Smooth Rock is one of those materials in Pokémon Pokopia that you only get one shot at finding naturally, which makes it surprisingly easy to miss or accidentally leave behind. You need it to build the Smooth Tall Grass Habitat for Onix, and the game does not make its location especially obvious. Here is exactly where to find it, how to use it, and what to do if you have already lost yours.
Where to Find the Smooth Rock in Pokémon Pokopia
The Smooth Rock sits inside a glowing Poké Ball in the cave system to the northwest of the Withered Wasteland Pokémon Center, which is the same cave where you first encounter Onix during the Yawn Up A Storm Important Request.
Follow these steps to reach it:
- Step 1 — With your back to the Pokémon Center in the Withered Wasteland, head west and break through the rock wall blocking your path using Rock Smash (Scyther works well here).
- Step 2 — Enter the cave on your right, just by the water.
- Step 3 — Turn right toward the large gate inside the cave, then take another right into the next section of the cave.
- Step 4 — Keep moving until you spot a rock with water droplets on it, which indicates a water flow if broken. Break it to release the water.
- Step 5 — Turn around and look to your left. At the end of the cavern, sitting beside a Glow Mushroom, you will find the glowing Poké Ball containing the one and only Smooth Rock. It sits on a raised grey block or shelf-like ledge on the cave wall.
Pro Tip: Most players already have the Smooth Rock in their inventory or storage without realising it. The game never highlights the Poké Ball, so check your items bag and any storage boxes before backtracking all the way to the cave. You can grab it before, during, or after the Yawn Up A Storm Important Request.
What the Smooth Rock Actually Does
The Smooth Rock is not a standard crafting material or consumable. Instead, it functions as an environmental object that lowers humidity in a 6×6 tile square around it (making the ground drier), which is why it is the key ingredient for the Smooth Tall Grass Habitat. It actively makes the surrounding environment drier, which suits Onix perfectly after everything the Pokémon went through in that cave.
How to Build the Smooth Tall Grass Habitat for Onix
Once you have the Smooth Rock, building Onix’s habitat is straightforward. Here is what you need:
| Item | Quantity | How to Get |
| Smooth Rock | 1 | Poké Ball in the Withered Wasteland cave |
| Dry Tall Grass | 4 patches | Use Leafage on unwatered ground |
To make Dry Tall Grass, use the Leafage move directly on a patch of ground that has not been watered with Water Gun. Dry Tall Grass is not something you craft at a bench or purchase from a shop. You create it on the spot by using Leafage on a dry surface.
How to obtain Leafage: Befriend Bulbasaur, the earliest Grass-type Pokémon with Leafage available in the game. Simply place a basic Tall Grass habitat anywhere in the Withered Wasteland and Bulbasaur will arrive quickly and become your Leafage user.
Moving Dry Tall Grass patches: Once created, use a Pokémon with the Rototiller Specialty to pick up the patches and carry them to your desired build location. The earliest available Rototiller Pokémon is Drilbur, which you can find in the Withered Wasteland after unlocking Rock Smash.
To assemble the habitat, place the four patches of Dry Tall Grass in a 2×2 square, then put the Smooth Rock next to that square. Once the arrangement is correct, the game will confirm that you have restored the Smooth Tall Grass Habitat.
After the game confirms the habitat, speak to Onix one more time. It will move into the habitat permanently and become available to follow you. Importantly, Onix has the Bulldoze Specialty, which you will need later to help rebuild the Withered Wasteland Pokémon Center as part of the main story.
What If You Have Lost Your Smooth Rock?
If you picked up the Smooth Rock and misplaced it before building Onix’s habitat, there is no second natural spawn for this item in the main world. However, you can get another one through the 3D Printer, which is available on the left side inside every rebuilt Pokémon Center.
To print a Smooth Rock, you need two things:
- A reference photo of a Smooth Rock — open your camera with the Minus (–) button, then press Y to enter reference/photo mode and photograph the item. If you no longer have one to photograph, visit a friend’s island in co-op or travel to the Developer’s Cloud Island (accessed via the Mysterious Goggles, available later in the game) to photograph one there
- Exactly 2x Rare Pokémetal per Smooth Rock you want to print. Note that it must be Rare Pokémetal specifically, not standard Pokémetal
The 3D Printer becomes available as soon as you rebuild any Pokémon Center. Your camera can hold a maximum of 20 reference photos at a time, so manage that folder carefully as you progress.
Smooth Rock Pokémon Pokopia Summary
| Detail | Info |
| Smooth Rock Location | Glowing Poké Ball on a shelf-like ledge in the Withered Wasteland cave (northwest of Pokémon Center) |
| Used For | Smooth Tall Grass Habitat for Onix |
| Habitat Requirements | 1x Smooth Rock + 4x Dry Tall Grass |
| Dry Tall Grass Source | Use Leafage (via Bulbasaur) on unwatered ground |
| Moving Dry Tall Grass | Use a Pokémon with Rototiller Specialty (earliest: Drilbur) |
| Extra Copies | 3D Printer (requires reference photo + exactly 2x Rare Pokémetal each) |
| Habitat Effect | Lowers humidity in a 6×6 tile area around the rock |
| Pokémon Attracted | Onix |
| After Building Habitat | Onix moves in and assists with Bulldoze for the Withered Wasteland Pokémon Center rebuild |
The Smooth Rock is one of Pokémon Pokopia’s most missable items simply because the game never highlights it directly. However, as long as you explore the Onix cave thoroughly during the Yawn Up A Storm request, you will walk away with it naturally. If you do lose it, the 3D Printer has you covered as long as you can source the Rare Pokémetal needed to make a copy.
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