How To Get Heart Scales in Pokémon ORAS (Best Methods)

In Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, Heart Scales are most easily found as held items on wild Luvdisc. This is a repeatable farming method too, so you can get unlimited amounts of Heart Scales this way.

By acquiring the Super Rod in Mossdeep City, you can encounter Luvdisc on Route 128, in Ever Grande City, or on Victory Road.

Each Luvdisc will have a 50% chance of carrying a Heart Scale.

Map of Hoenn

How To Farm Luvdisc for Heart Scales

Luvdisc battle

Catching every Luvdisc using the method above and checking each one individually will net you lots of Heart Scales — but that can be time-consuming, especially at higher levels.

Instead, by battling a Team Aqua / Magma Grunt in the Slateport City Oceanic Museum and acquiring TM46 Thief, you can steal Heart Scales from wild Luvdisc without having to capture them.

Luvdisc Holding Item

Note:

If the Pokémon using Thief already has a held item, you won’t acquire a Heart Scale even if the encountered Luvdisc is carrying one.
Remember to remove the stolen Heart Scale from your Thief Pokémon before attempting another encounter.

TM46 Thief

Tip: By using a Pokémon with the Compound Eyes ability, your chance of encountering a wild Pokémon holding an item increases. Here is a list of all Pokémon up to Gen VI that can learn Thief and have the Compound Eyes ability.

Butterfree
Venonat
Yanma
Joltik
Galvantula
Vivillon

Other Methods of Acquiring Heart Scales

Move Maniac

There are several other methods of acquiring Heart Scales in Pokémon ORAS, although not as optimal as taking held items from Luvdiscs.

Alternate Method 1: Using Poké Miles

Wonder Trade

Poké Miles are most easily accrued by performing Wonder Trades. By going to the Pokémon Global Link PokéMileage Shop, you can use your currency to acquire Heart Scales!

Note: This service was shut down on November 1, 2016, so only those with remaining points can purchase the items.

Alternate Method 2: Dowsing Machine/Overworld

Bellossom Trade for Corsola

It’s possible to find Heart Scales in the overworld of ORAS both overtly and via dowsing.

By using the newly introduced Dowsing Machine, it is possible to find hidden Heart Scales on a few select routes.

Here is a list of all the overworld Heart Scales (note these are one-time-only items).

Location	Where To Find	Dowsing Required (Hidden)
Route 104	South of Fisherman	Yes
Route 105	On island beneath rock	Yes
Route 106	North East coast	Yes
Route 109	South of Young Couple Mel & Paul	No
Route 109	Inside blue parasol	Yes
Route 109	Above Old Man and Zigzagoon	Yes
Route 118	Inside rock West of Fisherman	Yes
Route 124	North of Free Diver	No
Route 124	Patch of seaweed after diving in North-East part of ocean.	No
Route 124	Gift for defeating Diver Arzu (rematch)	No
Route 124	Gift for defeating Scuba Diver Kylan (rematch)	No
Route 126	Patch of ground to the North (underwater)	No
Route 128	West of Sign/Fisherman	Yes
Route 128	South-East of Seafloor Cavern Entrance	Yes
Route 128	On island East of Seafloor Cavern Entrance	Yes
Route 128	South-East of Seafloor Cavern Entrance	Yes
Route 134	West end of the longest island	Yes
Route 134	In the middle of the longest island	Yes
Route 134	On a small North-East island	Yes
Lilycove City	In a large rock by the stairs that lead to the beach	Yes
Pacifidlog Town	In front of South-Eastern house	Yes
Pacifidlog Town	Trade Bellossom for Corsola (Corsola will be holding Heart Scale)	No

Note: If you already know the hidden locations of these Heart Scales, you don’t need the Dowsing Machine. It is possible to stand one tile away from the hidden item, face it, and press “A” to collect your Heart Scale.

Alternate Method 3: Secret Base Pal

Secret Base Location

By interacting with other people’s Secret Bases, you can build up a number of Pals.

These Pals will occasionally have a list of Special Skills, one of which is called “Picking Up”. (Note this is different than the Pokémon ability “Pickup”).

You can request these Secret Pals to clean up their base and, sometimes, they will find a Heart Scale and gift it to you.

Alternate Method 4: Pokémon Contests

Pokémon Contest Hall Slateport City

By progressing through Pokémon contests, you will build up a fanbase of adoring NPCs. These fans will occasionally give you items, one of which is a Heart Scale!

Note: Heart Scales are only available in Hyper Rank.

How To Use Heart Scales

Move Maniac House in Fallarbor Town

Heart Scales are used to teach your Pokémon moves they have forgotten, or rare moves they cannot learn through normal means.

By giving one Heart Scale to the Move Maniac in Fallarbor Town, he will teach one of your Pokémon one new move.

BACK TO THE MAIN GAME Pokémon ORAS Full Strategy Guide

Guide Navigation

Pokémon ORAS
- How To Get Heart Scales in Pokémon ORAS (Best Methods)

Ruel Butler

1 article

Ruel is a lover of all things gaming and anime. He lived, worked, and studied in Japan for several years and has written professionally for several companies. His portfolio can be found at ruelbutler.com

View Writer's Posts →