During your time playing Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, you'll initially only have 151 Pokémon that you can encounter and capture. After meeting a handful of requirements, you'll eventually unlock the National Pokédex and have over 300 more Pokémon from Gen I through to Gen III to catch.
Read More: Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Fishing Guide: Where To Get Old, Good, and Super Rods
What Is the National Pokédex
The National Pokédex is an expansion of your initial Sinnoh Pokédex. It will unlock over 300 additional Pokémon from prior generations, Gen I to Gen III, for you to encounter, catch, and fill up your Pokédex even further with. However, there are a few things you'll need to do first, like becoming the League Champion.
How To Unlock the National Pokédex
To unlock the National Pokédex in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, you must complete the following:
- Beat the Elite Four, and the Sinnoh Champion
- Encounter all 150 Pokémon in the Sinnoh Pokédex (Manaphy does not need to be encountered)
- Travel to Sandgem Town and go to Professor Rowan's Lab
- Speak to Professor Rowan, and Professor Oak will appear to give you the National Pokédex
Missable Pokémon
There are a couple of Pokémon in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl that can be rather easy to miss and might make filling out your Sinnoh Pokédex even harder. We've noted these, and how to encounter them, below:
- Dialga or Palkia: Whichever legendary Pokémon is not exclusive to your version of the game can be seen by speaking with Cynthia's Grandmother in Celestic Town. She will show you an image of the Pokémon which will count towards your Pokédex!
- Drifloon: Drifloon can only be found on Fridays outside of Valley Windworks. We have a full guide on finding them here.
- Burmy and Wormadam: These Pokémon can only be battled and caught by using honey trees to attract them. However, there are Trainer's across Sinnoh who will use these Pokémon in battle, so if you're only looking to encounter them, check out our guide here.
- Uxie, Azelf, and Mesprit: These three legendary Pokémon can be easy to encounter in their caverns, but not so easy to catch. Check out our guide here on where to find them and how to catch them.
That's how to unlock the National Pokédex in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. If getting your hands on every Pokémon is your thing, then we recommend checking out our guide to collecting all the legendary Pokémon, and how to evolve your Pokémon using our evolution guide and stones guide.