How to get all Sinnoh starters in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl

Update

In the Gen IV remakes, Trainers can actually obtain Chimchar, Turtwig, and Piplup without having to trade with another Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl player. Here is how to get all Sinnoh starters in BDSP.

In BDSP, Studio ILCA has gone to great lengths to re-create a faithful reimagining of the classic 2006 titles. Although faithful adaptions, the developer has also brought some modern features to the Gen IV remakes.

One of those new additions is the ability for players to get all three Sinnoh starters without having to use the trade mechanic. This guide will break down how you can easily get Chimchar, Turtwig, and Piplup in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl.

Contents:

Players can get all three Sinnoh starters without having to trade.

How to get all Sinnoh starters in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl

In previous Generations, some players were so desperate to get each starter that they would reset the game multiple times just to trade each ‘mon back to their main save file from a second console. It was either that or using online trading to connect to other players.

In the Gen IV remakes, Studio ILCA has made this substantially easier for fans. Trainers need to first beat the main game and unlock the National Pokedex before heading to the Grand Underground.

  • After defeating Cynthia and becoming the new Sinnoh Champion, players then need to complete their Sinnoh Dex by seeing all 150 Pokemon.
  • Go to Sandgem Town and talk to Professor Rowan to unlock the National Pokedex.
  • Now that you have the National Dex, use your Explorer Kit to access the Grand Underground.
  • Chimchar, Turtwig, and Piplup will now start to spawn in the underground caverns in special locations, explained below.
    • The Sinnoh starters are found in the Grand Underground after certain conditions have been met.

    Where to find Chimchar in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl

    Trainers looking for Chimchar can find the Fire-starter in several locations in the Grand Underground. But here’s the quickest way to find the ‘mon.

  • Travel to the Fight Area of the map located in the northeast of Sinnoh. The post-game location can be accessed after defeating the Elite Four.
  • Use your Explorer Kit item after arriving and drop down below. Once in the caverns, head north until you find the Lava Hideaway (it looks like a red square on the map).
  • Enter the Hideaway and look for the starter on the overworld. If you don’t see the Pokemon, simply turn around and leave the room to re-load it.
  • Re-enter over and over again until you see Chimchar. Once it spawns, walk up tot it to trigger a battle where you can finally catch it.
    • The Fire-type starter is in lava-themed caverns.

    Where to get Turtwig in the Grand Undergound

    Unlike Chimchar, players will need to head back towards the start of the game to find the Grass-type. Turtwig is actually fairly easy to find due to being available in numerous rooms.

  • After getting the National Pokedex unlocked, travel to Jubilife City or Twinleaf Town. Use your Explorer Kit item to drop below.
  • Immediately look for the square on the map that is split down the middle with green and blue – this is the Fountain Spring Cave Hideaway.
  • Just like Chimchar, players need to enter and exit the room if they do not spot it.
  • Simply run in and out of the Spring Cave until Turtwig eventually spawns. The starter Pokemon have a spawn rate percentage on the lower side so sometimes it can take a few minutes to an hour for them to show up. It’s just random.
    • Turtwig is easy to hunt down.

    Where to find Piplup in BDSP

    Piplup is in Hideaways that are themed around water. The ‘mon can be found fairly easily given it spawns in a handful of rooms.

  • Travel to Jubilife City or Twinleaf Town and bust out your Explorer Kit item to access the Grand Underground.
  • Players can actually find Piplup in the exact same location as Turtwig (which we detailed above). Simply head to the Fountain Spring Cave Hideaway which is split between grass and water.
  • Trainers can also find Piplup in the water-only Hideaways in the southwest zones of the Sinnoh map (under Jubilife, Twinleaf, and Sandgem Town).
  • Just continue to exit and re-enter the room over and over again until you find Water-type starter.
    • The Water-type can be found in two locations in the Grand Underground.

    And that’s it! It should also be pointed out that Chimchar, Turtwig and Piplup can technically be found in other hideaways than the ones listed. Those are just rooms that Dexerto has found them in.

    Trainers that don’t want to wait until unlocking the National Pokedex will have to use Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl’s trade feature. Those willing now have more options than ever to get the Sinnoh starters.

    Now that you have all three Sinnoh starters on your team, check out more of our BDSP walkthroughs and guides:

    How to get Jirachi | How to get Mew | Version exclusives | All Legendary Pokemon | How to get the Poketch | Best starter to pick | All Styles | How to beat all Gym Leaders | How to walk with your Pokemon

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