Goldeen is a white, fish-like Pokémon with orange markings. It has circular blue eyes with orange lids and prominent pink lips. On its forehead is a large horn, which is larger on a male than on a female. It has a small, wavy dorsal fin surrounded by an orange patch and long pectoral fins with orange markings at the bases. Goldeen's billowing tail fin is orange around the base and turns white toward the edges. Its tail is admired by many for its beauty and similarity to a ballroom dress.
Goldeen has a wild temperament and will use its horn to smash its way to freedom if kept in an aquarium. It competes with others of its kind to determine which has the strongest, thickest horn. Humans swimming near it must exercise caution lest Goldeen ram them. Goldeen is a very common sight in any body of fresh water, including ponds, lakes, and rivers. It can be seen swimming upstream in large schools during the breeding season in spring. Its strong fins allow it to maintain a steady speed of five knots while swimming upstream. It is known as the "Water Dancer" due to its elegant movements in the water. In the past, Waterfall was its signature move.
Misty's Goldeen first appeared in Pokémon Emergency!. It wasn't seen very much throughout the series due to it being a water-bound species, flailing when displaced from it.
A Goldeen appeared in The Great Eight Fate!, under the ownership of Juan. It was one of his Pokémon used in the Sootopolis City Water Exhibit. It and Juan's other Pokémon were captured by Team Rocket, but they all worked together to escape. It reappeared in a flashback in the next episode.
Two Goldeen appeared in The Joy of Water Pokémon. One was receiving special treatment in a salt bath tank in the Pokémon Center located near Lake Lucid, while the other one was being personally treated by Nurse Joy due to having health problems.
Goldeen debuted in Breath of the Dragonair Part 1, under the ownership of a Trainer. It was used in a surfing contest, before it was interrupted by Lance controlling the winning prize, a Dragonair.
When released from a Poké Ball, Goldeen will use Splash, having no effect on the battle.
Goldeen is also a Pokéfloat. It will appear from the bottom of the screen but quickly drop down to the bottom again, knocking out any character it hits.
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These Water-types are often referred to as "water dancers," as their elegant fins make them incredible agile underwater. They can even travel upstream in rapids at a speed of five knots; of course, they're not quite as nimble on dry land. Goldeen's Horn Drill is so strong that it can KO an enemy with one strike if it connects.
Goldeen will sometimes be found in a Poké Ball and will use Splash when released. It does nothing to affect the battle. On the official blog, Masahiro Sakurai commented that Goldeen appearing at the most critical of times is in keeping with Murphy's Law.[1]
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"A Goldfish Pokémon. In contrast to its elegant appearance, it has a wild temperament, and its attack with its horn is severe. Among the techniques it can master, Horn Drill is especially reliable. It evolves into Seaking, but if raised without evolving, it can learn the powerful Bug-typeMegahorn. There are male and female Goldeen--the male's horn is longer."
Goldeen will sometimes appear from a Poké Ball or even a Master Ball. As in the previous games, it uses Splash when released, having no effect on the battle.
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NA: This Water-type Pokémon sports a fancy horn on its head. An excellent swimmer, it can literally swim up waterfalls. In the world of Pokémon, this elegant Pokémon has a variety of effective moves in battle. In Smash Bros., however, all it can use is an ineffective Splash attack.
PAL: A Water-type Pokémon with a distinctive horn. Thanks to its powerful fins, Goldeen can swim comfortably through the most torrential waters and even up waterfalls. It's known for both its strength and grace. That said, don't expect it to make a big splash in this game - just a little one when it uses Splash... It's super ineffective!
Goldeen is a very beautiful Pokémon with fins that billow elegantly in water. However, don't let your guard down around this Pokémon - it could ram you powerfully with its horn.
Goldeen loves swimming wild and free in rivers and ponds. If one of these Pokémon is placed in an aquarium, it will shatter even the thickest glass with one ram of its horn and make its escape.
Goldeen is a very beautiful Pokémon with fins that billow elegantly in water. However, don't let your guard down around this Pokémon—it could ram you powerfully with its horn.
Goldeen loves swimming wild and free in rivers and ponds. If one of these Pokémon is placed in an aquarium, it will shatter even the thickest glass with one ram of its horn and make its escape.
Goldeen and Seaking are the only two Pokémon that can learn Waterfall through level-up.
This also makes them the only Pokémon to learn Waterfall in Generation I, before the move was an HM.
Goldeen shares a fairly similar in-game cry to Caterpie, being only .07 seconds longer.
Even though Goldeen uses Splash in all four Super Smash Bros. games, as well as Pokémon Quest, it has no way of learning the move in any Pokémon game.
Goldeen's Pokémon SoulSilverPokédex entry claims it can swim at "5 knots per hour." This is technically incorrect, as knots is already a measure of speed, not distance.
Goldeen and Ekans have never been scanned with a Pokédex in the anime, despite having made their debut in the second episode, making them the Pokémon with the most episodes aired since their debut episode without them receiving a Pokédex entry.
Origin
Goldeen is based on a goldfish. Its horn may be based on Matsya, an avatar that the Hindu godVishnu assumed, which is sometimes depicted as a fish with a horn.
Name origin
Goldeen may be a combination of goldfish and queen.
Tosakinto is derived from とさきん tosakin, a kind of goldfish.
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.