Is Goldeen Good in Emerald Playthrough?
Water route encounter. Goldeen evolves into Seaking at 33 with AbilitySwift Swim for rain Speed. Water-type without a strong offensive or defensive identity. Handles Flannery, overlaps with everything else. Too many better Water options in Hoenn to justify the slot.
Roxanne's typing presses Goldeen's defenses.
Goldeen trades roughly evenly with Brawly's team.
Wattson's team hits Goldeen's weaknesses hard.
Goldeen trades roughly evenly with Flannery's team.
Norman's typing presses Goldeen's defenses.
Goldeen trades roughly evenly with Winona's team.
Seaking has the type edge here and should clean up Tate & Liza's team.
Seaking trades roughly evenly with Juan's team.
Seaking trades roughly evenly with Sidney's team.
Seaking trades roughly evenly with Phoebe's team.
Glacia's typing presses Seaking's defenses.
Seaking trades roughly evenly with Drake's team.
Wallace's team hits Seaking's weaknesses hard.
Catchable
Catch Goldeen on Route 102 (Surf, Lv 20-30, rare).
Recommended Moves
- After Brawly
- TM13IceIce BeamPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 10Mauville Game Corner
- After Norman
- HM03WaterSurfPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15Given by Wally's father at Wally's house in Petalburg City after you defeat Norman
- TM14IceBlizzardPower 120Accuracy 70%PP 5Lilycove Department Store
- TM42NormalFacadePower 70Accuracy 100%PP 20Prize for defeating Norman
- LV 38WaterWaterfallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15
- After Tate & Liza
- HM08WaterDivePower 90Accuracy 100%PP 10Given by Steven Stone in his house in Mossdeep City
- TUTORNormalDouble-EdgePower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15Sootopolis City
- After Juan
- TM03WaterWater PulsePower 90Accuracy 100%PP 20Prize for defeating Juan
- Post-Game
- TUTORNormalSwiftPower 60Accuracy 100%PP 20Battle Frontier
Evolve Goldeen to Seaking
Goldeen evolves into Seaking at Level 33. Your Goldeen should hit Level 33 before you reach Tate & Liza, at typical leveling pace.
Recommended Moves
- After Brawly
- TM13IceIce BeamPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 10Mauville Game Corner
- After Norman
- HM03WaterSurfPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15Given by Wally's father at Wally's house in Petalburg City after you defeat Norman
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Lilycove Department Store
- TM14IceBlizzardPower 120Accuracy 70%PP 5Lilycove Department Store
- LV 41WaterWaterfallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15
- After Tate & Liza
- HM08WaterDivePower 90Accuracy 100%PP 10Given by Steven Stone in his house in Mossdeep City
- TUTORNormalDouble-EdgePower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15Sootopolis City
- After Juan
- TM03WaterWater PulsePower 90Accuracy 100%PP 20Prize for defeating Juan
- Post-Game
- TUTORNormalSwiftPower 60Accuracy 100%PP 20Battle Frontier
How to Get Goldeen in Emerald
Goldeen is the fishing regular, 36 encounters across nine spots on every rod and while surfing, levels 5 to 35. Common almost everywhere there is water, so any line in the water tends to find one.
9 locations to catch Goldeen
Encountered via fishing with a Rod, Surfing
Badge 1
Badge 2
Badge 3
Badge 4
Badge 5
Badge 6
Badge 7
Badge 8Where To Catch Goldeen in E
The line opens with Goldeen at Lv. 5-35 via fishing and surfing encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
- Step 1Goldeen ✓Safari Zone - NorthwestLv.10-30Good RodRate 40%Safari Zone: 500 entry fee, 30 Safari BallsSafari Zone - SouthwestLv.10-30Good RodRate 40%Safari Zone: 500 entry fee, 30 Safari BallsMeteor Falls - 1F Room 1Lv.5-10Old RodRate 30%Meteor Falls - 1F Room 2Lv.5-10Old RodRate 30%Meteor Falls - B1F Room 1Lv.5-10Old RodRate 30%Meteor Falls - B1F Room 2Lv.5-10Old RodRate 30%Petalburg CityLv.5-10Old RodRate 30%Route 102Lv.5-10Old RodRate 30%Route 111 - SouthLv.5-10Old RodRate 30%Route 114Lv.5-10Old RodRate 30%Route 117Lv.5-10Old RodRate 30%Route 120Lv.5-10Old RodRate 30%Safari Zone - NorthwestLv.5-10Old RodRate 30%Safari Zone: 500 entry fee, 30 Safari BallsSafari Zone - SouthwestLv.5-10Old RodRate 30%Safari Zone: 500 entry fee, 30 Safari BallsVictory Road - B2FLv.5-10Old RodRate 30%Meteor Falls - 1F Room 1Lv.10-30Good RodRate 20%Meteor Falls - 1F Room 2Lv.10-30Good RodRate 20%Meteor Falls - B1F Room 1Lv.10-30Good RodRate 20%Meteor Falls - B1F Room 2Lv.10-30Good RodRate 20%Petalburg CityLv.10-30Good RodRate 20%Route 102Lv.10-30Good RodRate 20%Route 111 - SouthLv.10-30Good RodRate 20%Route 114Lv.10-30Good RodRate 20%Route 117Lv.10-30Good RodRate 20%Route 120Lv.10-30Good RodRate 20%Victory Road - B2FLv.10-30Good RodRate 20%Safari Zone - NorthwestLv.25-35Super RodRate 80%Safari Zone: 500 entry fee, 30 Safari BallsSafari Zone - SouthwestLv.25-35Super RodRate 80%Safari Zone: 500 entry fee, 30 Safari BallsSafari Zone - South ExtensionLv.25-30Super RodRate 40%Safari Zone: 500 entry fee, 30 Safari BallsSafari Zone - South ExtensionLv.25-30Old RodRate 30%Safari Zone: 500 entry fee, 30 Safari BallsSafari Zone - South ExtensionLv.25-30Good RodRate 20%Safari Zone: 500 entry fee, 30 Safari BallsRoute 102Lv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 1%Route 111 - SouthLv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 1%Route 114Lv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 1%Route 117Lv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 1%Route 120Lv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 1%
- Step 2Catch or Evolve into SeakingSafari Zone - NorthwestLv.25-40Super RodRate 20%Safari Zone: 500 entry fee, 30 Safari BallsSafari Zone - SouthwestLv.25-40Super RodRate 20%Safari Zone: 500 entry fee, 30 Safari Ballsor evolve from Goldeen (Step 1)
Bring the right balls: check Goldeen catch odds in the Emerald Catch Rate Calculator before you throw.
How to Get Shiny Goldeen in Emerald
Goldeen snaps at the Old and Good Rods in the pools of Meteor Falls, so settle onto the bank there and cast over and over at full odds for a shiny catch. Compare Shiny Goldeen odds across every game
Emerald Shiny Goldeen Calculator
2 MethodsBoth methods here share the same odds, about 1 in 8,192 on each try. Pick whichever fits how you play.
Full Odds: Walk through grass, surf, or fish. Every encounter is its own independent shiny roll.
Breeding: Hatch eggs of this line; each egg rolls at the base shiny rate (no Masuda before Gen IV).
How many you have done, or plan to do.
| Chance | Encounters | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 10%lucky few | 864-- | -- |
| 25%one in four | 2,357-- | -- |
| 50%coin flip | 5,678-- | -- |
| 90%very likely | 18,862-- | -- |
Time assumes -- at your pace and does not change your shiny odds.
How is this calculated?
Every encounter has the same shiny chance, the Shiny Odds Per Try shown above. Each one is a separate roll that does not care how many you have already done, so the more you hunt, the higher your overall chance of at least one shiny. The formula below turns your odds and your number of tries into that combined chance.
chance after N tries = 1 − (1 − p)^N, where p = 1 / odds per try
Example at 1 in 8,192 (classic full odds): about 864 encounters for a 10 percent chance, 5,678 for 50 percent, and 18,862 for 90 percent.
