The magazine unveils a plethora of details, including new protagonists, a new rival, and a Pokédex with over 100 new entries.
CoroCoro magazine has revealed the first substantial information regarding Pokémon Black and White 2 since its initial reveal in February.
The games take place in Unova, though the landscape has changed drastically. Two years have passed since the original Black and White, so part of Unova is now covered with ice, and certain locations have been added or altered. For instance, Route 4 has been retouched, and Challenger's Cave has been removed entirely. There are other new locations as well, like Hiougi City, the starting city in the game, which features a Pokémon Center as well as a trainer school.
Black and White 2 sports two new protagonists, as well as a new rival. The protagonists appear to be quite similar to those of the original games, though the spiky-haired rival (whose role in the game is currently unknown) resembles no previous characters. The game also adds a new Pokémon researcher, Akuroma, who researches Pokémon strength.
The magazine also notes that Unova will now support a Pokédex of over 250 Pokémon (as opposed to the 156 of the original Black and White games). In addition to Unova Pokémon, Pokémon from previous generations will also appear—Riolu is listed as #33, Psyduck as #26, and Metagross as #254. Eevee, Lapras, Arcanine, Tyranitar, and Mareep have also been confirmed for the new Pokédex.
Like Pokémon Emerald and Platinum versions, Black and White 2 will have an altered gym structure from the original games. A poison gym leader, Homika, will be joining the ranks, with her gym being a music club of sorts. Another, Shizui, is a water-type leader. Although little additional information has been confirmed regarding Black Kyurem and White Kyurem, it has been revealed that Black Kyurem will know the special move Freeze Shock, and White Kyurem will know the move Ice Burn.
Pokémon Black and White 2 releases in Japan on June 23 of this year, with international releases following in the fall.