Is Rapidash Good in HeartGold & SoulSilver Playthrough?
Ponyta evolves at level 40, or catch wild in Kanto directly. AbilityFlash Fire absorbs Fire attacks. Fast with decent Attack. Handles Erika and Kanto trainers, but the postgame arrival means the Johto story and E4 never benefit.
Ponyta has the type edge here and should clean up Falkner's team.
Ponyta resists most of Bugsy's coverage and hits back hard.
Ponyta has the type edge here and should clean up Whitney's team.
Ponyta has the type edge here and should clean up Morty's team.
Chuck's team hits Ponyta's weaknesses hard.
Ponyta resists most of Jasmine's coverage and hits back hard.
Ponyta has the type edge here and should clean up Pryce's team.
Clair's team hits Ponyta's weaknesses hard.
Rapidash has the type edge here and should clean up Brock's team.
Rapidash has the type edge here and should clean up Misty's team.
Rapidash has the type edge here and should clean up Lt. Surge's team.
Rapidash resists most of Erika's coverage and hits back hard.
Rapidash resists most of Janine's coverage and hits back hard.
Rapidash has the type edge here and should clean up Sabrina's team.
Rapidash trades roughly evenly with Blaine's team.
Rapidash trades roughly evenly with Blue's team.
Rapidash has the type edge here and should clean up Will's team.
Rapidash resists most of Koga's coverage and hits back hard.
Rapidash has the type edge here and should clean up Bruno's team.
Rapidash has the type edge here and should clean up Karen's team.
Rapidash trades roughly evenly with Lance's team.
Catch Ponyta
Catch Ponyta on Route 27 (walking, Lv 32, rare).
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 32)
- LV 32FireFlame WheelPower 90Accuracy 100%PP 25
- LV 32NormalTake DownPower 90Accuracy 85%PP 20
- After Bugsy
- TM35FireFlamethrowerPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15Goldenrod Game Corner
- TM22GrassSolar BeamPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 10Goldenrod Department Store
- After Whitney
- HM04NormalStrengthPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 15Gift from a Hiker on Route 42
- After Jasmine
- TM23SteelIron TailPower 100Accuracy 75%PP 15Prize for defeating Jasmine
- LV 37FireFire BlastPower 180Accuracy 85%PP 5
- LV 46FireFlare BlitzPower 180Accuracy 100%PP 15
Evolve Ponyta to Rapidash
Ponyta evolves into Rapidash at Level 40. Your Ponyta should hit Level 40 before you reach Brock, at typical leveling pace.
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 40)
- LV 40FireFire BlastPower 180Accuracy 85%PP 5
- LV 40FireFlame WheelPower 90Accuracy 100%PP 25
- LV 40BugMegahornPower 120Accuracy 85%PP 10
- LV 40PoisonPoison JabPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 20
- After Bugsy
- TM35FireFlamethrowerPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15Goldenrod Game Corner
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- TM22GrassSolar BeamPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 10Goldenrod Department Store
- LV 56FireFlare BlitzPower 180Accuracy 100%PP 15
How to Get Rapidash in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Rapidash actually appears wild on a couple of late routes around levels 41 to 44, uncommon but real. Most players reach it sooner by evolving a Ponyta at level 40, well before that endgame slot shows up.
Wild Rapidash may be holding when caught:
Shuca Berry (5% chance) If held by a Pokemon, it weakens a foe's supereffective Ground-type attack.2 locations to catch Rapidash5 locations to catch Ponyta
Encountered via tall grass encounters
Encountered via tall grass encounters
Badge 8Catch Ponyta at any of the 5 locations below, then level it up to 40 — it evolves into Rapidash.
Badge 8Where To Catch Rapidash in HGSS
The only way to get Rapidash during the story is evolving Ponyta (Lv 40).
- Step 2Rapidash ✓Route 28Lv.41-43GrassRate 10%NightRoute 28Lv.42GrassRate 10%Morning/dayMt. Silver - BaseLv.44CaveRate 10%or evolve from Ponyta (Step 1)
Bring the right balls: check Rapidash catch odds in the HeartGold & SoulSilver Catch Rate Calculator before you throw.
How to Get Shiny Rapidash in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Rapidash races along Route 28 and Mt. Silver, though a shiny comes faster from Masuda breeding. Compare Shiny Rapidash odds across every game
HeartGold & SoulSilver Shiny Rapidash 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 Rapidash in the HeartGold & SoulSilver Shiny Odds Calculator to compare every method side by side.
Rapidash Weakness
Type-wise, Rapidash takes extra damage from Water, Ground, and Rock. It resists 5 types, giving it decent defensive coverage. Flash Fire grants an additional Fire immunity, reshaping the matchup chart. Rapidash leans offensive (base 100 Atk) rather than trying to tank its weaknesses.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Water, Ground, Rock |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Grass, Ice, Bug, Steel |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
What is Rapidash Weak Against
AvgBest Pokemon Against Rapidash
 Rampardos Rock | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Cranidos (Pewter City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rapidash View Rampardos builds →Head Smash 2x249-294%KO Earthquake 2x111-131%KO Surf 2x44-52% | ||
 Rhydon GroundRock | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rapidash View Rhydon builds →Earthquake 2x135-159%KO Stone Edge 2x135-159%KO Surf 2x33-40% | ||
 Garchomp DragonGround | S | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rapidash View Garchomp builds →Earthquake 2x135-159%KO Stone Edge 2x90-106%KO Surf 2x52-61% | ||
 Omastar RockWater | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Omanyte (Pewter City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rapidash View Omastar builds →Hydro Pump 2x131-155%KO Ancient Power 2x66-78% Mud Shot 2x41-48% | ||
 Marowak Ground | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rapidash View Marowak builds →Earthquake 2x90-106%KO Stone Edge 2x60-71% | ||
 Kabutops RockWater | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Kabuto (Pewter City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rapidash View Kabutops builds →Waterfall 2x98-116%KO Stone Edge 2x122-144%KO Dig 2x65-77% | ||
 Suicune Water | A | |
Obtain MethodBurned Tower Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rapidash View Suicune builds →Surf 2x85-100%KO Dig 2x46-54% | ||
 Slowbro WaterPsychic | C | |
Obtain MethodSlowpoke Well Surfing Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rapidash View Slowbro builds →Surf 2x93-109%KO Earthquake 2x57-68% | ||
 Kingler Water | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rapidash View Kingler builds →Crabhammer 2x135-159%KO Dig 2x72-85% Rock Slide 2x68-80% | ||
 Gyarados Water | S | |
Obtain MethodLake Of Rage Good Rod Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rapidash View Gyarados builds →Aqua Tail 2x118-139%KO Earthquake 2x88-103%KO Stone Edge 2x88-103%KO | ||
 Golduck Water | C | |
Obtain MethodIlex Forest Surfing Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rapidash View Golduck builds →Hydro Pump 2x111-131%KO Dig 2x49-58% | ||
 Tyranitar RockDark | S | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rapidash View Tyranitar builds →Stone Edge 2x139-164%KO Earthquake 2x93-109%KO Surf 2x59-70% | ||
 Feraligatr Water | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Totodile (New Bark Town Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rapidash View Feraligatr builds →Aqua Tail 2x102-120%KO Earthquake 2x75-89% Rock Slide 2x56-67% | ||
 Swampert WaterGround | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Mudkip (Silph Co Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rapidash View Swampert builds →Earthquake 2x118-139%KO Waterfall 2x94-111%KO Stone Edge 2x79-93% | ||
Rapidash Evolutions
Rapidash is the evolved form of Ponyta. Breeding produces Ponyta eggs, and they take an average time to hatch. Evolving from Ponyta gave Rapidash the biggest boost in HP (+15), bringing the total to 500 stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Rapidash to get Ponyta eggs easily using 131 partners from the Field egg group. Notable egg moves include Charm, Double Kick, Double-Edge and 5 more.
HGSS Rapidash Best Moveset
Fast physical Fire attacker at 100 Attack and 105 Speed. AbilityFlash Fire turns incoming Fire attacks into free power, and the moveset fires physical Fire and Normal damage. 65 HP limits how many exchanges Rapidash survives. One-dimensional but quick.
Best Build
Rapidash best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Attacker Moveset
- Flare Blitz
- Megahorn
- Morning Sun
- Sunny Day
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Breeding's the move. Charm and Double Kick give Rapidash options it can't learn any other way, and coverage across 7 types already covers a decent range on top of Flare Blitz and Fire Blast. 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
Reminder Moves
Base Stats
At full gallop, its four hooves barely touch the ground because it moves so incredibly fast.
With incredible acceleration, it reaches its top speed of 150 mph after running just 10 steps.
Rapidash HeartGold & SoulSilver Guide
Yes. Wild Rapidash in HeartGold & SoulSilver can hold Shuca Berry (5%). Use Thief (TM46) or Covet to swipe the held item without affecting your catch chance. Quickest way to farm rare items like Shuca Berry.
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, Rapidash plays as a sweeper. It outspeeds most threats, so it can pressure opponents before they move.
Yes. Galarian Rapidash is a regional variant with different typing and a reworked stat spread. Introduced in Gen 8. Plays completely differently from the original.
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, Jolly is the go-to nature for Rapidash. That's +Speed / -Sp. Atk. Pair it with 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe EVs. Fits the sweeper role.
Game Availability
Rapidash first appeared in Red & Blue and spans 20 games across 9 generations. It later gained a Galarian form in Generation 8, adding new dimensions to its competitive identity.
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 8SwShGalarian
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