Throughout the Sinnoh region in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, players can find many different Pokemon. Some Pokemon are incredibly rare, though, making players have to specifically search for them if they want to capture them. One of these Pokemon is Spiritomb.

Spiritomb is a dual Ghost and Dark-type Pokemon that initially appeared in the original Pokemon Diamond and Pearl. It originally had no weaknesses, but that changed when the Fairy-type was released back in generation six. This still gives this Pokemon only one weakness, making it a possible strong member of any player's team.

RELATED: Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl: Rare Candy Locations

Unlike many other non-legendary Pokemon, Spiritomb cannot be normally found in the wild in either version of the game. Instead, players need to take on a series of tasks in order to get an encounter with the Pokemon.

Updated on March 14, 2022 by Renri Seong: Spiritomb is a unique Pokemon that, along with Sableye, did not have a Type weakness until Generation 6. Its high Defense and Special Defense made it a good tank and was frustrating to take down in battle. In the original Diamond/Pearl, players could only get Spiritomb if they used the Odd Keystone on the Hallowed Tower and then spoke with 32 other players in the Underground. Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl keeps these same requirements for encountering Spiritomb. The following guide has been updated to include a list of 32 NPCs that players can talk to in the Grand Underground as well as tips for getting Spiritomb early.

The Odd Keystone

The first step to catching Spiritomb requires players to travel to Route 208. If players look around the route's Honey Tree, they may see a trainer obscured by trees to the direct southeast of the tree. Talking to this trainer will not start a battle, but will instead prompt the man to give players an item called the Odd Keystone.

After getting this key item, players will need to continue to Route 209 and look for a hollow stone tower toward the east. Players will be able to insert the Odd Keystone into the tower, which is what the next step is. This won't cause Spiritomb to appear, though, as the real work is about to begin.

Talking in the Grand Underground

In order to make Spiritomb inhabit the Hallowed Tower where the Odd Keystone was placed, players need to talk to 32 trainers in the Grand Underground. The hikers that sell items down there do not count, so players will need to spend the time exploring in order to get the numbers up.

Players will be able to check their progress on this quest by examining the Hallowed Tower in the world above. It will give a different message depending on how many trainers were spoken to, with each message being:

After 32 trainers are spoken to, examining the Hallowed Tower will begin the Spiritomb encounter. If players fail to capture it or want another Spritomb, 32 more trainers can be spoken to in order to start another encounter.

NPCs in the Grand Underground

As players access more of the Grand Underground, more NPCs will be found in the Grand Underground.

1. Ryuki
2. Shayne
3. Kawika
4. Eileen
5. Roy
6. Harper
7. Teena
8. Reade
9. Michelle
10. Elishah
11. Reika
12. Leilani
13. Kawika
14. Guy
15. Donn
16. Emmy
17. Dugal
18. Kellyn
19. Kiera
20. Mireille
21. Dugal
22. Seamus
23. Polly
24. Meri
25. Dilan
26. Perdita
27. Rita
28. Troye
29. Reggie
30. Leticia
31. Adrienne
32. Blaire

Getting Spiritomb "Early"

Some NPCs such as Blaire can be found in the part of the Grand Underground near the Battle Zone. However, it's possible to speak to a total of 32 NPCs without exploring all corners of the Underground. As long as players aren't speaking to a repeat NPC, then it will count towards the Hallowed Tower.

When trainers first get the Explorer Kit, the most common NPCs they'll see are Emmy and Shayne. To meet more NPCs, it's recommended to explore every area of Sinnoh and use the Explorer Kit.

In a regular playthrough, Spiritomb will most likely not be obtained until after players get the National Dex. This is because of the Grand Underground NPCs in the Battle Area. The only way to get Spiritomb before battling the Elite Four is to enter and exit hideaways until a new NPC appears.

To do this, have Lucas/Dawn stand between two hideaways on the Grand Underground Map. Run down the tunnels and speak to any NPC that appears. Remember that Hiker NPCs do not count.

Once all NPCs are spoken to in that area, enter one of the hideaways, and then exit. Search along the same tunnel and speak to any new NPC. It's highly likely that the NPC will still be the same. By going in and out of hideaways, this resets the NPCs that appear in some areas of the Grand Underground. Even though some NPCs are more likely to show up in one area (such as Eterna City), players can interact with all 35 NPCs from anywhere in the Grand Underground. For example, it's possible to find Emmy, an NPC near Eterna City, in the Grand Underground section by the Battle Area. The chances of her appearing are less likely than NPCs that are normally encountered near the Battle Area.

The goal here is to spawn different NPCs by ducking in and out of the hideaways. Since this can take a very long time, players can be at this process for over an hour. However, those patient enough may be able to get Spiritomb fairly early in the game.

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

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