Where To Get Thunderstones in Pokémon Platinum (All Methods)

Thunderstone Acquisition Methods
#	Method	Repeatable?
1	Solaceon Ruins—On a rock at one of the cave’s dead ends (hidden)	No
2	Sunyshore City—Inside a Poké Ball behind the Vista Lighthouse	No
3	Route 229—By the southwestern corner of the pond to the north of the Ribbon Syndicate building (requires Cut, Surf, and the National Pokédex) (hidden)	No
4	The Underground—Potential treasure found in the mining minigame	Yes

The easiest way to obtain a Thunderstone early in the game is to pick up the one in the Solaceon Ruins. This requires no HMs, and you can get this stone right after defeating Sinnoh’s third Gym Leader Fantina.

All other methods for getting Thunderstones are either only available far later in the game, or they take a lot of time and patience (like finding them in the Underground).

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acquiring Thunderstones
Thunderstone Details and Uses
- Raichu
- Jolteon

Acquiring Thunderstones

Method 1: Solaceon Ruins (Step-by-Step)

You’ll find an easy Thunderstone early in the game inside the Solaceon Ruins.

These complex ruins are located to the east of Solaceon Town, which you’ll have access to after you beat Gym Leader Fantina in Hearthome City.

To reach the Solaceon Ruins, start by heading north from Solaceon Town’s Pokémon Center.

Moving north through Solaceon Town.

Just before you reach the town’s northern entrance, turn right and slip into the gap in the woods.

Turning eastward into the woods.

Travel as far east as you can, then turn southward to hop down the ledges furthest to the east.

Hopping down the easternmost ledges.

After dropping down the third ledge, turn eastward and head north to enter the Solaceon Ruins.

Entering the Solaceon Ruins.

The Solaceon Ruins make up a sort of maze, with several staircases on every floor – most leading to dead ends.

If you follow the staircases in a specific order they will lead you to a small cave chamber with a Thunderstone hidden inside it.

Here’s the exact order of staircases to follow to reach the Thunderstone:

1. Top Right
2. Bottom Left
3. Top Right
4. Top Left
5. Bottom Right

Start by taking the top-right staircase from the entrance of the chamber.

Taking the northeastern staircase on 1F.

Then go down the bottom-left staircase.

Taking the southwestern staircase on B1F.

Then go down the stairs at the top-right.

Taking the northeastern staircase on B2F.

Proceed down the top-left staircase next.

Taking the northwestern staircase on B3F.

And then finally go down the bottom-right staircase to reach the end chamber.

Heading down the southeastern staircase.

You’ll find yourself at a dead end with a single rock in the middle of the room.

On top of this rock is a hidden Thunderstone.

Heading for the rock in the middle of the dead end.

Obtaining the hidden Thunderstone in the Solaceon Ruins.

Method 2: Sunyshore City (Step-by-Step)

You’ll find the next Thunderstone in Sunyshore City, which you’ll reach toward the end of the game.

Luckily the stone is simple to locate.

From the Sunyshore Pokémon Center, head west.

Heading west from the Sunyshore City Pokémon Center.

Pass under the bridge and turn northward to climb the stairs.

Heading up the staircase to the walkways.

When you’re on the overhead walkways, take a right turn and head east. Ignore the path to the south.

Moving eastward across the overhead path.

Follow the slight bend and continue east.

Continuing eastward after the bend.

Keep going straight east until you reach the Sailor NPC standing in front of the Pokémon Rock.

From here, head down the staircase to your south to reach a Poké Ball item at the bottom of the stairs.

Approaching the Thunderstone at the bottom of the stairs.

Pick up this item to get your Thunderstone.

Acquiring the Thunderstone in Sunyshore City.

Method 3: Route 229 (Step-by-Step)

Yet another Thunderstone can be found on Route 229. But you’ll only be able to reach this route after you get the National Pokédex upgrade in the post-game section.

You will also need to bring Pokémon that know Cut and Surf to reach the Thunderstone’s exact location.

Once you have all of that, fly to the Resort Area of the Battle Zone and cross the bridge to the north of the Pokémon Center.

Heading northward across the Resort Area’s bridge.

On the other side of the pond, continue northward to leave the Resort Area and enter Route 229.

Leaving the Resort Area and heading onto Route 229.

Where the trail splits at the Resort Area/Route 229 sign, head northward through the tall grass, past the two Ace Trainers.

Passing the Ace Trainers on Route 229.

Head north until you reach the taller grass, then turn right.

Heading east through the taller grass.

Pass the Ace Trainer NPC and then head southward.

Turning south after the lone Ace Trainer.

Head south until you reach a pond. You’ll need to use Cut to enter the area, then Surf to the southwest across the pond until you hit a tiny patch of terrain.

On the tree directly south of this land tile is a hidden Thunderstone.

Surfing across the pond to reach the southwestern corner.

While standing on the small patch of land, just face southward and press A to collect your Thunderstone.

Obtaining the Thunderstone on Route 229.

Method 4: The Underground (Repeatable)

You can also get unlimited Thunderstones much sooner if you commit to searching in the Underground for one.

However, this is a highly unreliable method and can take several hours of playing the mining minigame to produce results. But if you need one earlier in the game, this is the way to go.

Note: This is the only way to acquire multiple Thunderstones beyond the ones you can find in the overworld.

To start searching for Thunderstones you’ll need to dig down to the Underground by using the Explorer Kit, which you will receive from the Underground Man in Eterna City.

Using the Explorer Kit from the Key Items list.

When you have control of your character, head for one of the glittering areas shown on the map.

Glittering areas showing the existence of treasures.

Tap the touch screen to sense hidden treasures lodged inside bulging walls. These spots will sparkle when your sensor passes over them.

Tapping the touch screen to find bulging walls.

Walk up to one of these spots and Press A.

Inspecting the sparkling point.

Digging into bulging walls will begin a minigame.

You’ll alternate between your hammer and your pickaxe to dig as many treasures out of the wall as possible before the wall comes crashing down from the repeated banging.

The hammer breaks more rocks and dirt per hit, but causes the minigame to end quicker.
The pickaxe is weaker, but more precise and less damaging to the wall.

Starting the mining minigame.

Every time you mine a new spot in the Underground, there is only a 20% chance that a non-sphere item will be hidden beneath the rocks and dirt.

There are also close to 50 different non-sphere item types that can be uncovered.

Because the odds of finding a Thunderstone in a single minigame are pretty low, you can expect to spend a while searching for one.

Uncovering a Thunderstone in the Sinnoh Underground.

Tip: Remember to send your items aboveground by selecting them in the Treasures sub-menu.

Opening the Treasures menu to send found items back up.

Thunderstone Details and Uses

The in-game description of the Thunder Stone.

In Pokémon Platinum, you can use Thunderstones to evolve just two Pokemon species: Pikachu and Eevee.

Thunderstone Evolutions
Species	Evolutionary Form
Pikachu	Raichu
Eevee	Jolteon

To use a Thunderstone, simply select “Use” from the Bag and choose a Pokémon to use it on.

Using a Thunderstone to evolve a Pokémon.

Raichu

You can use a Thunderstone on any Pikachu to make it evolve into Raichu.

The newly-evolved Raichu.

Raichu’s strengths are its high Speed and respectable Attack and Special Attack—especially since it has access to the move Nasty Plot, which increases Raichu’s Special Attack by two stat stages.

It has a severe lack of physical bulk, though, and it won’t take many hits.

Raichu’s Ability Static has a 30% chance of paralyzing any opponent that makes direct contact with it, including Ground-types.

Other Electric types—like Jolteon and Magnezone—are more useful in battle than Raichu.

However, Pikachu’s evolution has been popular since the first Generation. And it’s still usable in a Platinum playthrough despite its shortcomings.

Jolteon

You can use a Thunderstone on an Eevee to make it evolve into its Electric form, Jolteon.

The newly-evolved Jolteon.

Jolteon is extraordinarily quick, with a base Speed stat even higher than Raikou’s. It also has high Special Attack and Special Defense stats.

Its biggest weakness is its frailty:

With base HP and Defense stats both in the 60s, it won’t last long in a fight against a heavy physical attacker. Especially one that can use a power move like Earthquake.

Jolteon’s movepool also leaves much to be desired, although its access to Shadow Ball and Signal Beam gives it some nice type coverage options.

Overall, Jolteon doesn’t naturally excel as a straight sweeper. But it can be very successful as a revenge KOer.

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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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