25 Rarest Pokemon In Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl

Highlights

• Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl offers a chance to catch every Pokemon from the Generation 4 National Pokedex.
• Legendary Pokemon like Dialga, Palkia, and Darkrai require specific items or events for players to catch them in the game.
• Completing the Pokedex involves finding rare Pokemon like Munchlax and Manaphy by using unique methods.

With Sinnoh renewed and remade for Nintendo Switch, players old and new are going to be looking for Pokedex completion once again. A unique quality of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl is that just about every Pokemon in the Generation 4 National Pokedex is catchable across the two games.

As with any Pokedex, though, some Pokemon will be a real pain to get hold of. Legendary Pokemon have their own challenge, but finding them often isn’t too tricky. It’s other random Pokemon that are seemingly impossible to find.

Updated July 13, 2024, by Ben Painter: There are a lot of games in the Pokemon franchise. The latest entry, Pokemon Legends Z-A, still has a little while before it comes out. As such, some gamers may want to head back to a previous title to get their Pokemon fix. So, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl are a great way to start. A popular thing that Pokemon fans like to do is to complete the Pokedex in each game, but there are a lot of rare Pokemon that are sure to make the process difficult. This list adds five more of the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl and gives players information on where and how to catch them.

25 Riolu

Fighting-Type

• Game Location: Hatch Egg received from Riley in Iron Island

The Fighting-type Pokemon is one of the most popular Pokemon in the game due to the fact it evolves into the awesome Lucario, a go-to ‘mon for Sinnoh playthroughs. But to get Lucario, players must get Riolu, which can only be found from an egg received from Riley on Iron Island.

This area is accessible once players reach Canalave City, and trainers must battle their way through the area in order to receive the Riolu egg. Although it is not hard to acquire, as players are guaranteed one Riolu in each playthrough, it is still considered rare as there is only one per save.

Riolu’s Base Stats:

24 Absol

Dark-Type

• Game Location: Route 213 (Swarm), Grand Underground – Spacious Cave, Grassland Cave, Dazzling Cave, Sunlit Cavern, Stargleam Cavern, Big Bluff Cavern

First introduced in Generation 3 in the Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire games, the Disaster Pokemon, Absol, made the leap over to Generation 4 and, in-turn, the remakes. To locate an Absol in Sinnoh is no easy task, however, as it can only be found through swarms on Route 213.

Swarms are available as mass outbreaks throughout the region once the player has obtained the National Dex after defeating the Elite Four and Champion. If gamers can’t wait until then to get their hands on an Absol, then they can attempt to find one in the Grand Underground in specific locations. However, it is a really rare spawn. In some areas, it appears with a spawn rate as low as 5%.

Absol’s Base Stats:

23 Magnemite

Electric/Steel-Type

• Game Location: Fuego Ironworks (Swarm), Grand Underground – Spacious Cave, Whiteout Cave, Icy Cave, Glacial Cavern

One of the original 151 Pokemon, Magnemite, appears in Brilliant Diamond & Shinning Pearl as a swarm encounter at Fuego Ironworks. This area is accessed by surfing west in the stream on Route 205, north of Floroma Town. These swarms will appear to the player at random from the start menu.

The Magnet Pokemon is a great pick-up in this game, as a new evolution was released for this ‘mon in the form of Magnezone. Magnemite evolves at level 30, and when gamers take the evolved Magneton to Mt. Cornet and level it up, it will reach its final form of Magnezone. Alternately, Magnemite can also be found as a rare spawn in select areas of the Grand Underground, but locating this Pokemon can still take a great deal of effort.

Magnemite’s Base Stats:

22 Lickitung

Normal-Type

• Game Location: Lake Valor (Swarm), Grand Underground – Spacious Cave, Riverbank Cave, Fountainspring Cave, Still-Water Cavern, Swampy Cave, Bogsunk Cavern

A very divisive Pokemon due to its appearance, Lickitung is required to complete the Pokedex, and doing so is the only way to acquire its Generation 4 evolution, Lickilicky. Lickitung reaches this final form once it is leveled up while knowing the Rollout move.

Exclusive to swarms on Lake Valor and as rare spawns in the Grand Underground, it will take some effort to find the Kanto Pokemon on the Nintendo Switch. Lickilicky is a decent Pokemon with solid HP and rounded stats. It is worth putting in the extra effort to find it, as having a solid Normal-type is a great strategy for tough bosses in this game.

Lickitung’s Base Stats:

21 Scyther/Pinsir

Bug/Flying-Type, Bug-Type

• Game Location: Scyther (Brilliant Diamond only) – Route 229, Grand Underground – Grassland Cave, Sunlit Cavern, Riverbank Cave, Still-Water Cavern, Big Bluff Cavern. Pinsir (Shining Pearl only) – Route 229, Grand Underground – Grassland Cave, Riverbank Cave, Still-Water Cavern, Sunlit Cavern, Big Bluff Cavern

These Bug-types made their debuts way back in Pokemon Red & Blue in Generation 1 and have been mainstays of the franchise ever since. But gamers may want to think twice before wanting to use these ‘mons in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl.

They can only be caught as rare spawns in select locations after acquiring the National Dex on Route 229. It is also worth noting that Scyther is exclusive to Brilliant Diamond, and Pinsir can only be caught in Shining Pearl. Getting both bugs in one copy of the game will require some trading.

Base Stats:

20 Magby/Elekid

Fire-Type, Electric-Type

• Game Location:Elekid (Brilliant Diamond only) – Grand Underground – Dazzling Cave, Whiteout Cave, Stargleam Cavern, Glacial Cavern. Magby (Shining Pearl only) – Grand Underground – Volcanic Cave, Sandsear Cave, Typhlo Cavern

Similar to the aforementioned Bug-types, Elekid and Magby are counterparts. In fact, they only appear in one game; Elekid the Electric Pokemon in Brilliant Diamond, and Magby the Live Coal Pokemon in Shining Pearl.

However, they can only be found as rare spawns in specific locations in the Grand Underground. Gamers will want to search high and low (mainly low) to add the baby Pokemon to their Pokedex. But if found, they can be evolved into the powerful Electivire and Magmortar, which are very useful for taking on the various gyms and other powerful trainers across the Sinnoh region.

Elekid/Magby’s Base Stats:

19 Togepi

Fairy-Type

• Game Location: Route 230 (Poke Radar), Grand Underground – Fountainspring Cave, Dazzling Cave, Stargleam Cavern

Previously a Normal-type Pokemon before Generation 6, the now Fairy-type ‘mon is difficult to locate in BD&SP. It is available in specific locations in the Grand Underground as a rare spawn.

It is also found only on Route 230 while using the Poke Radar, an item that is available from Professor Rowan in Sandgem Town after acquiring the National Dex. Togepi eventually evolves into the powerful Togekiss, which is one of the best Flying-type Pokemon in the game with high Special Attack and Defense.

Togepi’s Base Stats:

18 Dialga/Palkia

Steel/Dragon-Type, Water/Dragon-Type

• Game Location: Spear Pillar

The mascots of either game, Dialga for Brilliant Diamond and Palkia for Shining Pearl, are caught as part of the storyline, but that doesn’t take away from their rare nature.

Gamers can only catch one of each Pokemon and will need both copies of the game to complete the full Pokedex, which will require some trading. Catching them is no easy feat without the use of a Master Ball, and players will need to pull out all the tricks to make Dialga or Palkia a member of their party.

Base Stats:

17 Cresselia/Giratina/Heatran/Uxie/Azelf/Mesprit

Psychic-Type, Ghost/Dragon-Type, Fire/Steel-Type, Psychic-Type

• Game Location: Cresselia (Roaming), Giratina (Turnback Cave), Heatran (Stark Mountain), Uxie (Lake Acuity), Mespirit (Roaming), Azelf (Lake Valor)

There are a lot of Legendary and Mythical Pokemon in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, and a select few are only available through events and other means, but these ‘mons can be found in regular gameplay. The Lake Trio can be found after catching Dialga or Palkia in their specific lakes. Mesprit is found in Lake Verity but becomes a roaming Pokemon and is found in a random location across the Sinnoh region.

