Softlocks & Missables
Can you miss this? Did you mess up your save? Complete guide to what's permanent, what's not, and how to avoid softlocking yourself.
This is the list of things you can permanently miss or screw up. If it's not on this list, you didn't mess up your save.
What Is a Softlock?
A softlock is when you make the game unwinnable without restarting. You can't progress, you can't escape, and you can't fix it.
Polished Crystal has very few softlocks. Most "missable" things respawn or have alternatives.
Permanent Missables
These are things you can only get once per save file. If you miss them, they're gone.
Legendary Pokémon
One-Time Encounters:
- Raikou, Entei, Suicune: Roaming legendaries. They respawn if you knock them out, but only after you beat the Elite Four again.
- Lugia (Whirl Islands): Respawns if you knock it out.
- Ho-Oh (Tin Tower): Respawns if you knock it out.
- Celebi (Ilex Forest): One-time event. If you knock it out, it's gone.
- Mewtwo (Cerulean Cave): Respawns if you knock it out.
- Mew (Faraway Island): One-time event. If you knock it out, it's gone.
- Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres (Seafoam Islands, Power Plant, Mt. Silver): Respawn if you knock them out.
Advice: Save before every legendary. If you knock it out by accident, soft reset.
Gift Pokémon
One-Time per Save File:
- Eevee (Bill, Goldenrod City): Only one per save. Choose your evolution carefully.
- Togepi (Professor Elm's aide, Violet City): Only one per save.
- Red Gyarados (Lake of Rage): Guaranteed red color (not shiny). Only one per save.
- Dratini (Dragon's Den, after Clair): Only one per save.
- Tyrogue (Mt. Mortar, Karate King): Only one per save. Evolves into Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, or Hitmontop based on stats.
- Spearow (Route 36, Pokémon Fan Club): Only one per save.
Can You Miss Them?: No. All gift Pokémon are mandatory events or clearly marked NPCs. You can't progress past them without receiving them.
Can You Get More?: No, unless you breed them.
One-Time Items
Key Items:
- Master Ball: One guaranteed per save (Goldenrod Radio Tower). Use it wisely.
- Lucky Egg (Chansey, 5% hold rate): Not technically missable, but very rare.
- EXP. Share (Gift from Professor Oak's aide on Route 30): Only one per save.
- Soothe Bell (Goldenrod City, National Park): Only one per save.
TMs: All TMs are reusable in Polished Crystal. You can teach them as many times as you want without consuming them.
Can You Miss Them?: Most are in fixed locations or given by NPCs. You can't miss them unless you actively avoid them.
Related: Move Tutors & TM Management
Evolution Stones (Limited Quantity)
Fire Stone, Water Stone, Thunder Stone, Leaf Stone, Moon Stone, Sun Stone, Shiny Stone, Dusk Stone, Dawn Stone:
Evolution stones are not unlimited, but you can get more from:
- Poké Mart (late game)
- Pokéathlon Dome (trade points)
- Hidden Grottoes (rare spawns)
- Held items (wild Pokémon)
Can You Softlock by Using Them All?: No. You can always get more, but they're expensive or time-consuming to farm.
Things That Look Missable But Aren't
These are things players think they can miss, but they can't.
HMs
Can You Miss HMs?: No. All HMs are mandatory for progression. If you need an HM, you'll get it.
Can You Delete HMs?: Yes, but only with the Move Deleter in Blackthorn City.
Legendary Pokémon
Do Legendaries Respawn?: Yes. If you knock out Lugia, Ho-Oh, Mewtwo, or the legendary birds, they respawn after you beat the Elite Four again.
Exceptions: Celebi and Mew do not respawn. Save before fighting them.
Pokémon Center NPCs
Can You Miss NPCs?: No. NPCs who give you items or teach moves are always there. You can come back later.
TMs
Can You Miss TMs?: Most TMs are in fixed locations. If you skip a dungeon, you can go back and get them later.
Actual Softlocks (How to Avoid Them)
These are the only real softlocks in Polished Crystal.
