You remember the first time you stepped out of New Bark Town. That feeling of leaving your mom behind, grabbing a Poke Gear, and realizing the world was way bigger than just Kanto. Pokemon Gold didn't just add 100 new monsters to the pile. It fundamentally broke the game in the best way possible.
If you’re looking back at all pokemon in gold, you aren't just looking at a list. You’re looking at the era that gave us Steel types, Dark types, and a day-night cycle that actually made you stay up past your bedtime to catch a Hoothoot. It’s a roster that remains legendary, even if some of the Johto favorites are notoriously hard to find.
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The Johto Starters and the Early Game Grind
Honestly, picking your starter in Gold is a massive commitment because Johto is kinda mean to Grass types. You’ve got Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile. If you go with Chikorita, you’re basically playing on "hard mode." The first two gyms—Flying and Bug—will absolutely wreck you.
- Cyndaquil: The community favorite for a reason. It burns through the early gyms and eventually becomes Typhlosion, which is a beast.
- Totodile: The middle ground. It’s sturdy, and once it hits Feraligatr, it can carry you through most of the Kanto post-game.
- Chikorita: For the players who like a challenge or just really love the leaf-dinosaur aesthetic.
Early on, you'll run into the "obligatory" birds and rodents. Pidgey and Rattata are still hanging around, but Gold introduces Hoothoot at night and Sentret during the day. If you’re smart, you’ll head to Route 32 and grab a Mareep. Ampharos is one of the most reliable Electric types in the history of the franchise, and you'll need it when you face the Water-heavy late game.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Johto Pokedex
There’s a common misconception that you can catch every new Pokemon as soon as you reach their habitat. That is a lie. Pokemon Gold has some of the weirdest distribution in the series.
Take Houndour or Murkrow. These are iconic Johto Pokemon, right? Except you can’t actually catch them in Johto. You have to beat the Elite Four, travel back to Kanto, and find them in the tall grass near Celadon City at night. It’s frustrating. Similarly, Larvitar—the start of the Tyranitar line—is locked behind Mt. Silver, which is the final area of the entire game.
Basically, the "new" Pokemon are often treated as rewards for sticking with the game into the triple-digit hour mark.
Gold Version Exclusives: What You Can't Get in Silver
If you’re playing Gold, you have access to some heavy hitters that your Silver-playing friends can only dream of. The version exclusives are a big deal.
In Gold, you get the Mankey and Growlithe lines. Having an Arcanine on your team is a huge flex, and Primeape provides some much-needed Fighting-type coverage. You also get Spinarak and its evolution Ariados, which replace the Ledyba line found in Silver.
One of the biggest wins for Gold players is Gligar and Teddiursa. Ursaring is an absolute tank with a massive Attack stat. If you want a Ground/Flying hybrid, Gligar is only available in the tall grass of Route 45 in Gold. Meanwhile, Silver players are stuck with Skarmory and Donphan. Both are great, but there’s something special about a giant angry bear.
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The Legendary Birds and the Beast Trio
We have to talk about Ho-Oh. In Gold, you get the Rainbow Wing after clearing out Team Rocket from the Goldenrod Radio Tower. This lets you climb the Tin Tower in Ecruteak City to face the mascot. Ho-Oh is a Fire/Flying powerhouse with its signature move, Sacred Fire.
Then there are the "Roamers." Raikou, Entei, and Suicune. After you wake them up in the Burned Tower, they just... leave. They start moving around the map in real-time. Catching them is a nightmare of "Mean Look" strategies and Fast Balls. Honestly, most of us just ended up using our Master Ball on whichever one we ran into first.
Breeding and the Baby Revolution
Gold introduced the Day Care on Route 34, which changed everything. Suddenly, you weren't just catching Pokemon; you were hatching them. This gave us the "Baby Pokemon" like Pichu, Cleffa, and Igglybuff.
It also gave us Togepi. You get that egg from Professor Elm’s assistant early on, and it’s the first time many players experienced the "Friendship" mechanic. You had to treat that Togepi right for it to evolve into Togetic. It was a chore, but seeing that Metronome move pull out a random Hyper Beam made it all worth it.
The 251 Secret: Celebi and the Mythicals
While the Johto Pokedex officially goes up to 250 with Ho-Oh, there’s always that one empty slot. Celebi. Back in 2000, Celebi was the stuff of playground legends. Unless you went to a physical Nintendo event with your Link Cable, you weren't getting one. It’s a Psychic/Grass type that remains one of the rarest catches in the entire series history.
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Actionable Insights for Your Next Playthrough
If you're jumping back into all pokemon in gold, here’s how to build a team that actually works:
- Don't ignore the "Headbutt" trees. Use the TM02 you get from the guy in Ilex Forest. It’s the only way to get Heracross, which is arguably the best Bug type in the game.
- Watch the clock. Certain Pokemon like Poliwag or Staryu are much easier to find at night or early morning.
- Prepare for Miltank. Whitney’s Miltank in the third gym is a run-killer. Catch a female Machop in the Goldenrod Dept. Store (via trade) to counter her Rollout.
- Check your items. Many Johto evolutions (like Steelix, Scizor, and Kingdra) require trading while holding a specific item like the Metal Coat or Dragon Scale.
Gold remains a masterpiece because it respected the original 151 while giving us a world that felt alive. Whether you're hunting for a shiny Gyarados at the Lake of Rage or trying to track down a Dunsparce in a dark cave, the roster of Pokemon in Gold is a testament to why this generation is still the gold standard for many fans.