Wild in Hoenn's waters. Swift Swim and Lightning Rod are decent abilities, but neither Goldeen nor F-Tier Seaking can use them well.
Ability 1Swift SwimAbility 1Doubles Speed during rain.Ability 2Water VeilAbility 2Prevents burns.
320HP45Attack67Defense60Speed63Sp.Def50Sp.Atk35
Goldeen
Seaking
Weak to
Special
Balanced
63Speed · Below Avg

Is Goldeen Good in Ruby & Sapphire Playthrough?

Route 102 fishing in Hoenn, one of the earliest Water catches. AbilitySwift Swim doubles Speed in rain. Seaking evolves at 33 with mediocre stats. Hoenn's Water roster is so deep that even rain Speed can't save Seaking from being outclassed.

StrongGoodEvenToughBadTGBETEGEEEEGGRoxanneGym 1GoldeenCatchableBrawlyGym 2WattsonGym 3FlanneryGym 4NormanGym 5WinonaGym 6SeakingEvolveTate & LizaGym 7WallaceGym 8SidneyE4PhoebeE4GlaciaE4DrakeE4StevenChamp*
Roxanne
Gym 1
Tough

Roxanne's typing presses Goldeen's defenses.

Risky
Geodude
Lv 14
RockGround
Rock Head
TackleDefense CurlRock ThrowRock Tomb
Risky
Nosepass
Lv 15
Rock
Sturdy
TackleHardenRock ThrowRock Tomb
Brawly
Gym 2
Good

Goldeen has the type edge here and should clean up Brawly's team.

You Win
Machop
Lv 17
Fighting
Guts
LeerKarate ChopSeismic TossBulk Up
You Win
Makuhita
Lv 18
Fighting
Thick Fat
Arm ThrustKnock OffSand AttackBulk Up
Wattson
Gym 3
Bad

Wattson's Pokemon outpace and outclass Goldeen here.

Avoid
Magnemite
Lv 22
ElectricSteel
Magnet Pull
SupersonicSonic BoomThunder ShockThunder Wave
Risky
Voltorb
Lv 20
Electric
Soundproof
RolloutSelf DestructSparkSonic Boom
Avoid
Magneton
Lv 23
ElectricSteel
Magnet Pull
SupersonicSonic BoomShock WaveThunder Wave
Flannery
Gym 4
Even

Goldeen trades roughly evenly with Flannery's team.

Even
Slugma
Lv 26
Fire
Magma Armor
OverheatSmogLight ScreenSunny Day
Even
Slugma
Lv 26
Fire
Magma Armor
FlamethrowerRock SlideLight ScreenSunny Day
Risky
Torkoal
Lv 28
Fire
White Smoke
OverheatBody SlamFlailAttract
Norman
Gym 5
Tough

Norman's typing presses Goldeen's defenses.

Risky
Slaking
Lv 28
Normal
Truant
EncoreFacadeYawnFeint Attack
Risky
Vigoroth
Lv 30
Normal
Vital Spirit
SlashFeint AttackFacadeEncore
Avoid
Slaking
Lv 31
Normal
Truant
Focus PunchSlack OffFacadeFeint Attack
Winona
Gym 6
Even

Goldeen trades roughly evenly with Winona's team.

Even
Swellow
Lv 31
NormalFlying
Guts
Quick AttackAerial AceDouble TeamEndeavor
Risky
Pelipper
Lv 30
WaterFlying
Keen Eye
Water GunSupersonicProtectAerial Ace
Even
Skarmory
Lv 32
SteelFlying
Keen Eye
Sand AttackFury AttackSteel WingAerial Ace
Even
Altaria
Lv 33
DragonFlying
Natural Cure
EarthquakeDragon BreathDragon DanceAerial Ace
Tate & Liza
Gym 7
Good

Seaking has the type edge here and should clean up Tate & Liza's team.

