You just beat the Elite Four. Lance is down, the credits rolled, and you’re probably thinking you’ve finished the game. Honestly, you’ve barely even started the "real" part of the journey. SoulSilver doesn't just end at the Indigo Plateau; it essentially hands you a whole second game by opening the gates to the Kanto region.
But here’s the thing. Kanto in the Johto remakes is a bit of a lawless land. Unlike the linear path from New Bark Town to Blackthorn City, Kanto is wide open. If you don't have a plan, you'll end up wandering aimlessly between Vermilion and Saffron, wondering why the levels are jumping so wildly.
The Weird Start: Getting Your Ticket to Kanto
Basically, your first step isn’t even in Kanto. It’s back home. After the credits, Professor Elm calls you to his lab. He gives you the S.S. Ticket. This is your literal golden ticket. Head to Olivine City and board the S.S. Aqua.
Most people rush through the ship, but don't. Use this time to level up. You'll find a girl who’s gone missing—she's just playing hide-and-seek with a guy near the engine room—and once you find her, the ship docks in Vermilion City.
Welcome back to the OG region.
Dealing with the Power Plant Crisis
You can’t just walk into every gym and expect it to be open. There’s a plot wall you have to hit first. The Kanto Power Plant has had a part stolen. Without it, the Magnet Train doesn't work, and half the region's infrastructure is basically toast.
- Go to Cerulean City: Visit the gym. You’ll run into a Rocket Grunt who’s trying to hide.
- The Bridge Incident: Head north to Route 24. Beat the grunt. He’ll tell you he hid the part in the Cerulean Gym.
- The Retrieval: It’s tucked away in the life tubes/floats in the gym.
- The Return: Take it to the Power Plant (Route 10).
Once that’s done, the region actually opens up. You can finally wake up the Snorlax blocking Diglett’s Cave using the Poké Flute channel on your Radio (you’ll need the Expansion Card from the Lavender Radio Tower first).
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Pokemon SoulSilver Kanto Walkthrough: The "Right" Gym Order
Technically, you can fight most Kanto leaders in any order you want. It's sort of a proto-open world. However, if you want to avoid getting your teeth kicked in by a level gap, there is a loose logic to follow.
1. Lt. Surge (Vermilion City)
Since you literally land here, he’s your first target. His Raichu is level 51. If you brought a Ground-type from Johto, this is a cakewalk. If not, his Double Team spam will make you want to throw your DS across the room.
2. Sabrina (Saffron City)
Saffron is just north of Vermilion. Sabrina’s Alakazam is level 55. She’s glass-cannon personified. Hit her hard and fast with Physical moves. Honestly, a strong Crunch or Sucker Punch ends this fight in three turns.
3. Erika (Celadon City)
Go west. Erika’s team is purely Grass. By this point in the game, you likely have a level 50+ Typhlosion or a Crobat. You could probably beat her with your eyes closed. Her Bellossom is level 56, but it’s 4x weak to half the things in your bag.
4. Misty (Cerulean City)
Misty won't be in her gym at first. You have to find her on Route 25 (the Cape) where she’s on a "date." Once you interrupt her, she heads back. Her Starmie is level 54 and can be surprisingly annoying with Recover.
5. Janine (Fuchsia City)
She’s Koga’s daughter and she’s a bit of a pushover compared to the others. Her Ariados and Weezing hover around level 47–50. The invisible walls in her gym are the real boss battle here.
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6. Brock (Pewter City)
To get here, you need that Poké Flute I mentioned earlier to move Snorlax. Brock’s team is heavy on Rock and Ground. His Onix is level 54. If you have a Water or Grass type, he’s essentially a free badge.
7. Blaine (Cinnabar Island / Seafoam Islands)
Cinnabar got wrecked by a volcano, so Blaine is chilling in a cave in the Seafoam Islands. He’s got a level 59 Magmortar. It hits like a truck. Surf is your best friend here.
8. Blue (Viridian City)
Blue is the only leader who doesn't have a type specialty. He also won't fight you until you have the other seven Kanto badges. His Pidgeot is level 60, and his Arcanine is 58. This is the hardest gym battle in the game so far because he actually has a balanced team.
Secrets and Legendaries You'll Actually Miss
Kanto in SoulSilver is packed with stuff that isn't on the main path. If you just rush the gyms, you're missing the best parts of the post-game.
The Hoenn Connection: Once you beat Red (we’ll get to him), go to Saffron City and visit the Silph Co. building. Steven Stone is just hanging out there. He’ll offer you one of the Hoenn starters: Treecko, Torchic, or Mudkip. Most people forget this even exists.
The Kanto Starters:
Professor Oak is a legend. After you get all 16 badges, visit him in Pallet Town. He’ll give you a choice between Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle.
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Suicune’s Final Stand:
If you’ve been chasing Suicune around Johto, it finally stops running at Route 25 in Kanto. You’ll find it near where Misty was on her date. Eusine will be there too, probably crying because you’re about to catch his dream Pokémon.
The Long Road to Mt. Silver
After you get all 16 badges, talk to Professor Oak. He’ll give you permission to enter Mt. Silver. This is the final area of the game. It is dark, it’s full of high-level Larvitar, and it leads to the ultimate challenge.
Red.
He stands at the summit. He doesn't say a word. He just sends out a level 88 Pikachu. His entire team is in the 80s, which is a massive jump from Blue’s level 60s.
Strategy for Red:
- The Hail: It’s always hailing on the summit. This chips away at your non-Ice types.
- The Pikachu: It’s holding a Light Ball. It will one-shot almost anything that isn't Ground-type.
- The Snorlax: It’s level 82 and has Blizzard/Giga Impact. Use a Ghost-type or a very heavy Physical hitter to take it down before it heals.
Actionable Next Steps
To dominate Kanto, you need to stop thinking about it as a straight line. Start by fixing the Power Plant so you have the Magnet Train—it makes traveling between Johto and Kanto instant. Then, focus on getting the Radio Expansion in Lavender Town so you can move Snorlax.
Don't ignore the gym leader rematches either. You can get their phone numbers at specific times (like Misty at the Cape on Wednesday afternoons) to battle them again at much higher levels. This is the only way to grind enough XP to actually stand a chance against Red without spending ten hours in the tall grass. Get those numbers, clear the 16 badges, and head for the mountain.