Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl were revealed to use the Pokédex from Pokémon Platinum in the latest Pokémon Presents showcase. This is just one of the various new details revealed about the Pokémon Diamond and Pearl remakes in the presentation.
This Pokémon Presents featured some returning features that Sinnoh is most well known for. This includes seals, Pokémon contests, and a newly expanded underground known as the grand underground that has a variety of environments and free roaming Pokémon. It was also confirmed that players can have their Pokémon follow them around like in the previous versions of the game, and that this feature will be expanded outside of Amity Square.
Among the new features showcased in the Pokémon Presents was the quiet reveal that the game's Pokédex would include Pokémon from Pokémon Platinum. Some of the Pokémon shown, such as Houndoom, weren't available in the original Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, and were only added in Platinum, which was the enhanced version of the two games. This makes the presentation an unofficial confirmation of the fact that the new games will be using Platinum's enhanced Pokédex, rather than the one from the older iterations of the game. However, the presentation did also note that some Pokémon would only able to be encountered in the grand underground area. So it's possible that Pokémon from Pokémon Platinum will only be available in the Pokémon hideaways, but this isn't fully confirmed.
Watch the Pokémon Presents showcase on YouTube here.
This is not the first feature from Platinum to be subtly confirmed in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, as a particular NPC from the later game was spotted in a trailer for the remakes. In Pokémon Platinum, this NPC would give players the Gracidea, which is used to change Shaymin into its sky form. But whether or not the remakes will feature other content from Pokémon Platinum like the Distortion World is unknown. So far, Giratina isn't shown to play a major part in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl's story. In Pokémon Platinum, Giratina didn't come into play until the player reached Spear Pillar, so it is technically still possible for the Distortion World to make an appearance.
But if Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl will incorporate more features from Pokémon Platinum, they might not be showcased until the game's release, if at all. It's likely that Game Freak is aware of how beloved the Distortion World is in the games, and while it could be used as a way to drum up more hype for the remakes, it could also be saved as a surprise for players to experience for themselves once the remakes release. It will remain to be seen whether or not the Distortion World is included, but the fact that more content is being brought over from Pokémon Platinum shows that the improvements Pokémon Platinum made to the original Pokémon Diamond and Pearl were considered worthy of being carried over to the remakes.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl will arrive on Nintendo Switch on November 19, 2021.