Whether you played the Pokémon Diamond or Pokémon Pearl games back in the day or you’re encountering these games for the first time, there’s an adventure for everyone.
Have a blast in the Grand Underground.
The Underground from Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl has been powered up for these games, and is now called the Grand Underground. The Grand Underground is a vast subterranean world that spreads out like a maze beneath the entire Sinnoh region.
Use the Explorer Kit you’ll receive during your adventure to visit the Grand Underground, where you can participate in activities such as digging up valuable treasures and Pokémon Fossils, or creating your own Secret Base. You can also visit places called Pokémon Hideaways, where you can find Pokémon that live in a variety of different environments.
Pokémon Hideaways come with a variety of different terrains ranging from still-water caverns to volcanic landscapes, with different Pokémon living in each type of environment. Among the Pokémon that inhabit the Sinnoh region, there are some Pokémon that can only be found in these Pokémon Hideaways.
Some of the walls in the Grand Underground can be dug into, using a sledgehammer and a pickax. By digging into them, you can find things like useful items for your adventure and valuable Pokémon Fossils, as well as new Pokémon statues that have been added to these games.
Build your very own Secret Base and decorate it with Pokémon statues!
You can use an item called the Digger Drill in the Grand Underground to build yourself a Secret Base within the walls. Pokémon statues that you can find while Fossil digging can be placed wherever you like inside your Secret Base, so you can customize your own space!
Adventure together with Trainers all over the world in the Grand Underground!
You can interact with Trainers all over the world through your Nintendo Switch system’s local communication or online communication. As well as adventuring together in the Grand Underground, you can also dig for Fossils together with other Trainers. Software update required.
Work up the crowd to put on a successful Super Contest Show!
Super Contest Shows are popular performances in Sinnoh, each put on by four performers and their Pokémon, who work together to show off their performance skills. During the show, you can dress up in your favorite outfit, and your Pokémon will dance, making for an altogether different experience from their usual battles of strength.
Up to four people can participate together, so you can show off your best performance with your friends to really wow the crowd! Software update required.
Super Contest Show Categories
Super Contest Shows are divided into five categories—Coolness, Cuteness, Beauty, Toughness, and Cleverness. Within each category, there are several ranks: Normal, Great, Ultra, and Master Rank.
Super Contest Show Evaluations
Super Contest Shows are judged based on a Visual Evaluation, a Dance Evaluation, and a Move Evaluation. You can receive Hype Points based on your evaluations, and if the combined total of all four performers’ Hype Points reaches a target score, the show will be declared a success.
Have fun with your Pokémon in Amity Square!
Amity Square in Hearthome City is a relaxing place where you can spend time with your Pokémon.
You can play with up to six Pokémon at once.
See how much fun your Pokémon are having.
Call your Pokémon to you by whistling.
Preserve precious memories with your Pokémon in the “Album” on your Nintendo Switch’s HOME menu.
Walk with your favorite Pokémon.
After you’ve visited Amity Square, you’ll be able to walk with one Pokémon at a time in towns and along routes.
Different Pokémon move and act differently, so try walking together with a variety of partners.
Your Pokémon will react and respond to you in all sorts of ways when you talk to them during your adventure.
Encounter Legendary Pokémon in Ramanas Park.
New to this release, Ramanas Park is a facility you can visit after entering the Hall of Fame where you’ll be able to encounter Legendary Pokémon.
In order to play this content, it will be necessary to install update data which will be available November 19, 2021. An internet connection is required to install this update data, but a Nintendo Switch Online membership (paid separately) is NOT required.
Slates are the key to encountering Legendary Pokémon!
Inside the rooms of Ramanas Park are pedestals, and it’s said that if you insert the corresponding slate into a pedestal, a Legendary Pokémon will appear.
It’s unclear exactly how these slates can be obtained, so you’ll have to do some research as you explore the Sinnoh region.
The Genome Slate corresponds to the Genome Room.
It seems there are other, different slates as well.
Available Legendary Pokémon
In Ramanas Park, you can encounter a variety of Legendary Pokémon.
Mewtwo
Rayquaza
Some of these Legendary Pokémon can only be encountered in one game version or the other, but you can still try to get them on your team through other means, such as by trading with other Trainers.
