A rugged, seemingly indestructible rock mountain that is thickly blanketed by the volcanic ash it spews. Inside the mountain, fissures in spilled and hardened lava form enormous caverns.
Stark Mountain (Japanese: ハードマウンテンHard Mountain) is home to the Legendary PokémonHeatran. The Pokémon is only available on the second visit to the mountain, after talking to both Buck and his grandfather in the Survival Area. The player is required to have Pokémon with Strength and Rock Smash to proceed through the volcano. After encountering their rival in the entrance, the player will find Buck inside, who will go with them through the mountain to the entrance of Heatran's room.
In Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, Buck will take the Magma Stone from Heatran's room, but later returns it after being advised by his grandfather in the Survival Area to do so.
In Pokémon Platinum, Charon takes control of Team Galactic and travels through Stark Mountain to take the Magma Stone and capture Heatran. Once the player follows Charon to Heatran's room, with the aid of Buck, Looker arrests Charon and takes the Magma Stone. Buck later returns the Magma Stone after he and the player accompany Looker outside the mountain.
Stark Mountain's exterior changes between Pokémon Diamond and Pearl and Pokémon Platinum, however, both maintain the heated feel of the mountain. The road ascends in a huge contour up the mountain and, at that point, Route 227 ends and the exterior of Stark Mountain begins. In Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, a huge clearing opens up that contains a large patch of tall grass. The entrance to the interior of the mountain can be found to the west.
In Pokémon Platinum, the exterior is more complex and the path winds around pools of bubbling lava. It is darker and aesthetic features have been enhanced. The large patch of tall grass is still present, but it is not as big. By going northwest, an item can be found in an indented section of track. By traveling to the northeastern corner, a path will open up. By following it, the road will lead through two pools of smoking, bubbling lava around another bend to the entrance of the interior of the mountain.
Buck
After the player crosses the planks they will encounter Buck, who will ask them to investigate a bunch of goons in space suits who are up to no good at the mountain while he returns to the Pokémon Center to heal. After the player enters the inside of Stark Mountain, Buck will return and accompany the player through the cave. Like the other Stat Trainers, Buck will fully heal all of the player's Pokémon after each battle.
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.
Interior 2
These Pokémon (excluding swarm, Poké Radar, and Dual-slot Pokémon) will be faced in Double Battles if the player is with Buck.
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.
Stark Mountain appeared in The Magma Stone. Buck arrived at the site too late to prevent Charon from awakening Heatran, and was soon joined by Looker, who was seeking to arrest Charon. Although Looker managed to knock Charon unconscious and Buck successfully restored the Magma Stone to its proper place, thus resealing Heatran, Charon managed to get away with the help of his two underlings.
In the manga
In the Pokémon Adventures manga
Stark Mountain in Pokémon Adventures
Stark Mountain appeared in the Platinum arc. After hearing Looker talking about Team Galactic's activities at the mountain, Buck departed for the volcano, intending to protect Heatran from the villainous team. Upon reaching the volcano in Interrupting Ivysaur, he decided to call his brother Flint, who told him about the Magma Stone hidden inside the deepest part of the volcano. Having noticed a group of Galactic Grunts following him, Buck attacked them and demanded information from them, but when he failed to get any answers from the mute Grunts, he decided to simply find the Magma Stone first. With the help of his Claydol, Buck soon found the room with the Magma Stone. Thinking that the Magma Stone was what Team Galactic was after, Buck tried to take it away, only to unwittingly unseal Heatran, which was then caught by Charon.
Alerted by the earthquakes caused by Heatran's awakening, Looker traveled to Stark Mountain to help Buck, and managed to interrogate Charon long enough to learn that he was collecting the Legendary Pokémon of Sinnoh in preparation for his attack on the Distortion World, where Giratina lives. Charon managed to escape soon after, while Looker and Buck only barely managed to get away thanks to the help from Platinum's Pokémon, although not without being severly injured.
Related cards Cards listed with a blue background are only legal to use in the current Expanded format. Cards listed with a green background are legal to use in both the current Standard and Expanded formats.
While in the interior maze area, the game camera is zoomed out significantly, allowing the player to view more of the surrounding area.
The Ace Trainers guarding TM50 ask "What is time?" and "What is space?", referencing Dialga and Palkia.
In Pokémon Platinum, if the player does not talk to both Buck and his grandfather in the Battleground after the Stark Mountain mission, then Heatran will not appear in its chamber should the player return to it.
It is the only area in the entire game that is not a Route where the player can rebattle a trainer using the Vs. Seeker, as Dragon Tamer Darien is in the outside and thus it is able to be rematched, even though his team does not change.
