Pokémon Black and White Walkthrough
Follow required Black and White story progression, major battles, useful encounters and important version differences.
This concise walkthrough covers required story progression, major battles, useful encounters and important version differences without listing every optional item or Trainer. The original Unova badge route ends with N and Ghetsis at N's Castle; Alder becomes a later post-game challenge.
Requirements
Use an original Pokémon Black or Pokémon White save, not Black 2 or White 2.
Cut is required once during the early Dreamyard sequence. Surf and the other HMs mainly open optional routes, items, encounters and post-game areas.
Treat Black City, White Forest, Reshiram, Zekrom, Tornadus and Thundurus as version-aware content.
Nuvema Town, Accumula Town and Striaton City
Begin in Nuvema Town
Recommended level 5–7. Choose Snivy, Tepig or Oshawott, battle Bianca and Cheren, receive the Pokédex from Professor Juniper and follow Route 1 to Accumula Town. Watch the Team Plasma speech and battle N before continuing through Route 2.
Earn the Trio Badge in Striaton City
Recommended level 12–14. Visit the Trainers' School, then collect the elemental monkey at the Dreamyard that helps against the Gym Leader chosen to counter your starter: Cilan, Chili or Cress. Defeat the Gym and leave through the east side for the Dreamyard objective.
Complete the required Dreamyard sequence
Use Cut once to enter the fenced Dreamyard area, confront Team Plasma and help Fennel with the Munna event. Receive the C-Gear before Route 3. Cut is the only HM required to finish the main Black and White story; Surf is for optional and post-game exploration.
Nacrene City and Castelia City
Cross Route 3 to Nacrene City
Recommended level 18–21. Resolve the Day Care and Wellspring Cave events, then prepare a Fighting-type answer such as Timburr or Sawk/Throh for Lenora's Normal-type team. After earning the Basic Badge, follow Team Plasma into Pinwheel Forest and recover the Dragon Skull.
Reach Castelia City
Recommended level 21–24. Cross Skyarrow Bridge, investigate Team Plasma around Castelia and visit the Gym after the story block clears. Fire, Flying and Rock attacks help against Burgh's Bug-type team; Sandile from Route 4 is a useful nearby catch for later Gyms.
Nimbasa City and Driftveil City
Cross the desert and challenge Elesa
Recommended level 27–30. Travel through Route 4 and optionally Desert Resort, meet N at the amusement park and prepare for Elesa's Electric team and repeated Volt Switch use. Ground-type Sandile is useful, but Emolga's Flying typing prevents Ground attacks from solving the whole battle.
Clear Cold Storage and defeat Clay
Recommended level 31–34. Continue through Route 5 and Driftveil Drawbridge, search Cold Storage for Team Plasma and then challenge Clay's Ground-type team. Water and Grass coverage help, while Excadrill rewards a faster or physically sturdy plan. The Route 6 entrance is the next destination.
Mistralton City and Icirrus City
Travel through Chargestone Cave to Mistralton
Recommended level 35–38. Work through the Team Plasma encounters in Chargestone Cave, meet Professor Juniper, then visit Celestial Tower and ring its bell before Skyla accepts the Gym challenge. Electric, Ice and Rock attacks are practical against her Flying-type team.
Cross Twist Mountain and defeat Brycen
Recommended level 39–42. Follow the Route 7 and Twist Mountain route into Icirrus City. Fire, Fighting, Rock and Steel attacks pressure Brycen's Ice team. After earning the Freeze Badge, follow the story toward Dragonspiral Tower rather than heading east into post-game Unova.
Dragonspiral Tower and Opelucid City
Witness N awaken the legendary dragon
Climb Dragonspiral Tower through Team Plasma battles. N awakens Zekrom in Black or Reshiram in White; this is the dragon opposite the one the player later catches. Continue through Relic Castle and Nacrene Museum to receive the Light Stone in Black or Dark Stone in White.
Earn the Legend Badge
Recommended level 41–44. Travel through Route 8, Tubeline Bridge and Route 9 to Opelucid City. Drayden leads the Gym in Black and Iris leads it in White; both use Dragon-type teams. Ice coverage is useful, but bring a fallback for Haxorus and avoid confusing Iris's Gym role here with her sequel Champion role.
Route 10, Victory Road and the Pokémon League
Prepare on Route 10 and Victory Road
Recommended level 45–50. Cross Route 10, pass the Badge Check Gates and climb Victory Road. Stock healing items, restore move PP and prepare separate answers for the Ghost-, Dark-, Psychic- and Fighting-type Elite Four members. The Elite Four may be challenged in any order.
Complete the first League finale
Recommended level 48–52. Defeating the Elite Four does not lead directly to a normal Alder battle. N's Castle rises, the player catches Reshiram in Black or Zekrom in White, then battles N and immediately faces Ghetsis. Keep the party ready for both major battles and save before the legendary encounter.
Post-game eastern Unova
- Cedric Juniper upgrades the Pokédex to National mode in Nuvema Town after Ghetsis is defeated.
- Routes 11–15, Village Bridge, Lacunosa Town, Undella Town and Giant Chasm form the main eastern post-game route; Surf expands optional access rather than gating the original story finale.
- Alder becomes the conventional Champion battle on a later Pokémon League challenge.
- Black City appears in Black and White Forest appears in White, with resident-dependent content and version-specific encounters or services.
Pokémon, Locations and Key Items
Pokédex
C-Gear
HM01 Cut
Light Stone
Dark StoneCommon Mistakes
Following the Black 2 and White 2 Gym order, which starts in Aspertia City and is a different story.
Preparing for Alder as the final battle of the first League visit instead of N and Ghetsis.
Treating Surf as a requirement for the original main story instead of an optional and post-game exploration tool.
Related Gen5 Guides
FAQ
Is this walkthrough for Black 2 and White 2?
No. It follows the original Pokémon Black and White route from Nuvema Town. The sequels have different protagonists, a different starting town, a revised Gym order and a separate Team Plasma story.
Do you fight Alder during the first Pokémon League challenge?
No. N defeats Alder before the player reaches him. The first story climax continues through N's Castle, the version legendary encounter, N and Ghetsis. Alder can be challenged during a later League visit.
Which field moves are required in Black and White?
Cut is required once during the early Dreamyard sequence. Surf and the other HMs mainly open optional routes, items, encounters and post-game areas; Surf is not required to reach the first story ending.
This guide covers the original Nintendo DS Generation V games. Online services, distributions and external software are described in their historical context and are not presented as currently available normal gameplay.