Quick Guide:
- Enter Cinder Volcano
- Meet up with Jax
- Confront the Shadow
- Report to Arthur and Professor Log
- Continue on to Route 5
Cinder Volcano – 1F (Overview)

Points of Interest | |
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Rare Candy Passage East Side |
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Shortcut Rock East Side |
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Shadow Battle West Side |
Exits and Passages | |
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(East) Route 4 East East Side |
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(East) Ladder Up East Side |
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(West) Ladder Up East Side |
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(West) Route 4 West West Side |
Wild Pokémon
Wild Pokémon (all floors) |
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Cave | |
Woobat Psychic/Flying |
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Slugma Fire |
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Salandit Poison/Fire |
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Numel Fire/Ground |
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Geodude Rock/Ground |
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Drilbur Ground |
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Torkoal Fire |
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Magby Fire |
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Surfing | |
Slugma Fire |
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Magcargo Fire/Rock |
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Rock Smash | |
Geodude Rock/Ground |
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Graveler Rock/Ground |
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Shuckle Bug/Rock |
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1F (East Side)

Cinder Volcano is a vast cave complex with several floors, so it’s a little easy to get lost or turned around in here.
You’ve got to get to the top of the volcano to stop the Shadow from capturing Moltres though, so you better hurry.
Items | |
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Rawst Berry (hidden) |
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Zygarde Cell | ![]() |
Rare Candy | ![]() |

Walk north and you’ll see a ladder leading up to the second floor.
To your left is a passage that is currently blocked by a rock, but when you’re done in Cinder Volcano it will be gone and act as a shortcut between the two sections of the cave.
Cinder Volcano – 2F (Overview)

Points of Interest | |
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School Kid Max East Side |
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Collector Mark East Side |
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Hiker Trent East Side |
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Ruin Maniac Foster West Side |
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Hiker Clark West Side |
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Kindler Axle West Side |
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Healing Chansey West Side |
Exits and Passages | |
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Ladder Down East Side |
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Ladder Up East Side |
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Ladder Up West Side |
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Requires HM Surf (Lava) West Side |
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Ladder Down West Side |
2F (East Side)

The first thing you’ll see when you climb the ladder is School Kid Max, who is up for a challenge. After you’ve beaten him, head north and then west up the stairs.
Items | |
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Revive (hidden) |
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Trainers
Trainers | |
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School Kid Max | |
Woobat Psychic/Flying (Lv.17) |
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Collector Mark | |
Mawile Steel/Flying (Lv.17) |
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Comfey Fairy (Lv.18) |
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Hiker Trent | |
Makuhita Fighting (Lv.18) |
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Roggenrola Rock (Lv.18) |
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Collector Mark is next to a bubbling lava pool – you can choose to sneak by him or fight him for some experience.
Either way, cross the bridge to the west.

Hiker Trent is guarding the ladder to the next floor – defeat him and climb on up.
Cinder Volcano – 3F (Overview)

Points of Interest | |
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School Kid Max East Side |
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Collector Mark East Side |
Exits and Passages | |
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Ladder Down East Side |
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Requires HM Rock Climb East Side |
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Ladder Up East Side |
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Ladder Up West Side |
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Requires HM Rock Climb West Side |
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Ladder Up West Side |
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Ladder Down West Side |
3F (East Side)

Cross the bridge and head north, and you’ll eventually be confronted by Kindler Jace.
Kindler Jace | |
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Litleo Fire/Normal (Lv.18) |
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The way forward after beating Jace is north – continue along the passage that way.

Walk up the small stairs there and you’ll see the ladder to the fourth floor.
Cinder Volcano – 4F (Overview)

Points of Interest | |
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Aroma Lady Nikki East Side |
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Worker Baily East Side |
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Painter Angelo West Side |
Exits and Passages | |
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Ladder Down East Side |
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Ladder Down East Side |
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Ladder Up East Side |
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Ladder Up West Side |
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Ladder Down West Side |
4F (East Side)

Aroma Lady Nikki is there to challenge you on 4F as soon as you climb up the ladder.
When she’s been beaten, cross the bridge to the north.
Items | |
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Iron (hidden) |
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Trainers
Trainers | |
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Aroma Lady Nikki | |
Seedot Grass (Lv.18) |
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Budew Grass/Poison (Lv.18) |
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Worker Baily | |
Electrike Electric (Lv.18) |
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Magnemite Electric/Steel (Lv.18) |
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You’ll find yourself on an island with a Trainer Tips signpost on it. North of here is a ladder that takes you back down to the third floor for an optional trainer and a TM.
The bridge to the west is the way forward, so cross it.

Worker Baily is waiting for you on the other side of the bridge. After defeating him, walk north and climb up the ladder.
5F (Summit)

When you make it to the fifth floor of the volcano – which is also its summit – you’ll see that you’re far too late to stop the Shadow.
When the cutscene finishes, walk northwest and you’ll see that someone else is about to confront the Shadow.

It’s Arthur’s grandson, Jax.

Jax attempts to stop Ivory, the member of the Shadow that captured Moltres, from leaving.
However, Marlon – the one who captured Articuno – arrives and him and Ivory just manage to get away.

