is out on Route 101 being chased by a wild Poochyena. Birch asks the player to take a Poké Ball from his bag, and now the player has a choice between Treecko, Mudkip and Torchic as their starter Pokémon, and the battle starts right away. After the player rescues the Professor, he thanks them for saving him and asks them to meet up with his child on Route 103 for more information on how to be a Trainer. After finding them they have a Trainer battle, and they return to Birch’s lab, where the player gets a Pokédex and some Poké Balls.
Right after leaving, May or Brendan provides the player with a DexNav upgrade and teaches them how to use it. Once the player arrives in Petalburg City they meet their father at the Gym, who tells them he is happy to learn that they are now a Trainer like him. Wally enters the Gym, asking Norman for help to catch a Pokémon; Wally gets a Zigzagoon and a Poké Ball from him and asks the player to tag along and help him. Wally catches a Ralts and they return to the Gym, where Wally thanks everyone before being called by his mother and leaving. Norman then tells the player that they should challenge all the Gym Leaders in Hoenn.
Right before crossing through Petalburg Woods the player meets either Team Aqua or Team Magma; the grunt reveals that they are after something in Rustboro City, and is spotted by a red-eyed grunt who reports it to her leader. The player finds May or Brendan before entering the Rustboro Gym, where they get the Stone Badge after beating Roxanne, and then runs into the Devon researcher from Petalburg Woods, who tells the player that they have been robbed by Team Magma/Aqua and need to get the Devon Parts back from the team. Mr. Briney, on Route 116, tells them that the team has taken his Wingull, Peeko, hostage and gone into Rusturf Tunnel; the player then confronts the grunt inside the tunnel and retrieves Peeko and the parts.
After the parts are returned, the researcher asks the player to deliver them to Slateport City. The player then meets Mr. Stone, president of the Devon Corporation, who asks the player to stop by Dewford Town to deliver a letter to Steven, his son; Mr. Stone gives the player the BuzzNav upgrade for their PokéNav Plus. Heading back through Petalburg Woods to Mr. Briney’s house, the player gets a ride to Dewford Town. North of Dewford lies Granite Cave, where Steven is exploring; the cave is open to anyone, but a group of Ruin Maniacs blocks the way to Steven until the player has won the Knuckle Badge from Brawly at the Dewford Gym. The player then finds Steven exploring a mural of Groudon or Kyogre, marked with Alphas and Omegas recalling old legends. After listening to Steven, the player delivers the letter to him, and he gives the player TM51 (Steel Wing) and tells them that they could potentially become the Pokémon League Champion.
After leaving, Mr. Briney takes the player to the coast south of Slateport City, where a considerable number of Team Aqua/Magma grunts block the entrance to the Oceanic Museum. When the player tries to drop off the Devon Parts at the shipyard, they learn that Captain Stern is at the Oceanic Museum. After they find him, they are confronted by two grunts; defeating them makes the leader, Maxie/Archie, appear to tell the player their plans before warning them not to get in the way again.
The player leaves Slateport City after delivering the parts, finding May/Brendan to fight them, and then arrives at Mauville City, where the player finds Wally and his uncle. Wally challenges the player to a battle to prove to his uncle that he is ready to take on the Gym; after the battle, the player is invited to visit Verdanturf Town sometime. After getting the Dynamo Badge from Wattson, the player can go to Verdanturf Town and use Rock Smash to clear the path that was previously blocked, before heading through the Fiery Path and on to Fallarbor Town, where they meet May/Brendan again, who provides them with the Strength HM and tells them about Professor Cozmo.
At the Pokémon Center the player meets Lanette, who invites them to her house, as the player finds out that Professor Cozmo has been followed to Meteor Falls by Team Aqua/Magma. There the player teams up with May/Brendan in a Multi Battle against Tabitha/Shelly and a grunt. The team has taken a Meteorite from Professor Cozmo, and suddenly Team Magma/Aqua appears and taunts its rivals, who retreat with the Meteorite to Mt. Chimney, warning the player not to interfere with them.
Atop Mt. Chimney both teams are fighting, and after fighting the admin of Team Aqua/Magma, the player finds Maxie/Archie using the Meteorite in a strange machine, trying to turn it into a Mega Stone. The leader battles the player; afterwards the leader is informed of a better way to achieve their goals, gives the player the Meteorite and retreats.
Now that the teams are gone, the player takes the southern path and exits Mt. Chimney, reaching Lavaridge Town, where they can beat Flannery. They get the Go-Goggles from May/Brendan afterwards, who suggests they challenge their father at the Petalburg Gym. After getting the Balance Badge from Norman and visiting Wally’s father, they get the Hidden Machine for Surf.
Travelling east from Mauville City, the player finds Steven again; they talk but are interrupted by a frightened Latias/Latios, which prompts Steven to go and help on Southern Island, where Team Admin Courtney/Matt is terrorising Latios/Latias. After the player and Steven fight them off together, Latios/Latias joins the player’s team, holding its Mega Stone, and Steven gives the player a Mega Bracelet and takes them back to Route 118.
The player then moves through Route 119, getting to the Weather Institute, which is being attacked by Team Aqua/Magma to find more information about Groudon/Kyogre. Fending the grunts off leads the player to Tabitha/Shelly, distressed by what they have found out. After defeating the admin, the player saves the institute and is given a Castform as a reward; after they leave the institute, May/Brendan battles the player, giving them the Fly Hidden Machine after being beaten.
The player gets to Fortree City, where a mysterious force is blocking the way to the Gym, so the player goes to Route 120 to meet Steven, who gives them a Devon Scope and a Mega Stone and notices that the Meteorite the player picked up is glowing. The Devon Scope lets the player get into the Gym, as it reveals that the mysterious force was a Kecleon. After getting the Feather Badge from Winona, the player follows on to Lilycove City and finds some Aqua/Magma grunts; there the player fights May/Brendan, who also notices that the Meteorite is glowing.
The player then heads to Mt. Pyre to fight Team Aqua/Magma off. At the top they find the leader, who has taken the Red/Blue Orb and states that the Trainer is too late to stop him, leaving the admin from Southern Island to attack the player before heading to Slateport City. The guardians of the orbs ask the player to stop Team Aqua/Magma and give them the Blue/Red Orb. After getting to Slateport, the player finds out that Captain Stern has found an undersea cavern and that Team Aqua/Magma has taken over the captain’s submarine. The leader of the team taunts the player, telling them that their hideout is in Lilycove, and the captain asks the player to stop Team Aqua/Magma. As they go through the hideout they end up finding a Master Ball and fight Courtney/Matt, who stalls them until the leader takes off in the submarine.
Moving on through Route 124, the player gets to Mossdeep City, where they challenge Tate and Liza and defeat them to get the Mind Badge. Then a pillar of light appears on Route 128; Steven finds the Trainer as they come out of the Gym and leads them to his house, where he gives them the Dive Hidden Machine and the Devon Scuba Gear so they can dive to the Seafloor Cavern. In the deepest part of the cavern they find Maxie/Archie, who challenges the player to a battle. After the battle, Tabitha/Shelly arrive and warn their leader not to wake the Legendary Pokémon; not taking the warning into consideration, the leader uses the orb to awaken either Groudon or Kyogre. The Pokémon then breaks out of the cavern and heads for Sootopolis, sending Hoenn’s weather out of control.
After the bosses leave to try and stop the Pokémon, Steven appears and tells the player to catch up with Groudon/Kyogre at Sootopolis. Diving on Route 126, the player finds the entrance, and inside they find Steven, who introduces them to Wallace, the Gym Leader, who is entrusted with the duty of protecting the Cave of Origin. At the cave entrance, Steven, Wallace and the player meet the leaders and the admins Tabitha/Shelly of both teams, along with May/Brendan, who explains that they saw them on TV. The player receives the Magma/Aqua Suit and is told that they possess an orb that will weaken the Legendary Pokémon; after placing it on their suit, they follow Groudon/Kyogre as the Pokémon goes to the chamber to accomplish its Primal Reversion. The player watches the transformation and fights it. After the Pokémon is defeated or captured, the weather returns to normal. The team leaders reconcile, and Steven provides the player with the Eon Flute.
Wallace is defeated at the Sootopolis Gym, giving the player the Rain Badge and the Waterfall Hidden Machine; he mentions that Professor Birch has something for them, so the player goes to Littleroot, where they are informed that the climate in Hoenn has changed back, which causes Pokémon that were originally from Hoenn to return; henceforth the regional Pokédex is not enough, and the player gets their Pokédex updated to the National listing. The player has all eight Badges now and is ready to go to Ever Grande City and into Victory Road to beat the Elite Four, facing Wally one last time on the way.
The final challenge for the player begins at the Elite Four, where they have to face Sidney, the Dark-type Pokémon master, Phoebe, the Ghost-type Pokémon Elite, Glacia, who uses Ice-type Pokémon, and finally Drake, the Dragon-type Pokémon master. Then they face Steven, the Hoenn Pokémon League Champion.
After winning, the player is surprised by Professor Birch and May/Brendan, who congratulate them; Birch examines the Pokédex and the player is registered in the Hall of Fame. After the credits, the rival and the player return home, and back on Route 103 the rival challenges the player to one final battle. Back at home, the player’s parents discuss their plans to go and see the Litleonids at Mossdeep City.
The whole journey in brief, from Littleroot Town to the Delta Episode
The player’s family has just moved from Johto to Littleroot Town, where Professor Birch, cornered by a wild Pokémon on Route 101, lets the player pick Treecko, Torchic or Mudkip. Birch’s child, Brendan or May, becomes a friendly rival and installs the DexNav, while Norman – the player’s father and Petalburg’s Gym Leader – introduces the sickly Wally, who catches a Ralts with a borrowed Zigzagoon.
In Omega Ruby, Team Magma wants to expand the land so humanity can build its civilisation; in Alpha Sapphire, Team Aqua wants to expand the sea and return the world to a primordial state for Pokémon. The villains raid Devon in Rustboro, ambush Captain Stern at Slateport’s Oceanic Museum, steal Professor Cozmo’s Meteorite at Meteor Falls and try to forge a Mega Stone from it atop Mt. Chimney. Steven Stone, who is investigating Mega Stones, gives the player a Mega Bracelet after the pair defend Latios or Latias on Southern Island, then the Devon Scope and a Mega Stone for the starter on Route 120.
At Mt. Pyre the team leader – Maxie or Archie – seizes the Red or Blue Orb, steals Captain Stern’s submarine from the hideout near Lilycove and awakens Groudon or Kyogre in the Seafloor Cavern. The legend undergoes Primal Reversion and Hoenn’s weather runs wild until the player, wearing the Magma or Aqua Suit, faces it in the Cave of Origin beneath Sootopolis. The humbled leader hands over the orb, Steven presents the Eon Flute for soaring, and Wallace awards the final badge.
After a last battle with Wally and his Mega Gallade on Victory Road, the player defeats Sidney, Phoebe, Glacia, Drake and Champion Steven, then meets the rival on Route 103 for a post-credits battle.
The Delta Episode follows. Mossdeep Space Center detects the Grand Meteor Delta heading for Hoenn, and Zinnia, Lorekeeper of the Draconid people, starts stealing Key Stones. When Devon and Professor Cozmo plan to warp the meteoroid away with a rocket, Zinnia wrecks the device, fearing it would doom another world. At the Sky Pillar, Rayquaza swallows the player’s Meteorite and learns Dragon Ascent; riding Mega Rayquaza into space, the player shatters the meteoroid and battles the Deoxys inside. Steven asks Wallace to succeed him as Champion, and the Battle Resort opens.
Eighteen things Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire changed
- Hoenn is rebuilt in 3D on the X & Y engine, with day-to-night lighting, animated 3D models for every Trainer and Pokémon, and stereoscopic 3D support as in X & Y.
- Eighteen brand-new Mega Evolutions debut, and Mega Latias and Mega Latios – already coded into X & Y – become obtainable for the first time, making 20 in all.
- Groudon and Kyogre gain Primal forms through the Red Orb and Blue Orb, which are now ordinary held items.
- Team Magma now steals the Red Orb and Team Aqua the Blue Orb – the reverse of the GBA games – and the player ends the story holding both orbs.
