Part 12: Castelia Gym

Main Walkthrough

Route 4 Pokémon
  • Darumaka - Common, Deep Sand, All Seasons
  • Minccino - Uncommon, Deep Sand, All Seasons - White 2 only
  • Sandile - Common, Deep Sand, All Seasons
  • Scraggy - Uncommon, Deep Sand, All Seasons
  • Trubbish - Uncommon, Deep Sand, All Seasons - Black 2 only
Route 4 is drastically different between Black 2 and White 2. In Black 2, a bustling community has emerged and smothered much of the former desert. In White 2, however, the desert remains, and Route 4 is a big dig site. What you'll find and who you'll fight depends on your version of the game. We'll explore both versions of the area.

Route 4 - Black 2

When you emerge into the street you'll immediately be challenged by a Breeder. She will charge at you any time you come through here after leaving Route 4, so use her for quick experience.

Breeder Irene
  • Drillbur, level 16
  • Marill, level 16
Reward: 512 P

Head straight north if you want to get through this area quickly. If, however, you want some Pokémon, go between the buildings to the left of Irene to reach deep sand, the desert equivalent of tall grass elsewhere in the game. Immediately after you hit the sand you'll face a trainer.


Policeman Braven
  • Growlithe, level 16
  • Herdier, level 16
Reward: 640 P

Continue west and down to the beach. You'll find a Mystic Water tucked against a wall, as well as two trainers.

Fisherman Hubert
  • Basculin, level 17
Reward: 544 P

Fisherman Andrew
  • Psyduck, level 16
  • Basculin, level 16
Reward: 512 P


Head back to the main road and go north. Check the first house on your right for a female trainer whole will give you Health Wings daily if you show her Pokémon with a high enough Speed stat. The next house to the north has a girl who will trade a Petilil for a Cottonee, if you managed to snag one from Castelia Park. Check the second floor of her house for a Wide Lens.

Head back out and visit the house on the left of the street further north. The man on the second floor will give you Sitrus Berries. In the last house on the right, before the bridge, the woman on the ground floor will give you a Poké Toy if you can correctly guess which of your Pokémon she's mimicking.

To your north is Nimbasa City, your next major destination. There's more to see on Route 4, though, so head west when the road veers to the left. The trainer patrolling the area will challenge you if he sees you.

Policeman Dell
  • Riolu, level 21
  • Growlithe, level 21
Reward: 840 P

Walk past Dell. There's a house ahead where you can rest and restore your team. South of this house is a sand pit. Carry on south to the next set of stairs, then up onto the small ledge. At the end is a hidden Red Shard. Backtrack south, then challenge the trainer in the sand.


Policeman Neagle
  • Herdier, level 22
Reward: 880 P

In the sand just south of the policeman is a hidden Hyper Potion. Use the Dowsing Machine to track it down. You'll find another hidden item, a Red Shard, up the stairs just north of Neagle and in front of the cement bags blocking the path back to the road. To the south and east of Neagle is a sandy path up to an item, TM28 Dig. Grab it and backtrack, then go west. You'll be in a small area with four trainers.

Roughneck Joey
  • Venipede, level 21
  • Sandile, level 21
Reward: 1,009 P

Roughneck Silvester
  • Darumaka, level 22
Reward: 528 P

Youngster Sinclair
  • Pidove, level 22
Reward: 352 P

Biker Stanley
  • Zubat, level 21
  • Petilil, level 21
Reward: 672 P


Take all of the trainers out so you can snag the Stardust and Grip Claw in the vicinity. Then, starting from the tips of the girders to your right, walk four steps out into the deep sand and check the ground for a Yellow Shard. Further into the sand, in the smaller section, you'll find a Stardust. Use your Dowsing Machine to pinpoint the locations.

Important note: If you come to this spot on a Thursday, you'll find a Mandibuzz loitering in the sand. Pokémon White 2 has a comparable sighting with a Braviary on Mondays. You can catch both of them.

Further south you'll run into two more trainers.

Hooligans Rob & Sal
  • Cottonee, level 21
  • Petilil, level 21
Reward: 1,344 P

After beating them, head into the deep sand to the west of them. There's a Green Shard buried in the sand one space away from the yellow barricades.

Return to the road and use the healing house again if your team needs it. If you head north of here you'll find a new area, the Desert Resort. Visiting this place isn't compulsory, but it will strengthen your Pokémon for the gym battle to come. We'll check it out before proceeding to Nimbasa City.


Route 4 - White 2

If you come through Route 4 in White 2 you'll find it to be a sand-strewn landscape that's largely devoid of civilization. Follow the road north from the entrance and you'll run into your first opponent. The next one is a short jog to the west of the first, and since she's a Breeder you can re-challenge her every time you enter this area.

Backpacker Clifford
  • Sandile, level 16
  • Herdier, level 16
Reward: 384 P

Breeder Irene
  • Drillbur, level 16
  • Marill, level 16
Reward: 512 P

You'll see Colress to the north. Go down the stairs on the left side of the road before you confront him and you'll find two Fishermen plying their trade. Near them is a Mystic Water.

Fisherman Hubert
  • Basculin, level 17
Reward: 544 P

Fisherman Andrew
  • Psyduck, level 16
  • Basculin, level 16
Reward: 512 P


Further north you'll run into Colress, and he'll challenge you to a battle. We discussed this fight in the previous article, but needless to say, you should use Fire-, Ground-, and / or Fighting-type Pokémon to trounce his team of Steel-types. He'll give you a Protein once you beat him and leave.

North of Colress you'll start running into ruins, as well as a pair of pint-sized trainers. Check to your left before attacking the trainers and you'll find a patch of sand, within which is a hidden Red Shard. Near this patch of sand is a ruined home you can enter, within which is a woman who will mimic the cry of one of your Pokémon. Guess which one it is and she'll give you a Poké Toy.

Twins Tara & Val
  • Cottonee, level 20
  • Petilil, level 20
Reward: 320 P

Just north of the Twins is an intersection. To the left and the right you'll find trainers, and just north of the Rich Boy on the left is a hidden Hyper Potion. Behind the building the Rich Boy is standing near is TM28 Dig. South of the Lady on the right, between two buildings, is a Stardust. Another trainer roams just east of the Lady.

Rich Boy Keenan
  • Herdier, level 22
Reward: 3,520 P

Lady Lina
  • Liepard, level 22
Reward: 3,520 P

Backpacker Rachel
  • Woobat, level 21
  • Pidove, level 21
Reward: 504 P


Beside Lina is a ruined building with two Ace Trainers inside, and the guy will want to see a Pokémon with an Attack stat above a particular threshold. Meet or surpass his expectations and he'll give you a Swift Wing. You can receive a Swift Wing from this guy once a day, though the Attack stat requirement changes each time you speak to him, so you may not be able to use the same Pokémon every time.

Next door is a home containing a boy. He wants to trade his Cottonee for a Petilil. Sitting behind him is a BrightPowder. At the end of this 'street' you'll find a home with a Veteran inside, and she'll give your Pokémon a quick rest. In the sand out front of the Veteran's shelter is a hidden Stardust. Behind all of these buildings you'll find a trainer, and near her is a hidden Green Shard.

Pokéfan Sachiko
  • Darumaka, level 22
Reward: 1,408 P

If you visit the Pokéfan on Mondays while playing White 2 you'll find a Braviary nearby. You can catch as many of these as you like if you keep visiting on Mondays.


If you check between the buildings to the south you'll find a path to another trainer. Near him is a building with several people inside, and one of them will give you some Sitrus Berries. Hidden behind this house is a Yellow Shard.

Pokéfan Norbert
  • Growlithe, level 21
  • Sandshrew, level 21
Reward: 1,344 P

Return to the Rich Boy you fought earlier and head north along the intersection. You'll find a nicer section of road waiting that splits in two directions. The last trainer on Route 4 is patrolling nearby.

Backpacker Roland
  • Riolu, level 21
  • Timburr, level 21
Reward: 504 P

At this point you have a choice to make. If you head east along the road you'll find the path to Nimbasa City, the home of the next gym challenge. If, however, you want to do some more training first, you can swing west, where you'll find the Desert Resort. Though it's a side area, the Desert Resort is a handy spot to visit if you need a Pokémon that can fight Electric-types. We'll go here first before taking on Nimbasa City.

Part 14: Desert Resort