Black and White's Unova Pokedex has 649 Pokemon total, but the main story restricts you to new Gen 5 Pokemon only. No old favorites until the credits roll. That means this roster plays differently from any other game. Excadrill, Darmanitan, and Volcarona are the standouts. Filter by generation to see just the Gen 5 additions, or browse the full dex.

SHOWINGPokedex156+ Obtainable457+ Transfer42

Showing 198 Pokemon: the regional Pokedex plus transfer-only species.

How to access additional Pokemon in Black & White

Black and White do something no other Pokemon game does: the entire main story locks you into the 156 new Gen 5 species. No Pikachu, no Geodude, nothing familiar until the credits roll. Love it or hate it, it forces you to learn the new roster.

After becoming Champion, the eastern half of Unova opens and older-generation Pokemon flood the new routes. The Poke Transfer Lab on Route 15 accepts one-way transfers from Gen 4 carts through a minigame using the DS IR sensor. You'll need both versions plus transfers for the full 649.

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Regigigas - Pokemon Black & White
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Regigigas

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Giratina - Pokemon Black & White
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Giratina

ghostdragon
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Cresselia - Pokemon Black & White
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Cresselia

psychic
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Darkrai - Pokemon Black & White
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Darkrai

dark
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Shaymin - Pokemon Black & White
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Shaymin

grass
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Arceus - Pokemon Black & White
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Arceus

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  • 649 total, but the main story only allows the 156 new Gen 5 Unova Pokemon. No old favorites until postgame. After the credits, the National Dex opens and older species start appearing in new areas.

  • Game Freak wanted Black and White to feel like a fresh start. The entire main game uses only Gen 5 Unova Pokemon. You won't see a single Pikachu, Geodude, or Zubat until after the credits. It forces you to learn the new roster instead of defaulting to old favorites.

  • Oshawott evolves into Samurott with solid mixed offenses and good coverage. Tepig's Emboar (the third Fire/Fighting starter in a row) hits hard but is slow. Snivy's Serperior has great Speed but limited movepool. Oshawott gives you the most flexibility.

  • Black gets Reshiram (Fire/Dragon), Braviary, Gothitelle, and Black City. White gets Zekrom (Electric/Dragon), Mandibuzz, Reuniclus, and White Forest. The city vs forest difference gives Black more trainer battles and White more wild Pokemon.

  • Gen 5. Nintendo DS, 2010. Black and White introduced 156 new species, the largest batch since the original 151. Also brought triple battles, rotation battles, and a seasonal cycle that changes wild encounters. The story revolves around Team Plasma questioning whether catching Pokemon is ethical.

  • New York City and the surrounding area. Castelia City is Manhattan, Skyarrow Bridge is the Brooklyn Bridge, and the desert area is inspired by New Jersey. It was the first mainline Pokemon region based on a real-world location outside Japan.

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