Rare Candies have been a staple in the Pokemon series since the first generation with them returning for Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. These sweets automatically raise Pokemon to their next level, helping players balance their team out and give their favorites a special boost.
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Fitting with its name, Rare Candies are quite hard to find. They cannot be normally purchased in stores with players more likely to find them out on their journey. If players want to purchase them, they can be bought in the post game’s Battle Tower for 20 BP each.
Updated on March 24, 2022 by Renri Seong: As the Pokemon franchise continues to release mainline games and remakes, quality-of-life features have been added to the gameplay to make it easier for gamers. One example is the permanent Exp. Share, which many fans found to make leveling too easy. Another was the addition of different-sized Rare Candies in Sword and Shield, which could potentially elevate a Pokemon’s level by multiple levels instead of just one. Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl doesn’t have the XL Exp. Candy or L Exp. Candy, and returns to traditional roots by making Rare Candies the only level-raising item in BDSP. Like their name, Rare Candies are extremely rare, hidden all around Sinnoh. However, trainers are able to get more Rare Candies by buying them from the Battle Tower, or by having a certain Pokemon in their party. The following guide has been updated to add a new method of getting Rare Candies in Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl.
Visible Rare Candy Locations
The following Rare Candies can be visually seen in the overworld like any other item or are given by an NPC. These Rare Candies are:
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Invisible Rare Candy Locations
The following Rare Candies are invisible in the overworld and require either the Dowsing Machine app on the Poketch to find, or clicking on the exact location. These Rare Candies are:
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Getting Rare Candy in BDSP with Pickup
The addition of Abilities in the Pokemon world has been both a bane and boon for gameplay. Some Abilities can work outside of battle, while others are strictly battle-exclusive. One Ability that only works outside of battle is Pickup. A Pokemon with this Ability might pick up an item as long as it isn’t holding an item. To check and see if the Pokemon with Pickup is holding an item, go into the Party and see if there’s an item icon by its name.
Zigzagoon and its evolution, Linoone, are Normal-type Pokemon that may have the Pickup Ability. If a Zigzagoon in the party is already holding an item, then Pickup won’t work. It should also be noted that a Pokemon will only Pickup one item at a time.
Some of the Pokemon with Pickup in BDSP can’t be caught until trainers have the National Dex. The following Pokemon are the only ones with Pickup in BDSP:
To take this even further, the items that a Pokemon picks up are determined by the Pokemon’s level. Pokemon won’t start picking up Rare Candies until they reach level 11, and even then, the chance of picking up a Rare Candy is 1%. Once they’re level 51, the percentage is raised to 4%.
Once a Pokemon is level 71-80 and 91-100, it has a 5% chance of picking up a Rare Candy. Remember that there are several other items that Pokemon with Pickup have a chance of holding. Chances are a Pokemon will be picking up Hyper Potions (30%) more than Rare Candies by the time they reach level 71.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Pokemon Shining Pearl are available on Nintendo Switch.
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