Capturing Platinum Legendaries PreparationsCapture RateEach legendary is assigned with a numerical CatchRate, as are all wild Pokémon. Essentially, the higher the CatchRate, the higher the chance of capture. The CatchRate is plugged into a formula, which determines whether the Pokémon will be captured or not. While the actual in-game formula is quite complex, Community Member X-Act has made a formula that produces nearly exact results. Note that you must always round down should you get a decimal. (( 1 + ( MaxHP × 3 - CurrentHP × 2 ) × CatchRate × BallRate × Status# ) ÷ ( MaxHP × 3 )) ÷ 256 Top Poké Ball Rates :
A Master Ball catches any wild Pokémon without fail, though it may only be obtained once through Cyrus, or winning the lottery in Jubilife City. Timer Balls begin at 1 and increase every 10 turns, with a cap of 4. Quick Balls begin at 4, and decrease to 1 after the first turn. Although these Balls can potentially lead to an easier capture than a Dusk Ball, they are more circumstantial. All other Balls have a catch rate of 1 against the legendaries. It is preferred to use either Dusk or Ultra Balls, keeping some Timer Balls in reserve. Status#s :
As you can see, sleep is your best bet, due to the lack of reliable freeze moves. Paralysis is a much lower number, so sleep moves are preferred. You should never poison or burn the legendary; this sets a time limit on the longevity of your legendary's lifespan. The CatchRate of the legendaries is 3, except for Manaphy, which is obtained in an Egg, Dialga and Palkia, which are 30, and Shaymin, which is 45. Let's say we try to catch a Level 5 Max HP Magikarp with a Dusk Ball. Magikarp's CatchRate is 255. Capture Rate = (( 1 + ( MaxHP × 3 - CurrentHP × 2 ) × CatchRate × BallRate × Status# ) ÷ ( MaxHP × 3 )) ÷ 256
= (( 1 + ( 18 × 3 - 18 × 2 ) × 255 × 3.5 × 1 ) ÷ ( 18 × 3 )) ÷ 256
= (( 1 + ( 54 - 36 ) × 255 × 3.5 × 1 ) ÷ ( 54 )) ÷ 256
= (( 1 + 16065 ) ÷ 54 ) ÷ 256
= ( 16066 ÷ 54 ) ÷ 256
= 297 ÷ 256
= 1.162181712962963
= 100%
Any decimal numbers were not shown, and are simply rounded down. So, if the end result is over 1, you have a 100% chance to capture the Pokémon. However, due to varying IVs, it is very difficult to know the max HP of the legendaries, let alone determine their current HP. The formula is simply here for reference and a little bit of insight into why certain balls or status effects are used. Ball CapsulesJust as you wouldn't go into the woods without proper equipment, you can't expect to catch the legendary Pokémon of Sinnoh without being prepared. You'll need to stock up on Poké Balls, as explained above; Dusk Ball is the most effective. These can be picked up at most late-game PokéMarts, and are available before you fight your first legendary. You'll want to have at least 50 Dusk Balls on you for each encounter, and there are 11 legendaries that are obtainable per game cartridge that can be captured (including event Pokémon). That totals 550 Dusk Balls, and you'll probably want to have at least 50 Ultra and/or Timer Balls in reserve. Granted, it wouldn't be cost effective to go out and buy 600 Poké Balls at once, so it is best to only carry around 100 Dusk Balls and 50 Timer/Ultra Balls at one time. This is great if say, Uxie is caught on the first Dusk Ball thrown, whereas Azelf takes 65 Balls. If you haven't beaten the Elite Four yet, and you are in the forced battle with either Dialga or Palkia, 60 Ultra/Dusk Balls will do fine; they have the second highest catch rate for legendaries caught, and Ultra Balls could be your primary weapon if you don't want to wait for night. Shaymin can also be caught with Ultra Balls if needed. Timer Balls are a viable option if you are not battling in a cave, and if you wait long enough, which you typically shouldn't have to. Palkia has the added advantage of being easy to catch with Net Balls if you choose so. For the legendaries, bar Dialga/Palkia and the roamers Mesprit, Cresselia, Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres, as well as the ones obtained in events, you can use Dusk Balls without worry; they are all conveniently located in caves, which boost the Dusk Ball's effectiveness. For most legendaries, you'll have to wait until between 20:00 and 4:00 on your DS clock for the Dusk Balls to work to their full potential. Alternatively, you could always clone a whole bunch of Master Balls via the Pokémon Emerald Battle Tower cloning glitch and transfer them to your Platinum game via Pal Park. The SynchronizerAfter you get yourself some Balls, you'll want to get a Synchronizer. "What's a Synchronizer?" you may ask. Well, when you have a Pokémon with the ability Synchronize in the first slot of your party, all wild Pokémon have a 50% chance of inheriting the nature of that Pokémon. An even better trait is that the Pokémon doesn't have to be alive for Synchronize to work its magic, so you can have a fainted Synchronizer at the start of your party, and the effects remain intact. This way, you can have an increased chance of getting the nature you want; which nature to use is up to personal preference. Refer to the analyses in the SmogonDex for ideas if you're stuck. Now, where will you find these Pokémon that Synchronize? Well, the list of all the Pokémon that can have this trait is as follows:
After you get the National PokéDex (which is the best time to capture the legendaries, including Giratina if you didn't capture it in the Distortion World), it is considerably easier to get Synchronizers. You can soft reset at the Game Corner Prize Shop in FireRed/LeafGreen for Abra, or transfer over Synchronizers you had in the previous generation for catching Ditto in Emerald. The CatcherGet your Synchronizer, and if you are planning on transferring over unlimited Master Balls from your previous generation games, feel free to read the little blurb about Manaphy and be on your way to the next section. If not, you'll probably need a good capturing Pokémon. What makes a good capturing Pokémon? A Pokémon that can learn both a reliable sleep move (60 accuracy and up) and False Swipe (a TM found in the Veilstone Department Store that keeps the wild Pokémon at 1 HP if it would have fainted). True, Dialga, Heatran, and Giratina all laugh at False Swipe, and the rest of the legendaries aren't going to be crippled by it, but it's still great to get the HP of the legends as low as possible before throwing your balls. A list of Pokémon that meet the above criteria is as follows:
The "One Under" PokémonAn optional Pokémon that you may wish to take with you is the "one under" Pokémon. This is a Pokémon that has a Speed stat one point below the maximum of the legendary you're trying to catch. This is for the Pokémon you really need to have reach a certain Speed. It isn't the wisest choice to bring one of these along for every legendary, however; the "one under" Pokémon can be a pain to get, but it will be worth it if you don't have Master Balls. The idea is to switch your Synchronizer to the "one under", then have the latter use an attack. If the legendary goes first, switch to the capture Pokémon and continue the battle. If not, reset. This "one under" should either be of a high level or be holding a Focus Sash (which can be obtained from the man in the house west of the Pal Park the third time you show him a Pokémon). If you are going for a defensive legendary that is not concerned about outspeeding certain threats, then you may wish to go for a different variation of the "one under" Pokémon that uses Endeavor. Endeavor is a move that takes the foe's Pokémon's HP down to the HP the Endeavor user currently has, but fails if the Pokémon using Endeavor has more HP than its target. This can be abused by giving your Endeavor Pokémon 1 less HP than the maximum HP of the legendary you are going for. If your "one under" Pokémon's Endeavor attack fails, then you know that the legendary you are fighting does not have the amount of HP you are looking for, so you can reset without having to capture it. If Endeavor reduces the legendary's HP, then you know it is fine to resume trying to capture it. However, this Pokémon must also be faster than the legendary, so it does not risk taking damage, which would result in false information. Unfortunately, Endeavor is a Normal-type move, which renders it ineffective against Giratina, which is one of the Pokémon that could benefit from this strategy. Other Items and PokémonTake another stop at a PokéMart; you'll want to buy a few Revives and Hyper Potions/Max/Full Restores if you're far enough in the game. Revives are also found in the Underground fairly easily, along with their more powerful variant, Max Revives. These are mainly for keeping your main capture Pokémon alive, as well as the remainder of your party. About 30 Super Repels are almost mandatory too (these are actually more cost effective than Max Repels). Five or more Escape Ropes are also great to have (and almost necessary for after Heatran). You should always bring a team of three high-leveled Pokémon (the other two are HM slaves, but leveling them up is helpful) with your Synchronizer in the lead. The only exceptions are when you are catching any of the runners. In this case, you could use Wobbuffet in your first slot in order to trap them, or use Mean Look Gallade (this is recommended, as Gallade is an excellent catcher). If you are going to capture Regigigas, you will need to bring along Regirock, Regice, and Registeel; otherwise, you cannot initiate a battle with it. With Manaphy, you will need two Nintendo DS or DS Lite (or a combination of the two) systems, one with a copy of your game, and one with a completed Pokémon Ranger game (includes: Pokémon Ranger, Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia, and Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs) that has not yet given out a Manaphy. If you don't own two systems, try borrowing one from a friend, as the actual act of transferring Manaphy doesn't take too long. Just be sure to beat the Pokémon Ranger game in advance. You will also need a random Pokémon, preferably with a different nature to the one you desire for Manaphy, and two boxes with empty spaces. Tricks of the TradeSo, before you go after even your first legendary (Giratina), keep in mind a couple of tips:
Catching the LegendariesNow that you have some more knowledge, or at least something to reference to, get out a piece of paper and a pencil. Be prepared to make a little tick mark every time a legendary uses a move, and put two ticks if your Pokémon has the ability Pressure. This will be used to reference the amount of PP the legendaries have before Struggling, which is listed in this section. Note that if your sleep-inducing Pokémon is faster than the legendary, the legendary will use a PP (or two with Pressure) the turn it is put to sleep, and of course it still uses PP the turn it wakes up. PP is not used up while the legendary is asleep. So, in which order should you catch the legendaries? Giratina is the first one that you can capture of course, but after you have obtained the National PokéDex it's a matter of personal preference. It's logical to go for the lower-leveled legendaries first, and work your way up. Catching the five roamers (Mesprit, Cresselia, Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres) consecutively is probably going to be stressful, and is not recommended. So let's get started! Giratina (Origin and Altered Forme)Giratina is first encountered in its Origin Forme as part of the storyline at the end of the Distortion World, after Cyrus has been defeated. Since this occurs before you receive the National Dex, you may not have the appropriate Pokémon to efficiently catch Giratina, so expect a challenge if you attempt to capture it at this point. However, if you KO it or flee from it, Giratina will re-appear at the end of Turnback Cave after you beat the Elite Four. Turnback Cave is located at the end of Spring Path on Route 214. Bring Pokémon with Defog and Rock Climb if you're going to catch Giratina at Turnback Cave, along with some Super Repels, as you may be wandering through the various rooms of Turnback Cave for a while before you reach Giratina. You must reach Giratina within 30 rooms, and despite the cave's name, do not turn back or you will wind up at the beginning of the cave. Giratina is in its Altered Forme when you encounter it in Turnback Cave. Since Giratina is a Ghost-type, False Swipe will not normally affect it, so bring a Pokémon with the move Foresight or Odor Sleuth, so that you may hit Giratina with Normal-type moves (notably, Endeavor and False Swipe). Giratina is at level 47 on both occasions in the Distortion World or Turnback Cave, just like the dragons in Diamond and Pearl.
Giratina's Moveset
That's right, only 30 PP, so try and make this a quick capture. However, since Shadow Force is a two-turn Attack, you have 35 turns until Giratina starts to Struggle. Shadow Force can do a lot of damage, but you can switch to a Normal-type to negate it. Both Ominous Wind and AncientPower can raise all of Giratina's stats, making it even more difficult to capture. Whether you're catching Giratina in the Distortion World or Turnback Cave, Dusk Ball is the best option as it has a Ball Rate of 3.5 in both locations, and with Giratina's catch rate set at 3, you're going to need every advantage. After you have captured Giratina, in either location, a portal to the Distortion World will appear in its room in Turnback Cave. Enter the portal to obtain the Griseous Orb, which will raise the power of its Ghost- and Dragon-type moves and keep it in its Origin Forme outside of the Distortion World. UxieUxie is found in Acuity Cavern, which is in the middle of Lake Acuity. This is the lake just west of Snowpoint City. Simply spray a few Super Repels as you're on your way, and Surf onto the little rocky island that houses a cave. Inside is the defensive one of the Psychic trio, Uxie. You can walk/ride right up to Uxie without it attacking you, so go ahead and go into the space in front of it to save. Uxie is fought at level 50.
Uxie's Moveset
Yawn can be a bother, but if you switch your Pokémon out, its effects will be negated. Before you leave Lake Acuity for good, check the land in the northeastern corner for TM14 Blizzard. AzelfAzelf is found in Valor Cavern, in the middle of Lake Valor. In case you're too lazy to check the town map, this is the lake just southwest of Veilstone City. Simply spray a few Super Repels as you're on your way, and Surf onto the little rocky island that houses a cave. The offensive one of the trio, Azelf, resides here. You can walk/ride right up to Azelf without it attacking you, so go ahead and go into the space in front of it to save. Azelf is fought at level 50.
