How To Get the Slowbronite in Pokémon ORAS

To obtain Slowbro’s Mega Stone (Slowbronite) you’ll need to trade 4 Shoal Salts and 4 Shoal Shells to an old man near Shoal Cave’s entrance. The cave’s interior changes based on the time of day, with Shoal Salts being found exclusively during low tide and Shoal Shells only available during high tide.

Additionally, you’ll need a Pokémon that knows Surf to gather the required items to exchange for the Mega Stone.

Prerequisites

Shoal Cave, situated on Route 125, can be reached by surfing north from Mossdeep City. This unique cave features a high tide and low tide mechanic, making certain areas accessible only at specific times of day.

During low tide, the underground sections of the cave become accessible. This allows you to find the four Shoal Salts needed for the Slowbronite.

During high tide, the cave is filled with water, making the underground sections inaccessible while providing access to the second floor – that’s where you can find the four Shoal Shells.

Here are the times when Shoal Cave is at low or high tide, and what the cave looks like during those times:

Low Tide vs. High Tide in Shoal Cave

Low Tide	High Tide
3:00 – 8:59 (3:00 AM – 8:59 AM)	9:00 – 14:59 (9:00 AM – 2:59 PM)
15:00 – 20:59 (3:00 PM – 8:59 PM)	21:00 – 2:59 (9:00 PM – 2:59 AM)

To summarize, before heading over to Shoal Cave you should:

Have access to Route 125
Bring a Pokémon that knows Surf
Time your visit to either high or low tide depending on which item you currently need (adjust your 3DS or emulator’s time if needed)

Tip: To leave Shoal Cave quickly after you get the items you need, bring a Pokémon with Dig or an Escape Rope.

Slowbronite Location (Step-by-Step)

With all this information in mind, plan your visit to Shoal Cave carefully to gather both items during their respective tides for the Slowbronite.

You can fly to Route 125 to get started.

Finding 4 Shoal Salts (Low Tide)

Step 1: Once you’ve flown to Route 125, make your way northeast and Surf across the water to reach the entrance of Shoal Cave.

The entrance to Shoal Cave

Step 2: If you’ve arrived during low tide, the water inside the cave will have receded. Go down the nearby stairs and start heading north through the cave.

Shoal Cave during low tide

Step 3: Continue north until you discover a cave entrance in the north wall, then enter it to proceed deeper into Shoal Cave.

Entrance that’s only accessible during low tide

Step 4: In the following room, climb up the stairs in the middle of the wall ahead.

Climbing up the stairs

Step 5: From the top of the stairs, head north and go down the ladder situated on the room’s right side.

Climbing down the ladder

Step 6: After descending the ladder, go east and pick up the first Shoal Salt located on the room’s right side.

The location of the first Shoal Salt

Step 7: After obtaining the first Shoal Salt, locate and climb four consecutive staircases going up in the middle of the room. This will bring you to the northernmost part of the area.

Climbing up more stairs

Step 8: In the highest area of the room you’ll see a ladder on the left that you can climb up.

Climbing up another ladder

Step 9: After climbing the ladder, head west and cross the wooden bridge on the left-hand side.

Crossing the first bridge

Step 10: Upon reaching the other side, continue going straight down the pathway.

Venturing further into the cave

Step 11: You’ll eventually find another bridge on the right-hand side; cross this next bridge.

Crossing another bridge

Step 12: After crossing the second bridge, find the nearby ladder and make your way down.

Next ladder you’ll need to climb down

Step 13: After climbing down, immediately head east past a Black Belt NPC and pick up the second Shoal Salt.

The location of the second Shoal Salt

Step 14: After securing the second Shoal Salt, head back west and look for the ladder placed even further west from where you initially climbed down. You’ll want to go up this furthest ladder.

The last ladder you need to climb up

Step 15: Once you’ve ascended the ladder, you can collect the third Shoal Salt located directly to the left.

The location of the third Shoal Salt

Step 16: With the third Shoal Salt in hand, make your way north up the path and take a right when you reach the top of the room.

