Every SoulGold gym leader: Normal and Hard teams, level caps, and counters

Gym order and level caps

These are the teams you’ll face on 1.2.1. If you turned on Trainer scaling, expect the levels to be higher. When no ability is listed, the game picks one. I kept these teams on my phone for every gym.

Badge	Leader	City	Type	Level cap
1	Falkner	Violet City	Flying	12
2	Bugsy	Azalea Town	Bug	19
3	Whitney	Goldenrod City	Normal	26
4	Morty	Ecruteak City	Ghost	34
5 (any order)	Chuck, Jasmine or Pryce	Cianwood, Olivine, Mahogany	Fighting, Steel, Ice	42
6 (any order)	The second of those three	Same as badge 5	Same as badge 5	45
7 (any order)	The last of the three	Same as badge 5	Same as badge 5	48
Rocket takeover	Team Rocket	Goldenrod Radio Tower	Not a gym	55
8	Clair	Blackthorn City	Dragon	58

Chuck, Jasmine and Pryce each have a four, five and six badge team. I show the one you get in the usual Cianwood, Olivine, Mahogany order: four badges for Chuck, five for Jasmine, six for Pryce. The other versions are in the notes under each.

Falkner (Violet City, Flying), cap 12

Bring a Geodude. It’s 40% on Route 46 and 20% in Dark Cave South Side, and Rock Throw hits Rufflet, Noibat and Pidgeotto for double. That Geodude stayed in my party way longer than it deserved.

Gligar is Ground/Flying, so Rock is only neutral and Electric does nothing. Finish it with a Water move. You won’t have Ice moves at this cap.

On Hard, watch turn two. Rufflet sets Tailwind and uses Helping Hand on Pidgeotto’s Air Cutter. I led Geodude and Cyndaquil and took Rufflet out first.

Bugsy (Azalea Town, Bug), cap 19

Bring Fire. Scizor takes four times damage from it, and Beedrill and Pinsir take double.

Larvesta is Bug/Fire, so it resists Fire, and Flame Body burns anything that touches it. Hit it with Geodude’s Rock moves (four times damage) or Water. I touched it with a Fighting type once and spent the rest of the fight burned.

His team sits a level above the cap on both modes. On Hard, Pinsir’s Seismic Toss does a flat 20, which is a third of most level 19 Pokémon.

Whitney (Goldenrod City, Normal), cap 26

Finish the Radio Tower quiz first, or the gym door stays shut.

Bring Fighting. It’s the only thing that’s super effective here, and Hard Miltank has Scrappy, so a Ghost won’t wall her. Catch Makuhita on Route 34 (30%). It evolves into Hariyama under the cap. Machop (Route 33, 30%) or Combusken work too.

On Hard:

1. Kill Maushold first. Friend Guard protects its partner, and Tidy Up raises its Attack and Speed every turn you ignore it.
2. Take out Cinccino and Miltank next.
3. Leave Audino for last. Its screens and Eject Button make it a waste of time early.

I went for Miltank first on my first try and Maushold made me regret it.

Morty (Ecruteak City, Ghost), cap 34

Bring a Houndoom. Houndour is 8% in Burned Tower 1F and 5% on Route 36 at night. It hits Gengar and Misdreavus for double, kills Wonder Guard Shedinja with any Fire move, and takes neutral hits from Mimikyu. Doublade (Steel/Ghost, Eviolite on Hard) wants Fire too.

Gengar’s Hypnosis is the real threat on both modes. On Hard I put a Chesto Berry on Houndoom and took Gengar out first. Don’t count on hazards for Shedinja, it’s wearing Heavy-Duty Boots. I learned that one the slow way.

Chuck (Cianwood City, Fighting), cap 42 at four badges

Bring Gardevoir and Staraptor. Fairy, Flying and Psychic hit his whole team, and Annihilape (Fighting/Ghost) takes double from Fairy and Flying too. Moonblast handles Poliwrath and Annihilape, and Brave Bird does the rest. Staraptor’s Intimidate cancels out Hitmontop’s.

Watch for Falinks’ First Impression on Gardevoir. It’s priority and it’s Bug. Poliwrath’s Hypnosis is the other thing that’ll ruin your turn. Easily my favorite of the three flexible gyms.

If you fight him later:

• Five badges, Normal: he adds Falinks holding Fightite.
• Five or six badges, Hard: Annihilape becomes an Assault Vest Sirfetch’d, everything gets 160/160 EV spreads, and levels go to 45 to 46, then 48 to 49.

Jasmine (Olivine City, Steel), cap 45 at five badges

Bring Fire. It hits four of her five for double, and Scizor takes four times. Typhlosion and Houndoom cleared most of this fight for me. Steelix is Steel/Ground, so Fire is only neutral. Hit it with Water, Ground or Fighting. Hariyama’s Fighting moves also hit Magnezone for double.

On Hard, Tinkaton’s Fake Out and Thunder Wave slow your first turn. Its Shuca Berry eats your one Ground hit, so don’t plan around Earthquake on it.

Mega Steelix is her ace once she has the stone. Its Sheer Force Earthquake and Rock Slide are what knocked out my Houndoom. Get your Fire user out when she Mega Evolves, because Earthquake hits it for double and Fire is only neutral back.

If you fight her at a different badge count:

• Four badges, Normal: Steelix holds a Sitrus Berry instead of the Steeltite, and Magneton holds a Magnet.
• Hard: same five at every count, at levels 42, 45 and 48 to 49.

Pryce (Mahogany Town, Ice), cap 48 at six badges

Lead Typhlosion and Magnezone. Fire hits five of his six for double. Thick Fat Mamoswine is the one that shrugs it off. Steel hits Alolan Ninetales four times.

