Controls
The in-game controls vary depending on whether you're in battle, navigating a menu or exploring the world. The varying uses are explained below. The control is listed on the left and it function's listed to its right.
| A | Use, Select Option |
| B | Cancel, Hold and use D-Pad to run |
| X | Opens/Closes Pause Menu |
| Y | Use registered item, if one is registered |
| Start | No Use |
| Select | No Use |
| Up | Move character up, scroll up options |
| Down | Move character down, scroll down options |
| Left | Move character left, move left through options |
| Right | Move character right, move right through options |
| L | No Use |
| R | No Use |
| Touch Screen | Select pressed option |
| Circle Pad (3DS Only) | Acts as a substitute for the Up, Down, Left and Right buttons. |
Exploring, Collecting and Battling
Exploring the world of Pokemon, collecting Pokemon and using them to battle are the three primary elements that constitute the core of every Pokemon game's gameplay. Each of these will be given an overview.
Exploring
An integral part of any Pokemon game is its sense of adventure and seeing wondrous things. Visiting towns and cities with your Pokemon and speaking to residents to hear many of the entertaining, informative and quirky things that they have to say are just one element of the many that make up exploration. The Pokemon world is made up of a three primary places, which are:
- Towns and cities
- Routes
- Special Wilderness Locations
Within towns and cities, there are few trainer battles, except in specially designated areas such as Pokemon Gyms where there are many more. In these places you can buy and sell items, heal your Pokemon and talk to other people, sometimes getting some very cool items!
Routes are the primary areas of wilderness that connect towns. They almost always feature many trainers that are itching to battle. They also contain grass (or dark sand or another equivalent depending on the climate of the route) which can be moved through to find wild Pokemon, which can be caught.
The final area type is special wilderness locations. These generally don't connect cities, but instead branch of from other areas of all kinds. They also feature wild Pokemon and trainers and quite often need to explored to advance the plot and tend to have a more interesting 'theme' to them than what Routes do.
Exploring the Pokemon world is all about imagination and losing yourself in a bit of a child-like fashion. It's about the sense of realism and the feeling that the world is very much alive and not just a computer-generated entity.
Collecting
Collecting and assembling your own unique party of Pokemon is one of the many awesometastic things that you can do in any and all Pokemon games. You collect Pokemon through catching them in the wild. This is done by throwing Poke Balls at them when they're weak and about to faint.
Although you can collect as many Pokemon as your PC can hold (which is a lot), you can only carry six around with you at any one time which form your party. These are the ones that you use in battle. Collecting and assembling a strong party is all a part of the fun!
Battling
The heart of Pokemon games, battling is where the game shines. In battles, one Pokemon is pitted against another. These Pokemon duke it out, attacking each other with moves until one prevails and the other faints. Obviously there is more to it than that, but this gives you an overall idea.
There are two types of battles, Wild battles and Trainer battles. Wild battles are against a single (or sometimes two or three in double and triple battles) wild Pokemon. Wild Pokemon are generally weaker than Pokemon that have been raised by a trainer, but can still be very dangerous.
The basic structure of a Pokemon battle is as follows. The first Pokemon in your party is sent out, followed by the first Pokemon of your opponent's party. If it's a wild Pokemon, it simply appears alone. Each Pokemon takes turns using a move. Moves can either be offensive and directly damage the enemy, or passive, meaning that they boost your own Pokemon stats, lower your opponent's stats or maybe even inflict them with a Status Ailment.
Both sides choose which move they will use at the beginning of the turn. The Pokemon with the higher speed stat generally uses their move first, followed by the other Pokemon's move. Play continues until one Pokemon faints. If the battle was against a Wild Pokemon which faints, it ends. If it was against a trainer which has more than one Pokemon and the first one faints, he chooses his next Pokemon and it appears. If your own Pokemon faints, you must choose your next Pokemon. Once all Pokemon on one side have been defeated, the other team is declared the winner.
Moves that deal damage sometimes have secondary effects and have different 'Base Damage' values. Type Match-Ups come into play here and often decide whether a Pokemon wins or loses.
Besides attacking, a player has two other options (three if it's a battle in the wild). The first is to use an item. Using an item means that the Pokemon can't use a move that turn. Items have a range of effects, from healing to Pokemon to catching them. Items are used before the other Pokemon uses its move. Items are an essential part of battling and using them well can be the difference between victory and defeat.
The second option is to switch Pokemon. This costs you a turn, but this means you can send out a Pokemon that is more powerful against the enemy, or just simply stronger. A third option is available in the wild, which is to 'Run'. if you run from a battle, it immediately ends. If your Pokemon is of a higher level than your opponent's, it's more likely that you will be successful in running from a battle. If you fail in running however, you lose your turn and your opponent can use a move.
These various features are the basics of what a Pokemon battle is.
Double, Triple and Rotation Battles
Besides single battles, there are also Double, Triple and Rotation battles. In these battles, two or three Pokemon are on the field at once, for each side. They each have a variety of special rules.
