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Generation V · Unova

Generation V: Unova.

Unova is the New York generation. Skyscrapers, freeways, Team Plasma's PETA-style moral campaign, and a story that asks you to seriously consider whether catching Pokémon is ethical. Gen 5 also added 156 new species without reusing a single one from earlier gens until the post-game, the only generation to do that.

Release2010
HardwareNintendo DS
New species156
Dex range#494-649

The mechanic that defined Gen V

Animated sprites, seasons, and a sequel.

Gen 5 was the first to animate every Pokémon sprite in-battle (every frame, on a 256MB DS cartridge). It introduced four real seasons that rotated monthly, gating spawns and routes. And Black 2 / White 2 are still the only mainline games that are a direct sequel to the previous title, not a third-version refresh.

Signature moves introduced this generation: Volt Switch, Hurricane, Hex, Knock Off (boosted), Bug Buzz.

Starters

Snivy
No. 495
Snivy
Grass
BST 308
 Tepig
No. 498
Tepig
Fire
BST 308
 Oshawott
No. 501
Oshawott
Water
BST 308

Box legendaries

Reshiram
No. 643
Reshiram
Dragon Zekrom
No. 644
Zekrom
Dragon Kyurem
No. 646
Kyurem
Dragon

Top 12 by base-stat total

Reshiram
No. 643
Reshiram
BST 680
 Zekrom
No. 644
Zekrom
BST 680
 Kyurem
No. 646
Kyurem
BST 660
 Victini
No. 494
Victini
BST 600
 Hydreigon
No. 635
Hydreigon
BST 600
 Landorus
No. 645
Landorus
BST 600
 Meloetta
No. 648
Meloetta
BST 600
 Genesect
No. 649
Genesect
BST 600
 Cobalion
No. 638
Cobalion
BST 580
 Terrakion
No. 639
Terrakion
BST 580
 Virizion
No. 640
Virizion
BST 580
 Tornadus
No. 641
Tornadus
BST 580

Key dates

  • Pokémon Black and White release in Japan on DS.
  • Black and White release in North America.
  • Black 2 and White 2 release in Japan.
  • Black 2 / White 2 release in North America, completing the only direct mainline sequel.

Iconic trainers: Cilan / Chili / Cress, Skyla, Drayden, Alder, N, Ghetsis, Hugh (Rival).

Games in this generation: Black, White, Black 2, White 2.

Full roster (156 Pokémon)