- The teams’ goals are sharpened: Magma wants more land so humanity can build civilisation, Aqua wants the sea to swallow it for the sake of Pokémon, and the admins get fuller personalities, with Tabitha/Shelly and Courtney/Matt as direct counterparts.
- The post-game Delta Episode adds Zinnia, the Draconid lore, the Grand Meteor Delta, Mega Rayquaza and a Deoxys battle in space.
- Steven’s storyline centres on the secrets of Mega Stones; he gives the Mega Bracelet, the starter’s Mega Stone and the Eon Flute.
- The Eon Flute lets the player soar over Hoenn on Mega Latios or Mega Latias and discover Mirage spots.
- The DexNav reveals hidden Pokémon that can carry Egg Moves, Hidden Abilities and higher IVs.
- The PokéNav Plus brings the AreaNav, DexNav, PlayNav and BuzzNav apps, and Trainer rematches now need only one badge.
- Secret Bases become Super Secret Bases, with Secret Pals, flag capture, base ranks and QR-code sharing.
- Contests become Contest Spectaculars, with Lisia, on-stage Mega Evolution and Cosplay Pikachu.
- Professor Birch hands out Johto, Unova and Sinnoh starters at three points in the post-game.
- Sea Mauville replaces the Abandoned Ship, the Trick House drops to six puzzles, Mt. Pyre shrinks to four floors and becomes compulsory, and Mauville turns into an indoor shopping complex.
- The Battle Resort and its Battle Maison replace the Battle Tower, and after the Delta Episode the player can own the Mach Bike and Acro Bike at the same time.
- Wally’s Ralts evolves into a Gallade that Mega Evolves, he gets his own battle theme, and the rival returns for a post-credits battle with a Mega Evolved starter.
- Dozens of legendaries from Johto, Sinnoh and Unova become catchable, many through Mirage spots, alongside Heatran, Regigigas and an in-story Deoxys.
- The Safari Zone drops the Safari Game in favour of ordinary battles and Poké Balls.
Your rival, Wally – and the Magma and Aqua battles
Brendan or May (whichever you didn’t pick) always takes the starter that beats yours; where a team depends on your choice the options run Treecko / Torchic / Mudkip. The villains’ battles follow in story order, with the Omega Ruby opponent first, and then the Delta Episode.
- Brendan/May 1 – Route 103: the starter strong against the player’s at Lv. 5 (Torchic if the player chose Treecko, Mudkip if Torchic, Treecko if Mudkip)
- Brendan/May 2 – Route 110: Wailmer Lv. 18, Shroomish Lv. 18, Combusken Lv. 20 (player chose Treecko); Shroomish Lv. 18, Slugma Lv. 18, Marshtomp Lv. 20 (Torchic); Slugma Lv. 18, Wailmer Lv. 18, Grovyle Lv. 20 (Mudkip)
- Meteor Falls – Multi Battle with Brendan/May as the player’s partner: the same three Pokémon at Lv. 24, 24 and 26
- Brendan/May 3 – Route 119: the same three Pokémon at Lv. 31, 31 and 33
- Brendan/May 4 – Lilycove City (now compulsory): Swellow, Wailord, Breloom Lv. 37 and Blaziken Lv. 39 (Treecko); Swellow, Breloom, Magcargo Lv. 37 and Swampert Lv. 39 (Torchic); Swellow, Magcargo, Wailord Lv. 37 and Sceptile Lv. 39 (Mudkip)
- Brendan/May 5 – Route 103, after the credits (winning is optional): Swellow, Raichu, Wailord, Breloom Lv. 48 and Mega Blaziken Lv. 50 (Treecko); Swellow, Raichu, Breloom, Magcargo Lv. 48 and Mega Swampert Lv. 50 (Torchic); Swellow, Raichu, Magcargo, Wailord Lv. 48 and Mega Sceptile Lv. 50 (Mudkip)
- Wally 1 – Mauville City: Ralts Lv. 17
- Wally 2 – Victory Road: Altaria, Delcatty, Roselia, Magneton Lv. 46; Gallade Lv. 48 (holds Galladite and Mega Evolves)
- Wally 3 – Battle Maison (after beating a Battle Chatelaine in a Super Battle): Altaria, Delcatty, Roserade, Magnezone Lv. 64; Mega Gallade Lv. 66
- Wally 4 onwards – Battle Maison: Roserade, Talonflame, Azumarill, Magnezone, Garchomp Lv. 79; Mega Gallade Lv. 81
- Boss – Tabitha (Omega Ruby) / Shelly (Alpha Sapphire), Meteor Falls Multi Battle with a grunt, the rival partnering the player: Mightyena Lv. 23 and Numel Lv. 23 with a grunt’s Koffing Lv. 23 (Tabitha), or Mightyena Lv. 23 and Carvanha Lv. 23 with a grunt’s Grimer Lv. 23 (Shelly)
- Boss – Tabitha / Shelly, Mt. Chimney: Koffing Lv. 24 and Numel Lv. 24, or Grimer Lv. 24 and Carvanha Lv. 24
- Boss – Maxie (Omega Ruby) / Archie (Alpha Sapphire), Mt. Chimney: Mightyena Lv. 25, Golbat Lv. 25, Camerupt Lv. 27 (Maxie) or Sharpedo Lv. 27 (Archie)
- Boss – Courtney (Omega Ruby) / Matt (Alpha Sapphire), Southern Island Multi Battle with a grunt, Steven (Metang Lv. 35) partnering the player: Camerupt Lv. 31 with a grunt’s Koffing Lv. 29, or Sharpedo Lv. 31 with a grunt’s Grimer Lv. 29
- Boss – Tabitha / Shelly, Weather Institute: Camerupt Lv. 32 or Sharpedo Lv. 32
- Boss – Courtney / Matt, Mt. Pyre: Camerupt Lv. 38 or Sharpedo Lv. 38
- Boss – Courtney / Matt, Team Magma or Team Aqua Hideout: Camerupt Lv. 39 or Sharpedo Lv. 39
- Boss – Maxie / Archie, Seafloor Cavern: Mightyena Lv. 41, Weezing (Maxie) or Muk (Archie) Lv. 41, Crobat Lv. 41, Mega Camerupt or Mega Sharpedo Lv. 43
- Delta Episode – Courtney / Matt, Petalburg City: Camerupt Lv. 53 or Sharpedo Lv. 53
- Delta Episode – Zinnia, Granite Cave: Tyrantrum Lv. 55, Altaria Lv. 55, Salamence Lv. 57
- Delta Episode – Boss – Courtney / Matt, Mossdeep Space Center Multi Battle with a grunt, Steven (his Champion team) partnering the player: Mega Camerupt Lv. 55 with a grunt’s Mightyena and Weezing Lv. 51, or Mega Sharpedo Lv. 55 with a grunt’s Mightyena and Muk Lv. 51
- Delta Episode – Wallace, Route 131 at the Sky Pillar: Wailord, Tentacruel, Ludicolo, Whiscash, Gyarados Lv. 55; Milotic Lv. 57
- Delta Episode – Zinnia, Sky Pillar: Goodra, Tyrantrum, Altaria, Noivern Lv. 60; Mega Salamence Lv. 62
The Delta Episode
The Delta Episode opens the first time the game is loaded after the Hall of Fame. Mossdeep Space Center detects the Grand Meteor Delta on a collision course, and a stranger named Zinnia begins collecting Key Stones across Hoenn. She is the Lorekeeper of the Draconid people, who preserve the origins of Mega Evolution – a power that began when Rayquaza answered their ancestors’ plea. Devon and Professor Cozmo plan to warp the meteoroid away with a rocket fuelled by Infinity Energy, but Zinnia crushes the device that would steer it, convinced it would only hurl the disaster at another world. At the Sky Pillar, Rayquaza swallows the player’s Meteorite, regains the power to Mega Evolve and learns Dragon Ascent. Riding Mega Rayquaza into orbit, the player smashes the meteoroid and finds Deoxys inside. Zinnia leaves a farewell letter, and the Battle Resort opens.
Groudon, Kyogre and Rayquaza
Hoenn’s oldest story pits Groudon, which raised the land, against Kyogre, which filled the seas. Long ago the pair clashed in their Primal forms, drawing on the raw energy of nature, and Draconid records say Rayquaza descended to subdue them – and, in a later crisis, Mega Evolved for the first time. The Red Orb and Blue Orb, kept at Mt. Pyre, hold the power that triggers Primal Reversion: Team Magma takes the Red Orb to wake Groudon, Team Aqua the Blue Orb for Kyogre. Once unleashed, Primal Groudon’s Desolate Land threatens to parch Hoenn and Primal Kyogre’s Primordial Sea to drown it, until the player confronts the legend in the Cave of Origin.
In the anime and movies
Ash’s Hoenn journey began in Japan on 21 November 2002 – the day Ruby and Sapphire launched, and twelve years to the day before the remakes – so the Advanced Generation seasons are the remakes’ anime too, with Juan rather than Wallace running the Sootopolis Gym.
In the anime
Anime seasons which loosely tie in with Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire (in terms of locations, NPCs such as Gym Leaders and Pokémon):
Season 6: Advanced2002–2003Dubbed as Pokémon: Advanced (AG001–AG040), it began in Japan on 21 November 2002. Ash arrives in Hoenn, meets Professor Birch, May and Max, and wins his first badges from Roxanne, Brawly and Wattson, while Team Magma and Team Aqua make their first moves around ancient ruins.
Season 7: Advanced Challenge2003–2004Dubbed as Pokémon: Advanced Challenge, AG041–AG092 crosses the middle of Hoenn: Ash’s Gym battles with Flannery, Norman and Winona, May’s run of Contests, and the villains’ schemes at Mt. Chimney in “Fight for the Meteorite!” and at the Weather Institute in “Unfair Weather Friends”.
Season 8: Advanced Battle2004–2005AG093–AG145 brings the Groudon and Kyogre climax in “Gaining Groudon” and “The Scuffle of Legends”, Ash’s final badges from Tate and Liza and from Juan – the anime’s Sootopolis leader in place of Wallace – and the Hoenn League at Ever Grande.
Season 9: Battle Frontier2005–2006AG146–AG192 follows Ash, May, Max and Brock back to Kanto for the Battle Frontier, so it has no Hoenn storyline. Its Frontier echoes Emerald rather than the remakes, which replace that facility with the Battle Resort and its Battle Maison.In the movies
Pokémon: Jirachi – Wish Maker2003The first Hoenn-era film, starring May and Max alongside Ash. Jirachi has no in-game encounter in ORAS, but a photograph in Alpha Sapphire’s Aqua Hideout shows a young Archie and Shelly with one.
Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys2004Deoxys arrives on a meteorite and clashes with Rayquaza – the same pairing the remakes revisit in the Delta Episode, where Mega Rayquaza meets Deoxys in space.The Hoenn episodes
Where the remakes’ Gyms and story first reached the screen:
- AG001Get the Show on the Road! – Ash arrives in Hoenn with only Pikachu and meets Professor Birch, airing in Japan on the day Ruby and Sapphire launched.
- AG016
The Winner by a Nosepass! – Ash beats Roxanne for the Stone Badge, and May decides to become a Coordinator. - AG031
Just One of the Geysers – The rematch with Brawly on his geyser field earns the Knuckle Badge. - AG040
Watt’s with Wattson? – An overcharged Pikachu sweeps Wattson’s three Pokémon for the Dynamo Badge. - AG056
Going, Going, Yawn – Ash takes the Heat Badge from Flannery. - AG070
Balance of Power – Ash defeats Norman for the Balance Badge. - AG085
Sky High Gym Battle! – Winona’s Feather Badge. - AG097Gaining Groudon – Team Magma awakens Groudon, mirroring Omega Ruby’s climax.
- AG098The Scuffle of Legends – Groudon and Kyogre clash and the Magma–Aqua conflict ends.
- AG100
Solid as a Solrock – Pikachu and Swellow beat Tate and Liza’s Solrock and Lunatone in a Double Battle for the Mind Badge. - AG111
Eight Ain’t Enough – Ash wins his eighth badge from Juan, who leads the Sootopolis Gym where the games use Wallace.
Changes & new features
As part of the sixth-generation Pokémon games, the remakes introduce a lot of new features, while applying several changes to the plot, graphics, areas and gameplay.
