Pokopia
Walkthrough GuideApril 11, 2026

Rocky Ridges Walkthrough — Pokemon Pokopia Area Guide

Rocky Ridges is the volcanic, ash-covered third area in Pokémon Pokopia. Inspired by Pewter City and Mt. Moon, this rugged landscape is where you unlock the cooking system, learn to smelt ore, and complete one of the game's most memorable quests: the Time to Party celebration. If you've just entered through the northwest gate from Withered Wasteland, this walkthrough covers everything from your first steps to the final party.

Scorbunny — the first Pokémon you befriend at Rocky Ridges

Rocky Ridges Overview

Rocky Ridges spans what used to be Pewter City and Mt. Moon. The area is dominated by volcanic ash, cave systems rich with ore deposits, and agricultural fields to the southwest. Fire-type and Rock-type Pokémon thrive here, and the terrain introduces several mechanics not found in earlier areas: cooking, ore smelting, and food-powered move upgrades. You can find full details on the area's layout in our Rocky Ridges area page.

The area is accessed through the northwest gate in Withered Wasteland. Professor Tangrowth follows you in and guides you through the early objectives. Unlike Bleak Beach's stormy atmosphere, Rocky Ridges is warm and humid, with glowing magma visible through cracks in the cave floors.

What to Do First at Rocky Ridges

When you first arrive at Rocky Ridges, your immediate priorities should be:

  1. Follow Professor Tangrowth. A cutscene triggers as you enter. Follow the Professor as he moves forward through the area.
  2. Examine and restore the PC. Head west and find the PC. After the cutscene, talk to Professor Tangrowth, then use Strength to push the PC to the electric socket. This restores the Pokémon Center PC functionality.
  3. Build Red Tall Grass. Create a 2×2 patch of red grass to form the Red Tall Grass habitat. Examine the rustling grass to befriend Scorbunny.
  4. Build Grassy Training Field. Scorbunny gives you a habitat hint. Collect sandbags near the workbench and place them with a second 2×2 patch of red grass to befriend Machoke. Then help Machoke carry stones to learn the Strength move.

Main Quest — Rescue Chef Dente

The first major questline at Rocky Ridges revolves around rescuing Chef Dente, who is trapped inside a barrel suspended by chains. This quest chain unlocks the entire cooking system:

  1. Follow Professor Tangrowth after restoring the PC. Use Cut to break a chain hanging from a barrel for a habitat hint.
  2. Build the Pointy Tree-Shaded Rocky Tall Grass habitat in the southwest area using a boulder (placed with Strength), a pointy tree, and 4 Red Tall Grass. Befriend Dartrix.
  3. Ask Dartrix to make a Cutting Board. First craft a Perch (2 Small Logs + 1 Leaf), then have Dartrix process Lumber into the material for the Cutting Board.
  4. Place the Cutting Board and make a Simple Salad (2 Leaves). Eating the salad strengthens Leafage, letting you place grass over a wider area and grow moss and aquatic plants.
  5. Build the Mossy Hot Spring habitat inside the western cave by placing 4 Moss Plants near water. Befriend Torkoal.
  6. Create a path from the Mossy Hot Spring to the Pokémon Center using stairs and moss (grown with salad-boosted Leafage) so Torkoal can walk without stopping.
  7. Torkoal gives you the Bread Oven recipe. Build the Bread Oven (2 Stones, 2 Small Logs, 4 Volcanic Ash) and have Torkoal or Scorbunny light it.
  8. Grow Wheat in the southwest fields by clearing rocks blocking the water flow. Make Simple Bread (3 Wheat), then eat it to strengthen Cut so it can slice through chains and wire mesh.
  9. Return to the hanging barrel and cut the chain with your powered-up Cut. Chef Dente is rescued and the cooking system fully unlocks.
Torkoal — lights the Bread Oven at Rocky Ridges

Unlocking the Smelting Furnace

After rescuing Chef Dente, you can unlock the Smelting Furnace and metal crafting:

  1. Follow Machoke deeper into the cave. Use powered-up Cut (eat Bread first) to destroy wire mesh blocking the path.
  2. Find the Smelting Furnace and examine the sparkly spot nearby for the Digging and Burning habitat hint. Place a Wheelbarrow and Excavation Tools beside the furnace to create the habitat and befriend Magmar.
  3. With Magmar, you can now smelt Copper Ore into Copper Ingots at the furnace. Mine copper from ore blocks using Rock Smash.
  4. Craft a Frying Pan (2 Copper Ingots) and place it on the stove near Chef Dente. Grow Beans in the southwest fields (same waterway as Wheat) and cook Simple Hamburger Steak (3 Beans).
  5. Eating the Hamburger Steak strengthens Rock Smash, letting you destroy hard rocks. Build the Mossy Boulder habitat (4 Moss around a mossy boulder in the cave) to befriend Graveler and learn Rollout.

Time to Party — The Main Event

The climactic quest of Rocky Ridges is the Time to Party celebration. You must raise the area's mood to 100 and prepare a feast:

  1. Use powered-up Rock Smash to break through a cave wall near the Pokémon Center. Inside, find a radio and trigger a cutscene.
  2. DJ Rotom appears outside the cave and gives you the important request: Time to Party! Chef Dente provides a Party Cooking Pot.
  3. Level the area and place the Party Cooking Pot. Give a CD to DJ Rotom (found on a bookshelf nearby) to start raising the mood.
  4. Have Professor Tangrowth appraise Large Lost Relics (found by destroying volcanic ash nearby) and place the appraised relics to boost mood further.
  5. Build the Uplifting Duckweed habitat (4 Duckweed near water) to befriend Ludicolo. Bring Ludicolo to DJ Rotom for another mood boost.
  6. Smelt 5 Iron Ores into Iron Ingots at the furnace, then craft 5 Party Platters at the workbench. Cook 5 dishes (Simple Salad is the easiest) and place them on the platters.
  7. With mood at 100 and the feast prepared, the Time to Party quest completes with a celebration cutscene.
Ludicolo — boosts the party mood at Rocky Ridges

Key Materials to Collect

Rocky Ridges introduces critical crafting materials centered on mining and cooking:

  • Copper Ore: Found in cave walls. Use Rock Smash to mine, then smelt into Copper Ingots at the furnace.
  • Iron Ore: Found deeper in the cave system. Smelt into Iron Ingots for advanced crafting.
  • Volcanic Ash: Obtained by using Rock Smash on black soil east of the Pokémon Center. Used to craft the Bread Oven.
  • Glowing Stones: Located deep in the cave past the train tracks. Eat Hamburger Steak to power up Rock Smash enough to break them.
  • Wheat & Beans: Grown in the southwest agricultural fields. Clear rocks to let water flow, then plant and harvest. Essential for cooking.
  • Gold Ore: A rarer deposit found in select cave areas. Used for advanced decorative items.

Recommended Habitats to Build

  • Red Tall Grass: 2×2 patch of red grass. Attracts Scorbunny. Your first habitat in this area.
  • Grassy Training Field: Red grass + Sandbags. Attracts Machoke (Strength specialty).
  • Mossy Hot Spring: 4 Moss Plants near cave water. Attracts Torkoal (Burn specialty, lights the Bread Oven).
  • Digging and Burning: Wheelbarrow + Excavation Tools near the Smelting Furnace. Attracts Magmar (Burn specialty, operates the furnace).
  • Mossy Boulder: 4 Moss around a mossy boulder in the cave. Attracts Graveler (teaches Rollout).
  • Uplifting Duckweed: 4 Duckweed near water. Attracts Ludicolo (essential for the party quest).

Final Tips for Rocky Ridges

Rocky Ridges is where Pokopia's systems really open up. The cooking mechanic is central to progression — each food type (Salad, Bread, Hamburger Steak) powers up a different move (Leafage, Cut, Rock Smash), so keep ingredients stocked. You need Environment Level 3 to progress the main quest, so befriend Pokémon and raise their comfort levels early. Bring Pokémon with Chop, Mine, and Burn specialties before heading here. The materials you gather — especially Copper and Iron Ingots — will be needed in Sparkling Skylands too, so smelt extra while you have access to the furnace.