Azelf's Moveset
Uproar prevents sleep status for 2 to 5 turns, though luckily it's only 1 PP for that amount of time (2 under Pressure). Beware that Azelf's Uproar can rip through your team after some Special Attack boosts from Nasty Plot if your Pokémon are under leveled. Before you depart from Lake Valor, check the land in the southeastern corner for TM38 Fire Blast. MespritUnlike most legendaries, Synchronize will not work on Mesprit. It is hiding at Lake Verity, but it won't stay there for long. Be sure to check the land in the southwestern corner for TM25 Thunder, and set the Pokétch Map Application as your current App. This is obtained from the Pokétch Creator in Jubilife City, after you have won three Gym Badges. Go to Twinleaf Town, using a Super Repel as you're on your way, and Surf onto the little rocky island that houses a cave. Inside is the balanced one of the trio, Mesprit. You can walk/ride right up to Mesprit without it attacking you, so go ahead and go into the space in front of it to save. Mesprit's nature and IVs are set when you talk to it. However, it will run off, and you'll have to go through a dialogue with Professor Rowan every time it does. If you're not using Master Balls, be sure that it is between 20:00 and 4:00, so that you can use Dusk Balls at their full potential. Mesprit will jump to a random route on the map. It cannot appear at lakes, in cities, or in caves, but everywhere else is fair game. If you Fly somewhere, Mesprit appears to jump to a random route, but if you move onto a different route (or in longer routes, a different section of the same route) Mesprit will move to an adjacent route. If it tries to move through a city, cave, or any of the lakes, it may jump to a random location as well, so instead of chasing it all across Sinnoh, Fly to Jubilife city. Now, get on your Bike and switch to the faster gear, if you aren't on it already. Watch Mesprit's location on the Pokétch (it's marked by a small Pikachu head) and go back into Jubilife from an adjacent route. What you are doing is making Mesprit change location. Eventually, it will either appear in your route, or in a route around Jubilife. Remember that moving to the adjacent route will force Mesprit to switch, so if you're in Jubilife and it's on the route to the left, try heading into one of the other routes and hope it ends up there. A word of caution: the route just above Jubilife has a cave in the middle, and the two sections of plain land are separate locations. If Mesprit is in the part of the route directly linked to Jubilife, it will appear right above the city, without a space. If your lead Pokémon is level 50 or below, spray a Super Repel to keep other wild Pokémon away. If your lead is over level 50, do not use any Repels, as that would prevent Mesprit from showing up. Luckily, Mesprit has a high chance of showing up in any area it is in. Mesprit is fought at level 50.
Mesprit's Moveset
Be sure to trap Mesprit right away; it will attempt to flee the very first turn of battle. Any status effects and damage done on it will still be present when you encounter it again. However, if you do not want to keep throwing hopeful Poké Balls at Mesprit, use a faster Pokémon with the ability to use trapping moves, such as Mean Look, and then Baton Pass to your catcher. From Mesprit's moveset, Charm would be the most annoying move, as it will weaken your Pokemon's physical attacks. Therefore, you may have to spend a few more turns reducing its HP with False Swipe. HeatranHeatran is located inside a cave at the end of the inner chamber of Stark Mountain. When you first visit Stark Mountain and attempt to enter the mountain itself, you will have to play through an event involving Team Galactic where you team up with another trainer named Buck. Once you have completed that side quest, return to the Survival Area and follow Buck into a house. When you enter, you will meet and speak with his grandfather. Afterward, you may return to Stark Mountain and catch Heatran. It is important that you return to the Survival Area and speak with Buck's grandfather; otherwise, Heatran will not appear. Remember to bring Pokémon with Rock Smash and Strength to get to Heatran's cave. Rock Climb is optional, but it will help you get to the cave faster. Heatran is encountered at level 50.
Heatran's Moveset
Heatran's secondary Steel typing will prolong the battle if you're relying on False Swipe to reduce its HP. Luckily, with 70 PP between its four moves, you can spare a few turns to chip away at its HP. Scary Face will reduce your Pokémon's Speed and give Heatran a chance to waste one more PP before your Pokémon can make a move. Metal Sound's 2-stage Special Defense drop lets Heatran inflict more damage with Lava Plume. Furthermore, Lava Plume has a scorching 30% chance of burning your Pokémon, so be sure to bring some Full Heals just in case. RegigigasRegigigas is located on the basement floor of Snowpoint Temple. HM moves are not necessary to reach Regigigas, but each floor has its own ice puzzle you must solve. Before you make your journey down the Snowpoint Temple, remember to bring Regirock, Regice, and Registeel along, as you will need them to actually engage Regigigas in battle for a chance to capture it. Regigigas is at level 1 when you battle it.
