Post-Game Content

Congratulations, Trainer! You've conquered the Pokémon League and become the Champion of Sinnoh! But the adventure is far from over. The world of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl opens up significantly after the credits roll, offering new challenges, legendary Pokémon to catch, and areas to explore. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to do to truly complete your Sinnoh journey.

The National Pokédex and New Areas

Your first major post-game objective is to unlock the National Pokédex. This expands your Pokédex to include Pokémon from other regions, allowing you to encounter and catch many more species.

1. Visit Professor Rowan: After defeating the Elite Four, head back to Professor Rowan's lab in Sandgem Town.
2. Receive the National Pokédex: Speak with Professor Rowan and Professor Oak (who will make a special appearance). They will upgrade your Pokédex to the National Dex, provided you have seen all 150 Sinnoh Pokémon (excluding Manaphy). Don't worry, you don't need to *catch* them all, just *see* them.
3. Unlock New Routes: With the National Pokédex in hand, several new areas become accessible:
   • Route 221: Located south of Sandgem Town, this route leads to Pal Park.
   • Route 222: East of Sunyshore City, leading to the Fight Area.
   • Route 224, 225, 226, 227, 228, 229, 230: These routes are all part of the Battle Zone, accessible via the Fight Area.

Legendary Pokémon Hunts

Many powerful legendary Pokémon await discovery in the post-game. Be prepared with plenty of Ultra Balls, status-inducing moves (like Sleep or Paralysis), and Pokémon with False Swipe to make these captures easier.

The Roaming Trio: Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres

These three Kanto legendary birds become available after obtaining the National Pokédex and speaking with Professor Oak in Eterna City. They will roam randomly across Sinnoh's routes.

• Location: Randomly appear on various routes throughout Sinnoh.
• Strategy:
  1. Use the Marking Map app on your Pokétch to track their current location.
  2. Fly to a nearby city and check the map again. Repeat until they are on a route you can easily access.
  3. Lead with a fast Pokémon that knows a move like Mean Look, Arena Trap (Diglett/Dugtrio), or Shadow Tag (Wobbuffet) to prevent them from fleeing.
  4. Lower their HP and inflict a status condition for easier capture.

Heatran

A powerful Fire/Steel-type legendary found deep within Stark Mountain.

• Location: Stark Mountain.
• Walkthrough:
  1. Fly to the Fight Area.
  2. Head east through Route 225 and then north through Route 227 to reach Stark Mountain.
  3. Navigate through the cave until you find Buck, who will accompany you through a portion of the mountain.
  4. After Buck retrieves the Magma Stone, exit Stark Mountain.
  5. Return to the Survival Area and speak with Buck's grandfather in the house near the Pokémon Center.
  6. Go back to the deepest part of Stark Mountain where the Magma Stone was. Heatran will now be waiting there.

Cresselia

The graceful Psychic-type legendary, Cresselia, roams Sinnoh after an event in Canalave City.

• Location: Roams Sinnoh after the event.
• Walkthrough:
  1. Fly to Canalave City.
  2. Enter the house next to the ferry port. Speak to the sailor whose son is having nightmares.
  3. The sailor will ask you to go to Fullmoon Island. Take the ferry from the sailor to Fullmoon Island.
  4. On Fullmoon Island, find Cresselia in the clearing. It will flee, leaving behind a Lunar Wing.
  5. Return to the sailor's house in Canalave City and give him the Lunar Wing to cure his son.
  6. Cresselia will now be roaming Sinnoh. Use the same strategy as for the Kanto birds to track and capture it.

Regigigas

The colossal Normal-type legendary, Regigigas, can be awakened in Snowpoint Temple.

• Location: Snowpoint Temple.
• Requirements: You must have Regirock, Regice, and Registeel in your party. These can be obtained by migrating them from a GBA Pokémon game (Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald) or through special events.
• Walkthrough:
  1. Fly to Snowpoint City.
  2. Head north to Snowpoint Temple.
  3. Speak to Candice, the Snowpoint Gym Leader, who will grant you access after you've defeated the Elite Four.
  4. Navigate the temple's ice puzzles. On the lowest floor, you will find Regigigas.
  5. If you have Regirock, Regice, and Registeel in your party, interact with Regigigas to initiate the battle.

Battle Zone Challenges

The Battle Zone is a dedicated area for trainers seeking intense battles and competitive challenges. It consists of three main areas: the Fight Area, the Resort Area, and the Survival Area, each with its own attractions.

Battle Tower

The ultimate test of your battling prowess! Located in the Fight Area, the Battle Tower offers consecutive battles against increasingly difficult trainers.

• Location: Fight Area.
• Challenge: Engage in single or double battles against AI trainers. Your Pokémon will be set to Level 50 for these challenges.
• Rewards: Earn Battle Points (BP) which can be exchanged for valuable items like Rare Candies, Protein, Carbos, and various battle-enhancing items.
• Strategy: Build a balanced team with good type coverage and strong competitive movesets. Consider Pokémon with high Speed and Attack/Special Attack stats.

Rematches with Gym Leaders and Elite Four

After obtaining the National Pokédex, you can challenge the Gym Leaders and Elite Four to rematches. Their teams will be significantly stronger, featuring higher-leveled Pokémon and more diverse movesets.

• Gym Leaders:
  • Speak to them in their respective gyms. Some may require you to visit them on specific days or times.
  • Their Pokémon will be in the Level 60-70 range.
• Elite Four:
  • Challenge them again at the Pokémon League.
  • Their Pokémon will be in the Level 65-78 range, and Cynthia's team will be particularly formidable, with her Garchomp reaching Level 78.

Other Post-Game Activities

Pal Park

Located on Route 221, Pal Park allows you to transfer Pokémon from your Game Boy Advance Pokémon games (Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, LeafGreen) to your Diamond or Pearl game.

• Location: Route 221.
• Functionality: Insert a GBA Pokémon cartridge into the GBA slot of your DS, then select "Migrate from [GBA Game]" from the main menu of Diamond/Pearl. You can transfer up to 6 Pokémon per 24-hour period.
• Catching Game: After migrating, you'll play a mini-game in Pal Park to re-catch your transferred Pokémon using special Pal Park Balls.

The Great Marsh Safari Zone Expansion

New Pokémon become available in the Great Marsh after obtaining the National Pokédex, including Pokémon from other regions.

• Location: Pastoria City.
• New Encounters: Check the binoculars on the second floor of the Great Marsh entrance building daily to see which rare Pokémon are currently available.

Pokémon Mansion Trophy Garden

Located on Route 212, the Trophy Garden behind the Pokémon Mansion will occasionally feature rare Pokémon that appear in the garden.

• Location: Route 212.
• New Encounters: Speak to Mr. Backlot, the owner of the mansion, each day. He will mention a specific rare Pokémon that is currently appearing in his garden. This can include Pokémon like Pikachu, Clefairy, Jigglypuff, and others.

Underground Exploration

The Sinnoh Underground still holds many secrets! Continue to explore for rare items, fossils, and Secret Base decorations.

• Fossils: Dig for more fossils to complete your fossil collection. You can revive them at the Oreburgh Mining Museum.
• Spheres: Collect spheres to trade for goods at the Underground merchants.
• Secret Bases: Customize your Secret Base with new decorations found or traded for.

With these comprehensive steps, you'll be well on your way to truly mastering Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, catching every legendary, conquering every challenge, and becoming the ultimate Pokémon Trainer!