So, you picked up Pokémon White? Solid choice. Unova feels totally different from the older regions – new monsters everywhere, no old favorites until post-game, kinda refreshing honestly. But man, that first run through can be rough if you don't know what you're doing. I remember getting walloped by Elesa's Emolgas my first time... brutal. This **Pokemon White walkthrough** aims to be the only guide you need, whether you're stuck in Pinwheel Forest or prepping for the Elite Four. Let's get you through this.
Starting Strong: Nuvema Town to Striaton City
Right off the bat, you choose between Snivy (Grass), Tepig (Fire), or Oshawott (Water). No "best" pick, but I usually grab Tepig. Why? It shreds the first two gyms and stays useful. Oshawott's decent too. Snivy? Ehh... struggles early on in my experience. Don't forget to grab the free Potion from your mom's PC!
Cheren and Bianca battle you immediately. Easy wins. Grab your Town Map, then head to Route 1. Catch a Lillipup or Patrat here – essential early game filler. Seriously, don't skip this. Head to Accumula Town, listen to N's weird speech, battle him (his Purrloin is pushover), then north to Route 2.
Striaton City Gym: The Elemental Monkey Puzzle
Here’s the gimmick: Three leaders (Chili, Cress, Cilan) using Fire, Water, Grass respectively. The leader you face depends on your starter's type weakness. Picked Tepig (Fire)? You fight Cress (Water). Yeah, it's stacked against you. You *need* that route 2 Pokémon.
| Your Starter | Gym Leader Type | Essential Counter (Route 2) |
|---|---|---|
| Snivy (Grass) | Chili (Fire) | Panpour (Water) or Lillipup |
| Tepig (Fire) | Cress (Water) | Pansage (Grass) or Lillipup |
| Oshawott (Water) | Cilan (Grass) | Pansear (Fire) or Lillipup |
Level your counter to around Level 12-13. The leader uses a Level 12 Monkey and a Level 14 elemental Pokémon (Simisear, Simipour, Simisage). Win, get the Trio Badge, and TM83 (Work Up). Useful early buff.
Pro Tip: Grab the Chesto Berry from the Dreamyard. Helps massively against Cilan/Pansage's Leer spam if you picked Oshawott.
Navigating the Heart of Unova: Castelia City & Beyond
After beating N in Nacrene City (his team's still weak, no sweat), you hit Castelia City. Huge place, easy to get lost. Key things here:
- Hidden Gifts: Talk to the guy in the Pokémon Center for a
free Heal Ball. - Sewers: Mandatory. Catch a
Sandilein the dark patches. Ground/Dark type? Absolutely wrecks Elesa later. Worth the grind. - Burgh's Gym (Bug): Annoying honey walls. Bring Fire (Tepig/Simisear/Pansear) or Flying (
Pidoveevolves around Level 21). His Leavanny hits hard but is fragile. Win, get the Insect Badge & TM76 (Struggle Bug).
Route 4 is your desert slog. Pack Repels. Find the Relic Castle entrance – explore later for a valuable Dark Stone (post-game related).
Nimbasa City: Where Elesa Ends Dreams
Ah, Nimbasa. The fun city with the dreaded Electric Gym. Elesa uses two Emolga (Level 25) and an Zebstrika (Level 27). The Emolgas are the nightmare. Flying/Electric means Ground moves MISS (Sandile's Sand Tomb? Useless). They spam Volt Switch and Double Team.
How to not rage quit:
- Rock Types: Catch a
Roggenrolaon Route 4 (Boldoreby Level 25). Rock Blast shreds Emolga. Sturdy ability guarantees you get a hit off. - Ground Types... Properly: Evolve
SandiletoKrokorok(Level 29). Crunch or Bulldoze works. But watch out for Aerial Ace! - Strategy: Lead with something that can survive an Emolga hit (maybe your starter if overleveled). Use Rock Smash or Rock Tomb to lower their Defense/Speed immediately. Then switch to your Rock/Ground hitter. Potions are your friend.
Warning: Do NOT rely on pure Ground types like Drilbur yet against Emolga. Their Flying typing laughs at your Ground moves. Rock is king here.
Victory nets you the Bolt Badge & TM72 (Volt Switch). Huge relief.
Mid-Game Mastery: Driftveil Chargestone & Mistralton
Team Plasma ramps up after Nimbasa. Follow the plot to Driftveil City. Clay's Ground Gym awaits. By now your team should be shaping up.
Clay's Ground Gym
Sandstorm environment sucks. His team: Krokorok (Lv 29), Sandslash (Lv 29), Excadrill (Lv 31). Excadrill is the threat. Steel/Ground, crazy attack.
