In Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, players may want to acquire Mysterious Shards, an item that can be exchanged for Slates. Slates are required to obtain a chance to encounter Legendary Pokémon not native to the Sinnoh region. Mysterious Shards can be found in small and large sizes and are pink with a yellow sparkle in their center.
In the postgame content, once a player has become Champion to complete the main storyline and acquired the National Pokédex, players will gain access to Ramanas Park. Found along Routes 220 and 221 south of Sandgem Town, Ramanas Park is home to Legendary Pokémon in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. Each Legendary Pokémon is in a themed cave with a device outside that requires a Slate to activate.
Players can exchange one large Mysterious Shard for one Slate or three small Mysterious Shards for one Slate. There are a total of 9 Slates available in each Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl for a total of 14 Legendary Pokémon. To trade Mysterious Shards for Slates, players can interact with the NPC at the counter to the left of the Ramanas Park entrance. Players should note they will not be able to choose which Slate they receive as they are rewarded in a pre-determined order.
Where to Find Mysterious Shards in Pokémon BDSP
Players can find Mysterious Shards in the Grand Underground. To access this location, players will need to use the Explorer Kit in the Grand Underground. Within the Grand Underground, players can mine along the walls marked with a golden glowing spot, which will also be indicated on the minimap in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. To mine, players should press the R button to trigger a sonar pulse, highlighting dig spots. Standing near one of these spots, players can press A to begin an excavation mini-game, which has a variety of rewards, including fossils, gems, and healing items.
The mining mini-game in Pokémon BDSP is played with either a pickaxe or sledgehammer. While the sledgehammer does clear more debris faster, it also increases the likelihood of the wall collapsing. The Pickaxe allows for more precise hits. There is a meter for players to gauge how much longer they can dig before causing a cave-in. As players begin to mine, they will be advised how many items are inside the wall. They will know immediately if a Mysterious Shard is in the wall by its distinct pink and sparkling appearance.
Mysterious Shards are a relatively rare item, especially the large size, so players may need to grind for a while to obtain all the shards necessary to encounter all the Legendary Pokémon available in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl’s Ramanas Park. Players will also encounter a variety of rare Pokémon in the Grand Underground.
Of note, four of the Legendary Pokémon available in Ramanas Park are version exclusive to Pokémon BDSP. In Pokémon Brilliant Diamond, players can acquire the Johto and Rainbow Slates, which are used to obtain the three Legendary Beasts (Raikou, Suicune, and Entei and Ho-Oh). In Pokémon Shining Pearl, players can obtain the Kanto and Squall Slates, which are used to get the three Legendary Birds (Moltres, Articuno, and Zapdos) in addition to Lugia.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl are now available on the Nintendo Switch.