The remakes ofPokemon DiamondandPearlare only a week away from release, with a lot of hype building around the revamp that the Sinnoh region has gone through. With the recent videos showing off Ramanas Park inPokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearl, fans are eager to get their hands on the games and begin discovering what Legendary Pokemon they’ll have access to. Like with all Pokemon games, however, the newPokemon DiamondandPearlremakes will have version-exclusive Pokemon. This has been done with everyPokemongame fromPokemon Red, Green, Blue,andYellowto the most recentPokemon SwordandShield.
WithPokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlfans will only have direct access to either Dialga or Palkia. ForShining Pearlplayers, they will be able to catch the Water and Dragon-type Legendary Pokemon, Palkia, who serves as the mascot for bothPokemon PearlandPokemon Shining Pearl. The additions of Ramanas Park will allow players to catch other Legendary Pokemon as well, featuring both version-exclusive Pokemon and others that are available in bothPokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearl.
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Legendaries In Pokemon Shining Pearl
InPokemon Shining Pearl,players will be able to capture classic Legendarieslike Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos. While these Pokemon recently received regional variants inPokemon SwordandShield, it’s their original Kanto forms that will be available inPokemon Shining Pearl. Given the novelty that the original Legendary Birds have, as well as the appreciation that their Galar forms have received, it might still be possible that players could discover all six, with both versions of Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos appearing inPokemon Shining Pearl.
Alongside the confirmed Legendary Birds, fans will also have exclusive access to Lugia. While this addition might seem odd, as some players may have thought one of the other Gen 1 Legendary Pokemon would accompany the Legendary Birds, it’s a pretty clear reference.The history behind Lugiaand its lore has been tied to the Legendary Birds sincePokemon: The Movie 2000. This callback might not be the most current reference, but it’s something that older fans of thePokemonseries are likely to appreciate.
While catching the original Legendary Birds and Lugia inPokemon Shining Pearlwon’t allow players to try and control the weather like inPokemon: The Movie 2000it will require some effort to obtain them. Players need to explore both the reprised Sinnoh region as a whole, and its Ramanas Park location. Here, fans will need to use the differentGame Boy cartridge-shaped Legendary Slatesto summon the corresponding Legendary Pokemon for a chance to catch them.
How these slates will be retrieved is still shrouded in mystery, but there are some likely ways that players can expect to encounter them. They could easily be placed randomly throughout the Sinnoh region, spawning in specific cave systems or environments that could represent their corresponding Pokemon. They could be worked intoPokemon Shining Pearl’s story as well, but a more direct option would be to have them appear withinthe expanded Grand Underground.
The map of the Grand Undergroundshows a much larger area than the original Gen 4 games had. While it still served a unique purpose as was one of the first instances of making the different evolutionary stones more accessible, the Underground would feel a bit empty if not updated for modern audiences. With the improvements thatPokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlhave made to the Grand Underground players should expect to encounter not only Pokemon but unique items as well.
These upgrades give the Grand Underground a bit more purpose in the Gen 4 remakes and if it’s the location for Legendary Slates it’ll remain relevant to the late game and end-game by providing an avenue to and catch Legendary Pokemon in each version.
Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlrelease for the Nintendo Switch on June 15, 2025.
