How to Complete the National Dex and Catch All 493 Pokemon

Prepare a catcher and item-stealer Pokemon like Breloom and Banette to complete the National Dex. Read on to learn how to complete the National Dex and catch all 493 Pokemon, which Pokemon is the best catcher, and everything else that you should know in order to complete the National Dex in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (BDSP).

Preparation for the Completion of the National Dex

Prepare a Catcher Pokemon

Before you start filing up your National Dex, you'll need to prepare a catcher Pokemon first. A great candidate would be one that can learn False Swipe, a move that leaves a Pokemon with only 1 HP, and a status condition like Spore to put a Pokemon to sleep.

Leaving a Pokemon with only 1 HP and a status condition to boot will make it easier for you to catch it!

Recommended Pokemon

Pokemon	Pros and Cons
Breloom	・Breloom can learn both False Swipe and Spore. ・It can deal great damage to a Pokemon due to its high attack power.
Gallade	・Gallade can learn False Swipe and Hypnosis at the same time. ・It also has a high attack power that can deal great damage to a Pokemon. ・Needs a Dawn Stone to evolve.

Prepare an Item-Stealer Pokemon

Some Pokemon require a rare item to evolve. These rare items can sometimes be held by a wild Pokemon and you'll need to steal it from them. The move Thief is very useful in these rare cases as it lets you steal a wild Pokemon's item without having to catch them.

You can also prepare a Pokemon with the ability Super Luck to increase the chances of a Pokemon to have a held item.

Recommended Pokemon

Pokemon	Pros and Cons
Absol	・Absol can have the ability Super Luck, as well as learn the move Thief. ・Catch it in the Grand Underground once you have obtained the Explorer Kit from the Underground Man in Eterna City.
Banette	・Banette can have the ability Frisk which lets you know a Pokemon's held item. ・It can also learn the move Thief. ・Catch it in the wild at night on Route 225.

Grow Berries That Increase Friendship

Grow EV reduction berries and feed them to your Pokemon to increase friendship. Doing this will make it easier for you to evolve friendship-based Pokemon. However, it takes a while to grow these berries so make sure to plant and check up on them regularly.

EV Reduction Berries
Grepa Berry	Hondew Berry	Kelpsy Berry
Pomeg Berry	Qualot Berry	Tamato Berry

Cook Dry Poffins For Feebas

Evolve Feebas by feeding it Dry Poffins. You can use some of the Kelpsy Berry you planted and make into some delicious dry poffins along with other dry-tasting and blue-colored berries.

Poffin Guide: How to Cook the Best Poffins

How to Complete the National Dex

Catch Rare Pokemon With Limited Spawn Locations

Some wild Pokemon will only appear in certain locations under certain conditions. Among these are Spiritomb and Feebas. These two Pokemon are quite troublesome to catch so be patient!

Rare Pokemon With Limited Spawn Locations

Pokemon	Requirements
Drifloon	Appears at Valley Windworks at night every Friday.
Feebas	Go fishing on the first basement floor of Mt. Coronet. Out of all the tiles in that underground lake, only 4 of them have a Feebas.
Spiritomb	Use the Odd Keystone on the Hallowed Tower in Route 209 and talk to 32 different NPCs in the Grand Underground. Note that talking to the same NPC twice does not count. Afterwards, interact with the Hallowed Tower again to catch a Spirtomb.
Rotom	After becoming the champion, go to the 2nd floor of the Old Chateau between 8:00 pm to 4:00 a.m. and interact with the TV to catch Rotom.

Check for Daily Outbreaks

After becoming the champion, head to Sandgem Town and talk to your rival's sister after unlocking the National Dex. She'll tell you all about Massive Outbreaks. Afterwards, you can just check for daily outbreaks from the menu.

List of Swarm Pokemon (Massive Outbreaks)

Pokemon That Only Appear in Outbreaks

Slakoth	Makuhita	Nosepass
Electrike	Spinda	Pidgey

Check the Great Marsh Daily for Rare Pokemon

Six special Pokemon will appear everyday, one for each area of the Great Marsh. Take note that you may have the same special Pokemon for different areas. These six Pokemon change daily and some are exclusive to the Great Marsh.

To view the Daily Pokemon found in the Great Marsh, you can look through the binoculars on the second floor of the lobby.

Great Marsh Daily Pokemon and Guide

Pokemon That Only Appear in the Great Marsh

Exeggcute	Kangaskhan	Yanma
Shroomish	Gulpin	Carnivine

Talk to Mr. Backlot Daily in the Pokemon Mansion

Mr. Backlot boasts many rare Pokemon that can only be found in his Trophy Garden. Talk to Mr. Backlot in his Pokemon Mansion in Route 212 daily to increase the chances of catching a rare Pokemon in his Trophy Garden.

Trophy Garden Guide

Pokemon That Only Appear in the Trophy Garden

Pikachu	Jigglypuff	Meowth
Porygon	Eevee	Pichu
Igglybuff	Plusle	Minun
Castform	-	-

Catch Pokemon Using the Poke Radar

Getting the National Dex will also earn you access to use the Poke Radar. This device lets you do many things including catching Pokemon that are exclusive to the National Dex.

How to Use the Poke Radar

Pokemon That Can Only Be Caught Using the Poke Radar

Stantler	Smeargle	Swellow
Loudred

Catch Pokemon in the Grand Underground

Plenty of Pokemon from the National Dex can be caught in the Grand Underground. You can increase the appearance rate of Pokemon of certain types by displaying Pokemon statues of that type in your secret base!

