Hard Stone

In Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, there are five different ways to obtain a Hard Stone. The easiest way to acquire a Hard Stone is on Route 114, where an NPC will sell it along with some Mega Stones. However, the stone seller will only appear after defeating or capturing Groudon/Kyogre.

If you aren’t that far into the story yet, you can visit the Trick House on Route 110 instead. A Hard Stone will be given by the Trick Master in the prize room after you solve the second puzzle.

There are more ways to obtain Hard Stones, but they’re not guaranteed like the first two methods.

Method 1 – Stone Seller on Route 114

After defeating or capturing Groudon/Kyogre in the Cave of Origin, the Stone Seller will appear on Route 114. He’s near the sign when you fly over to Route 114.

Among the five stones he sells under various names, three are the Hard Stones you’re looking for. However, they are somewhat expensive. Opt to purchase “Loneliness” as it’s the cheapest one.

The remaining two stones will be the Mega Stones for the starter Pokémon you didn’t choose at the beginning of the game.

Method 2 – Trick House (Second Puzzle)

The Trick House on Route 110 is a puzzle house with ever-changing rooms and mechanics.

For the second puzzle, you’re going to need to destroy breakable rocks, so be sure to bring a Pokémon with HM06 Rock Smash. To earn a Hard Stone, find the scroll and exit the maze. Then the Trick Master will give it to you in the prize room.

Method 3 – Item from Rock Smash

When you use HM06 Rock Smash to destroy breakable rocks, you have the chance to find an item like the Hard Stone. You also have the chance to encounter wild Pokémon this way.

The full list of obtainable items can be found in the table below:

Here are the exact spots with the most breakable rocks for each route/cave in Hoenn where you can use Rock Smash. To farm items efficiently, make the rocks respawn immediately by exiting and re-entering the area.

Location	Spot with the Most Breakable Rocks
Route 111
Route 114
Rusturf Tunnel
Granite Cave
Lilycove City
Seafloor Cavern
Shoal Cave

Method 4 – Secret Super Training

Secret Super Training is a series of mini-games designed for fully-trained Pokémon to obtain rare items.

You can complete any of the following stages to have a chance to win a Hard Stone:

• The Leaf Stone Cup Begins!
• The Fire Stone Cup Begins!
• The Water Stone Cup Begins!
• Follow Those Fleeing Goals!
• Watch Out! That’s One Tricky Second Half!
• An Opening of Lighting-Quick Attacks!
• Those Long Shots Are No Long Shot!

While this method does provide the earliest opportunity to obtain a Hard Stone, only fully-trained Pokémon can play these mini-games, which makes this a far less viable method than it seems.

Method 5 – Stealing from Various Wild Pokémon

You can also steal a Hard Stone from certain wild Pokémon by using TM46 Thief. Each of these Pokémon only have only a 5% chance of holding a Hard Stone, but you can use your DexNav to improve your odds.

Uses

The Hard Stone is a held item that boosts the power of Rock-type moves used by the holder by 20%.

Hard Stones may not be very popular, but they can be useful for Rock-type Pokémon using powerful STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) moves like Stone Edge or Rock Slide. It’s a decent item that powers up Rock-type moves without any downsides.