
Is Goldeen Good in HeartGold & SoulSilver Playthrough?
Fishing encounter across most Johto waterways. Water-type with AbilitySwift Swim in rain. Seaking at level 33 is unremarkable among Johto's crowded Water options. Outclassed by almost everything else you can fish for.
Goldeen trades roughly evenly with Falkner's team.
Goldeen has the type edge here and should clean up Bugsy's team.
Goldeen trades roughly evenly with Whitney's team.
Goldeen trades roughly evenly with Morty's team.
Chuck's typing presses Goldeen's defenses.
Seaking has the type edge here and should clean up Jasmine's team.
Seaking trades roughly evenly with Pryce's team.
Clair's typing presses Seaking's defenses.
Seaking resists most of Brock's coverage and hits back hard.
Misty's typing presses Seaking's defenses.
Seaking trades roughly evenly with Lt. Surge's team.
Seaking trades roughly evenly with Erika's team.
Seaking has the type edge here and should clean up Janine's team.
Seaking trades roughly evenly with Sabrina's team.
Seaking has the type edge here and should clean up Blaine's team.
Seaking trades roughly evenly with Blue's team.
Seaking trades roughly evenly with Will's team.
Seaking has the type edge here and should clean up Koga's team.
Seaking has the type edge here and should clean up Bruno's team.
Seaking has the type edge here and should clean up Karen's team.
Seaking trades roughly evenly with Lance's team.
Catchable
Catch Goldeen in Union Cave (Old Rod fishing, Lv 10, rare).
Recommended Moves
- LV 11NormalHorn AttackPower 65Accuracy 100%PP 25
- LV 17WaterWater PulsePower 90Accuracy 100%PP 20
- After Bugsy
- TM14IceBlizzardPower 120Accuracy 70%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- TM13IceIce BeamPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 10Goldenrod Game Corner
- After Whitney
- HM03WaterSurfPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15Gift from a Kimono Girl in the Ecruteak Dance Theater
- After Jasmine
- TM43NormalSecret PowerPower 70Accuracy 100%PP 20Lake of Rage
- LV 37WaterWaterfallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15
- LV 51BugMegahornPower 120Accuracy 85%PP 10
Evolve Goldeen to Seaking
Goldeen evolves into Seaking at Level 33. Your Goldeen should hit Level 33 before you reach Jasmine, at typical leveling pace.
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 33)
- LV 33WaterWater PulsePower 90Accuracy 100%PP 20
- LV 33PoisonPoison JabPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 20
- After Bugsy
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- TM14IceBlizzardPower 120Accuracy 70%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- TM13IceIce BeamPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 10Goldenrod Game Corner
- After Whitney
- HM03WaterSurfPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15Gift from a Kimono Girl in the Ecruteak Dance Theater
- LV 40WaterWaterfallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15
- LV 63BugMegahornPower 120Accuracy 85%PP 10
How to Get Goldeen in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Goldeen floods the water. Nearly 150 encounters across fifteen areas, hookable on every rod and by surfing, with levels stretching from single digits to 40. You will see this one constantly once you start fishing.
15 locations to catch Goldeen
Encountered via fishing with a Rod, Surfing
Where To Catch Goldeen in HGSS
Goldeen is where the line starts, caught through fishing and surfing encounters at Lv. 5-40. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.