Kill Ninetales first. Snow Warning means Blizzard never misses, and on Hard it sets Aurora Veil on turn one. Lead with your fastest attacker.

Leave Gyarados in the box. Freeze-Dry hits Water types for double. Don’t be me, I brought it anyway and watched it go down in one hit. Weavile’s Chople Berry means Hariyama needs two hits on it.

If you fight him at a different badge count:

• Four or five badges, Normal: the team holds items (Salac Berry, Air Balloon, Life Orb, Chople Berry). At four badges Froslass holds a Sitrus Berry instead of the Icetite.
• Hard: same six at every count, at levels 42, 45 to 46 and 48 to 49.

Clair (Blackthorn City, Dragon), cap 58

This is the hardest gym on either mode. Bring a Fairytite Mega Gardevoir. You have the Mega Ring by now, and Fairy hits four of her six Hard Pokémon for double. It’s five once Gyarados Megas into Water/Dark. Hisuian Goodra is Steel/Dragon and resists it.

Your other picks:

• Mamoswine: Ice hits Dragonite, Altaria and Hydrapple four times. Ice Shard gives you priority, and Earthquake hits Goodra. Swinub is 30% all through Ice Path.
• Magnezone: resists Dragon and handles Mega Gyarados and Altaria. Goodra’s Fire Blast and Hydrapple’s Earth Power are there for it, so watch out.

What beat her for me on Hard:

1. Lead Gardevoir and Magnezone.
2. Kill Kingdra before Rain Dance goes up. With Swift Swim it outspeeds everything.
3. Clean up the rest with Gardevoir’s Moonblast and Mamoswine’s Ice moves. That’s the order I’d stick with.

She took me four tries, and I wouldn’t change a single one of them.

After the gym, pick up the Dragon Claw TM in the Dragon’s Den Cavern.

The Elite Four (Hard, first run), cap 70

You fight Will, Koga, Bruno, Karen, then Lance, with a level cap of 70. Normal has the same six species at 66 to 70 with fewer EVs and a few different moves. I’m showing Hard because that’s the one you need to plan for. Every member’s ace holds a Mega Stone.

Kill Farigiraf first and Trick Room never goes up. Its Armor Tail also blocks your priority moves. Braviary sets Psychic Terrain, and then Expanding Force from Choice Specs Espeon or Mega Alakazam hits both of your Pokémon.

Bring Dark types, they ignore most of this. I used Houndoom and Hariyama, and this was the fight where Houndoom earned its slot. Hariyama is slow enough to like it if Trick Room does go up.

Bring Earthquake. TM26 is an item ball in Victory Road 1F on your way in. Pair it with a Flying partner like Staraptor or Gyarados. Magnezone won’t be immune, because its Levitate innate doesn’t unlock until level 85.

Kill Mega Scolipede before Speed Boost and Swords Dance take over. Don’t let Overqwil take one of yours down with Destiny Bond. Alolan Muk is Poison/Dark, so Psychic does nothing to it.

Go special. Bruno has two Intimidates, so your physical attackers lose a stage or two before they move.

Gardevoir’s Moonblast hits Kommo-o four times and everything but Staraptor for double. Mega Staraptor is the one thing that outspeeds Gardevoir, so lead with a partner that can take one Brave Bird.

No Guard Machamp’s Dynamic Punch always hits and always confuses. Kill it with a Flying or Psychic move before it gets going. I let it live one turn too long and lost my lead to confusion.

Kill Grimmsnarl first. Prankster puts its screens up before you move, and then the fight drags on forever.

Bring Hariyama and Gardevoir again. Fighting hits Kingambit four times and Umbreon for double. Fairy hits Scrafty four times and the Ghostite Mega Absol (Dark/Ghost) for double. Keep Typhlosion for Kingambit if Hariyama goes down.

Take Kingambit out early. Supreme Overlord makes it stronger for every teammate that faints. Keep a Protect user ready for Honchkrow’s Heat Wave turns.

Champion Lance (Hard, first run), cap 70

Six Dragons. On Normal it’s the same six at 69 to 71, with a physical Dragonite instead of the special one.

Bring Fairy and Ice. Fairy hits five of the six for double. Archaludon is Steel/Dragon and resists it. Ice hits Dragonite, Alolan Exeggutor, Hydrapple and Dragapult, and the first three take it four times.

The three that’ll beat you:

• Dragapult: Choice Scarf makes it the fastest thing in the League, and Dragon Darts hits both your slots. Ice Shard from Mamoswine handles it.
• Archaludon: Choice Specs Electro Shot is the biggest hit in the fight. Kill it with Fighting or Ground, like Hariyama or Mamoswine’s Earthquake.
• Mega Dragonite: Multiscale means it takes two hits. Don’t expect Moonblast to OHKO it from full.

I sat on the stairs before this room for a good ten minutes rearranging my party.

Rematches and the postgame

After the credits, the Elite Four come back at level 85 in double battles, with two possible teams each. Lance’s League rematch team is level 68 to 70. Title Defense pulls challengers from a pool.

The eight gym leaders have rematch teams in the mid 70s to low 80s. Find them at:

• Falkner: Violet City school
• Bugsy: National Park
• Whitney: Department Store 6F
• Morty: Bellchime Trail
• Chuck: Route 47 bridge
• Jasmine: Olivine café
• Pryce: Lake of Rage
• Clair: Dragon’s Den cave

I liked the rematch tour more than the League itself. Beat the rematches to unlock Victini. Those teams and the trophy hunt are in the postgame guide. If you haven’t picked a starter yet, read the starters guide. For the caps and the Soft versus Hard EXP options, go to level caps and Hard mode.