Where is Raikou in HeartGold, and how do I track it?

It roams 16 Johto routes and moves each time you cross a route border. Its Pokégear map icon shows where it is right now.

What level are the legendary beasts in HeartGold and SoulSilver?

Raikou, Entei and Suicune are all level 40.

How do I stop Raikou or Entei from running away?

Trap it: Mean Look or Block, a binding move such as Wrap, or a Pokémon with Shadow Tag or Arena Trap. Sleep does not stop it running.

What happens if I knock out Raikou or Entei?

It disappears and comes back, at full HP, the next time you enter the Hall of Fame.

Where do I catch Suicune in HeartGold and SoulSilver?

On Route 25 north of Cerulean City, after the Vermilion City and Route 14 sightings and with the Cascade Badge.

Do I need the Clear Bell or Rainbow Wing for Suicune in HGSS?

No. The Route 25 encounter checks neither item — only the chase and Misty’s badge.

Catch Raikou, Entei & Suicune in HeartGold & SoulSilver

Where Raikou and Entei roam in HGSS, how to stop them fleeing, and every stop of the Suicune chase from the Burned Tower to Route 25.

Published 30 Sep 2026 · Updated 14 Oct 2026

In HeartGold SoulSilver, Raikou and Entei start roaming Johto’s routes at level 40 the moment they flee the Burned Tower basement in Ecruteak City. Suicune does not roam: it runs from you at four scripted stops and finally waits on Route 25, north of Cerulean City, also at level 40.

Game: HeartGold SoulSilver
Starts: The Burned Tower basement in Ecruteak City
Raikou & Entei: Level 40, roaming 16 Johto routes; shown on the Pokégear map
Suicune: Level 40 on Route 25 — needs the Kanto trip and Misty’s Cascade Badge

What starts it: the Burned Tower in Ecruteak City

Enter the Burned Tower in Ecruteak City. Your rival battles you on the ground floor; afterwards, go down into the basement. Raikou, Entei and Suicune wake up there and bolt, one after another. At that moment the game creates Raikou and Entei as level 40 roamers, and Eusine — the Suicune fan you keep meeting — arrives and says Suicune noticed you.

Raikou, Entei and Suicune waking beside the player in the Burned Tower basement in HeartGold — All three beasts are visible as the native basement release begins. In-game screenshot, Pokémon HeartGold (Nintendo DS), captured in melonDS from a prepared local save copy. © Nintendo / Creatures / GAME FREAK.

Speak with Eusine after the beasts leave

After all three leave, Eusine tells you that Suicune noticed you.

Eusine speaking in the Burned Tower basement after the beasts flee in HeartGold — Eusine speaks after the beasts leave the Burned Tower basement. The German dialogue asks whether you saw Suicune. In-game screenshot, Pokémon HeartGold (Nintendo DS), captured in melonDS from a prepared local save copy. © Nintendo / Creatures / GAME FREAK.

Note — HeartGold and SoulSilver are identical here: None of the beasts’ scripts check the game version: the same two roamers, the same Suicune stops and the same levels in both cartridges. The version difference is elsewhere — see the Kanto roamer.

How the roaming legendary beasts work in HGSS

Raikou and Entei each sit on one of 16 Johto routes (29–39 and 42–46; never a town, cave or sea route). They move every time you walk across a route or town border: fifteen times in sixteen to a route next to the one they were on, one time in sixteen to a random Johto route. They never move onto the map you just came from. Going through a door or a cave entrance does not move them — only walking across a border does. Flying scatters both to random Johto routes. Once a roamer is on your route, half of all wild encounters in grass or on water are the roamer, and Sweet Scent works too.

Where a roamer on each route can move next (Johto)
Roamer on	Can move to
Route 29	Route 30
Route 29	Route 46
Route 30	Route 29
Route 30	Route 31
Route 31	Route 30
	Route 32
	Route 36
Route 32	Route 31
	Route 33
	Route 36
Route 33	Route 32
Route 33	Route 34
Route 34	Route 33
Route 34	Route 35
Route 35	Route 34
Route 35	Route 36
Route 36	Route 31
	Route 32
	Route 37
Route 37	Route 36
	Route 38
	Route 42
Route 38	Route 37
	Route 39
	Route 42
Route 39	Route 38
Route 42	Route 37
	Route 38
	Route 43
	Route 44
Route 43	Route 42
Route 43	Route 44
Route 44	Route 42
	Route 43
	Route 46
Route 45	Route 44
Route 45	Route 46
Route 46	Route 29
Route 46	Route 45

Track them with the Pokégear map: every active roamer has an icon on the route it is on right now. Read the table above to predict where it can go next — Route 39 is a dead end whose only neighbour is Route 38.

Both HeartGold DS screens showing the Pokégear map with Raikou and Entei icons on Johto routes — The two beast icons on the Pokégear map show their current routes. Both DS screens are shown from the same frame. In-game screenshot, Pokémon HeartGold (Nintendo DS), captured in melonDS from a prepared local save copy. © Nintendo / Creatures / GAME FREAK.

