All About Chocobos

• Chocobo Hot and Cold
  • Excavated Items
  • Rewards Store
• Chocograph Treasure Information
• Dead Peppers
  • Cracks in the Mountains
  • Ocean Bubbles
• Beachcombing
• Map

Once the party leaves Lindblum on Disc 1, the world of chocobos opens up, and there's a lot to do. Not only can you ride your chocobo, Choco, around the world, you can use him to collect treasures worldwide on expedition! You can even give him new abilities, including the ability to fly as he levels up! Completing all of the lengthy chocobo sidequests will unlock the chance to fight the game's superboss, Ozma.

Are you looking to see a lot of this information packaged up nicely in map form? Check out our Chocobo Map!

Chocobo Hot and Cold

To get started in the Chocobo adventures, you're going to have to play a game known as Chocobo Hot and Cold. The point of H&C is mainly to find "Stones with Patterns," which are also known as Chocographs. Each Chocograph you dig up can lead you to a location on the land, in the sea, or in the sky in which you can dig up caches of excellent treasure. These treasures will include the aforementioned new abilities for Choco, but also some great items and equipment. Mene will tell you when you've tapped out all Chocographs in a given location.

The game is pay to play, and in paying you'll get a minute to dig around (to start) in the area you and Choco are visiting. To dig, wander the area and press the Square button. Each time you dig, Choco will respond with a "Kweh" sound - the more enthusiasic the sound, the closer you are to digging something up. When you hit the spot, you'll see a "Depth Meter" appear on screen, at which point you'll continue to hammer the Square button until the item rises to the top. Deeper items take longer.

When you first start out, you won't be able to dig all that quickly, and this is because of Choco's starter "Beak Level." Continue digging and getting treasure, and over time the Beak Level will increase and allow for faster digs.

There are three digging locations available over the course of the game, and each has a distinct set of attributes that impact the quality of your archeological experience:

Chocobo Forest	Location: Near South Gate
	Digging Power: Normal
	Points Bonus: Normal
	Time Bonus: Normal (Triggered by 8 Finds)
Chocobo's Lagoon	Location: Southern Sea, Salvage Archipelago
	Digging Power: Halved
	Points Bonus: Double
	Time Bonus:Half (Four Finds without Ocean Ability) Normal (Triggered by 8 Finds with Ocean Ability)
Chocobo's Air Garden	Location: In the sky at one of six possible locations, shown as dots on our handy Chocobo Map. You'll need a Dead Pepper to reach it.
	Digging Power: Cut by 2/3
	Points Bonus: Double
	Time Bonus:Normal (Triggered by 8 Finds)

Excavated Items

* Dead Peppers can't be excavated until Choco has Mountain ability.
** The double Chocograph Piece only occurs once Choco has the Reef ability.
*** Available only after Mt. Gulug.

Hot & Cold Reward Store

All these points are leading to something, right? Yes! When you earn points by digging, you can trade them in with Mene for rewards. The "shop" list never changes throughout the game, so only perserverance is needed to get everything.

Item	Point Cost
Robe Of Lords	10000
Protect Ring	8500
Wing Edge	3500
Viltgance	1800
Ether	450
Ore	250
Phoenix Down	150
Gysahl Greens	10

Chocograph Treasure Information

Note that the numbers here, which match those in the game, reflect the order in which the Chocographs themselves become available - not necessarily the order in which their corresponding treasure can be dug up. This is instead determined by the ability required to obtain it; thus #3 cannot be dug up until having earned the Mountain Ability from #12.

#1: Streamside

Dig Location	Chocobo Forest (Disc 1)
Treasure Location	By beach near Chocobo Forest, across from bridge (Disc 1)
Ability Required
Treasure	2 Elixir 3 Hi-Potion 4 Ether 2 Germinas Boots
Hint/Help	Go check where the river meets the ocean, kupo. You're hopeless if you can't find this, kupo!