You Win
Lunatone
Lv 42
RockPsychic
Levitate
Light ScreenPsychicHypnosisCalm Mind
You Win
Solrock
Lv 42
RockPsychic
Levitate
Sunny DaySolar BeamPsychicFlamethrower
Wallace
Gym 8
Even

Seaking trades roughly evenly with Wallace's team.

Even
Luvdisc
Lv 40
Water
Swift Swim
Water PulseAttractSweet KissFlail
Even
Whiscash
Lv 42
WaterGround
Oblivious
Rain DanceWater PulseAmnesiaEarthquake
Even
Sealeo
Lv 40
IceWater
Thick Fat
EncoreBody SlamAurora BeamWater Pulse
Risky
Seaking
Lv 42
Water
Swift Swim
Water PulseRain DanceFury AttackHorn Drill
Risky
Milotic
Lv 43
Water
Marvel Scale
Water PulseTwisterRecoverIce Beam
Sidney
Elite Four
Even

Seaking trades roughly evenly with Sidney's team.

Even
Mightyena
Lv 46
Dark
Intimidate
RoarTake DownSand AttackCrunch
Risky
Shiftry
Lv 48
GrassDark
Chlorophyll
Fake OutDouble TeamSwaggerExtrasensory
Even
Cacturne
Lv 46
GrassDark
Sand Veil
Leech SeedFeint AttackNeedle ArmCotton Spore
Risky
Sharpedo
Lv 48
WaterDark
Rough Skin
CrunchSwaggerSurfSlash
Even
Absol
Lv 49
Dark
Pressure
Aerial AceSnatchSwords DanceSlash
Phoebe
Elite Four
Even

Seaking trades roughly evenly with Phoebe's team.

Even
Dusclops
Lv 48
Ghost
Pressure
Shadow PunchConfuse RayCurseFuture Sight
Even
Banette
Lv 49
Ghost
Insomnia
Shadow BallSpiteWill O WispFeint Attack
Even
Sableye
Lv 50
DarkGhost
Keen Eye
Shadow BallPsychicAttractFeint Attack
Even
Banette
Lv 49
Ghost
Insomnia
Shadow BallPsychicToxicSkill Swap
Even
Dusclops
Lv 51
Ghost
Pressure
Shadow BallIce BeamConfuse RayEarthquake
Glacia
Elite Four
Even

Seaking trades roughly evenly with Glacia's team.

Even
Glalie
Lv 50
Ice
Inner Focus
Light ScreenCrunchHailIce Beam
Even
Sealeo
Lv 50
IceWater
Thick Fat
SurfBody SlamHailIce Ball
Even
Sealeo
Lv 52
IceWater
Thick Fat
AttractDiveHailBlizzard
Even
Glalie
Lv 52
Ice
Inner Focus
Shadow BallCrunchHailIce Beam
Risky
Walrein
Lv 53
IceWater
Thick Fat
SurfBody SlamBlizzardSheer Cold
Drake
Elite Four
Good

Seaking has the type edge here and should clean up Drake's team.

Even
Shelgon
Lv 52
Dragon
Rock Head
Rock TombDragon ClawProtectCrunch
Even
Altaria
Lv 54
DragonFlying
Natural Cure
Take DownDragon BreathDragon DanceRefresh
You Win
Flygon
Lv 53
GroundDragon
Levitate
DigDragon BreathFlySandstorm
You Win
Flygon
Lv 53
GroundDragon
Levitate
FlamethrowerCrunchDragon BreathSand Attack
Even
Salamence
Lv 55
DragonFlying
Intimidate
FlamethrowerDragon ClawFlyCrunch
Steven
Champion
Good

Seaking has the type edge here and should clean up Steven's team.

Even
Skarmory
Lv 57
SteelFlying
Keen Eye
ToxicAerial AceSpikesSteel Wing
You Win
Claydol
Lv 55
GroundPsychic
Levitate
ReflectLight ScreenAncient PowerEarthquake
You Win
Aggron
Lv 56
SteelRock
Sturdy
ThunderEarthquakeSolar BeamDragon Claw
You Win
Cradily
Lv 56
RockGrass
Suction Cups
Giga DrainAncient PowerSludge BombConfuse Ray
You Win
Armaldo
Lv 56
RockBug
Battle Armor
Water PulseAncient PowerAerial AceSlash
Risky
Metagross
Lv 58
SteelPsychic
Clear Body
EarthquakePsychicMeteor MashHyper Beam

Catchable

Available after Badge 1
Type
Water
Tier
F

Catch Goldeen on Route 102 (Old Rod fishing, Lv 5-10, common).

View Goldeen locations

Evolve Goldeen to Seaking

Level 33
Type
Water
Tier
E

Goldeen evolves into Seaking at Level 33. Your Goldeen should hit Level 33 before you reach Tate & Liza, at typical leveling pace.

View Seaking locations

Recommended Moves

How to Get Goldeen in Ruby & Sapphire

Goldeen is the rod fisher's bread and butter, hooked at 56 spots across nine waters with every rod type. Common to uncommon almost everywhere there is fishable water.

9 locations to catch Goldeen

Encountered via fishing with a Rod

Badge 1
Badge 2
Badge 3
Badge 4
Badge 5
Badge 6
Badge 7
Badge 8

Where To Catch Goldeen in RS

The line opens with Goldeen at Lv. 5-35 via fishing encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.

Bring the right balls: check Goldeen catch odds in the Ruby & Sapphire Catch Rate Calculator before you throw.

How to Get Shiny Goldeen in Ruby & Sapphire

Goldeen bites at Meteor Falls on the Old Rod and Good Rod, so keep casting until a shiny surfaces. Compare Shiny Goldeen odds across every game

Normal vs Shiny
Normal Goldeen in Ruby & SapphireNormal
Shiny Goldeen in Ruby & Sapphire Shiny
Color ShiftRed
Shiny TierB Tier Shiny

Shiny Goldeen Evolution

2 Forms
Showing shiny artworkView Full Evolution Chart

Ruby & Sapphire Shiny Goldeen Calculator

2 Methods
Shiny Odds

Both methods here share the same odds, about 1 in 8,192 on each try. Pick whichever fits how you play.

Step 1 · Encounter Method2 in Ruby & Sapphire

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.

120,000
Shiny Odds Per Try1 / 8,192Full Odds
Chance By Now50.0%at 5,678 encountersAbout 5 in 10 hunters have one by now
What To Expect
ChanceEncountersTime
10%lucky few864----
25%one in four2,357----
50%coin flip5,678----
90%very likely18,862----
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.

Where these shiny odds come from: Read our full methodology

Planning a longer hunt? Set up Goldeen in the Ruby & Sapphire 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.

Goldeen Weakness and Resistance Chart
DamageTypes
2x (Weak)Electric, Grass
0.5x (Resist)Fire, Water, Ice, Steel
Gen III Type Chart
  • 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

Good
2Weak
4Resist
0Immune
Score0
4xCritical
None
¼xResist
None
0xImmune
None

What is Goldeen Strong Against

3Strong
3Resisted
0Immune
Score0
½xResisted
0xImmune
None

Best Pokemon Against Goldeen

Magneton
Magneton
ElectricSteel
A
Manectric
Manectric
Electric
C
Plusle
Plusle
Electric
C
Electrode
Electrode
Electric
B
Tropius
Tropius
GrassFlying
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

2 Forms
Stat Comparison 2 Stages
Goldeen
Water
Seaking
Water
HP
45
80+35
ATK
67
92+25
DEF
60
65+5
SP.ATK
35
65+30
SP.DEF
50
80+30
SPE
63
68+5
BST
320F-Tier
450E-Tier+130
ROLE
Balanced
Balanced
TYPE
Physical
Physical

Breeding

Very Easy

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.

Egg Groups
Water 2
Gender
♂50.0%♀50.0%
Hatch Time
20 cycles·5,140 steps
Quick~5 min with Flame Body
Egg Moves
5moves
Breed With (best first)
gyaradosoctillerymagikarpremoraidwailordrelicanthwailmerlanturnsharpedowhiscashseakingqwilfish

RS Goldeen Best Moveset

Water pre-evolution with AbilitySwift Swim for rain Speed and AbilityWater Veil preventing burns. Stats too low for any format. Seaking barely improves. Skip the line.

Best Build

Experimental
Special Sweeper
Ability
Swift Swim
Item
Choice BandPOWER
Best Nature for Goldeen
Rash+SPA

Goldeen best EVs are Speed and Sp. Atk

EVs

Special Sweeper Moveset

  • MegahornCoverage
  • SurfSTAB
  • Rain DanceSTAB
  • Ice Beam

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.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Peck
D3510035Flying
Lv 1
Tail Whip
——10030Normal
Lv 1
Water Sport
———15Water
Lv 10
Supersonic
——5520Normal
Lv 15
Horn Attack
—6510025Normal
Lv 24
Flail
D—10015Normal
Lv 29
Fury Attack
—158520Normal
Lv 38
Waterfall
A12010015Water
Lv 43
Horn Drill
——305Normal
Lv 52
Agility
C——30Psychic

TM Moves

All 18 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four

TM
TM45
AttractVerdanturf Townbadge 2
——10015Normal
TM14D120705Ice
HM08
DiveMossdeep Citybadge 6
C9010010Water
TM32
Double TeamRoute 113badge 2
———15Normal
TM42D7010020Normal
TM07
HailShoal Cavebadge 6
———10Ice
TM10
Hidden PowerFortree Citybadge 3
—6010015Normal
TM13
Ice BeamAbandoned Shipbadge 2
B9510010Ice
TM17C——10Normal
TM18
Rain DanceAbandoned Shipnot until badge 7
B——5Water
TM44
RestLilycove Citybadge 5
C——10Psychic
TM27
ReturnFallarbor Townbadge 3
A—10020Normal
TM43
Secret PowerRoute 111badge 3
—7010020Normal
HM03
SurfPetalburg Citybadge 5
B14210015Water
TM06
ToxicFiery Pathbadge 4
C—8510Poison
TM03
Water PulsePrize for defeating Wallacenot until badge 8
D9010020Water
HM07
WaterfallCave of Originnot until badge 7
A12010015Water

Egg Moves

Egg
Egg
Haze
C——30Ice
Egg
Hydro Pump
D180805Water
Egg
Mud Sport
———15Ground
Egg
Psybeam
—6510020Psychic
Egg
Sleep Talk
D——10Normal

Tutor Moves

Goldeen can't learn any Tutor moves

Base Stats

Base Stats
Avg
HP45
D
Attack67
C
Defense60
C
Sp. Atk35
F
Sp. Def50
D
Speed63
C
Total320
Details
Catch Rate
Easy225 / 255
Growth Rate
Medium Fast1M XP
Height0.6 m
Weight15.0 kg
Base XP64
Abilities
Swift Swim
Doubles Speed during rain.
Water Veil
Prevents burns.
EV Yield
HPAtk+1DefSpASpDSpe
Attack training source
Pokedex Entry

GOLDEEN is a very beautiful POKéMON with fins that billow elegantly in water. However, don’t let your guard down around this POKéMON - it could ram you powerfully with its horn.

GOLDEEN loves swimming wild and free in rivers and ponds. If one of these POKéMON is placed in an aquarium, it will shatter even the thickest glass with one ram of its horn and make its escape.

Goldeen Ruby & Sapphire Guide

  • How do I catch Goldeen in the Ruby & Sapphire Safari Zone?

    See the Locations section above for where to find Goldeen in Ruby & Sapphire.

    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.

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.

Explore

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