🔥 Molten Core Guide
Hello, Empire peeps!
After a good amount of discussion, I’ve finally decided to make a guide regarding how to solve the Molten Core/Crest area. This guide will include the following (with pictures too, for those of you who aren’t all that good with only instructions):
Things to note when proceeding: The area you are to walk is a hazard in itself, so I advise you to save regularly and turn Turbo mode OFF, if ON, of course. The last thing we wanna do is run around in such a dangerous area… right? Well, consider yourself warned!
(Don’t come complaining about dying and losing progress, you were warned several times! I’m a completionist myself, so I know for a fact it helps to pay dear attention to the details, since completion is the key!)
Table of Contents
How to access the Crystals:
There are in total 7 Crystals scattered throughout the Molten Area (both Core and Crest). Here I’ll explain how to reach every single one of them.
1. Tunnel Molten Core Crystal
In order to reach it, you need to go inside the Tunnels (area with Engineer near it). Follow the following route for success: Down, Left, Down, Up, Down and Left. It should lead you to the Molten Core “secret area”, which in turn leads you to this Crystal. You need a total of 0 Cores inserted to access it.
(Since it’s so easy to reach it, remember when it comes to retrieving time. This should be the last Core you pick up, since it has no attachments to any other.)
2. Initial Pocket area Crystal
This is the first Crystal in the Molten Core main area you’ll find. You reach it by going down the stairs in the initial area. You need no Crystal Core previously inserted in order to reach this Crystal.
(Generally speaking, this is the initial Crystal, so make sure it has a Crystal on!)
3. Lonely Crystal in Molten Core
This Crystal is reached by going down the stairs right after the first “hidden” stairs appear. In order to reach it, obviously, you need to have the “hidden stairs” to pop up, meaning you need at least 1 Crystal Core in.
4. Switch 1 Crystal Core
In order to reach it, you need Switch 1 turned on. Technically speaking, you need 2 Crystal Cores inserted to reach it.
5. Middle of Molten Core Switch
You reach it by jumping the ledge on the left, which is reached by making the stairs in the initial pocket area appear. Technically speaking, you need at least 4 Cores inserted for it to appear.
6. Extreme West Switch
This is one of the frustrating switches in my opinion, but it’s fairly easy with the guide. In order to reach it, you need 5 Cores inserted and Switch 2 ON. I repeat, Switch 2 ON and Switch 3 OFF. Make sure you have the correct switches!
7. West pocket Switch
This is the other frustrating Switch to reach. In order to reach it, you need 5 Cores inserted and Switch 3 ON.
Where to find the 3 Crystal Cores hidden in the Molten Area.
They aren’t hidden, really, it’s just that people tend to miss them due to not really wanting to stick around the Magma area.
Initial Pocket area
By going down the stairs mentioned in the first topic, not only do you find a Crystal, you can also find a Crystal Core hidden in this little rock!
(Careful while walking to get it. Going clockwise around the magma pool has the risk of you falling in lava, since the terrain gives away on certain tiles and going counterclockwise will make you walk on top of the exposed magma.
(every time you step on top of it your Pokemon lose 10% from their total health until they have either 10 or 20% left. It’s fine if your team is already hurt, but if you don’t feel like going back to the PC, be careful with these!)
2. Initial area, near the Flareon trainer.
Yeah… this one you can’t really do anything else other than sacrifice 20% of your Pokemon health… Just walk across the magma and reach the rock.
3. Initial area, after going down the first set of stairs.
Luckily, this one only really needs you to go down the ledge.
Where to find each Switch and their functionality:
There are only 3 Switches, 1 of which is nigh useless, per se, since it’s not needed for nothing but reaching a Crystal and the fact it traps you in a loop. Despite this, make sure you pay heed to them!
1. Switch 1 (East Molten Core)
This is the nigh useless Switch. It’s only useful for making a set of stairs to appear that lead you to the next Crystal Core. But by doing so, it locks away the stairs present in the picture, thus, locking you inside a loop.
2. Switch 2 (East of Engineer)
You reach it by jumping from the ledge north-east of the Engineer that stops you on your first time on the Molten area.
