Pokemon Ruby Sapphire Heat Badge Guide

Mauville to Lavaridge. This phase opens the northern half of Hoenn: Route 111, Fiery Path, Fallarbor, Meteor Falls, Mt. Chimney, Jagged Pass, Lavaridge Gym, and the desert cleanup after Flannery. This page uses the original GBA Ruby/Sapphire encounter and trainer data; Emerald and Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire changes are not folded in unless called out.

Route Map

This phase looks like a loop. You go north from Mauville, bend west through Fallarbor, trigger Meteor Falls, then return to Mt. Chimney and descend into Lavaridge.

Route 111 And The Winstrates

Leave Mauville north. Route 111 immediately introduces rocks that need Rock Smash and a desert you cannot enter yet because the sandstorm blocks your path. Clear what you can, then decide whether to fight the Winstrate family.

The Winstrate house is optional but useful. Four trainers fight back-to-back, so heal first. The reward and experience are worth it for normal runs, but Nuzlocke players should only enter with a healthy team and a plan for repeated chip damage.

Route 112 And Fiery Path

The cable car is blocked the first time you arrive, so enter Fiery Path instead. Numel is one of the best catches here because Fire/Ground coverage helps later, especially against Steel types. Torkoal is slower but bulky and immediately useful against Grass and Ice.

You cannot use Strength outside battle yet, so several boulders remain blocked. That is normal. Continue through the cave to the northern Route 112 exit and follow the path toward Route 113.

Wild Pokemon - Fiery Path

Pokemon	Versions	Method	Notes
Numel Fire/Ground - Lv 15-16	Ruby & Sapphire	Cave walkingCommon	Best practical catch in the cave. Camerupt gives Fire/Ground coverage later, but watch Water moves.
Torkoal Fire - Lv 14-16	Ruby & Sapphire	Cave walkingUncommon	Slow, bulky, and immediately useful if your team needs a Fire resist or status support.
Slugma Fire - Lv 15	Ruby & Sapphire	Cave walkingUncommon	Later Magcargo typing is awkward, but it is fine if you want another Fire option.
Machop Fighting - Lv 15-16	Ruby & Sapphire	Cave walkingUncommon	Useful into Norman if you missed Makuhita, but trade evolution limits Machamp.
Koffing Poison - Lv 15-16	Ruby only	Cave walkingCommon	Ruby's practical Poison pickup here. Levitate is excellent in Gen 3, and Weezing becomes sturdy later.
Koffing Poison - Lv 14	Sapphire only	Cave walkingRare	Still available in Sapphire, but much rarer than in Ruby.
Grimer Poison - Lv 14	Ruby only	Cave walkingRare	Ruby can find Grimer too, but it is the rare Poison line in this version.
Grimer Poison - Lv 15-16	Sapphire only	Cave walkingCommon	Sapphire's practical Poison pickup here. Bulky and mostly a niche status or utility choice.

Route 113 And Fallarbor Town

Route 113 is covered in volcanic ash. Get the Soot Sack from the Glass Workshop if you want to collect ash for flutes. It is optional, but it is exactly the kind of side item completion-minded readers appreciate seeing.

Skarmory can appear on Route 113 and is one of the best defensive Pokemon available in Hoenn. It takes patience to find, but Steel/Flying gives it a mountain of useful resistances. Spinda is the common encounter, and Sandshrew is the practical Ground-type pickup here in Ruby/Sapphire. Slugma is not a Route 113 Ruby/Sapphire encounter; it is available earlier in Fiery Path.

Fallarbor Town is a healing and plot stop. Visit the Pokemon Center, check the PC if you want Lanette’s later dialogue to make sense, and head west to Route 114.

