Legendary Pokemon

Appendix 06

Legendary Pokemon

It is a tradition in the Pokemon games to have certain Legendary Pokemon available to be caught in each game -- some more than others -- and this one is no exception to that tradition!  As HeartGold is what is known as a "bridging" version (includes a variety of multi-region Pokemon in it) there is perhaps a bit more variety too in the Legendary Pokemon, so you have the chance to catch some that you would have needed to own previous games to catch otherwise.

When going after a Legendary Pokemon always remember the following rules:

(1) ALWAYS bring plenty of balls of different types.  For larger Pokemon Heavy Balls work well, as ro Ultra Balls.  Timer Balls and Net Balls can be handy too, depending upon the type, time, etc.  Try to learn the advantages and strengths of the different balls so that you use the best ball for the job!

(2) ALWAYS save your game prior to attempting to capture a stationary Legendary Pokemon so that if you mess up and kill it you can re-load.

(3) ALWAYS try to get the targets health as low as you can before you start spending balls on a capture.

(4) NEVER use a time-damage move or a move that continues to damage over multiple turns, as that can quickly cost you the Legendary Pokemon by killing it.

(5) ALWAYS know the TYPE of the Legendary that you are trying to capture and NEVER use types that are strong vs. its type in the capture, as you can easily kill it with them.

(6) ALWAYS save after a Legendary capture.  Even when you have the things health down to a red sliver it can take dozens or even hundreds of balls and hours to capture it, and it would be a massive shame to lose it by running low on battery power or accidentally resetting or turning off your game, right?

- HeartGold's Legendary Mob

Articuno (Roaming)
This Legendary Pokemon is a Random Encounter that takes place in the Seafoam Islands any time AFTER you have obtained all 16 Gym Badges.  It may take several encounters for you to succeed in capturing it, and as always with random encounters, save often and do not kill it.  If you kill it, re-load your save.  Articuno is Level 50 when you encounter it and it does not show up on the map.

Dialga (Event Related)
To obtain a Dialga in HeartGold you must trade in an Arceus and follow the event process as detailed in the events section to meet with Cynthia and be given the opportunity to have Arceus create a new baby (Level 1) Legendary Pokemon for you.

Note: It may be possible to do this more than once by using different Arceus but I have not verified that at press time.  Dialga can also be obtained via GTS if you have the Dex entry, or from Pokemon Diamond and Platinum.

Entei (Roaming)
After releasing the trio from the Brass Tower, this Legendary is encountered at Level 40, and DOES appear on the map.  All of the normal cautions apply.

Giratina (Event Related)
To obtain a Giratina in HeartGold you must trade in an Arceus and follow the event process as detailed in the events section to meet with Cynthia and be given the opportunity to have Arceus create a new baby (Level 1) Legendary Pokemon for you.

Note: It may be possible to do this more than once by using different Arceus but I have not verified that at press time.  Giratina can also be obtained via GTS if you have the Dex entry, or from Pokemon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum.

Ho-Oh (Stationary)
After you defeat Team Rocket, battle and defeat the Kimono Girls, and have obtained the Rainbow Wing and beaten Clair, you can find Ho-Oh at the top of the Bell Tower in Ecruteak City.  You will need to pass through the maze to reach him -- see the walkthrough section for the specific path that you need to take.  He appears at Level 70 and can be a bit difficult to catch because he can sometimes heal himself, so make sure that you SAVE before starting the battle, and remember: slow and steady wins the race!

Kyogre (Stationary)
Obtainable after you first obtain the National Dex, the Kanto Starter, and then the Blue Orb from Mr. Pokemon, a Level 50 Kyogre can be found in the cave off of Route 47.  Please be aware that Kyogre is  specific to HeartGold, and can only be caught here, just as Groudon is specific to SoulSilver and can only be caught in that game for this generation.  However, you should be aware that Kyogre can also be obtained from Sapphire (Cave of Origin) and Emerald (Marine Cave), just as Groudon can be obtained from Ruby (Cave of Origin) and Emerald (Terra Cave).  If you have the Dex entry for either they can also be obtained from the GTS.

Latios (Wi-Fi Event Roaming)
If you obtained the Enigma Stone from the Enigma Stone Wi-Fi/Mystery Gift Event, you can take that to show to Steven at the Museum in Pewter City (see walkthrough) and have it discovered to be the Soul Dew Held Item.  Once this has happened, after you leave the Museum Latios becomes available for capture as a Random Encounter (Latios DOES appear on the Map).

Note: Latias does not appear in HeartGold, as it is the exclusive for the Enigma Event in SoulSilver, however both Latias & Latios can also be obtained from PokemonRuby, Sapphire, and Emerald, and can be obtained via GTS if you have the respective Dex entry.

Lugia (Stationary)
After obtaining the Key Item: Silver Feather in Pewter City, defeating the Elite Four, and obtaining the National Dex, Lugia will become available for capture in the bottom section of the Whirl Islands.  For HeartGold the Lugia is at Level 70, and has a very aggressive attack pattern, so be sure that your kit is topped up and you are a patient Trainer! 

Mewtwo (Stationary)
After you earn all of the Kanto Gym Badges and gain access to the Cerulean Caves (the entrance is blocked by a Trainer until you have the Badges), you have the chance to capture this amazing Legendary Pokemon.  All of the standard rules apply to capturing him -- save first of course, bring plenty of kit, you know the drill.  For the longest time this guy and Mew were the Holy Grail for serious Trainers, and that really has not changed!

Moltres (Stationary)
This Legendary Pokemon is a Stationary Encounter that takes place in the Silver Cave any time AFTER you have obtained all 16 Gym Badges.  Save before you battle it!  If you kill it, re-load your save.  Moltres is Level 50 when you encounter it and it does not show up on the map.

Palkia (Event Related)
To obtain a Palkia in HeartGold you must trade in an Arceus and follow the event process as detailed in the events section to meet with Cynthia and be given the opportunity to have Arceus create a new baby (Level 1) Legendary Pokemon for you. 

Note: It may be possible to do this more than once by using different Arceus but I have not verified that at press time.  Palkia can also be obtained via GTS if you have the Dex entry, or from Pokemon Pearl and Platinum.

Raikou (Roaming)
After releasing the trio from the Brass Tower, this Legendary is encountered at Level 40, and DOES appear on the map.  All of the normal cautions apply.

Rayquaza (Stationary)
This one is a bit tougher to obtain but only because you have to jump through hoops to do it in HeartGold!  To obtain Rayquaza, you must first capture Kyogre, and then trade for a Groudon that is specifically from SoulSilver, and then show them both to Professor Oak at his Lab in order to obtain the Jade Orb.  Once you have the Orb, return to the same cave from which you captured Kyogre, and Rayquaza will appear -- all the normal rules for capture apply!  IF you do not have access to a Groudon from SoulSilver, remember that Rayquaza can also be captured at the Sky Pillar in Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, and can be obtained via GTS if you have its Dex entry.

Suicune (Stationary with Chase Modes)
Like Entei and Raikou, Suicune is released into the lands when you complete the Brass Tower section of the adventure, after which all three are unleashed.  With Suicune before it becomes stationary (and thus catch-able) you must first encounter it several times (noted in walkthrough).  Once it has become stationary, like the other Legendary Pokemon you want to be sure that you SAVE before you fight it, and that you have plenty of kit on hand so that you can fight a battle of attrition against it.

Zapdos (Roaming)
This Legendary Pokemon is a Random Encounter that takes place in the areas around the Power Plant any time AFTER you have obtained all 16 Gym Badges.  It may take several encounters for you to succeed in capturing it, and as always with random encounters, save often and do not kill it.  If you kill it, re-load your save.  Zapdos is Level 50 when you encounter it and it does not show up on the map.

- Closing Notes on Legendary Pokemon

Some of these MAY be encountered even if you have killed them if the first encounter took place prior to your defeating the Elite Four, but I am not certain that this is guaranteed so it would be an idea not to kill them, right?

Bear in mind that Legendary Pokemon are ALWAYS a desired trade via both GTS and Wi-Fi at events, so do not under-value yours!  As a general rule you should only trade what are considered "common" Legendary Pokemon (i.e. the ones that appear in more than one game and are easier to catch like the two trio sets) for other Legendary Pokemon.  You should NEVER trade a Legendary for a common or even an uncommon Pokemon unless it is classified as rare itself (was obtained as an event-exclusive that knows a special move, is shiny, or otherwise has restricted availability). 

There is no sense in trading a rare or powerful Pokemon just to complete a gap in your Dex -- if you are just looking for Dex entries, there are lots of Trainers active on the Pokemon chat boards on our site that will help you do trade-and-trade-backs just to get Dex entries, after which you can usually find the common and uncommon as trades on GTS for other common/uncommon Pokemon.