All Grand Underground Pokemon Locations

Catch Legendary Pokemon

There are plenty of Legendary Pokemon that you can catch after getting the National Dex and becoming the champion. Do note that you can only get one Legendary Pokemon per save data, so if you want to get a shiny legendary or one with good stats, don't forget to save before engaging them in a battle. Doing so will let you soft reset the game.

Legendary Pokemon in the Sinnoh Region

Pokemon	How to Get
Dialga	Spear Pillar Confront and defeat Cyrus and Team Galactic at Spear Pillar ・Exclusive to Pokemon Brilliant Diamond
Palkia	Spear Pillar Confront and defeat Cyrus and Team Galactic at Spear Pillar ・Exclusive to Pokemon Shining Pearl
Uxie	Acuity Cavern After defeating Team Galactic at Spear Pillar and catching or defeating Dialga or Palkia
Azelf	Valor Cavern After defeating Team Galactic at Spear Pillar and catching or defeating Dialga or Palkia
Mesprit	Verity Cavern Roaming Pokemon After defeating Team Galactic at Spear Pillar and catching or defeating Dialga or Palkia
Regigigas	Snowpoint Temple Can be encountered if Regirock, Regice, and Registeel are in your party
Cresselia	Fullmoon Island Roaming Pokemon Speak to Sailor Eldritch in Canalave City to gain access to Fullmoon Island
Heatran	Stark Mountain After completing events with Buck at Stark Mountain with the Magma Stone returned
Giratina (Altered Forme)	Turnback Cave Will appear if three pillar rooms are reached before entering 30 total rooms

Legendary Pokemon in Ramanas Park

Moltres Pearl Exclusive	Articuno Pearl Exclusive	Zapdos Pearl Exclusive
Entei Diamond Exclusive	Suicune Diamond Exclusive	Raikou Diamond Exclusive
Mewtwo	Lugia Pearl Exclusive	Ho-Oh Diamond Exclusive
Regirock	Regice	Registeel
Groudon	Kyogre	Rayquaza
Latios	Latias	-

Ramanas Park Guide and All Legendary Pokemon

Get Version Exclusives By Trading With Other Players

You can get version exclusives by trading with other players!

Pokedex Completion Trading Board

Version Exclusive Pokemon

Sinnoh Pokedex
Brilliant Diamond			Shining Pearl
Cranidos	Rampardos		Shieldon	Bastiodon
Stunky	Skuntank		Glameow	Purugly
Murkrow	Honchkrow		Misdreavus	Mismagius
National Pokedex
Brilliant Diamond			Shining Pearl
Caterpie	Metapod		Weedle	Kakuna
Butterfree	Ekans		Beedrill	Sandshrew
Arbok	Growlithe		Sandslash	Vulpix
Arcanine	Elekid		Ninetales	Magby
Electabuzz	Electivire		Magmar	Magmortar
Scyther	Scizor		Slowking	Pinsir
Gligar	Gliscor		Teddiursa	Ursaring
Larvitar	Pupitar		Bagon	Shelgon
Tyranitar	Seedot		Salamence	Lotad
Mawile	Zangoose		Sableye	Seviper
Solrock	Kecleon		Lunatone	Stantler

Evolve Pokemon With a Special Evolution Method

Aside from leveling up, there are other ways to evolve a Pokemon. Some Pokemon only evolve under certain conditions!

Pokemon That Evolve By Trading

Stone Evolutions

Pokemon That Evolve	Evolution Stone
・Eevee to Flareon ・Vulpix to Ninetales ・Growlithe to Arcanine	Fire Stone
・Clefairy to Clefable ・Nidorina to Nidoqueen ・Nidorino to Nidoking ・Jigglypuff to Wigglytuff ・Skitty to Delcatty	Moon Stone
・Pikachu to Raichu ・Eevee to Jolteon	Thunder Stone
・Eevee to Vaporeon ・Poliwhirl to Poliwrath ・Shellder to Cloyster ・Staryu to Starmie ・Lombre to Ludicolo	Water Stone
・Kirlia (male) to Gallade ・Snorunt (female) to Froslass	Dawn Stone
・Murkrow to Honchkrow ・Misdreavus to Mismagius	Dusk Stone
・Roselia to Roserade ・Togetic to Togekiss	Shiny Stone
・Gloom to Vileplume ・Weepinbell to Victreebel ・Exeggcute to Exeggutor ・Eevee to Leafeon ・Nuzleaf to Shiftry	Leaf Stone
・Gloom to Bellossom ・Sunkern to Sunflora	Sun Stone

Pokemon That Evolve With High Friendship

Pokemon That Evolve By Learning a Specific Move

Other Special Evolution Conditions

Hatch Pokemon Eggs

You can hatch eggs to get pre-evolved Pokemon! Some wild Pokemon only appear in their evolved form, so hatching eggs is necessary if you want to get their pre-evolved form.

How to Hatch Eggs Faster

Restore Fossils

There are some Pokemon that you can only get by restoring a fossil. Do this by digging for fossils in the Grand Underground and restoring them in Oreburgh City.

How to Get and Revive Fossils

Pokemon BDSP Related Guides

Beginner's Tips and Tricks

Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Tips and Tricks