How to Catch Entei, Raikou, & Suicune in Pokémon SoulSilver & HeartGold

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Tips & strategies to make catching the Legendary Beasts a breeze
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So, you reached Ecruteak City and encountered the 3 Legendary Beast Pokémon (commonly called Dogs) in the Burned Tower, but now Entei, Raikou, and Suicune are roaming all over the map. How do you possibly catch them? That’s why we’re here to help! This wikiHow will show you how to capture all 3 Legendary Dogs in Pokémon SoulSilver and HeartGold, including where to find them, what Pokémon to use to catch them, and strategies to keep them from running away. Read on to learn more!

Catching Entei and Raikou in SoulSilver and HeartGold

  1. Get a Pokémon that knows Mean Look or Block (like Jynx, Gengar, or Snorlax).
  2. Run between Ecruteak City and Route 37 until Entei/Raikou is close on the map.
  3. Apply a Repel and walk into the grass to encounter Entei/Raikou.
  4. Use Mean Look or Block to prevent Entei/Raikou from fleeing.
  5. Battle Entei/Raikou until they are at a low HP.
  6. Use Ultra Balls (day) or Dusk Balls (night) to catch Entei/Raikou.
Section 1 of 3:

Catching Entei

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  1. As soon as you encounter Entei, it will flee from battle on its first move. It also knows the move Roar , which ends the battle and causes Entei to flee. So, use a Pokémon with moves or abilities that will prevent Entei from fleeing. [1]
    • Moves that prevent fleeing : Mean Look , Block , and Spider Web .
    • Abilities that prevent fleeing : Arena Trap (Diglett, Dugtrio, and Trapinch) or Shadow Tag (Wynaut, Wobbuffet).
    • Sleep moves : Hypnosis , Lovely Kiss , Spore , and Sleep Powder .
    • Paralysis moves : Stun Spore and Glare .
      • Moves with a 30% chance of paralysis: Body Slam , Bounce , Discharge , Lick , and Spark .
    • Pokémon options and move sets :
      • Jynx: Mean Look , Lovely Kiss , Lick , Body Slam
      • Gastly/Haunter/Gengar: Mean Look , Hypnosis , Lick
      • Snorlax: Block, Body Slam , Lick , Yawn
      • Paras/Parasect: Spore , Stun Spore , False Swipe
      • Spinarak/Ariados: Spider Web , Bounce (HeartGold only)
  2. Ultra Balls and Dusk Balls have the highest capture rates in the game, besides the Master Ball. Dusk balls have to be used at night to increase their catch rate. So, aim to capture the 3 Legendaries at night, because this means you can use both Ultra Balls and Dusk Balls.
    • Dusk Balls have a 3.5x bonus catch rate if the time is 18:00-03:59 (6:00 p.m. - 3:59 a.m.) [2]
    • Ultra Balls have a 2x bonus catch rate if used at any time. [3]
    • Pokémon expert Ethan Dobbs also recommends using Quick Balls to catch legendary Pokémon. He says to “throw a Quick Ball immediately” when the battle starts, “because a Quick Ball has the highest likelihood of capturing a Pokemon on the first turn.”
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  3. After the encounter in the Burned Tower, use the PokéGear's Map to see Entei roaming around on your map. Simply walk, run, or bike to an area where the city limits meet a route (any city, including Ecruteak City, Violet City, and Goldenrod City). Then, continuously run in and out of the city and check your map. Eventually, you'll see Entei close to you on the map, so you can run over to its location. [4]
    • For the best chances of an encounter , walk between Ecruteak City and Route 37. Entei and Raikou seem to spawn at Route 37, 38, and 42 more often, which all surround Ecruteak City.
    • Do not fly to Entei’s location . If you fly, Entei will immediately move to a different part of the map. Walking, running, and biking are the only ways to get close to it.
  4. Head to the area where you see Entei on your map. Before you walk into the grass, use a Repel to prevent any other Pokémon from appearing. If you battle wild Pokémon before encountering Entei, it might move to a new spot on the map. [5]
    • Make sure your lead Pokémon is level 40 or under . If it’s over level 40, the Repel will prevent Entei from appearing, too.
  5. Entei is a fire-type Pokémon and is at level 40 when you encounter it. It knows the moves Roar , Fire Spin , Stomp , and Flamethrower. Make sure you have a Pokémon that can take its hits. Entei will run from battle as soon as possible. [6]
    • Use a Pokémon resistant to fire-type attacks, if possible. For instance, use a water, rock, or dragon-type Pokémon. [7]
  6. Immediately use a blocking move to keep Entei from fleeing, like Mean Look or Block . Then, use a sleep or paralysis move so Entei can’t hurt you or use Roar , like Hypnosis or Stun Spore . Once Entei’s unable to move, use attack moves to lower its HP to the red zone. [8]
    • Note : Entei (and Raikou) can still run away when they’re asleep. So, it’s important to use a blocking move first. They don’t typically use Roar at the beginning of the battle.
    • Make sure your Pokémon has a high Speed stat so it’s more likely that you move first. To raise its Speed, give it X-Speed or the Quick Claw item. [9]
    • Tip : Use the move False Swipe to quickly get Entei’s HP down. This move lowers Entei’s HP to 1.
    • Tip : Have your Pokémon hold the item Leftovers to regain HP as Entei attacks. [10]
  7. During the daytime, use Ultra Balls for your best chance at catching Entei. If you’re battling Entei at night, use Dusk Balls. You’ll likely have to throw multiple balls between attacks in order to catch it. [11]
  8. When Entei reaches low HP, it will use Roar and run away. If Entei runs away, that's ok. Just go heal your Pokémon at the nearest Pokémon Center and stock up on more pokéballs. Then, walk between a city and route until it comes close to you again.
    • Entei’s HP and status (like sleep or paralysis) will be the same as when you last encountered it. So, the next time you battle it, you just have to throw pokéballs to catch it.
    • Note : Catching Entei can be a frustrating experience, as it's very difficult to capture. While lowering its HP and putting it to sleep increases your capture rate, catching Entei ultimately comes down to luck! Just be patient and keep throwing pokéballs until you catch it.
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Section 2 of 3:

Catching Raikou

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  1. Like Entei, Raikou will flee from battle on its first move. It also knows the move Roar and will end the battle as soon as it uses it. So, make sure you have a Pokémon that has moves or abilities that prevent Raikou from fleeing. [12]
    • For instance, use a Pokémon that knows Mean Look , Block , Hypnosis , Lovely Kiss , Spore , Stun Spore , or Glare .
    • Pokémon options and move sets :
      • Jynx: Mean Look , Lovely Kiss , Lick , Body Slam
      • Gastly/Haunter/Gengar: Mean Look , Hypnosis , Lick
      • Snorlax: Block, Body Slam , Lick , Yawn
      • Paras/Parasect: Spore , Stun Spore , False Swipe
      • Spinarak/Ariados: Spider Web , Bounce (HeartGold only)
    • Note : The process of catching Raikou is virtually identical to catching Entei.
  2. It's recommended to capture the 3 Legendaries at night because this means you can use both Ultra Balls and Dusk Balls. These pokéballs have the highest capture rates in the game.
    • Dusk Balls have a 3.5x bonus catch rate if the time is 18:00-03:59 (6:00 p.m. - 3:59 a.m.) [13]
  3. After the encounter in the Burned Tower, you'll see Raikou roaming on your map, so you can easily find it. Just go to an area where the city limits meet a route (like Ecruteak City, Violet City, and Goldenrod City) and continuously run in and out of the city. Then, check your map to see if Raikou is on a route connected to the city. [14]
    • Every time you run out of the city's limits, you'll see on your map that Raikou is in a different area. Just repeat the process of running in and out of the city's limits until you see Raikou close to you on the map. Then, you can run over to its location.
  4. Like Entei, Raikou will appear in the grass along the route where you see it. Simply use a Repel to prevent any other Pokémon from appearing in battle. Then, walk into the grass to encounter Raikou.
    • Ensure your lead Pokémon is level 40 or under so you don’t repel Raikou, too.
  5. Raikou is an electric-type Pokémon and is level 40. It has the moves Roar , Quick Attack , Spark and Reflect , so make sure you have a lead Pokémon that can take his hits. Raikou will run from battle as soon as possible. [15]
    • Use a Pokémon resistant to electric-type attacks, if possible. For instance, use a ground, grass, or dragon-type Pokémon. [16]
  6. Since Raikou immediately tries to run away from the battle, you need to stop that from happening. Start with a blocking move like Mean Look or Block . Then, hit Raikou with a sleep or paralysis move like Hypnosis or Stun Spore so it can’t hurt you or use Roar . [17]
    • Raikou has a high Speed stat, so make sure you use a Pokémon that’s faster. To boost your Pokémon’s speed, give it X-Speed or the Quick Claw.
  7. Attack Raikou to lower its HP to the red zone. Then, throw Ultra Balls during the day and Dusk Balls at night to catch Raikou. You may have to throw multiple balls between attacks. [18]
    • For instance, use Snorlax's Crunch to weaken Raikou. Then hold Leftovers to regain HP as Raikou attacks. [19]
  8. When the Pokémon reaches a low HP, it will use Roar and run away. If this happens, go heal your Pokémon at the nearest Pokémon Center and buy more pokéballs. You'll have to search for Raikou again, but its health and status will be the same as when it ran away last time.
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Section 3 of 3:

Catching Suicune

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  1. Fly to Cianwood City and head north. Suicune is to the right of the house at the north end of this island. But, it will vanish when you get close. [20]
    • Suicune does not roam around the map like Raikou or Entei since it can't be caught randomly. You have to go to certain locations to encounter Suicune before you can capture it. You also don't need to prevent Suicune from running from battle, so you won't need a Pokémon that knows blocking moves (like Snorlax or Gengar).
  2. Use Surf on the water outside the entrance to Mt. Mortar. Swim to the other side of the lake and look for the tree you can cut below the cave entrance. It will lead you to a small grove with 3 trees with berries in the middle. Suicune will be there, but will again run away when you get close. [21]
  3. Head south to the port leading off of the S.S. Aqua. Suicune will be there on the water, but will disappear when you get close. [22]
  4. Walk down the path lined by wind turbines, which is towards Route 13. Suicune will appear on the water and disappear one last time. [23]
  5. Fly to Cerulean City and head north onto Route 25. Head east to find Bill’s house and go up the stairs to the right where you'll find Suicune. [24]
  6. Suicune is a water-type Pokémon and is at level 40. It has the moves Rain Dance , Gust , Aurora Beam and Mist , so make sure you have a lead Pokémon that can take his hits. Simply attack it until its HP is in the red zone. [25]
    • Use a Pokémon resistant to water-type attacks, if possible. For instance, use a grass or dragon-type Pokémon. [26]
    • Use False Swipe to get Suicune down to 1 HP so you don't accidentally defeat it.
  7. During the day, use Ultra Balls to capture Suicune. At night, use Dusk Balls. Just keep throwing pokéballs until you capture Suicune.
    • If you accidentally defeat Suicune, that's ok—Suicune will reappear in the basement of the Burned Tower after you beat the Elite Four and Champion again. [27]
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  • Question
    How can I get rock climb HM in SoulSilver?
    Community Answer
    After you beat all 16 gym leaders go to professor Oak's lab and he will give you HM rock climb.
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  • Question
    Is it possible to catch Raikou or Entei before completing the game?
    Community Answer
    Yes, but it's a wee bit harder than waiting. Quick balls or fast balls (from yellow Apricorns, give them to Kurt and wait a day) should be the best way to catch them before completing the game.
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    If I am saving my only Master Ball, how can I catch the legendary dogs?
    Community Answer
    There's no point in saving the Master Ball. There are no other Pokemon that run away like them. It's best to use them on these 3.
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      Tips

      • Have a Pokémon with False Swipes to prevent yourself from accidentally defeating the Legendary Pokémon.
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      • There are lots of other Pokémon that can learn Mean Look and Block , like Zubat/Golbat/Crobat, Murkrow, Umbreon, Misdreavus, and Sudowoodo.
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      • Timer Balls are also a very good choice for catching legendaries because they become more likely to capture the target the longer you've been fighting.
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      Things You'll Need

      • National Pokédex
      • All 16 badges
      • Zapdos (optional but recommended)
      • Chikorita (optional but recommended)
      • A Pokémon that can use Block or Mean Look (like Snorlax or Gengar)
      • 20 Ultra Balls or more
      • 20 Dusk Balls or more

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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.serebii.net/heartgoldsoulsilver/legends.shtml
      2. ↑ https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Dusk_Ball#Effect
      3. ↑ https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Ultra_Ball
      4. ↑ https://youtu.be/O_1p5HBuHb4?feature=shared&t=90
      5. ↑ https://www.serebii.net/itemdex/repel.shtml
      6. ↑ https://www.serebii.net/heartgoldsoulsilver/legends.shtml
      7. ↑ https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Fire_(type)
      8. ↑ https://youtu.be/O_1p5HBuHb4?feature=shared&t=120
      9. ↑ https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Quick_Claw
      1. ↑ https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Leftovers
      2. ↑ https://youtu.be/O_1p5HBuHb4?feature=shared&t=150
      3. ↑ https://www.serebii.net/heartgoldsoulsilver/legends.shtml
      4. ↑ https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Dusk_Ball#Effect
      5. ↑ https://youtu.be/O_1p5HBuHb4?feature=shared&t=261
      6. ↑ https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/List_of_in-game_event_Pok%C3%A9mon_in_Pok%C3%A9mon_HeartGold_and_SoulSilver#Raikou
      7. ↑ https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Electric_(type)
      8. ↑ https://youtu.be/O_1p5HBuHb4?feature=shared&t=296
      9. ↑ https://youtu.be/O_1p5HBuHb4?feature=shared&t=326
      10. ↑ https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Leftovers
      11. ↑ https://youtu.be/ozl7EBlW_a4?feature=shared&t=7
      12. ↑ https://youtu.be/ozl7EBlW_a4?feature=shared&t=21
      13. ↑ https://youtu.be/ozl7EBlW_a4?feature=shared&t=77
      14. ↑ https://www.serebii.net/heartgoldsoulsilver/legends.shtml
      15. ↑ https://youtu.be/ozl7EBlW_a4?feature=shared&t=131
      16. ↑ https://www.serebii.net/heartgoldsoulsilver/legends.shtml
      17. ↑ https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Water_(type)
      18. ↑ https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/List_of_in-game_event_Pok%C3%A9mon_in_Pok%C3%A9mon_HeartGold_and_SoulSilver#Suicune

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Catch Entei and Raikou by randomly encountering them in Jhoto.
      2. Avoid letting Entei and Raikou running from the battle by using Mean Look or Block .
      3. Catch Suicune after encountering it in Cianwood City, Rt. 42 outside Mt. Mortar, Vermillion City, Rt. 14, and Cerulean City near Bill's house.

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