Victini No. 494 Victini Snivy No. 495 Snivy Servine No. 496 Servine Serperior No. 497 Serperior Tepig No. 498 Tepig Pignite No. 499 Pignite Emboar No. 500 Emboar Oshawott No. 501 Oshawott Dewott No. 502 Dewott Samurott No. 503 Samurott Patrat No. 504 Patrat Watchog No. 505 Watchog Lillipup No. 506 Lillipup Herdier No. 507 Herdier Stoutland No. 508 Stoutland Purrloin No. 509 Purrloin Liepard No. 510 Liepard Pansage No. 511 Pansage Simisage No. 512 Simisage Pansear No. 513 Pansear Simisear No. 514 Simisear Panpour No. 515 Panpour Simipour No. 516 Simipour Munna No. 517 Munna Musharna No. 518 Musharna Pidove No. 519 Pidove Tranquill No. 520 Tranquill Unfezant No. 521 Unfezant Blitzle No. 522 Blitzle Zebstrika No. 523 Zebstrika Roggenrola No. 524 Roggenrola Boldore No. 525 Boldore Gigalith No. 526 Gigalith Woobat No. 527 Woobat Swoobat No. 528 Swoobat Drilbur No. 529 Drilbur Excadrill No. 530 Excadrill Audino No. 531 Audino Timburr No. 532 Timburr Gurdurr No. 533 Gurdurr Conkeldurr No. 534 Conkeldurr Tympole No. 535 Tympole Palpitoad No. 536 Palpitoad Seismitoad No. 537 Seismitoad Throh No. 538 Throh Sawk No. 539 Sawk Sewaddle No. 540 Sewaddle Swadloon No. 541 Swadloon Leavanny No. 542 Leavanny Venipede No. 543 Venipede Whirlipede No. 544 Whirlipede Scolipede No. 545 Scolipede Cottonee No. 546 Cottonee Whimsicott No. 547 Whimsicott Petilil No. 548 Petilil Lilligant No. 549 Lilligant Basculin No. 550 Basculin Sandile No. 551 Sandile Krokorok No. 552 Krokorok Krookodile No. 553 Krookodile Darumaka No. 554 Darumaka Darmanitan No. 555 Darmanitan Maractus No. 556 Maractus Dwebble No. 557 Dwebble Crustle No. 558 Crustle Scraggy No. 559 Scraggy Scrafty No. 560 Scrafty Sigilyph No. 561 Sigilyph Yamask No. 562 Yamask Cofagrigus No. 563 Cofagrigus Tirtouga No. 564 Tirtouga Carracosta No. 565 Carracosta Archen No. 566 Archen Archeops No. 567 Archeops Trubbish No. 568 Trubbish Garbodor No. 569 Garbodor Zorua No. 570 Zorua Zoroark No. 571 Zoroark Minccino No. 572 Minccino Cinccino No. 573 Cinccino Gothita No. 574 Gothita Gothorita No. 575 Gothorita Gothitelle No. 576 Gothitelle Solosis No. 577 Solosis Duosion No. 578 Duosion Reuniclus No. 579 Reuniclus Ducklett No. 580 Ducklett Swanna No. 581 Swanna Vanillite No. 582 Vanillite Vanillish No. 583 Vanillish Vanilluxe No. 584 Vanilluxe Deerling No. 585 Deerling Sawsbuck No. 586 Sawsbuck Emolga No. 587 Emolga Karrablast No. 588 Karrablast Escavalier No. 589 Escavalier Foongus No. 590 Foongus Amoonguss No. 591 Amoonguss Frillish No. 592 Frillish Jellicent No. 593 Jellicent Alomomola No. 594 Alomomola Joltik No. 595 Joltik Galvantula No. 596 Galvantula Ferroseed No. 597 Ferroseed Ferrothorn No. 598 Ferrothorn Klink No. 599 Klink Klang No. 600 Klang Klinklang No. 601 Klinklang Tynamo No. 602 Tynamo Eelektrik No. 603 Eelektrik Eelektross No. 604 Eelektross Elgyem No. 605 Elgyem Beheeyem No. 606 Beheeyem Litwick No. 607 Litwick Lampent No. 608 Lampent Chandelure No. 609 Chandelure Axew No. 610 Axew Fraxure No. 611 Fraxure Haxorus No. 612 Haxorus Cubchoo No. 613 Cubchoo Beartic No. 614 Beartic Cryogonal No. 615 Cryogonal Shelmet No. 616 Shelmet Accelgor No. 617 Accelgor Stunfisk No. 618 Stunfisk Mienfoo No. 619 Mienfoo Mienshao No. 620 Mienshao Druddigon No. 621 Druddigon Golett No. 622 Golett Golurk No. 623 Golurk Pawniard No. 624 Pawniard Bisharp No. 625 Bisharp Bouffalant No. 626 Bouffalant Rufflet No. 627 Rufflet Braviary No. 628 Braviary Vullaby No. 629 Vullaby Mandibuzz No. 630 Mandibuzz Heatmor No. 631 Heatmor Durant No. 632 Durant Deino No. 633 Deino Zweilous No. 634 Zweilous Hydreigon No. 635 Hydreigon Larvesta No. 636 Larvesta Volcarona No. 637 Volcarona Cobalion No. 638 Cobalion Terrakion No. 639 Terrakion Virizion No. 640 Virizion Tornadus No. 641 Tornadus Thundurus No. 642 Thundurus Reshiram No. 643 Reshiram Zekrom No. 644 Zekrom Landorus No. 645 Landorus Kyurem No. 646 Kyurem Keldeo No. 647 Keldeo Meloetta No. 648 Meloetta Genesect No. 649 Genesect

Legacy

Gen 5 ages better every year. The story (Team Plasma, N, Ghetsis) is the most thematically ambitious in mainline Pokémon, and the animated sprites still look better in motion than several later 3D generations. Black 2 and White 2 are widely treated as the high-water mark for content density in a mainline pair.