During your first trip to Opelucid City you'll have the option to head west to Route 9. The road carries on further west of here, to Route 8, but you'll be stopped from going any further. To proceed to Route 8 you'll need to trounce the Pokémon League and become the Champion. This will move the man blocking your path.
Before you reach Route 8 you'll have to cross Tubeline Bridge. Halfway across the bridge you'll see a woman running laps. Speak to her and you'll receive TM43 Flame Charge. At the south (west?) end of Tubeline Bridge you'll enter a gate, and a Scientist inside will give you an EnergyPowder.
Route 8 Pokémon
- Croagunk - Uncommon, Puddle, Never in Winter
- Karrablast - Rare, Puddle, Never in Winter
- Palpitoad - Common, Puddle, Never in Winter
- Palpitoad - Common, Surfing / Whirlpool, All Seasons
- Seismitoad - Rare, Surfing, All Seasons
- Shelmet - Uncommon, Puddle, Never in Winter
- Stunfisk - Uncommon, Puddle, Never in Winter
- Stunfisk - Common, Surfing / Whirlpool, All Seasons
The first thing to note on Route 8 is the Parasol Lady who's standing behind a sign near the gate back to the Tubeline Bridge. She will give you a Rock once a day, depending on when you visit her. During the morning she'll give you a Damp Rock; during the daytime she'll give you a Heat Rock; during the evening she'll give you a Heat Rock; and during the nighttime she'll give you an Icy Rock.
West of the gate you'll find your first puddle. There's no tall grass on Route 8, replaced instead by shallow ponds where you can run into Pokémon. During the Winter these pools will be frozen over, forcing you to slide along using wooden posts to halt your progress. Pokémon will not challenge you during the Winter on these patches.
Speak to the Fisherman nearby and he'll identify himself as a member of the Hip Waders. He'll trek back to his home on Village Bridge, and you can follow him to receive daily Dive Balls by showing him requested Pokémon. Near the Fisherman, across the back of Surfable water, you'll find a Big Pearl. On the west side of the pond and puddle you'll find a trainer who will challenge you to a Rotation Battle.
Parasol Lady Ingrid
- Castform, level 60 x 3
Reward: 1,920 P
North of Ingrid you'll find two more trainers. One is sitting beside another puddle, while the other is hiding behind the trees on your right, waiting to jump out and surprise you. Northeast of both of them and across another puddle / ice sheet is a third trainer who will challenge you to a Triple Battle.
Lass Mai
- Shelmet, level 60
- Slugma, level 60
- Gastrodon, level 60
Reward: 960 P
Fisherman Ryder
- Barboach, level 60
- Whiscash, level 60
- Stunfish, level 60
Reward: 1,920 P
Parasol Lady Tyra
- Ludicolo, level 60
- Jolteon, level 60
- Castform, level 60
Reward: 1,920 P
On the west side of the body of water near Ryder you'll find a Nest Ball. A short walk west of here you'll find the final trainer on Route 8, guarding TM36 Sludge Bomb. South of the trainer is a hidden Rare Candy, on the other side of a puddle. Sitting on a small patch of grass to the north of Parasol Lady Tyra's puddle is a hidden Max Repel. To get at the Max Repel during Winter you'll need to hop into the water and slide east, hitting the trees, then slide north.
Youngster Astor
- Palpitoad, level 60
- Vaporeon level 60
- Croagunk, level 60
Reward: 960 P
If you head southeast from Astor you'll hit the outskirts of Icirrus City, which we'll explore in another section of the guide. If you go through the exit to the east of Tyra you'll find the Moor of Icirrus, your next destination.
Moor of Icirrus Pokémon
- Croagunk - Uncommon, Puddle, Never in Winter
- Karrablast - Rare, Puddle, Never in Winter
- Palpitoad - Common, Puddle, Never in Winter
- Palpitoad - Common, Surfing / Whirlpool, All Seasons
- Seismitoad - Rare, Surfing, All Seasons
- Shelmet - Uncommon, Puddle, Never in Winter
- Stunfisk - Uncommon, Puddle, Never in Winter
- Stunfisk - Common, Surfing / Whirlpool, All Seasons
The Moor of Icirrus is a dead-end little area with trainers to fight and items to collect. It's a bit of an open area that you can explore in any order you like, but we'll start in the west and make our ways clockwise to the east.
First up, look along the trees to your left. There's a hidden TinyMushroom in a gap in the trees. Also on your left is a boulder that you can push with Strength. Knock it out of your way and you'll create a path to the western area, where a trainer is waiting. Surf your way south of her to find TM84 Poison Jab.
Pokémon Ranger Elaine
- Accelgor, level 62
- Swalot, level 62
- Kecleon, level 62
Reward: 3,720 P, Lum Berry
Head north and you'll see a Fisherman parked at a pond. Look to the west of him and tucked away in a corner you'll find a hidden Big Mushroom. Across the pond to the Fisherman's left is a Green Shard, accessible only during Winter via Surf.
Fisherman Arnold
- Poliwhirl, level 60
- Whiscash, level 60
- Politoed, level 60
Reward: 1,920 P
Skirt around the trees to the south of the Fisherman and head west. You'll find a Heart Scale atop a hill. South of here is a ledge leading to the next open area. There are two trainers here, one near the ledge and the other in the south.
Fisherman Eustace
- Corphish, level 60
- Poliwag, level 60
- Stunfisk, level 60
Reward: 1,920 P
Pokémon Ranger Parker
- Escavalier, level 62
- Skuntank level 62
- Carnivine level 62
Reward: 3,720 P, Lum Berry
In the middle of this area is a copse of trees with a Rare Candy. You can reach it by walking during any seasons but Winter, where the ice makes this impossible. Just west of the Rare Candy, accessible during any seasons, is a Dawn Stone that's hidden on the ground. To the south and the left of the Ranger you'll find a Full Heal.
That's all for the Moor of Icirrus. Time to head back to Route 8, and, most likely, to Icirrus City.