Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (BDSP) are two of our favorite Nintendo Switch games right now. They're full of Pokémon to capture, including several legendary creatures. Among those is Heatran, a powerful Fire/Steel Pokémon that you can capture in the postgame of Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. You can't catch Heatran until relatively late in the game, and it will take a bit of time and a powerful team to get a hold of it.
Note: This guide contains spoilers for the ending of Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.
1. Unlock the Battle Zone
Heatran resides in the depths of Stark Mountain in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. To get there, you first need to get to the Battle Zone. You're required to beat the Elite Four and to become the champion of Sinnoh before you can enter this new area. You also need to unlock the National Pokédex to get to Stark Mountain.
Once you're in the postgame, navigate to Snowpoint City and speak to the sailer by the dock. He will take you to the Battle Zone.
2. Get to Stark Mountain
There are some story elements that you'll need to play through. Once you're able, navigate north to Route 225. Then travel east to get to the Survival Area. Continue to head east onto Route 227. Note that you'll have to use Rock Climb and Surf to get to Stark Mountain.
Using the bicycle in this part of Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl is awkward. Note that you don't need a head start to jump over ramps. It looks funny, but you can get on your bike just before each ramp to get over obstacles if that makes it easier to navigate through them. As you travel east, you will run into a character named Buck that will take you to Stark Mountain.
3. Get the Magma Stone
This is the crux of getting Heatran and is the longest part of the process. Make your way through the first area of Stark Mountain to get to a larger second cave. You will then join up with Buck, who will make some snark comments.
Buck will keep your team healthy between battles, so this is a nice time to earn EXP, but if you want to get through the puzzle as quickly as possible, here are the core steps.
- Enter the second cave.
- Turn right.
- Go straight up.
- Go down the second staircase on the left.
- Go up and left. Then use Rock Smash to get rid of the rock in your path.
- Climb the staircase and face two trainers.
- Go left.
- Go up and around and descend a staircase.
- Use Strength repeatedly on a boulder and go right.
- Ascend the stairs on your left and enter the cave.
Buck will make some quippy remarks and will leave you on your own. From here you'll just need to exit the caves. You can use Rock Climb on the climbable areas you passed previously to get to the exit quickly.
4. Return to the Survival Area
You now need to go back to the Survival Area to speak with Buck and his grandfather. They're both found in the house to the west of the Pokémon Center. This will trigger Heatran returning to Stark Mountain.
5. Go back to Stark Mountain
We're almost there. Go back to Stark Mountain and navigate to the same room as earlier. You can repeat the steps outlined above as nothing has changed inside Stark Mountain.
6. Catch Heatran
It's now time to actually catch Heatran. It's level 70, so you'll need to have a powerful team. Try paralyzing it or putting it to sleep (which has a higher catch multiplier than paralysis). Widdle down its health with False Swipe and start throwing your Poké Ball of choice. Quick Balls have a higher chance of catching it on the first throw and Dusk Balls will work well since Heatran is in a cave, but if you're patient, you can use any ball you'd like.
It's getting hot in here
It takes a few steps to actually get the chance to face Heatran, but once your know what to do, it's not so difficult. Unless you get him in trade via Pokémon HOME, you cannot add Heatran to your Pokédex until after you've defeated the Elite Four.
Heatran is a great Fire/Steel type that will be plenty powerful at level 70 when you encounter it. Make sure to have a good team on you to whittle down its health and then have plenty of the best Poké Balls at your disposal as he's prone to breaking out a few times.
