Phase 14 section

Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver Bug-Catching Contest scoring and prizes Walkthrough

Optimize species, level, IV, and HP score on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Exact HGSS encounters, trainers, items, puzzle route, version differences, and completion checks.

By Damodar Sharma Updated July 10, 2026 Walkthrough

Optimize species, level, IV, and HP score on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. This combined guide never substitutes original Gold/Silver or Crystal data for the Nintendo DS remakes.

Source maps

National Park Bug Catching Contest.

Encounter rows48Trainer rows0Visible / hidden / trees3 / 1 / 0

Version scope

HeartGold and SoulSilver are labeled per row. Event-only and external-device content is never presented as normal retail progression.

Route Plan

Enter with one lead and empty storage space, preserve the highest-HP catch, compare high-base-score Scyther and Pinsir against stronger IV rolls, and finish before time expires to receive placement rewards.

Wild Pokémon

Version:Filter table

Each area below has its own table, split by encounter method. Standard rates merge every base slot for a species and are shown per time window: morning 04:00-09:59, day 10:00-19:59, night 20:00-03:59. Swarm, radio-broadcast, and Headbutt tables keep their own labeled rows, and every row carries HG/SS markers. Underlying slot odds: grass 20/20/10/10/10/10/5/5/4/4/1/1; Surf 60/30/5/4/1; Rods 40/30/15/10/5; Rock Smash 80/20; Headbutt 50/15/15/10/5/5.

National Park Bug Catching Contest wild Pokémon by method, games, levels, time-of-day rates, and requirements
Pokémon	Games	Levels	Rate			Requirement / notes
Pokémon	Games	Levels	Morning	Day	Night	Requirement / notes
Grass / cave floor
Caterpie	HGSS	10 or 12 or 14	100%			Rate counts base slots temporarily replaced by the announced daily swarm, Wednesday's Hoenn Sound broadcast, and Thursday's Sinnoh Sound broadcast.
Weedle	HGSS	10 or 12 or 14	100%			Rate counts base slots temporarily replaced by the announced daily swarm, Wednesday's Hoenn Sound broadcast, and Thursday's Sinnoh Sound broadcast.
Swarm (post-National Dex daily announcement)
Caterpie	HGSS	10	40%			Post-National Dex swarm replacement.
Weedle	HGSS	10	40%			Post-National Dex swarm replacement.
Radio — Hoenn Sound (Wednesday, post-National Dex)
Caterpie	HGSS	10 or 12	40%			Hoenn Sound on Wednesday after the National Dex; replaces grass slots 2-5.
Weedle	HGSS	10 or 12	40%			Hoenn Sound on Wednesday after the National Dex; replaces grass slots 2-5.
Radio — Sinnoh Sound (Thursday, post-National Dex)
Caterpie	HGSS	10 or 12	40%			Sinnoh Sound on Thursday after the National Dex; replaces grass slots 2-5.
Weedle	HGSS	10 or 12	40%			Sinnoh Sound on Thursday after the National Dex; replaces grass slots 2-5.

Bug-Catching Contest tables

Before the National Dex, all three contest days use set 0. Afterward: Tuesday set 1, Thursday set 2, Saturday set 3. Score = species base + caught-level component + summed-IV component + remaining-HP percentage.

Table	Pokémon	Level	Odds	Base score
Pre-National Dex	Caterpie	7-18	20%	60
Pre-National Dex	Weedle	7-18	20%	60
Pre-National Dex	Metapod	9-18	10%	60
Pre-National Dex	Kakuna	9-18	10%	60
Pre-National Dex	Butterfree	12-15	10%	80
Pre-National Dex	Beedrill	12-15	10%	80
Pre-National Dex	Venonat	10-16	5%	80
Pre-National Dex	Paras	10-17	5%	80
Pre-National Dex	Scyther	13-14	5%	100
Pre-National Dex	Pinsir	13-14	5%	100
Post-National Dex Tuesday	Caterpie	24-36	20%	60
Post-National Dex Tuesday	Weedle	24-36	20%	60
Post-National Dex Tuesday	Metapod	26-36	10%	60
Post-National Dex Tuesday	Kakuna	26-36	10%	60
Post-National Dex Tuesday	Butterfree	27-30	10%	80
Post-National Dex Tuesday	Beedrill	27-30	10%	80
Post-National Dex Tuesday	Venonat	25-32	5%	80
Post-National Dex Tuesday	Paras	27-34	5%	80
Post-National Dex Tuesday	Scyther	27-28	5%	100
Post-National Dex Tuesday	Pinsir	27-28	5%	100
Post-National Dex Thursday	Wurmple	24-36	20%	60
Post-National Dex Thursday	Silcoon	24-36	20%	60
Post-National Dex Thursday	Nincada	26-36	10%	80
Post-National Dex Thursday	Volbeat	26-36	10%	80
Post-National Dex Thursday	Kricketot	27-30	10%	60
Post-National Dex Thursday	Kricketune	27-30	10%	80
Post-National Dex Thursday	Dustox	25-32	5%	80
Post-National Dex Thursday	Combee	27-34	5%	80
Post-National Dex Thursday	Scyther	27-28	5%	100
Post-National Dex Thursday	Pinsir	27-28	5%	100
Post-National Dex Saturday	Wurmple	24-36	20%	60
Post-National Dex Saturday	Cascoon	24-36	20%	60
Post-National Dex Saturday	Nincada	26-36	10%	80
Post-National Dex Saturday	Illumise	26-36	10%	80
Post-National Dex Saturday	Kricketot	27-30	10%	60
Post-National Dex Saturday	Kricketune	27-30	10%	80
Post-National Dex Saturday	Beautifly	25-32	5%	80
Post-National Dex Saturday	Combee	27-34	5%	80
Post-National Dex Saturday	Scyther	27-28	5%	100
Post-National Dex Saturday	Pinsir	27-28	5%	100

Trainers

No source-placed trainer battle or configured boss branch is assigned to these exact maps.

Items And Hidden Items

Item	Method	Plain-English placement	Source tile
TM28	Visible item ball	Pick up the item ball in the west part of National Park Bug Catching Contest.	`24, 58`
Soothe Bell	Visible item ball	Pick up the item ball in the northeast part of National Park Bug Catching Contest.	`77, 33`
Shiny Stone	Visible item ball	Pick up the item ball in the northeast part of National Park Bug Catching Contest.	`81, 16`
Full Heal	Hidden / Dowsing MCHN	Use the Dowsing MCHN on the ground in the southwest part of National Park Bug Catching Contest, 11 tiles south from the nearest source NPC.	`41, 62`

Puzzles And Systems

Follow the route plan in order; source tiles in the item and trainer tables provide a QA anchor for every placed object.

Completion Checklist

Visit all 1 mapped source subareas assigned here.
Account for 48 random, Headbutt, Safari, Contest, static, gift, trade, or event rows across the per-area tables.
Defeat or deliberately defer all 0 listed trainer records.
Collect 3 visible items, 1 hidden items, and 0 Apricorn trees assigned here.
Finish the stated story, puzzle, schedule, version, and event conditions before moving on.

Sources And Validation

Primary source: pret/pokeheartgold commit 814275e4392cc21eef45a04e6dc8d980010ca2b7.
Layers: encounter banks, map headers, trainer parties, field events and scripts, Headbutt, Safari, Bug Contest, hidden items, Apricorns, phone/Pokégear, and Frontier engine data.
Machine-readable validation report and trainer asset manifest.

Dex quick links

Pokemon in this phase

Scyther

Pinsir