The table above flips that around: it shows how many encounters it takes to reach a 10, 25, 50, and 90 percent chance at your current odds. Turning on boosts like the Shiny Charm, sandwiches, or chains improves your odds, so the encounter numbers drop.
These are estimates, not promises. Most games have no pity counter, meaning no guaranteed shiny no matter how many you hunt, so even Very Likely is not guaranteed: some hunters find one early, others go well past that point.
Planning a longer hunt? Set up Goldeen in the Emerald Shiny Odds Calculator to compare every method side by side.
Goldeen Weakness
Type-wise, Goldeen takes extra damage from Electric and Grass. 4 resistances help offset the weaknesses. Just 2 weak spots to worry about, which keeps teambuilding straightforward.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Grass |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Water, Ice, Steel |
- Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
- Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
What is Goldeen Weak Against
GoodBest Pokemon Against Goldeen
 Magneton ElectricSteel | A | |
 Manectric Electric | C | |
 Plusle Electric | C | |
 Electrode Electric | B | |
 Minun Electric | C | |
 Ludicolo WaterGrass | C | |
 Grovyle Grass | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Treecko (Route 101 Gift) | ||
 Meganium Grass | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Chikorita (Littleroot Town Gift) | ||
 Tropius Grass | C | |
 Vileplume GrassPoison | C | |
 Breloom GrassFighting | B | |
 Cacturne GrassDark | B | |
 Shiftry GrassDark | C | |
 Lileep RockGrass | C | |
Obtain MethodRustboro City Gift | ||
Goldeen Evolutions
One evolution ahead. Goldeen grows into Seaking through a straightforward two-stage chain. A decent partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs take an average time to hatch. Evolving adds up to 130 stat points total. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Goldeen easily with 17 breeding partners from the Water 2 egg group. Pass egg moves like Haze, Hydro Pump, Mud Sport and 2 more to offspring.
E Goldeen Best Moveset
Water pre-evolution with AbilitySwift Swim for rain speed. Stats across every category fall below competitive thresholds. The moveset offers nothing at this stage.
Best Build
Goldeen best EVs are Speed and Sp. Atk
Special Sweeper Moveset
- Megahorn
- Surf
- Rain Dance
- Ice Beam
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Breeding's the move. Haze and Hydro Pump give Goldeen options it can't learn any other way, and Flying and Normal coverage and more already covers a decent range on top of Hydro Pump and Surf. The egg moves push it further.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact. That triggers abilities like Static, Flame Body, Rough Skin, or Iron Barbs, plus items like Rocky Helmet and Sticky Barb.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM, Egg, and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM, Egg, and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
All 18 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
In the springtime, schools of GOLDEEN can be seen swimming up falls and rivers. It metes out staggering damage with its single horn.
Goldeen Emerald Guide
- How do I catch Goldeen in the Emerald Safari Zone?
See the Locations section above for where to find Goldeen in Emerald.
Safari rules: You can only use Safari Balls. No battling. Two tactical items shift the catch/flee trade-off:
- Throw bait to keep Goldeen from fleeing (flee rate cut to 1/4) but it becomes harder to catch (catch factor halved).
- Throw a rock to make Goldeen easier to catch (catch factor doubled) but it flees twice as often.
- Each effect lasts 2-6 random turns; throwing one cancels the other.
For Emerald, you can run Goldeen through the first few routes without issues. 320 BST won't carry you far though. Get it to Seaking as fast as you can.
Game Availability
One of the original 151, Goldeen has appeared in 19 games: most mainline games. From Red & Blue through the latest titles, it's rarely been left out of a regional Pokedex.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7Let's Go
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves
Explore
Where to go next after Goldeen.
Keep playing · EmeraldEmerald Tier ListThe best Pokemon ranked tier by tierSee Emerald Tier List