#2: Between Mountains

Dig Location	Chocobo Forest (Disc 1)
Treasure Location	Dig on the western side of the Lindblum Plateau's base (Disc 1)
Ability Required
Treasure	5 Potion 5 Hi-Potion 2 Tent 2 Cotton Robe
Hint/Help	Go look near the mountains facing the ocean on the southwest side of the Mist Continent. Try going somewhere you don't usually go, kupo.

#3: Uncultivated Land

Dig Location	Chocobo Forest (Disc 1)
Treasure Location	Dig by fertile plain near Evil Forest (Disc 3)
Ability Required
Treasure	10 Antidote 1 Jade Armlet 3 Wing Edge 1 Cargo Ship card
Hint/Help	The treasure is buried near a river, kupo. I don't think it will be easy to find. Maybe you should leave it alone for now, kupo.

#4: Healing Shore

Dig Location	Chocobo Forest (Disc 1)
Treasure Location	In Burmecian territory, western shoreline (Disc 1)
Ability Required
Treasure	Reef Ability (can enter shallow water)
Hint/Help	I've seen a beach that looks like this near a city with high winds, kupo. Kupo! You already know how to call a chocobo, right?

#5: Abandoned Beach

Dig Location	Chocobo Forest (Disc 1)
Treasure Location	Outer Continent, beach southeast of Qu's Marsh (Disc 2)
Ability Required
Treasure	9 Phoenix Pinion 5 Phoenix Down 12 Peridot 1 Diamond Gloves
Hint/Help	I think there's a beach near a huge dying forest. That might be it, kupo. There are treasures on continents other than the Mist Continent!

#6: Cold Field

Dig Location	Chocobo Forest (Disc 1)
Treasure Location	Land on Lost Continent's south side, travel a ways east up coast (Disc 3)
Ability Required
Treasure	5 Echo Screen 7 Hi-Potion 3 Tent 1 Theater Ship card.
Hint/Help	Looks like a very cold place, kupo. There are other things you can ride besides chocobos, kupo.

#7: Forgotten Lagoon

Dig Location	Chocobo's Lagoon (Disc 3)
Treasure Location	Land on Lost Continent's south side, travel south in reef for a ways, past the Shimmering Island, to brown-colored isle's north tip - dig on eastern side. (Disc 3)
Ability Required
Treasure	8 Gysahl Greens 5 Ether 7 Hi-Potion 1 Dragon's Claws
Hint/Help	Why not go play in icy-cold water? Some treasure is hidden in the shallows, kupo.

#8: Faraway Lagoon

Dig Location	Chocobo Forest or Lagoon (Disc 1)
Treasure Location	Land on the westernmost island, follow reef north until it bends back on Forgotten Continent's west side. Towards where it tapers off, the treasure can be found by a bend in the cliffs. (Disc 3)
Ability Required
Treasure	37 Potion 6 Magic Tag 1 Shield Armor Gaia Gear
Hint/Help	I heard there is a long stretch of reef... that might be it, kupo. It feels really far away if your chocobo isn't grown up, kupo.

#9: Abandoned Lagoon

Dig Location	Chocobo's Lagoon (Disc 3)
Treasure Location	Disembark on the Outer Continent's southern-side beach, and take the reef west to the destination. Pretty short distance, really. (Disc 3)
Ability Required
Treasure	6 Soft 4 Ether 1 Feather Boots 1 N-Kai Armlet
Hint/Help	I hear there's a sunken treasure near a peninsula in the southern part of the Outer Continent, kupo. Start your search on a small beach, kupo.

#10: Birds-Eye Lagoon

Dig Location	Chocobo Forest (Disc 1)
Treasure Location	Lindblum territory, in shallows, near isle west of Qu's Marsh (Disc 1)
Ability Required
Treasure	8 Potion 4 Phoenix Down 3 Ether 1 Magician Robe
Hint/Help	There are so many small islands surrounding the Mist Continent, kupo! Try changing your point-of-view with [R2], kupo.

