Shoal Cave

Pokémon Emerald guide · Exploring near Mossdeep

Shoal Cave is an icy coastal cavern located north of Mossdeep City that shifts between high tide and low tide based on the internal real-time clock. Players explore the flooded chambers by Surfing during high tide and navigate frozen lower depths during low tide. The primary goal is collecting Shoal Salts and Shoal Shells across both tide phases to craft the Shell Bell, while also obtaining the NeverMeltIce and TM07 (Hail).

Items

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Shoal Salt (x4): Scattered in salty deposits around the cave, accessible only during low tideShoal Shell (x4): Scattered in shell beds throughout the cave water, accessible only during high tideRare Candy: In the high-tide area in the room accessed by Surfing northBig Pearl: On the ground in the high-tide cave areaIce Heal: Found on the ground in the lower frozen room during low tideNeverMeltIce: In the deep ice room at the bottom of the cave during low tideTM07 (Hail): Found in the lowest frozen room accessed via a ladder during low tideFocus Band: Given by a Black Belt NPC in the lower cave rooms during low tide

Secrets

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Hidden ice slide puzzle in the lowest frozen room; slide across the patches of ice in the correct directions to reach NeverMeltIce and TM07.

Enemies

Spheal

Weak to Grass, Electric, Fighting, Rock

Common Water/Ice-type encounter found in both water and land areas.

Zubat

Weak to Electric, Ice, Psychic, Rock

Found flying in the cave during both tides.

Golbat

Weak to Electric, Ice, Psychic, Rock

Found in the inner and lower cave rooms.

Snorunt

Weak to Fire, Fighting, Rock, Steel

Encountered only in the lowest icy room during low tide.

Shops and people

Old Man: Crafts a Shell Bell if you bring him 4 Shoal Salts and 4 Shoal Shells

Tips

The tide changes every six hours in real time (High tide: 9:00–14:59 and 21:00–2:59; Low tide: 3:00–8:59 and 15:00–20:59), requiring visits at two different times of day to gather all materials.
Bring Pokémon with Surf and Strength, as both HM moves are required to navigate the paths and move boulders during low tide.
If the internal cartridge battery has run dry, the tide will be frozen permanently at whichever state the game saved in, preventing access to the other tide's items.

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