- Water Types: Your best friend. Oshawott (
Dewott) orTympole/Palpitoad(found in water on Route 6 & Pinwheel Forest) with Bubblebeam/Scald. - Grass Types:
Pansage/SimisageorSwadloon(Route 6/Pinwheel Forest). Watch for Bulldoze/Sandslash's Slash. - Fighting Types:
Timburrevolves intoGurdurr(Level 25). Brick Break hits hard. Found in Pinwheel Forest (rustling grass).
Win, get the Quake Badge & TM78 (Bulldoze). Opens up Surf outside battle – essential!
Chargestone Cave Nightmare
This cave is dark and full of terrifying Klinklang and Ferroseed. Bring:
- A strong Fire type (
Simisear, evolved TepigPignite) - A Fighting type (
Gurdurr,Throh/Sawk) - Repels. Lots of them.
Navigate carefully. The magnetic fields change the path. Find TM24 (Thunderbolt) hidden near the end – amazing TM.
Sky Battles & Ice Puzzles: Skyla & Brycen
Mistralton City houses Skyla's Flying Gym. Feels easier after Clay.
Skyla's Flying Gym
| Pokémon | Level | Weaknesses |
|---|---|---|
| Swoobat | 33 | Rock, Electric, Ice |
| Skarmory | 33 | Fire, Electric |
| Swanna | 35 | Electric, Rock |
Strategy: Electric types dominate. Zebstrika (evolved Blitzle from Route 7), Eelektrik (fished with Good Rod in Chargestone Cave Mistralton side). Rock Slide from Boldore/Gigalith also wrecks. Win, get the Jet Badge & TM62 (Acrobatics).
Then it's off to Icirrus City and Brycen's Ice Gym. Puzzle is sliding on ice. Annoying, but straightforward. His team weak to Fire, Fighting, Rock, Steel.
Vanillish(Lv 37),Cryogonal(Lv 37),Beartic(Lv 39).- Beartic hits hard with Slash/Brine. Fast too.
- Lead with a Fire move on Vanillish. Fighting/Brick Break destroys Beartic. Cryogonal is fragile to physical attacks.
Win, get the Freeze Badge & TM79 (Frost Breath).
The Home Stretch: Victory Road & Elite Four Prep
Twist Mountain is confusing. Bring Rock Climb (HM08, get it from the house near Icirrus Gym). Lots of strong wild Pokémon and trainers. Find TM69 (Rock Polish) here.
Victory Road is brutal. Strong trainers, tricky caves. Essential items:
- Max Repels: Seriously.
- Revives & Full Restores: Stock up in Opelucid City.
- Surf, Strength, Rock Climb, Cut HMs: Make sure your HM slave knows them.
Find hidden TM04 (Calm Mind) – great for special attackers. Recommended team level before Elite Four? Level 48-50. Lower is painful.
Building Your Elite Four Team
The Elite Four types are fixed in order: Dark, Ghost, Psychic, Fighting. Champion Alder uses a varied team. You CANNOT leave between battles to heal. Stock up!
| Elite Four Member | Specialty | Key Pokémon | Best Counters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shauntal | Ghost | Chandelure (Lv 50) | Dark types (Krookodile), Ghost types (Cofagrigus), Water/Dark (Carracosta with Crunch) |
| Grimsley | Dark | Bisharp (Lv 52) | Fighting types (Conkeldurr), Bug types (Leavanny, Escavalier), Fairy moves (post-game sadly) |
| Caitlin | Psychic | Reuniclus (Lv 50), Musharna (Lv 51) | Dark types (Scrafty, Krookodile), Bug types (Accelgor), Ghost (Chandelure Shadow Ball) |
| Marshall | Fighting | Mienshao (Lv 53), Conkeldurr (Lv 54) | Psychic types (Reuniclus, Sigilyph), Flying (Archeops Acrobatics), Ghost (Jellicent with Will-O-Wisp/Hex) |
| Alder (Champion) | Varied | Volcarona (Lv 75), Bouffalant (Lv 75), Accelgor/Escavalier (Lv 75), Druddigon (Lv 75), Vanilluxe (Lv 75), Conkeldurr (Lv 77) | Balanced Team Needed! Rock/Water for Volcarona, Fighting for Bouffalant/Druddigon/Vanilluxe, Fire for Escavalier, Flying/Psychic for Conkeldurr. |
Team building is CRITICAL here. You need coverage. My core recommendations:
- A strong Dark type (
ScraftyorKrookodile) - A strong Fighting type (
ConkeldurrorMienshao) - A bulky Water type (
JellicentorSamurott) - A Flyer (
Archeopsdespite Defeatist,Braviary/Mandibuzz) - Your starter (evolved fully!)
