The Pokemon series has always tried to provide players with plenty of things to do after beating the Elite Four and becoming Pokemon Champion. In Red & Blue, players we able to visit the Cerulean Cave and catch Mewtwo, while the gen 2 titles allowed them to return to the previous games' region, Kanto. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl once again go big when it comes to post-game content.

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Whether players are looking for ways to improve or strengthen their team or are simply looking to explore brand new areas that didn't feature as part of the main narrative, Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl have them covered. In total, there's at least ten hours' worth of additional content in the gen 4 remakes, providing players with more than enough incentive to stick around.

Updated March 30, 2022, by Tom Bowen: It's been more than four months now since the release of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, yet the games remain incredibly popular with players. This could be because of the excellent post-game support that the titles have thus far received, or perhaps the success of the series' first open-world game, Pokemon Legends: Arceus. The gen 9 Pokemon games were also announced at the end of February, which no doubt led to some renewed interest in some of the franchise's earlier titles. Whatever the reason, the fact remains that there are plenty of people still playing the gen 4 remakes, many of whom are looking to squeeze as much enjoyment out of the games as they possibly can. For those who have already completed the main story and now find themselves at a loss for what to do next, this guide will cover the main post-game content in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.

Compete at the Battle Park

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As soon as players load up their save file after the credits have finished rolling, they'll be instructed to head over to Snowpoint City and hop on a ship. This will take them to the Battle Park, where they'll be able to compete with other trainers for the chance to win some pretty great prizes, including, held items, Rare Candies, and Ability Patches and Capsules.

Compete in Super Contest Shows

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Though players can technically participate in Super Contest Shows at any point after their arrival in Hearthome City, many tend to leave it until the post-game instead. Given the lack of urgency at this time, doing so arguably allows players to enjoy the experience a lot more than they usually would. They'll also have a much greater selection of Pokemon by the end of the games, making it much easier to compete.

Complete the Sinnoh Pokedex

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It may sound a little daunting at first, but completing the Sinnoh Pokedex is actually fairly simple, as players will have already encountered the vast majority of its Pokemon by the end of a regular playthrough. Most will only be left with a handful to find, after which they'll be able to unlock the National Dex and start catching Pokemon from other regions, both on the surface and down in the Grand Underground.

Catch Legendary Pokemon

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At the time of writing, there are 31 Mythical and Legendary Pokemon available in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, with more expected to arrive in the coming weeks and months. Whether by exploring some of the newly accessible parts of Sinnoh or by using slates at Ramanas park, catching each and every one of them will likely take most players a good few hours, while also providing them with a much stronger team.

Rechallenge Trainers

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As well as using the VS. Seeker to re-challenge regular trainers who they've already defeated, those who have completed the game will also be able to rechallenge the game's eight gym leaders and the Elite Four. They'll all have stronger teams the second time around, providing players with the perfect opportunity to show how much their Pokemon have improved since the beginning of their journey.

Complete the National Pokedex

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Those who've done everything else there is to do in the gen 4 remakes may want to consider filling up the National Dex as well. Players should be forewarned, however, that this really is a mammoth task. This is because many of the 493 Pokemon that are available across the two games are version-specific, meaning that players will need to find somebody to trade with in order to get their hands on them all.

Play Pokemon Legends: Arceus

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After completing all of the main story content in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, things can start to get stale pretty quickly. For those who haven't played it already, Pokemon Legends: Arceus can provide a more than viable solution to this, albeit at the expense of spending a little extra cash. The open-world title includes many firsts for the Pokemon franchise and should have more than enough content to keep players busy until Pokemon Scarlet & Violet arrive at the end of the year.

Collect Event Pokemon

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Those who do play through Pokemon Legends: Arceus and manage to catch all of the Pokemon in the Hisui Pokedex will be able to claim themselves an Arceus, not just in that title, but also in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. It's just one of the many special event Pokemon that no serious collector will want to miss out on. Sadly, the window for catching Shaymin did recently slam shut, though it's not all bad news, as players will be able to get Darkrai in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl throughout the entire month of April. Who knows, Shaymin may even return somewhere further down the line.

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