Pokemon offers trainers no shortage of methods of getting the edge on their opponents and wild Pokemon. The most basic of these is training up one's Pokemon and teaching them better moves. However, there are plenty of other approaches to giving your Pokemon partners a boost, and one of these is the use of battle items.
Battle items temporarily raise the stats of Pokemon for the duration of the battle. Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl has plenty of these battle items scattered throughout the Sinnoh Region, and available for purchase in some stores (most notably, all of these items can be purchased at the Veilstone City Department Store on the second floor.) Battle items can mean the difference between victory and defeat in a showdown with trainers like Cyrus, Volkner, or Cynthia, so knowing where to get them is important.
8 X Defense
X Defense does what the name implies, as it boosts the Pokemon's defense by one stage until its withdrawn. In essence, it's like using Harden or Defense Curl for Pokemon that might not have those moves at their disposal.
It's great for Pokemon that have a lower defense stat, like Blissey, and can keep these Pokemon from getting one-shot when used right. However, it loses points for the ubiquity of decent defense-boosting moves like Iron Defense, Curse, Bulk Up, and even Defense Curl. These moves render the X Defense pretty redundant.
Where to Get X Defense:
- 550 PokeDollars at Veilstone Department Store
- In the Oreburgh Mine near the entrance
7 X Sp. Def
X Sp. Def raises a Pokemon's special defense stat by one stage until it is withdrawn. This is akin to using Cosmic Power. There are fewer really good moves for raising Special Defense (with the best being Amnesia and Calm Mind), than there are for its physical counterpart, which makes X Sp. Def a more useful item than X Defense. This item can be useful for more defense-oriented Pokemon to keep them resilient against special attack moves.
Where to Get X Sp. Def:
- 350 PokeDollars at Veilstone Department Store
- Near PI Carlos on Route 214
6 X Attack
X Attack raises a Pokemon's attack stat by one stage until its withdrawn. This would be comparable to a use of Howl or Meditate.
There are plenty of great moves that raise one's attack stat such as Bulk Up, Dragon Dance, Growth, Curse, and Coil. However, an X Attack can allow an offensive Pokemon to keep a stacked moveset without dedicating a move slot to any of these, leaving more room for damage-dealing moves.
Where to Get X Attack
- 500 Pokemon Dollars at the Veilstone Department Store
- Next to Hiker Daniel on Route 205
5 X Sp. Atk
X Sp. Atk raises a Pokemon's special attack stat by one stage until its withdrawn. There aren't actually any moves that solely fulfill this purpose (though Acupressure can do it at random); however moves like Work Up, Growth, and Calm Mind raise special attack among other stats by one stage. Nasty Plot and Tail Glow both raise special attack by two stages.
With the relatively light pool of moves that rasie special attack, this makes X Sp. Atk even more useful when battling across Sinnoh. It's essential for a team's Special sweepers.
Where to Get X Sp. Atk:
- 350 PokeDollars at the Veilstone Department Store
- Beyond a Cut tree and bike path on Route 212
4 X Accuracy
X Accuracy raises a Pokemon's accuracy by one stage until withdrawn. This is a relatively rare ability, with only moves like Hone Claws and Coil fulfilling this consistently, and Acupressure being able to do it at random.
This is a very useful item to use after having Pokemon inundated with the annoying effects of Sand Attack or Mud Bomb, which lower accuracy. It also helps when the opposing Pokemon has made use of Double Team or Minimize for a few turns, raising their evasion.
Where to Get X Accuracy:
- 950 PokeDollars at the Veilstone Department Store
- Near some trees by Poke Kid Danielle on Route 211
3 X Speed
X Speed raises a Pokemon's speed stat by one stage until withdrawn, giving them a higher chance of hitting first. Speed is arguably the most important stat in the game, as being able to hit first means the difference between victory and defeat in many battles.
There are plenty of good speed-raising moves, such as Agility, Dragon Dance, Quiver Dance, Autotomize, Shell Smash, and Rock Polish. Still, having another option at one's disposal is never a bad idea, especially if a particularly hard hitter doesn't know any speed-raising moves.
Where to Get X Speed:
- 350 PokeDollars at the Veilstone Department Store
- On an island south of Black Belt Kyle on Route 208
2 Dire Hit
Dire Hit raises the critical hit ratio of a Pokemon's attacks by one stage until withdrawn. This makes it an item counterpart to the Focus Energy move. Being able to strike first is important, but ensuring that the hit is devastating can be even more so in a battle. Critical hits double the amount of damage done by an attack, so increasing the likelihood of one makes Dire Hit more effective for dealing damage than even X Attack or X Sp. Atk.
Where to Get Dire Hit
- 650 PokeDollars at the Veilstone Department Store
- On a cliff south of Hiker Kevin on Route 207
1 Guard Spec.
Guard Spec. prevents the player's Pokemon from having its stats reduced by opponents or five turns. There are few moves and abilities that can match this, with the Clear Body ability and Mist move being two that can achieve a similar effect. Keeping a Pokemon's stats in good standing is vital to winning a battle, so this makes Guard Spec. easily the most useful battle item in the game.
Where to Get Guard Spec.:
- 700 Pokemon Dollars at the Veilstone Department Store
- Near a bridge that runs above two berry trees on Route 215
Pokemon: Brillaint Diamond & Shining Pearl are now available for the Nintendo Switch.