Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have a disappointing National Pokédex that doesn't follow the improvments seen in other Pokémon remakes.
Filling out the National Pokédex in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl won't possess the difficulty level seen in other recent remakes due to a substantially shortened list of species. Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have not strayed far from the storyline, mechanics, and available Pokémon species of the original games. This could be a disappointment for those hoping to travel the Sinnoh region post-game with popular favorites introduced after the 4th Generation of the series.
The regional Sinnoh Pokédex in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl is frustratingly short, with a mere 151 options of the 898 Pokémon species currently available. Much like the original Diamond and Pearl, options for player teams are painfully limited, with strong Fire-types outside of the starter Chimchar unobtainable until the Grand Underground is unlocked. Not only does the lack of variety make for repetitive teams and a shortage of strategy choices against Gym Leaders and Team Galactic boss battles, but it also makes trainer battles repetitive and boring.
To unlock the National Pokédex in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Peal, players must complete the Sinnoh Pokédex. This doesn't mean catching every Pokémon, but it does require players to see each of the species native to the region, including Legendaries. Once this has been completed, the BDSP National Dex adds species from the first 4 generations of the Pokémon games for a total of 493 Pokémon. While this adds a good deal of variety, most players won't gain access to the National Pokédex until late in the game. Because of this, only those planning to Shiny hunt, or build teams post-game, will benefit from the extended list.
While many species from the earlier Pokémon generations are a good asset in battle, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl miss out on notable additions to the Pokédex, especially with new types. The Fairy-type Pokémon were officially added to the series during Pokémon X and Y, offering players powerful assets against Dark and Dragon-type Pokémon. While the addition of the type did get applied to past Pokémon like Clefairy in BDSP, powerful Fairy-types like Mimikyu and Sylveon were left out. Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl also lack the Mythical and Legendary Pokémon added in later titles, greatly reducing the number of post-game challenges players can engage in.
While it is possible Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl may increase the Pokédex via DLC additions similar to Sword and Shield, which added new regions with special Pokédexes through two DLC expansions, currently, nothing has been confirmed by the developers. DLC could also open opportunities to add other missing features like Mega Evolution. This would give Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl a boost to end-game content, and offer players more adventures in the revamped Sinnoh region.
