Rusturf Tunnel (Japanese: カナシダトンネルKanashida Tunnel) is a tunnel between Rustboro City and Verdanturf Town, hence the name. Due to construction on the tunnel, Verdanturf Town can't be accessed through Rusturf Tunnel during the first stages of the game. Rock Smash is needed to fully travel across the Rusturf Tunnel. It is also the only way to travel to a secret area of Route 116.
After obtaining the Stone Badge, the player follows the Team AquaSEAS or Team MagmaROR grunt encountered earlier in the game, to this tunnel. After defeating him, the player will receive the Devon GoodsRSE or the Devon PartsORAS, which can be returned to the Devon Corporation.
Later in the game, the player will find two people, separated by a pair of rocks which can be smashed using Rock Smash. After the rock is smashed, the man will give the player HM04 (Strength)RSE or AggroniteORAS.
Construction of the tunnel had originally begun by the Devon Corporation under the leadership of Mr. Stone in order to link Rustboro, as well as nearly the entire western half of Hoenn, to the large cities in the center of Hoenn, like Slateport City and Mauville City. The tunnel was very nearly completed when Stone realized that the construction work was causing discomfort to the local Pokémon, Whismur. The project was canceled, though only two rocks, easily smashed, remained to separate the tunnel.
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.
Trainers with a PokéNav by their names will be registered in the Trainer's Eyes or Match Call function after the first battle, and may have a rematch with the player with higher-level Pokémon.
Trainers with a PokéNav by their names will be registered in the Trainer's Eyes or Match Call function after the first battle, and may have a rematch with the player with higher-level Pokémon.
In What Would You Do for a Whismur?,of the Pokémon Adventures manga, Rusturf Tunnel was where Wanda's fiancée was rescued (by Ruby's Marshtomp). One of Team Magma's admins, Courtney, was in the Rusturf Tunnel looking for something when she spotted Ruby and kidnapped him, taking him to the other side of the tunnel and persuading him to join Team Magma. Yet Ruby managed to make it out of the tunnel unharmed.
Trivia
Both the English and Japanese names of the tunnel are a combination of the two cities it connects (Rustboro City and Verdanturf Town, respectively).
When the two rocks in the tunnel are smashed, they do not reappear when the player leaves and re-enters the tunnel, unlike other breakable rocks found in various locations in the game.
In Generation III, there is fog here, but it has no in-battle effect; this is because fog was not used as a game mechanic until Generation IV. In Generation VI, there is no fog.
Development in Rusturf Tunnel was halted due to its inhabitants being sensitive to loud noises, despite the fact that the only Pokémon found in the area naturally have Soundproof.