The other three Legendaries can be encountered in their specific locations, but it will take a lot to catch these ‘mons. With only one Master Ball in the game, it can be tricky to figure out the best ‘mon to use it on, so gamers will need to be careful to not knock out these Pokemon, as there is only one in each copy of the game.

Base Stats:

16 Kecleon

Normal-Type

• Game Location: Route 210 (Poke Radar), Grand Underground – Grassland Cave, Riverbank Cave, Still-Water Cavern, Sunlit Cavern (After obtaining the National Pokedex)

A Pokemon often neglected by Game Freak, still unobtainable in Pokemon GO, and rarely featured in regional Pokedexes, Kecleon is kept camouflaged in these games. The bright side is that there are two ways to get hold of Kecleon, but both can be troublesome.

Firstly, it is exclusive to Brilliant Diamond. From there, it can be found in the Grassland, Riverbank, Still-Water, and Sunlit Caverns of the Grand Underground. However, this is only after the player has obtained their National Pokedex. The other way to get it is to use the Poke Radar on the Northern part of Route 210, with a 12% encounter rate. But again, the Poke Radar is only obtained after getting the National Pokedex.

Kecleon isn’t anything special from a competitive perspective, but it has a few unique traits that make it fun to play with. Its ability, Color Change, means that it changes type to that of the move it last got hit by. In most cases, that makes it resistant to that move, but there are some unique cases, like Dragon, where it will actually give it some trouble.

Kecleon’s Base Stats:

15 Castform

Normal-Type

• Game Location: Trophy Garden

A Pokemon that changes with the weather, Castform has been somewhat rare in every game it’s appeared in. It often requires the right weather effects to spawn or is simply given away as a gift to the player. Thankfully, pinning down its location in this game isn’t too difficult, but getting hold of it is.

For Castform, players will need to use the Trophy Garden at the back of the Pokemon Mansion on Route 212. Each day, the owner, Mr. Backlot, will mention a rare Pokemon he’s seen in the garden that day. This is random and can be one of 16 Pokemon, of which Castform is one. Once Mr. Backlot mentions Castform, it will have a 5% encounter rate in the Trophy Garden’s grass for that day.

Castform is unique in the Pokemon world, as it is one of the few non-Legendary Pokemon not to have a Hidden Ability. Castform’s stats are downright average, with 70s across the board. Its different forms give it some range, although it does require players to have weather-changing abilities elsewhere on their team to get the most out of Castform’s ability to change type.

Castform’s Base Stats:

14 Rotom

Electric/Ghost-Type

• Game Location: TV in Old Chateau (Night) (Only one)

Those who played the original Diamond & Pearl will remember the creepy event that surrounded the capturing of Rotom. It was presented almost like a Mythical Pokemon. These players will be pleased to know that it remains intact in these remakes.

After getting the National dex, players must head to the Old Chateaux next to the Eterna City exit of Eterna Forest. Venturing around in here will lead players to a TV showing static and creepy imagery. Interacting with it will cause Rotom to attack. Once players have captured Rotom, they’ll be given the Secret Key item. Taking this to the Eterna City Galactic Building will grant access to a secret room with appliances that Rotom can possess. This gives Rotom a wide range of uses, some of which are occasionally seen in the competitive battling scene thanks to the boost it gives Rotom’s stats and alterations to its type.

Rotom’s Base Stats:

13 Ditto

Normal-Type

• Game Location: Route 218 (Poke Radar), Grand Underground – Dazzling Cave, Stargleam Cavern (After obtaining the National Pokedex)

Friend to Pokemon breeders and members alike, Ditto is a hot commodity whenever a new Pokemon game comes out. While Ditto is available in the game, players will need to wait until after they’ve got their National dex before venturing out to find it.

The first place Ditto can be found is in the Stargleam Cavern in the Grand Underground. This is the giant cavern in the center of the Underground map, which can only be reached by entering the underground from Celestic Town. The other way is to use the Poke Radar on Route 218 to get it at a 12% encounter rate.

Ditto’s transforming ability isn’t so great under normal circumstances. The fact that it has to use a whole turn to change puts it at a severe disadvantage. That’s why players should get an Ability Patch on it as soon as possible to give it the Impostor ability, which causes it to change immediately. It’s sadly below-average stat-wise, but single players can have fun with it.

Ditto’s Base Stats:

12 Porygon

Normal-Type

• Game Location: Trophy Garden

In the original games, the best way to get Porygon was via the Veilstone Game Corner. However, due to a change in ESRB rating policies since then, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl weren’t allowed to include this due to it being gambling. To avoid having their kid-friendly game rated a 12 by ESRB, ILCA replaced the Game Corner with a clothing shop.

This meant that Porygon had to be moved somewhere else, though, and their place of choice was the Trophy Garden. Porygon is among the 16 Pokemon that Mr. Backlot may tell the player about each day. This makes getting hold of it relatively simple, although it will require some patience.

Porygon’s evolved forms are pretty powerful for players who are willing to get the items and do the trade evolutions. Porygon2 is preferred in the competitive scene due to a slightly wider movepool and the use of Eviolite. However, Porygon-Z is just as good for single players; it has some great stats, and depending on its ability, the way players train those stats can affect what role it fills in a team.

Porygon’s Base Stats:

11 Eevee

Normal-Type

• Game Location: Received from Bebe in Hearthome City, Trophy Garden

A Pokemon that has surged in popularity since the original games, Eevee was a big part of Generation 4, as it got new evolutions in Leafeon and Glaceon. That said, it isn’t actually part of the Sinnoh Pokedex and may be a bit harder than expected to track down.

The first way to get it is as another Trophy Garden Pokemon, which means more talking to Mr Backlot. However, there is another way, but it requires getting the National Dex. Once this is done, simply talk to Bebe, whose house is next to the Pokemon Center in Hearthome City, and she will gift one to the player.

Eevee is undoubtedly one of the most versatile Pokemon in the game. Players can make an Eevee on their team into almost anything they want. If they want simple attacking power, then Flareon, Vaporeon, and Espeon will be great. Jolteon can strike ludicrously fast, whilst Umbreon takes a few good hits whilst chipping away at opponents. Ultimately, players can make their Eevee into whatever suits them best.

Eevee’s Base Stats:

10 All Starter Pokemon

• Game Locations:
• Grass Types – Grassland, Riverbank, Still-Water & Sunlit Cavern
• Fire Types – Volcanic, Sandsear & Typhlo Cavern
• Water Types – Fountainspring, Riverbank & Still-Water Cavern
• (Bulbasaur can also be found in the Swampy & Bogsunk Cavern)

Starter Pokemon are usually a rare commodity in Pokemon games, especially those of the region where the game is set. However, the designers were nice this time around, and players can get every starter Pokemon in a single save file without the need for trading.

Players must obtain their National dex and then navigate the Grand Underground to find them all. Each type can be found in different caverns and are all fairly rare encounters.

Starter Pokemon are always going to have solid stats. These Pokemon are designed to be the player’s primary companion, after all. These early Generation Starters aren’t seen in competitive all that much, although Venusuar has some interesting niches thanks to the Chlorophyll Hidden Ability. Given that the Pokedex is restricted to just Generation 4, though, Pokemon like Infernape could make a substantial impact on almost any battlefield.

9 Spiritomb

Ghost/Dark-Type

• Game Location: Hallowed Tower on Route 209

A Pokemon famously annoying to get ahold of whenever it appears, Spiritomb is a strong Pokemon that has found its way home to the Sinnoh Region and the Hallowed Tower once again. The first thing players must do is get the Odd Keystone, which is handed out by a Blackbelt on Route 208, just before reaching Hearthome City.

