The release of Pokémon: Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl introduced one of the best Pokémon-walking features in the franchise to date, allowing trainers to walk with any of their party Pokémon at any time on their adventure. With the remakes’ updated graphics and 3D models, this feature adds a lot of charm to the game and makes the player’s party feel a lot more like companions as they explore the Sinnoh region together. Even the Legendaries Dialga and Palkia can join the trainer on a stroll, though they have a tendency to levitate rather than walk.
Walking with Pokémon was a feature first introduced in Pokémon: Yellow, in which the Pikachu that Professor Oak gave to the player would refuse to stay in a Pokéball and would instead follow them around. Diamond & Pearl expanded on this by introducing Amity Square, a park that allowed players to take their cute Pokémon for a stroll. However, Pokémon could only be walked in the park, and the list of Pokémon that Amity Square considered “cute” was pretty short, only including 11 out of the 493 in the National Pokédex.
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl’s update gives players the freedom to take their favorite companions wherever they go. To unlock this function, players will need to make it to Amity Square and take a walk with one of their cute Pokémon. Amity Square is located at the northernmost end of Hearthome City and can be entered through either the Amity Square West Gate or Amity Square East Gate.
How To Get Into Amity Square In BDSP
Players will need a cute Pokémon in their party to enter Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl’s Amity Square. Luckily, the list of Pokémon that Amity Square will allow has been expanded since Diamond & Pearl to include all of the starters and their evolutionary lines. Players can also bring a Pachirisu, Psyduck, Drifloon, Clefairy, Happiny, Buneary, or Pikachu to get in, and if they bring multiple cute Pokémon, all of them will be able to go for a walk together. If they have the National Pokédex, Torchic, Shroomish, Skitty, and Jigglypuff will be allowed to join them as well.
As soon as the player leaves Amity Square, the receptionist will speak with them and unlock the ability to walk with Pokémon outside of the park. This will allow players to take any of the Pokémon in their party out of their Poké Balls and walk with them anywhere outdoors, though only one can be out at a time. By opening the main menu with the X button and viewing their Pokémon, players will be able to select a walking companion with the “Walk Together” option.
While walking together, trainers can speak with their Pokémon to check how they’re feeling, and Pokémon will occasionally find items and berries when the player speaks to them. Pokémon will automatically go back into their Poké Balls when the trainer enters a building or surfs, but the Pokémon will keep up with them if they’re riding a bike. If a Pokémon gets too far behind or finds itself stuck, it will briefly return to its ball and reappear closer to the player.
Pokémon: Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl are available on Nintendo Switch.