Trainers the world over spent over a decade scouring every nook and cranny of Johto and Kanto, convinced they’d uncovered all the final secrets in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. A secret hidden deep within one obscure town, however, remained undetected for 11 years, catching the Pokémon universe off guard when it was at last uncovered. What was this hidden secret nobody could uncover, and how did it remain hidden for so long?
The timeline: Why this secret was kept hidden for 11 years since the HeartGold & SoulSilver release in 2009
Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, those retro reboots of original Gold and Silver, landed in 2009. Unlike their original 1999 counterparts, these DS releases were filled with new events, features, and subtle Easter eggs. However, despite the popularity of the game and the prevalence of online walkthroughs, one secret managed to escape notice for over a decade.
11 is the time that had lapsed since the games were out, and when this was discovered, a whopping 11 years. As users noted on Reddit, it took until 2020 for the fans to discover a secret event within a particular town that created fresh excitement for these popular games.
This is how the Pokémon fan community ultimately discovered the town’s biggest secret
The trick is a hidden Tentacool gift encounter, which had not been noticed at all. A Reddit thread in r/TruePokemon revealed that one of the players found out that, by talking with a particular NPC in the town in a particular way, they would be given a Tentacool gifted to them—something neither official guides nor even enthusiasts are well aware of.
The town behind the secret: How a seemingly innocuous NPC encounter flew under the radar
The town in question is not one of the populated cities in the game, but rather a relaxation area that a majority of players go through without giving it much attention. The NPC that gives you the Tentacool is extremely easy to miss, prominent enough from the background, but not something too glaring that it ruins the game.
As explained in the r/pokemon post, “an NPC in the town gives you a Tentacool, but only if you meet certain requirements.”
This restriction—typically applied to the player party or advancement—put it so that most trainers never triggered the event. The NPC’s ignorance, combined with the sheer amount of content in the game, hid the secret from view for so long.
This is how the discovery rekindled the popularity of HeartGold & SoulSilver
Players rushed to test out the event for themselves, sharing screenshots and confirming facts. The revelation not only testified to the riches of HeartGold and SoulSilver but also reminded players that even the most familiar games can have secrets up their sleeve.
What it means for Pokémon fans: The pleasure of rediscovery and the legacy of HeartGold & SoulSilver
The unveiling of the Tentacool gift event is evidence of the timelessness of Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. They are full of surprises, 11 years after their release. The fact that such a secret was so well-guarded for this long is evidence of the level of detail and intricacy that went into making each of them.
For many fans, this discovery has inspired a new wave of exploration, as trainers revisit old favorites in search of other overlooked details.
As one Reddit user put it, “It’s amazing that after all these years, we’re still finding new things in these games.”
Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver’s greatest secret had been hiding in plain sight for 11 years, just waiting to be discovered. This twist is a reminder that the universe of Pokémon is always prepared with something new, no matter how long it has been since the last new thing.
