Where to find Absol & Pinsir in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl

Alec Mullins
Absol and Pinsir in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

Whether you’re after the beefy stats of the Dark-type or the sweet nostalgia of the iconic Bug, we’ve got you covered with our guide on where to find Absol and Pinsir in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl.

The Sinnoh remakes are putting players on the hunt for all their favorite Pokemon again and between version exclusives and other roadblocks, it can be hard to track down every single piece of your dream roster.

If you’re looking to pick up a strong-willed Absol or simply add another Generation One classic to your arsenal, there are a few things you’ll need to know to get started.

Where to find Absol in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl

Absol can be found on Route 213 in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
Absol is a bit of a rare find even within the Swarm system.

There are two ways to secure an Absol in the remakes and both options have their drawbacks.

The first way is to find one in a Swarm on Route 213. This could take some time, as Swarms are a once-a-day occurrence with a lot of barriers to entry:

  1. After defeating Cynthiacomplete the Sinnoh Dex by seeing all 150 Pokemon in the region.
  2. Speak to Professor Rowan in his lab in Sandgem Town to unlock the National Pokedex and PokeRadar.
  3. While in Sandgem, speak with either Dawn or Lucas, who will direct you to talk to visit their house and speak with their little sister
  4.  Speak with the girl to learn about Swarms and find out which Pokemon is in the first one.
  5. Wait until Absol appears in a Swarm and travel to the indicated route.

Alternatively, you could take a trip to the Grand Underground and go on the hunt for one in Big Bluff Cavern, Stargleam Cavern, Spacious Cave, Grassland Cave, and Dazzling Cave.

Absol will also show up in Sunlit Cavern after you obtain the National Dex.

Where to find Pinsir in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl

Pinsir in combat in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
Pinsir is easier to find than Absol, provided that you’re playing Shining Pearl, of course.

Pinsir is a Shining Pearl exclusive that also has two regular spawn locations.

You can encounter them in the tall grass of Route 229 inside the Battle Zone, or you can head into the Grand Underground and go hunting in a couple of caves.

Pinsir has a chance to spawn in all of these places:

  • Big Bluff Cavern
  • Still-Water Cavern
  • Grassland Cave
  • Riverbank Cave
  • Sunlit Cavern (National Pokedex required)

That’s everything you need to know about catching those pesky Absols and Pinsirs. If you liked this, check out our either BD&SP guides for more useful tips:

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About The Author

Alec Mullins is an FPS writer focusing on Call of Duty and Apex Legends and their respective esports scenes. He worked at TheGamer before joining Dexerto. On the weekends, you'll find him watching the CDL and jamming to The Mountain Goats. You can find Alec on Twitter @LifeAsAlec