Double Battles
In these battles, it's obviously 2v2. The first two Pokemon in each player's party are sent out. The actions of the two Pokemon on both sides are chosen before anything happens. This can include using items or switching with other Pokemon, allowing for you to use items, switch Pokemon out twice etc. in a single turn. Using moves now also requires you to use select your target. Moves can have a number of target types and you can target both team mates and enemies. After all Pokemon have performed an action, any Pokemon that fainted during that turn will be replaced by another Pokemon, not immediately after they faint before anyone else performs their action. Other than this, battles play out in a similar way to Single Battles.
Triple Battles
In these battles, three Pokemon from each side are used, totally six Pokemon on the battlefield. Battles work just like Double Battles, except each side has an extra Pokemon to use. The two main things consider here (and one's an extension of the other) are Range and Pokemon placement.
Most moves have a Range extending only to those adjacent to them (including diagonally). In Triple Battles, Pokemon on the left or right side of the group can only target the enemy on their side, the middle enemy and the middle ally. Meanwhile, the Pokemon in the middle can target all other Pokemon, both enemies and allies. If a move is 'Long Range', they can target all other Pokemon, no matter where they are positioned on the field.
Pokemon placement is important here. You should position Pokemon in a way so that they're up against enemy Pokemon that their type is strong against. Obviously, in the case of the middle Pokemon, they should be hardier than the other Pokemon and should be at least type-neutral to all three enemy Pokemon. If their type's strong against them, all the better.
There is also one extra type of action that can be performed in Triple Battles, called 'Moving'. A Pokemon, instead of using a move, item etc., can opt to switch with an adjacent teammate. When it reaches their turn, the two Pokemon switch places. If the other Pokemon that moved then performs a move after and the target is now out of range, the move misses entirely, so be careful with it. If there's no Pokemon to switch with (ie. there are only two or one that haven't yet fainted in the entire party), they will simply move into the empty position.
Rotation Battles
The black sheep of battle-types, Rotation Battles work similarly to Single Battles, but have three Pokemon on the field at once, per side. In these battles, there is one 'active' Pokemon on each team, with the others standing to the side. Each turn, only this Pokemon performs an action. What differs this battle-type from others is the ability to rotate.
Rotating occurs before any moves are used. Neither side knows the Pokemon that the other side will rotate to, if they rotate at all, meaning that it's all about prediction. Obviously, using a range of Pokemon types will be of advantage here, so that you can switch to a strong type whenever the enemy rotates. If you have one type that's strong against the types of all of the enemy Pokemon, this should be used all the time. To rotate, simply select the 'Fight' option, then press the rotating arrows on the bottom left and right corners of the bottom screen to switch to the other Pokemon. When you do, select a move to use for them. If an item is used the currently active Pokemon will stay active. If a Pokemon is switched with one not on the field, the currently active Pokemon is the one that's switched out. Keep these things in mind when using items or switching Pokemon.
Type Match-Ups
What makes Pokemon battles unique is the use of the type system. Each Pokemon has one or two types, which reflect what kind of Pokemon they are. A fish Pokemon will be a water type, while a plant Pokemon will be a grass type; it's all pretty logical. What does this mean for battling though?
Well, as in real life, some things 'beat' others. Water douses fire and in the same way, Water-type moves used on a Fire-type Pokemon deal more damage. Fire-type moves also deal less damage to Water-Type Pokemon because of this. Not all types are strong or weak against all other types, but there are many that work in this way. Some types can't even damage Pokemon of certain types, such as Poison-Type moves when used on a Steel-Type Pokemon. Taking proper advantage of type match-ups is what separates the best from the rest.
Status Ailments
There a number of special Status Ailments which affect Pokemon in various ways. These can be caused by a number of ways, most notably moves, such as Sing. Just like they can be caused, they can also be cured. Some moves can cure them, but items and healing your Pokemon at a Pokemon Center are the primary ways to cure status ailments.
The primary ailments are as follows:
- Burn
The Pokemon takes some damage at the end of every turn. Caused by some Fire-type moves. Can be cured with a Burn Heal.
- Freeze
The Pokemon sometimes cannot physically move and therefore lose their turn. Caused by some Ice-type moves. Can be cured with an Ice Heal.
- Paralysis
The Pokemon sometimes cannot physically move and therefore lose their turn. Caused by some Electric-type moves. Can be cured with a Parlyz Heal.
- Poison
The Pokemon takes some damage at the end of every turn. Caused by some Poison-type moves. Can be cured with an Antidote.
- Sleep
The Pokemon cannot perform any action. Caused by a variety of moves of differing types. Can be cured with an Awakening. Cures naturally after a number of turns in battle. Upon waking, the Pokemon will immediately perform its selected move.
These ailments transfer between battles and can be quite impairing unless dealt with as soon as possible. Of course, your Pokemon aren't the only ones that can inflict status ailments so make sure you're using them against your opponents too!
Becoming Pokemon World Champion
One of your primary goals in B/W 2 is to become the Pokemon World Champion. This is done by beating the Elite Four, four extremely talented trainers. To be able to face them however, you must defeat the eight Gym Leaders in your region, the Unova region. They are spread out among various cities and you must travel to find, meet and challenge them. If you beat one, they present you with a Gym Badge. Having all eight Gym Badges grants you the right to face the Elite Four. This task isn't easy and will take many hours to achieve, but progresses naturally along with the rest of the storyline.
