Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlcontain 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 inBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearl, making it a fitting reward for completing the Sinnoh Dex.
Updated July 26, 2025 by Renri Seong:As loyal remakes of the originalPokemon Diamond/Pearl, the 2021 remakesPokemon Brilliant Diamond & Pokemon Shining Pearlhave four generations' worth of Pokemon that trainers can catch. At the start ofBDSP, 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 fromPlatinum, 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 mustbeat the Elite Four in PokemonBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearl, andcomplete 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 unavoidablethe mighty Cynthiahave 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 MarshSafari Zone inBrilliant DiamondandShining 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.
AsBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearlhave 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 battlesif 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 playerstrade 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 throughBDSP’s main story, as they will encounter them via trainer battles.
Another easily missed entryinBrilliant Diamond and Shining PearlisRiolu.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 timeuntil 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:
Champion Cynthia
Elite Four
- Depending on the starter that players chose,Barry will have the final evolved formof 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 formFeebas 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 Eeveecan be picked up from Bebe in Hearthome City. Those looking for legendary Pokemon should visit Ramanas Park, which opens up in the postgame. This replacesDiamond/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.
