Finding All 7 Sages in Pokémon Black and White: A Comprehensive Guide

Pokémon Black and White, the fifth generation of the beloved franchise, introduced a compelling storyline involving the enigmatic Team Plasma and their seven elusive Sages. These Sages, more than just your average trainers, serve as key antagonists and possess unique Pokémon with powerful abilities. Tracking them down is crucial to progressing through the game’s narrative and completing your Pokédex. This comprehensive guide will walk you through finding each of the seven Sages in Pokémon Black and White, providing detailed instructions and helpful tips along the way.

Understanding the Sage Encounters

Before we dive into the specifics, it’s important to understand a few things about the Sage encounters:

• Story-Driven Encounters: Most Sage encounters are directly tied to the main storyline. You won’t be able to find them until you’ve reached specific points in the game.
• Unique Pokémon: Each Sage has a team of Pokémon, many of which are not commonly found in the wild. They often feature specific type specializations, making preparation key to victory.
• Post-Game Encounters: Several Sages are only encountered during the post-game, meaning you need to become the Champion before you can find them.
• Team Plasma Grunts: Be prepared to fight Team Plasma grunts along the way as they usually guard the Sages.
• No Specific Order: While we present the Sages in a certain order, you might encounter them slightly differently based on your progress.

The Sages and Their Locations

Here’s a breakdown of each Sage’s location and the steps required to find them:

1. Gorm

Location: Pinwheel Forest

When: After defeating Elesa at the Nimbasa Gym and receiving the Bolt Badge.

How to Find Gorm:

1. Head to Pinwheel Forest. The area you need to access is blocked off initially until you beat Elesa.
2. Enter the forest through the western entrance, which leads directly to the forest.
3. Follow the path into the forest. You will eventually encounter a Team Plasma Grunt who is guarding the route that leads deeper into the forest. Defeat them.
4. Continue down the route and you will encounter Gorm, he is easily spotted.
5. Engage him in battle. Gorm uses a team of Dark-type Pokémon, so make sure you are prepared with Fighting, Bug and Fairy-type Pokémon.

Gorm’s Pokémon Team:

• Krokorok (Level 29)
• Scraggy (Level 29)
• Liepard (Level 31)

Strategy Tip: Fighting-type moves are very effective against Gorm’s team. Bug-types will be great for Liepard and also work well against Krokorok, and Fairy Types are the perfect choice for Scraggy.

2. Zinzolin

Location: Cold Storage

When: After defeating Burgh at the Castelia Gym and receiving the Insect Badge.

How to Find Zinzolin:

1. Head to the Cold Storage located at the south side of Castelia City, near the docks.
2. Enter the Cold Storage and explore the area. You will find several Team Plasma Grunts scattered around.
3. Navigate through the warehouse, battling the grunts as you go. The layout can be a bit maze-like, but just keep exploring each area.
4. Eventually, you’ll find Zinzolin in a corner of the warehouse. Engage him in a battle.

Zinzolin’s Pokémon Team:

• Cryogonal (Level 29)
• Vanillish (Level 29)
• Liepard (Level 31)

Strategy Tip: Fire, Rock, Fighting and Steel-type moves are super effective against Zinzolin’s Pokémon, while being aware that Cryogonal’s Ice-Type moves will be a big threat to Grass and Flying type Pokémon.

3. Ryoku

Location: Relic Castle

When: After defeating Clay at the Driftveil Gym and receiving the Quake Badge.

How to Find Ryoku:

1. Travel to the Desert Resort located north of Driftveil City.
2. Enter the Relic Castle in the middle of the desert.
3. Navigate through the multiple levels of Relic Castle while defeating the Team Plasma grunts you encounter. Be careful of the sandstorms, as they can cause you to lose your direction.
4. Continue downward through the collapsing floors. The deeper you go, the darker it becomes.
5. Ryoku is found deep in the castle, towards the end of the underground area.

Ryoku’s Pokémon Team:

• Krokorok (Level 31)
• Garbodor (Level 31)
• Liepard (Level 33)

Strategy Tip: A combination of Fire, Rock, Fighting and Ground-type Pokémon will work best here. Ryoku’s Garbodor is very defensive so bring strong attackers.

4. Bronius

Location: Celestial Tower

When: After defeating Brycen at the Icirrus Gym and receiving the Icicle Badge.

