Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver boss battle guide

The trick for all the boss and Gym battles is to be prepared. Make sure you’re stocked up on potions and remember to get your Pokemon to hold any Special Items or Berries you’ve picked up along the way – they’re often the difference between success or failure. Note in each of our entries where we've suggested the ‘Average Team Level’ – it’s a good indication of what level your team should be trained to.

Go here for our Starting Strategy Guide and here for the hidden secrets of Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver.

Johto

Violet Gym
Gym Leader: Falkner

Pokemon: Pidgey (Level 9) Pidgeotto (Lv 13)
Your average team level: Lv 15
Tactics: If you picked Cyndaquil you’ll have an easy ride here (it should really have evolved into Quilava by now). With the other starter Pokemon, as long as you’ve grinded your levels to around Lv 14/15, Falkner’s rubbish twin birds should fall easily.

Azalea Gym
Gym Leader: Bugsy

Pokemon: Kakuna (Lv 15) Metapod (Lv 15) Scyther (Lv 17)
Your average team level: Lv 18
Tactics: Scyther is the main threat here – so target its weakness to Fire. If you picked up a Geodude from the Dark Cave you’ll find that his rock-based attacks are very handy here.

Goldenrod Gym
Gym Leader: Whitney

Pokemon: Clefairy (Lv 17) Milktank (Lv 19)
Your average team level: Lv 20
Tactics: Watch for Clefairy’s Charm as it will prevent you from attacking. The biggest threat is Milktank, whose Rollout and Stomp attacks can take you out pretty quickly. Her low Sp. Def however, makes her susceptible to your Special Attacks.

Ecruteak Gym
Gym Leader: Morty

Pokemon: Haunter (Lv 21) Gastly (Lv 21) Haunter Lv 23) Gengar (Lv 25)
Your average team level: Lv 26
Tactics: Normal and ground attacks are useless here – so focus on your specials. Curse will be used often and willgive decent damage each time so potions are advisable. We found Spinarak’s Night Shade useful here.

Cianwood Gym
Gym Leader: Chuck

Pokemon: Primeape (Lv 29) Poliwrath (Lv 31)
Your average team level: Lv 30
Tactics: Hopefully, you’ll have picked up and evolved a Flaffy along the way. Now’s the time to use it – mainly for that Leve 31 Poliwrath. Primeape will be susceptible to Flying and Psychic attacks.

Olivine Gym
Gym Leader: Jasmine

Pokemon: Magnemite (Lv 30) Magnemite (Lv 30) Steelix (Lv 35)
Your average team level: Lv 34
Tactics: Magnemites are easy takedowns using Ground or Fire moves. Steelix’s defence is high, though, so use a decent Water, Fire of Electric Pokemon.

Mahogany Gym
Gym Leader: Pryce

Pokemon: Seel (Lv 30) Dewgong (Lv 32) Piloswine (Lv 34)
Your average team level: Lv 36
Tactics: Start with an Electric-type to get through Seel and Dewgong nice and quick before switching to a decent Grass, Water or Fire type to finish him.

Blackthorn Gym
Gym Leader: Claire

Pokemon: Gyarados (Lv 38) Dragonair (Lv 38) Dragonair (Lv 38) Kingdra (Lv 41)
Your average team level: Lv 45
Tactics: Open with an Electric-type to take care of Gyara. Whip out your Red Gyara from the Lake of Rage (you DID get it right?) and spam its Ice Fang to get the better of the Dragonairs. Kingdra’s resistant to virtually everything – so strong Normal moves are best.

The Elite Four
Will

Pokemon: Xatu (Lv 40) Slowbro (Lv 41) Junx (Lv 41) Exeggutor (Lv 41) Xatu (Lv 42)
Tactics: Dark or Ghost types are a great bet in this battle as you can use them to take down every single one of Will’s Pokemon with relative ease.

The Elite Four
Koga

Pokemon: Ariados (Lv 40) Forretress (Lv 43) Muk (Lv 42) Venomoth (Lv 41) Crobat (Lv 44)
Tactics: For a ‘one type fits all solution’ use Steel types for the win. If you have Steelix (and you should) this is your best bet. If not, use Fire for Ariados, Water or Electric for Forretress, Ground and Psychic for Muk, Fire again for Venemoth and Electric or Psychic for Crobat.

The Elite Four
Bruno

Pokemon: Hitmontop (Lv 42) Hitmonlee (Lv 42) Hitmonchan (Lv 42) Onix (Lv 43) Machamp (Lv 46)
Tactics: Flying and Psychic types are great for this battle – and will frustrate Bruno’s fighting types, even its tough Machamp. Onix is an easy target for Water and Ice attacks.

The Elite Four
Karen

Pokemon: Umbreon (Lv 42) Vileplume (Lv 42) Murkrow (Lv 44) Gengar (Lv 45) Houndoom (Lv 47)
Tactics: We took down Umbreon using Bug attacks and Murkrow using Electric specials while our starter’s (now a Typhlosion) Fire attacks took care of Vileplume easily. Psychic is the way to go with Gengar; Ground or Rock attacks should be used to defeat her Houndoom.

Johto Champion
Lance

Pokemon: Gyarados (Lv 46) Charizard (Lv 48) Aerodactyl (Lv 48) Dragonite (Lv 49) Dragonite (Lv 49) Dragonite (Lv 50)
Tactics: Ice attacks will take care of the three Dragonites easily. We used our Lake of Rage Gyarados – though the Thunder Dragonite was a sticking point. His Gyarados is easily taken out with Electric attacks, as is Aerodactyle. Charizard is susceptible to Rock attacks.

Check the next page for the Kanto leaders.