Plot changes
- Team Magma and Team Aqua’s roles in the games got slightly altered. Team Magma is now driven by the purpose of creating more land, allowing humankind to spread further. Team Aqua, on the other hand, wants to restore the Earth to its prehistoric state, creating more fitting habitats for the Pokémon. Team Magma will now steal the Red Orb and Team Aqua the Blue Orb, instead of the opposite. Later on, after Team Magma (in Omega Ruby) or Team Aqua (in Alpha Sapphire) have been stopped, their leaders will give the orbs to the player in Sootopolis City and apologise, instead of going to Mt. Pyre with the player to return the orbs there.
- The teams’ admins are now paired up so that each admin’s counterpart is of the opposite sex, with Courtney as Matt’s counterpart and Shelly as Tabitha’s counterpart. The player will also earn either the Magma Suit or the Aqua Suit in Sootopolis from one of the team leaders, which will be used as a space suit in the Delta Episode.
- The Delta Episode, mentioned earlier, is an after-game story that takes place after the player defeats the Pokémon Champion and the credits roll. A giant meteoroid is predicted to hit the region near the island on which the Sky Pillar is located. Accompanied by a new character called Zinnia, the player will have to summon Rayquaza and Mega Evolve it, so that it can prevent the disaster from happening, and battle the Deoxys that emerges from the meteoroid. Once the Delta Episode is completed, the player can get the S.S. Ticket and go to the Battle Resort.
- A few changes were also made to Steven. He now researches the Mega Stones and seeks to unravel their secret. During the Delta Episode, he will team up with the player to clear the Mossdeep Space Center of either Team Magma or Team Aqua. The player’s rival’s role in the story has been tweaked, as the rival teams up with the player against Team Magma (Omega Ruby) or Team Aqua (Alpha Sapphire) at Meteor Falls. Directly after the credits roll, the rival will challenge the player to a duel. After witnessing the climate change caused by Groudon or Kyogre and how it pushed many Pokémon to leave the region, Professor Birch decides to study those Pokémon.
Graphic changes
- The games now use the same stereoscopic 3D system as Pokémon X and Y, with the Pokémon and Trainers getting animated 3D models instead of sprites. Many characters have been slightly altered or completely redesigned. The Gym Leaders and the Elite Four have completely different, modernised appearances compared to the Ruby and Sapphire versions. The player characters too have been tweaked, with Brendan having a more detailed white hat, which was once mistaken for part of his hair. As for May, she now wears a bow instead of a bandana. A few other Trainers have been redesigned too, such as the Team Aqua and Team Magma admins, with Team Magma’s Courtney getting her hair dyed magenta.
Area changes
- The Mossdeep Gym, Dewford Gym, Sky Pillar and Hoenn Safari Zone have all been completely redesigned.
- Sea Mauville replaces the Abandoned Ship, with a much broader story to it.
- Puzzles in the Trick House no longer require Gym Badges, although they still require the use of some HMs related to certain Badges, and their number is reduced to six.
- Mauville City now includes many indoor shopping facilities.
- The Scorched Slab got expanded to hold four floors now, with Heatran waiting on the lowest floor, as opposed to Mt. Pyre, which got reduced in size and now holds only four floors, with the floor-holes puzzle completely removed.
- The Battle Tower was replaced with the Battle Resort and its Battle Maison.
- Victory Road has been changed to feature new areas, making the zone a little larger and changing where Wally is encountered.
Gameplay changes
- The games feature many gameplay mechanics from Pokémon X and Y, including the Fairy type, Horde Encounters, where the player battles many Pokémon simultaneously, Pokémon-Amie and the Mega Evolution system, with the introduction of new Mega Evolutions. Aside from the massive addition of the Mega Evolutions, other gameplay changes were as follows:
- The games inherited the fourth generation’s day and night system along with location-dependent evolution, with Pokémon such as Eevee evolving into Leafeon specifically in Petalburg Woods.
- The remakes also feature the move mechanics change that was introduced in the fourth-generation games. Whether a move is Physical or Special now depends on the move itself and not on its type, with moves like Thunder Punch labelled as Physical and others like Hyper Beam changed to Special.
- The PokéNav got replaced by the PokéNav Plus, which can track the locations of Secret Bases and Berries.
- While diving underwater, the player can encounter new classes of Trainers, including Free Divers and Scuba Divers.
- A new way to travel, similar in spirit to the Sky Battles from Pokémon X and Y, is triggered when the player uses the Eon Flute on Latios or Latias, enabling them to fly on the Pokémon’s back across the skies and encounter different Pokémon there. While in the skies, the player may also encounter some weird phenomena known as Mirage spots, which may take the form of dimensional rifts, thunder clouds or even whole new islands. Many of these spots lead to encounters with Legendary Pokémon.
- The Red Orb and the Blue Orb now give Groudon and Kyogre respectively new forms, called Primal Reversion forms. If the Pokémon holds its respective orb, it will turn into this form.
- The player no longer needs to play a Safari Game in order to catch the Pokémon there; instead they’ll simply battle the Pokémon available in the location, in the form of normal encounters.
- The player can now use both types of Bike after completing the Delta Episode. Bikes can also go through tall grass now.
- The player is given Super Secret Bases instead of simple Secret Bases. These are much larger and include many new options, such as sharing the base with another player, flag capture and inviting players to visit and battle at the base.
- While hidden items are still present underwater, the player can no longer use the Dowsing Machine there.
- Only one Badge is now required to unlock the rematch feature of the Trainer’s Eye on the PokéNav Plus. Also, the Trainers available to re-battle are different from those of the Ruby and Sapphire versions.
The Mega Evolutions of Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
Check out the full list of Mega Evolutions introduced in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire:
| Pokémon | Type | Mega Stone | Mega form | Ability | Mega type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Sceptile |
Grass | Sceptilite | Mega Sceptile | Lightning Rod | Grass/Dragon |
 Swampert |
Water/Ground | Swampertite | Mega Swampert | Swift Swim | Water/Ground |
 Camerupt |
Fire/Ground | Cameruptite | Mega Camerupt | Sheer Force | Fire/Ground |
 Lopunny |
Normal | Lopunnite | Mega Lopunny | Scrappy | Normal/Fighting |
 Audino |
Normal | Audinite | Mega Audino | Healer | Normal/Fairy |
 Gallade |
Psychic/Fighting | Galladite | Mega Gallade | Inner Focus | Psychic/Fighting |
 Beedrill |
Bug/Poison | Beedrillite | Mega Beedrill | Adaptability | Bug/Poison |
 Slowbro |
Water/Psychic | Slowbronite | Mega Slowbro | Shell Armor | Water/Psychic |
 Steelix |
Steel/Ground | Steelixite | Mega Steelix | Sand Force | Steel/Ground |
 Pidgeot |
Normal/Flying | Pidgeotite | Mega Pidgeot | No Guard | Normal/Flying |
 Sharpedo |
Water/Dark | Sharpedonite | Mega Sharpedo | Strong Jaw | Water/Dark |
 Glalie |
Ice | Glalitite | Mega Glalie | Refrigerate | Ice |
 Sableye |
Dark/Ghost | Sablenite | Mega Sableye | Magic Bounce | Dark/Ghost |
 Diancie |
Rock/Fairy | Diancite | Mega Diancie | Magic Bounce | Rock/Fairy |
 Metagross |
Steel/Psychic | Metagrossite | Mega Metagross | Tough Claws | Steel/Psychic |
 Altaria |
Dragon/Flying | Altarianite | Mega Altaria | Pixilate | Dragon/Fairy |
 Salamence |
Dragon/Flying | Salamencite | Mega Salamence | Aerilate | Dragon/Flying |
 Latios |
Dragon/Psychic | Latiosite | Mega Latios | Levitate | Dragon/Psychic |
 Latias |
Dragon/Psychic | Latiasite | Mega Latias | Levitate | Dragon/Psychic |
 Rayquaza |
Dragon/Flying | None – must know Dragon Ascent | Mega Rayquaza | Delta Stream | Dragon/Flying |
Eighteen of these Mega forms are brand new. Mega Latias and Mega Latios were already in X and Y’s data and made their official debut here, and Mega Rayquaza needs no Mega Stone at all – only the move Dragon Ascent, which it learns in the Delta Episode.
In depth: everything the remakes add
The headline additions, one by one, with the fine print.
Team Magma and Team Aqua
Both villainous teams appear in both versions, but only one drives the story: Team Magma in Omega Ruby and Team Aqua in Alpha Sapphire, with the other team shadowing them as rivals. Magma wants more land so that humanity can build its civilisation; Aqua wants a bigger sea that would wash civilisation away and return the world to the primordial state it believes Pokémon deserve.
Each leader has two admins, and the remakes pair them up as direct counterparts – Tabitha opposite Shelly, Courtney opposite Matt – while the Delta Episode gives Courtney or Matt one last, desperate scheme of their own.
Maxie, leader of Team Magma
Team Magma’s leader is a stoic man who, in the remakes, has rejected the ideal of humans and Pokémon sharing the world: he wants to expand the land so humanity has room to build its civilisation, and he steals the Red Orb to awaken Groudon. In Omega Ruby he battles the player at Mt. Chimney and in the Seafloor Cavern, where his Camerupt Mega Evolves, but he loses control of Primal Groudon and hands the orb to the player in remorse. In the Delta Episode Zinnia takes his Key Stone; his Cameruptite passes to the player, and he forgives Courtney and resolves to rebuild Team Magma on friendlier lines.
Archie, leader of Team Aqua
Team Aqua’s leader wants to expand the sea and wash away human civilisation, returning the world to the primordial state he believes Pokémon deserve. In Alpha Sapphire he steals the Blue Orb from Mt. Pyre, battles the player at Mt. Chimney and in the Seafloor Cavern with a Mega Evolving Sharpedo, and awakens Kyogre, only to lose control of it. Humbled, he returns the orb to the player and admits his mistake. During the Delta Episode Zinnia takes his Key Stone and his Sharpedonite goes to the player. A photograph in Shelly’s room shows the two of them as children with a Jirachi.
Tabitha, Courtney, Matt and Shelly
Each team has two admins, now paired as direct counterparts. Tabitha (Team Magma) and Shelly (Team Aqua) are former Devon employees: Tabitha, 27, was nicknamed Tabitabi there and helped build the Magma Suit, while Shelly is regarded as the brains of Team Aqua. They lead the Meteor Falls Multi Battle and the Mt. Chimney and Weather Institute fights. Courtney (Team Magma), redesigned with magenta hair and a halting, robotic way of speaking, idolises Maxie; Matt (Team Aqua) is fiercely loyal to Archie, who once saved his life. They battle at Southern Island, Mt. Pyre, the hideout and twice in the Delta Episode, when Courtney or Matt hijacks the Space Center’s rocket plan.
The Hoenn region
Hoenn, the setting of the original Ruby and Sapphire, returns in full 3D. Modelled on Japan’s Kyūshū, it is a warm, green region of volcanoes, desert, forest and above all sea, with much of the late game spent surfing and diving between islands.
The remakes keep its towns and routes where they were but rebuild many of them – Mauville as a shopping complex, new Gyms in Dewford and Mossdeep, Sea Mauville in place of the Abandoned Ship – and add a new way to see it all: soaring over Hoenn on Latios or Latias, with Mirage spots appearing out at sea and in the sky.
Where the journey takes you
Sixteen places that define Hoenn in the remakes, each with an overhead view or a screenshot.
Littleroot Town and Route 101
The player’s family has just arrived from Johto, a detail the remakes’ new dialogue spells out. Professor Birch’s laboratory sits beside the player’s house, and the opening rescue on Route 101 – Birch cornered by a wild Pokémon, his bag of Poké Balls dropped in the grass – leads straight into the choice of starter. Birch’s child, Brendan or May, installs the DexNav on Route 101 once the player has a Pokédex. Littleroot matters again after the League: Zinnia appears outside the player’s house as the Delta Episode opens, Norman hands over the S.S. Ticket for the Battle Resort once it ends, and Birch offers starters from Johto, Unova and Sinnoh at three points in the post-game.
Pokémon of note: Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip, Chikorita, Cyndaquil or Totodile (post-game gift), Snivy, Tepig or Oshawott (post-game gift), Turtwig, Chimchar or Piplup (post-game gift). Items: Pokédex (Professor Birch), DexNav app (Brendan or May), S.S. Ticket (Norman, after the Delta Episode).