This Switch is important for 3 different things: 1. It allows you to reach 1 of the Crystals west of it, 2. It allows you to get access to some of the items in the initial area and 3. It makes the Shortcut stairs appear, which are highly useful.
3. Switch 3 (West of Engineer)
This is what I consider the most important switch, since it allows you to finish the Main-Game quest that the Molten area is based on. It allows you to reach the token for the quest and a Crystal south of it.
How to reveal “hidden” stairs to proceed:
Initial area stairs.
This stair is needed in order to fully reach the Molten Core area, since the ‘initial area’ I refer to is called Molten Crest. In order for it to activate you need at least 1 Crystal Core inserted.
2. Lonely Crystal stairs.
In order for it to appear, you need to have 2 Crystal Cores inserted. While it seems obvious that you need to have at least 1 inserted and you have another Crystal right near you, don’t be fooled. The retrieving part of the guide will explain the importance of remembering these stairs are hidden.
(In case you “lock” yourself, remember that the area you just came from has a Crystal Core nearby it, so you can unlock this passage and leave!)
3. Switch 1 stairs (pretty self-explanatory).
4. Initial Pocket stairs.
This initial pocket is full of surprises :P. In order for it to pop up, and eventually lead you to another Crystal, you need at least 4 Cores inserted.
5. Main stairs.
I call these the ‘Main Stairs’ since they’re the ones that allow you to really get to the worst main part of the Molten Area. You need at least 4 Crystal Cores inserted for it to appear, much like the previous point.
6. Shortcut stairs.
You only need Switch 2 ON to make it appear. I recommend you have it on for easy traversing.
7. (Bonus!!!) Stairs for goodies!
Section needs 4 Cores inserted to appear.
Section needs 5 Cores inserted to appear.
Section needs Switch 2 ON to appear.
Section needs 6 Cores inserted to appear.
How to solve the Manager’s Main Quest:
In order to trigger said quest, you need to complete the Powerplant Rendezvous and talk to Arthur in front of the elevator. Ashe will appear afterwards and you’ll be able to go to the Molten Area.
The solution of the Molten Core comes the following way: You need to reach the following area, making sure you meet the requirements for the stairs to appear.
Do note: You’ll need to pay attention to the total amount!
Section A appears once you have Switch 3 ON and Switch 2 OFF.
Section B appears once you have exactly 6 Crystal Cores inserted.
Once you reach said requirements, these stairs appear and you’ll be able to progress. Jumping the little ledge east of the ‘hole’ allows you to reach the ‘Secret Molten Core Area’ which is explained how to reach in the first bullet point of the guide.
The order to retrieve the Cores in case you wish to reuse them:
Since you probably just finished the puzzle, you may want to retrieve them since more places use Crystal Cores. Here I’ll tell you the best route (in my opinion/experience at the very least) to get those goodies back. I’ll be using the numerical order in which they appear in this doc.
(You have to follow an order since some places get locked off in case you don’t reach the requirement for them to open. For example, the West Crystals are the first and foremost Cores to retrieve.)
The Route is (including Switches, since you need them to interact with certain Crystals):
(This is based on the fact you followed the Guide to a T, meaning it thinks you only have Cores in the first 6 Crystals presented!)
S# = Switch
C# = Crystal (respective to their appearance in the guide).
Again, this is based off of the guide, meaning if you have Crystal 7 instead of 6, you’ll need to retrieve them in a slightly different way!
Thank you for using this guide and if you think there’s an easier way, make sure to ping me in the Discord and I’ll listen to you!
Further questioning, carry on in Discord, I’ll happily help you step-by-step if the guide doesn’t make much sense to you!
PS.: There are several items hidden throughout the Molten Area, so check them out too! They’re mostly in the rocks hidden in the nooks and crannies.
Toodles~ Angel (👼) out!
Secret PS.: In the middle of the guide I’ve dropped a hint on how to find Thermolt! If you think you’re close, check the guide again! I believe in you!
(This also means I won’t give any hints regarding Thermolt :P so really, pay attention here, peeps!)