1. Releasing All Your Pokémon
What Happens: If you release all your Pokémon, you have no Pokémon to battle with. You can't progress.
How to Avoid: Don't release all your Pokémon. Keep at least one.
Can You Fix It?: No. You have to restart.
2. Running Out of Money and Poké Balls
What Happens: If you have no money, no Poké Balls, and no Pokémon that can Surf or Fly, you can't catch Pokémon or progress.
How to Avoid: Always keep at least one Pokémon that knows Surf or Fly. Sell items if you run out of money.
Can You Fix It?: Yes. Battle trainers for money. Sell items. Buy Poké Balls.
3. Using All Your Rare Candies on a Pokémon Over the Level Cap
What Happens: Rare Candies don't work on Pokémon above the level cap. If you waste all your Rare Candies, they're gone.
How to Avoid: Don't use Rare Candies on Pokémon at or above the level cap.
Can You Fix It?: Rare Candies are rare but not unique. You can find more.
4. Not Saving Before a Legendary
What Happens: If you knock out Celebi or Mew, they're gone. They don't respawn.
How to Avoid: Save before every legendary fight.
Can You Fix It?: Soft reset if you knock them out.
Common Questions
Can I Miss the Master Ball?
No. It's a mandatory story reward from the Goldenrod Radio Tower. You can't progress without getting it.
You can waste it by throwing it at a Rattata, but you can't miss it.
Can I Miss the EXP. Share?
No. It's given by Professor Oak's aide on Route 30. He's there until you talk to him.
Can I Miss Eevee?
No. Bill gives you Eevee after you meet him in Ecruteak City. He won't leave until you take it.
Can I Miss the Legendary Beasts?
No. Raikou, Entei, and Suicune roam the map after you encounter them in Ecruteak City. They respawn if you knock them out.
Can I Miss Celebi or Mew?
Yes. They're one-time encounters. If you knock them out, they're gone.
Fix: Save before fighting them. Soft reset if you knock them out.
Can I Miss TM26 (Earthquake)?
No. TM26 is in Victory Road. You can go back and get it anytime.
You can waste it by teaching it to a Pokémon you don't want to keep, but you can't miss picking it up.
Can I Run Out of Evolution Stones Permanently?
No. You can buy them late game or farm them from Pokéathlon Dome or Hidden Grottoes.
Can I Softlock by Teaching the Wrong Moves?
No. The Move Reminder in Blackthorn City can reteach any level-up move or egg move for 1 Heart Scale.
Heart Scales are farmable from wild Luvdisc or Pokéathlon Dome.
Can I Softlock by Evolving the Wrong Pokémon?
No. Pokémon don't de-evolve, but you can catch or breed another one.
Example: If you evolve Eevee into Flareon but wanted Espeon, you can't undo it. But you can breed Flareon and get another Eevee.
Can I Softlock by Not Catching Pokémon?
No. You can always catch more Pokémon. Wild Pokémon respawn infinitely.
Can I Softlock by Missing a Gym?
No. Gyms don't disappear. You can challenge them in any order (with some exceptions).
What to Save Before
To avoid wasting limited resources, save before:
- Legendary encounters (especially Celebi and Mew)
- Using evolution stones (if you only have one)
- Evolving gift Pokémon (Eevee, Togepi)
- Using the Master Ball
Everything else is reversible or farmable.
Summary
- Softlocks: Almost impossible in Polished Crystal. Don't release all your Pokémon.
- Missables: Celebi and Mew are the only truly missable legendaries.
- One-Time Items: TM26, TM29, TM30, Master Ball, EXP. Share.
- Farmable Resources: Evolution stones, Heart Scales, Rare Candies, Poké Balls.
- Reversible Mistakes: Teaching the wrong move (use Move Reminder), catching the wrong Pokémon (catch another), wasting money (battle trainers).
If you're worried about missing something, save before you do it. That's the only way to softlock-proof your save.
Related: Common Beginner Mistakes