Since the Seafoam Islands are deep within Kanto, visiting the Whirl Islands is your earliest opportunity to catch a Horsea. However, you’ll still need to have earned your 7th gym badge and be able to use Whirlpool outside of battle to access them. Once you’ve caught your Horsea, it will evolve into Seadra starting at level 32. You can also catch Seadra itself by fishing in the Whirl Islands or the Seafoam Islands with a Super Rod, or by surfing on the water two floors below ground in the Whirl Islands. Seadra then evolves into Kingdra when traded to another player while holding the Dragon Scale. We’ll show you the quickest method to catch a Horsea, and go through your options for sourcing that pesky Dragon Scale.
Catching Horsea in the Whirl Islands
To start the hunt for your Horsea, head to Cianwood City. Bring a Pokémon that knows Surf and Whirlpool along. Flash may also be helpful if you want to see inside the Whirl Island caves. In Cianwood City, Surf on the ocean leading out to Route 41, as pictured below. Surf down south as far as you can until you hit the wall of rocks in the ocean. Now, head east. Keep going east past the first entrance to the Whirl Islands. Stop when you reach the first whirlpool, as pictured below. Use your Pokémon to cross the whirlpool and then make your way to the entrance to this part of the Whirl Islands’ cave system. Head inside and use Flash to illuminate the cave. You can catch Horsea in this first chamber. Simply Surf on the water, where they make up 30% of the wild encounters. Alternatively, you can make your way two floors below ground and Surf on the water here for a chance to catch a Seadra. They appear more rarely though, and aren’t a much higher level, so it may be quicker to just train a Horsea from the entrance chamber. Note: If you’re planning to evolve your Horsea all the way into a Kingdra, it may be worth farming for a Dragon Scale while you’re here. Wild Horsea have a 5% chance of carrying them as a held item, which you can steal by catching them or using the move Thief.
Evolving Your Horsea
Evolving Horsea into Seadra is super simple. All you need to do is train it until it reaches level 32. However, evolving Seadra into Kingdra is much trickier. First, you’ll need to find a Dragon Scale, then you’ll need to find a player to trade your Seadra to, while it’s holding this Dragon Scale. Dragon Scales can be found:
At the back of the middle section of Mt. Mortar, after climbing the waterfall On sale at the Pokéathlon Dome for 2,500 points on Wednesdays and Fridays, but only after unlocking the National Pokédex As a held item by 5% of wild Horsea, Seadra, Dratini, and Dragonair
However, once you’ve successfully evolved your Kingdra, you’ll have access to a very powerful Pokémon indeed. These versatile Dragon-Type seahorses can pack a versatile offensive punch, and are especially deadly in the rain with their Swift Swim ability.