Regigigas's Moveset
Yes, you read correctly; the king of the Regis is now found at level 1. Simply inflict Regigigas with a status condition (preferably sleep), use False Swipe to instantly bring it to 1 HP, and start tossing your choice of Poké Ball at it. Since Regigigas is at level 1, Nest Balls would be an excellent Ball to use on it, since the Nest Ball's Ball Rate equals the Dusk Ball's Ball Rate when used on a Pokémon at level 1. However, Regigigas still has a CatchRate of 3, so it may take multiple tries to catch it, just like any other legendary. Dialga/PalkiaMaking a return after their debut in Diamond and Pearl, Dialga and Palkia can be caught at Spear Pillar on the peak of Mt. Coronet. However, there are a few tasks you must perform before they appear on Mt. Coronet. Firstly, obtain the Adamant and Lustrous Orbs hidden in a cave atop the waterfall on Mt. Coronet. Secondly, after you have defeated the Elite Four and finished the main storyline, go show them to Cynthia's grandmother. Finally, after speaking with her, go to the ruins in Celestic Town and press A when you are in front of the painting inside; Cynthia will appear and talk about Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina. Once you have completed the previous tasks, climb Mt. Coronet and you will find a blue portal. Press A while in front of the portal to battle Dialga. After you have captured Dialga, leave Spear Pillar. When you return, there will be a pink portal. Press A while in front of it to battle Palkia. Dialga and Palkia are at level 70 when you encounter them.
Dialga's Moveset
Besides higher stats due to the increase in level, another change from Diamond is the addition of Heal Block, which replaces one of Dialga's three offensive moves. This means that unlike in Diamond, you will not be bombarded with attacks every turn, and have a chance to heal your Pokémon after Roar Of Time. However, while Heal Block is in effect, only items will restore your Pokémon's HP. Dialga's Steel typing grants it resistances to many attacks (including False Swipe), so it may be worth your while to bring a high level Pokémon that can take heavy hits and weaken it with Ground or Fighting moves to make False Swiping its HP down to 1 easier; Gallade is a good choice.
Palkia's Moveset
Along with the increase in level, Palkia gained Heal Block. Therefore, unlike in Pearl, you have a damage-free turn to heal your Pokémon with an item, which you may need if Palkia lands a critical hit on your Pokémon with Spacial Rend. Spacial Rend's high critical hit ratio does not help the situation. Slash shares the same increase in critical hit ratio, but it is not as threatening due to the lack of STAB and lower Base Power. Generally, Palkia should be an easier capture than Dialga. CresseliaCresselia, like Mesprit and the Kanto birds, roams Sinnoh after you interact with it on Fullmoon Island. To reach Fullmoon Island, travel to Canalave City, enter the house in front of the boat and sailor that take you to Iron Island, press A when your character is directly in front of the sailor's son in the bed to learn that he is having nightmares, exit the house, and speak to the sailor so that he will ask you to go to Fullmoon Island to retrieve the Lunar Wing to help his son. When you arrive on Fullmoon Island, you will find Cresselia in a clearing. Walk up to it, press A, and it will flee and become available for capture in the wild. Remember, you must save prior to interacting with Cresselia if you wish to soft reset or RNG abuse it. Pick up the Lunar Wing and return to Canalave City. Use the method to encounter Mesprit to locate and engage Cresselia in battle. Cresselia is at level 50 when you encounter it.
Cresselia's Moveset
Like Mesprit, you are best off trying to trap Cresselia right away, as it will attempt to flee on the first turn of battle. Any status and damage sustained by Cresselia will remain after you battle it. An easy way to catch Cresselia is to use a faster Pokémon with Mean Look, and Baton Pass to your catcher or use Gallade, which can trap it with Mean Look and weaken it with False Swipe. Overall, Cresselia's moveset should not give you any serious issues while you are attempting to catch it. Articuno/Zapdos/MoltresIn the same vein as Cresselia and Mesprit, Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres roam Sinnoh after you obtain the National Dex. To release the birds, you must visit Professor Oak at his house in Eterna City (located in front of the Cycling Road) and speak to him. He will only appear in the house once you have obtained the National Dex and visited Pal Park. All three birds are released at once, and their natures and IVs are decided at the moment they are released. Therefore, it will be difficult to obtain all three birds with a desired nature/IV combination through soft resetting and even RNG abuse. As with the other roamers, Synchronizers will not work on Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. Luckily, you can re-release the Kanto bird trio by KOing the bird you want to re-release, defeating Elite Four, and speaking to Professor Oak in Eterna City again. The bird(s) that is (are) re-released will most likely have a different nature/IV combination. The same method used to encounter Mesprit/Cresselia can be used to encounter any of the birds. However, you cannot tell which bird you will encounter by looking at the Pokétch, as they all have the same marker. Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres are at level 60 when you battle them.
Articuno's MovesetArticuno has a lot of PP, so you will have plenty of turns to catch it. Look out for Roost, as it replenishes half of Articuno's health, making all that hard work put into reducing its HP go to waste. Agility will let it outspeed your Pokémon and waste an additional PP before you can make a move. Reflect will reduce the amount of damage done by physical attacks, namely False Swipe, and when coupled with Roost, it can make Articuno difficult to capture.