Step 1Goldeen ✓Safari Zone - EntranceLv.10-20Good RodRate 100%Safari Zone - EntranceLv.10-20Old RodRate 100%Safari Zone - EntranceLv.10-20Super RodRate 100%Cerulean CityLv.5-10Surfing on waterRate 90%Route 24Lv.5-10Surfing on waterRate 90%Route 25Lv.5-10Surfing on waterRate 90%Route 4Lv.5-10Surfing on waterRate 90%Mt. Mortar - 1F EntranceLv.10-25Surfing on waterRate 90%Mt. Mortar - B1FLv.10-25Surfing on waterRate 90%Route 42Lv.10-25Surfing on waterRate 90%Route 10Lv.10-15Surfing on waterRate 90%Route 9Lv.10-15Surfing on waterRate 90%Mt. Mortar - 2FLv.15-30Surfing on waterRate 90%Safari Zone - SwampLv.15-17Surfing on waterRate 40%Safari Zone - Rocky BeachLv.13-15Old RodRate 30%Dark Cave - EastLv.10Old RodRate 15%Dark Cave - WestLv.10Old RodRate 15%Mt. Mortar - 1F EntranceLv.10Old RodRate 15%Mt. Mortar - 2FLv.10Old RodRate 15%Mt. Mortar - B1FLv.10Old RodRate 15%Mt. Silver - 1FLv.10Old RodRate 15%Mt. Silver - 1F Upper ChamberLv.10Old RodRate 15%Mt. Silver - 2FLv.10Old RodRate 15%Mt. Silver - 3FLv.10Old RodRate 15%Mt. Silver - Upper mountainsideLv.10Old RodRate 15%Route 42Lv.10Old RodRate 15%Slowpoke Well - B1FLv.10Old RodRate 15%Slowpoke Well - B2FLv.10Old RodRate 15%Union Cave - 1FLv.10Old RodRate 15%Union Cave - B1FLv.10Old RodRate 15%Cerulean CityLv.10Old RodRate 15%Route 10Lv.10Old RodRate 15%Route 24Lv.10Old RodRate 15%Route 25Lv.10Old RodRate 15%Route 4Lv.10Old RodRate 15%Route 9Lv.10Old RodRate 15%Tohjo FallsLv.10Old RodRate 15%Dark Cave - EastLv.20Good RodRate 60%Dark Cave - WestLv.20Good RodRate 60%Mt. Mortar - 1F EntranceLv.20Good RodRate 60%Mt. Mortar - 2FLv.20Good RodRate 60%Mt. Mortar - B1FLv.20Good RodRate 60%Mt. Silver - 1F Upper ChamberLv.20Good RodRate 60%Mt. Silver - 2FLv.20Good RodRate 60%Mt. Silver - 3FLv.20Good RodRate 60%Mt. Silver - Upper mountainsideLv.20Good RodRate 60%Route 42Lv.20Good RodRate 60%Slowpoke Well - B1FLv.20Good RodRate 60%Slowpoke Well - B2FLv.20Good RodRate 60%Union Cave - 1FLv.20Good RodRate 60%Union Cave - B1FLv.20Good RodRate 60%Cerulean CityLv.20Good RodRate 60%Route 10Lv.20Good RodRate 60%Route 24Lv.20Good RodRate 60%Route 25Lv.20Good RodRate 60%Route 4Lv.20Good RodRate 60%Route 9Lv.20Good RodRate 60%Tohjo FallsLv.20Surfing on waterRate 60%Tohjo FallsLv.20Good RodRate 60%Cerulean Cave - 1FLv.20Good RodRate 40%Morning/dayCerulean Cave - 2FLv.20Good RodRate 40%Morning/dayCerulean Cave - B1FLv.20Good RodRate 40%Morning/daySafari Zone - SwampLv.22-24Good RodRate 40%Mt. Silver - 1FLv.20Good RodRate 30%Cerulean Cave - 1FLv.20Good RodRate 30%NightCerulean Cave - 2FLv.20Good RodRate 30%NightCerulean Cave - B1FLv.20Good RodRate 30%NightSafari Zone - Rocky BeachLv.22-23Good RodRate 30%Mt. Silver - 1F Upper ChamberLv.30-40Surfing on waterRate 10%Mt. Silver - 2FLv.30-40Surfing on waterRate 10%Mt. Silver - 3FLv.30-40Surfing on waterRate 10%Mt. Silver - Upper mountainsideLv.30-40Surfing on waterRate 10%Mt. Silver - 1FLv.30-40Surfing on waterRate 9%Dark Cave - EastLv.40Super RodRate 70%Dark Cave - WestLv.40Super RodRate 70%Mt. Mortar - 1F EntranceLv.40Super RodRate 70%Mt. Mortar - 2FLv.40Super RodRate 70%Mt. Mortar - B1FLv.40Super RodRate 70%Mt. Silver - 1F Upper ChamberLv.40Super RodRate 70%Mt. Silver - 2FLv.40Super RodRate 70%Mt. Silver - 3FLv.40Super RodRate 70%Mt. Silver - Upper mountainsideLv.40Super RodRate 70%Route 42Lv.40Super RodRate 70%Slowpoke Well - B1FLv.40Super RodRate 70%Slowpoke Well - B2FLv.40Super RodRate 70%Union Cave - 1FLv.40Super RodRate 70%Union Cave - B1FLv.40Super RodRate 70%Cerulean CityLv.40Super RodRate 70%Route 10Lv.40Super RodRate 70%Route 24Lv.40Super RodRate 70%Route 25Lv.40Super RodRate 70%Route 4Lv.40Super RodRate 70%Route 9Lv.40Super RodRate 70%Tohjo FallsLv.40Super RodRate 70%Safari Zone - SwampLv.35-37Super RodRate 40%Safari Zone - Rocky BeachLv.35-38Super RodRate 40%
Step 2Catch or Evolve into SeakingCerulean CityLv.10Surfing on waterRate 10%Route 24Lv.10Surfing on waterRate 10%Route 25Lv.10Surfing on waterRate 10%Route 4Lv.10Surfing on waterRate 10%Mt. Mortar - 1F EntranceLv.15-25Surfing on waterRate 10%Mt. Mortar - B1FLv.15-25Surfing on waterRate 10%Route 42Lv.15-25Surfing on waterRate 10%Route 10Lv.15Surfing on waterRate 10%Route 9Lv.15Surfing on waterRate 10%Mt. Silver - 1FLv.30-50Surfing on waterRate 91%Mt. Silver - 1F Upper ChamberLv.30-45Surfing on waterRate 90%Mt. Silver - 2FLv.30-45Surfing on waterRate 90%Mt. Silver - 3FLv.30-45Surfing on waterRate 90%Mt. Silver - Upper mountainsideLv.30-45Surfing on waterRate 90%Mt. Silver - 1FLv.20Good RodRate 20%Safari Zone - SwampLv.24-25Good RodRate 20%Mt. Mortar - 2FLv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 10%Tohjo