How to Get the National Pokédex in Pokémon Gen 5
Separate obtaining the National mode from regional and National completion rewards.
Cedric Juniper upgrades the Pokédex to National mode after the story; this does not require completing the Unova Pokédex. In B2W2, Professor Juniper separately awards the Permit for seeing 297 eligible Unova species, the Oval Charm for catching them and the Shiny Charm for catching the 636 eligible National species.
Requirements
BW: defeat N and Ghetsis, then meet Cedric Juniper outside the player's Nuvema Town home.
B2W2: defeat Champion Iris; Cedric Juniper visits the player's Aspertia City home after the credits.
For completion rewards, distinguish Seen, Caught, regional completion and National completion.
Black and White
- Finish the N and Ghetsis main-story finale and continue into the post-game.
- After Looker's visit, leave the player's house in Nuvema Town. Cedric Juniper, Professor Juniper's father, upgrades the Pokédex to National mode.
- The upgrade is automatic story follow-up and does not require catching or seeing every species in the original Unova Pokédex.
- The upgrade opens broader catalog tracking; it does not mean the National Pokédex is complete.
- National mode supports the post-game eastern routes, daily swarms and species transferred from earlier Nintendo DS games through Poké Transfer.
Black 2 and White 2
- Defeat Champion Iris and enter the Hall of Fame.
- After the credits, Cedric Juniper visits the player's home in Aspertia City and upgrades the Pokédex to National mode; no completed regional Pokédex is required.
- The Habitat List is built into the Pokédex and marks which species can be found in each area. It is a location checklist, not a separate completion reward.
- Professor Juniper evaluates Unova and National milestones at her laboratory in Nuvema Town. Cedric Juniper also evaluates National caught progress there.
Obtain, see, catch and complete
Pokédex terms
| Goal | Required action | Reward | Game |
|---|---|---|---|
| National mode | Finish the main story and meet Cedric Juniper | National species tracking | BW / B2W2 |
| Unova seen completion | See 297 eligible Unova Pokédex species | Permit for the Nature Preserve | B2W2 |
| Unova caught completion | Catch the same 297 eligible regional species | Oval Charm | B2W2 |
| National caught completion | Catch 636 eligible National Pokédex species | Shiny Charm | B2W2 |
B2W2 completion rewards
The 297-species Unova evaluations exclude Victini, Keldeo, Meloetta and Genesect. The 636-species National caught requirement also excludes Mew, Celebi, Jirachi, Deoxys, Phione, Manaphy, Darkrai, Shaymin and Arceus, in addition to those four Unova Mythical Pokémon. Event-exclusive Mythical Pokémon therefore are not required for these rewards.
Pokémon, Locations and Key Items
Oval Charm
Shiny Charm
Poké BallCommon Mistakes
Saying the National Pokédex must be completed before it can be obtained.
Confusing Seen with Caught.
Claiming the Shiny Charm is awarded simply for finishing the story.
Related Gen5 Guides
FAQ
Do you need to catch every Unova Pokémon to obtain the National Pokédex?
No. Cedric Juniper upgrades the Pokédex after the main story. Catching requirements only apply to later B2W2 completion rewards such as the Oval Charm and Shiny Charm.
Who upgrades the Pokédex in Black and White?
Cedric Juniper, Professor Juniper's father, upgrades it after N and Ghetsis are defeated. In BW he meets the player outside their Nuvema Town home; in B2W2 he visits the player's Aspertia City home after Champion Iris.
What is the difference between the Oval Charm and Shiny Charm?
In B2W2, the Oval Charm is awarded for catching the 297 eligible species in the Unova Pokédex and improves Egg discovery at the Day Care. The Shiny Charm is awarded for catching the 636 eligible National Pokédex species and improves Shiny encounter odds.
Do Mythical Pokémon count toward the B2W2 rewards?
No. The Unova evaluation excludes Victini, Keldeo, Meloetta and Genesect. The National evaluation also excludes the earlier Mythical Pokémon listed by the game, so discontinued event distributions are not required.
Is seeing a Pokémon enough?
Seeing the 297 eligible Unova species is enough for the Permit, but the Oval Charm requires catching them. The Shiny Charm requires caught registration for the 636 eligible National species.
How do you get the Shiny Charm in Black 2 and White 2?
It is a National Pokédex caught-completion reward, subject to the game's Mythical exclusions; merely unlocking National mode is not enough.
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.