Much like the originalPokemonDiamondandPokemonPearl, Dialga and Palkia serve as the legendary mascot forPokemon Brilliant DiamondandPokemon Shining Pearlrespectively. Although trainers can simply catch them and carry on with the story, players who intend to use these legendaries for competitively battling need to verify they have good Natures.
Returning fans of the series know that a Pokemon’s Nature determines its growth in stats. InBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearl, the stat that grows slower iscolored blue, while the stat that grows faster iscolored red. Unlike starter Pokemon, it can be challenging and tedious to get the right Nature for legendary Pokemon. However, trying to do so with Dialga and Palkia may be worth the trouble.
Updated on June 29, 2025 by Renri Seong: Some trainers don’t care much for the Natures mechanic in thePokemonmainline games. There are those that are satisfied with getting their favorite Pokemon and prefer to avoid online battles.Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandPokemon Shining Pearlallows players to catch Dialga or Palkia depending, but their stat growths will be influenced by their Nature. If players want to make the most out of this Legendary Duo’s stats, they’ll want to make sure they have the right Nature. The following guide has been updated to include ways to “reset” Dialga and Palkia’s Nature after catching them.
RELATED:Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl: Best Nature for Chimchar, Piplup, and Turtwig
Best Nature for Dialga
The mascot ofPokemon Brilliant Diamond, Dialga is a legendary Steel/Dragon-type Pokemon. Its signature move is the powerful Roar of Time, a Dragon-type Special move thatrequires recharging after use. Dialga’s base stats are the following:
100
120
150
Speed
90
Compared to its space-counterpart, Palkia, Dialga has solid stats across all fields except Speed. This makes it an ideal wall/tank, but its high Special Attack make it a good battler too.
It’s best for Dialga to have a Nature that willgive priority to its Special Attack. Since most of Dialga’s moves are Special Attacks (meaning they don’t inflict Physical Damage), its Attack stat doesn’t need to grow faster. Coupled with its low speed, the best natures for Dialga areModest (+Sp. Attk, -Attk)orQuiet (+Sp. Attk, -Spd).
Avoid Natures that lower Dialga’s Special Attack.Some examples includeAdamant (+Attk, -Sp. Attk)andJolly (+Spd, - Sp. Attk).
Remember: Unlike the starter Pokemon that players can soft reset before selecting andbattling a level 2 Starly, Dialga needs to be recaptured if it doesn’t have its ideal nature. To “reset” Dialga’s Nature,save before battling itand capture it again.
Best Nature for Palkia
Palkia is the mascot forPokemon Shining Pearland it is a Water/Dragon-type. It can be frustrating to face in battle becauseits only weaknesses are the Fairy-typeand Dragon-type. As a Pokemon, Palkia’s stats are nearly identical to Dialga.
Unlike Dialga, Palkia is quicker, but has less HP and Defense. Like Dialga, its best method of attacking is through Special moves. This means Palkia will do better with a Nature that increases the growth of its Special Attack. With a base Defense of 100, it’s best for Palkia to have a Defense bane.
Thebest Naturesfor Palkia areMild (+Sp. Attk, -Def)andHasty (+Sp. -Def).Palkia can take a Speed boonbecause its Speed is a base 100. This will help it outspeed quicker Pokemon. However, between the two, aMild Naturewill give it more firepower.
Avoid Natures that lower its Special Attack and Speed. Some of the worst Natures that Palkia can have isRelaxed (-Spd, +Def)orJolly (+Spd, -Sp. Attk). Its 100 Defense isn’t going to carry Palkia in the long run, and unlike Dialga, Palkia can’t afford to suffer a bane in Speed.
If players get a Palkia with a Nature they don’t want, then battle and catch it a second time.Always save the game before battling Legendary Pokemon. If Palkia is defeated in battle, players won’t have a second chance of catching it.
Changing Dialga and Palkia’s Nature in BDSP
As mentioned, players can save before catching Dialga or Palkia at Spear Pillar. Since players can immediately check their Pokemon’s summary aftergiving (or not giving) their Pokemon a nickname, they can battle Dialga/Palkia with a full party. While this method is the quickest way to get a good Natured Legendary, it can be very time-consuming and frustrating if they refuse to stay in the Poke Ball.
The alternative is to go to the Battle Tower and purchase a Nature Mint for 50 BP. This means players will need to battle other trainers to rack up Battle Points since they can’t be obtained anywhere else. Unfortunately, Dialga and Palkia are bothbannedfrom theBattle Tower, meaning players will need to keep them stored in the PC.
Trainers in the Battle Tower are tough, so players shouldtake the time to EV trainthe party if they intend on getting the most points. Luckily, the first few battles shouldn’t be too difficult even if the player’s current team doesn’t have the best stats or Nature. In fact, if getting the Nature Mints is the only thing that matters, complete the first round of the Battle Tower and redo it until50 BPhave been collected. If players have DialgaandPalkia with the “wrong” Nature, they’ll need100 BPinstead.
Since trainers won’t be able to useDialga or Palkia at the Battle Tower, they can instead be used for battling NPCs around Sinnoh or in online battling. As Legendary Pokemon, their stats are high enough to go toe-to-toe with the Legendary Pokemon at Ramanas Park. However, any Pokemon that’s well-trained and has a good moveset will be able to help their trainers catch Legendary Pokemon without much trouble.
Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandPokemon Shining Pearlare available now on Nintendo Switch.
MORE:Pokemon: The 8 Biggest Differences Between Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
