How to Get HM Defog in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

HMs (Hidden Machines) are a staple in all mainline Pokémon games. They are moves that are taught to Pokémon that have an outside purpose, like moving boulders with Strength, traveling across the water with Surf, and more. The majority of them are oftentimes needed to actually beat the game or get to new areas for later content. However, the Defog HM is one that serves more of a utility purpose that will help you clear out the obstructing fog in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Here is where you can find it.

How to get HM Defog in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

So this HM is not straightforward as all the other ones. You won’t actually get the HM until you get to Pastoria City. Conveniently, the Move Reminder is located in this city too. At this point in the game, you’ll have three badges and you made your way through routes 213 and 214 along with Valor Lakefront.

Visit the Pastoria Great Marsh and participate in a Safari Game. It’ll cost 500 Pokémon dollars to play. You can literally just go in, talk to the Ace Trainer (the NPC with the green hair and red outfit), get Defog, and leave the Great Marsh. They are right at the entrance, making it a bit of a silly choice to essentially pay for a necessity to progress in the game.

Once you get the HM Defog, you will also not be able to use it until you beat the fourth Gym Leader, Crasher Wake. Coincidentally when you beat him, Cynthia will eventually appear down the line after another Team Galactic run-in and give you the Secret Potion, a key item that will help you disperse the Psyduck blockade back at Route 210.

Just after the tall grass, the route becomes shrouded in really dense fog, almost requiring you to use Defog to actually get by. You don’t have to use or even acquire it, but it’ll save you the trouble.

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are out now exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.