Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl contain 151 Pokemon for players to find, but doing so doesn't mean players have "beat" the game. Once obtained, the National Dex unlocks a further 342 new creatures to search for.

This creates endgame content for completionists, and others who may be looking to dive back into the Sinnoh region from time to time. The National Dex can only be acquired after accomplishing a big task in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, making it a fitting reward for completing the Sinnoh Dex.

Updated March 7, 2022 by Renri Seong: As loyal remakes of the original Pokemon Diamond/Pearl, the 2021 remakes Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Pokemon Shining Pearl have four generations' worth of Pokemon that trainers can catch. At the start of BDSP, players will get the Sinnoh Dex and will not be able to catch many of the Pokemon from non-Sinnoh regions. The addition of the Grand Underground includes Pokemon from Platinum, but if players are set on truly "catching 'em all," they'll need to get the National Dex first. The following guide has been updated to include Pokemon that are commonly missed in the Sinnoh Dex, as well as a few areas players should check out once the National Dex is in their hands.

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How to Get the National Dex in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

To get the National Dex, players must beat the Elite Four in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, and complete 150 Pokedex entries. This does not require trainers to capture them, only to see them. The Elite Four must be defeated, because their Pokemon need to be added to the Pokedex. Manaphy counts at the 151st entry, but encountering it is not required.

Once the Elite Four and the unavoidable the mighty Cynthia have been defeated, players should then head back to Professor Rowan's house in Sandgem Town. Professor Oak will appear if trainers have recorded 150 entries in their Pokedex, and will add National Mode to create the National Dex.

After players receive the National Dex, a further 342 Pokemon will be added to the game world for trainers to discover. This includes all the open areas, the Grand Underground, and Great Marsh Safari Zone in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. This does skew the odds of encountering Pokemon available previous to obtaining the National Dex. It's recommended that players catch as many native Pokemon as possible before getting National Mode on the Pokedex.

As Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have different legendaries, some might be wondering how they are able to get both Pokedex entries. The information for Dialga or Palkia (whichever one the player did not catch) can be recorded at Spear Pillar by talking to Cynthia's grandmother in Celestic Town, after beating Cyrus.

Most of the 150 entries needed to get the National Dex can be obtained by battling every trainer while traveling through the story. Try not to shy away from battles if wishing to get the National Dex as soon as possible.

Easily Missed Pokemon in the Sinnoh Dex

Some Pokemon, such as Alakazam and Golem, can't be obtained unless players trade their pre-evolved forms with another player. This means trading a Kadabra to evolve it into Alakazam, then trading it back for the Alakazam to be "seen/registered" in the Sinnoh Pokedex. However, if players don't care about catching Pokemon like Golem and Alakazam, they simply need to play through BDSP's main story, as they will encounter them via trainer battles.

Another easily missed entry in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl is Riolu. The baby Pokemon needs to be hatched from an Egg given to them by Riley inside a cave on Iron Island. Some trainers might not pick up the Egg if they don't have enough room. However, once space has been made, they can go back to get the Egg containing Riolu.

Many Pokemon that can't be found in the wild are owned by trainers, hence why it's important to battle every trainer in the game. Unfortunately, since some Pokemon are owned by Elite Four members, players won't see these Pokemon for the first time until they're ready to take on the Champion.

Some Pokemon that trainers might miss are owned by the following trainers, whose battles can be easily avoided, or who are encountered late in the game:

* Depending on the starter that players chose, Barry will have the final evolved form of the Pokemon with the type advantage against the player's starter. For example, if players chose Torterra, they will meet Barry's Infernape before they challenge Flint in the Elite Four. Regardless, they will need to fight at least one of the above trainers to fully complete their Sinnoh Dex.

While it's possible to see all the Pokemon before fighting the Champion, it can take some time. Specifically, Spiritomb isn't owned by any trainer in Sinnoh except Cynthia. While Milotic's pre-evolved form Feebas can be found before the postgame, Spiritomb takes much longer to find. Players need the Odd Keystone key item, and then speak to 32 unique NPCs in the Underground. Since more NPCs become available as more of Sinnoh is explored, there's a high chance that trainers will have already fought Champion Cynthia before they can get a Spiritomb of their own.

Places to Visit with the National Dex

With the National Dex in hand, it's time to start catching Pokemon that are exclusive to the National Dex. Fan-favorite Eevee can be picked up from Bebe in Hearthome City. Those looking for legendary Pokemon should visit Ramanas Park, which opens up in the postgame. This replaces Diamond/Pearl's Pal Park, and it is where players can catch Legendaries from previous regions.

Other points of interest include Turnback Cave (Giratina), the Old Chateau (Rotom), Route 224 (Shaymin; requires Oak's Letter), and Snowpoint Temple (Regigigas; requires players to catch Regirock, Regice, Registeel).

Check the forecast for Swarm Pokemon and make sure to stop by the Trophy Garden in the postgame. Pokemon that couldn't be found before the National Dex will start appearing around Sinnoh and in the Grand Underground.

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are out now for Nintendo Switch.

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