How to Catch Reshiram and Zekrom in Pokémon Black or White

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Follow this easy walkthrough to get both legendaries in your game

Co-authored by Ishrak and Devin McSween

Last Updated: June 9, 2025 Fact Checked

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Catching Reshiram or Zekrom

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Can you catch both?

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Reshiram and Zekrom are some of the most powerful legendary pokémon in Pokémon Black and White. If you’re curious when and how you get these dragons in your game, keep reading! This article will show you how to catch Reshiram in Pokémon Black and Zekrom in Pokémon White, which follow the same steps, including expert advice from gaming & video Expert Ishrak. Then, we’ll explain how to get both of these legendaries in your game.

Easy Guide to Catching Reshiram and Zekrom

Beat the Elite 4 and go to the Champion’s building.
Enter N’s Castle and go to the fifth floor.
Go into the Throne Room to confront N.
Awaken Reshiram (Black version) or Zekrom (White version).
Battle Reshiram or Zekrom to capture it.

Section 1 of 2:

How to Catch Reshiram or Zekrom

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1
Be sure to stock up! Grab some Ultra Balls and Potions from the nearest Pokémon Center, says Ishrak.^{[1]
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Ishrak
Gaming & Video Expert

Expert Interview} You’ll need these items to catch Reshiram or Zekrom and to battle other characters during the story.
- Buy any other items you think you might need, like Antidotes, Full Heals, and Ethers.
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First, you have to beat the Elite Four. After you defeat all 8 gym leaders, head to the Pokémon League to battle the Elite Four. You have to beat each one in order to go to N's Castle, which is where you encounter Reshiram (Black version) or Zekrom (White version).^{[2]
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- After you defeat the last Elite Four member, they tell you to battle the Champion, Alder. When you enter the Champion’s building, N is already there and raises a castle.^{[3]
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There are plenty of items and characters to talk to, so make sure to explore the other floors and rooms before you head up to the fifth floor, where N awaits. And be sure to save often!^{[4]
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Enter the Throne Room to confront N. Entering the room starts a cutscene where N calls forth his opposing legendary dragon, either Zekrom if you’re playing Black or Reshiram if you’re playing White. This activates the Light Stone (Black) or Dark Stone (White) in your bag, causing Reshiram (Black) or Zekrom (White) to appear in front of you.^{[5]
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- After your legendary dragon appears, N instructs you to catch it and make it your ally so you can battle him.
- Note: Reshiram and Zekrom are shiny locked in Black and White, meaning they’ll never be shiny.^{[6]
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Interact with Reshiram (Black) or Zekrom (White) to start the battle. Both legendary dragons are at level 50, so make sure your pokémon are around the same level to challenge them. Just lower Reshiram’s or Zekrom’s HP down to the red zone so they’re easier to catch.^{[7]
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- Reshiram is a Dragon and Fire-type pokémon that knows the moves DragonBreath, Slash, Extrasensory, and Fusion Flare. Use a Rock or Ground-type pokémon, like Onix or Boldore, since Rock and Ground-type moves are effective against Fire.
- Zekrom is a Dragon and Electric-type pokémon that knows the moves DragonBreath, Slash, Zen Headbutt, and Fusion Bolt. Ishrak recommends using a Steel-type pokémon, like Metagross, since Dragon-type moves aren’t effective against Steel.^{[8]
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Use Ultra Balls to capture Reshiram or Zekrom. Once Reshiram’s or Zekrom’s HP is in the red zone, throw your Ultra Balls to catch them. Because these are legendary pokémon, they have a lower catch rate, so it may take a few tries to capture them.^{[9]
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- Don’t worry if you accidentally defeat Reshiram or Zekrom. These pokémon are a required capture in both games. They’ll simply revive themselves right after you defeat them, so you can immediately battle them again.
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Decide if you want to keep Reshiram or Zekrom in your party. After you catch Reshiram or Zekrom, you’ll receive a prompt to add them to your pokémon party or send them to your PC boxes. If your current party is full, you can switch out one of your pokémon for Reshiram or Zekrom.^{[10]
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- This is important to consider since you’ll battle N right after you capture Reshiram or Zekrom. If you decide to add them to your party, they’ll go into the first slot and go into battle first against N.
- If your current pokémon isn’t full (i.e., you’re carrying 5 or fewer pokémon), Reshiram or Zekrom will be automatically added to your party.
If you defeat Reshiram or Zekrom and both your pokémon party and PC boxes are full, the legendary dragons will respawn at Dragonspiral Tower. Simply beat Team Plasma in N’s Castle and go to Dragonspiral Tower when you’re done. On the 7th floor, you can try capturing the legendary pokémon again.^{[11]
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Section 2 of 2:

Can you catch Reshiram and Zekrom in the same game?

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No, you have to trade to get both legendary dragons in one game. You can only catch Reshiram if you’re playing Black, and Zekrom if you’re playing White. To get both legendaries in your game, you need to do a local trade with a friend who has the other dragon.^{[12]
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- Unfortunately, Nintendo no longer supports Wi-Fi trading for Black and White. However, you can still do local trades with a friend using C-Gear or the Union Room if they’re in the same room as you.
- You can trade for the other legendary if your friend has Black and White or Black 2 and White 2—both games are trade-compatible.
- Unlike previous Pokémon games, the legendary you get is the opposite of the game you’re playing: Reshiram is a white dragon that you get in Black, while Zekrom is a black dragon that you get in White. This illustrates the story themes of yin/yang and opposing ideologies.

Expert Q&A

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Question

What advice do you have for successfully capturing Zekrom in Pokémon Black?

Ishrak
Gaming & Video Expert
Ishrak is a Gaming & Video Expert specializing in sharing Pokémon and Minecraft videos. With over eight years of gaming and streaming experience, Ishrak has a follower base of over 35,000 YouTube subscribers and over 8 million views. He is also a Pokémon ROM-Hacker and some of his most popular videos highlight tips and advice for people learning how to play Pokémon games.

Ishrak

Gaming & Video Expert

Expert Answer

You can have a Steel type Pokemon like Metagross when you want to start throwing Pokeballs at it. Zekrom’s attacks won’t do much against a Strong Steel type Pokemon and you’ll get more time to use more Pokeballs.

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Question

Can I get both Zekrom and Reshiram in the same game?

Community Answer

No, you can only obtain one of these Pokémon directly per game. To acquire both Reshiram and Zekrom in a single game, you must trade for the other. Kyurem, however, is available in all versions. In Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, you will also only obtain one of the two, which will be the opposite of the one you received in your original Black or White game.

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Question

Can I catch Zekrom with a Master Ball even if it is at full health?

Hagukanan

Top Answerer

Yes, you can. A Master Ball will always catch any Pokémon, regardless of its level or current health.

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