FallsLv.20Surfing on waterRate 10%Mt. Silver - 1FLv.40Super RodRate 50%Morning/daySafari Zone - SwampLv.35-37Super RodRate 40%Safari Zone - Rocky BeachLv.35-38Super RodRate 40%Mt. Silver - 1FLv.40Super RodRate 20%NightDark Cave - EastLv.40Super RodRate 10%Dark Cave - WestLv.40Super RodRate 10%Mt. Mortar - 1F EntranceLv.40Super RodRate 10%Mt. Mortar - 2FLv.40Super RodRate 10%Mt. Mortar - B1FLv.40Super RodRate 10%Mt. Silver - 1F Upper ChamberLv.40Super RodRate 10%Mt. Silver - 2FLv.40Super RodRate 10%Mt. Silver - 3FLv.40Super RodRate 10%Mt. Silver - Upper mountainsideLv.40Super RodRate 10%Route 42Lv.40Super RodRate 10%Slowpoke Well - B1FLv.40Super RodRate 10%Slowpoke Well - B2FLv.40Super RodRate 10%Union Cave - 1FLv.40Super RodRate 10%Union Cave - B1FLv.40Super RodRate 10%Cerulean CityLv.40Super RodRate 10%Route 10Lv.40Super RodRate 10%Route 24Lv.40Super RodRate 10%Route 25Lv.40Super RodRate 10%Route 4Lv.40Super RodRate 10%Route 9Lv.40Super RodRate 10%Tohjo FallsLv.40Super RodRate 10%or evolve from Goldeen (Step 1)
Bring the right balls: check Goldeen catch odds in the HeartGold & SoulSilver Catch Rate Calculator before you throw.
How to Get Shiny Goldeen in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Goldeen swims through Cerulean City's waters, though a shiny hatches faster from Masuda breeding. Compare Shiny Goldeen odds across every game
HeartGold & SoulSilver Shiny Goldeen Calculator
2 MethodsThe best route is Masuda Method, about 1 in 1,639 on each try.
Masuda Method: Breed with a parent from a different-language game. Works on any breedable line.
Full Odds: Walk through grass, surf, or fish. Every encounter is its own independent shiny roll.
How many you have done, or plan to do.
| Chance | Encounters | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 10%lucky few | 173-- | -- |
| 25%one in four | 472-- | -- |
| 50%coin flip | 1,136-- | -- |
| 90%very likely | 3,773-- | -- |
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 HeartGold & SoulSilver 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 |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
What is Goldeen Weak Against
GoodBest Pokemon Against Goldeen
Parasect BugGrass | C | |
Cacturne GrassDark | B | |
Victreebel GrassPoison | C | |
Vileplume GrassPoison | C | |
Carnivine Grass | C | |
Meganium Grass | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Chikorita (New Bark Town Gift) | ||
Magnezone ElectricSteel | A | |
Jolteon Electric | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Goldenrod City Gift) | ||
Ampharos Electric | C | |
Jumpluff Grass | C | |
Obtain MethodSafari Zone Surfing | ||
Plusle Electric | B | |
Luxray Electric | C | |
Electrode Electric | B | |
Obtain MethodTeam Rocket Hq Interact Encounter | ||
Budew GrassPoison | C | |
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 19 breeding partners from the Water 2 egg group. Pass egg moves like Aqua Tail, Body Slam, Haze and 5 more to offspring.
HGSS Goldeen Best Moveset
Flat stats in the 35-67 range with AbilitySwift Swim for rain Speed. 67 Attack gives basic physical Water damage. Seaking is the evolution but barely threatens either.
Best Build
Goldeen best EVs are Attack and HP
Physical Attacker Moveset
- Megahorn
- Waterfall
- Rain Dance
- Toxic
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Breeding's the move. Aqua Tail and Body Slam give Goldeen options it can't learn any other way, and coverage across 7 types 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
Its dorsal, pectoral and tail fins wave elegantly in water. That is why it is known as the water dancer.
A strong swimmer, it is capable of swimming nonstop up fast streams at a steady speed of five knots per hour.
Goldeen HeartGold & SoulSilver Guide
- How do I catch Goldeen in the HeartGold & SoulSilver Safari Zone?
See the Locations section above for where to find Goldeen in HeartGold & SoulSilver.
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 HeartGold & SoulSilver, 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
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