Petalburg City
Norman, the player’s father, runs the Normal-type Gym here and will not accept a challenge until the player holds four badges. On the first visit he lends Wally a Zigzagoon, and the player escorts the boy to Route 102 to catch his first Ralts; Wally thanks them with the PlayNav app, which brings X & Y’s Player Search System, Pokémon-Amie and Super Training to the bottom screen. Petalburg returns in the Delta Episode, when Courtney (Omega Ruby) or Matt (Alpha Sapphire) corners Wally over a Key Stone and then battles the player. Eon Ticket holders also start here: Norman escorts them to Slateport’s harbour for the boat to Southern Island.
Pokémon of note: Slaking, Vigoroth, Ralts (Route 102), Zigzagoon. Items: TM67 Retaliate (Norman), PlayNav app (Wally).
Rustboro City and the Devon Corporation
Hoenn’s stone-built business hub is home to the Devon Corporation, the Trainers’ School and Roxanne’s Rock-type Gym. Devon’s president, Mr. Stone, rewards the player for recovering the stolen Devon Parts with the BuzzNav app, and his scientists revive fossils – first the Root or Claw Fossil from the Route 111 desert, later the finds dug out of Mirage spots. A local trades a Makuhita nicknamed Makit for a Slakoth. In the Delta Episode, Mr. Stone explains the ancient Infinity Energy behind Devon’s rocket plan, and a scientist reveals that Courtney or Matt has made off with the dimensional shifter meant to control the rocket’s warp.
Pokémon of note: Geodude, Nosepass, Lileep (Root Fossil), Anorith (Claw Fossil), Makuhita (in-game trade). Items: TM39 Rock Tomb (Roxanne), BuzzNav app (Mr. Stone), Fossil revival at Devon.
Dewford Town and Granite Cave
Mr. Briney’s boat carries the player to this small island, where Brawly’s Fighting-type Gym is one of only two Gyms rebuilt from scratch for the remakes. Steven cannot be found in neighbouring Granite Cave until the Knuckle Badge is won; once he is there, he is studying a wall painting that foreshadows Primal Reversion, accepts his father’s letter and gives the player TM51 Steel Wing. The cave’s dark sections now need the Mach Bike and are optional. Granite Cave returns in the Delta Episode, when Zinnia and her Whismur, Aster, wait by the painting, battle the player and hand over a Meteorite Shard.
Pokémon of note: Makuhita, Aron, Zubat, Mawile (Omega Ruby), Sableye (Alpha Sapphire). Items: TM08 Bulk Up (Brawly), TM51 Steel Wing (Steven), Meteorite Shard (Zinnia, Delta Episode).
Slateport City
Hoenn’s port city holds the Oceanic Museum, Captain Stern’s shipyard and a Contest Hall. Delivering the Devon Parts to Captain Stern leads to a museum stand-off with Team Magma or Team Aqua and the player’s first meeting with Maxie or Archie. Outside the Contest Hall, the Contest idol Lisia picks the player out of the crowd and hands over a Contest Pass and a Pokéblock Kit. In the post-game the harbour links Slateport to the Battle Resort on the S.S. Tidal, and Captain Stern exchanges the Scanner from Sea Mauville for the Clear Bell (Omega Ruby) or Tidal Bell (Alpha Sapphire) – the key to Ho-Oh or Lugia.
Pokémon of note: Wingull, Pelipper, Tentacool, Cosplay Pikachu (after the first Contest Spectacular). Items: Contest Pass and Pokéblock Kit (Lisia), Clear Bell or Tidal Bell (Captain Stern, post-game).
Mauville City
The remakes finally carry out Wattson’s long-planned makeover: Mauville is now an enclosed shopping complex topped by the Mauville Hills apartments, and the old Game Corner has gone. Wally first battles the player here with his Ralts after his uncle doubts he is ready, and Wattson’s Electric-type Gym awards the Dynamo Badge and TM72 Volt Switch. Rydel’s cycle shop supplies the first bike. After Groudon or Kyogre is calmed, Wattson invites the player to his apartment, where Plusle and Minun roam, and photographs them for New Mauville’s iris scanner, opening the old generator; finishing his errand there earns TM24 Thunderbolt.
Pokémon of note: Magnemite, Voltorb, Magneton, Wally’s Ralts, Plusle and Minun (in Wattson’s apartment). Items: TM72 Volt Switch (Wattson), Mach Bike or Acro Bike (Rydel), TM24 Thunderbolt (Wattson’s New Mauville errand).
Sea Mauville
North of Route 108 lies the shell of Sea Mauville, an ocean research platform commissioned by Greater Mauville Holdings and led by Wattson to tap the sea’s resources. It closed when the New Mauville project was cancelled, and an environmental survey later turned the ruin into a nature reserve. Documents scattered inside mention Infinity Energy, Captain Stern as a group leader and Professor Cozmo’s father, Raizoh, who was blamed for losing an Odd Keystone. It replaces the GBA games’ Abandoned Ship. Once Groudon or Kyogre has been faced, divers can reach the flooded control room for the Scanner, coax out Spiritomb and open the portal to Ho-Oh or Lugia.
Pokémon of note: Spiritomb (Lv. 50), Ho-Oh (Omega Ruby, Lv. 50), Lugia (Alpha Sapphire, Lv. 50), Wailmer, Tentacool. Items: Scanner, TM13 Ice Beam, Beedrillite, TM18 Rain Dance.
Lavaridge Town and Mt. Chimney
Mt. Chimney is where the two teams clash openly: the cable car carries the player to a summit brawl, where the villains try to harness the volcano’s energy to forge a Mega Stone from Professor Cozmo’s stolen Meteorite. Tabitha (Omega Ruby) or Shelly (Alpha Sapphire) battles first, then Maxie or Archie, and the Meteorite ends up with the player – it will matter again at the Sky Pillar. Down Jagged Pass, Lavaridge’s hot springs host Flannery, a newly appointed Gym Leader whose grandfather once sat on the Elite Four. An old woman at the springs gives a Wynaut Egg, and later a Togepi Egg once the legendary crisis is over.
Pokémon of note: Numel, Slugma, Torkoal, Wynaut (Egg), Togepi (Egg, post-game). Items: TM50 Overheat (Flannery), Meteorite (Mt. Chimney), Wynaut Egg.
Fortree City
Fortree’s treehouses lie beyond Route 119’s Weather Institute, where the player rescues the staff from Tabitha or Shelly and receives a Castform. Something invisible bars progress until Steven hands over the Devon Scope on Route 120, together with the Mega Stone for the player’s starter; the obstacle turns out to be a Kecleon. Winona’s Flying-type Gym follows, and in the remakes the player cannot travel the full length of Route 120 without her badge. Fortree is also home to the Secret Base Guild, where Aarune raises a Super Secret Base’s rank as flags are collected, and soaring overhead with a Castform reveals a storm cloud hiding Tornadus or Thundurus.
Pokémon of note: Kecleon, Castform (Weather Institute gift), Tropius, Skitty (in-game trade), Tornadus (Omega Ruby) or Thundurus (Alpha Sapphire). Items: TM19 Roost (Winona), Devon Scope (Steven, Route 120), Sceptilite, Blazikenite or Swampertite (Steven, Route 120).
Lilycove City and the Team Hideout
Lilycove combines a multi-storey department store, a Contest Hall, Lisia’s fan club and a harbour served by the S.S. Tidal. The rival battle here is now compulsory, and by this point Brendan or May fields a fully evolved team. Team Magma’s (Omega Ruby) or Team Aqua’s (Alpha Sapphire) hideout is cut into the coast nearby: after the orb theft at Mt. Pyre, the player storms it, beats Courtney or Matt and finds a Master Ball, but the leader escapes in Captain Stern’s stolen submarine. In the post-game, Tate and Liza can be found on the department store’s fifth floor, buying toys with a Space Center employee.
Pokémon of note: Swellow, Wailord, Breloom or Magcargo (rival’s team), Sceptile, Blaziken or Swampert (rival’s ace), Camerupt (Courtney) or Sharpedo (Matt). Items: Master Ball (Team Hideout), Department store goods and Secret Base decorations.
Mt. Pyre
Hoenn’s resting place for departed Pokémon is shorter in the remakes – four floors inside instead of six – and the climb is now compulsory. At the summit, the leader of Team Magma (Omega Ruby) or Team Aqua (Alpha Sapphire) seizes the Red Orb or Blue Orb and leaves Courtney or Matt behind to delay the player while the team steals the submarine. The elderly couple who guard the orbs entrust the remaining one to the player, and the defeated leader later hands over the other, so the player ends the story holding both. Elite Four member Phoebe trained here, and after the League she visits her grandmother on the mountain.
Pokémon of note: Shuppet, Duskull, Chimecho. Items: Blue Orb (Omega Ruby) or Red Orb (Alpha Sapphire), from the orb guardians, Red Orb (Omega Ruby) or Blue Orb (Alpha Sapphire), later returned by the defeated leader.
Mossdeep City and the Space Center
Mossdeep’s Gym, run by the telepathic twins Tate and Liza, was rebuilt from scratch and hosts the only Gym battle without stereoscopic 3D, because it is a Double Battle. After the Mind Badge, Steven calls the player to his house, hands over HM07 Dive and the Devon Scuba Gear, and points them towards the Seafloor Cavern. The Space Center becomes the stage for the Delta Episode: Professor Cozmo’s rocket plan, a Horde battle against grunts and a Multi Battle beside Steven against Courtney or Matt. Once the meteoroid is gone, the player finally watches the Litleonid meteor shower here with Brendan or May, and Steven leaves a Beldum at his house.
Pokémon of note: Beldum (Steven’s gift), Lunatone, Solrock, Wingull. Items: TM04 Calm Mind (Tate & Liza), HM07 Dive and Devon Scuba Gear (Steven), Beldum holding an Iron Plate (Steven’s house).
Sootopolis City and the Cave of Origin
Built inside a crater that, by Draconid lore, a falling meteorite created, Sootopolis is first reached by diving beneath its walls. Its people guard the Cave of Origin, where Groudon (Omega Ruby) or Kyogre (Alpha Sapphire) undergoes Primal Reversion and must be faced at Lv. 45. Steven introduces Wallace, the Gym Leader and a descendant of the city’s ancient people, who later opens the Sky Pillar’s seal in the Delta Episode. Wallace’s Water-type Gym awards the Rain Badge and HM05 Waterfall. Contest idol Lisia comes from here, and the Nameless Cavern Mirage spot on the city’s north-east side hides the lake guardians.
Pokémon of note: Groudon (Omega Ruby), Kyogre (Alpha Sapphire), Milotic, Luvdisc, Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf (Nameless Cavern). Items: HM05 Waterfall (Wallace), Red Orb or Blue Orb, Eon Flute (Steven).
Sky Pillar
This redesigned tower off Route 131 was built, according to Draconid lore, to hold the Key Stone used to summon Rayquaza. In the Delta Episode, Wallace unseals the way and tests the player in battle outside. Inside, Zinnia recounts her people’s history from the murals and calls Rayquaza at the summit, but it cannot Mega Evolve until it swallows the player’s glowing Meteorite. The player must catch Rayquaza at Lv. 70, after which it learns Dragon Ascent and Zinnia battles with Mega Salamence. From here, Mega Rayquaza carries the player into space to smash the Grand Meteor Delta and face Deoxys.
Pokémon of note: Rayquaza (Lv. 70), Deoxys (Lv. 80, in space), Zinnia’s Mega Salamence. Items: Meteorite (swallowed by Rayquaza), Dragon Ascent (taught by Zinnia).
Ever Grande City and Victory Road
Victory Road has been expanded with new areas, and Wally waits inside for his final meeting with the player before the League, with red spider lilies – a symbol of a journey’s end – growing around the scene. His team includes a Gallade that Mega Evolves through a Key Stone set in a handmade pendant, and he battles to a theme of his own. Victory Road’s Trainers now use Pokémon from beyond Hoenn. Beyond lies the Pokémon League: Sidney, Phoebe, Glacia and Drake, then Champion Steven with Mega Metagross. In the post-game rematches the League’s teams climb into the 70s, and each Elite Four member saves a Mega Evolution for last.
