Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl may be more faithful remakes of the Generation 4 titles than previous entries like Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, but developer ILCA's additions help them stand out. From fan-favorite content like Pokemon followers and cosmetic outfits making a return to the complete overhaul of Sinnoh's now-Grand Underground, in many respects this is the best way to experience Diamond and Pearl. One change that benefits Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl is the removal of required HM moves.
Traditional obstacles like trees requiring Cut and boulders requiring Strength still exist, but now players can call upon wild Pokemon to assist using the Poketch rather than wasting attack slots on their main team - or designating one Bidoof to do everything from Surf to Rock Smash. It may be a little awkward to see these vestigial elements of Diamond and Pearl's design when there are now clear workarounds, but the Poketch undoubtedly leaves the experience smoother. That makes it stranger to see non-HM field moves like Flash not get the same treatment.
HM Moves Throughout Pokemon
HMs, also known as Hidden Machines, are counterparts to the TMs (technical machines) that have existed since Pokemon Red, Green, and Blue. Whereas TMs teach Pokemon a variety of moves, from the powerful Earthquake to the tricky Double Team, HMs teach a particular set of moves that have an impact on the overworld map too. For example, a player uses Surf to cross bodies of water.
These HM moves have traditionally been used as progression gates, with players having to both acquire the HM and its corresponding Gym Badge in order to use the techniques to advance. HMs were also known for being "permanent," with players only able to take something like Surf off their attack list via an NPC called the Move Deleter. They were a contentious topic for fans, but have largely been phased out over the last few Generations.
TMs became unbreakable similar to HMs in Pokemon Black and White, rather than only single-use. Then Pokemon X and Y began to downplay the number of overworld obstacles requiring HM moves, followed by Pokemon Sun and Moon adding inherent Ride Pokemon to accomplish the same tasks. The player's Rotom Bike takes care of tasks like surfing in Sword and Shield, and fast travel can be done via the Flying Taxi available on one's Town Map.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl's Clever HM Solution
With Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl returning to a more traditional format and world design, ILCA using the Poketch to keep modern quality-of-life updates was a smart move. This device, contextualized in-universe as a watch the player receives in Jubilife City, was originally the "bottom screen" inclusion for Diamond and Pearl. It hosted numerous apps for fans to mess around with, from superfluous ideas like a coin flip or memo pad to utilities like the Dowsing Machine or a map that tracks roaming Legendary Pokemon.
Most of these functions are back in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, though the Poketch calculator is currently bugged. Players now have to activate their watch using the R button given there is no DS bottom screen, but it primarily works the same way. There are new functions, such as an app allowing players to change the color of their Poketch display, but the "Hidden Moves" app is easily its biggest. Users can manually activate HMs via the watch, but they can also just walk up to whatever obstacle is in their way and interact with it.
Forgetting Field Moves like Flash is Counterproductive
The selection of HMs changed frequently across early Pokemon games, but Diamond and Pearl had a particularly strange set. Flash, a staple HM move since Generation 1, became a TM in Generation 4. New additions to the list were Defog, a non-required move that clears out mist in a select few areas like Route 210; and Rock Climb, which let players scale certain walls. Every HM move has some potential use in battle, but it's easy to see how Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl benefit from making moves like Defog accessible on the overworld at the press of a button.
However, Flash was still a useful field move in Diamond and Pearl despite losing its HM status. Areas like Sinnoh's Wayward Cave are steeped in darkness that obscure everything beyond a tile or two, and Flash makes these places less obnoxious - even if it isn't required for progression. A Gym Badge isn't necessary to use Flash in Generation 4, which holds true in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.
Yet the remakes require players to take a monster out of their PC and teach it Flash to gain that utility. This is less of a burden than ever given Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl retain the Let's Go, Pikachu/Eevee and Sword/Shield system of swapping out Pokemon from anywhere, but it feels like an oversight when one big selling point for the remakes is not having to teach anyone HM moves that serve similar purposes.
Even if HM moves are more "required" techniques than something like Flash, necessitating a Sinnoh Gym Badge, some of them like Defog still aren't explicitely needed to complete the game. In fact, Flash and Defog are similar as they both serve to make specific areas less obnoxious, so the Poketch app could have easily included a Flash slot as well. Other field moves such as Sweet Scent, Dig, or Milk Drink are less obvious candidates because their overworld functionality is also handled by items: Honey, Escape Ropes, and Potions, respectively. There's no equivalent item that makes it sensible for Flash to be left out when a move like Defog no longer asks players to break into their PC.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are available now on Nintendo Switch.