With nine generations of Pokemon and 39 different versions to date, what Pokemon game has the best endgame?
The Pokemon mainline games are without a doubt one of the most successful and longest running series in the history of video games. These incredible milestones achieved by Pokemon are often attributed to the game’s originality, replayability, and of course, post-game content.
If you enjoy advancing even further after finishing the main story line, you’ll surely enjoy spending some time with almost any Pokemon game out there. However, in case you’re having some trouble choosing a Pokemon game with some good post-game content, you’ve come to the right place.
Here, we’ll share what Pokemon game has the best endgame, explain the specific features that make it memorable, as well as other games from the same franchise that are worth giving a try.
What Pokemon game has the best endgame?
After looking through at all the post-game content of every Pokemon version starting from Gen 1 to Gen 9, we have concluded that Pokemon HeartGold and Pokemon SoulSilver are the entries with the best endgame in the mainline series.
Why Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver?
Taking nostalgia out of the picture, the latest Pokemon game releases for the Switch, even with their DLCs, still looked pale in comparison with the number and quality of exciting things to do after beating the Elite Four and Champion in HeartGold and SoulSilver.
To be more specific, here are the endgame features that first-time players of Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver can access post-game:
Explore another region after Johto
Most Pokemon games only offer one region and sometimes a portion of another region for their DLCs.
In Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver, you get to travel around Johto for the first leg of your adventure before gaining access to a second region, Kanto.
While Kanto isn’t a new region per se, exploring another massive zone where you can catch more Pokemon and reach more locations provides a unique experience that other games can’t easily emulate.
Compete in the Battle Frontier
The Battle Frontier was first introduced in Pokemon Emerald, and its return to Pokemon HeartGold and Pokemon SoulSilver was indeed a good decision by the developers.
The Battle Frontier is a special area that can only be found so far in Hoenn, Johto, and Sinnoh. This place is composed of different Pokemon battling facilities where you can face opponents that are way stronger than those in the Pokemon League.
A Frontier Brain, which is equivalent to a Pokemon gym leader, serves as the main boss of each Battle Frontier facility.
Defeating these Frontier Brains will reward you with commemorative prints and Battle Points, a currency that can be exchanged for rare held items, TMs, and decorations.
Johto’s Battle Frontier facilities differ from its counterpart in Hoenn, with a new set of Frontier Brains to challenge and conquer.
Beat the Kanto gym leaders
After winning against the eight gym leaders in Johto and beating Champion Lance, you’ll have the chance of taking out another batch of gym leaders as you travel around Kanto.
Complete the Johto and National Dex
The total number of Pokemon that can be captured in Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver is a whopping 493.
Capturing the common Pokemon in the tall grass won’t be that difficult for the most seasoned players, but the best experience that one can get from completing the Pokedex is encountering the legendaries.
Challenge Red on an epic battle
After obtaining 16 badges from all the gym leaders from Kanto and Johto, you may now unlock a hidden location where you can meet the games’ ultimate trainer, Red.
Red will challenge you to a battle with his team of level 80 plus Pokemon, so don’t forget to toughen up your team before finding him.
Take part in Pokeathlon events
Pokeathlon is a fun feature that consists of mini-games for you and your Pokemon to enjoy.
Unlike all other post-game content, Pokeathlon is more of an excellent way to kill time as you can have your Pokemon participate in a wide range of athletic activities that can help you earn various rewards like evolution stones, apricorns, heart scales, and more.
Other Pokemon games with promising endgames
Apart from Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver, these are other Pokemon games that we highly recommend for post-game enjoyers:
| POKEMON GAMES WITH THE BEST ENDGAME CONTENT | PROMINENT POST-GAME FEATURES |
| Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 | Pokemon World Tournament |
| Pokemon Platinum | Battle Frontier and Sinnoh Underground |
| Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon | Ultra Wormhole, Shiny Hunting, Battle Tree, and Team Rainbow Rocket Epilogue |
| Pokemon Scarlet and Violet | Shiny Hunting, Terra Raids, Exploring the land of Kitakami and BlueBerry Academy |
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