Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are just around the corner, giving fans the opportunity to trek through Sinnoh Region once again, but which Pokemon are the hardest to catch? 

Pokemon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum feature plenty of colorful critters for trainers to battle with. From fan-favorites like Munchlax to ever-elusive Arceus, there are plenty of iconic monsters waiting for a trainer. 

However, some are much easier to catch than others. This is particularly true for many of the Pokemon encountered via events and post-game locations. 

In order to sate your hunger for Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, we have put together a list of the most difficult Pokemon to catch in the Sinnoh region. Whether any of these encounter methods will change in the upcoming remakes, many of these Pokemon will still remain hard to catch.

10. Palkia/Dialga/Giratina

Despite being the flagship Legendaries for Diamond and Pearl, both Palkia and Dialga are incredibly easy to obtain. According to Bulbapedia, both these Pokemon have a 30% capture rate prior to ORAS, which makes them much easier to catch than other Legendaries. 

The method for obtaining them is also fairly simple, as both can be acquired by beating Cyrus and climbing to the top of Spear Pillar. Meanwhile, Giratina can be found in Turnback Cave (Distortion World in Platinum). It may only have a 3% capture rate, but finding this Pokemon is pretty simple.

9. Rotom

This dual-type Electric/Ghost Pokémon confused many Pokemon trainers back in Diamond and Pearl. This is partly down to the Battle! theme, which is usually reserved for Legendary Pokemon encounters. If the music wasn’t confusing enough, Rotom’s sighting in Diamond and Pearl also screams that of a Legendary encounter.

The only way to catch Rotom in Pokemon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum was via the TV inside the Old Chateau. It can be fairly easy to miss the first time around, but if you interacted with the TV, you would get a spooky surprise. 

While Rotom’s 45% capture rate may not seem that low, the method for finding Rotom and securing its alternate forms eluded many a Pokemon Trainer.

8. Cresselia/Mesprit

Roaming Pokemon are some of the hardest monsters to catch, so it makes sense that both Cresselia and Mesprit make the list. Both these Psychic-type Legendaries can only be encountered once you have accessed the National Dex. You eventually encounter these Pokemon as you search around Sinnoh, but you’ll need to try and ensure they don’t flee. 

Of course, this is easier said than done. While you can easily locate Cresselia and Mesprit after your first encounter, trying to capture them can prove difficult. This is particularly true if you don’t have a Pokemon with False Swipe.

7. Beldum

Beldum may look relatively unimposing, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to capture. No, this Steel/Psychic-type has a ludicrous 3% capture rate, meaning you’ll need to pack a lot of Pokeballs if you wish to catch ‘em all. The National Pokedex is also needed before you can even encounter Beldum in the wild. 

To make matters even worse, Beldum can only be captured via the game’s swarm mechanic, which enables other Pokemon from outside Sinnoh to appear. Even if Beldum has been spotted in Route 228, the 40% encounter rate can make adding this Pokemon to your roster a difficult task.

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6. Munchlax

Munchlax can be one of the trickier Pokemon to catch in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, as it spawns unlike most species in the Sinnoh Region Pokedex. Finding the younger evolution of Snorlax can be a difficult task for trainers, especially as it has a minuscule 1% encounter rate. 

If that wasn’t bad enough, the method for finding Munchlax was incredibly tedious. In fact, this Normal-type can’t be found lurking in any tall grass in the Sinnoh region. Instead, Munchlax spends its days munching on the berries atop the game’s Honey Trees. 

Spreading Honey on the side of a Honey Tree and waiting six hours for the Pokemon to appear made for a particularly lengthy catch.

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5. Manaphy

Manaphy frustrated many Diamond and Pearl fans when it was found that a copy of Pokemon Ranger was needed to obtain it. While Manaphy may not be a conventional capture, the method for getting the egg was very time-consuming. 

After all, it’s not every day that you have to complete a whole other game to secure a Mythical Pokemon. Once trainers had completed Pokemon Ranger, they could access the Ranger Net. 

It was found that Pressing R + X + Left enabled you to enter a password, which would, in turn, give access to a new special mission called “Rescue the Egg”. Completing the mission would then reward players with a Manaphy egg that could be sent over to Pokemon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum.

4. Regigigas

Regigigas was another Pokemon that proved difficult to catch in Diamond and Pearl. Not only does the master of the Legendary titans have an exceptionally low capture rate (3%), it also had a rather lengthy process to obtain it. 

In order to get Regigigas in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, trainers needed to get the National Pokedex and enter Snowpoint Temple. This ancient building has a total of six floors and features various puzzles that need to be solved. Once the sliding ice tile puzzles have been completed, the final floor can be entered. 

However, Regice, Regirock, and Registeel need to be in the player’s party if they wish to awaken Regigigas. It’s certainly a lengthy process and one that could prove impossible if you don’t have access to the three Legendary titans.

3. Shaymin

This cute critter could only be obtained legitimately in Pokemon Platinum after receiving Oak’s Letter from a special event. With the letter secured, players could encounter Shaymin by heading over to Route 224, which is connected to Victory Road. 

Upon arrival, Professor Oak could be seen standing in front of a white rock. After inspecting the rock, players were given access to Seabreak Path. This area was completely inaccessible to those who did not have Oak’s letter, so finding Shaymin remained a mystery for many players. 

While Shaymin’s capture rate of 45% may not seem that bad, its low level (30) meant that you had to be extra careful when battling it.

2. Darkrai

In order to get Darkrai, Sinnoh trainers needed to get access to Newmoon Island. This may not seem like a particularly tricky task, but unlike other areas in the game, Newmoon Island is only accessible via an event item. The item in question is that of the Member Card.

While this event was officially distributed in 2009, it was extremely limited in its run. If you missed this event, then you wouldn’t be able to capture this nightmarish Pokemon legitimately. Fortunately, Darkrai has appeared in numerous Pokemon games since its Platinum debut.

1. Arceus

Known simply as “The Original One”, Arceus is said to have created the entire Pokemon universe. As a result, catching this ultra-rare Mythical creature is incredibly hard. Not only does it have a catch rate of three, but it also can’t be obtained legitimately. 

Despite Game Freak originally intending Arceus to appear in Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, the special event was never officially released. Instead, players had to use Action Replay hacks to obtain the Azure Flute event item. This item would then enable you to summon Arceus to the Hall of Origin.

Whether we’ll finally get an official way to obtain Arceus in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl remakes remains to be seen. 

There you have it, 10 of the hardest Pokemon to catch in Pokemon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum. Make sure you check out or Pokemon hub for all the latest news on the Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl remakes.

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