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Despite Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl not including Pokemon beyond the fourth generation, there is still plenty of variety that players can choose from to build their own team. Those looking for powerful Pokemon, but don't wish to use legendaries, can catch a pseudo-legendary Pokemon instead. One such Pokemon is Dragonite, the final evolved form of Dratini.

Dratini is a pure Dragon-type Pokemon that will evolve into Dragonair and then into Dragonite. Players hoping to have Dratini on their team before completing Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl's story may be disappointed to learn that Dratini won't spawn until the postgame. Fortunately, it's a fairly common Pokemon if trainers know where to look.

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Dratini's Habitats

pokemon brilliant diamond shining pearl dratini

In Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, there are two ways of catching Dratini. One method is fishing, and the other is searching in the Grand Underground. No matter which choice players choose, they will need to have done the following for Dratini to start spawning in Sinnoh:

  1. Beat the Elite Four and become Champion.
  2. Get the National Dex from Professor Rowan.

With this, Dratini will now appear in Mt. Coronet and the Fountainspring Cave hideaway in the Grand Underground.

Players aiming to catch Dratini on Mt. Coronet have one more thing they need to do:

  1. After the credits roll, take the ferry from Snowpoint City to the Fight Area.
  2. Speak to the Fisherman standing outside Route 225 and get the Super Rod.

Fishing for Dratini

pokemon brilliant diamond shining pearl

Dratini has a 40% appearance rate on the 4th floor of Mt. Coronet. Trainers can reach the 4th floor by entering Mt. Coronet from Route 207 or Route 208. On the floor where players met Cyrus, there's a wall to the north that can be Rock Climbed.

Use Rock Climb, go through the next room, then take the stairs up to exit onto Mt. Coronet's Peak. Follow the snowy path (right) to two Rock Climb walls with an entrance back into Mt. Coronet. Use Rock Climb again (just once this time), and go through the entrance to get to the 4th floor.

Trainers will know they're in the right room if they go left and see a waterfall. Here, use the Super Rod to hook Dratini. On Mt. Coronet, Dratini will be around level 15-20. If players are lucky, they might end up hooking an under-level Dragonair instead.

Use Quick Balls or Ultra Balls to catch Dratini. Since players are using a fishing rod to catch Dratini, they can also use Dive Balls, which has an increased catch rate on Pokemon that live in the water.

Finding Dratini in the Grand Underground

pokemon brilliant diamond shining pearl dratini

The closest Fountainspring Cave hideaway can be reached by using HM Fly to Eterna City, and then using the Explorer Kit. This hideaway is indicated by a blue square (if players have visited it before) on the Grand Underground Map.

Unlike Mt. Coronet, Dratini caught in the Grand Underground will be level 60+. They'll be easier to evolve into Dragonite since Dratini will only need to level twice. However, players might need to take their evolved Dragonite to the Move Reminder to get it to relearn some of its better moves.

Since Dratini living in Fountanspring Cave aren't caught via fishing, Dive Balls won't work as well on them. Stick to using Ultra Balls and inflict status ailments if necessary. Remember that Dratini's main Ability is Shed Skin, so it might have a 30% chance of healing any status ailments. Players may have better luck weakening Dratini's health to yellow or red if a Quick Ball fails or if Dratini keeps shaking off paralysis or sleep.

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More Information About Dratini and Its Evolutions

Pokemon Dratini

Dratini will evolve into Dragonair once it reaches level 30. When Dragonair levels up to level 55, it will become a Dragonite. Dratini and Dragonair both share the Dragon-typing, which means they have the following strengths, weaknesses, and resistances:

  • Strengths: Dragon-type.
  • Weaknesses: Dragon, Fairy, and Ice-type.
  • Resistances: Fire, Water, Grass, and Electric-type.
  • Immunities: None.

Fully evolved, Dragonite gains the Flying-type, which opens it up to more weaknesses, but also gives it more strengths and an immunity that Dratini and Dragonair don't have. As a Dragon/Flying-type, it has the following banes and boons:

  • Strengths: Dragon, Grass, Bug, and Fighting-types.
  • Weaknesses: Dragon, Fairy, Ice, and Rock-types.
  • Resistances: Fire, Water, Grass-type.
  • Immunities: Ground-type.

Unfortunately, Dragonite has a double weakness to Ice-type moves, thanks to Ice-type being strong against both Dragon and Flying-type Pokemon. Because of this, it also gains a weakness to Rock-type and loses its resistance to Electric-type Pokemon.

Dratini and Dragonair have a base stat total of 300 and 420 respectively. Like other pseudo-legendary Pokemon, Dragonite has a base stat total of 600.

Name

Base Stats

Stat Total

Dratini

HP: 41

300

Attack: 64

Defense: 45

Special Attack: 50

Special Defense: 50

Speed: 50

Dragonair

HP: 61

420

Attack: 84

Defense: 65

Special Attack: 70

Special Defense: 70

Speed: 70

Dragonite

HP: 91

600

Attack: 134

Defense: 95

Special Attack: 100

Special Defense: 100

Speed: 80

The Dratini-line is a bit slower in battle, but they make up for it in Attack and Defense once they're fully evolved into Dragonite. The Dratini family does best with an Adamant (+Attk, -Sp. Attk) or Relaxed (+Def, -Spd) Nature by lowering the growth of its already-poor Speed and expanding on its strengths.

If trainers do want their Dragonite to have a little more Speed, they can try getting a Dratini with a Jolly (+Spd, -Sp. Attk) since most of Dragonite's better moves are Physical instead of Special.

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are available now on Nintendo Switch.

MORE: Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl: Complete Guide & Walkthrough