Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl — How to get Giratina's Altered and Origin Forme

Pokémon games are often about the journey, not the destination. After becoming champion, your next step may be to catch Legendary Pokémon and complete the Pokédex. Here's how you can catch the formidable Giratina and access its Origin Forme in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.

What is Giratina?

Giratina is a legendary Pokémon that served as the flagship Pokémon for Pokémon Platinum on the Nintendo DS. Known as the "renegade" Pokémon, it was banished to the Distortion World — a world parallel to ours — for its violent tendencies. Giratina has dual Ghost and Dragon typing, making it very powerful, with high stats to boot.

How can I catch Giratina?

Just like with many strong Legendary Pokémon, players will need to put in some work if they want to catch Giratina. We highly recommend you turn off autosaving before starting this battle if you haven't already. Here's how to add this spooky monster to your battle party:

1. Defeat Cynthia and unlock the National Pokédex.
2. Head to Spring Path, which lies east of Route 214 and will only be accessible once the National Dex is unlocked.
3. Eventually, players will arrive at a scalable wall, where they will have to use Rock Climb to scale up and down the wall. A cave entrance is on the other side.
4. Enter Turnback Cave. A mist will appear, so players will want to use Defog to see properly. Don't worry if none of your Pokémon know these moves, as they're all available automatically on your Pokétch. You can access your Pokétch by pressing R on your controller.
5. Search for and find three pillars within different rooms of the cave, but do not exceed 30 different rooms in your search. If you've searched more than 30 rooms, exit the cave and re-enter.
6. Upon finding the third pillar within the 30 room limit, Giratina will be in the next room players enter. You'll want to save before leaving the room with the third pillar, to avoid doing the puzzle again if you fail to capture it. Like with most Pokémon, you'll need to weaken it in battle before catching it.

How to get Giratina's Origin Forme

In Pokémon Platinum, Giratina could change between two forms: Altered Forme and Origin Forme. The Altered Forme is what we mostly see Giratina assuming, with six legs and two wings. The Origin Forme has Giratina levitate off the floor, with no legs and claw-like appendages on its back. The Origin Forme is what Giratina assumes in the Distortion World.

While players in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl won't get to access the Distortion World from Pokémon Platinum, they can access the Distortion Room in Ramanas Park, where Origin Forme Giratina resides.

1. Capture Giratina in its Altered Forme using the guide above.
2. Head to Ramanas Park after unlocking it. You'll need to obtain the National Dex and speak with Professor Rowan in Sandgem Town.
3. Collect Mysterious Shards in the Grand Underground and trade them for Slates which can be used to catch other legendary Pokémon in Ramanas Park.
4. Capture Regirock, Regice, and Registeel by getting the Discovery Slate. Slates can be obtained by trading Mystery Shards for slates in the entrance of Ramanas Park.
5. Unlock the Distortion Slate and place it in the corresponding pedestal. This unlocks the Distortion Room.
6. Fight and defeat Origin Forme Giratina. You won't be able to catch this level 100 Giratina, but you do need to defeat it. Once it's defeated, it will drop the Griseous Orb for you to pick up.
7. Give your Altered Forme Giratina the Griseous Orb, which allows it to transform into its Origin Forme. It will revert to its Altered Forme if you decide to remove the Griseous Orb as its held item.

Another villain Origin (Forme) story

Giratina is one of the most powerful legendaries in the entire Pokémon universe, so it's no wonder that Arceus had to seal it away. Nevertheless, once it's yours you can wreak as much havoc you want. Now that you've caught this mighty beast, you're one step closer to completing your Pokédex and catching 'em all!