Rarest Pokemon In Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl

With Sinnoh renewed and remade for Nintendo Switch, players old and new will 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 February 2, 2025 by Ben Painter: Pokemon Scarlet & Violet have been out for some time now and gamers may be looking for a new challenge to take on before the release of Pokemon Legends Z-A. Players could fire up their copy of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond or Shinning Pearl and try to complete the Pokedex. However, this will be no easy task as some Pokemon are really hard to find. This update adds five more of the rarest Pokemon to find In Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shinning Pearl.

35

Teddiursa

Normal-type

• Game Location: Grand Underground – Grassland Cave, Spacious Cave, Rocky Cave, Sunlit Cavern, Whiteout Cave, Glacial Cavern, Icy Cave

The Grand Underground opens up to players once they reach Eterna City. Expanded upon from the original games, this new look underground has places where gamers can catch some rare Pokemon.

Rocky Cave, Sunlit Cavern, Whiteout Cave, and Glacial Cavern are the places where players can find the Little Bear Pokemon from the start. The others require the National Dex. There are certainly rarer Pokemon on this list, but Teddiursa is certainly one to pick up as it evolves into the beastly Ursaring and, thankfully, this is just at level 30.

Teddiursa’s Base Stats:

34

Gligar

Ground/Flying-type

• Game Location: Grand Underground – Rocky Cave, Swampy Cave, Big Bluff Cavern, Sunlit Cavern, Big Bluff Cavern, Bogsunk Cavern (Brilliant Diamond only)

Gligar is a tricky Pokemon to acquire in the game; it can only be located in certain areas of the Grand Underground. From the original games, Diamond & Pearl, the Underground has been expanded, and gamers can now find Pokemon in special areas.

The Ground/Flying type is an awesome Pokemon to use. It can learn various Flying, Ground, Poison, and Bug moves and the Elemental Fang moves, too! Gligar is necessary if gamers want to use its evolved form, Gliscor, as this Pokemon cannot be caught. It must be evolved by holding a Razor Fang at night, which can be purchased at the Battle Park.

Gligar’s Base Stats:

33

Duskull

Ghost-type

• Game Location: Route 224 (Poke Radar), Grand Underground – Dazzling Cave, Stargleam Cavern (After obtaining the National Pokedex)

Originally introduced in Generation 3, the small little Ghost Pokemon made the jump onto the Nintendo Switch with Brilliant Diamond & Shinning Pearl. To capture the Requiem Pokemon, players must first obtain the National Dex, as it will only spawn in the Grand Underground with it.

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Another way to find Duskull is to use the Poke Radar, but this can be tricky as it isn’t always available. Gamers must wait for the Duskull outbreak to become available and then race to Route 224 to add a Duskull to their party. Duskull eventually evolves into the Generation 4 Pokemon Dusknoir when traded using a Reaper Cloth.

Duskull’s Base Stats:

32

Smoochum

Ice/Psychic-type

• Game Location: Lake Acuity (Swarm), Grand Underground – Icy Cave, Dazzling Cave, Stargleam Cavern, Glacial Cavern

Smoochum may have a controversial evolution in Jynx, but the baby Pokemon, Smoochum, is fairly inoffensive. It is one of the rarest Pokemon in Brilliant Diamond & Shiny Pearl as it is another Pokemon that can only be located in the Grand Underground in just a few areas.

Smoochum can be found in a swarm also in Lake Acuity near Snowpoint City. Keep an eye on the pause menu for information on Smoochum’s arrival. Gamers will have a decent Pokemon, too, as Jynx has very good Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed and great typing to boot.

Smoochum’s Base Stats:

31

Swinub

Ice/Ground-type

• Game Location: Route 217 (Swarm) Grand Underground – Icy Cave, Swampy Cave, Whiteout Cave, Glacial Cavern, Bogsunk Cavern

Another Ice-type, which is also rare, is Swinub. The Pig Pokemon can be found in swarms on Route 17 and in select areas in the Grand Underground, albeit at a rare spawn rate.

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Gamers will need Swinub to complete their Pokedex. In its final stage, it becomes the mammoth, Mamoswine, who is an awesome Pokemon in-game with hulking Attack and HP stats. It will leave Electric types in ruins with a powerful Earthquake attack. Players will need to search high and low to find this cute little Ice/Ground Pokemon.

Swinub’s Base Stats:

30

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 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:

29

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, leaped 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.

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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 rare spawn. In some areas, it appears with a spawn rate as low as 5%.

Absol’s Base Stats:

28

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:

27

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.

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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:

26

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:

25

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.

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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.

Base Stats:

24

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:

23

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.

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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:

22

Kangaskhan

Normal-type

• Game Location: Great Marsh (after obtaining National Dex)

The Great Marsh is another location in which rare Pokemon can be found. Located in Pastoria City it is similar to the Kanto Safari Zone in which trainers can catch Pokemon without the need for battle.

There are some Pokemon less common than others and one of these is the Parent Pokemon, Kangaskhan. First, gamers must acquire the National Dex, and then it is in “the changing Pokemon” category, meaning that there will be a 1/32 chance that this Pokemon will be there at all. Once it is available, it will have a 10% chance of spawning in the grass.

Kangaskhan’s Base Stats:

21

Yanma

Bug/Flying-type

• Game Location: Great Marsh (after obtaining National Dex)

Yanma is another Pokemon found exclusively in the Great Marsh, and just like Kangaskhan, it follows the same pattern. It has a 1/32 chance of appearing at all and then, once it does it has a 10% chance of spawning in the grass.

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This is a real problem as a new Pokemon for Generation 4 is the evolved form of Yanma, Yanmega, which is a really awesome Pokemon to use in-game with great stats and moveset. There is no reason to make it as hard as this to acquire. Players will want to search high and low for this Bug-type.

Yanma’s Base Stats:

20

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:

19

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:

18

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:

17

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:

16

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.

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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: