Players can get Pokémon with Hidden Abilities in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, a feature that wasn't originally included in the original games.

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl are near-faithful remakes of the original Diamond and Pearl, with a few quality of life upgrades like the capability of getting Pokémon with Hidden Abilities. Pokémon abilities were a trait initially added in the third generation of games alongside the release of Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire. Abilities are inherent traits of Pokémon that mostly impact battle, although some abilities work outside of battles as well. Abilities made a return in the original Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl. Still, it wasn't until the release of Pokémon Black and Pokémon White that players were able to get Pokémon with Hidden Abilities.

Hidden Abilities function just like other abilities of Pokémon, but they are abilities that are rarely seen on a given Pokémon. For example, the Flame Body ability in Pokémon BDSP is the common ability of Magby, Magmar, and Magmortar, but it's the Hidden Ability of Ponyta and Rapidash. Except for a few Pokémon with cocoon designs such as Vibrava and Flygon, almost every Pokémon in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl has a Hidden Ability. Thanks to the quality of life improvements included in the remakes, players can easily get a Pokémon with Hidden Abilities.

Players should be aware that not all Hidden Abilities are necessarily better abilities for those Pokémon, and in almost all cases, Hidden Abilities will affect play styles. That being said, players can easily get their Pokémon's Hidden Ability unlocked by using an Ability Patch in Pokémon BDSP. The Ability Patch is a single-use item that permanently changes the ability of a Pokémon to its Hidden Ability. Although Hidden Abilities were initially added to the series in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, the Ability Patch is one of the few items that made it into the remakes. Players can purchase an Ability Patch from the Battle Tower in exchange for 200 Battle Points.

How To Get Pokémon With Hidden Abilities In Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl

Aside from the Ability Patch, players can get Pokémon with Hidden Abilities from a few other methods. Breeding is another common method to receive a Hidden Ability, but for it to be effective, it requires players to have a Ditto and a female Pokémon of the species they wish to breed. Trainers can breed almost any Pokémon in BDSP with a Ditto and a female Pokémon; however, using the breeding method has a 60% chance of Pokémon passing down their ability to the offspring. For this reason, it's best to use an Ability Patch on the Pokémon that will be bred and not on an egg after it hatches. Oddly enough, if two Pokémon of the same species breed, there is no chance for them to have offspring with a Hidden Ability.

In the wild, players can catch Pokémon with its Hidden Ability already in place, though the chances are low. Using the Poké Radar can help players find a wild Pokémon with its Hidden Ability more quickly, as the Pokémon in the tall grass with a Hidden Ability will move the grass more rapidly. Additionally, the Legendary Pokémon caught in Ramanas Park have their Hidden Abilities active in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Lastly, while no events have been announced yet, some distributions occasionally include a Pokémon with its Hidden Ability already active.

Next: Pokémon BDSP: Where to Find Dawn Stone (& What It’s For)

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are available now on the Nintendo Switch.