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Drifloon is a Flying/Ghost-type Pokemon that appears in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Pokemon Shining Pearl, and many players will undoubtedly be interested in adding one to their teams. To do this, fans must perform some very specific actions, as Drifloon is not always available to be caught. Providing details on those actions is the precise purpose of this guide, and players that read on should have no trouble catching a Drifloon in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Pokemon Shining Pearl.
Updated March 10th, 2022 by Russ Boswell: Many players are still making their way through Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, or are starting new playthroughs or challenge runs in order to increase the title's replayability. Those looking to capture some different Pokemon in their latest run may want to consider snagging a Drifloon, an often overlooked Ghost and Flying type. Those that are looking to catch Drifloon in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl can use the following guide to snag one. To better showcase where Drifloon is, what it does, and what it's capable of, the following guide has been updated to include even more information.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl: How to Catch Drifloon
The first step toward obtaining a Drifloon is to reach the Valley Windworks and defeat the Team Galactic members that have taken it over. For the uninitiated, the Valley Windworks is located just east of Floaroma Town in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, which is between Routes 204 and 205, and Team Galactic can be found there after a player has beaten the game's first gym leader.
Once Team Galactic has been dispatched at the Valley Windworks, players should plan to return to this location on a subsequent Friday between the hours of 10am and 7:59pm. Indeed, a single Drifloon will appear in front of the power plant’s entrance during that time frame, and fans can catch it as they would any other Pokemon. Notably, the Drifloon will be at the Valley Windworks every Friday after Pokemon BDSP’s Team Galactic is beaten, giving players multiple opportunities to obtain one.
One final thing to mention about catching this Gen 4 Pokemon is that altering a Switch’s system date will lock Pokemon spawns that are date-reliant for 24 hours. This means that players cannot skip directly to a time when Drifloon is available, and some amount of waiting will be required. Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl fans can minimize that wait for Drifloon by setting their Switch’s date to a Thursday, though doing so may not really be worth the effort.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl: How to Evolve Drifloon into Drifblim
For the sake of completeness, it may be worth saying a few words about evolving Drifloon into Drifblim. Fortunately, this is a much more straightforward process than catching the Pokemon, as Drifloon will evolve simply upon reaching Level 28. Pokemon BDSP’s EXP share mechanic makes doing this an absolute breeze, as players do not even need to send their Drifloons into battle to get them to the requisite level.
A Look At Drifloon And Drifblim's Stats
Drifloon is a Ghost-and-Flying-type Pokemon with a base stat total of 348. Unfortunately, past its adorable charms and entertaining design, Drifloon isn't much of a fighter. It does gain access to Self Destruct and Explosion via leveling up, so it does have a bit of utility as a trap or a bunker buster but this comes at the cost of its own life. It also comes with quite a few weaknesses, being two times weak to Ghost, Dark, Rock, Ice, and Electric types.
Drifblim is a bit better with a stat total of 498. It still maintains the weaknesses from its prior evolution, but it is also important to note that it carries an immunity to Normal, Fighting, and Ground moves. It's capable of learning Phantom Force, Hex, and Shadow Ball, and receives a STAB bonus for those moves. It has higher HP that is, unfortunately, offset by poor Defense and Special Defense. It does have access to a hidden ability (as does Drifloon) called Flare Boost that will boost its Special Attacks by 50 percent when it's afflicted with a burn.
Both Drifloon and Drifblim can come with the Aftermath or Unburden abilities. Aftermath is a revenge-style ability that will deal damage to a Pokemon that has caused Drifloon or Drifblim to faint, so long as the move contacted them. It can deal 1/4 HP damage. Unburden will double Drifloon or Drifblim's Speed Stat if the held item they are carrying is used. This can give them an edge in battle while simultaneously buffing themselves by use of the held item.
Here's a look at the base stats for Drifloon and Drifblim:
Drifloon
- Attack: 50
- Special Attack: 60
- Defense: 34
- Special Defense: 44
- HP: 90
- Speed: 70
Drifblim
- Attack: 80
- Special Attack: 90
- Defense: 44
- Special Defense: 54
- HP: 150
- Speed: 80
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Pokemon Shining Pearl are available for the Nintendo Switch.