Black vs White — complete version-exclusive directory

Use the original versions for this comparison

Pokémon Black gives the player Reshiram and Pokémon White gives Zekrom in the first story finale. The original versions begin in Nuvema Town, include Black City or White Forest and use the original 156-entry Unova Pokédex. Black 2 and White 2 have different encounter availability and a different story-dragon arrangement.

The tables distinguish ownership restrictions from wild-encounter differences. A listed evolution may be obtained by evolving the base species rather than catching it directly. Historical event distributions could supply a counterpart separately, but an ended distribution is not a normal fresh-save method.

Complete Unova counterpart families

Catch or breed a spare base form before trading away a whole family’s only member. Cottonee and Petilil are the useful exception: catch your version’s native base and use the Nacrene exchange, then apply a Sun Stone when ready. Landorus can be caught in either version, but the Abundant Shrine encounter requires the two roamers together.

Older-species version counterpart families

This table counts the family members obtained through evolution or breeding along with direct encounters. It does not claim every named stage appears in grass. Dream World historically offered some of these species to both games, but those sources are now closed. A local trade or a Generation IV transfer can still fill a missing family when the needed games and hardware are available.

White Forest’s complete potential base-species pool

There are 32 potential species in this combined grass and Surf pool, not 32 guaranteed encounters on every White save. Residents determine which species appear; some residents also provide a water species. Forest growth and resident population can decline with neglect. Use the Entralink connection to a compatible other save to recruit eligible residents.

Black City has Trainers and shopping rather than this wild encounter pool. White Forest is not the sequel’s White Treehollow battle facility. Species in the forest may have alternative sources through trading, transfer or a different Unova method, so the forest’s special pool should not be read as a universal statement that every species is completely absent from Black by every possible method.

Species that look exclusive but are obtainable in both

• Sawk and Throh are both obtainable: their ordinary encounter prominence differs by version, while the rarer counterpart can appear through shaking grass.
• All three elemental monkey lines can be collected. The Dreamyard gift depends on the starter, while Panpour, Pansear and Pansage also have special wild sources.
• Red-Striped and Blue-Striped Basculin have different prominence by version, but the alternate water-encounter method can provide the other form. The Driftveil NPC trade also supplies a Basculin with a specific form and ability.
• Clamperl can evolve into Huntail with a DeepSeaTooth or Gorebyss with a DeepSeaScale when traded. Their wild exclusivity does not restrict the evolution result.
• Volbeat and Illumise have special breeding outcomes that can supply the other species. An ordinary wild-exclusive label is therefore insufficient for an ownership checklist.

Locations, characters and battle emphasis

Both games support Triple and Rotation Battles; emphasis does not mean the other format is unavailable. The eight-badge route, N’s central story and the initial Elite Four structure are shared. Genesect Drive rewards require an existing Genesect and the relevant P2 Laboratory event; the laboratory does not create or give Genesect itself.

Starter and fossil choices are save choices

Choosing Snivy, Tepig or Oshawott restricts the starter received on that save, but the other two are not Black-versus-White exclusives. Breed and trade for the missing base forms when building the full Pokédex. Likewise, the Relic Castle gift offers the Cover Fossil or Plume Fossil in either version; it is a choice rather than a version rule.

The Cover Fossil becomes Tirtouga and the Plume Fossil becomes Archen at the Nacrene Museum. A spare bred base form is often more convenient than starting another save solely for a fossil choice. Keep event-only Victini, Keldeo, Meloetta and Genesect in a separate external-requirement list, rather than attributing them to the opposite ordinary version.

Make a realistic trade and transfer plan

A useful collection order is to finish accessible catches and evolutions, obtain NPC-trade exceptions, collect your own version roamer and story dragon, then arrange external family exchanges. Request a breedable base species when that will supply several missing evolution entries. Request a return trade for a valuable legendary when only a temporary shrine requirement or Pokédex entry is needed.

The official Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and Generation V Global Link services ended, so the old GTS and Dream World instructions are historical. Local Generation V trades and local Generation IV Poké Transfer use a different connection path. See the connectivity guide for hardware, direction and restrictions.