How to Get a Hidden Ability in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl

Since the third generation of Pokemon games, all Pokemon come with an Ability. Some are hidden, and some are non-hidden. Hidden Abilities are special rare Abilities that only certain Pokemon are capable of having. Here’s how to get a Hidden Ability in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.

How to Get a Hidden Ability in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl

There are three different ways to get one for your Pokemon:

Breeding

First, sometimes a Pokemon will learn a Hidden Ability when they are bred. It is possible to breed Pokemon with Hidden Abilities if at least one parent has one. Typically, there is a higher chance of the Ability being passed on if the female Pokemon (mother) has one — around 60%.

For starter Pokemon, you will need to have used an Ability Patch to swap to a Hidden Ability before breeding and trying to pass it on.

Ability Patches

Ability Patches offer players the chance to unlock Hidden Abilities for their Pokemon in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. You can purchase an Ability Patch from the Battle Tower’s shop for 200 Battle Points, but only after you have beaten the Elite Four.

Battle Points can be earned by clearing levels of the Battle Tower. Given that you’ll earn 3BP per level and 20BP for beating a Tycoon, this can be an extremely time-consuming process.

Do note that once you have used an Ability Patch you cannot reverse the changes you have made, so make sure you consider very carefully before saving.

PokeRadar

After you have completed the Sinnoh Pokedex and defeated the Elite Four, you will be given a PokeRadar when visiting Professor Rowan. He’ll also give you the National Dex, which you’ll need before you can actually use the PokeRadar. This item allows you to search for rare Pokemon within tall grass, some of which will have Hidden Abilities.

To use it, select the item from the inventory and walk towards shaking grass, which will, in turn, trigger a battle. To find Pokemon with Hidden Abilities, specifically, walk towards the shaking grass that shed larger blades. Of course, using this method will yield relatively random Pokemon encounters, which may or may not be what you’re trying to achieve.

Also, keep in mind that a Hidden Ability won’t be lost if you evolve the Pokemon with it.

That should give you everything you need to know about how to get the hidden ability in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. For more useful tips and guides on the game, be sure to check out our guide wiki. You should also see some related content below that may prove helpful.

As always, if you have a question about a specific topic not answered anywhere on the site, do feel free to reach out in the comment section below and we’ll do our best to lend a hand.