Zapdos's MovesetRoost and Agility can be annoying, letting Zapdos restore half its HP and waste an additional PP by outspeeding your Pokémon, respectively. Discharge's 30% chance of paralysis is an issue, as a Pokémon inflicted with paralysis will be slower than Zapdos and fully paralyzed from time to time, giving it a free turn. However, you can get around Discharge and ensure that Zapdos cannot damage your Pokémon by trapping Zapdos, then Baton Passing to a Ground-type Pokémon. Baton Passing does come at a price: you can no longer put Zapdos to sleep as no Ground-type, except for a purified Marowak from Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, learns a sleep-inducing move. Inflicting Zapdos with a permanent status condition, such as paralysis, before Baton Passing is recommended to improve your odds of capturing it.
Moltres's Moveset
Air Slash is the deadliest move in Moltres's moveset, as it hits two out of the seven recommended "Catchers" for 4x damage and Gallade for 2x damage. Additionally, it has a 30% flinch rate; however, that is only a concern if it outspeeds your Pokémon. Safeguard prevents Moltres from being inflicted with a status condition, so while it is in effect, you can't rely on sleep to improve your odds of a successful capture. Like the other two Kanto birds, Moltres has access to Roost to heal itself, so you may have to repeatedly reduce its HP. Regirock/Regice/RegisteelIntroduced in the third generation, the Regi trio (Regirock, Regice, and Registeel) can be obtained in Platinum through the use of an event Regigigas. The list of event Regigigas that unlock the Regis in Platinum include the following OTs: TRU, テンイむら, EUETE09, EUSMR09, ESTEU09, and EUVER09. Each Regigigas has the ID: 07189 (except for TRU Regigigas whose ID is 03089 and テンイむら with an ID of 07198), is at level 100, comes in a Cherish Ball, and has the moveset: Iron Head, Rock Slide, Icy Wind, and Crush Grip. The event Regigigas are not region locked, so you can use any of these Regigigas, regardless of the language of your game. The event Regigigas must be in your party when you are going to capture one of the Regis; otherwise, they will not appear. RegirockRegirock is found in Rock Peak Ruins, a cave on Route 228 near the gate to Route 226. Specifically, the cave is located in front of a rock at the foot of a sandy slope. Remember to bring the event Regigigas in your party, or the cave will be empty. Regirock is at level 30 when you battle it.
Regirock's Moveset
Phenomenal Defense and Rock typing make it difficult to harm Regirock with physical attacks, so do not expect a quick capture if you are using False Swipe to chip away at Regirock's HP. Curse fortifies Regirock's already impressive Attack and Defense, making it harder to weaken and its attacks more painful. Superpower has the highest Base Power out of Regirock's attacks; however, it reduces Regirock's Attack and Defense to negate some of the boosts it gains from Curse. If you visit the cave on Route 228 without an event Regigigas, you will find a Hard Stone at the center of the cave. RegiceAs long as you have an event Regigigas in your party, Regice will battle you in Iceberg Ruins, a cave near the Route 216 exit of Mt. Coronet. Regice is at level 30 when you encounter it.
Regice's Moveset
Icy Wind and Stomp are rather annoying. Icy Wind lowers your Pokémon's Speed every time it hits, and after a few hits, Regice may even outspeed your Pokémon. Stomp may cause your Pokémon to flinch, but only if Regice is faster than it. Unfortunately, Icy Wind may give it that opportunity. Curse raises Regice's good Defense and mediocre Attack, but it isn't as threatening as it is on Regirock. Furthermore, it lowers Regice's Speed, which helps your Pokémon by keeping Regice slower than it. If you visit the cave in Mt. Coronet near the Route 216 exit without an event Regigigas, you will find a NeverMeltIce at the center of the cave. RegisteelRegisteel is found in Iron Ruins, a cave on Iron Island. Specifically, the cave is located at the end of Iron Island by taking the lift on the basement floor that has all the trainers standing facing each other; it is also where you helped Riley stop Team Galactic. Like the other Regis, remember to bring an event Regigigas, or Registeel will not appear in the cave.
