Is Politoed Good in HeartGold & SoulSilver Playthrough?
King's Rock trade from Poliwhirl. Water-type with AbilityWater Absorb or AbilityDamp. The more specially oriented alternative to Poliwrath, trading Fighting coverage for better special stats. Handles Jasmine and Pryce. The trade evolution limits access.
Poliwhirl has the type edge here and should clean up Falkner's team.
Poliwhirl has the type edge here and should clean up Bugsy's team.
Poliwhirl has the type edge here and should clean up Whitney's team.
Poliwhirl has the type edge here and should clean up Morty's team.
Chuck's typing presses Poliwhirl's defenses.
Poliwrath resists most of Jasmine's coverage and hits back hard.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Jasmine:
Poliwrath resists most of Pryce's coverage and hits back hard.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Pryce:
Poliwrath trades roughly evenly with Clair's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Clair:
Poliwrath resists most of Brock's coverage and hits back hard.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Brock:
Poliwrath has the type edge here and should clean up Misty's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Misty:
Poliwrath has the type edge here and should clean up Lt. Surge's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Lt. Surge:
Poliwrath trades roughly evenly with Erika's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Erika:
Poliwrath has the type edge here and should clean up Janine's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Janine:
Poliwrath trades roughly evenly with Sabrina's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Sabrina:
Poliwrath resists most of Blaine's coverage and hits back hard.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Blaine:
Poliwrath has the type edge here and should clean up Blue's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Blue:
Poliwrath trades roughly evenly with Will's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Will:
Poliwrath has the type edge here and should clean up Koga's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Koga:
Poliwrath has the type edge here and should clean up Bruno's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Bruno:
Poliwrath has the type edge here and should clean up Karen's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Karen:
Poliwrath has the type edge here and should clean up Lance's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Lance:
Catch Poliwhirl
Catch Poliwhirl on Route 30 (Surf, Lv 15-32, uncommon).
Recommended Moves
- After Bugsy
- 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 21NormalBody SlamPower 85Accuracy 100%PP 15
- LV 27WaterBubble BeamPower 98Accuracy 100%PP 20
- After Chuck
- TM01FightingFocus PunchPower 150Accuracy 100%PP 20Prize for defeating Chuck
- After Pryce
- HM07WaterWaterfallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15Item ball on Ice Path 1F
- After Clair
- TM26GroundEarthquakePower 100Accuracy 100%PP 10Victory Road
- LV 48WaterHydro PumpPower 180Accuracy 80%PP 5
Evolve Poliwhirl to Politoed
Poliwhirl evolves into Politoed when traded. Most players are ready to trade before reaching Clair.
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 34)
- LV 34WaterBubble BeamPower 98Accuracy 100%PP 20
- After Bugsy
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%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 Chuck
- TM01FightingFocus PunchPower 150Accuracy 100%PP 20Prize for defeating Chuck
- After Pryce
- HM07WaterWaterfallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15Item ball on Ice Path 1F
- After Clair
- TM26GroundEarthquakePower 100Accuracy 100%PP 10Victory Road
- LV 48NormalHyper VoicePower 90Accuracy 100%PP 10
Evolve Poliwhirl to Poliwrath
Poliwhirl evolves into Poliwrath with a Water Stone. You can receive the Water Stone from an NPC in Route 42. 2 other locations are also available.
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 34)
- LV 34FightingSubmissionPower 120Accuracy 80%PP 25
- LV 34WaterBubble BeamPower 98Accuracy 100%PP 20
- After Bugsy
- TM52FightingFocus BlastPower 180Accuracy 70%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- After Whitney
- HM03WaterSurfPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15Gift from a Kimono Girl in the Ecruteak Dance Theater
- After Chuck
- TM01FightingFocus PunchPower 225Accuracy 100%PP 20Prize for defeating Chuck
- After Pryce
- HM07WaterWaterfallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15Item ball on Ice Path 1F
- After Clair
- TM26GroundEarthquakePower 100Accuracy 100%PP 10Victory Road
How to Get Politoed in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Politoed needs a Poliwhirl traded while holding a King's Rock, so you cannot finish this one solo. There are zero wild spots, which makes a trade partner part of the deal.
Wild Politoed may be holding when caught:
Kings Rock (5% chance) An item to be held by a Pokemon. It may cause the foe to flinch when the holder inflicts damage.Catch Poliwag or Poliwhirl at any of these 20 spots to eventually evolve into Politoed.
Encountered via fishing with a Rod, Surfing
Badge 1
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Badge 5
Badge 6
Badge 7
Badge 8How to Obtain Politoed in HGSS
The path to Politoed starts with Poliwag at Lv. 5-40 via fishing and surfing encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
- Step 1Catch PoliwagRoute 22Lv.5-10Surfing on waterRate 90%Viridian CityLv.5-10Surfing on waterRate 90%Ecruteak CityLv.10-25Surfing on waterRate 90%Route 30Lv.10-25Surfing on waterRate 90%Route 31Lv.10-25Surfing on waterRate 90%Violet CityLv.10-25Surfing on waterRate 90%Route 44Lv.15-30Surfing on waterRate 90%Safari Zone - MeadowLv.12-15Old RodRate 40%Safari Zone - WetlandLv.12-15Old RodRate 40%Safari Zone - MarshlandLv.12-15Old RodRate 40%Safari Zone - MarshlandLv.15-17Surfing on waterRate 40%Safari Zone - Rocky BeachLv.15-16Surfing on waterRate 30%Safari Zone - WetlandLv.15-16Surfing on waterRate 30%Blackthorn CityLv.10Old RodRate 15%Ecruteak CityLv.10Old RodRate 15%Ilex ForestLv.10Old RodRate 15%Mt. Silver - BaseLv.10Old RodRate 15%Route 30Lv.10Old RodRate 15%Route 31Lv.10Old RodRate 15%Route 35Lv.10Old RodRate 15%Route 43Lv.10Old RodRate 15%Route 44Lv.10Old RodRate 15%Route 45Lv.10Old RodRate 15%Ruins of Alph - OutsideLv.10Old RodRate 15%Violet CityLv.10Old RodRate 15%Route 22Lv.10Old RodRate 15%Route 28Lv.10Old RodRate 15%Route 6Lv.10Old RodRate 15%Viridian CityLv.10Old RodRate 15%Safari Zone - WetlandLv.22-24Good RodRate 70%Blackthorn CityLv.20Good RodRate 60%Ecruteak CityLv.20Good RodRate 60%Ilex ForestLv.20Good RodRate 60%Mt. Silver - BaseLv.20Good RodRate 60%Route 30Lv.20Good RodRate 60%Route 31Lv.20Good RodRate 60%Route 35Lv.20Good RodRate 60%Route 43Lv.20Good RodRate 60%Route 45Lv.20Good RodRate 60%Ruins of Alph - OutsideLv.20Good RodRate 60%Violet CityLv.20Good RodRate 60%Route 22Lv.20Good RodRate 60%Route 28Lv.20Good RodRate 60%Route 6Lv.20Good RodRate 60%Viridian CityLv.20Good RodRate 60%Route 44Lv.20Good RodRate 55%Cerulean Cave - 1FLv.20Good RodRate 55%NightCerulean Cave - 2FLv.20Good RodRate 55%NightCerulean Cave - B1FLv.20Good RodRate 55%NightCerulean Cave - 1FLv.20Good RodRate 45%Morning/dayCerulean Cave - 2FLv.20Good RodRate 45%Morning/dayCerulean Cave - B1FLv.20Good RodRate 45%Morning/daySafari Zone - MeadowLv.22-24Good RodRate 40%Mt. Moon - Mt. Moon SquareLv.20Good RodRate 30%Cliff Edge GateLv.20Good RodRate 15%Morning/dayMt. Silver - BaseLv.30-40Surfing on waterRate 9%Cliff Edge GateLv.20Good RodRate 5%NightMt. Moon - Mt. Moon SquareLv.40Super RodRate 100%Route 28Lv.35-40Surfing on waterRate 90%Blackthorn CityLv.40Super RodRate 80%Ecruteak CityLv.40Super RodRate 80%Ilex ForestLv.40Super RodRate 80%Mt. Silver - BaseLv.40Super RodRate 80%Route 30Lv.40Super RodRate 80%Route 31Lv.40Super RodRate 80%Route 35Lv.40Super RodRate 80%Route 43Lv.40Super RodRate 80%Route 45Lv.40Super RodRate 80%Ruins of Alph - OutsideLv.40Super RodRate 80%Violet CityLv.40Super RodRate 80%Route 22Lv.40Super RodRate 80%Route 28Lv.40Super RodRate 80%Route 6Lv.40Super RodRate 80%Viridian CityLv.40Super RodRate 80%Route 44Lv.40Super RodRate 70%Cerulean Cave - 1FLv.40Super RodRate 70%NightCerulean Cave - 2FLv.40Super RodRate 70%NightCerulean Cave - B1FLv.40Super RodRate 70%NightMt. Moon - Mt. Moon SquareLv.35Surfing on waterRate 60%Safari Zone - WetlandLv.35-37Super RodRate 50%Safari Zone - MeadowLv.35-36Super RodRate 40%Cerulean Cave - 1FLv.40Super RodRate 40%Morning/dayCerulean Cave - 2FLv.40Super RodRate 40%Morning/dayCerulean Cave - B1FLv.40Super RodRate 40%Morning/dayCliff Edge GateLv.40Super RodRate 30%
- Step 2Catch or Evolve PoliwhirlRoute 22Lv.10Surfing on waterRate 10%Viridian CityLv.10Surfing on waterRate 10%Ecruteak CityLv.15-25Surfing on waterRate 10%Route 30Lv.15-32Surfing on waterRate 10%Route 31Lv.15-32Surfing on waterRate 10%Violet CityLv.15-25Surfing on waterRate 10%Mt. Silver - BaseLv.30-48Surfing on waterRate 91%Safari Zone - MarshlandLv.24-25Good RodRate 60%Safari Zone - WetlandLv.23-25Good RodRate 30%Safari Zone - Rocky BeachLv.16-17Surfing on waterRate 20%Safari Zone - MeadowLv.24-25Good RodRate 20%Route 44Lv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 10%Safari Zone - MarshlandLv.35-38Super RodRate 80%Safari Zone - MeadowLv.35-38Super RodRate 60%Safari Zone - WetlandLv.35-37Super RodRate 50%Cerulean Cave - 1FLv.40Super RodRate 30%Morning/dayCerulean Cave - 2FLv.40Super RodRate 30%Morning/dayCerulean Cave - B1FLv.40Super RodRate 30%Morning/dayRoute 28Lv.40Surfing on waterRate 10%or evolve from Poliwag (Step 1)
- Step 3Politoed ✓
How to Get Shiny Politoed in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Politoed comes from a traded Poliwhirl, so breed a Poliwag Masuda-style and evolve the line with a King's Rock. Compare Shiny Politoed odds across every game
HeartGold & SoulSilver Shiny Politoed 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.
Want exact numbers for your session? Calculate your shiny odds in HeartGold & SoulSilver with Politoed preloaded.
Politoed Weakness
Type-wise, Politoed takes extra damage from Electric and Grass. It resists 4 types, giving it decent defensive coverage. Water Absorb grants an additional Water immunity, reshaping the matchup chart. Politoed's special bulk (base 100 Sp.Def) helps absorb special-type weaknesses, though physical moves exploit the lower Defense.
| 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 Politoed Weak Against
GoodBest Pokemon Against Politoed
 Roserade GrassPoison | B | |
 Sceptile Grass | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Treecko (Silph Co Gift) | ||
 Parasect BugGrass | C | |
 Cacturne GrassDark | B | |
 Tangrowth Grass | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Politoed View Tangrowth builds →Solar Beam 2x90-106%KO Shock Wave 2x30-36% | ||
 Victreebel GrassPoison | C | |
 Venusaur GrassPoison | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Bulbasaur (Pallet Town Gift) | ||
 Raikou Electric | B | |
 Vileplume GrassPoison | C | |
 Shiftry GrassDark | C | |
 Ludicolo WaterGrass | C | |
 Carnivine Grass | C | |
 Breloom GrassFighting | A | |
 Meganium Grass | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Chikorita (New Bark Town Gift) | ||
Politoed Evolutions
Politoed is one of 2 ways Poliwhirl's chain can end. This one takes the trade route, while the siblings go different directions. Breed through Poliwag to get eggs. Poliwrath has 10 more total stats, but Politoed makes up for it with a stronger Sp.Def gain (+60 from Poliwag). View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Politoed to get Poliwag eggs easily using 69 partners from the Water 1 egg group. Notable egg moves include Bubble Beam, Encore, Endeavor and 8 more.
HGSS Politoed Best Moveset
90 Sp. Atk and 100 Sp. Def backed by Water healing through AbilityWater Absorb. Fires special Water attacks while walling the special side. 70 Speed is average but workable for a defensive build. 90 HP completes the bulk.
Best Build
Politoed best EVs are Sp. Atk and Sp. Def
Bulky Support Moveset
- Protect
- Perish Song
- Surf
- Whirlpool
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
The egg pool carries weight here. Bubble Beam and Encore aren't available any other way for Politoed, and they meaningfully change what it threatens. Stack those on top of Hydro Pump and Surf for solid options.
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 27 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
Base Stats
If POLIWAG and POLIWHIRL hear its echoing cry, they respond by gathering from far and wide.
Whenever three or more of these get together, they sing in a loud voice that sounds like bellowing.
Politoed HeartGold & SoulSilver Guide
Politoed is obtained by trade-evolving Poliwhirl. Catch or evolve a Poliwhirl first, then trade. The King's Rock must be held during the trade. Bring one over from a sibling Gen 3 game if needed.
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, Politoed plays as a balanced. Speed is middling, so pick your spots carefully. Surf is the primary attack.
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, Modest is the go-to nature for Politoed. That's +Sp. Atk / -Attack. Pair it with 84 HP / 76 Def / 192 SpA / 156 SpD EVs. Fits the balanced role.
Game Availability
Politoed has been available in 17 games since Gold & Silver, though obtaining it requires a trade evolution. This extra step makes it less common than Pokemon found through standard wild encounters.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GSDebut
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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