Suicune
In the Pokémon Brilliant Diamond game, it’s possible to encounter Raikou, Entei, Suicune, and Ho-Oh.
Moltres
In Pokémon Shining Pearl, it’s possible to encounter Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, and Lugia.
Differences between the game versions
In addition to the Legendary Pokémon, some wild Pokémon also differ between the two versions of the game.
Cranidos and Stunky are among the Pokémon exclusive to Pokémon Brilliant Diamond.
Shieldon and Glameow are among the Pokémon exclusive to Pokémon Shining Pearl.
New
The Battle Tower
The Battle Tower is available to visit after you enter the Hall of Fame. This peak Pokémon battling facility stretches high into the sky. You can hone your Pokémon battling skills against a variety of Trainers in two different rooms for Single Battles and Double Battles.
Take on the challenge of the Battle Tower with your favorite Pokémon—and keep winning as you aim for the top!
Once you’ve fulfilled a certain requirement in the standard Single Battles or Double Battles, you can join Master Class battles where even stronger opponents await you.
In the Master Class, challengers include Gym Leaders from around the Sinnoh region. You can also get rare items like Gold Bottle Caps and Ability Capsules if you keep winning.
Gym Leaders and even the Elite Four have been seen pairing up in Master Class Double Battles. Defeat these formidable opponents and aim to become the toughest Pokémon Trainer there is!
Make some Poffins!
Poffins are snacks that can raise Pokémon’s conditions, such as Coolness or Cuteness. By raising these conditions, you can get higher scores during the Visual Evaluation of Super Contest Shows.
Try making high-level Poffins!
A Poffin’s level depends on your cooking skills—the higher the Poffin’s level, the easier it is to raise a Pokémon’s conditions. The trick to good cooking is to stir the pot at just the right speed.
Use Capsule Decoration to create effects according to your taste!
Using Capsule Decoration, you can place Stickers to customize the effects that appear when your Pokémon comes out of its Poké Ball for battles or Super Contest Shows. With over 90 different Stickers, you can customize your Ball Capsules with effects like fluttering flower petals or raging flames.
You can buy Stickers in shops, but you can also get them in other ways, such as by defeating Gym Leaders or completing successful Super Contest Shows.
You can place up to 20 Stickers on a Ball Capsule, so it’s possible to customize the Ball Capsule with some really varied combinations.
Ball Capsules can be edited in the casual 2D style of Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl, or in 3D if you’d rather get really detailed with your customizations.
Your adventure changes depending on the time and day!
Throughout the Sinnoh region, there are many differences along the routes and towns depending on the time or day.
There are some Pokémon that only appear on certain days, and there are some Pokémon that can only evolve at certain times.
Different items appear in a certain shop on different days.
It seems that Drifloon can only be seen in the wild on a certain day.
The all-purpose Pokétch!
The Pokétch is a handy gadget you’ll receive on your journey that’s loaded up with various apps for all sorts of situations.
Track time with the Digital Watch.
Use the Memo Pad for writing and drawing pictures.
Locate hidden items with the Dowsing Machine.
Check your bond with your Pokémon with the Friendship Checker.
Hidden Moves
The Pokétch allows you to call on wild Pokémon to help you out. They’ll use hidden moves like Cut to chop down trees that block your way, or Rock Climb to scale steep cliffs. The Hidden Moves app makes it possible for you to go places you could never reach on your own.
Are small trees blocking your way?
The hidden move Cut can chop them down!
Some cliffs are too steep to climb on foot.
The hidden move Rock Climb lets you scale them!
You can even move across water with ease!
Interact with Trainers all over the world in the Union Room!
The Union Room is a facility where you can enjoy battling and trading Pokémon with other Trainers through your Nintendo Switch system’s local communication or online communication.
Multiplayer Union Room limited to two players at launch. A software update will be released in the future to allow for additional players.
Local Room
In the Local Room, nearby Trainers can gather using local communication to enjoy trades, battles, and other activities.
Global Room
Trainers around the world can use online communication to gather in a single room for Pokémon trades, battles, and other activities.
Adventure in style, wearing your favorite outfits!
You’ll be able to buy and change outfits at Metronome Style Shop in Veilstone City.
Connect with Pokémon HOME in 2022
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl are scheduled to be connected with Pokémon HOME in 2022.
