Map LocationsBrilliant Diamond&Shining Pearl
"Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl keep the original Diamond and Pearl surface map unchanged but add the Grand Underground beneath it. Those hideaways open off-route encounters that didn't exist in the originals, including Pokemon outside Sinnoh's native dex."
BDSP MAP
Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl render Sinnoh's surface in chibi 3D models stacked on Diamond and Pearl's original route grid. The Spear Pillar marker at Mt. Coronet's summit triggers the Dialga or Palkia catch that closes the main story.
BRILLIANT DIAMOND & SHINING PEARL LOCATIONS
Twinleaf Town opens Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl's chapter list, with cards walking Sinnoh in story order. Filter by encounter method or type to jump around. Ramanas Park added a postgame area where you can summon previous-generation legendaries one at a time by trading rare slate tablets.
Main Story 51
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+65+42+77+80+39+18+17+30SPECIAL ENCOUNTERS
Special encounters are the one-time, fixed-location Pokemon you won't catch in random wild grass. Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl has 31 total: 27 Legendary (story-locked, once per save) and 4 Static (gift Pokemon and route roadblocks).
Dig underground anywhere in Sinnoh to access a network of tunnels and Pokemon Hideaways. Hideaways are themed biomes (fire cave, icy cave, fountain spring, etc.) with wild Pokemon walking around that aren't available on surface routes. The species in each hideaway change after you earn more badges and expand the National Dex. It's the main source of non-Sinnoh Pokemon.
Small rooms branching off the underground tunnels, each with a biome type (lava, water, grass, crystal, etc.). Pokemon visible inside match the biome. After the National Dex unlocks, hideaways add starters, pseudo-legendaries, and version exclusives not found on any surface route. Placing statues of specific types in your Secret Base increases spawn rates for those types in nearby hideaways.
A postgame area where you spend Mysterious Shards (dug up underground) on slates that summon legendaries from past generations. Brilliant Diamond gets Ho-Oh plus the legendary beasts (Raikou, Entei, Suicune). Shining Pearl gets Lugia plus the legendary birds (Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres). Both versions can catch Mewtwo, the Regis, and Rayquaza (after trading to get both Groudon and Kyogre).
Surface routes are nearly identical. Honey trees work the same way (6 hours, Munchlax on 4 trees). Pokeradar returns with the same chaining mechanic. The biggest difference is the Grand Underground replacing the original dig-for-items Underground with actual Pokemon encounters. Several species only available through trading in DP are now catchable underground in BDSP.
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl has 81 locations with wild Pokemon encounters, featuring 264 unique Pokemon species. The location with the most Pokemon variety is Sunlit Cavern with 83 unique species.
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl has 27 legendary encounters: Shaymin (Lv. 30 at Flower Paradise), Dialga (Lv. 47 at Spear Pillar), Palkia (Lv. 47 at Spear Pillar), Mesprit (Lv. 50 at Lake Verity), Cresselia (Lv. 50 at Fullmoon Island), Darkrai (Lv. 50 at Newmoon Island), Moltres (Lv. 70 at Ramanas Park), Groudon (Lv. 70 at Ramanas Park), Entei (Lv. 70 at Ramanas Park), Lugia (Lv. 70 at Ramanas Park), Rayquaza (Lv. 70 at Ramanas Park), Suicune (Lv. 70 at Ramanas Park), Mewtwo (Lv. 70 at Ramanas Park), Latias (Lv. 70 at Ramanas Park), Regirock (Lv. 70 at Ramanas Park), Regigigas (Lv. 70 at Snowpoint Temple), Latios (Lv. 70 at Ramanas Park), Regice (Lv. 70 at Ramanas Park), Articuno (Lv. 70 at Ramanas Park), Heatran (Lv. 70 at Stark Mountain), Ho Oh (Lv. 70 at Ramanas Park), Registeel (Lv. 70 at Ramanas Park), Zapdos (Lv. 70 at Ramanas Park), Giratina (Lv. 70 at Turnback Cave), Kyogre (Lv. 70 at Ramanas Park), Raikou (Lv. 70 at Ramanas Park), Arceus (Lv. 80 at Hall of Origin).
The top fishing locations in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl by Pokemon variety are: Route 205 (7 species), Route 223 (6 species), Celestic Town (6 species). These locations offer the widest selection of water-type Pokemon through various rod types (Old Rod, Good Rod, Super Rod).