Wild Pokemon - Route 113

Pokemon	Versions	Method	Notes
Spinda Normal - Lv 14-16	Ruby & Sapphire	Walking Common	Very common and mostly filler. Catch if you want the dex entry or a Nuzlocke body.
Sandshrew Ground - Lv 14-16	Ruby & Sapphire	Walking Common	Solid Ground backup if you missed Geodude or want another answer into Fire/Electric routes.
Skarmory Steel/Flying - Lv 16	Ruby & Sapphire	Walking Rare	High-value rare catch. Steel/Flying gives huge defensive utility for the rest of Hoenn.

Route 114 And Meteor Falls

Route 114 has useful encounters and the Fossil Maniac’s house. Lotad or Seedot lines may show up depending on version and route, Swablu begins appearing around this part of the game, and Seviper or Zangoose are version-split options nearby.

Meteor Falls triggers the next villain-team event. In Ruby, Team Magma is the active threat; in Sapphire, Team Aqua is. The stolen Meteorite sends the story back toward Mt. Chimney. Exit south toward Rustboro if you want to heal, or return through the route path to the cable car.

Wild Pokemon - Route 114

Pokemon	Versions	Method	Notes
Swablu Normal/Flying - Lv 15-17	Ruby & Sapphire	Walking Common	Altaria is a long-term Dragon/Flying payoff, but Swablu needs patience before it feels strong.
Lotad / Lombre Water/Grass - Lv 15-18	Sapphire only	Walking	Good Water/Grass coverage, especially if your team skipped Mudkip.
Seedot / Nuzleaf Grass/Dark later - Lv 15-18	Ruby only	Walking	Dark typing later is useful, but the line wants investment and a Leaf Stone.
Surskit Bug/Water - Lv 15	Ruby & Sapphire	Walking Rare	Very rare, but useful for dex completion and a quirky Water/Bug pickup before it becomes Masquerain.
Zangoose Normal - Lv 15-17	Ruby only	Walking	Strong physical Normal attacker. Great if you want immediate damage.
Seviper Poison - Lv 15-17	Sapphire only	Walking	Good mixed attacking stats, but slower and frailer than it looks.

Wild Pokemon - Meteor Falls entrance

Pokemon	Versions	Method	Notes
Zubat Poison/Flying - Lv varies	Ruby & Sapphire	Cave walking	Still common. Crobat remains worth it if you are willing to manage friendship.
Lunatone Rock/Psychic	Sapphire only	Cave walking	Version-exclusive special attacker with useful Psychic coverage.
Solrock Rock/Psychic	Ruby only	Cave walking	Version-exclusive counterpart to Lunatone with more physical leaning utility.

Mt. Chimney

The cable car is now open. Ride to Mt. Chimney, push through the grunts, and fight the leader at the machine.

Ruby players fight Maxie; Sapphire players fight Archie. The teams differ by theme, but the plan is similar: bring a Water or Ground answer for Magma’s Fire/Ground threats, or Electric/Grass/Fighting support for Aqua’s Water/Dark pressure. Do not treat this as a random grunt. It is the first villain boss fight that can punish an unbalanced party.

After winning, take the Meteorite from the machine. You can return it later to Professor Cozmo in Fallarbor for a reward.

Notable Trainers - Mt. Chimney

Jagged Pass And Lavaridge Town

Descend Jagged Pass from Mt. Chimney. This route has trainers, Fire/Ground encounters, and a one-way feel until you can loop more freely. Continue down to Lavaridge Town.

In Lavaridge, get the Wynaut Egg from the old woman near the hot springs if you want it. Heal, buy Burn Heals or status recovery, and prepare for Flannery.

Wild Pokemon - Jagged Pass

Pokemon	Versions	Method	Notes
Machop Fighting - Lv 18-22	Ruby & Sapphire	Walking Common	Good Norman prep if you still need a Fighting type.
Numel Fire/Ground - Lv 18-22	Ruby & Sapphire	Walking Common	Another chance if Fiery Path gave you something else.
Spoink Psychic - Lv 18-22	Ruby & Sapphire	Walking Uncommon	Useful special wall and Psychic option if you skipped Ralts or Abra.

