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Optional Courses
Starting Out New Pokemon Snap (Tutorials)
New Pokemon Snap begins with a few tutorials, but we have additional instruction and tips for all items and mechanics.
After completing some tutorials, you’ll begin at the park.
First, complete the Florio Nature Park (Day) course as instructed.
- See the Florio Nature Park (Day) for a complete guide and Pokemon list!
- Unlock the Scanner after doing the Park (Day) course once.
Tip:How to Use the Scanner
The Scanner will mark things of note in a course, including Pokemon that may otherwise be hidden, new paths, objects of interest you can photograph, and ancient ruins you can also photograph and add to your Photodex!
Head back to Park (Day) and increase its Research Level to 2 to unlock Florio Nature Park (Night). It shouldn’t take much, just focus on snapping great photos of new Pokemon
After increasing the Park (Day) course to Research Level 2 (or, potentially, just doing that course twice) you’ll unlock Park (Night).
The Florio Nature Park Illumina Spot features a single Illumina Pokemon, this time, Meganium! It’s your goal to take photos of this Pokemon while it displays the Illumina phenomenom, in other words, when patterns glow on its body.
The next course will unlock after attaining Research Level 2 in all Florio Nature Park courses!
After reaching Research Level 2 in all Florio Nature Park courses, Todd will come to the Research Lab with his assistant. You’ll unlock the Founja Jungle (Day) course on Belusylva island.
Reach Founja Jungle (Day) Research Level 2 to unlock Founja Jungle (Night)
Your first task at the Founja Jungle (Night) course is to take a photo of a glowing Crystabloom. Find that Crystabloom besides a Quagsire on the right, across from the waterfalls near the end of the course.
- After photographing crystabloom in both Florio and Belusylva, you’ll unlock Illumina Orbs for both regions! These items are unique to each island, and cause Pokemon to glow and react in different ways. You can also throw them at crystabloom to cause its surroundings glow and nearby Pokemon react.
Now, get both Founja Jungle courses to Research Level 2 to progress:
You can choose to go to either first, but we continued with the Sweltering Sands (Day).
Voluca – Sweltering Sands (Day)
The Sweltering Sands (Day) course will unlock after achieving Research Level 2 for both Founja Jungle courses.
Then, raise Sweltering Sands (Day) to Research Level 2 to unlock Sweltering Sands (Night)
Sweltering Sands (Night)
The Sweltering Sands (Night) course will unlock after achieving Research Level 2 for Sweltering Sands (Day).
You have two goals for Sweltering Sands (Night).
- Take a photo of Crystabloom at night there to get the Illumina Orbs for Voluca Island
- Reach Sweltering Sands (Night) Research Level 2 to Unlock Fireflow Volcano.
Get Sands (Night) to Research Level 2 to Unlock Fireflow Volcano.
Increase Fireflow Volcano to Research Level 2 to unlock Elsewhere Forest
You may also be able to unlock Elsewhere Forest by another method. Let us know in the comments!
After raising Fireflow Volcano to Research Level 2, do the course again to reveal a new route that leads to a cave with blue lava. Here, Typhlosian will lead you through a different ending path, unlocking the Fireflow Volcano Illumina Spot
Fireflow Volcano Illumina Spot
This Illumina Spot features two Volcarona – both with Illumina patterns. Take photos of these Pokemon while their patterns glow in order to submit your photos to Professor Mirror.
Belusylva – Elsewhere Forest
Unlock Elsewhere Forest by increasing Fireflow Volcano to Research Level 2.
You may also be able to unlock Elsewhere Forest by another method. Let us know in the comments!
Increase Elsewhere Forest to Research Level 2 to unlock the Elsewhere Forest Illumina Spot.
Elsewhere Forest Illumina Spot
This Illumina Spot features the beautiful Milotic.
Complete this course to unlock a photo course at the Research Lab.
Research Lab Photo Course|Research Camp Photo Course]
The [./Research_Camp Research Camp Photo Course] is entirely optional, but is full of Pokemon you won’t otherwise see!
- See the Research Camp course guide for a list of Pokemon and tips!
Maricopia – Blushing Beach (Day)
Unlock Blushing Beach (Day) by raising Founja Jungle (Day) and Founja Jungle (Night) to Research Level 2.
Increase Blushing Beach (Day) to Research Level 2 to unlock Maricopa Reef (Day).
Maricopia Reef (Day)
Increase Maricopia Reef (Day) to Research Level 2 to unlock Lental Seafloor – Undersea.
Lental Seafloor – Undersea
With the Undersea course unlocked, you’ll finally be able to unlock Illumina Orbs for Maricopia.
A sleeping Lumineon (blue fish Pokemon) will be covering the crystabloom among the seaweed to the right near the beginning of the course. Wake it by throwing a fluffruit at it, then take the photo of the crystabloom.
How to Unlock the Maricopia Illumina Spot
Raise the Undersea course to Research Level 2, then do it again. Watch the Clawitzer at the start of the course wander to a cave to the left – throw Illumina Orbs at it as it prepares to fire. This will power it up enough so that it destroys the rocks here – scan this to choose the alternate path. You can also increase Undersea to Research Level 3 to automatically gain access to this path, but that’s a much longer task.
Completing this alternate route will unlock the Lental Seafloor Illumina Spot.
Lental Seafloor Illumina Spot
The Lental Seafloor Illumina Spot features Whishiwashi, in both its Solo and School forms. Only photos of Whishiwashi in its School Form (when it’s big) and glowing from the Illumina phenomenon count.
Tip: Turbo
With Turbo, you can speed up to see some Pokemon behaviors and interactions from close up! Also use this function to speed through a course to get to a specific point if you’re only after a specific Pokemon.
Durice – Shiver Snowfields (Day)
After taking photos of the four Illumina Pokemon: Meganium, Volcarona, Milotic, and Whishiwashi, a fifth island will be revealed – Durice – with its first course, Shiver Snowfields (Day).
Shiver Snowfields (Night)
Optional: Blushing Beach (Night)
Blushing Beach (Night) is an optional course, but you can find the full guide for it and a Pokemon list on the Blushing Beach (Night) page.
Outaway Cave
Raise Outaway Cave to Research Level 2, then play it again to automatically take an alternate path to unlock the final island – Aurus and the final full course.
Aurus – Ruins of Remembrance
The Ruins of Remembrance has cystabloom flowers of all colors – take a photo of the first crystabloom near the beginning of the course to unlock a new type of Illumina Orb for Aurus.
With the Illumina Orb in hand, head back to the Ruins of Remembrance and light up all five crystabloom flowers inside the ruins. They are nearby the statues of the Illumina Pokemon.
Ruins of Remembrance Illumina Spot
After lighting up the crystabloom in the Ruins of Remembrance, a new path will unlock, allowing you to visit the final Illumina Spot.
- See the Ruins of Remembrance Illumina Spot guide and complete Pokemon list!
Optional: Maricopia Reef (Evening)
After photographing the final Illumina Pokemon, Maricopia Reef (Evening) will become available.
- See the Maricopia Reef (Evening) guide and complete Pokemon List!