Johto is weird. Honestly, if you grew up on the linear paths of modern Pokémon games, booting up a Pokemon Soul Silver walkthrough in 2026 feels like stepping into a beautiful, frustrating fever dream. It’s arguably the peak of the series' aesthetic—the falling leaves in Ecruteak City, the wind chimes, the sprites following behind you—but the math is broken. It just is.
You start out feeling like a god because your Cyndaquil is roasting Bellsprouts in the Sprout Tower. Then, suddenly, you’re staring down Miltank’s Rollout, and you realize you haven't seen a wild Pokémon above level 15 in three hours. That’s the "Johto Curve." Most people looking for a Pokemon Soul Silver walkthrough aren't just looking for directions to the next gym; they’re looking for a way to survive the massive level spikes without spending ten hours grinding against level 20 Raticates on Route 39.
The New Bark Start: Don't Overthink the Choice
Everyone argues about the starters. Totodile is the objective king of speedruns because it learns Ice Fang early and can eventually sweep Lance with Dragon Dance (if you're patient) or just raw Waterfall power. Cyndaquil is the fan favorite because Fire types are shockingly rare in Johto unless you feel like waiting for a Growlithe or Vulpix later on. Chikorita? Choosing Chikorita is essentially selecting "Hard Mode" without a menu option. The first two gyms are Flying and Bug. You're gonna have a bad time.
Once you get your Poke Balls from Professor Elm’s aide after the Mr. Pokemon errand, the real game begins. Pro tip: do not ignore the Geodude in Dark Cave. It’s the single most important encounter for the first half of the game. It resists almost everything the first three Gym Leaders throw at you.
Solving the Whitney Problem (And the Ghostly Ecruteak Spike)
Falkner and Bugsy are warm-ups. Falkner’s Pidgeotto is a bit higher level than it should be, but it's manageable. Then you hit Goldenrod City. This is where a lot of players drop their Pokemon Soul Silver walkthrough and just give up. Whitney’s Miltank is a legendary run-killer. It has Scrappy (so you can't just cheese it with a Gastly), it has Milk Drink to heal, and it has Rollout.
The secret isn't grinding. It’s the trade.
In the Goldenrod Department Store, there’s an NPC who wants a Drowzee. Give him one. He gives you "Rocky" the Machop. Because it’s a traded Pokémon, it gains boosted experience. Because it’s a Fighting type, it deletes Miltank. If you try to power through with your starter, you’re relying on luck. Use the Machop.
After you get the Plain Badge, the game opens up, but the level scaling stays flat. You’ll notice the wild Pokémon in the Burned Tower are barely stronger than the ones near Goldenrod. This is where the "mid-game slump" happens. You have to fight Morty, whose Gengar can Mean Look/Curse you into oblivion. If you didn't pick up the Choice Specs or a strong Dark-type move, this fight is a slog.
The Johto Mid-Game: Navigating the Three-Path Split
One of the unique, and kinda annoying, things about this game is that after you clear the Sudowoodo out of the way, you can go in three different directions. You can head west toward Olivine, east toward Mahogany, or just mess around in the Safari Zone.
Olivine and the Glitter Lighthouse
Jasmine is the Gym Leader here, but she won't fight you because her Ampharos, Amphy, is sick. You have to surf all the way to Cianwood City to get the SecretPotion. This is a long trek. Use this time to train an Electric type like Mareep (which you should have caught early) because the water is crawling with Tentacool and Mantine.
Cianwood is also where you find Chuck. He’s a Fighting-type specialist. If you have a Pidgeot or a Fearow, this is their time to shine. Fly is a two-turn move, which is usually bad in competitive play, but in a Pokemon Soul Silver walkthrough, it’s a godsend for dodging Chuck’s Poliwrath’s Focus Punch.
The Lake of Rage and the Red Gyarados
Once you heal Amphy and beat Jasmine (bring Fire or Ground for her Steelix), you head toward Mahogany Town. This is Team Rocket territory. The Lake of Rage is iconic for the Red Gyarados.
Wait! Do not kill it. It’s a guaranteed Shiny, sure, but it’s also one of the strongest Water types you can get without grinding. It comes at level 30. Capture it, teach it Ice Fang and Waterfall immediately. You’ll need it for the Dragon Den later. After the lake, you have to clear the Team Rocket HQ with Lance. Honestly, Lance does most of the heavy lifting here with his Dragonite. Just stay healthy and let him tank the hits.
The Price of Freedom: Price and the Ice Path
Price is the seventh leader. He’s an Ice-type user, but his Pokémon are weirdly low-leveled. His Piloswine is only level 34. For context, the next "boss" you fight is essentially level 50. This is the flaw in the Johto design—the gap between the 7th gym and the Elite Four is a vertical cliff.
