Catching Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire: A Comprehensive Guide

Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, remakes of the beloved Generation III games, offer a wealth of post-game content for players to sink their teeth into. Among the many legendary Pokémon scattered throughout the Hoenn region, the Swords of Justice – Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion – present a unique and rewarding challenge. These Steel/Fighting, Rock/Fighting, and Grass/Fighting type Pokémon, respectively, are powerful additions to any team and require specific steps to encounter and capture. This comprehensive guide will walk you through each step, ensuring you can add these legendary Pokémon to your collection.

Prerequisites

Before embarking on your quest to capture the Swords of Justice, ensure you have met the following prerequisites:

* **Defeat the Elite Four and become Champion:** This unlocks the post-game content and allows you to explore previously inaccessible areas.
* **Obtain the Eon Ticket:** The Eon Ticket allows you to access Southern Island, where you can encounter Latias (Omega Ruby) or Latios (Alpha Sapphire). This step is indirectly linked to unlocking the Swords of Justice encounter.
* **Soar with Latias/Latios:** You must be able to soar on the back of Latias (Omega Ruby) or Latios (Alpha Sapphire) using the Eon Flute. This is crucial for accessing various Mirage Spots where legendary Pokémon reside.
* **Have a Pokémon with Waterfall:** This is necessary to access some of the Mirage Spots.
* **Stock up on Poké Balls:** Ultra Balls are the recommended choice due to their high catch rate. Timer Balls are also effective if the battle drags on for many turns. Consider Dusk Balls if battling at night or in a cave. Quick Balls can be tried at the very beginning of the encounter.
* **Bring Pokémon with status-inducing moves:** Sleep and paralysis significantly increase your chances of catching a Pokémon. Moves like Sleep Powder, Spore, Thunder Wave, and Stun Spore are invaluable.
* **Pokémon with False Swipe/Hold Back:** These moves guarantee to leave the target with at least 1 HP, significantly raising your odds of capture without accidentally knocking out the legendary. A Pokémon with high attack and speed that knows False Swipe is ideal.
* **Patience:** Catching legendary Pokémon can be time-consuming and require multiple attempts. Don’t get discouraged if you fail the first few times. Save before each encounter to avoid permanent loss.

Locating and Catching Cobalion

Cobalion, the leader of the Swords of Justice, is found on the **Pathless Plain**, a Mirage Spot that appears randomly. However, before Cobalion appears, you must meet a specific condition:

* **Have at least three Pokémon in your party with maximum friendship (affection).**

Here’s a breakdown of the process:

1. **Increasing Friendship (Affection):** This is the most crucial and potentially time-consuming step. Here’s how to maximize friendship with your Pokémon:

* **Keep them in your party:** Simply having the Pokémon in your party increases their friendship over time as you travel.
* **Battle with them:** Winning battles, especially against strong opponents like Gym Leaders and the Elite Four, significantly boosts friendship.
* **Use them for HM moves:** Using a Pokémon to perform HM moves like Surf, Waterfall, and Fly contributes to their friendship.
* **Give them vitamins:** Items like Protein, Iron, Calcium, Zinc, Carbos, and HP Up greatly increase friendship.
* **Give them berries:** Certain berries, like Pomeg, Kelpsy, Qualot, Hondew, and Grepa Berries, can increase friendship but also slightly lower specific EVs (Effort Values). These are most effective when the Pokémon’s EVs are already low in the corresponding stat.
* **Avoid letting them faint:** Letting a Pokémon faint significantly decreases their friendship.
* **Use the Soothe Bell:** Equipping a Soothe Bell to a Pokémon increases the rate at which their friendship grows.
* **Pokémon Amie:** Utilize Pokémon Amie extensively. Play games with your Pokémon, pet them, and feed them Poffins. Aim for at least two hearts of affection. This is the fastest method to increase friendship and affection.

2. **Checking Friendship:** To confirm you’ve reached maximum friendship, visit a specific NPC in a house in Pacifidlog Town. The woman in the house will tell you how much your Pokémon likes you. The highest level of friendship is indicated by phrases like:

* “It couldn’t possibly love you more!”
* “It’s extremely friendly toward you. It couldn’t possibly love you more!”
* “It adores you! I’m so happy for you both!”

Make sure you get this confirmation for at least three Pokémon in your party.

3. **Finding the Pathless Plain:** Once you have three Pokémon with maximum friendship, fly around Hoenn using Latias/Latios. Look for a Mirage Spot called the **Pathless Plain**. It appears as a small island with a forest. It’s location is randomly generated each day, so you might have to fly around for a bit. The easiest method is to continuously cycle through the available Mirage Spots via Soaring, checking if the ‘Pathless Plain’ has appeared. There are several online resources and tools that can help you track daily Mirage Spot locations based on your game’s Secret Base location.

4. **Encountering Cobalion:** Land on the Pathless Plain. Cobalion will be standing there, ready to battle. Save your game before interacting with it to avoid losing the opportunity to catch it if you accidentally knock it out.

5. **Battling Cobalion:** Cobalion is a level 50 Steel/Fighting type Pokémon. It has the following moves:

* Swords Dance
* Sacred Sword
* Iron Head
* Stone Edge

* **Type Advantages:** Exploit Cobalion’s weaknesses to Fighting, Ground, and Fire type attacks. However, be cautious when using Fighting type moves, as Cobalion also has the Fighting type.
* **Status Conditions:** Inflict Cobalion with Sleep or Paralysis to greatly increase your chances of catching it. Sleep is generally more effective.
* **Lower its HP:** Use False Swipe or Hold Back to bring Cobalion’s HP down to 1 without knocking it out.
* **Throw Poké Balls:** Use Ultra Balls, Timer Balls, or Dusk Balls to capture Cobalion. Be patient and persistent. It may take several attempts.