Pokémon of note: Mega Gallade (Wally), Mega Metagross (Steven), Mega Absol, Mega Sableye, Mega Glalie and Mega Salamence (Elite Four rematches). Items: Metagrossite (Steven, after his rematch), Hall of Fame entry.
Battle Resort
Unlocked after the Delta Episode, when Norman gives the player the S.S. Ticket, this island south of Route 130 is reached on the S.S. Tidal from Slateport or Lilycove. Its centrepiece is the Battle Maison, the remakes’ post-game battle facility, with Battle Chatelaines waiting at the end of long winning streaks. Around it are a Day Care annex that can look after two pairs, a judge who rates IVs, Move Tutors paid in Battle Points and a model of a planned Battle Tower. Wally greets new arrivals, the other version’s team leader and admins drop by with a Mega Stone, and Looker washes ashore with amnesia, later handing over an Audinite.
Pokémon of note: Camerupt and Sharpedo (Lv. 40 gifts from a former grunt couple), Mantine, Mantyke, Octillery. Items: Cameruptite (Alpha Sapphire) or Sharpedonite (Omega Ruby), Audinite (Looker), Gengarite (custodian’s cabin).
Can I catch them all?
Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire add no new species, but they gather dozens of legendary Pokémon in one place, from Groudon, Kyogre and Rayquaza to the legends of Johto, Sinnoh and Unova waiting at Mirage spots. Each version still has its own exclusives, and a handful of Pokémon can only come from trades, events or Pokémon Bank.
Version exclusives
Version exclusives: 21 species each, counting the legendaries. Shellos and Gastrodon also split by version: the pink West Sea form in Omega Ruby, the blue East Sea form in Alpha Sapphire.
Exclusive to Omega Ruby
Kabuto#140
Kabutops#141
Ho-Oh#250
Seedot#273
Nuzleaf#274
Shiftry#275
Mawile#303
Zangoose#335
Solrock#338
Latios#381
Groudon#383
Shieldon#410
Bastiodon#411
Palkia#484
Throh#538
Archen#566
Archeops#567
Tornadus#641
Reshiram#643
Skrelp#690
Dragalge#691
Omega Ruby’s story belongs to Team Magma and Groudon; Latios is the Southern Island gift, Ho-Oh waits in Sea Mauville, and Mirage spot rocks give the Dome, Armor and Plume Fossils.
Exclusive to Alpha Sapphire
Omanyte#138
Omastar#139
Lugia#249
Lotad#270
Lombre#271
Ludicolo#272
Sableye#302
Seviper#336
Lunatone#337
Latias#380
Kyogre#382
Cranidos#408
Rampardos#409
Dialga#483
Sawk#539
Tirtouga#564
Carracosta#565
Thundurus#642
Zekrom#644
Clauncher#692
Clawitzer#693
Alpha Sapphire’s story belongs to Team Aqua and Kyogre; Latias is the Southern Island gift, Lugia waits in Sea Mauville, and Mirage spot rocks give the Helix, Skull and Cover Fossils.
Soaring and Mirage spots
Mirage spots are hidden locations that appear only while soaring on Latios or Latias, marked by glowing red beacons. Ordinary ones – eight possible sites each for islands, forests, caves and mountains – rotate daily, hide one item, and more can arrive by StreetPass; once Groudon or Kyogre has been faced, breakable rocks there yield fossils. Special spots need the right party: the Nameless Cavern near Sootopolis (three Pokémon at maximum friendship: Uxie, Mesprit or Azelf), the Pathless Plain (three with maxed EVs: Cobalion, Terrakion or Virizion), the Trackless Forest (Ho-Oh or Lugia: Raikou, Entei or Suicune), the Fabled Cave (a Lv. 100 Pokémon: Reshiram in Omega Ruby, Zekrom in Alpha Sapphire) and the Gnarled Den (both: Kyurem). Crescent Isle brings Cresselia on random days, and sky spots hold Palkia or Dialga, Giratina, Tornadus or Thundurus, and Landorus.
Horde Encounters instead of swarms
Mass outbreaks do not feature in ORAS: the GBA games’ TV reports of swarming Pokémon are gone, and the DexNav takes over as the way to hunt a particular species. Horde Encounters return from X & Y, throwing five wild Pokémon at the player at once in suitable grass, caves and water, and using Sweet Scent in grass calls up a horde. Hordes are popular for EV training, because one battle can yield five Pokémon’s worth of effort values.
Fossils, old and new
The player chooses the Root Fossil (Lileep) or Claw Fossil (Anorith) in the Route 111 desert, and Devon in Rustboro revives it at Lv. 20. After Groudon or Kyogre, rocks at Mirage spots yield more: Old Amber in both versions, the Dome, Armor and Plume Fossils in Omega Ruby, and the Helix, Skull and Cover Fossils in Alpha Sapphire.
What Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire add
- 18 new Mega Evolutions – Mega Beedrill through Mega Diancie, with Mega Latias and Mega Latios officially released for the first time as well
- Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre – triggered by holding the Red Orb or Blue Orb
- Cosplay Pikachu – five outfits – Rock Star, Belle, Pop Star, Ph. D. and Libre – each with an exclusive move
- Johto, Unova and Sinnoh starters – one from each trio, gifted by Professor Birch in the post-game
- Legendaries from Johto, Sinnoh and Unova – Ho-Oh or Lugia, the legendary beasts, the lake guardians, Dialga or Palkia, Giratina, Heatran, Regigigas, Cresselia, the Swords of Justice, the Forces of Nature and the Tao trio – most through Mirage spots
- Deoxys – caught during the Delta Episode, without an event
- Sinnoh-era evolutions and Eevee’s full family – nine Generation IV additions to the Hoenn Pokédex, such as Gallade, Froslass and Dusknoir; the Moss Rock and Ice Rock allow Leafeon and Glaceon, so every Eeveelution is obtainable without trading
- Spiritomb – summoned in Sea Mauville through the Odd Keystone
Starter Pokémon
The Hoenn starters, with what the rival takes:
- Treecko: Choosing Treecko gives the rival Torchic. Steven hands over the Sceptilite on Route 120; Mega Sceptile is new to ORAS, becoming Grass/Dragon with Lightning Rod.
- Torchic: Choosing Torchic gives the rival Mudkip. Steven hands over the Blazikenite on Route 120; Mega Blaziken debuted in X & Y, where its stone was only an event or trade item.
- Mudkip: Choosing Mudkip gives the rival Treecko. Steven hands over the Swampertite on Route 120; Mega Swampert is new to ORAS, keeping Water/Ground and gaining Swift Swim.
In the post-game, Professor Birch lets the player pick one more starter on three separate occasions, choosing from a different region’s trio each time: a Johto starter (Chikorita, Cyndaquil or Totodile) after the first Hall of Fame, once Zinnia has appeared; a Unova starter (Snivy, Tepig or Oshawott) after the Delta Episode; and a Sinnoh starter (Turtwig, Chimchar or Piplup) after entering the Hall of Fame a second time. Each arrives at Lv. 5.
Legendary, Mythical and event Pokémon
- GroudonCave of Origin (OR)
- KyogreCave of Origin (AS)
RayquazaSky Pillar
DeoxysIn space- LatiosSouthern Island
- LatiasSouthern Island
RegirockDesert Ruins
RegiceIsland Cave
RegisteelAncient Tomb
RegigigasIsland Cave
HeatranScorched Slab
CresseliaCrescent Isle
UxieNameless Cavern
MespritNameless Cavern
AzelfNameless Cavern- DialgaRift (AS)
- PalkiaRift (OR)
GiratinaRift- Ho-OhSea Mauville (OR)
- LugiaSea Mauville (AS)
RaikouTrackless Forest
EnteiTrackless Forest
SuicuneTrackless Forest
CobalionPathless Plain
TerrakionPathless Plain
VirizionPathless Plain- TornadusStorm cloud (OR)
- ThundurusStorm cloud (AS)
LandorusStorm cloud- ReshiramFabled Cave (OR)
- ZekromFabled Cave (AS)
KyuremGnarled Den
Groudon – Lv. 45, Cave of Origin (Omega Ruby only). Story battle; it undergoes Primal Reversion, and the Red Orb is handed over afterwards
Kyogre – Lv. 45, Cave of Origin (Alpha Sapphire only). Story battle; it undergoes Primal Reversion, and the Blue Orb is handed over afterwards
Rayquaza – Lv. 70, Sky Pillar (both versions). Delta Episode; must be caught, then learns Dragon Ascent and can Mega Evolve
Deoxys – Lv. 80, Space, after the meteoroid is destroyed (both versions). Delta Episode, fought with Mega Rayquaza already in play; its Forme can be changed with the meteorite in Fallarbor Town
Latios – Lv. 30, Southern Island (Omega Ruby story gift); Southern Island via Eon Ticket (Alpha Sapphire). Joins holding Latiosite after the Southern Island battle in Omega Ruby; in Alpha Sapphire it needed the event Eon Ticket
Latias – Lv. 30, Southern Island (Alpha Sapphire story gift); Southern Island via Eon Ticket (Omega Ruby). Joins holding Latiasite after the Southern Island battle in Alpha Sapphire; in Omega Ruby it needed the event Eon Ticket
Regirock – Lv. 40, Desert Ruins, Route 111 (both). Open the Sealed Chamber on Route 134 with Relicanth and Wailord in the party, then use Strength inside the tomb
Regice – Lv. 40, Island Cave, Route 105 (both). After the Sealed Chamber, read the Braille message and wait inside
Registeel – Lv. 40, Ancient Tomb, Route 120 (both). After the Sealed Chamber, use Fly in the centre of the room
Regigigas – Lv. 50, Island Cave, Route 105 (both). Visit in daytime with Regirock, Regice and Registeel in the party; Regice must be nicknamed and hold a frozen item such as a Casteliacone, Snowball or Never-Melt Ice
Heatran – Lv. 50, Scorched Slab, Route 120 (both). After Groudon or Kyogre is faced, talk to Flannery and use the portal on the bottom floor
Cresselia – Lv. 50, Crescent Isle Mirage spot, south of Ever Grande City (both). Appears only on days when Crescent Isle is among the daily Mirage spots
Uxie – Lv. 50, Nameless Cavern, near Sootopolis City (both). Three Pokémon at maximum friendship in the party; appears from 20:00 to 20:59
Mesprit – Lv. 50, Nameless Cavern (both). Same party condition; appears from 04:00 to 19:59
Azelf – Lv. 50, Nameless Cavern (both). Same party condition; appears from 21:00 to 03:59
Dialga – Lv. 50, Dimensional Rift, in the sky south of Dewford Town (Alpha Sapphire only). Soar there with Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf in the party
Palkia – Lv. 50, Dimensional Rift, in the sky south of Dewford Town (Omega Ruby only). Soar there with Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf in the party
Giratina – Lv. 50, Second Dimensional Rift, south of Dewford Town (both, but needs a trade). Requires both Dialga and Palkia in the party
Ho-Oh – Lv. 50, Sea Mauville (Omega Ruby only). After Groudon is faced, give Captain Stern the Scanner for the Clear Bell, then open the portal on Sea Mauville’s surface; holds Sacred Ash
Lugia – Lv. 50, Sea Mauville (Alpha Sapphire only). After Kyogre is faced, trade the Scanner for the Tidal Bell and open the portal in the submerged control room
Raikou – Lv. 50, Trackless Forest Mirage spot, near Petalburg Woods (both). Ho-Oh or Lugia in the party; appears in the first 20 minutes of each hour
Entei – Lv. 50, Trackless Forest (both). Same condition; appears between 20 and 40 minutes past the hour
Suicune – Lv. 50, Trackless Forest (both). Same condition; appears in the last 20 minutes of each hour
Cobalion – Lv. 50, Pathless Plain Mirage spot, south of Route 131 (both). Three Pokémon with maxed EVs in the party; Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays
Terrakion – Lv. 50, Pathless Plain (both). Same condition; Tuesdays and Saturdays
Virizion – Lv. 50, Pathless Plain (both). Same condition; Mondays and Thursdays
Tornadus – Lv. 50, Storm Cloud, in the sky above Fortree City (Omega Ruby only). Soar there with Castform in the party
Thundurus – Lv. 50, Storm Cloud, above Fortree City (Alpha Sapphire only). Soar there with Castform in the party
Landorus – Lv. 50, Second Storm Cloud, above Fortree City (both, but needs a trade). Requires both Tornadus and Thundurus in the party
Reshiram – Lv. 50, Fabled Cave Mirage spot (Omega Ruby only). A Lv. 100 Pokémon in the party
Zekrom – Lv. 50, Fabled Cave Mirage spot (Alpha Sapphire only). A Lv. 100 Pokémon in the party
Kyurem – Lv. 50, Gnarled Den Mirage spot, west of Mt. Chimney (both, but needs a trade). Requires both Reshiram and Zekrom in the party; the DNA Splicers are hidden there too
What one cartridge cannot give you
Fifteen event-only Mythical Pokémon, seven legendaries with no encounter in the remakes and three legendaries that need Pokémon from both versions are missing from every single cartridge:
Mew#151
Celebi#251
Jirachi#385
Phione#489
Manaphy#490
Darkrai#491
Shaymin#492
Arceus#493
Victini#494
Keldeo#647
Meloetta#648
Genesect#649
Diancie#719
Hoopa#720
Volcanion#721
Articuno#144
Zapdos#145
Moltres#146
Mewtwo#150
Xerneas#716
Yveltal#717
Zygarde#718- Giratina#487
- Landorus#645
- Kyurem#646
On top of these, each version lacks the other’s 21 exclusives, so one cartridge can reach at most 675 of the 721 species – and fewer in practice, since many Sinnoh, Unova and Kalos Pokémon have no wild or gift source in Hoenn.
