Man, the level curve in Johto is just brutal. If you’ve spent any time playing through the Johto region, you know exactly what I’m talking about. You beat Claire, you’re feeling good, and then suddenly you realize your team is ten levels lower than the Elite Four. It’s a grind. A long, painful, "why am I still fighting level 30 Gravelers" kind of grind. This is why everyone—and I mean everyone—eventually looks for a soulsilver rare candy cheat.
Honestly, the game basically begs you to cheat. Who has six hours to sit in Victory Road when you could just press a button and get to the fun part? But here’s the thing: most of the codes you find on old forum posts from 2011 are broken, or worse, they’ll turn your medicine pocket into a glitchy mess of "Bad Eggs" and question marks.
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If you want to level up without the headache, you need to know which codes actually work and, more importantly, how to use them without nuking your save file.
The Action Replay Code That Actually Works
Most people go looking for a code that just "gives" you candies, but in SoulSilver, the game is a bit pickier about how it handles item injection. You can’t just spawn them into thin air; you usually have to trigger an event in the game’s RAM to overwrite an existing slot.
Here is the most reliable soulsilver rare candy cheat code for Action Replay (and most emulators like DeSmuME or DraStic). This specific version gives you 999 Rare Candies in your Medicine Pocket.
The Code:
94000130 FCFF0000
B2111880 00000000
E0000B74 000000A0
03E70032 00000000
D2000000 00000000
To make this work, you have to follow a very specific sequence. Don't just turn it on and hope for the best.
- Enter the code into your cheat menu.
- Make sure the cheat is "Active" or checked.
- Boot up your game and load your save.
- Once you’re standing in the overworld, press and hold L + R simultaneously.
- Open your Bag and check the Medicine pocket.
If it worked, you’ll see 999 Rare Candies sitting right there at the top. If it didn't? You might have your buttons mapped weirdly on an emulator. Check your settings.
A Quick Warning About Bag Corruption
Cheating isn't free. Well, it's free in terms of money, but it costs you safety. Using item cheats in Gen 4 can sometimes wipe out the other items in that specific bag pocket. If you have a bunch of Max Revives or Full Restores you spent a lot of Pokédollars on, you might lose them.
Basically, the code "overwrites" the data. It's like recording a new show over an old VHS tape. The old stuff is gone. Always, and I mean always, save your game before you input a cheat code. If things go sideways, you can just hard reset without saving the corruption.
Why Some Cheats "Break" Your Game
You’ve probably heard horror stories about "Bad Eggs." These are basically the game’s way of saying, "Hey, this data doesn't make sense, so I'm going to turn it into a paperweight so I don't crash."
The soulsilver rare candy cheat usually doesn't cause Bad Eggs because it’s an item cheat, not a Pokémon modifier. However, if you use a "Walk Through Walls" cheat at the same time, or if you try to use a "Max EXP after battle" code, you’re asking for trouble.
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The DS only has so much memory to play with. When you start shoving too many active cheats into the RAM, the game starts to lag. Then it crashes. Then you lose that Shiny Ho-Oh you spent three weeks soft-resetting for. Don't be that person. Use the candy cheat, get your levels, save the game, and then turn the cheat off.
The "Safe" Way: PKHeX and Save Editing
If you’re playing on a PC emulator or you have a way to export your 3DS/DS save file, stop using Action Replay codes entirely. Seriously.
There is a tool called PKHeX. It is the gold standard for Pokémon editing. Instead of "tricking" the game while it’s running (which is what Action Replay does), PKHeX lets you open the save file while the game is closed.
You just click "Items," find the "Medicine" tab, and type "999" next to Rare Candy.
It's cleaner. It doesn't cause crashes. It doesn't mess with the game's internal logic while you're trying to play. Most Nuzlocke streamers use this method because it's virtually impossible to corrupt a save if you know what you're doing. Plus, it lets you fix the "trade evolution" problem without needing a second DS.
Legit Ways to Get Rare Candies (No Cheating)
Look, maybe you’re a purist. Or maybe you’re playing on an original cartridge and don’t want to shell out $100 for a used Action Replay on eBay. You can still farm Rare Candies, it just takes... well, effort.
The Pickup Ability
This is the "pro" way to do it. You need a team of five or six Pokémon with the Pickup ability. Meowth, Aipom, and Teddiursa are your best friends here.
- At levels 21–40, they have a 4% chance to find a Rare Candy after every battle.
- At levels 41–100, that chance jumps to 10%.
You just run around in the grass, knock out a bunch of low-level Pidgeys, and check your party’s held items every few minutes. It’s surprisingly effective if you have a full squad of "Pickup" users.
The Pokéathlon Dome
On Mondays and Saturdays, you can buy a Rare Candy at the Pokéathlon Dome for 2,000 points. Is it fast? No. Is it fun? If you like mini-games, sure. It’s a legitimate way to snag a few extra levels before the Elite Four without feeling like a "cheater."
Hidden Locations
If you haven't used your Dowsing Machine, you're leaving candies on the table. There's one hidden in Violet City, one in the lighthouse in Olivine, and even one tucked away in Mt. Silver. Most players miss at least half of the "invisible" items scattered across Johto and Kanto.
Actionable Next Steps
If you're ready to skip the grind and get your team ready for Red, here is exactly what you should do right now:
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- Backup your save file. If you’re on an emulator, make a copy of the
.savor.dsvfile. If you’re on a physical cart, just make sure you don't save the game until you've verified your bag is okay. - Input the L+R Code. Use the 5-line Action Replay code provided above. It is the most stable version for SoulSilver.
- Check your Bag immediately. Hold L and R while in the overworld, then look in the Medicine pocket.
- Disable the cheat. Once the 999 candies are in your bag, they stay there. You don't need the code running anymore. Turn it off to prevent the game from lagging or crashing during important battles.
- Level up responsibly. Remember that Rare Candies don't give EVs (Effort Values). If you level a Pokémon from 1 to 100 with only candies, it will be significantly weaker than one trained through battle. Use them to bridge the gap, not to replace the training entirely.
The grind is a part of the Pokémon experience, but sometimes, life is just too short for Johto's level curve. Use the code, get your levels, and go take down the Champion.