Locating and Catching Terrakion

Terrakion, the Rock/Fighting type member of the Swords of Justice, appears on the **Unending Path**, another Mirage Spot. The requirement to unlock Terrakion is different from Cobalion:

* **Have Cobalion in your party.**

Follow these steps to catch Terrakion:

1. **Ensure you have Cobalion in your party:** After catching Cobalion, make sure it’s in your active team of six Pokémon.

2. **Finding the Unending Path:** Similar to the Pathless Plain, the Unending Path is a randomly appearing Mirage Spot. Fly around Hoenn using Latias/Latios and look for a Mirage Spot called the **Unending Path**. It looks like a rocky, winding path.

3. **Encountering Terrakion:** Land on the Unending Path. Terrakion will be waiting there. Save your game before initiating the battle.

4. **Battling Terrakion:** Terrakion is a level 50 Rock/Fighting type Pokémon. Its moveset includes:

* Swords Dance
* Sacred Sword
* Rock Slide
* Earthquake

* **Type Advantages:** Exploit Terrakion’s weaknesses to Fighting, Ground, Water, Grass, Steel, and Psychic type attacks. Be especially careful of Earthquake, as it’s a powerful Ground-type move.
* **Status Conditions:** Apply Sleep or Paralysis to make Terrakion easier to catch.
* **Reduce its HP:** Use False Swipe or Hold Back to lower Terrakion’s HP to 1.
* **Capture Terrakion:** Throw Ultra Balls, Timer Balls, or Dusk Balls until you successfully catch Terrakion.

Locating and Catching Virizion

Virizion, the Grass/Fighting type member of the Swords of Justice, is found on the **Fabled Cave**, the final Mirage Spot associated with this trio. The requirement to unlock Virizion is:

* **Have both Cobalion and Terrakion in your party.**

Here’s how to catch Virizion:

1. **Ensure you have Cobalion and Terrakion in your party:** Confirm that both Cobalion and Terrakion are in your active party.

2. **Finding the Fabled Cave:** Search for the **Fabled Cave** Mirage Spot while soaring around Hoenn with Latias/Latios. It appears as a small cave entrance on an isolated island. It is, like the previous two, a randomly generated spawn.

3. **Encountering Virizion:** Land on the Fabled Cave and enter the cave. Virizion will be present. Save your game before battling.

4. **Battling Virizion:** Virizion is a level 50 Grass/Fighting type Pokémon. It knows the following moves:

* Swords Dance
* Sacred Sword
* Leaf Blade
* Stone Edge

* **Type Advantages:** Exploit Virizion’s weaknesses to Flying, Poison, Fire, Psychic, and Ice type attacks. Be mindful of Leaf Blade, which is a strong Grass-type move.
* **Status Conditions:** Inflict Sleep or Paralysis to make catching Virizion easier.
* **Lower its HP:** Use False Swipe or Hold Back to get Virizion’s HP down to 1.
* **Catch Virizion:** Use Ultra Balls, Timer Balls, or Dusk Balls repeatedly until you successfully capture Virizion.

Tips and Strategies for Catching Legendary Pokémon

* **Be Prepared:** As mentioned earlier, stock up on Poké Balls, healing items, and status-inducing moves. The more prepared you are, the smoother the process will be.
* **Save Before Battling:** Always save your game before engaging a legendary Pokémon. This allows you to reset and try again if you accidentally knock it out or run out of Poké Balls.
* **Use Status Conditions Effectively:** Sleep and paralysis are the most effective status conditions for increasing catch rates. Freeze and burn also help, but they can inflict damage that might lead to accidentally knocking out the target. Poison, while effective at inflicting damage, is a poor choice as it eventually can faint the target.
* **Timer Balls:** If the battle lasts for many turns, Timer Balls become increasingly effective. They have a catch rate that increases with the number of turns passed in battle.
* **Dusk Balls:** Dusk Balls are more effective at night or in caves, making them a good choice for Virizion’s Fabled Cave encounter.
* **Quick Balls:** Try using a Quick Ball on the first turn of the battle. They have a high catch rate if used immediately.
* **Be Patient and Persistent:** Catching legendary Pokémon can be frustrating. Don’t give up easily. Keep trying different strategies and Poké Balls until you succeed.
* **Master Ball (Optional):** If you have a Master Ball and are particularly impatient or worried about accidentally knocking out the Pokémon, you can use it to guarantee a capture. However, Master Balls are rare, so consider saving it for a legendary Pokémon that is particularly difficult to catch, or a shiny encounter.
* **Synchronize Ability:** If you are concerned about Natures, use a Pokémon with the Synchronize ability in the lead of your party. This has a 50% chance of causing wild Pokémon to have the same Nature as the Pokémon with Synchronize. Abra, Ralts, and Munna are common choices for Pokémon with Synchronize. Be sure the Synchronize Pokémon is in the first slot of your party.

Troubleshooting

* **Can’t find the Mirage Spots:** Make sure you have the Eon Ticket and can soar on Latias/Latios. The Mirage Spots are randomly generated each day, so keep searching.
* **The Pokémon isn’t appearing:** Double-check that you have met the necessary requirements (friendship, Cobalion in your party, Cobalion and Terrakion in your party). If you’re certain you’ve met the requirements, try restarting your game.
* **I accidentally knocked out the Pokémon:** If you didn’t save before the battle, you’ll have to wait until the Mirage Spots reset the next day. Save before each encounter to avoid this.

Conclusion

Catching Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire requires patience, preparation, and a bit of luck. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you’ll be well on your way to adding these powerful legendary Pokémon to your team. Good luck, and happy catching!