Brendan and multiple Trainers and Pokémon in a Secret Base
A Secret Base (Japanese: ひみつきちSecret Base) is a special area that the player can create in Hoenn- and Sinnoh-based games to decorate with various accessories, furniture, and Pokémon dolls. While the name is retained as the same between Hoenn and Sinnoh, the only real similarity between the two is in the manner in which they are decorated.
Most routes in the Hoenn region feature several areas which can be converted into a Secret Base, with small indents in walls being able to be carved out into a cave, tall trees being able to drop down vines, and clumps of grass being able to be moved. These areas become accessible to this conversion only if the Trainer has a Pokémon that can use Secret Power, available via TM43.
Trainers can decorate their Secret Base in any way they please, being able to put up to 16 decorations into the area. Trainers can run while inside of a Secret Base, but cannot ride a bike. A boy in Mossdeep City reminds players of where their own Secret Base is.
If a player mixes records with other Ruby, Sapphire, or Emerald game cartridges, Secret Bases will copy over between them (even those from other players who have previously mixed records). Secret Bases in the same spot as the player's will not be copied over, however bases may exist within the same Tree or Shrub as long as the entrances are on different tiles. Inside of Secret Bases that do not belong to the player, an NPC can be found to represent the person that took that Secret Base as their own. After the Elite Four have been defeated, the player can battle the NPC, who will have the party of the person who owns that Secret Base as of the time of record mixing. These NPC trainers will use a team with the same Pokémon, held items, moves and levels as the original party; however, nicknames will not be copied, and shiny Pokémon will instead appear as their regular colour. These battles award money, experience, and almost all other things that normal battles with NPCs do, but they can only occur once per day, with the time resetting at midnight. This restriction is reset upon mixing records again, allowing for multiple rematches within the same day. Regardless of the NPC's assigned trainer class, the base payout will always be $20. Items stolen from the NPC's Pokémon using Thief are not kept afterwards. Should the NPC win, the player will not "black out" and return to the last visited Pokémon Center, nor lose any money. Should the player win, party Pokémon with Pickup will not have a chance of finding items as with a normal NPC battle. The player's party will be fully healed after the battle.
Locations
There are 75 locations where Secret Bases can be made:
Can be reached by surfing in the section of the river between the two waterfalls. Located just above and to the west of the southern waterfall. Requires Surf.
Can be reached by surfing in the section of the river between the two waterfalls. Northeast of the southern waterfall beyond some tall grass. Requires Surf.
Can be reached by surfing in the section of the river between the two waterfalls. Between the Weather Institute and the northern waterfall. Requires Surf.
The eastern indent on an island to the south of the eastern tree island. Requires Surf.
Layouts
Tree layouts
Square
Tall
Split
3-room
Yellow cave layouts
Square
Horseshoe
Divided
2-room
Red cave layouts
Square
Tall
Divided
2-room
Brown cave layouts
Square
Divided A
Divided B
2-room
Blue cave layouts
Square
Wide
Winding
2-room
Shrub layouts
Square
Wide
Divided
2-room
Representative Trainer Class
The Trainer the player is seen as on other games is dependent on the player's gender and the Trainer's ID numbermodulo 256 modulo 10 (or the last decimal digit of the lowest byte).
Unlike in Generation III, the Secret Bases in Generation IV are found in the Underground, and instead of NPCs being used to represent other players, the other players can be encountered face-to-face using DS Wireless Communication. In addition, all Secret Bases in Generation IV are all the same shape and size, unlike Generation III bases which can vary in size and shape.
Secret Bases are dug by using a Digger Drill while facing a wall. Initially, there are many Big Boulders in the base. As more flags are obtained, boulders can be removed. Initially, only 10 goods can be placed in a Secret Base, but as the flag is upgraded, the limit increases to 15.
Players cannot battle each other for money underground. However, if a player enters another's Secret Base while they are not decorating (as that requires the entrance be closed), they can attempt to steal their flag and take it to their own Secret Base for rewards, from decorations to a Trainer Cardstar.
