Pokemon White Relic Castle: The Sand Pits Are Not the Enemy

You’re standing in the middle of the Desert Resort, squinting at those weird blue statues that look like they’ve seen better centuries. If you’re playing Pokemon White, you know the Relic Castle is one of those places that feels incredibly ominous the second you step inside. Most players just want the fossil and then they want to get out. Honestly, though? This place is a maze that eats unprepared trainers for breakfast.

The first thing you’ll notice is the sand. It’s everywhere. It’s not just for aesthetic; it’s a mechanical nightmare. If you run, you fall. If you bike, you fall. If you even think about moving too fast near the center of those pits, you’re dropping down a floor.

Navigating the Relic Castle Sand Pits Without Losing Your Mind

Basically, the trick to this entire dungeon is your B button. Or rather, staying away from it. To cross the quicksand without falling into the lower levels, you have to walk. Slowly. Stick to the edges. If you walk over the very center of a pit, you’ll sink regardless of your speed, so just hug the walls like your life depends on it.

Early in the game, you’re going to hit a wall. There’s a worker deep inside who says he’s still clearing sand. Don't beat yourself up trying to find a secret switch. You literally cannot go deeper until you’ve progressed the story significantly—specifically after you’ve dealt with the Dragonspiral Tower events later in the game.

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The Fossil Dilemma: Archen or Tirtouga?

On the first floor, you’ll run into a Backpacker. She’s going to offer you a choice that feels way more stressful than it should be: the Cover Fossil or the Plume Fossil.

• Plume Fossil: This gives you Archen. Archen is a Rock/Flying type that hits like a literal truck. Its Attack and Speed stats are through the roof. The catch? Its ability, Defeatist, cuts its stats in half if its HP drops below 50%. It's a glass cannon in the truest sense.
• Cover Fossil: This gives you Tirtouga. It’s a Water/Rock type, much slower but built like a tank. It’s great if you need a sturdy Pokemon that can take a hit while you heal up the rest of your team.

You take these to the Nacrene City Museum to get them revived. Most people go for the Plume Fossil because Archeops (the evolution) is just a beast in the main story, even with the health handicap.

What’s Actually Hidden in the Deepest Floors?

Once the sand is cleared and you’re chasing Team Plasma through the lower levels, things get weird. The layout shifts. You’re dropping through pits on purpose now to reach the bottom.

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You’ll find some top-tier loot down there if you’re thorough. We’re talking TM26 Earthquake—arguably one of the best moves in the entire game—and TM30 Shadow Ball. To get Earthquake, you have to navigate the post-game section of the castle, which opens up a whole new area that leads to a staircase on the left side of the desert.

The Volcarona Encounter

The real "boss" of the Relic Castle isn't a trainer. It’s Volcarona. After you’ve beaten the Elite Four, you can head back down into the deepest part of the ruins. You’ll find one of the Seven Sages, Ryoku, hanging out near a door. Once Looker takes him away, you can enter the shrine.

Volcarona is sitting there at Level 35 (in the original White) or much higher in the sequels. It’s a Bug/Fire type, and it’s a nightmare to catch because of its low catch rate. Bring Dusk Balls. Since you’re underground, they have a way better success rate than Ultra Balls.

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Wild Encounters and Why You Need a Ghost Type

The encounter rate in here is high. You’re going to see a lot of Yamask and Sandile. If you don't have a solid Ground or Ghost type yet, this is your chance. Cofagrigus (Yamask's evolution) is a defensive wall that can single-handedly stall out some of the tougher physical attackers in the late game.

Here is the quick breakdown of what you'll find roaming the halls:

• Yamask: Floors 1-B1.
• Sandile: Everywhere on the upper floors.
• Krokorok/Cofagrigus: These start appearing as you go deeper into the basement levels.
• Claydol: Only in the room where Volcarona lives and the immediate hallway outside it.

Surviving the Relic Castle Checklist

To make sure you don't have to keep backtracking through the desert (which is annoying because of the constant sandstorm chip damage), do these things in order:

1. Walk, don't run. Seriously. Hug the walls around the pits.
2. Grab the Plume Fossil if you want a high-speed attacker, or the Cover Fossil for a tank.
3. Don't panic when the guy blocks the stairs early on. Just go back to the main story.
4. Mark the location of the Zen Mode Darmanitan statues outside. You’ll need a RageCandyBar to wake them up later, which Professor Juniper gives you after the main plot.
5. Save your game before interacting with Volcarona. It’s a static encounter, and if you accidentally knock it out, you’ve got a long walk back to try again.

The Relic Castle is more about patience than anything else. It's easy to get frustrated by the movement restrictions, but the rewards—especially that Earthquake TM—are 100% worth the slow crawl through the sand.