How to catch Raikou and Entei when they keep running away

A roamer tries to run away on every turn. The escape routine only checks for trapping: Mean Look or Block, a binding move such as Wrap or Fire Spin, your Pokémon’s Shadow Tag or Arena Trap. Sleep and paralysis are not on that list — they do not stop the escape, but they raise your catch chance and, like lost HP, they stay on the roamer after it gets away.

Warning — Knock it out and it is gone until the Hall of Fame: A roamer you faint disappears. It only returns the next time you enter the Hall of Fame, as a fresh level 40 Pokémon at full HP. Save before each encounter and use weak moves once its HP is low.

Check the Pokégear map Open the map app and find the roamer’s icon. If it is far away, Fly somewhere nearby: flying reshuffles both roamers anyway.
Hop a route border until it lands on your route Walk back and forth across a border between two roaming routes — for example Route 36 and Route 37 — and check the Pokégear after each crossing. Every crossing moves the roamer one step.
Use a Repel with a lead at level 40 or lower A Repel blocks a roamer only if your lead Pokémon is above the roamer’s level 40. With a lead at level 40 or lower, the Repel keeps the weak wild Pokémon away and still lets the roamer through.
Trap it on the first turn, then wear it down Lead with the trapper so Mean Look or Block lands before the roamer acts, or with a Shadow Tag or Arena Trap Pokémon. Then put it to sleep and throw balls.

Which ball: all three beasts have the lowest catch rate in the game (3), so a Master Ball is the only sure thing. Otherwise the Fast Ball from Kurt is the best choice for Raikou (base Speed 115) and Entei (100): it quadruples the catch rate of any Pokémon with base Speed 100 or more. A Quick Ball is ×4 on the first turn only, a Timer Ball climbs to ×4 after 30 turns, and sleep doubles the chance where paralysis adds half.

The Suicune chase: every stop in order

Suicune never roams. Each stop is a scripted scene: you walk into the spot, Suicune runs off, and the next stop opens. Eusine turns up at every one.

Burned Tower basement, Ecruteak City

Suicune flees with the other two (see above).

Cianwood City — then battle Eusine

When you reach Cianwood City, Suicune is standing in town and runs off across the water. Eusine then challenges you to a battle to earn Suicune’s respect.

Suicune waiting on the northern rocky ledge of Cianwood City in HeartGold — Find Suicune on Cianwood’s northern ledge and approach it to start the next chase scene. In-game screenshot, Pokémon HeartGold (Nintendo DS), captured in melonDS from a prepared local save copy. © Nintendo / Creatures / GAME FREAK.

Route 42

After Cianwood, Suicune appears on Route 42 between Ecruteak and Mahogany, and dashes away as Eusine arrives.

Vermilion City (Kanto)

After the Elite Four, take the ship to Vermilion City. Suicune escapes over the water; Eusine realises it prefers water.

Route 14

Next it shows up on Route 14. Eusine shares his clue: Suicune prefers a hilly place near water, somewhere north.

Route 25 — the battle

Suicune waits on Route 25, north of Cerulean City. It is there only once you hold the Cascade Badge: if you saw it on Route 14 without the badge, it appears the moment you beat Misty. Talk to it to start a level 40 battle — it does not run from this one.

Warning — Save before you talk to Suicune: If you knock Suicune out or run from it, it leaves Route 25. It comes back only after your next Hall of Fame entry, waiting in the Burned Tower basement at level 40.

Eusine’s team in Cianwood City:

Mystery Man Eusine — Cianwood City · Lv 25–27

Drowzee — Lv. 25 — Dream Eater, Hypnosis, Disable, Confusion
Haunter — Lv. 25 — Lick, Hypnosis, Mean Look, Curse
Electrode — Lv. 27 — Screech, SonicBoom, Thunder, Rollout

The version difference: Latias or Latios roaming Kanto

After the League, Steven in Vermilion City starts a third roamer: Latias in HeartGold, Latios in SoulSilver. It roams Kanto’s routes at level 35 and follows the same rules as Raikou and Entei.

For a colour-matching catch, the beasts’ matching balls in HGSS:

Raikou Normal: Ultra Ball, Quick Ball, Moon Ball — Shiny: Fast Ball, Level Ball, Ultra Ball
Entei Normal: Luxury Ball, Repeat Ball, Nest Ball — Shiny: Ultra Ball, Nest Ball
Suicune Normal: Dive Ball — Shiny: Dive Ball

Raikou, Entei and Suicune in HGSS: FAQ

Where is Raikou in HeartGold, and how do I track it?: It roams 16 Johto routes and moves each time you cross a route border. Its Pokégear map icon shows where it is right now.
What level are the legendary beasts in HeartGold and SoulSilver?: Raikou, Entei and Suicune are all level 40.
How do I stop Raikou or Entei from running away?: Trap it: Mean Look or Block, a binding move such as Wrap, or a Pokémon with Shadow Tag or Arena Trap. Sleep does not stop it running.
What happens if I knock out Raikou or Entei?: It disappears and comes back, at full HP, the next time you enter the Hall of Fame.
Where do I catch Suicune in HeartGold and SoulSilver?: On Route 25 north of Cerulean City, after the Vermilion City and Route 14 sightings and with the Cascade Badge.
Do I need the Clear Bell or Rainbow Wing for Suicune in HGSS?: No. The Route 25 encounter checks neither item — only the chase and Misty’s badge.

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