Gift Pokémon and in-game trades
Pokémon you are simply handed:
- Treecko, Torchic or Mudkip (Lv. 5) – Route 101. Professor Birch, at the start
- Chikorita, Cyndaquil or Totodile (Lv. 5) – Route 101. Professor Birch, after the first Hall of Fame once Zinnia has appeared
- Snivy, Tepig or Oshawott (Lv. 5) – Route 101. Professor Birch, after completing the Delta Episode
- Turtwig, Chimchar or Piplup (Lv. 5) – Route 101. Professor Birch, after entering the Hall of Fame a second time
- Latios (Omega Ruby) or Latias (Alpha Sapphire) (Lv. 30) – Southern Island. Joins after the Multi Battle there, holding its Mega Stone
- Castform (Lv. 30) – Weather Institute, Route 119. From a scientist after Tabitha or Shelly is beaten; female, Lax Nature, holding Mystic Water
- Wynaut (Egg) – Lavaridge Town. From an old woman at the hot springs
- Togepi (Egg) – Lavaridge Town. From the same woman, after the battle with Groudon or Kyogre
- Cosplay Pikachu (Lv. 20) – Any Contest Hall. From a Pokémon Breeder after the first Contest Spectacular: Pikachu Rock Star for Brendan, Pikachu Pop Star for May; cannot be Shiny
- Lileep or Anorith (Lv. 20) – Devon Corporation, Rustboro City. Revived from the Root or Claw Fossil found on Route 111
- Omanyte, Kabuto, Aerodactyl, Cranidos, Shieldon, Tirtouga or Archen (Lv. 20) – Devon Corporation, Rustboro City. Revived from fossils dug out of Mirage spot rocks after Groudon or Kyogre; Dome, Armor and Plume in Omega Ruby, Helix, Skull and Cover in Alpha Sapphire, Old Amber in both
- Beldum (Lv. 1) – Steven’s house, Mossdeep City. Left with a note in the post-game; holds an Iron Plate and knows Take Down
- Camerupt (Lv. 40) – Battle Resort. From a former Team Magma grunt; Quiet Nature, holding a Passho Berry
- Sharpedo (Lv. 40) – Battle Resort. From a former Team Aqua grunt; Adamant Nature, holding a Wacan Berry
- Event Pokémon – Any Pokémon Center. Mystery Gift distributions collected from the deliveryperson; no longer possible since the 3DS online services closed
Tradable Pokémon: three in-game trades.
| You give | You get | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Slakoth | Makuhita (“Makit”, male, Lv. 9, holding an X Attack; OT Darrell) | Rustboro City |
| Spinda | Skitty (“Skitit”, female, Lv. 30, holding a Magost Berry; OT Elyssa) | Fortree City |
| Bellossom | Corsola (“Coroso”, female, Lv. 50, holding a Heart Scale; OT Lane) | Pacifidlog Town |
Interaction with other games
Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire have similar compatibility options to X and Y, as they too can connect to other sixth-generation games like Pokémon X and Y, and they could also be linked to the Pokémon Global Link website (until its Generation VI features ended in October 2016), Pokémon Bank and Poké Transporter.
Pokémon Bank and Poké Transporter allow the indirect trade of Pokémon with the fifth-generation games. Trade with the sixth-generation games can be done directly and is somewhat restricted, as the new Mega Stones and forms introduced in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire cannot be traded to the X and Y games (Latiasite and Latiosite are the exceptions, as X and Y already contained them).
Additionally, connecting the games to other sixth-generation ones enables players to battle against each other or even visit each other’s Super Secret Bases.
Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire link with each other and with X & Y by local wireless and, until April 2024, over the internet through the Player Search System, the GTS and Wonder Trade. Trading with X & Y has limits: alternate forms, Mega Stones, moves and Abilities new to ORAS cannot be sent to or used in the Kalos games, although Latiasite and Latiosite can, because X & Y already contained them; Cosplay Pikachu cannot enter Pokémon Bank, the GTS or Wonder Trade. Older Pokémon arrive through Poké Transporter, which brings them up from Black, White, Black 2 and White 2, and Pokémon Bank; Game Boy Advance Pokémon must first travel through the DS games. Bank also sends Pokémon one way to Pokémon HOME, but Bank and Transporter close on 25 February 2027 (26 February in the UK). Generation VI Global Link features ended in October 2016, eShop sales stopped in March 2023 and the 3DS online services closed on 8 April 2024. StreetPass still shares Secret Bases and Mirage spots, and Secret Base QR codes still scan.
Characters
A rival next door, a boy who finds his strength, a Champion obsessed with stones, a Contest idol and the guardian of a half-forgotten legend.
Brendan and May
Brendan and May are the two player characters, and whichever the player does not choose becomes Professor Birch’s child and the rival. The family has just moved to Littleroot from Johto, and their father, Norman, leads the Petalburg Gym. Both were given new outfits for the remakes. The rival installs the DexNav, fights five single battles – the last after the credits on Route 103, with a Mega Evolved starter – and teams up with the player against Tabitha or Shelly at Meteor Falls. The rival worries openly for the player during the climax and, after the Delta Episode, watches the Litleonid meteor shower with them at the Space Center.
Wally
Wally is a sickly boy moving to Verdanturf for its clean air. On Route 102 he borrows Norman’s Zigzagoon and catches a Ralts, thanking the player with the PlayNav app. He first battles the player in Mauville, desperate to prove himself to his uncle, and by Victory Road he is healthy, confident and armed with a Gallade that Mega Evolves through a Key Stone set in a handmade wooden pendant shaped like Gallade’s head. The remakes give him his own battle theme. In the Delta Episode Zinnia takes his Key Stone, and afterwards he becomes a regular at the Battle Maison.
Steven Stone
Steven Stone, son of Devon’s president, is Hoenn’s Champion and a keen stone collector whose ORAS story revolves around the mystery of Mega Stones. He turns up throughout the journey: in Granite Cave with TM51 Steel Wing, on Southern Island, where he partners the player and gives the Mega Bracelet, on Route 120 with the Devon Scope and the starter’s Mega Stone, in Mossdeep with Dive, and after the Primal crisis with the Eon Flute. In the Delta Episode he works with Professor Cozmo and fights beside the player again, then asks Wallace to succeed him as Champion one day. A Beldum waits at his house in the post-game.
Professor Birch
Hoenn’s Pokémon Professor prefers fieldwork to the laboratory, which is how a wild Pokémon corners him on Route 101 on the player’s first day. His child is the player’s rival, and in the remakes his research extends to Pokémon that left Hoenn. After the League he offers the player one starter from each of Johto, Unova and Sinnoh, at three separate points in the post-game.
Zinnia
Zinnia is the Lorekeeper of the Draconid people, guardians of Mega Evolution’s origins, and the driving force of the Delta Episode. Travelling with her Whismur, Aster, she steals Key Stones across Hoenn so she can call Rayquaza and make it Mega Evolve, and at Meteor Falls the player learns that she taught Team Magma and Team Aqua how to awaken the ancient legends. She destroys Devon’s warp device rather than let the meteoroid fall on another world, battles the player in Granite Cave and at the Sky Pillar with a Dragon-heavy team led by Mega Salamence, and leaves Hoenn with a farewell letter.
Lisia
Lisia, Wallace’s niece from Sootopolis, is Hoenn’s biggest Contest star, with a fan club in Lilycove and a sideline in commercials. Outside Slateport’s Contest Hall she picks the player as her hundredth scouted Trainer, handing over a Contest Pass and a Pokéblock Kit. Her partner Ali, an Altaria she has raised since it was a Swablu, Mega Evolves on stage through her Mega Tiara. Beating her in a Contest earns a Star Light decoration.
Gym Leaders
Hoenn’s eight Gym Leaders return with new looks, new teams and two completely rebuilt Gyms, in Dewford and Mossdeep. Beat all eight to reach the Pokémon League; unlike the Elite Four, the Gym Leaders offer no rematches in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.
The Hoenn badge route – the eight Gyms in order, with each Leader’s ace, a team level to aim for and the TM or HM they hand over:
- Stone BadgeRoxanne · Rustboro CityRock · ace Nosepass Lv. 14Aim for Lv. 13–16 · TM39 Rock Tomb
- Knuckle BadgeBrawly · Dewford TownFighting · ace Makuhita Lv. 16Aim for Lv. 16–19 · TM08 Bulk Up
- Dynamo BadgeWattson · Mauville CityElectric · ace Magneton Lv. 21Aim for Lv. 21–24 · TM72 Volt Switch
- Heat BadgeFlannery · Lavaridge TownFire · ace Torkoal Lv. 28Aim for Lv. 27–30 · TM50 Overheat
- Balance BadgeNorman · Petalburg CityNormal · ace Slaking Lv. 30Aim for Lv. 30–33 · TM67 Retaliate
- Feather BadgeWinona · Fortree CityFlying · ace Altaria Lv. 35Aim for Lv. 34–37 · TM19 Roost
- Mind BadgeTate & Liza · Mossdeep CityPsychic · ace Lunatone and Solrock Lv. 45Aim for Lv. 44–47 · TM04 Calm Mind
- Rain BadgeWallace · Sootopolis CityWater · ace Milotic Lv. 46Aim for Lv. 46–49 · HM05 Waterfall
The eight Gym Leaders
Rustboro Gym: Roxanne
Rustboro’s Gym Leader is a star pupil of the city’s Trainers’ School who prefers to learn about Pokémon through battle. The remakes give her a modern redesign and keep her Gym close to its GBA layout with a light refresh. Both of her Pokémon carry Rock Tomb to cut the challenger’s Speed, and her Sturdy Geodude can survive a hit that would otherwise knock it out, while Nosepass now has Magnet Pull. Water and Grass starters cruise through; Torchic players face the stiffest test. After the Delta Episode she turns up at the Fossil Maniac’s house, so eager for a fossil that she is tempted to bend the rules.
“I want to learn all about Pokémon through battle.” – Roxanne
Team: Geodude Lv. 12, Nosepass Lv. 14
There is no Gym rematch in ORAS. Prize ₱1,680. Reward: TM39 Rock Tomb.
Dewford Gym: Brawly
Dewford’s leader is a surfer who talks in big-wave metaphors and treats every battle as a lesson for life; a TV programme in the remakes reveals he moved from Kanto to surf all year round. His Gym is one of only two rebuilt from scratch for ORAS. Machop and Makuhita both have Guts, so poisoning or burning them only makes them hit harder, and both can boost themselves with Bulk Up, while Makuhita’s Knock Off strips held items. Flying and Psychic moves are the answer. After the player beats Lisia in Master Rank, Brawly takes the Coordinator Chaz off for a workout.
“The world awaits me as the next big wave in training!” – Brawly
Team: Machop Lv. 14, Makuhita Lv. 16
Prize ₱1,920. Both Pokémon have Guts. Reward: TM08 Bulk Up.