With this item in their bag, players must then interact with a pile of rocks in the Southeast of Route 209. It will then become the Hallowed Tower. The next step is a bit of a pain, but players must go into the Grand Underground and talk to 32 different people. These remakes make it easier than the originals, though, as NPCs now count towards this total, and the online mode makes finding other people very easy. Getting this Pokemon as early as possible will be great to help with the game’s biggest challenges.

Spiritomb is one of the few Pokemon in the game that enjoys having just a single weakness. The addition of Fairy-type has since thrown a wrench into things. Spiritomb still has a lot to offer, though. It has great defensive stats, and while its attacking power is nothing special, it’s enough to put Pokemon weak to it on notice.

Spiritomb’s Base Stats:

8 Feebas

Water-Type

• Game Location: Mount Coronet (four fishing spots)

While later Generations would cool their jets about Feebas, it is a tremendous pain in both Generations 3 and 4. The Generation 3 remakes, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, gave players a break by changing Feebas’ encounter mechanics. However, these Generation 4 remakes did not.

The first step is to go into Mount Coronet and find a foggy cavern. Using Defog here will reveal a large lake. In this lake, 4 of the water tiles contain Feebas. These tiles are decided at random and change every day. What’s more is that the tiles where Feebas appears only give a 50% encounter rate, meaning that players will need to check every tile in the lake multiple times to know for sure that they didn’t accidentally miss it.

Whilst Feebas is in the Magikarp class of joke Pokemon, Milotic is a powerful ally that players should be desperate to get their hands on. It has a couple of useful abilities. Marvel Scale increases its defense whenever it has a status condition, and Competitive raises its Special Attack whenever a stat is dropped. It has access to an incredibly wide movepool and enjoys the luxury of 100 in Special Attack and 125 in Special Defense.

Feebas’ Base Stats:

7 Heracross

Bug/Fighting-Type

• Game Location: Routes 205, 206, 207, 208, 209, 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 218, 221, and 222, Eterna Forest, Floaroma Meadow, Fuego Ironworks, Valley Windworks (Honey Trees)

Pokemon being exclusive to Honey Trees is a mechanic introduced in Pokemon Diamond & Pearl and thus jumped its way up to the remakes as well. Heracross is one of those Pokemon that can only be caught by slavering Honey on a tree and waiting six hours for a Pokemon.

There are a lot of Pokemon that can be found, but Heracross is really tough; it has a 1% chance of being found, which is an absolute nightmare. Gamers could spend weeks and months looking for the Bug/Fighting-type and never find one. It is really frustrating how hard Heracross is to find in this game, especially considering how awesome this Pokemon is to use in battle.

Heracross’ Base Stats:

6 Munchlax

Normal-Type

• Game Location: Routes 205, 206, 207, 208, 209, 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 218, 221, 222, Eterna Forest, Floaroma Meadow, Fuego Ironworks, Valley Windworks (Honey Trees), Grand Underground – Grassland Cave, Spacious Cave, Whiteout Cave, Riverbank Cave, Still-Water Cavern, Sunlit Cavern (after obtaining TM97 (Defog))

While Munchlax is now available in the Grand Underground, players of the originals will remember the pain of trying to get one purely by using Honey Trees, something they can still do in the remakes.

The way honey trees work is simple: slather honey on a tree, wait for 6 hours, and encounter a Pokemon from a random pool. Munchlax is extra horrible, though, because only a random four trees out of the twenty-one in the game can spawn it. What’s more, two of these trees are determined by the save file’s Secret ID, which the player can never know without hacking. The cherry on the cake, though, is that even when players do locate the right trees, Munchlax’s encounter rate is a pitiful 1%, meaning that it will take days or potentially months to find.

Munchlax is surprisingly strong for a baby Pokemon, but players are going to want to evolve it into a Snorlax as soon as possible. The absolute walling capabilities of Snorlax are well documented, as it has 160 in HP and 110 in Special Defense. This can be enhanced with a move like Curse, which lowers Speed but raises Attack and Defense. Snorlax is undoubtedly slow, but it can hit like a truck when used by a player who knows its strengths.

Munchlax’s Base Stats: