You can also catch Lugia in HeartGold and Ho-Oh in SoulSilver later in the game. You encounter your game's mascot during the storyline at level 45, and must capture or defeat it (if the Pokémon faints, it will reappear again after you beat the Elite Four). Lugia is located at Whirl Islands, while Ho-Oh is located at the Bell Tower. The two main legendary Pokémon are Lugia and Ho-Oh, the mascots of SoulSilver and HeartGold repsectively. You can also capture many legendary Pokémon in HG/SS, not just the ones from the Johto Pokédex. However, the larger Pokémon like Ho-Oh or Wailord are put into their PokéBalls when you go inside building. HeartGold & SoulSilver also sees the return of a feature from Pokémon Yellow where your lead party Pokémon follows you around outside its PokéBall.

All the menu items like the Pokédex and bag can be navigated by the screen alone (although you can still use the DS buttons if you like). HG/SS makes much better use of the touchscreen than the previous games, with the game's menu now residing on the touchscreen. The menu system was vastly improved, making better use of the touch screen for the majority of functions. A key item obtainable later in the game called GB Sounds allows you to switch back to the original 8-bit music. The graphics and music were improved, with terrain looking more 3D-like than in previous games. The Johto starters: Chikorita, Cyndaquil and Totodile

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