Path that leads to the location of the final Shoal Salt

Step 17: Go right down this hallway and at the end of the path you can collect the fourth and final Shoal Salt you need.

The location of the fourth Shoal Salt

Finding 4 Shoal Shells (High Tide)

Step 1: With all 4 Shoal Salts collected, return to Shoal Cave during high tide.

If timed correctly, the cave should be filled with water when you enter. If it is, then Surf north past the old man using HM03.

Shoal Cave during high tide

Step 2: Disembark near the stairs and go through the cave entrance located on the room’s northwest side.

Entrance that’s only accessible during high tide

Step 3: In the next room, find where the stairs meet the water on the left side and use Surf again.

Surf spot in the next room

Step 4: After passing under the bridge, you should quickly be able to locate the first two Shoal Shells — one on the left and one on the right. Pick both of them up.

The location of the first two Shoal Shells

Step 5: Once you’ve grabbed the first pair of Shoal Shells, return to the water via surf and proceed north, then take a right at the top of the room to follow the path.

Walking under the bridge

Step 6: As you make your way to the room’s right side, you’ll find the last two Shoal Shells needed to obtain the Slowbronite. Both Shoal Shells will be up on small raised platforms near each other.

The location of the last two Shoal Shells

Exchanging the Items for the Slowbronite

Exchanging Shoal Salts and Shoal Shells

After collecting 4 Shoal Salts and 4 Shoal Shells, make your way back to the old man located near the entrance of Shoal Cave.

Speak to him and he’ll ask if you’d like him to create a Shell Bell for you.

Choose “Yes” and he will give you a Shell Bell – and then after that he’ll also give you Slowbro’s Mega Stone, the Slowbronite.

Is Mega Slowbro Worth Using?

Mega Slowbro in battle

Mega Slowbro might not be worth using in your team. Not because it isn’t good, but because its non-Mega form is already viable in the same role.

It would be better to allocate your Mega Evolution slot to a more impactful Pokémon.

Nevertheless, with its high base Defense of 180 and access to recovery moves like Slack Off, Mega Slowbro is a formidable physical wall. However, its mediocre Special Defense makes it vulnerable to commonly-used special attackers.

Tip: Mega Slowbro’s new ability to Shell Armor, which grants immunity to critical hits.

If you want to use Mega Slowbro in your team, consider the following pros & cons:

Pros:

Premier Physical Tank. With a high base Defense of 180 and decent base HP of 95, Mega Slowbro is one of the most physically resilient Pokémon in the game. It also resists various types, allowing it to handle many physical attackers.
Setup and recovery moves. Mega Slowbro has access to Calm Mind and Slack Off, enabling it to deal more damage while staying bulkier and harder to take down.
Strong Special Attacker. Despite being a tank, a base Special Attack stat of 130 ensures that Mega Slowbro can deal significant damage with a wide range of offensive moves like Scald, Psyshock, and Ice Beam.

Cons:

Mediocre Special Defense. With a middling base Special Defense stat of 80, Mega Slowbro is often vulnerable to powerful special attackers.
Very Low Speed. Mega Slowbro’s abysmally low base Speed makes outspeeding opponents virtually impossible outside of Trick Room. Luckily, its bulk allows it to withstand most hits.
Common type weaknesses. Mega Slowbro has weaknesses to Electric, Grass, and Ghost types, which are usually special attackers. It’s also weak to Bug and Dark-types, but since they tend to be physical attackers, Mega Slowbro can effectively tank their hits due to its impressive Defense stat.
Non-Mega Slowbro is a viable alternative. Compared to Shell Armor’s limited utility, non-Mega Slowbro’s Regenerator ability offers greater benefits as a tank. Running just a regular Slowbro in your team can sometimes be a better option, allowing you to free up your Mega Evolution slot for another Pokémon.

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StormSwampert

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Though he spends most of his time playing a wide variety of games, Pokémon has always been his favorite. When he’s not playing games or writing guides, you can find him watching anime and collecting trading cards.

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