Registeel's Moveset
Registeel is the middle ground for the Regis. Metal Claw can be a threat if it manages to pull of a few Attack boosts. Curse is there to help improve Registeel's Attack and boost Registeel's great Defense, making it difficult to whittle down its HP using False Swipe. Superpower can be devastating after a few Attack boosts, but ends up hurting Registeel by lowering its Attack and Defense. If you visit the cave at the end of Iron Island without an event Regigigas, you will find a Metal Coat at the center of the cave. ManaphyManaphy is an event Pokémon, and can be obtained in many different ways. The first method involves transferring an Egg from the Pokémon Ranger games. First, you must unlock the Manaphy mission in your Pokémon Ranger game. In the original Pokémon Ranger game, the Manaphy mission can be unlocked at any time by accessing the Ranger Net after completing the game. When "Play a special mission" is displayed on the bottom screen, press the R and X buttons, as well as left on the directional pad simultaneously. The game will then tell you "Enter the password has been added." Tap the touch screen, and the game will save. The password menu is now unlocked, and can be found under the "Play a special mission" option. Upon choosing the new "Enter the password" option, you will be prompted to enter the password for the Manaphy mission. For the North American version of the game the password is P8M2-9D6F-43H7, and for the European version it is Mg35-Cpb8-4FW8. In Japan, you must download the mission via a special event. After entering the code, the game will save and must be turned off. Restart your Pokémon Ranger game, and return to the Ranger Net. Go to the "Play a special mission" option, and select the mission "Recover the Precious Egg!". Complete this mission to obtain a Manaphy Egg in the Pokémon Ranger game. Now, go to the Ranger Net once again, and select the new "Check the Egg" option. This is the part where the second DS system and your Pokémon Diamond or Pearl game comes in. Turn on Pokémon Diamond/Pearl in your other DS system, and leave it at the main menu. Now, tap the screen in your Pokémon Ranger game, and press Send Message. A message saying "Pokémon Ranger is trying to communicate" will appear on Diamond/Pearl, so press the A button to confirm. Next, select "Link with Pokémon Ranger" on the main menu. On Pokémon Ranger, you should now see the option to transfer. Select this option, and the Manaphy Egg will be transferred to your DP game. Ranger is no longer required. Once you go to a PokéMart in DP, you will find a man in a green uniform. This is the deliveryman—the same man that gives you the items you transfer from Pokémon Battle Revolution, or the event Pokémon items. Save before talking to him. When you speak with him, you will receive the Manaphy Egg; its IVs and nature are set. Next, go to a Pokémon Center computer, select "Bebe's PC", then "Move Pokémon". Have a random Pokémon in the first slot of any box, and then put your Manaphy Egg in the first slot of the box that either directly precedes or succeeds it. Go back to the first Pokémon, and let the hand cursor hover over it. Wait until its type is displayed in the bottom left corner of the screen for about three seconds, then press L (if the Egg is in the preceding box) or R (if it is in the succeeding box). If you timed it correctly, you should see a flash of Manaphy's nature. If it's no good, soft reset and get the Egg again. If you like it, then hatch it and Rare Candy it up to check IVs. If it's no good again, soft reset again, but if they're good enough for you, take it! However, due to Manaphy being level 1, it is best that you still Rare Candy it up a bit and put its stats in a IV Calculator. Due to being obtained in an Egg, Manaphy's CatchRate does not apply. However, since this Manaphy can only be transferred to DP, you must trade it from DP to Platinum. In Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia and Guardian Signs, the Manaphy Egg can be obtained by downloading and playing a special mission available for download over Wi-Fi. For Shadows of Almia, the Manaphy mission was available over Wi-Fi from March 20, 2008 to June 15, 2008 for Japanese games, November 10, 2008 to January 30, 2009 for North American games, and November 21, 2008 to February 21, 2009 for European games. For Guardian Signs, the Manaphy mission was available from May 6, 2010 to May 7, 2010 for Japanese games. Dates for the North American and European version have yet to be revealed. To receive the Manaphy Egg, you need two DS systems. First, go to the Ranger Net option in the Pokémon Ranger game and select the "Send a Pokémon" option. Then on Platinum, select the Mystery Gift option and choose "Receive Gift from a Friend". The Egg will be transferred to your Platinum game, where you can pick it up from the PokéMart. The Manaphy that hatches from the Egg received from the Pokémon Ranger games comes at level 1.
DarkraiDarkrai is an event Pokémon, and can be given out in multiple ways. In-game, it can be accessed via the Member Card Event. First, you must receive the Member Card from a Nintendo Event through the Mystery Gift option. The Member Card was distributed over Wi-Fi from December 1, 2008 to January 15, 2009 for Japanese games and August 3, 2009 to September 13, 2009 for North American, European, and Australian games. Once received, you may go to any PokéMart in Sinnoh and talk to the deliveryman to get the item. However, before you can activate the Member Card event, you must have released Cresselia and cured the sailor's son of his nightmares with the Lunar Wing. Once you have done that, go to Canalave City and head towards the Harbor Inn, which is the last building to the north of the Pokémon Center. After talking to the man inside, you will rest on the bed. When you wake up, you will be on Newmoon Island, where Darkrai resides. It is found in a clearing, much like Cresselia. Darkrai is at level 50 when you battle it.