#11: Small Beach

Dig Location	Chocobo Forest (Disc 1)
Treasure Location	Lindblum territory, island in shallow directly south of C. Forest (Disc 1)
Ability Required
Treasure	4 Remedy 2 Elixir 8 Rising Sun 1 Oak Staff
Hint/Help	It's a beach on a small island! A great place to vacation, kupo. There's nothing there, but it's my favorite place, kupo.

#12: Dawn Lagoon

Dig Location	Chocobo's Lagoon (Disc 3)
Treasure Location	Land on beach by Chocobo's Forest, head east until access to the bay south of Treno's available. Search there... (Disc 3)
Ability Required
Treasure	Mountain Ability
Hint/Help	It's a city where the night never ends. Lots of rich people live there, kupo.

#13: Forbidden Forest

Dig Location	Chocobo Forest (Disc 3)
Treasure Location	Check the deep-mountain, forested valley by Dali. (Disc 3)
Ability Required
Treasure	7 Ether 2 Elixir 10 Wing Edge 1 High Mage Staff
Hint/Help	The forest lies where many mountain ranges merge, kupo! You need to go over a very high mountain.

#14: Green Plains

Dig Location	Chocobo Forest (Disc 3)
Treasure Location	Check the mountains looking down on the Mist Continent's northern beach. (Disc 3)
Ability Required
Treasure	Ocean Ability
Hint/Help	There are treasures on the high plains, too, kupo! High plains are grass fields that are found at a higher elevation.

#15: Dusk Plains

Dig Location	Chocobo's Lagoon (Disc 3)
Treasure Location	Look SW of Oeilvert, over a mountain range by the coast. (Disc 3)
Ability Required
Treasure	12 Phoenix Down 14 Ore 1 Kaiser Knuckles 1 Iron Man Card
Hint/Help	What a beautiful sunset, kupo! At a certain location on the Forgotten Continent, it is always dusk, kupo.

#16: Forgotten Plains

Dig Location	Chocobo Forest (Disc 3)
Treasure Location	On the Forgotten Continent's western talon-shaped peninsula, the layered peninsula's northern part (near Ipsen's Castle) has some treasure. (Disc 3)
Ability Required
Treasure	17 Ore 5 Ether 14 Opal 1 Demon's Mail
Hint/Help	The long peninsular sort of points to the location of the treasures, kupo. Look for the withered plateau, kupo.

#17: Sea at Dusk

Dig Location	Chocobo's Lagoon (Disc 3)
Treasure Location	Check the east coast of the Forgotten Continent for an offshoot peninsula, about halfway down the length. (Disc 3)
Ability Required
Treasure	15 Phoenix Pinion 1 White Robe 1 Diamond 1 Masamune card
Hint/Help	There must be more treasures deeper in the ocean. Go dig in the ocean!

#18: Ocean

Dig Location	Chocobo's Lagoon (Disc 3)
Treasure Location	The long north/south-stretching island west of the Forgotten Continent has some chocobo tracks on it. Check in the vacant ocean off its west coast. (Disc 3)
Ability Required
Treasure	27 Ore 1 Light Robe 1 Whale Whisker 1 Alexander card
Hint/Help	Look carefully! There's a small reef, kupo! Call a chocobo near this place, kupo!

#19: Cold Lagoon

Dig Location	Chocobo Forest (Disc 3)
Treasure Location	On the Lost Continent's NW side, check the ice cap (which has a very identifiable shape) and dig up the inlet. (Disc 3)
Ability Required
Treasure	11 Peridot 9 Opal 15 Sapphire 19 Topaz
Hint/Help	What a complicated cove. The water looks very cold, kupo! Why would anyone hide treasure here, kupo?

#20: Mist Ocean

Dig Location	Dig up all 6 Chocograph Pieces to form this Chocograph [can only be done after Mt. Gulug on Disc 3].
Treasure Location	Off the NE coast of the Mist Continent by the two small isles. (Disc 3)
Ability Required
Treasure	Sky Ability
Hint/Help	Look around the small islands located in the northeastern shore of the Mist Continent. Be patient and dig! Dig! Dig, kupo!

#21: Outer Island

Dig Location	Chocobo's Air Garden (Disc 3)
Treasure Location	Korua Island, on the eastern coast of Outer Continent (Disc 3)
Ability Required
Treasure	21 Amethyst 16 Garnet+ 1 Genji Armor 1 Ragnarok
Hint/Help	Kupo. It isn't a very big island. How scary! I hope you like heights...

#22: Outer Island 2

Dig Location	Chocobo's Lagoon
Treasure Location	Likanmack Island, on eastern coast of Outer Continent (Disc 3)
Ability Required
Treasure	11 Sapphire 1 Circlet 1 Pumice Piece 1 Hilda Garde 3
Hint/Help	I think there's a desert nearby, kupo. I don't think you can get near it from the ocean, kupo...

#23: Fairy Island

Dig Location	Chocobo's Air Garden (Disc 3)
Treasure Location	Vile Island, the large isle southwest of Outer Continent (Disc 3)
Ability Required
Treasure	33 Potion 15 Annoyntment 1 Holy Miter 1 Dark Matter card
Hint/Help	There's a mountain in the middle of the island. Try going places you couldn't reach before, kupo!

#24: Forgotten Island

Dig Location	Chocobo's Air Garden (Disc 3)
Treasure Location	Pilkiras Island, nestled north of the Forgotten Continent (Disc 3)
Ability Required
Treasure	1 Ribbon 1 Rebirth Ring 13 Amethyst 1 Ark card.
Hint/Help	What a strange shape for an island, kupo. You've come this far! You can figure it out, kupo!

Using Dead Peppers

Once you have access to Dead Peppers, (when you get the Mountain ability) you'll be looking for a use for them. Sure, they can be used in battle, but that's not very interesting. The real fun is in using them in the oceans and the mountains to find more secrets.

Cracks in the Mountains

These weird item caches are found in remote areas. The following can be dug up by pointing Choco's beak toward a suspicious crack (or line) and using said pepper. When in doubt of one's location, remember that all cracks are untraversable - if Choco's forced out of the way, there's probably one there. There are three that provide treasure:

On the Lost Continent, in the northwest area of 'Seatence Ice Field', look along the northern coast's mountain range. A east-facing side will have a weird criss-cross marking; use the pepper there.

• 41 Lapis Lazuli
• 1 Rosetta Ring
• 1 Protect Ring
• 1 Airship Card

Freya's ultimate weapon can be dug up with a mountain chocobo, in a half-hidden crack near Oeilvert. Check the world map and look at the Forgotten Continent. The black spots stand for forested areas; there is only one of those blotches on the western part of the continent, northwest of Oeilvert's location. On the second layer, look for a big black line (face southeast to see it) on the cliffside.

• Maiden Prayer
• Dragon's Hair
• Gauntlets
• Odin Card

In the same vein as the above weapon-finding quest, on the eastern coast of this continent, north of Oeilvert and even the eastern chocobo tracks, there is a small enclosed area with a tiny forest. Next to that forest is another crack that can be opened.

• 19 Eye Drops
• Madain's Ring
• Genji Helmet
• Hilda Garde 1

This next one isn't really treasure, but it's a place you'll want to see: Chocobo's Paradise. Once you've got a gold chocobo that can take off/land in forested areas, fly to the upper-left corner of the world map to find a lone island. Land and use a Dead Pepper on the crack to enter this heaven-sent place. Make your way up to the second level where Fat Chocobo is, watch a few scenes, and leave again (although the other chocos give hints to crack locations). After you've dug up all chocographs, the choco on Fatty's lefthand side will max out your Dead Peppers amount so you can find more mountain cracks. You must get here to unlock Beachcombing, as well, so if you're desperate to have access to that mildly useful Easter egg, get this crack unlocked ASAP.

 

 

Finally, the last crack is part of the culmination of the Moogle sidequests. It doesn't grant you any treasure, but it does unlock a large portion of the things you can do with Moogles in the game, so it's worth pointing out here while you're already questing about. With an mountain chocobo - or, of course, better - in tow, head to the talon-shaped island north of the Outer Continent (Cazedil Plains). There's a mountain crack there, and behind it lies Mognet Central. Knowing how to get into Mognet Central is the first part of a multi-letter quest to get it up and running again - for more details, see our Moogle Guide.

Bubbles in the Oceans

Once you get the Ocean ability, the entire world (besides the Forgotten Continent) is your oyster! You may have noticed clusters of bubbles around in a few select locations. Well, with your Dead Peppers, you can send Choco to dive under the water and, guess what? - there are treasure chests down there, too! Here's a list of where you can get stuff:

At the southern tip of the Forgotten Continent (the western one with no beach landings), a small inlet has some bubblin' in it.

• 10 Remedy
• Black Robe
• Genji Gloves
• Blue Narciss

Enter Quan's Dwelling and go to the landing/fishing spot. Inspect the edge with Zidane to have him locate some foam; choose the pepper option when he says it (if he doesn't, you don't have any!). Jump and he'll dig up the treasure. If you jump off the landing, you get the item 100% of the time; doing it manually is a lot harder.

• 9 Ore
• 15 Topaz
• 1 Tiger Racket
• Red Rose

On the east part of the Outer Continent, in the desert region, a peninsula juts south towards the Mist Continent. A little ways into the ocean, southwest of the peninsula, there is a bubble cluster waiting to be picked.

• 8 Straw Hats
• 8 Pearl Armlet
• 7 Aloha T-Shirts
• 8 Sandals

All these things suck, but it's a fun set of novelty equipment.

See how the Lost Continent (in the northwest of the map) and the Outer Continent's (to the northeast) northern island sort of arc towards each other? Follow the hypothetical arc from one island to the next, and in the middle is a bubble cluster.

• 50 Potion
• 25 Hi-Potion
• 9 Ether
• 7 Elixir

 

Here's the trickiest one, a direct path to Zidane's ultimate weapon and some other good stuff. This one is only available once you've used the Shimmering Island for its intended purpose, as the location is not available to your Ocean chocobo until after that point. Once the path is open, you will need to look extra closely and probably try some trial and error, because unlike the other bubbles… this one doesn't actually have any.

• 10 Aquamarine
• Ultima Weapon
• Maximillian
• Invincible

Beachcombing

Visit Fat Chocobo after opening all chocograph treasures, digging up all the mountain crack treasures and unearthing all items underwater (including the Ultima Weapon at Shimmering Isle's former location). Watch the scenes about Mene and Choco, and after leaving, return and challenge Fatty to a game of cards (and get the Fat Chocobo card). He'll talk about restoring the party whenever they're on a beach…provided they find all of them first.This can only be done on disc four.

What the player has to do is walk on a beach (without Choco) and press the confirm button; a bell-type sound should play, like you picked up an item. Here are the locations you'll have to stop at. It's not too hard for continents since you can just follow the coastlines, but anyway...

Island Beaches

Here are the various islands around, and where to find them:

• Commure Shores: Talon-shaped island north of the Outer Continent
• Lanshake Island: Small island south of Chocobo's Forest
• Everlang Island: Long island west of Forgotten Continent
• Lanar Island: Island where fourth Qu's Marsh is located
• Salvage Archipelago: Island east of Daguerreo w/ chocobo tracks
• Palmnell Island: Island by Daguerreo where Chocobo's Lagoon is

After doing all twenty-one beaches, you'll be able to press the cancel button and "watch the waves around the world" to relax, refilling HP and MP.

Good job, Choco!