Ever sinceRed,Blue, andYellowhit the shelves, thePokemonfranchise has been the subject of rumors, urban legends, and guides detailing secrets and how to access them. While the first generation had a plethora of interesting details and a fascinating history, its successors are far from lacking in the department of secrets and extra content.
Secrets inPokemongames tend to be the whereabouts of rare Pokemon (Cerulean Cave in the first generation to find Mewtwo), or bosses that can be fought in the postgame (Red in the second generation’s Mt. Silver). Others, like Mirage Island, are more niche. They are either completely optional without being rewarding, or so odd that the player would never considering exploring them to begin with.
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How to Access Mirage Island
Mirage Island can only be found inPokemon Ruby,Sapphire, andEmerald. Unlike a lot of secrets from the first two generations when they were modernized, this area did not return inOmega RubyandAlpha Sapphire. While the island did get counterparts in the Gen 3 remakes, these sets of islands generally deviated from what Mirage Island originally was. For one, there are several “Mirage Islands” instead of one.
The original Mirage Island is tricky to access. The player has to rely on random numbers in the game<s data to successfully enter Mirage Island. The game generates a number between 0 and 65,535 on a daily basis once the player presses any button on the Start Menu. If this number is compatible with the first two digits of the personality value of any Pokemon in the player’s party, Mirage Island will appear. To check if Mirage Island can be accessed, players can interact with an old man in Pacifidlog Town that will tell them whether or not he can spot Mirage Island.
Players can even swap Pokemon out of their party and try again, since the two required digits do not change throughout the day. The player’s reliance on such specific circumstances arguably makes Mirage Island evenrarer than Shiny Pokemondepending on how many Pokemon are in the player’s party. If the attempts at summoning it were successful, Mirage Island will be found on Route 130, on a passage that consists of water and rocks in normal circumstances.
Mirage Island’s Content in Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire
Despite forcing the player to rely on extraordinary luck to be even accessible, Mirage Island is profoundly lacking in content, especially when compared to the dozens ofside quests and secretsPokemonhas previously and currently offered. While its counterparts inOmega RubyandAlpha Sapphirehave a much more diverse wildlife, the original only exists to provide players with a free Wynaut.
Wynaut is an interesting Pokemon. Although it was Wobbuffet’s freshly introduced baby form at the time, it was rather rare. This is especially jarring since Wobbuffet is arguably one of the series’ most iconic Pokemon, thanks to the one that accompaniesTeam Rocket in the anime. Without trading or hacking, the only ways to get Wynaut inRuby,Sapphire, andEmeraldare by hatching an egg given to the player by an old couple in Lavaridge Town, or by catching one on Mirage Island.
Since Wynaut is the only Pokemon that can be caught on Mirage Island, the area itself becomes redundant. A player is guaranteed to get a Wynaut during their playthrough if they know what to do, just like the prized Togepi eggs in Gen 2 and Gen 4. The fact that such a Pokemon has a monopoly on Mirage Island’s wildlife can easily lead to disappointment.
Beyond that, the only thing that Mirage Island can offer is the sole place in the original Hoenn games where players can get Leichi Berries. For people that care about Pokeblocks and certain niches in competitive battling, then Mirage Island might be worth it, since Leichi Berries make the best Pokeblocks. Otherwise, players are better off cheating, trading, or simply relying on more recent games to get theseberries and their diverse effectsin thePokemonworld.
Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShiningPearlrelease on June 15, 2025 for the Nintendo Switch.