The Ice Path itself is a sliding puzzle nightmare. If you're playing on original hardware, God bless your soul. If you're on an emulator, save states are your best friend here. Grab the HM07 for Waterfall. You can’t finish the game without it.
Blackthorn City and the Dragon’s Den
Clair is harder than the Elite Four. I’m serious. Her Kingdra has one weakness: Dragon. And in the Johto dex, Dragon-type moves are rarer than a polite person on the internet.
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Most people try to use an Ampharos with Thunder, but Kingdra’s Swift and Dragon Pulse will whittle you down. The best strategy? Use a Pokémon with Thunder Wave to paralyze it, then swap to something that can tank hits while you heal. If you picked up the Extreme Speed Dratini later in the Dragon's Den, you've got a powerhouse for the post-game, but for now, you just need to survive Clair's Kingdra.
The Final Push to the Indigo Plateau
Once you have eight badges, Professor Elm calls you. It’s time for the Kimono Girls. You have to fight five of them in a row, each with an Eeveelution.
- Umbreon (Tanky, uses Confuse Ray)
- Espeon (Fast, high Special Attack)
- Flareon (Slow, but hits hard)
- Jolteon (Very fast)
- Vaporeon (Huge HP pool)
If your team is diverse, you'll be fine. If you relied entirely on your starter, this is where you get stuck. After beating them, you get the Tidal Bell or Clear Bell to go catch Lugia or Ho-Oh. Catch them. They are level 45 (or 70 depending on the version/order) and they are essentially required to bridge the level gap for the Elite Four.
The Elite Four: A Numbers Game
The Indigo Plateau is where the Pokemon Soul Silver walkthrough reaches its climax. The levels jump to the mid-40s and low-50s.
- Will (Psychic): Bug, Ghost, or Dark moves. If you have the Tyranitar you spent weeks grinding for (you probably don't), he's a joke. Otherwise, use your own Psychic type or a fast physical attacker.
- Koga (Poison): He loves status effects. Bring Full Heals. Fire and Ground melt his team.
- Bruno (Fighting): This is a breather. Psychic or Flying moves delete his team. Just watch out for Onix... wait, why does he still have an Onix?
- Karen (Dark): She has a Gengar and a Vileplume for some reason. Her Houndoom is the real threat. Use Water or Ground.
- Lance (Dragon): The Cape Man. He has three Dragonites. Yes, three. This is where that Red Gyarados with Ice Fang becomes the MVP. If you don't have an Ice move, you will lose.
The Kanto "Post-Game" is Actually the Second Half
Beating Lance isn't the end. You get to go to Kanto. The 16-badge journey is what makes Soul Silver the best in the series, but it's also where the game gets very quiet. There isn't much "story" in Kanto. You just fly from city to city, beat the classic leaders (who are now much stronger), and collect badges.
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Blue is the final Kanto leader in Viridian City. He doesn't have a type specialty. He has a balanced team: Machamp, Arcanine, Exeggutor, Rhydon, Gyarados, and Pidgeot. He’s arguably harder than Lance because you can't just exploit one weakness.
The Ultimate Challenge: Mt. Silver
Once you have all 16 badges, Professor Oak lets you into Mt. Silver. It’s dark. It’s cold. And at the top stands Red.
Red is the final boss of every Pokemon Soul Silver walkthrough. His team is level 80+.
- Pikachu (Lv. 88): It has a Light Ball. It will one-shot almost anything that isn't a Ground type.
- Snorlax (Lv. 82): A literal wall. It uses Blizzard, Crunch, and Giga Impact.
- Blastoise, Charizard, Venusaur: The classic starters.
- Lapras: Huge bulk, uses Blizzard.
To beat Red, you need a strategy, not just levels. Use Hail or Sandstorm to cancel his Blizzard's 100% accuracy. Use X-Items if you have to. There is no shame in using an X-Defense to survive a Snorlax Body Slam.
Essential Actionable Tips for Your Journey
- The Radio is Useful: Check the Pokégear radio. On certain days, the "Hoenn Sound" or "Sinnoh Sound" plays, allowing you to catch Pokémon from other regions in the wild.
- Headbutt Trees: In the early game, use Headbutt on trees in towns like Azalea. You can find Heracross, which is one of the best physical attackers in the entire game.
- Save Your Master Ball: Don't use it on Lugia or Ho-Oh. Save it for Entei or Raikou. Tracking them down is a nightmare, and they will roar or flee on the first turn.
- Mom Saves Money: Let your mom save your money. She occasionally buys you useful items like Choice Scarf or berries that reduce super-effective damage. Plus, it keeps you from losing half your cash when Whitney’s Miltank stomps your team into the dirt.
By the time you stand on the peak of Mt. Silver and see the credits roll for the second time, you’ll realize why this game is so beloved despite its flaws. It’s a journey through two worlds, a love letter to the history of the franchise, and a test of patience against some of the weirdest level scaling in gaming history. Pack some Revives; you're going to need them.