| Soft Sand | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | Method | Repeatable? |
| 1 | Route 109 – Gift from Tuber Girl | No |
| 2 | Rock Smash – Possible item drop | Yes |
| 3 | Held item from Wild Pokémon (5% chance):
|
Yes |
There are three different ways to obtain Soft Sands in OR/AS. The easiest way is by visiting the beach near Slateport City on Route 109 and talking to a specific NPC. She can be found on the southeast section of the beach. Talk to her to receive a free Soft Sand.
Alternatively, you have a chance to get a Soft Sand when you use HM06 Rock Smash to destroy any of the breakable rocks found throughout Hoenn.
Or you can use Thief to steal Soft Sands from wild Nincada, Trapinch, or Diglett. Each of these Pokémon have a 5% chance of holding a Soft Sand in the wild.
Method 1 – Route 109 (One-time Only)
At the beach on Route 109, you’ll find a Tuber Girl talking to someone. Once you interact with her she will give you Soft Sand.
To find her exact location, head back to Slateport City’s Pokémon Center:
Step 1: Take a right from the Pokémon Center and proceed south at the nearby intersection.
Step 2: Continue heading south on this path until you reach the beach area of Route 109.
Step 3: Upon arriving at the beach, go southeast until you spot a wooden sign.
From the sign, head directly south to find the Tuber Girl with a pink air tube. Talk to her to obtain the Soft Sand.
Method 2 – Possible Item from Rock Smash
As you explore Hoenn, you’ll encounter various breakable rocks that obstruct your path.
You can destroy these rocks by using Rock Smash. When you do, you have the chance to find an item like a Soft Sand. You can also encounter wild Pokémon this way.
The possible items you can find are based on whether you’re in the routes/caves of Hoenn or in a Mirage Spot. To find a Soft Sand, break rocks within Hoenn and not on Mirage Spots.
The full list of obtainable items can be found in the table below:
| Hoenn Region | Mirage Spots |
|---|---|
| Soft Sand | Armor Fossil (OR) |
| Big Pearl | Cover Fossil (AS) |
| Ether | Dome Fossil (OR) |
| Hard Stone | Helix Fossil (AS) |
| Heart Scale | Old Amber |
| Max Ether | Plume Fossil (OR) |
| Max Revive | Skull Fossil (AS) |
| Normal Gem | |
| Pearl | |
| Revive | |
| Star Piece |
Method 3 – Stealing from Wild Nincada, Trapinch, or Diglett
The last way to obtain Soft Sands is by finding it as a held item on wild Nincada, Trapinch, or Diglett.
These Pokémon can be found at the following locations:
- Nincada – Route 116
- Trapinch – Route 111 (Desert)
- Diglett – Fiery Path (DexNav Exclusive)
When you encounter any of them, there’s a 5% chance they will be holding a Soft Sand.
Check out this page for more tips on building a held item farming team.
Uses
The Soft Sand is a held item that boosts the power of Ground-type moves used by the holder by 20%.
Though it’s not the most popular choice in competitive battles, the Soft Sand can still be useful for Ground-type Pokémon using powerful STAB moves like Earthquake or Earth Power.