Team Recommendations

Role	Best picks for Flannery	Why it matters
Water offense	Marshtomp, Wingull/Pelipper, Tentacool	Hits Slugma and Torkoal super effectively
Ground offense	Geodude/Graveler, Numel, Marshtomp	Strong into Fire types
Rock support	Geodude/Graveler	Resists Fire and hits back
Safety pivot	Hariyama, Linoone, Dustox	Can absorb a hit while you heal

Must-Grab Items (Phase 4 Master List)

Item	Location	Why You Want It
HM04 Strength	Rusturf Tunnel after Wattson	Needed soon and usable after Flannery
Soot Sack	Route 113 Glass Workshop	Optional ash collection
Meteorite	Mt. Chimney machine	Return to Professor Cozmo later
Wynaut Egg	Lavaridge old woman	Optional gift Pokemon
Go-Goggles	Rival after Flannery	Opens Route 111 desert
Root Fossil or Claw Fossil	Route 111 desert	Revive later in Rustboro

Gym Strategy - Flannery, The Fire Leader

Flannery uses Slugma Lv. 26, Slugma Lv. 26, and Torkoal Lv. 28. Her reward is the Heat Badge and TM50 Overheat. The Heat Badge lets you use Strength outside battle.

The Slugma are setup and chip pieces. Torkoal is the fight. Overheat is extremely strong, even when resisted poorly, and Torkoal has enough bulk to survive weak Water attacks. Bring a proper Water, Ground, or Rock plan, keep your main attacker healthy, and avoid sending in Grass, Bug, or Steel Pokemon as sacrifices.

If your only Water move is weak, consider using status. Paralysis helps you control Torkoal’s tempo, and accuracy drops or defensive boosts can buy time. In a Nuzlocke, assume Overheat can delete anything fragile.

Desert Cleanup

After you beat Flannery, your rival gives you the Go-Goggles outside the Gym. This opens the Route 111 desert. You can now catch Trapinch, Baltoy, Sandshrew, and Cacnea, and you can choose one fossil.

Trapinch is slow and awkward at first, but Flygon is excellent later. Baltoy can become Claydol, a useful defensive spinner and Psychic/Ground option. Pick the Root Fossil for Lileep or the Claw Fossil for Anorith. The fossil you do not pick disappears in Ruby/Sapphire, so choose deliberately.

Wild Pokemon - Route 111 Desert

Pokemon	Versions	Method	Notes
Trapinch Ground - Lv 19-21	Ruby & Sapphire	Deep sand35% common	Best long-term desert catch. Flygon is worth the awkward middle stretch.
Sandshrew Ground - Lv 19-21	Ruby & Sapphire	Deep sand35% common	Reliable but less exciting than Trapinch if you already have Ground coverage.
Baltoy Ground/Psychic - Lv 20, 22	Ruby & Sapphire	Deep sand10% rare	Defensive utility pick. Claydol gives useful resistances and Psychic coverage.
Cacnea Grass - Lv 19, 21	Ruby & Sapphire	Deep sand20% uncommon	Niche Grass attacker that later becomes Grass/Dark. Frail, but fun.

Version Note Summary

The main version split is the Mt. Chimney boss: Maxie in Ruby, Archie in Sapphire. Route availability is the same, but version-exclusive wild Pokemon around this stretch can change your team options.

Phase 4 Checklist

• Clear Route 111 north of Mauville and decide whether to fight the Winstrates.
• Pass through Fiery Path and consider catching Numel or Torkoal.
• Get the Soot Sack on Route 113.
• Trigger the Meteor Falls villain event.
• Ride the cable car and defeat Maxie or Archie on Mt. Chimney.
• Descend Jagged Pass to Lavaridge Town.
• Pick up the Wynaut Egg if you want the gift Pokemon.
• Defeat Flannery and receive the Heat Badge.
• Use the Go-Goggles to clear the Route 111 desert and choose a fossil.