Route 12 HGSS · Kanto Route

Route 12 in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver — Route 12 in HeartGold and SoulSilver

Route 12 runs south from Lavender Town along the Kanto coast, with a junction to Route 11 and Vermilion City in the west and the long fishing pier known as Silence Bridge leading on to Route 13. It is lined with Fishermen, and the youngest of the Fishing Brothers lives in a house on the route and gives out the Super Rod.

Region: Kanto
Wild Pokémon: 10
Items: 4
Trainers: 8
HMs: Cut, Surf

Connects to: Lavender Town · Route 11 · Route 13

Where Route 12 is on the Kanto map Route 12 on the Kanto Pokégear map

Gift, legendary and roaming Pokémon

Snorlax Lv. 50 · One-off encounter

Respawn only: if you defeat or run from the Snorlax outside Diglett’s Cave on Route 11, it reappears outside the Route 12 gate after you enter the Hall of Fame. Wake it with the Poké Flute channel on the Pokégear (needs the EXPN Card).

Wild Pokémon

Swarm

Relicanth Old Rod · 15%, Lv. 10

Relicanth Good Rod · 65%, Lv. 20

Relicanth Super Rod · 100%, Lv. 40Only on a day when Professor Oak’s Pokémon Talk on the radio (or a phone call) reports a swarm here.

Surfing encounter rate 15
Pokémon	Type	Lv.	Chance
Tentacool	WaterPoison	25	60%
Quagsire	WaterGround	25	30%
Tentacruel	WaterPoison	25	10%

Fishing
Rod	Pokémon	Lv.	Chance
Old Rod	Magikarp	10	85%
Old Rod	Tentacool	10	15%
Good Rod	Tentacool	20	60%
Good Rod	Magikarp	20	40%
Super Rod	Tentacool	40	70%
	Magikarp	40	20%
	Qwilfish	40	10%

Headbutt: common trees 10 trees
Pokémon	Type	Lv.	Chance
Hoothoot	NormalFlying	22–23	50%
SpinarakHG	BugPoison	22–23	30%
Wurmple	Bug	22–23	20%
LedybaSS	BugFlying	22–23	30%

Headbutt: rare trees
Pokémon	Type	Lv.	Chance
Hoothoot	NormalFlying	24–25	65%
Wurmple	Bug	24–25	20%
Tangela	Grass	24–25	15%

Use Headbutt on a tree (taught by the tutor in Ilex Forest). Which trees are “common”, “rare” or empty depends on the last digit of your Trainer ID.

Chances are the game’s encounter slots: grass and caves 20/20/10/10/10/10/5/5/4/4/1/1, with every slot changing by time of day (morning 4:00–9:59, day 10:00–19:59, night 20:00–3:59); surfing 60/30/5/4/1; all three rods 40/30/15/10/5; Rock Smash 80/20; Headbutt 50/15/15/10/5/5. HG and SS mark Pokémon found in only one version. Where to find every Pokémon.

Trainers

Trainer	Pokémon	Prize
FishermanKyle	Goldeen 39 Qwilfish 35 Goldeen 39 Pokégear phone rematches (3) Rematch 1 · ₽1,376Seaking 40 Qwilfish 38 Seaking 43 Rematch 2 · ₽1,248Seaking 43 Qwilfish 41 Seaking 47 Krabby 39 Rematch 3 · ₽1,632Seaking 48 Qwilfish 49 Seaking 52 Kingler 51	₽1,248
FishermanMartin	Remoraid 36 Octillery 42	₽1,344
Bird KeeperJustin	Xatu 44 Noctowl 39	₽1,248
Young CoupleVic & Tara · double battle	Magmar 44 Sunflora 43	₽5,504
FishermanStephen	Quagsire 43 Qwilfish 38 Tentacruel 38	₽1,216
FishermanBarney	Gyarados 40 Gyarados 37 Gyarados 37	₽1,184
Bird KeeperGail	Fearow 42 Spearow 39	₽1,248
FishermanKyler	Magikarp 18 Magikarp 18 Magikarp 18 Pokégear phone rematches (3) Rematch 1 · ₽576Magikarp 18 Magikarp 18 Magikarp 18 Magikarp 18 Rematch 2 · ₽576Magikarp 18 Magikarp 18 Magikarp 18 Magikarp 18 Magikarp 18 Rematch 3 · ₽576Magikarp 18 Magikarp 18 Magikarp 18 Magikarp 18 Magikarp 18 Magikarp 18	₽576

Prize money is four times the level of the trainer’s last Pokémon times the trainer class’s rate (doubled in double battles). Trainers who give you their Pokégear number call when they want a rematch, with stronger teams as you progress.

Items

Item	How	Where
Calcium	Item ball	Route 12
Yellow Flute	Item ball	Route 12
Elixir	Hidden	Route 12
Super Rod	Gift	Fishing Brother House

Hidden items can be found with the Dowsing MCHN Pokégear app.

Tips

Tell the Fishing Guru’s younger brother in the house south of the Route 11 exit that you love fishing and he gives you the Super Rod.
Super Rod fishing here can hook Qwilfish (10%), and during a Relicanth swarm the Super Rod gives Relicanth 100% of the time.
The Calcium needs Cut, the Yellow Flute needs Cut and Surf, and the hidden Elixir needs Surf.
Surfing turns up Tentacool 60%, Quagsire 30% and Tentacruel 10%, all at Lv25.
If you knock out or run from the Snorlax on Route 11, it comes back outside the Route 12 gate after you enter the Hall of Fame again.
Fishermen Kyle and Kyler register in your Pokégear for rematches.

Walkthrough: Part 20: Snorlax, Diglett’s Cave and Brock

FAQ

Where do you get the Super Rod in HeartGold and SoulSilver?

From the youngest Fishing Brother in the house on Route 12, south of the exit to Route 11; say you love fishing and he gives it to you.

How do you catch Relicanth in HeartGold?

Wait for the Relicanth swarm on Route 12 and fish; the Super Rod catches Relicanth Lv40 every time during the swarm.

Where is the Snorlax if I missed it in HeartGold?

If you defeat or run from the Snorlax by Diglett’s Cave on Route 11, it reappears outside the Route 12 gate after you enter the Hall of Fame.

What Pokémon can you catch in Route 12 in HeartGold and SoulSilver?

10 species: Tentacool, Quagsire, Tentacruel, Magikarp, Qwilfish, Hoothoot, Spinarak, Wurmple, Ledyba, Tangela.

Sources & picture credits

Guide text is original retrogameindex writing, checked against Bulbapedia and the game data. Wild Pokémon and encounter chances, items, trainers, rematch teams, gifts and shops come from the pret/pokeheartgold decompilation, and the Pokémon sprites and dungeon entrance pictures are drawn from the game’s own graphics in it. The position maps are the Gold/Silver wiki’s Pokégear map renders. Location pictures and trainer sprites © Nintendo / Creatures / GAME FREAK, archived from the Pokémon Wiki on Fandom (listed on the image gallery).