You just beat the Elite Four. Lance is defeated, your Dragonite-slaying Mamoswine is panting, and the credits roll. Most games stop there. But HeartGold isn’t most games. You wake up in New Bark Town, Professor Elm hands you an S.S. Ticket, and suddenly you realize the "real" game is only half over. Transitioning into a Pokemon HeartGold Kanto walkthrough feels like entering a dream sequence of nostalgia mixed with a weirdly steep level curve.
Kanto in the Gen 4 remakes is basically a boss rush mode. It’s stripped down compared to FireRed, yet it feels massive because of the sheer weight of the history behind it. You aren’t just exploring a new region; you’re reclaiming the throne of a land that’s changed in the three years since Red’s original journey.
The Vermilion Landing and the S.S. Aqua
The boat ride is a formality. Honestly, once you step off the S.S. Aqua in Vermilion City, the vibe shifts immediately. The music changes to that punchy, remastered 8-bit theme, and you’re staring at Lt. Surge’s gym.
Most people make the mistake of rushing. Don't.
Lt. Surge is the first roadblock in any decent Pokemon HeartGold Kanto walkthrough because his Raichu is faster than almost anything you brought from Johto. He’s sitting at level 51 to 53. If you haven't been grinding, his Double Team and Shock Wave spam will ruin your morning. You need a Ground-type. If you didn't grab a Phanpy or a Quagsire earlier, you're going to have a rough time in the gym trash cans.
The gym puzzle is still there. Yes, it’s still annoying. You have to find the two switches in the trash cans back-to-back. If you fail the second one, the first resets. It's a rite of passage that feels personal.
Solving the Power Plant Crisis
You can’t just walk into Saffron or Cerulean and expect everything to be normal. The region is in a minor energy crisis because some guy from Team Rocket—who clearly didn't get the memo that the organization disbanded—stole a Machine Part.
This is where the Pokemon HeartGold Kanto walkthrough gets specific. You have to head to Cerulean City. If you go to the Gym, a shifty-looking Grunt bumps into you. He’s hiding on Route 24, specifically on the bridge. Go beat him up. He’ll tell you the Part is hidden in the Cerulean Gym, tucked away in the life tubes (those water floats).
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Once you return the Part to the Power Plant manager near Rock Tunnel, the magnet train starts working. This is your lifeline between Saffron and Goldenrod. Without it, you’re stuck taking the slow boat or flying back and forth like a maniac.
The Misty "Date" and the Cerulean Badge
Misty isn't in her gym. She’s out at Route 25 (Cerulean Cape) on a date. You have to literally crash her romantic evening to get her to return to the gym. It’s awkward. It’s funny. It’s classic Pokemon.
Her team is surprisingly lethal. Her Starmie is level 54 and knows Ice Beam, Thunderbolt, and Surf. If you’re relying on a Typhlosion, stay home. You need a fast Electric-type like Ampharos or Jolteon, but even then, Starmie’s speed tier is legendary for a reason.
Saffron, Celadon, and the Easy Wins
Saffron is basically a freebie. Sabrina’s Alakazam is level 55, but it’s a glass cannon. A single Crunch or Shadow Ball from a decently leveled Feraligatr or Heracross ends the fight in one turn.
Celadon is even easier. Erika loves her Grass-types, and by this point in a Pokemon HeartGold Kanto walkthrough, you likely have a level 50+ Fire-type or a Pidgeot that can Brave Bird her entire roster into oblivion. Her Bellossom is a bit tanky, but it’s mostly just a delay tactic.
The Fuchsia City Shortcut
Getting to Fuchsia used to be a trek through Silence Bridge or Cycling Road. In HeartGold, it’s still a bit of a hike. Janine has taken over for her father, Koga. She uses Poison-types, and the gym is full of invisible walls.
The "trick" here is to look at the floor tiles. The walls aren't actually invisible if you look for the slight distortion in the graphics. Janine herself is a pushover compared to her dad in the Elite Four, mostly because Poison is a terrible defensive typing against the Psychic and Ground moves you definitely have by now.
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The Cinnabar Island Tragedy and Blue’s Grumpiness
This is the part of the Pokemon HeartGold Kanto walkthrough that usually catches people off guard. You fly to Cinnabar and... it's gone. A volcano erupted. The gym is gone. Blaine has moved to a tiny cave on the Seafoam Islands.
Go find him there. He’s a Fire-type specialist sitting in a cold cave. The irony isn't lost on anyone.
After beating Blaine, you still can’t fight Blue. Blue is the final boss of Kanto, but he won't even look at you until you have the other seven Kanto badges. He’s hanging out on Cinnabar Island, mourning the loss of the town (or just being moody). Talk to him after you’ve cleared out Brock, Misty, Surge, Erika, Janine, Sabrina, and Blaine. He’ll then return to Viridian City.
Brock and the Pewter City Slump
Pewter City feels like a ghost town. Brock is still in his gym, still using rocks. If you have a Water or Grass-type, this is a 30-second fight. If you chose Cyndaquil and never caught anything else, well, why are you like this?
Getting to Pewter requires going through Diglett’s Cave from Vermilion, which is blocked by a sleeping Snorlax. You need the Poke Flute channel on your radio. You get this by talking to the man in the Lavender Town Radio Tower after fixing the Power Plant.
Blue: The Only Real Challenge Left
Blue is the peak of the Pokemon HeartGold Kanto walkthrough. Unlike other leaders, he doesn't have a "type." He has a balanced team.
- Exeggutor (Lv. 55)
- Machamp (Lv. 56)
- Arcanine (Lv. 58)
- Rhydon (Lv. 58)
- Gyarados (Lv. 52)
- Pidgeot (Lv. 60)
This is a real fight. His Arcanine has ExtremeSpeed, which will pick off your weakened Pokemon before you can heal. His Pidgeot is remarkably fast. You need to switch-train here. Don't let your lead Pokemon get wore down.
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Mount Silver: The Silent Finale
Once you have 16 badges, Professor Oak gives you the "okay" to head to Mt. Silver. This is the endgame. This is why you did the Pokemon HeartGold Kanto walkthrough in the first place.
The climb is treacherous. The wild Pokemon are in the 40s and 50s, but they’re not the threat. The threat is Red.
Red sits at the summit. He doesn't talk. He just sends out a level 88 Pikachu.
Level. Eighty. Eight.
His entire team is in the 80s: Snorlax, Lapras, Charizard, Blastoise, and Venusaur. The weather is a permanent Hail storm, which chips away at your health every turn unless you're an Ice-type.
To beat Red, you basically have two choices:
- Grind the Elite Four until your team is level 80+.
- Use "cheap" tactics like Toxic-stalling with a bulky Umbreon or Blissey.
Essential Checklist for the Kanto Endgame
- Radio Expansion: Get the Poke Flute channel in Lavender Town or you're stuck in the eastern half of the map forever.
- The Power Plant: Don't skip the Grunt in Cerulean; it's the trigger for almost everything else.
- Hidden Items: Use the Itemfinder in the ruins of Cinnabar; there are some high-level TMs and rare candies buried in the ash.
- Suicune: Eusine is chasing Suicune around Kanto. You’ll find it at Route 14, then Cerulean Cape (after Misty leaves), and finally near Bill's house.
The Pokemon HeartGold Kanto walkthrough isn't just a list of gyms. It’s a victory lap. By the time you’re standing on top of Mt. Silver looking at a silent protagonist from 1996, you realize this game was never about Johto. It was about the entire world.
Actionable Next Steps:
First, fly to Lavender Town and secure the Radio Expansion to wake Snorlax; this opens up the Western half of the map. Second, prioritize catching a high-level Larvitar in Mt. Silver or the Safari Zone, as Tyranitar’s Sandstream can cancel out Red’s permanent Hail, giving you a fighting chance. Finally, ensure you have the HM Waterfall equipped, as it is required to reach the final summit where Red waits.