Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are awash with legendary Pokemon and mythical Pokemon, but how to catch them isn’t always clear. They’re the stuff of legends for a reason, after all. The list below details everything you need to know.
There’s a handful you can get just by playing older Pokemon games, but the rest take some tracking down and a good deal of luck to catch.
How to Get Mew in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
You’ll need save data from either Pokemon Let’s GO Pikachu or Eevee on the Switch you’re using for Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.
Once that’s sorted, head to Floaroma Town and speak with the elderly couple in the field there, the woman specifically. She’ll ask you to care for a Pokemon they have, and it’s Mew. How they came by one of the rarest Pokemon in existence in a flower field in the boonies is irrelevant.
How to Get Legendary Jirachi
Obtaining Jirachi is similar, but you’ll first need save data for either Pokemon Sword or Shield on the Switch that BDSP lives on. Go to the flower field in Floaroma town again, and speak with the older man. He’ll ask you to take care of a Pokemon he found, and it’s Jirachi. What they don’t give up is their secrets and just how they managed to get hold of these beings of myth.
How to Get Manaphy
Anyone who purchases Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl before February 21, 2022, will automatically get Manaphy, and it’s the only way to obtain the Pokemon for now. You’ll need the Mystery Gift function unlocked, though.
Normally, unlocking Mystery Gift in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl means waiting until you defeat Maylene at the Veilstone Gym. If you don’t feel like waiting that long, though, take a detour to the TV station in Jubilife City after defeating Roark.
Go to the third floor and speak with the person in the sitting area, then choose “Everyone happy Wi-Fi connection option.” It immediately unlocks Mystery Gift, and you can use the function to get a Manaphy Egg.
Leave Manaphy at the Nursery with a Ditto, and you’ll wind up with a Phione egg.
How to Get Giratina
You’ll encounter Dialga or Palkia just by playing the game, but you’ll have to hunt for the grisly Ghost legendary.
Complete the Sinnoh Pokedex, become the Champion, then get the National Dex from Professor Rowan. Go to Route 214 south of Veilstone, and you’ll find a new path in the trees. Follow this to reach Turnback Cave, where you’ll encounter Giratina. Bring Dusk Balls to make catching this one slightly easier, since it’s in a cave.
Finding the Griseous Orb in BDSP
There’s no Distortion World in BDSP, but you can still get Giratina’s other form thanks to the Griseous Orb. It takes work, though. After catching Giratina, visit Ramanas Park and buy the Distortion Slate. This opens the Distortion Room, where you’ll face a level 100 Giratina in its Origin Form. You can’t catch it, but it drops the Griseous Orb upon defeat.
How to Get Cresellia in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
After obtaining the National Dex, visit Eldritch’s house in Canalave and speak with the sick child. Travel to Fullmoon Island, something that used to be locked behind an event, and interact with the mythical ‘mon. It’ll roam around Sinnoh from then on.
How to Get Heatran
Heatran lives on Stark Mountain, an area you can only access after becoming Champion. Reach the end of the path, then speak with the old man near the Pokemon Mart, and go back to Stark Mountain to find Heatran.
Other Legendary Pokemon in BDSP
Other Legendaries, including Zapdos and Entei, call Ramanas Park their home, but the process of finding them is a bit different. You’ll have to assemble slates using Shards obtained at random from the Underground.
- Kanto Slate: Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres (Shining Pearl only)
- Genome Slate: Mewtwo
- Johto Slate: Raikou, Entei, Suicune (Brilliant Diamond only)
- Rainbow Slate: Ho-oh (Brilliant Diamond only)
- Squall Slate: Lugia (Shining Pearl only)
- Discovery Slate: Regice, Regirock, Registeel
- Soul Slate: Latios, Latias
- Oceanic Slate: Kyogre
- Tectonic Slate: Groudon
- Stratospheric Slate: Rayquaza
Each Pokemon is level 70 when you fight it, and we recommend saving before the battle in case things don’t work out well. Bring plenty of balls with you. You won’t catch these easily.
How to Get Shaymin
There’s currently no way to obtain Shaymin aside from using glitches. Since data for it exists in the game, though, we expect an official way to encounter the mythical Pokemon will be added later.
How to Get Darkrai
You can’t get Darkrai, not even through glitches. There’s no Darkrai in any form in BDSP so far.
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That’s it for Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl’s Legendary Pokemon, but make sure to check out our other Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl guides for more tips.
