Diamond & Pearl Encounter Methods: Radar, Honey, Swarms & More
Many Diamond and Pearl Pokémon only turn up at certain times or with a special trick. Here is how each method works and where it matters.
How each method works
- Time of day
- The DS clock decides the grass Pokémon: morning is 4:00–9:59, day 10:00–19:59 and night 20:00–3:59. Some species only show up at certain times; each location page lists morning, day and night rates.
- Poké Radar
- Rowan gives you the Poké Radar after you get the National Pokédex. Use it in tall grass to shake patches; chaining encounters of one species raises the chance of a shiny, and some routes have Radar-only Pokémon.
- Honey trees
- Spread Honey (sold in Floaroma Meadow) on one of the 21 golden trees, then come back 6 to 24 hours later. Most trees attract Combee, Burmy, Aipom, Heracross and friends; Munchlax only appears on four trees picked by your Trainer ID.
- Great Marsh
- A safari game in Pastoria City: you get 30 Safari Balls and 500 steps. Some of its Pokémon change every day; use the binoculars in the observatory to see today’s rarities.
- Dual-slot mode
- With the National Pokédex, keep a Game Boy Advance Pokémon game (Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed or LeafGreen) in the DS’s second slot to add extra species to certain routes.
- Swarms
- After the Hall of Fame and National Pokédex, Lucas’s or Dawn’s sister in Sandgem Town (or the TV) tells you about a daily swarm on one route, bringing a species you can’t catch otherwise.
- Trophy Garden
- Mr. Backlot in the Pokémon Mansion on Route 212 mentions a different Pokémon each day; it then appears in his Trophy Garden.
- Feebas
- Fish on the underground lake on Mt. Coronet’s B1F. Only four tiles hold Feebas, and they change every day.
- Fishing rods
- Old Rod from a fisherman in Jubilife City, Good Rod from a fisherman on Route 209 and Super Rod from a fisherman in the Fight Area.
Honey trees
18 locations have a honey tree: Floaroma Town, Route 205, Route 206, Route 207, Route 208, Route 209, Route 210, Route 211, Route 212, Route 213, Route 214, Route 215, Route 218, Route 221, Route 222, Valley Windworks, Eterna Forest, Fuego Ironworks.
Munchlax 
Combee 
Wurmple 
Burmy 
Cherubi 
Cascoon (Pearl) 
Silcoon (Diamond) 
Aipom 
Heracross
Poké Radar Pokémon
Swarms
Dual-slot Pokémon
Great Marsh daily Pokémon
Great Marsh: 
Carnivine 
Croagunk 
Drapion 
Exeggcute 
Golduck 
Gulpin 
Kangaskhan 
Paras 
Roselia 
Shroomish 
Skorupi 
Staravia 
Toxicroak 
Yanma
Trophy Garden daily Pokémon
Trophy Garden: 
Azurill 
Bonsly 
Castform 
Chansey 
Clefairy 
Cleffa 
Eevee 
Happiny 
Igglybuff 
Jigglypuff 
Marill 
Meowth 
Mime Jr. 
Minun 
Plusle 
Porygon
FAQ
How do you get the Poké Radar in Diamond and Pearl?
Professor Rowan gives it to you right after Professor Oak upgrades your Pokédex to the National Pokédex.
How long does honey take to work?
Come back between 6 and 24 hours after spreading it; after a day the Pokémon leaves.
Where is Feebas in Diamond and Pearl?
On the underground lake on Mt. Coronet’s B1F, on four random tiles that change every day.
Sources & picture credits
Guide text is original retrogameindex writing, checked against Bulbapedia and the game data. Wild Pokémon tables come from the Diamond/Pearl encounter data in PokeAPI; Gym and League teams from the pret/pokediamond decompilation. Maps and screenshots © Nintendo / Creatures / GAME FREAK, archived from the Bulbagarden Archives (listed on the image gallery).