Heart & Soul FAQ

Quick answers for the questions that tend to arrive five minutes after a new save begins. This page covers the current Heart & Soul 2.x reference on PolishedDex. For a specific location, move, Pokémon, or trainer, use the linked game data rather than trusting a vague memory from a forum post in 2017. We have all been there.

What version does PolishedDex document?

Heart & Soul data on PolishedDex is generated from the upstream Release-v2.0.4 source tag. The upstream project remains the authority for the patch file, emulator guidance, support, and its complete changelog.

Use the official Heart & Soul 2.0.4 release for patching and support. PolishedDex is a reference and planning site; it does not host game files or patches.

Can I use an older save with Heart & Soul 2.x?

No. Upstream 2.x release notes say saves from before 2.0 are not compatible with the 2.x line. Start a new save when moving from an older release.

Where do I choose my settings?

The challenge menu opens during new-game setup and can be reopened from a PC later. Choose your Nuzlocke, randomizer, difficulty, and challenge settings deliberately before starting: after a run begins, those settings generally only move toward an easier configuration.

The documented exceptions are the Gen 1–3 / Gen 1–9 randomizer range and the EXP multiplier, which remain adjustable after starting. Infinite Rare Candy is locked after initial setup.

Read Features, Settings & Challenge Modes before committing to a custom run.

What should I pick for a first playthrough?

Keep it simple. Start with the default-style experience, use the Walkthrough & Progression Guide when you want the next source-verified milestone, and open the database only when you need a specific answer.

For a planned challenge run, review Nuzlocke, randomizer, level-cap, and one-type settings first. Most are intentionally hard to make stricter after you have started. The game is trying to stop you from accidentally building a chaos run at 1 a.m. It is, frankly, being reasonable.

Where can I find a Pokémon or plan a route encounter?

Use Locations to browse an area and its encounter data, or go straight to Encounter Finder when you are planning a team or a Nuzlocke encounter.

For Normal or Hard Nuzlocke, inspect a tracked area before taking its encounter. Randomized runs are different: the normal database describes the standard game, not the personalised results of your seed.

Where can I check Gym Leaders and other trainer battles?

Open Trainer Battles for the source-backed trainer records PolishedDex has published. Use Trainer Battles & Boss Preparation when you want a practical prep route before a major fight.

The walkthrough covers verified Johto progression. It does not pretend to be a full answer key for every Kanto event while those routes are still being verified.

How do HMs work?

A Pokémon that can learn a required HM does not need to keep that move in its four-move set to use the corresponding field action. You still need an eligible Pokémon and the relevant progression requirement; you just do not have to sacrifice a moveslot to paperwork.

What are the Nuzlocke modes?

Heart & Soul has Off, Easy, Normal, and Hard modes:

• Easy: permanent faint removal.
• Normal: permanent faint removal plus the tracked-area encounter rule.
• Hard: the Normal rules plus save deletion after a full-party loss.

See Nuzlocke Mode & Rules for clauses, nicknames, removal choices, and source-backed exceptions. Level caps are a separate Difficulty setting; use Level Caps alongside Nuzlocke if you want both.

Can I use the Move Relearner or Move Deleter?

Yes. The Move Tutor / Relearner and Move Deleter are in Blackthorn City, House 3. Relearning uses a level-up-move list and charges one Heart Scale only when a move is successfully taught.

The relearner cannot help while Random Moves is enabled, if you do not have a Heart Scale, if the selected Pokémon is an Egg, or when there is no eligible move. The exact restrictions are in Move Relearner & Deleter.

What changed from vanilla Crystal?

Heart & Soul keeps the broad Johto-and-Kanto shape, then adds modern battle options, challenge settings, randomizer controls, Nuzlocke rules, updated quality-of-life systems, and an expanded Kanto experience. It also has some deliberate departures, including berries for Kurt's special Poké Balls, Hoenn encounter mechanics in Kanto, and the Modern Emerald Battle Frontier implementation.

Read Differences From Vanilla for the useful version rather than a feature list with the structural integrity of a junk drawer.

What changed in 2.0.4?

The 2.0.4 release adds the Gen 1–3 versus Gen 1–9 randomizer range, makes the EXP multiplier adjustable after starting, restores Kanto level caps, updates rematch scaling, and includes fixes across Nuzlocke, randomizer, trainer, map, and battle systems.

See Heart & Soul 2.0.4 Release Notes for the bounded source-backed summary.

Where should I go for exact data?

• Pokédex: species, stats, abilities, evolutions, and learnsets.
• Moves: move details and availability.
• Items: item details and published acquisition data.
• Locations: areas, encounters, and location data.
• Trainer Battles: published trainer teams and placements.
• Tools: team building, type matchups, encounters, and level caps.

When source data does not prove something, PolishedDex does not fill the gap with a confident guess. That is less exciting than a giant spreadsheet, but it is considerably more useful when you are actually playing.