You're standing in the middle of Unova, your Growlithe is hitting level 35, and you realize something. It’s still a puppy. A very cute, very orange puppy that is getting absolutely bodied by Colress’s Magneton. You need power. You need a Fire Stone.
In Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, the distribution of evolutionary stones is way different than the original Black and White. Game Freak moved things around. They added the Habitat List. They gave us the Join Avenue. Basically, they made it easier to get a Fire Stone in Black 2, but only if you actually know where the hidden grottoes and specific NPCs are hiding. If you’re just wandering around Desert Resort hoping to trip over one, you’re gonna be there a while.
🔗 Read more: Gauntlet Locations GTA 5: Where to Find the Best Heist Getaway Cars Without Losing Your Mind
Let's be real: Unova is huge. It’s easy to miss the sparkle on the ground or the one specific hiker who wants to trade.
The Guaranteed Spots for a Fire Stone in Black 2
If you don't want to gamble with luck, there are a few places where a Fire Stone is just sitting there waiting for you. The most famous one—and the one most players grab first—is in Castelia City.
Wait, not just "in" the city. You have to go to the thumb of the city's "hand" layout. Go to the pier where the boat to Liberty Garden sits (even if you don't have the pass). There’s an NPC there who asks you which elemental monkey you want to evolve. If you tell them you have a Pansear, or just express interest in fire, they hand over a Fire Stone. It’s a one-time deal. Simple.
But maybe you used that one on a Vulpix and now you’ve got a Flareon-shaped hole in your heart.
The next big one is in Desert Resort. This place is a nightmare to navigate because of the sandstorm chip damage and the constant Sigilyph encounters. You’re looking for the far left side of the desert, near the entrance to the Relic Castle. There’s a Fire Stone tucked away in the sand. Honestly, use an Itemfinder (Dowsing Machine). It’s basically mandatory here because the visual cues are non-existent in the heat haze.
Then there’s Lentimas Town.
This is much later in the game. You fly there on a plane with Skyla. It’s dusty, it’s volcanic, and it feels like the kind of place where fire rocks would just be lying around. Near the stairs leading toward Reversal Mountain, you can find another one. It’s just sitting there. No puzzles, no gimmicks.
Dust Clouds and the RNG Grind
Sometimes you don't want to wait until the post-game or Lentimas Town. You want your Arcanine now.
This is where things get annoying. Or fun, depending on if you like the "ping" sound of a Rare Spot. In Black 2, caves have moving spots. In the water, they're ripples. In tall grass, it’s rustling. In caves, it’s dust clouds.
👉 See also: Why the Vampire Survivors Jonathan and Charlotte Crossover is a Portrait of Ruin Masterclass
Go to Relic Passage or Reversal Mountain. Run back and forth—don't walk—near a wall until you see a cloud of dust pop up. Pop a Repel first. Seriously. If you don't use a Repel, you’ll just trigger a Drilbur or a Boldore encounter and the dust cloud will vanish. It’s a 100% waste of time to hunt stones without Repels.
Inside those dust clouds, you have a decent chance of finding a Fire Stone. You also have a chance of finding an Everstone, a Hard Stone, or just a piece of Coal. It’s gambling. But if you’re patient, it’s an infinite source.
The Join Avenue Method
If you’ve been neglecting your Join Avenue, stop. It is the most broken mechanic in the Gen 5 sequels.
Once you level up your Avenue and get an Antique Shop, you can start buying "unidentified" items. These are basically loot boxes. The higher the level of the shop, the better the items. A Rank 10 Antique Shop owner like Colin or Eleanor will sell you stones for a pittance.
It’s not just the Antique Shop, though. The Market will occasionally stock them if you get the right shopkeepers. It makes the end-game grind for a Pokédex completion much more bearable.
What Should You Actually Evolve?
Just because you found a Fire Stone in Black 2 doesn't mean you should shove it down the throat of the first Pansear you see. Some Pokémon gain a lot more from the evolution than others.
- Growlithe to Arcanine: This is the big one. Arcanine is a beast in the Unova regional dex. But wait! Do not evolve it at level 15. If you do, you lose out on Extreme Speed (Level 39) and Flare Blitz (Level 45). Arcanine doesn't learn moves by leveling up; Growlithe does. Be patient.
- Vulpix to Ninetales: Similar deal. Ninetales is great for its Speed and Special Defense, but you want to make sure you’ve grabbed moves like Flamethrower or Confuse Ray before you commit.
- Eevee to Flareon: Look, I love Flareon. But in Black 2, its movepool is still a bit struggling compared to later generations. It has a massive Attack stat but mostly Special fire moves. If you’re playing casually, go for it. If you’re trying to beat the Elite Four easily, maybe save that stone for something else.
- Pansear to Simisear: It's fine. It's... fine. It's a solid mid-game Pokémon, but it lacks the "oomph" of the others.
The Battle Subway and Black City
If you’re a gladiator, you can go the Battle Subway route.
In Nimbasa City, the Gear Station is where dreams go to die—or where you earn BP. You can trade 3 BP for a Fire Stone. This is actually very cheap. Three wins in a standard train line will give you enough to buy one. If you’re good at battling, this is the most reliable "infinite" farm in the game.
Then there’s Black City. If you are playing Black 2 (and not White 2), you have access to the market there. Depending on which NPCs have moved into your city, you can straight-up buy a Fire Stone. They aren't cheap—usually around 8,000 to 10,000 PokéDollars—but by the time you reach the late game, money is basically infinite anyway.
White 2 players get the White Treehollow instead, which is more about leveling up, but you can still find stones as rewards for clearing certain areas or through the shops that unlock.
Hidden Grottoes: The Secret Weapon
Black 2 introduced Hidden Grottoes. These are little "clefts" between trees that you can walk into.
📖 Related: Who Really Voiced the Fables: The Wolf Among Us Cast Explained
There is a specific grotto on Route 9 (near the Shopping Mall Nine). These grottoes have a regeneration mechanic. Every 256 steps, there’s a small chance the grotto will refill with an item or a Pokémon. Fire Stones are on the loot table for several of these, specifically the ones in the latter half of the game.
It’s a low percentage. Don't rely on it as your primary method. But if you're passing by, always check. It's free real estate.
Why the Fire Stone is Different This Time
In the original Black and White, the game was very linear. You got what you got. In Black 2, the "World Leaderboard" and the connectivity features mean you can actually get stones from your friends too.
If you have a friend with the opposite version, use the Funfest Missions. There are missions specifically designed to hunt for ore and stones. If you run the "Search for Ore!" mission, you can come away with five or six stones in a few minutes if you're fast enough. It’s way more efficient than running in circles in a cave.
Actionable Next Steps for Trainers
If you're currently staring at your screen wondering what to do next, follow this specific path to get your Arcanine or Ninetales as fast as possible:
- Check Castelia City first. Go to the piers. Talk to everyone. It’s the easiest stone in the game and most people skip it because they’re rushing to the Gym.
- Fly to Nimbasa. If you’ve already used the Castelia stone, do one run of the Battle Subway. Even the "Easy" lines give you enough BP for a stone. It takes ten minutes.
- Wait for Level 45. If you are evolving Growlithe, seriously, do not use that stone until he learns Flare Blitz. You will regret it for the rest of the Elite Four run if you don't.
- Use Repels in Reversal Mountain. If you’re desperate and broke, this is your best bet. Run near the heat vents, wait for the dust, and hope for the best.
Unova doesn't hand out power for free, but the Fire Stone is accessible if you stop looking at the map and start looking at the hidden corners of the world. Just keep a Repel active. Those Woobats in the caves don't play around.