Mauville Gym: Wattson
Mauville’s white-haired leader laughs at everything and is thought eccentric by the locals, but the remakes finally deliver the makeover he dreamed of, turning Mauville into an indoor shopping complex. His Gym is a lightly updated take on the original. Every one of his Pokémon knows Volt Switch, letting him pivot between Magnemite, Voltorb and Magneton, Ground types shut him down completely. After Groudon or Kyogre is calmed, he sends the player to New Mauville to deal with its generator.
“Wahahaha! The secret to good health is being willing to laugh!” – Wattson
Team: Magnemite Lv. 19, Voltorb Lv. 19, Magneton Lv. 21
Prize ₱2,520. His post-game New Mauville errand rewards TM24 Thunderbolt. Reward: TM72 Volt Switch.
Lavaridge Gym: Flannery
Lavaridge’s leader is new to the role – her grandfather once sat on the Hoenn Elite Four – and she tries hard to appear intimidating without quite pulling it off. Losing makes her realise she has been forcing a persona, and she resolves to run the Gym her own way. The remakes change her team, replacing one of her two Slugma with a Simple Numel, and everything revolves around Sunny Day-powered Fire moves, Overheat included. Water and Ground attacks win the day. In the post-game she is found at the Scorched Slab, having gone after Heatran without enough preparation.
“You can wash away your daily fatigue with a nice soak in the hot springs!” – Flannery
Team: Slugma Lv. 26, Numel Lv. 26, Torkoal Lv. 28
Prize ₱3,360. Numel’s Simple doubles its Amnesia boosts. Reward: TM50 Overheat.
Petalburg Gym: Norman
The player’s father runs Petalburg Gym and will not battle until the player holds four badges. The remakes redesign him and give him two Slaking and a Vigoroth, all trained in Retaliate, which doubles in power the turn after an ally faints. Truant forces each Slaking to loaf every other turn, so use those free turns to set up or attack, and let Fighting moves do the rest. His Gym keeps a refreshed version of its original layout. He lends Wally the Zigzagoon for the catching tutorial and, once the Delta Episode is over, hands the player the S.S. Ticket.
“I’ve chosen to dedicate my life to Pokémon, but the road is hard…” – Norman
Team: Slaking Lv. 28, Vigoroth Lv. 28, Slaking Lv. 30
Prize ₱3,600. TM67 Retaliate replaces the GBA games’ Facade. Reward: TM67 Retaliate.
Fortree Gym: Winona
Fortree’s leader specialises in Flying types and speaks of reading the hidden patterns in the wind. Her Gym keeps the spirit of the GBA original with a modern finish. Her Lv. 35 Altaria is the main danger, pairing Cotton Guard with Dragon Breath and Earthquake – the last a nasty surprise for Electric-type attackers – and Ice moves hit it four times as hard. In the remakes her badge is needed to travel the full length of Route 120, and after the Delta Episode she can be spotted perched on a transmission tower on Mauville’s roof.
“I can see the patterns hidden in the way the wind blows.” – Winona
Team: Swellow Lv. 33, Pelipper Lv. 33, Skarmory Lv. 33, Altaria Lv. 35
Prize ₱4,200. TM19 Roost replaces the GBA games’ Aerial Ace. Reward: TM19 Roost.
Mossdeep Gym: Tate & Liza
Mossdeep’s telepathic twins finish each other’s sentences and fight as one in a Double Battle; the remakes list them as Liza & Tate. Their Gym was rebuilt from scratch for ORAS. Lunatone and Solrock share Levitate, so Ground moves miss, but both are weak to Water, Grass, Bug, Ghost, Dark and Steel. Watch for Hypnosis, Calm Mind and a Sunny Day-boosted SolarBeam. This is the only Gym battle shown without stereoscopic 3D, because Double Battles do not support it. After the Delta Episode the pair can be found shopping for toys in Lilycove.
“We can read each others’ minds—and the minds of our opponents, too.” – Tate & Liza
Team: Lunatone Lv. 45, Solrock Lv. 45 (Double Battle)
Prize ₱10,800. Both Pokémon have Levitate. Reward: TM04 Calm Mind.
Sootopolis Gym: Wallace
Sootopolis’s Gym Leader is a descendant of the city’s ancient people, a star of Master Rank Beauty Contests and the uncle of Contest idol Lisia. Where Emerald had made him Champion, the remakes return him to the Gym, with five Water types led by Milotic at Lv. 46. Grass moves hit Whiscash four times as hard, while Electric attacks deal with the rest. He helps Steven during the Primal crisis, opens the Sky Pillar in the Delta Episode, tests the player with a Lv. 55–57 team on Route 131 and agrees to become Champion when Steven eventually steps aside.
“Aquatic illusions best suit my distinctive sense of elegance.” – Wallace
Team: Luvdisc Lv. 44, Whiscash Lv. 44, Sealeo Lv. 44, Seaking Lv. 44, Milotic Lv. 46
Prize ₱5,520. Gives HM05 Waterfall rather than a TM. Reward: HM05 Waterfall.
Before the battle
Each Leader gets a dramatic cut-in as the battle begins:
The Elite Four & the Champion
Hoenn’s Elite Four are faced one after another – Sidney, Phoebe, Glacia and then Drake – before Champion Steven. In post-game rematches all five return with teams in the 70s, and each Elite Four member saves a Mega Evolution for last.
Sidney, Phoebe, Glacia and Drake, then Champion Steven
Sidney, Elite Four
The Elite Four’s opener is a cheerful Dark-type specialist who enjoys battling even when he loses. His first team mixes Hoenn favourites – Mightyena, Shiftry, Cacturne and Sharpedo – with Absol as ace at Lv. 52, armed with Night Slash and Psycho Cut. Fighting, Bug and Fairy moves work best. In the rematch he brings Unova’s Scrafty, Zoroark and Mandibuzz and Mega Evolves Absol, making him the only Hoenn Elite Four member to use a Mega form that debuted in X & Y.
“You can talk all you want—all that matters is how strong I am, right?” – Sidney
Team: Mightyena Lv. 50, Shiftry Lv. 50, Cacturne Lv. 50, Sharpedo Lv. 50, Absol Lv. 52
Rematch: Scrafty Lv. 70, Shiftry Lv. 70, Zoroark Lv. 70, Sharpedo Lv. 70, Mandibuzz Lv. 70, Mega Absol Lv. 72 (Absolite)
Prize ₱8,320 (rematch ₱11,520). In the post-game he lingers in the Battle Maison lobby.
Phoebe, Elite Four
Phoebe learned to commune with Ghost types while training on Mt. Pyre, where her grandmother lives. Her first team is two Banette, Dusclops, Sableye and a Dusknoir ace that covers itself with elemental punches. Ghost and Dark attacks are the plan, while Fairy moves are the only thing that hits Sableye super-effectively. In the rematch she adds Mismagius, Drifblim and Chandelure and closes with Mega Sableye, whose Magic Bounce reflects status moves back at the player.
“I wonder how my grandma is doing at Mt. Pyre.” – Phoebe
Team: Dusclops Lv. 51, Banette Lv. 51, Sableye Lv. 51, Banette Lv. 51, Dusknoir Lv. 53
Rematch: Banette Lv. 71, Mismagius Lv. 71, Drifblim Lv. 71, Chandelure Lv. 71, Dusknoir Lv. 71, Mega Sableye Lv. 73 (Sablenite)
Prize ₱8,480 (rematch ₱11,680). The only Hoenn Elite Four member in ORAS without a Water type.
Glacia, Elite Four
Glacia came to Hoenn to sharpen her Ice types in its warm climate and is unimpressed by most local Trainers. The remakes give her two Glalie and two Froslass – a Sinnoh-era addition – fighting under Hail, with Walrein’s Sheer Cold as a constant threat. Fire, Rock and Steel moves melt the line-up, and Fighting moves work on everything except Froslass. Her rematch team adds Abomasnow, Beartic and Vanilluxe, and her final Glalie Mega Evolves.
“The Ice type can be trained to greater levels because of the heat here.” – Glacia
Team: Glalie Lv. 52, Froslass Lv. 52, Glalie Lv. 52, Froslass Lv. 52, Walrein Lv. 54
Rematch: Abomasnow Lv. 72, Beartic Lv. 72, Froslass Lv. 72, Vanilluxe Lv. 72, Walrein Lv. 72, Mega Glalie Lv. 74 (Glalitite)
Prize ₱8,640 (rematch ₱11,840). Her eyes are now blue rather than brown.
Drake, Elite Four
The last of the Elite Four is a veteran Dragon master. The remakes give him an Altaria carrying Moonblast, two Flygon, Kingdra and Salamence as ace at Lv. 55. Ice attacks hit every member except Kingdra four times as hard, and Dragon and Fairy moves are strong options. His rematch adds Kalos’s Dragalge – he is the only Hoenn Elite Four member to use one – and Unova’s Haxorus, finishing with Mega Salamence.
“I battle every day to understand and be understood by my Pokémon.” – Drake
Team: Altaria Lv. 53, Flygon Lv. 53, Kingdra Lv. 53, Flygon Lv. 53, Salamence Lv. 55
Rematch: Altaria Lv. 73, Dragalge Lv. 73, Kingdra Lv. 73, Flygon Lv. 73, Haxorus Lv. 73, Mega Salamence Lv. 75 (Salamencite)
Prize ₱8,800 (rematch ₱12,000). In the post-game he can be met aboard the S.S. Tidal.
Steven, Champion
Hoenn’s Champion is the stone-loving heir to Devon, and after guiding the player across the region he waits at the top of the League with a Steel- and Rock-heavy team. He always sends Metagross out last and Mega Evolves it at the first opportunity, turning Meteor Mash and Bullet Punch into serious threats. Ground and Fire moves cover much of his line-up, though Skarmory and Claydol are immune to Ground. His post-Delta rematch swaps in Kalos’s Carbink and Kanto’s Aerodactyl, and every member of that team has at least one immunity.
“When it comes down to it, I’m just the strongest there is right now.” – Steven
Team: Skarmory Lv. 57, Claydol Lv. 57, Aggron Lv. 57, Cradily Lv. 57, Armaldo Lv. 57, Mega Metagross Lv. 59 (Metagrossite)
Rematch: Skarmory Lv. 77, Claydol Lv. 77, Aggron Lv. 77, Carbink Lv. 77, Aerodactyl Lv. 77, Mega Metagross Lv. 79 (after the Delta Episode)
Prize ₱11,800 (rematch ₱15,800). Gives the player a Metagrossite after the rematch.
Glitches, exploits and oddities
Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire’s worst bug was patched within a fortnight, but a few oddities survive – and most of what was online is now gone.
Hall of Fame freeze (versions 1.0 and 1.1)
On the launch versions, the game could occasionally lock up after the Hall of Fame sequence, just before the ending video began. Because it struck at the very end of the League, a freeze at that moment could cost the player their progress through the Elite Four and Champion and force them to fight their way back to the top. Game Freak’s version 1.2 update, released on 3 December 2014, fixed the problem. A Game Card that has never been updated still carries the bug, so it is worth saving before the League and being aware that the credits may hang.
Battle Resort Move Tutor message
At the Battle Resort’s Move Tutors, choosing to replace one of a Pokémon’s moves and then backing out at the final “You’re cool with having it forget” prompt produces a muddled confirmation. Instead of naming the Pokémon, the message drops in the name of the move that was about to be forgotten, so the text reads as though the move itself declined to learn the new one. Nothing is actually changed – the Pokémon keeps its moveset – making this a purely cosmetic slip that appears in every release of the games.
Friendship evolution blocked after a Bank transfer
A Pokémon moved between two Generation VI games through Pokémon Bank – from X into Omega Ruby, for example – could refuse to evolve by friendship however devoted it was, because the receiving game checked the wrong friendship value. Ordinary trades and Poké Transporter moves did not trigger the problem. Sending the Pokémon back to its Original Trainer’s game through Bank cleared it, and the bug was later fixed. It affected X, Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, and mattered most to players trying to evolve the likes of Golbat, Chansey or Eevee after a Bank move.