Generation VI
A Secret Base in Generation VI
Secret Bases return in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire as Super-Secret Bases (Japanese: スーパーひみつきちSuper Secret Base). To make a Secret Base, the player can use Secret Power (TM94) on a Secret Spot. If the player already has an established Secret Base, they will be asked if they want to relocate to the new spot.
A Secret Base can be decorated using decorations the player has bought or received, it can be filled with Secret Pals, and its rank can be upgraded by capturing flags from the Secret Bases of other players.
Other players' bases may be imported into the player's game by StreetPassing players (on the PSS or local Wi-Fi) or by scanning a QR Code on the Secret PC in the player's base. A player can create a QR Code for their base at the Secret PC, where it will be saved to an SD card, or by syncing their game to the Pokémon Global Link, where the QR Code can be viewed on the player's Profile. However, QR Codes cannot be successfully scanned using the same 3DS they were produced from.
A player's appearance as the owner of their Secret Base in another player's game will match the Public Icon on their PSS Profile. This can either be changed directly in the PSS, or indirectly by talking to a man in a suit in the Rustboro City Pokémon Center, to a Pokémon Ranger at the Secret Base Guild Headquarters in Fortree City, or—prior to obtaining the PlayNav—to a man in the Petalburg City Pokémon Center. This influences their team if they are battled as a Secret Base Trainer Grunt and the special skills they can perform as a Secret Pal.
Daily events
Certain events at the player's base or other players' bases are limited to once a day.
At the player's base:
Battle Secret Pals
Ask Secret Pals to perform a skill
Secret Pals may use two skills if the base has reached the Platinum Rank
At other players' bases:
Receive a welcome gift (decoration) from the base's owner
When a normal QR Code is scanned, no daily events will be possible with the scanned base or with its owner until the next day. The exception is QR Codes for the special Mossdeep City Secret Base. Daily events in bases scanned for Mossdeep are possible immediately after the base is scanned in; however, the daily events for all bases in Mossdeep City are persistent. That is, the game remembers which daily events have been done for the Mossdeep Secret Base, for its owner, or for its grunts and only allows each different event to be done once per day, even if the base changes.
The Secret Base can be decorated with various decorations using the Secret PC. In addition to positioning decorations, the player may also alter the positions of their Secret Pals and their own position (for when other players visit the player's Secret Base). Only the base's Secret PC, flag, and the square mat they sit on cannot be moved. Up to 25 decorations may be placed in the base (including the five Welcome Mats that are set out by default for Secret Pals, but which may be put away if they are unused).
Rank
The player's Secret Base rank depends on the number of flags they have captured. The Secret Base rank can only be increased by speaking to Aarune at the Secret Base Guild in Fortree City after capturing the required number of flags. The Secret Base rank limits how many special skills Secret Pals can use and influences which items are available for sale at the Secret Base Guild's shops.
The owner of a Secret Base uses the Trainer class "Secret Base Trainer" and they use three of their own Pokémon to battle when challenged, with the level of their Pokémon limited by the number of Badges the player has (unless a Level Release is activated). When a base owner is recruited and battled as a Secret Pal, they will also use the same team.
When the player visits another player's Secret Base, that player's Secret Pals will not use their original teams. Instead, they will use a preset team based on their representative Trainer class (which also matches that Trainer's Public Icon on the PSS). They are also only identified as a "Secret Base Trainer Grunt".
After a battle with any Secret Base Trainer, the player will be healed.
Secret Pals
Secret Pals are owners of other Secret Bases in the player's game that the player has recruited into their own Secret Base. Once a day, a Secret Pal may be battled (regardless of whether they were battled at their base) or asked to perform a special skill. If the player's base has reached the Platinum Rank, Secret Pals may use a skill twice a day. Occasionally, a Secret Pal will also gift the player with a number of flags they have collected (ranging from 1 to 30) the first time the player speaks to them.
Special skills
The special skills a Secret Pal can perform depends on the Trainer class they are represented as (which also matches that Trainer's Public Icon on the PSS), and, depending on the rank of the player's base, they know between one and four different skills.
In aggregate, the first nine Berries listed above (through Sitrus) appear approximately 80% of the time, while the rarer seven appear approximately 20% of the time. Individually, the more common nine generally appear at least twice as often as the rarer seven.
Make some goods: the player receives a decoration.
Escape Rope and Ultra Ball together have approximately a 50% chance of appearing, with Escape Rope twice as common as Ultra Ball. Of the rest, Master Ball and PP Max are among the rarest.
Everstone is the most common result, appearing approximately 50% of the time. The elemental stones (Fire, Leaf, Thunder, and Water) are the next most common, followed by all of the remaining stones.
Search for treasure: the player receives an item, usually a valuable item.
Float Stone appears the most commonly, at approximately a 30% chance.
Take care of an Egg: decreases the Egg cycle count of a chosen Egg in the player's party by half of its species' base Egg cycle value (rounded up).
Tell my fortune: the player receives a MAX-strength O-Power
Bargain Power MAX, Capture Power MAX, Full Recovery Power, Prize Money Power MAX
All of the powers appear at approximately even rates.
Secret Spots
There are 82 Secret Spots where the player can establish a Secret Base, and an 83rd spot in Mossdeep City reserved for Secret Bases from special QR Codes. There can only be about 30 secret bases in a game at the same time, with any additional bases causing the deletion of older bases.
In the northeast of the area directly under the southern bridge on the west side of the river, accessed by the bike rails over the river; requires the Acro Bike
3-room
A Secret Base in a cave that can be seen from a long bridge but takes a long time to reach.
In the west of the area directly under the southern bridge on the west side of the river, accessed by the bike rails over the river; requires the Acro Bike
2-room B
A Secret Base in a bush with a slimy floor due to being in a place with a lot of rain.
Following the northmost possible path from east to west across the route, down five ledges and on the east side of the 123 Go Fish shop; requires Surf and Cut
2-level C
A Secret Base in a cave dedicated to Fishermen with outstanding access to 123 Go Fish.
In the north of the isolated area on the west of the route, accessed by surfacing from the western Dive spot in the main underwater area; requires Surf and Dive
3-room
A Secret Base in a cave that can’t be reached without using Dive, even though it looks like you could Surf there.
In the far northwest of the route, accessed by surfacing from the northern Dive spot in the main underwater area and following the subsequent path to its end; requires Surf and Dive
Divided C
A Secret Base in a cave that’s high level of secrecy stops it from being found just by using Surf as usual.
On B1F, in the north, up the first dirt slope in the room and then up the dirt slope to the northwest and immediately after descending the next dirt slope; requires the Mach Bike
2-room A
A Secret Base in a cave in a dark cellar that’s popular with women who dislike getting a suntan.
On the west side of the route, up a dirt slope or set of stepping stones west of the third northmost patch of tall grass; requires the Acro Bike or Mach Bike
2-room A
A Secret Base in a cave with an extremely comfortable interior despite it being on a dangerous path by a cliff.
A Secret Base above a tree that feels too much like a resort to call it a Secret Base.
Layouts
This section is missing one or more images. Please feel free to add any missing images to this section. Needed images can be uploaded to the Bulbagarden Archives. Reason: images of each layout (note: not all sub-types apply to all terrains)
In general, layouts for Secret Bases are not restricted to a given type of base (such as blue caves or trees), but some layouts do only occur in one type, such as the Square C layout, which is only in shrub bases.
Layout type
Description
2-level
This layout has two levels, but a Stairs Decoration is required to access the top level. The entrance, Secret PC, and flag are all in the bottom level.
2-room
This layout has two large areas in the north and south, but a Solid Board decoration is required to access the north area. The entrance, Secret PC, and flag are all in the south area.
3-room
This layout has three large areas approximately in a Y shape, but a Solid Board decoration is required to access either of the northern areas. The entrance, Secret PC, and flag are all in the south area.
Diagonal
This layout has a large area at the entrance and a large area to the northeast or northwest, with the base narrowing slightly between the two areas.
Divided
This layout has a large area separated from the entrance by a narrow passage. In the Divided B and C layouts, the entrance area is also a large area. The Divided B layout is divided into north and south areas, while A and C have east and west areas.
Split
In this layout, the entrance passage leads north and then branches to two large areas to either side of the entrance.
Square
This layout has one simple area, with dimensions that are roughly square.
Tall
This layout has one simple area, significantly taller than it is wide.
Wide
This layout has one simple area, significantly wider than it is tall.
Winding
This layout has two large areas in the north and south, but they are connected by a narrow, twisting passageway.
Secret Bases first appeared in A Three Team Scheme. While staying in Dewford Town, Ash and his friends stumbled across Keanu's Secret Base, which he had created with the help of his Nincada. Later in the episode, Team Rocket also found the Secret Base and stole Keanu's Pokémon, which Ash and his friends helped him to get back. It was later destroyed when Team Magma drilled with their large orange boring machine.
Team Rocket also had their own Secret Base in A Six Pack Attack!, which was located in a cave behind a waterfall. By the end of the episode, it was completely destroyed, greatly displeasing Giovanni when he was later informed of the incident.
Sapphire has a Secret Base at Route 101, which first appeared in Making Mirth with Mightyena. She uses it to observe wild Pokémon in order to help her father with his research. After saving Ruby from two Mightyena, she brought him to her Base, where the two arranged a bet, with Ruby swearing to collect all of Hoenn's ContestRibbons in 80 days, while Sapphire promised to collect all of Hoenn's GymBadges in the same amount of time.
In It All Ends Now VIII, Ruby and Sapphire met each other at Sapphire's Secret Base, with both of them having succeeded in their respective goals within the time limit. To Sapphire's shock, Ruby had taken the liberty to decorate the base while waiting for Sapphire to arrive.
In PS612, Wally was revealed to have built himself his own Secret Base at Route 120 with the help of Aarune. After Sapphire was defeated by Zinnia, Aarune found her and took her to Wally's Base to recover. She was later located there by Ruby and Emerald through Hoopa's ring. The Base was later destroyed when Hoopa transported Rayquaza, Groudon, and Kyogre to Route 120 through its ring.
Trivia
In the Underground, it is possible for a mining spot to spawn on the same spot as the player's Secret Base.
Villa - A maison the player owns in Pokémon Platinum where the player can freely decorate. It can be visited by many NPC characters.
Join Avenue - A building the player owns in Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 where the player can freely decorate and arrange stalls. It can be visited by Gym Leaders.
This article is part of Project Locations, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on every location in the Pokémon world.
Cheri Berry, 
Chesto Berry, 
Pecha Berry, 
Rawst Berry, 
Aspear Berry, 
Leppa Berry, 
Persim Berry, 
Lum Berry, 
Sitrus Berry, 
Liechi Berry, 
Ganlon Berry, 
Salac Berry, 
Petaya Berry, 
Apicot Berry, 
Kee Berry, 
Maranga Berry
Escape Rope, 
Elixir, 
Full Restore, 
Heart Scale, 
Master Ball, 
Max Revive, 
PP Max, 
PP Up, 
Rare Candy, 
Revive, 
Ultra Ball
Dawn Stone, 
Dusk Stone, 
Everstone, 
Fire Stone, 
Leaf Stone, 
Moon Stone, 
Shiny Stone, 
Sun Stone, 
Thunder Stone, 
Water Stone
Big Nugget, 
Big Pearl, 
Comet Shard, 
Float Stone, 
Nugget, 
Pearl, 
Pearl String, 
Rare Bone
