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Pokémon SoulGold Guides

One page per SoulGold question. Facts come from the official GitHub docs JSON and Hackdex, not from third-party walkthrough farms.

Nintendo HeartGold walkthroughs do not apply here. Pokémon SoulGold is a Johto-only GBA hack with nine starters, Hidden Grottos, and no Kanto. The pages below are organized around the points where players usually need an answer: choosing a first partner, reaching a story gate, building a shiny team, or finding a postgame encounter.

Reading rule: values and locations on these pages are taken from the official documentation, re-checked against v1.2 in October 2026. Where a mechanic has a version caveat, it is called out instead of being silently generalized.
Stylized Johto region map from the SoulGold project
Johto remains the main route through the hack. Optional southern and postgame areas branch from that core.

Pick the right page

QuestionStart hereWhat you will find
What should I do next?WalkthroughLevel caps, story gates, key items, field tools, trades, and postgame order.
Which opening Pokémon fits my run?StartersAll nine case choices, stat snapshots, and Gachapon rules.
How do I hunt a shiny?Shiny hunting1/256 odds, shiny-parent eggs (v1.2), DexNav streaks, gifts, trades, and the Shiny Genome.
Where is a rare encounter?Hidden Grottos or LegendariesDaily grotto tables, legendary and mythical requirements, Paradox Pokémon, and Arceus.
What unlocks after trophies?Achievements15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 100 trophy milestones.
How do Mega Evolutions work?MegasMega Ring timing, type-generic stones, and Bondstone users.
Are there cheat codes?CheatsWhy codes corrupt saves, and the in-game way to get candies, money, IVs, shinies, and abilities.
What changed in the latest version?Changelogv1.2 release notes and every build since v1.0.4.5.
Quick answers?FAQLevel caps, Hard mode, saves, HMs, Dive, rematches.

Useful baseline facts

  • Region: Johto-focused; there is no Kanto route waiting after the main story.
  • Progression: the first major quality-of-life unlocks are Exp. Share before Violet City, DexNav after the first Poké Balls, and Candy Jar after the first gym.
  • Build planning: the local Pokédex includes SoulGold forms, abilities, base stats, learnsets, and encounter links in one place.
  • Patch policy: use a legally obtained Emerald base and the current official patch before troubleshooting a guide step.

Walkthrough

Johto progression notes sourced from the official FAQ.

Starters

Nine starters, Gachapon extras, and new starter Megas.

Shiny hunting

1/256 odds, shiny-parent eggs, DexNav streaks, and the Shiny Genome.

Hidden Grottos

Daily grottos, locations, and Hidden Ability encounters.

Trophies

100+ trophies and Route 40 milestone rewards.

Mega Evolutions

Mega Ring timing and type-generic stones.

Legendaries

Official legendary locations and boss-catch rule.

Cheats and codes

Why codes break saves, and the legit in-game shortcuts instead.

Machine-readable official data also lives on the documentation hub. Download the patch fromthe download page before following any guide.