Accented letters ignore the case switch
On the name-entry keyboard, pressing X toggles the case of the last letter typed. Several accented letters introduced in X & Y do not respond: É and é in English and German, and Ç, Ï, À, È, Ì, Ò and Ù, with their lower-case forms, in Spanish, all stay exactly as they are. The quirk carried over into Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire and even Sun & Moon. It is harmless, but players naming a Pokémon or their character in those languages need to pick the correct case of the letter directly rather than relying on the toggle.
Leftover 3D graphics
Switching the stereoscopic 3D slider off in an area that uses 3D, then back on while the game is showing an effect that depends on 2D rendering – such as a field move – can leave 3D elements hanging on screen after they should have cleared. The behaviour is shared with X & Y and appears to come from the graphics cache not being emptied at the right moment, though the exact cause and trigger have not been confirmed. It is purely visual and has no effect on the save file, the player’s Pokémon or the state of the game.
The “123456789012” menu glitch
After backing out of the Pokémon storage boxes – and sometimes around GTS or battle requests – the Organize Items button could vanish from the menu and the Log Out option be replaced by the placeholder string 123456789012. The fault persisted while the game stayed connected to the internet and cleared on disconnecting or restarting the 3DS. It was shared by all four Generation VI games and caused no lasting damage. With the 3DS online services closed since April 2024, it is now largely of historical interest.
Pokémon-Amie reaction glitch
The first time a given species is petted in Pokémon-Amie, it can react in exactly the same way whether the player strokes a favourite spot or one it dislikes; only the pitch of the rubbing sound changes. Raising its Affection – by feeding it a Poké Puff, or petting it again after playing a mini-game or reopening Pokémon-Amie – brings back the proper range of reactions. The quirk is shared by X, Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire and has no effect beyond the animation, so Affection still rises normally.
What no longer works
Since Nintendo closed the 3DS online services on 8 April 2024 (the early hours of 9 April in the UK), the remakes’ internet features are gone: the GTS, Wonder Trade, online battles, internet connections through the Player Search System and Mystery Gift over the internet. The Generation VI Global Link features had already been withdrawn in October 2016, and the 3DS eShop stopped selling the game in March 2023. Local wireless trading and battles, StreetPass bases and Mirage spots, and QR-code Secret Bases still work. Pokémon Bank and Poké Transporter carry on until 25 February 2027 (26 February in the UK); after that, ORAS Pokémon can no longer be moved to Pokémon HOME.
Videos & media
Check out these videos of Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.
The Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire animated trailer.
The intro video for Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.
A U.S. TV commercial for Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.
The ghost girl who appears during Phoebe’s introduction (video by Zuill).
Trivia & facts
- Everywhere other than Europe, the release date of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire coincides with the 12th anniversary of Ruby and Sapphire’s Japanese release. The Advanced Generation series of the Pokémon anime aired its first episode on this same day.
- Pokémon from the original Ruby and Sapphire titles can be transferred over to the ORAS remakes, though only the long way round: from the Game Boy Advance games to Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold or SoulSilver through Pal Park, on to the fifth-generation games through Poké Transfer, and then through Poké Transporter and Pokémon Bank – a route that closes with Bank in February 2027.
- Almost all Pokédex entries are re-used from earlier games; Kyogre, Groudon and Rayquaza are the exceptions, with brand-new entries.
- During the Special Demo Version of the game there’s a slim chance that you’ll be able to activate two secret missions. In one, you and May team up at a Mirage Cave against pairs of Team Aqua or Team Magma members and an admin. The other takes you to a maze-like Mirage Forest, where a man gives you a Nugget; it only becomes possible once 15 days have passed since your first adventure, which is also when previously inaccessible areas of Mossdeep City, including Steven’s house, open up.
One of the Special Demo’s secret missions. - These games offer starter Pokémon from four different regions, more than any core series game before them: as well as the Hoenn trio at the start, Professor Birch hands over a Johto, a Unova and a Sinnoh starter at three separate points in the post-game.
- At the time of its release, Pokémon Alpha Sapphire had the longest title of any core series game, ignoring the word ‘Version’ (later titles such as Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon Brilliant Diamond are longer).
- There is a girl in Sootopolis City called Kiri (the girl who gives you two Berries a day). This NPC was named after Junichi Masuda’s daughter. Kiri was born about two months prior to the release of the Japanese versions of Ruby and Sapphire, in September 2002.
- When Ken Sugimori was interviewed by Nintendo Dream magazine, he said that the character Aarune was given a Flygon because it can learn both Fly and Secret Power, which are important for finding Secret Bases. He also stated that the main reason Mega Flygon wasn’t included in X & Y and ORAS is that Game Freak struggled to create a final design they were happy with, so it got dropped.
- There’s a map on the wall of one of the houses in Dewford Town which looks just like one of the fan-made maps from Serebii.net. This map features a multitude of regions from the Pokémon games.
The map of the Pokémon world on a Dewford Town wall. - During the cutscene where Phoebe from the Elite Four introduces herself, there is a ghost girl in the background; this mysterious girl appears twice during the intro. Check out the video in the Videos section above.
Further trivia
- Steven’s Trainer ID number is 11214, a nod to the games’ release date of 21 November 2014.
- Tate and Liza’s Double Battle is the only Gym battle in the games without stereoscopic 3D, because the effect is supported only in Single Battles.
- The English script has Mom recall seeing the Litleonid meteor shower with Norman “11 years ago”, while the Japanese and Korean versions say 12 – Ruby and Sapphire reached the West a year after Japan.
- Bunnie, a Battle Maison girl who insists she is grown up, has a different age in each language: 7 in English, Japanese and Korean, 13 in German and Italian, 15 in Spanish and 45 in French.
- A photograph in Shelly’s room in Alpha Sapphire’s Team Aqua Hideout shows her and Archie as children with a Jirachi.
- The 21 November 2014 launch started a run of core Pokémon games released on the third Friday of November, a pattern that lasted until Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
- Wally’s Key Stone is set in a handmade wooden pendant carved in the shape of Gallade’s head.
Legacy
What came after
- Special Demo Version – 15 October 2014. Japan, Europe and Australia; North America on 21 October 2014 through download codes, then an open eShop download from 27 December 2014. Its reward was a Lv. 40 Glalie with Glalitite (a Steelix with Steelixite in Japan).
- Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire – 21 November 2014. Japan, North America, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan; Europe followed on 28 November 2014
- Version 1.2 update – 3 December 2014. Fixed a freeze after the Hall of Fame
- Pokémon Global Link ends for Generation VI – late October 2016. Game Sync, PokéMiles carry-over and rated random-matchup battles ended; the GTS, Wonder Trade and friend battles carried on until 2024
- Pokémon Sun & Moon – 18 November 2016. The next core games, with Europe on 23 November 2016
- Pokémon HOME – 12 February 2020. Pokémon Bank can send Pokémon on to HOME, a one-way move
- Nintendo 3DS eShop closes – 27 March 2023. The digital edition can no longer be bought; existing owners can still re-download
- Nintendo 3DS online services end – 8 April 2024. The early hours of 9 April in the UK; the GTS, Wonder Trade, online battles and internet Mystery Gift stopped, while Bank and Transporter carried on
- Pokémon Bank closes – 26 February 2027. At 03:00 UK time (7pm Pacific on 25 February); the last route from Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire to Pokémon HOME
- Still waiting – no re-release yet. FireRed and LeafGreen arrived on Nintendo Switch in February 2026, but no Switch or Switch 2 version of Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire has been announced
Where to play Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire today
Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are playable only on Nintendo 3DS and 2DS family systems. Physical Game Cards are the simplest route now that the 3DS eShop has stopped selling games (27 March 2023), though existing digital owners can still re-download. Local wireless trading, battles and StreetPass work, but internet play ended in April 2024. Pokémon Bank and Poké Transporter keep running for existing users until 25 February 2027 (26 February in the UK) – the last chance to move ORAS Pokémon to Pokémon HOME. There is no Switch version.
How Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire were made
The Pokémon Company revealed Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire in a worldwide announcement on 7 May 2014, confirming remakes of the 2002 Game Boy Advance pair. Game Freak built them on the X & Y engine, with Shigeru Ohmori as director and Junichi Masuda among the producers; Masafumi Nukita wrote the scenario and also named the games. Rather than a straight remaster, the team redrew Hoenn in 3D, rebuilt the Dewford and Mossdeep Gyms, folded in story beats from Emerald – Rayquaza’s role, the Sky Pillar climax and a Space Center takeover – and created the Delta Episode around Zinnia, Mega Rayquaza and Deoxys. A Special Demo Version arrived in October 2014, offering a Mega Glalie preview (Mega Steelix in Japan). The games launched on 21 November 2014, twelve years to the day after Ruby and Sapphire reached Japanese shops, with Europe following on 28 November; Steven’s Trainer ID, 11214, quietly marks the date.
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire in other media
The English and Japanese title screens:
Sales & reviews
Sales figures
Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire have sold 14.68 million copies (Nintendo’s figure as of March 2026). Pretty impressive, considering they are remakes of Ruby & Sapphire, which themselves sold 16.22 million units; generally you’d expect remakes to sell a much lower amount than the originals did.
Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire recorded global sales of 3.04 million copies within just three days of launch. Following their UK release, the games landed at 6th and 7th spots respectively in the UK top 10 video game charts; despite not claiming the top spots as some of their predecessors had, they sold enough copies in the UK to win the accolade of the best Pokémon game launch in the UK, which was previously held by Black & White.
In Japan the pair sold 1,327,671 copies in their first week (613,946 Omega Ruby, 713,725 Alpha Sapphire) and 2,954,237 single copies by January 2021 – about 3.17 million counting the Double Pack and Gift Pack. Nintendo’s 14.68 million makes them the fourth best-selling Nintendo 3DS games, behind Mario Kart 7, Pokémon X & Y and Pokémon Sun & Moon.
- 14.68mworldwide, March 2026
- 3.04min the first three days
- 1.33mJapan in the first week
- 9.94mby 31 March 2015
Review scores
The modern revamps of Ruby and Sapphire did well amongst critics and players, despite receiving one of IGN’s lowest scores for a core series game at the time. Here’s what major review sources had to say:
- IGN’s Kallie Plagge scored ORAS 7.8/10, which in terms of IGN ratings for core series Pokémon games was among the lowest on record, despite being a good score in its own right: “Pokémon Alpha Sapphire introduces needed updates and a gorgeous new view of Hoenn, but a clearer view reveals its dated holdovers.”
- Peter Brown from GameSpot commented “It’s a seemingly simple and cute journey, but with the underlying potential for strategy in combat, and a massive number of adorable Pokemon to catch, you can’t help getting hooked by Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.” before scoring ORAS 8/10, “Great” on the GS scale.
- ORAS hold reasonable scores at the aggregation sites too, with Metacritic averaging 83/100 for Omega Ruby and 82/100 for Alpha Sapphire. Meanwhile, over at GameRankings (before it closed in 2019), an average of 47 reviews awarded ORAS a score of 83.67%.
- Japanese gaming publication Famitsu scored ORAS a very strong 37/40, though that was still short of X and Y’s 39/40 and Black and White’s perfect 40/40.
Critics broadly welcomed the remakes as a handsome return to Hoenn, with aggregate scores settling in the low 80s – 83 on Metacritic for Omega Ruby and 82 for Alpha Sapphire. Reviewers praised the region’s reinvention in 3D and the way the games layered Mega Evolution, the post-game Delta Episode and X & Y’s online features on top of the GBA originals. GameSpot singled out the visuals and Super Training, while noting that long-standing problems with the formula remained. IGN admired the new view of Hoenn and the online functions but criticised what the remakes had kept unchanged: a heavy reliance on HMs, a late game spent largely at sea, a surplus of Water-type Pokémon and Trainers, and diving sections that grew tedious. Its remark about the abundance of water became a long-running joke among fans.
Awards and honours:
Media & artwork
- Official artwork gallery from Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire – a gallery featuring many of the Pokémon and characters
- Official artwork gallery from Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire – a gallery featuring characters, items and supporting artwork
- Box art from Pokémon Omega Ruby, including numerous regional variations and editions
- Box art from Pokémon Alpha Sapphire, including numerous regional variations and editions
- Screenshots from Pokémon Omega Ruby
- Screenshots from Pokémon Alpha Sapphire
Further reading
Other Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire reading on the site, plus the games either side: