After years of fan requests, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have officially been confirmed. The Pokemon Company announced Diamond and Pearl remakes for Switch during its Pokemon Presents stream on February 26, and they will release sometime later this year. Unlike the series' previous remakes, such as HeartGold and SoulSilver or Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, these titles appear to be more faithfully recreating the original DS games' overworld segments as opposed to overhauling them in a modern-Generation style. Even so, they would benefit from one feature introduced during the 3DS era: Special "Episodes" of post-game content.
Pokemon X and Y included a more involved and story-driven questline that had players assist International Police officer Looker in his Kalos detective agency. That was formalized more in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire via the Delta Episode, which provided a brand-new story to contextualize the capture of Hoenn's third main box art Legendary Rayquaza. Given the remakes were based on Ruby and Sapphire rather than Emerald, having a separate story revolving around Rayquaza was a great way to introduce more content.
While this trend would notably continue with Episode RR in Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, introducing the world to Team Rainbow Rocket as a melding pot for all previous games' villains, the Delta Episode's format specifically is perfect for Diamond and Pearl remakes. It not only let players capture Rayquaza, but also gave the previously event-only Deoxys a special place in the story, all while introducing new lore and characters like Zinnia. Another benefit to the idea is there are a huge number of unique Pokemon in Sinnoh that deserve a spotlight, so options to theme a new Episode around are plentiful.
Giratina Episode
Following Rayquaza, Giratina is the obvious choice for a special post-game story. In the original Diamond and Pearl, Giratina could be found as a static Legendary encounter in Sinnoh's Turnback Cave. However, in the Giratina-led Platinum version, players were able to travel into the Distortion World where it lives and encounter Giratina in its Origin Forme.
Given Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are based on the original games rather than Platinum, it seems likely that the adventure will end with Team Galactic's Cyrus summoning either Dialga or Palkia on Spear Pillar rather than invoking the wrath of Giratina. If so, it would be a shame to lose content related to the Distortion World, where players were able to walk upside down, ride up waterfalls, and more while solving clever spatial puzzles. Adding post-game content where Giratina plays a substantial role would be vastly preferred to hiding it away in a cave once again.
Darkrai Episode
The creator deity Arceus is arguably the Pokemon that deserves a unique post-game Episode most after Giratina, but fans are instead getting Pokemon Legends: Arceus in 2022, so it isn't necessary to pay the Alpha Pokemon much mind in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. In the original games, Arceus was only obtainable via a distributed item called the Azure Flute that was never released. However, two other Mythical Pokemon did receive their unique items in the DS games: Darkrai and Shaymin.
Darkrai is a Pokemon steeped in darkness that is known for causing nightmares; the opposing member of a duo with Cresselia. It was originally obtained with the Member Card event item, which granted players access to Canalave City's Harbor Inn. There players would have a nightmare bringing them to Darkrai's Newmoon Island, much like other NPCs found in the game who are suffering in their sleep. The idea of a nightmare plague affecting Sinnoh seems perfect to center a story around, especially after Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Darkness gave Darkrai more appeal as a villainous Pokemon.
Shaymin Episode
Shaymin was obtainable via the distributed Oak's Letter, which brought Kanto's Professor Oak to the Sinnoh region. Its in-game event was more understated than Darkrai's, with players simply encountering Oak on Route 224 before using his letter and an expression of gratitude to bring Shaymin's Flower Paradise into existence.
Considering Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are confirmed to have Platinum content via the trailer showing an NPC who gives players the Gracidea Flower, it's likely this Mythical Pokemon will have some role in the game. Whether it is given a prominent role in something like the Delta Episode will have to be seen, but there's certainly potential to expand Professor Oak's presence in the remakes if need be.
Manaphy Episode
Unlike the aforementioned Pokemon, Manaphy is a special candidate for a Delta Episode-esque story because its original method of being obtained was not directly linked to Pokemon Diamond, Pearl, or Platinum. Rather, players could receive Manaphy's egg in the DS spin-off game Pokemon Ranger and transfer that to the Sinnoh region. While the Pokemon Ranger series deserves to come back on Switch, it's unlikely that will happen anytime soon, so the upcoming remakes would have to reinvent the wheel to bring Manaphy back.
One solution could be to introduce characters from the Ranger games as brand-new additions to Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, like Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire introduced Zinnia and Contest idol Lisia. However, something entirely new could also be imagined up, perhaps adding more context to Manaphy's odd distinction of being the only Legendary or Mythical Pokemon that can breed to produce a new monster, Phione.
The Sinnoh region is well-known for its focus on mythology, and there are far more options for Delta Episode ideas than just these four. A post-game Episode could center around Rotom's ability to inhibit electronics, expand the Platinum event where the player joins with Buck and Looker to stop Team Galactic admins from capturing Heatran, or even let players gather the Regis from Pokemon Sword and Shield to awaken Regigigas in Snowpoint Temple. Whether this kind of content is included at the offset or released as DLC for Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, it would no doubt benefit the remakes.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl will release in late 2021 for Nintendo Switch.