Darkrai's Moveset
Hypnosis and Double Team will be giving you the most trouble while facing Darkrai. With Hypnosis, Darkrai will put your Pokémon to sleep, incapacitating them and forcing you to waste a turn waking them up, which gives Darkrai a free turn to waste PP. Additionally, Darkrai's Bad Dreams ability will cause your Pokémon to lose 12.5% of its max HP each turn it is asleep, so remove your Pokémon's sleep status as soon as possible. Double Team will raise Darkrai's evasion, causing your Pokémon to miss with their attacks after a few boosts and allowing Darkrai to waste PP. Having a Pokémon with Odor Sleuth or Foresight will negate any boosts it may accumulate. Nightmare is only a problem if you let your Pokémon sleep long enough for Darkrai to use it. Therefore, packing a good number of Full Heals or Awakenings ensures that Nightmare will be useless. Shaymin (Land Forme)Shaymin is an event Pokémon, and can be obtained in multiple ways. In-game, it can be accessed via the Oak's Letter Event. First, you must receive Oak's Letter from a Nintendo Event through the Mystery Gift option. Oak's letter was distributed over Wi-Fi from April 18, 2009 to May 11, 2009 for Japanese games and from September 28, 2009 to November 8, 2009 for North American, European, and Australian games. Once received, you may go to any PokéMart in Sinnohli - tr class= and talk to the deliveryman to get the item. Then, Fly to the upper Pokémon League. Surf back down to Victory Road, and follow the path that was blocked before you defeated the Elite Four. Here you will meet and team up with a trainer named Marley to get through. Once you reach Route 224, head to the end of the route where you will find Professor Oak at a stone tablet. He will ask you to write the name of the person that helped you most throughout your adventures on the tablet. You can put whatever you want here and it will extend the route, causing lots of flowers to appear. Shaymin will pop out to say hi, then run away. Follow the rather long Seabreak Path up to Flower Paradise. Shaymin will be standing atop a hill and is at level 30 when you battle it. Shaymin has the highest CatchRate of any legendary.
Shaymin's Moveset
Leech Seed and Synthesis will restore Shaymin's HP, so you may have to reduce its HP multiple times throughout the battle. Leech Seed is more threatening, however, since it restores some of Shaymin's HP at the end of each turn while it is active. As a result, it is impossible to keep its HP at 1 while Leech Seed is in effect. Breloom and Parasect are good catchers to use while facing Shaymin, as they are both immune to Leech Seed. Magical Leaf is only a problem if Shaymin manages to accumulate multiple Special Attack boosts courtesy of Growth. Unless you have already done this with another event Shaymin, head over to Floaroma town and speak with the blonde-haired NPC with your recently caught Shaymin. With Shaymin in your party, she will give you the Gracidea. The Gracidea will let you change Shaymin into its Sky Forme between 4:00 and 20:00. ArceusArceus is a special event Pokémon, and can be obtained in multiple ways. In-game, it can be obtained via the Azure Flute Event. First, you must receive the Azure Flute from a Nintendo Event through the Mystery Gift option. Then, proceed to any PokéMart in Sinnoh and talk to the deliveryman to get the item in your bag. To reach Arceus's location, you must climb Mt. Coronet once again, up to the Spear Pillar. Immediately, you will notice a mystic symbol, and the Azure Flute will begin making a noise. Play a melody with it, and a glowing stairway will appear. Climb it, and you will arrive at the Hall of Origin. Remember to save before you reach the top, as you will automatically approach Arceus in a scripted event as soon as you touch the upper platform. Here, the Alpha Pokémon awaits. Arceus is level 80, so prepare your party for an epic battle.
Arceus's Moveset
Yes, the Alpha Pokémon does indeed use Hyper Beam. While it can cause massive damage to your Pokémon, Arceus also must recharge on the next turn, giving you time to heal or lull it to sleep again. Future Sight is nothing to laugh at either, but it is not much of a threat if your Pokémon are appropriately leveled. Recover can get annoying, but Refresh is pretty much a free turn for you; after all, you should be using the sleep status, which cannot be cured with Refresh. The battle with the Alpha Pokémon will likely be the most difficult, but it's nothing a high-leveled party can't handle. Manaphy, Darkrai, Shaymin, and Arceus may all be given out as trades (making it impossible to soft reset) or Wondercard events. For a Wondercard event, if the legendary is not assigned a specific nature (it would be wise to research the event you are attending or downloading over Wi-Fi beforehand), you may reset in front of the man in green like you would for a Manaphy Egg. The IVs and nature are set when you pick up the Pokémon; Synchronize does not work in this situation. These Pokémon may also be received at different levels than the ones listed in their respective sections. As such, it is recommended to consult an online stat calculator when you learn the level of your legendary when you receive it. |
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