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Starter Pokemon are always among the most iconic in their generation. Whether the player picks a Grass, Fire, or Water-type, their starter Pokemon will often stay by their side throughout the game, growing stronger alongside them as they take on fellow trainers, Gym Leaders, and criminal organizations. In Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, players choose between Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup.
However, the Sinnoh starters aren't the only ones available in the Generation 4 remakes. In the late game, trainers can add starters from the previous three generations to their team, as well as the Sinnoh starters they did not choose at the beginning. Once players have obtained the National Dex, they can catch all of these fan-favorite Pokemon in the Grand Underground — here's where to find them.
Catching The Starters
Every starter Pokemon from Generation 4 and earlier can be found in different areas (called Hideaways) of the Grand Underground, depending on their type. All are fairly uncommon occurances, so players may have to be patient when trying to encounter them. Keep in mind that the Pokemon inside a Hideaway reset every time the player enters, so if the desired Pokemon does not appear, the player can simply exit and re-enter until they find what they're looking for.
Grass Types
Bulbasaur, Chikorita, Treecko, and Turtwig can all be found in the following Grand Underground hideaways:
- Sunlit Cavern
- Grassland Caves
- Riverbank Caves
- Still-Water Cavern
Fire Types
To find Charmander, Cyndaquil, Torchic, or Charmander, look in the following areas:
- Volcanic Caves
- Typhlo Cavern
- Sunlit Caves
Water Types
Lastly, players can search for Squirtle, Totodile, Mudkip, and Piplup in these hideaway types in the Grand Underground:
- Still-Water Cavern
- Fountainspring Caves
- Riverbank Caves
Evolving Caught Starter Pokemon
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As readers will notice, only the first evolutions of each starter Pokemon's line are available in the Grand Underground; thus, players will need to evolve them if they wish to complete the National Dex. Almost all the starters listed above reach their second evolution at level 16. There are a few exceptions to the rule:
- Cyndaquil and Chimchar evolve at level 14.
- Turtwig and Totodile evolve at level 18.
Similarly, almost all starters reach their third evolution at level 36. Once again, there are a few exceptions:
- Croconaw evolves at level 30.
- Ivysaur, Bayleef, and Grotle evolve at level 32.
It should be noted that the Pokemon in the Grand Underground increase in level the further the player has progressed through the game, capping at the range of 58-63 after the player has defeated the Elite Four. Since the National Dex is often obtained later in the game, the starters that the player encounters will likely be much higher level than is required for their evolutions.
In these cases, the player only needs to level up the Pokemon twice. It will evolve into its second form on the first level-up, and into its final form on the second.