How to Find Bronius:

1. Head to Celestial Tower located on Route 7, towards the north of Dragonspiral Tower.
2. Climb the tower, battling the trainers as you go.
3. You will need to navigate the tower’s spiraling path to ascend to the upper floors. You will encounter the NPC who gives you HM04 Strength during your climb.
4. Once you reach the top, you’ll find Bronius guarding the final route of the tower.

Bronius’s Pokémon Team:

• Golbat (Level 33)
• Koffing (Level 33)
• Weezing (Level 35)

Strategy Tip: Electric, Psychic and Rock-Type attacks will be super effective here. Be careful of Koffing and Weezing’s self-destruct move.

5. Rood

Location: Team Plasma Hideout (Route 8)

When: After defeating Drayden at the Opelucid Gym and receiving the Legend Badge.

How to Find Rood:

1. Head to Route 8, East of Iccirus City, and find the Team Plasma Hideout.
2. Navigate through the hideout, battling the grunts along the way.
3. You will encounter many teleporters, make sure you are using them effectively.
4. Make your way deeper into the base until you reach a room with several Plasma Grunts and Rood.
5. Defeat the Grunts and engage in battle with Rood.

Rood’s Pokémon Team:

• Garbodor (Level 36)
• Grumpig (Level 36)
• Klinklang (Level 38)

Strategy Tip: Fire, Rock, Fighting, Ground, and Dark-type attacks will be your best bet in this fight. Grumpig can be a bulky wall so be prepared for a drawn out battle.

Post-Game Sages (After Becoming Champion)

The last two Sages are only available after you have defeated the Elite Four and become the Champion of the Unova region.

6. Giallo

Location: Route 11

When: After becoming Champion.

How to Find Giallo:

1. Head to Route 11, which connects to Undella Town to the east.
2. Near the entrance of the route from Undella, you will find a small, isolated cliff with a staircase. Follow that route to find Giallo, who is standing at the top.

Giallo’s Pokémon Team:

• Skuntank (Level 48)
• Muk (Level 48)
• Garbodor (Level 50)

Strategy Tip: Ground, Psychic and Fighting are the most effective options to deal with Giallo. Be mindful that Skuntank and Garbodor are part Poison-type so Psychic attacks are less effective here.

7. Shadow Triad (Under the command of Ghetsis)

Location: Giant Chasm

When: After becoming Champion.

How to Find the Shadow Triad:

1. Head to Giant Chasm, a large crater located to the far north-west of Unova.
2. Explore the cave system of the Giant Chasm. It has multiple levels and routes, and requires a bit of exploring to navigate.
3. After exploring for a while you will eventually find a small path that leads to a small room in the caves where the Shadow Triad will appear. You will have to fight them one after the other.

Shadow Triad’s Pokémon Teams:

First Triad Member:

• Zoroark (Level 50)
• Accelgor (Level 50)
• Beartic (Level 50)

Second Triad Member:

• Zoroark (Level 50)
• Escavalier (Level 50)
• Cryogonal (Level 50)

Third Triad Member:

• Zoroark (Level 50)
• Jellicent (Level 50)
• Klinklang (Level 50)

Strategy Tip: You will be facing a wide variety of Pokémon so a balanced team will be your best bet. A Fighting-type attacker will help immensely. Keep in mind each member of the Shadow Triad has a Zoroark so prepare to counter its Illusion ability effectively.

Tips for Success

• Type Advantage: Always be mindful of the type matchups and create a balanced team that can deal with various types.
• Healing Items: Stock up on healing items such as Potions, Hyper Potions, and Revives. These will be invaluable during the battles against the Sages.
• Level Up: Ensure your Pokémon are at a suitable level for the challenges. The Sages’ Pokémon levels progressively increase throughout the game.
• Exploration: Make sure you take the time to explore each area thoroughly, as some Sages may be hidden in less obvious places.
• Save Often: Save your game before challenging each Sage. This way, if you happen to lose, you can quickly retry without losing too much progress.
• Patience: The Sage battles can be tough, so don’t be discouraged if you lose a few times. Just keep trying and learn from your mistakes.

Conclusion

Finding and battling all seven Sages in Pokémon Black and White is a rewarding experience and essential to progressing through the game and completing your Unova adventure. By following this detailed guide, you will be well-equipped to track down each Sage, strategize your team, and emerge victorious. Happy hunting, Trainers!