How To Get Focus Sashes in Pokémon Platinum

All Focus Sash Locations
#	Location	Repeatable?
1	Route 221—From the elderly man inside the blue-roofed house straight west of Pal Park. This is one of three rewards he can give you if you show him a Pokémon at a level he requests	Yes
2	The Battle Frontier—Purchasable for 48 BP.	Yes

The cheapest and easiest method of obtaining a Focus Sash is by visiting the elderly man living in the house on Route 221, just west of Pal Park. He will ask to see a Pokémon at a random level each day, and if you show him one he’ll give you one of three prizes (with a Focus Sash being an option).

And while the Battle Frontier method is also repeatable, it’s also very costly to get Focuses Sashes at 48 BP each. Especially for an item you can obtain an unlimited number of times for essentially free.

As for what the Focus Sash does:

If the holder has full HP and is hit by an attack that would otherwise knock it out in one hit, the Focus Sash prevents the Pokémon from fainting, leaving it with one HP instead.

Focus Sash Locations

Location 1: Route 221

The easiest way to get Focus Sashes is by receiving them from the elderly man inside the house on Route 221.

Once per day the man will ask you to show him a Pokémon of a random level. If you have a Pokémon of this level in your party, the man will reward you with an item.

The shortest route to the elderly man’s house starts by Flying to Pal Park and heading west on the northern path.

Note: If you haven’t visited Pal Park before, you will need to take the much longer route that starts in Sandgem Town.

Heading westward from Pal Park.

Head west from the Pal Park entrance to go down the long linear path, passing the Berry patch to your south.

Passing the Berry patch.

Turn north as soon as you can. Then go up and take the right-hand path.

Turning northward and keeping to the right.

Keep moving up and enter the house with the blue roof.

Approaching the elderly man’s house.

Speak to the elderly man inside and he will request that you show him a Pokémon of a particular level. The specific level he asks for is random and changes daily.

The old man asking to see a Level 13 Pokémon.

If you have a Pokémon at this level in your party, this elderly NPC will become ecstatic and award you an item.

Showing the old man a level 13 Buneary.

The ordering of items that you get is also generally fixed, and this is the pattern he follows initially:

The first time you show him a suitable Pokémon he will give you a Black Belt
The second time he will give you an Expert Belt
The third time he will give you a Focus Sash

Acquiring the Focus Sash.

This can be repeated infinitely, with the cycle starting over with the Black Belt after you receive all three items for the first time.

Location 2: The Battle Frontier

Focus Sashes can also be found in the Battle Frontier, which is the huge building to the northeast of the Pokémon Center in the Battle Zone’s Fight Area.

Heading northeast from the Fight Area Pokémon Center to enter the Battle Frontier.

After entering the building (just head inside right next to the PokeCenter) head up through the Entrance Hall and enter the door to the north.

Passing northward through the Battle Frontier’s Entrance Hall.

In the middle of the Main Hall will be several kiosks making up a central marketplace. This is the Exchange Service Corner.

Speak to the clerk at the southwestern kiosk with the blue and white striped canopy.

Approaching the southwestern Exchange Service Corner kiosk.

Scroll through her inventory until you find the Focus Sash listing.

The Focus Sash’s listing at the Battle Frontier.

Focus Sashes are some of the more expensive items at the Battle Frontier:

Each Focus Sash costs 48 Battle Points (BP), which you can win by fighting in the Battle Frontier’s various facilities.

But since you can obtain a Focus Sash for free every three days by using the previous method, the Battle Frontier method isn’t recommended unless you need a Focus Sash at a moment’s notice for some reason.

Focus Sash Details and Uses

In-game description of the Focus Sash.

The Focus Sash is a held item that prevents the holder from fainting if hurt by a move that would knock it out in one hit.

The item fails if the holder is not at full HP at the time of the attack; however, if the holder of a Focus Sash is damaged but then heals itself to full health, the Focus Sash can still activate.

This item has the same effect as the ability Sturdy, and both are mostly useful on Pokémon who are at a severe disadvantage in a battle. This would typically happen from lopsided type matchups, or if your Pokémon has low Defense/Special Defense stats.

Focus Sashes are often used in “revenge kill” scenarios, in which a Pokémon is knocked out and the trainer brings in a heavy-hitting replacement to enact swift retribution. The revenge killer is guaranteed to get in at least one attack with a Focus Sash, which is often all a revenge killer build needs.

One way to stop a Focus Sash user is by making smart use of entry hazard traps like Stealth Rock or Toxic Spikes, or by summoning damaging weather conditions with moves like Hail and Sandstorm.

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Chris Haygood

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Chris is an American freelance writer and lifelong gamer. RPGs have been his genre of choice ever since he got Pokémon Blue in 1867, but if he finds a good rhythm game, he will prioritize playing it over both eating and breathing.

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