Pokémon BDSP: How to Catch Shaymin

Shaymin, the “gratitude Pokemon”, is a mythical Pokemon that has debuted its appearance in Diamond and Pearl back in 2006. This cute and small hedgehog was locked behind an event back in the original games and it still seems like it is now in the Sinnoh remakes— Brilliant Diamond and Shining pearl. Here is how you can catch Shaymin in Pokemon BDSP.

How to catch Shaymin in Pokemon BDSP

Currently, Shaymin is not able to be caught in the game through legitimate means. From leaks, data mining, and hacking, there are files that indicate that you can earn Oak’s Letter at some point in the game.

This was a Key Item that players could earn back in Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum. The description of the item reads: “A letter from Professor Oak. Written in it is a request for you to go to Route 224.” Follow the instructions as they are laid out from the description.

If you already beat the Elite Four and earned the National Pokedex, there is an alternate exit on the eastern part of Victory Road. You’ll escort Marley, a mysterious Pokemon trainer, along the way. This alternate exit from Victory Road will lead you to Route 224.

Make your way up until you come across this flat stone at the very northern part of this Route. Currently, nothing will happen if you interact with it. However, if you do have Oak’s Letter, this will initiate a cutscene where the Seabreak Path forms. This is an extension of Route 224 that goes on for quite some time. It’s a long, flowery road where at the end, you’ll end up at a place called Flower Paradise.

This is where you would encounter Shaymin. It will appear at level 30, so you may need a weaker party to deal with it. The last thing you want to do is knock it out, missing out on an opportunity to catch it.

How to catch Shaymin without Oak’s Letter

Warning: this section does contain a method that involves exploiting a menu glitch in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. If you wish to wait and legitimately get Shaymin, you probably shouldn’t do this.

Thanks to an ongoing out-of-bounds and menu glitch, you can travel to places that are currently unreachable in Pokemon BDSP. This includes going past the Seabreak Path and right into Shaymin’s home. This glitch can be performed on the current build for Pokemon BDSP (Ver. 1.1.2)

Follow the steps below to get the glitch going:

• Get associated with the step layout for the inside of the Pokemon League’s Pokecenter.
• Make sure the quick slots for your Key Items are filled up with items that will bring up the “Professor Rowan’s words echoed” dialogue box.
• Bring up your Poketch.
• Hover your cursor over the HM Fly move.
• Spam the R and A buttons simultaneously.
• If performed correctly, your character should be able to move around while the Town Map is displayed.
• Move up and walk into the Pokemon League Pokecenter while the Town Map is still displayed.
• Make your way into the bottom floor of the Pokecenter.
• Go back up, then outside of the center (you should still be on the Town Map screen).
• Use the right analog stick of your controller to readjust the pointer on the Map so it’s on the top half of the Pokemon League fly area (end of the Victory Road).
• Press A to bring up the dialogue box that reads “Would you like to use Fly to go to the Pokemon League?”.
• Right as the dialogue finishes displaying on the screen, press X to bring up your trainer menu (Pokedex, Pokemon, Bag, Trainer Card, Ball Capsules, etc.).

• If done correctly, your bag menu should be displayed over the Town Map.
• Press A to confirm using Fly.
• Your character can walk around while your Trainer Menu is opened.
• If done correctly, walk towards the body of water with the menu still up, then press the Plus (+) button to bring up your Quick Items, but also the Town Map again.
• Hit B once to get out of the map, bringing you to another overlapped Trainer Menu on top of your Quick Slots.
• Press B once more to get rid of the menu overlay.

• If done correctly, press A at the body of water to Surf.
• Confirm it, while not moving in any direction prior to this.
• Right as you jump onto the Bibarel, press any direction with your left stick that corresponds to an item that will prompt the “Rowan’s words echoed” dialogue box.
• If done correctly, your character should be standing on top of the Bibarel, maintaining their walking animation.
• This allows you to actually walk past the barriers like trees, cliffs, and the waterfall.
• Explore this section in a counterclockwise direction, so you can travel behind the Pokemon League and go straight to Route 224.

You’ll need to get a feel of when you hit barriers in the unrendered, black void. Try getting close to the edge of Route 224 just beyond the barrier to land onto the Seabreak Path. It’ll be completely black, but if you land on the right spot, you can just travel upwards until you get to the Flower Paradise area.

Performing this tricky method does not seem to affect the game negatively in any way, though there are instances where your game can unexpectedly crash. Of course, when performing glitches and exploits, it’s all at your own risk. This is the only way you are able to catch Shaymin currently in Pokemon BDSP.

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