It’s at that point that Jax asks to team up with you.
This is optional – you can refuse his help if you want. If you accept it, the next few battles with trainers will be Double Battles (if they have two Pokémon or more).
When you’ve made your decision, go to the ladder and climb it down to the fourth floor – but this time you’ll be on the west side of the volcano.
4F (West Side)

Just like the eastern half of this floor, it’s another series of islands floating in a sea of lava. Walk down the stairs to the southeast and continue on south.
Items | |
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Calcium | ![]() |
Ether (hidden) |
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Painter Angelo | |
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Smeargle Normal (Lv.18) |
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Smeargle Normal (Lv.18) |
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There’s a bridge that leads to a little island with Painter Angelo on it – if you’re with Jax, you can have a Double Battle with both of his Smeargle at the same time.
Once that’s done with, cross the north bridge.

The only thing left to do on this floor is to leave it – climb the ladder down to the western half of the second floor.
3F (West Side)

When you arrive, walk east and then south across the bridge.
Items | |
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Zygard Cell | ![]() |
TM94 Incinerate (from C ladder) |
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Battle Girl Sharon (from C ladder) |
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Meditite Fighting/Psychic (Lv.18) |
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Riolu Fighting (Lv.19) |
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You’ll see a boulder that requires Strength to push on the right hand side – keep a note of that for later and just head left for now.

As soon as you climb down the ladder, head north and then west. You’ll be challenged by Youngster Don, the first trainer to beat in the cave.
2F (West Side)

Walk south across the narrow bridge and you’ll see Ruin Maniac Foster.
Items | |
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Dusk Ball | ![]() |
Lava Cookie (hidden) |
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Red Shard (hidden) |
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Trainers
Trainers | |
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Ruin Maniac Foster | |
Torkoal Fire (Lv.18) |
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Hiker Clark | |
Drilbur Ground (Lv.18) |
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Geodude Rock/Ground (Lv.18) |
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Kindler Axle | |
Magby Fire (Lv.18) |
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Slugma Fire (Lv.19) |
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Once you’ve dealt with Foster – which should not take long since he only has one Pokémon – walk south and you’ll find Hiker Clark.

After beating Hiker Clark, continue the winding and rocky path through the lava fields until you reach the final area of this floor.

Kinder Axle is the last trainer you can beat with Jax – after that, he decides to rush ahead to confront the Shadow first.
Tip: The Chansey near the ladder will heal your Pokémon, which will come in handy considering the next battle you’ll be fighting.
1F (West Side) – Shadow Battle

Jax is already battling Marlon, but they appear to be at a stalemate when you arrive.
Items | |
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Super Potion | ![]() |

Regardless of whether you accepted his help earlier, Jax will join you for one final battle against Marlon and a Shadow Grunt.
You’ll be asked to select three Pokémon you’ll use in the battle, and Jax will supply the other three – a Staravia, a Magnemite, and a Golett.
Shadow Battle | |
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Shadow Admin Marlon and Shadow Grunt |
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Duskull Ghost (Lv.20) |
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Sableye Dark/Ghost (Lv.19) |
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Cacnea Grass (Lv.21) |
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Together with Jax, you manage to beat the Shadow goons. However, Moltres has already been captured and Ivory has escaped, so it’s a bit of a hollow victory.
After the Shadow leave the cave, Jax brings you back to Arthur’s house in Dresco Town.

Arthur and Professor Log tell you that the only bird remaining is Zapdos, and it lives on Thundercap Mountain.
Jax will go and investigate a way to stop the Shadow with a mysterious item, and you will continue to Crater Town – which is on the way to Thundercap.
Professor Log decides to go home and tell your mother you’re continuing the Pokémon League challenge, which you technically still are. There’s a Gym in Crater Town – and an opportunity to get your second badge.
After the meeting, Jax offers you a lift back to the western exit of Cinder Volcano. If you don’t want to go with him right now he’ll give you 8 Repels.
Route 4 West

Points of Interest | |
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Storage Porygon |
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Fisherman Barney |
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Lass Crissy |
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Fisherman Dale |
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Blocked Volcano Entrance |
Exits and Passages | |
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Cinder Volcano |
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Requires HM Waterfall |
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Route 4 East |
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Lapras to Route 5 |
Items | |
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Ether | ![]() |
Zygarde Cell | ![]() |
Super Repel (hidden) |
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Wild Pokémon
Wild Pokémon | |
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Long Grass | |
Budew Grass/Poison Day and Night |
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Lillipup Normal Day and Night |
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Ekans Poison Day and Night |
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Numel Fire/Ground Day and Night |
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Mankey Fighting Day and Night |
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Ralts Psychic/Fairy Day and Night |
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Starly Normal/Flying Day |
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Hoothoot Normal/Flying Night |
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Surfing | |
Tentacool Water/Poison |
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Tentacruel Water/Poison |
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Pelipper Water/Flying |
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Basculin Water |
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Fishing | |
Magikarp Water (Old Rod) |
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Corphish Water (Good Rod) |
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Staryu Water (Good Rod) |
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Staryu Water (Super Rod) |
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Starmie Water/Psychic (Super Rod) |
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Crawdaunt Water/Dark (Super Rod) |
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Gyarados Water/Flying (Super Rod) |
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Nurse Laura | |
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Starly Normal/Flying (Lv.17) |
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Chansey Normal (Lv.18) |
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Route 4 is broken in half by Cinder Volcano, and the west side of the caverns naturally leads to the west side of Route 4.
There’s a Porygon near the cave entrance that will act as Pokémon Storage if you need it.

This side of Route 4 is fairly quiet, with a few optional trainers for you to beat and items to collect. One thing you won’t fail to notice is a Lapras, docked on the south side of a bridge.

This Lapras is the only way for us to get to Route 5, since we don’t have the HM Waterfall yet.
So once you’ve gotten everything in order, hop on the Lapras’ back and it will take you where you need to go.
