Getting Started with Soulgold

Start a Soulgold run: base ROM and current version, the nine starters, the settings that change every battle, and the first-hour checklist.
Last updated: September 27, 2026

Soulgold is a Johto-focused hack of Pokémon Emerald, not Crystal. That distinction explains most of what surprises people in the first hour: the region is Johto, the engine underneath is Emerald's, and the mechanics are modernised well past Generation 3.

PolishedDex reads Soulgold's own source and shipped documentation, so the data on these pages is what the game actually loads.

Before you start

  • You need a Pokémon Emerald (U) ROM. Soulgold is distributed as a patch, not a base game. PolishedDex does not host ROMs or patches.
  • Version 1.1.1 is the current release, and the hack's own FAQ says it is only distributed on Hackdex. Treat third-party mirrors and sites advertising cheats as unverified; the FAQ is blunt that cheats will likely corrupt your save.
  • Saves are forward compatible. Updates will not strand your existing save.

Pick a starter

Nine starters, all level 5, in one case: Chespin, Fennekin, Froakie, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Sprigatito, Torchic and Popplio.

The case generates a fresh specimen for each slot when you open it, so nature and IVs vary between attempts, and a slot can roll a held item or come out shiny. Shiny odds here are 1/256 and nothing is shiny-locked -- even NPC trades can be shiny. If you care about a particular starter roll, reopen the case before committing.

Options that decide the whole run

The hack ships several pages of settings, and two of them change every battle you fight from then on:

  • Hard mode turns Gym battles into double battles unless another setting forces singles, and gives trainers without pre-assigned movesets slightly smarter movepools built around your progression.
  • Innates (extra passive abilities) are deliberately gated to the postgame. You can switch them on early from the bookcase behind the starter case in Elm's lab, but the hack's FAQ is upfront that this is unbalanced and not the intended way to play.

The first stretch, practically

  1. Take the Exp. Share given to you just before Violet City.
  2. Beat Falkner, then collect the egg and the Candy Jar from Elm's aide. The jar banks overflow EXP from your battles and converts it into Exp Candy you spend when you choose.
  3. Whitney's Gym opens after you finish the quiz on the Radio Tower's first floor, and the Squirtbottle that clears the tree comes from the flower shop next to the Gym after your third badge.
  4. The Battle Factory opens after your third badge. Ability changes, IV-raising feathers and later Nuggets all come from it.
  5. The Mega Ring arrives after the Team Rocket takeover in Goldenrod; your starter's stone comes from Elm later in the story.

Field moves are more forgiving than the originals: you need the HM and the matching badge, but once you have Fly you can also fly from the Pokégear's region map without teaching it to a party member.

Where to go next

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