- Flex slot (Fire like
Chandelure, Electric likeGalvantula, Psychic likeReuniclus)
Grinding Spots: Victory Road is okay. Best spot? Route 10 (grass near Victory Road entrance). Audinos (rustling grass) give massive EXP. Use Repel + Level 41 Pokémon leading your party to force Audino spawns in rustling grass. Trust me.
Pokémon White Walkthrough FAQs
Alright, let's tackle some common questions people have during their Pokemon White playthrough:
Where can I find Rare Candy in Pokémon White?
They're hidden! Check dustbins carefully (Castelia City alleys have one), talk to NPCs (one in Mistralton City gives you one), explore hidden areas (Relic Castle depths post-Stone quest). Also, sometimes wild Audino hold them!
How do I evolve trade Pokémon like Gurdurr, Boldore, or Karrablast/Shelmet?
Yeah, this sucks without friends nearby. You NEED another DS and a copy of Black/White (or someone else with it). Trade them. They evolve on trade. No way around it without external help (like online trading communities nowadays). Boldore becomes Gigalith, Gurdurr becomes Conkeldurr, Karrablast and Shelmet need to be traded *with each other* to evolve. Pain, I know.
What's the best place to grind EXP before the Elite Four?
Route 10 Audinos, no contest. Use the Repel trick I mentioned above. Way faster than Victory Road trainers. Aim for Level 50+ for your core team members. Alder is no joke.
How do I get Zorua?
Event-only originally (needed Celebi event). Post-game, you can catch Zoroark in Lostlorn Forest, but only if you have the Liberty Pass event item (also event-distributed). Not obtainable normally without past events or trading nowadays.
Where do I get Fly?
After beating the 7th Gym (Brycen in Icirrus City), go to the Dragonspiral Tower entrance. Bianca will meet you and give you HM02 Fly. Teach it to a Flying type ASAP – essential for map travel.
Should I use the Lucky Egg?
100% YES. Find it on a small island accessible via Surf in Route 13. Equip it to your lowest-level Pokémon you're grinding. Doubles EXP gained! Absolute game-changer for leveling.
How do I access the post-game?
Beat the Elite Four and Champion Alder. Watch the credits. You'll restart in your house. Head downstairs, Bianca arrives and tells you about new areas opening up East of Nuvema Town (Route 17 & 18), plus the entire Eastern half of Unova unlocks with tons of new Pokémon (older gens!), the Battle Subway, Black City/White Forest, and the final showdown with N & Ghetsis at Dragonspiral Tower leading to catching Reshiram (in White).
Can I rebattle trainers?
Yes! Use the Vs. Seeker item (obtained during the main story). It allows you to rebattle trainers you've previously fought. Crucial for grinding money and EXP mid-to-late game.
Where can I find evolutionary stones?
Dustclouds in caves! Evolve that Lampent into Chandelure? Need a Dusk Stone. Found in dustclouds in Chargestone Cave, Twist Mountain, Victory Road. Keep looking. Sun/Moon/Water/Fire Stones also found this way or via specific NPCs (e.g., Fire Stone from Ranger west of Castelia City gates).
Post-Game Paradise: What to Do After Beating Alder
The game truly opens up! Here's the meat of your **Pokemon White complete guide** for the endgame:
- Catch Reshiram: Follow the plot to Dragonspiral Tower. Epic battle (Level 50). Save beforehand! Bring Ultra/Dusk Balls.
- Eastern Unova: Routes 1-18 become accessible, filled with Gen 1-4 Pokémon (
Magnemite,Psyduck,Riolu,Metang,Dratini!) plus new areas like Giant Chasm (catchKyuremlater!). - Battle Subway: In Nimbasa City. 7-trainer gauntlets for BP. Tough but rewarding for TMs and items. Way harder than the main game.
- White Forest (White Version): Unique area east of Route 15 filled with rare older Pokémon daily. Talk to people to bring more over.
- Rematch Gym Leaders: Find them in various cities post-game for tougher battles (Level 65+ teams!). Bianca gives you their locations daily via Xtransceiver.
- Memory Link (With Black 2/White 2): If you have a sequel game, you can unlock extra flashback scenes.
- Catch 'Em All: The National Pokédex activates. Hunt down all 150+ Unova mons and start importing older ones!
Look, finishing a **Pokemon White walkthrough** feels great. Unova's got charm, even if the linearity bugs some folks. The music, the new Pokémon designs... it grew on me. Use this guide, adapt your team, grind those Audinos, and you'll topple Alder. Remember to explore off the beaten path – that’s where the good TMs and items hide. Good luck out there, Trainer. Unova's waiting.
Comment