Pokémon Shining Pearl: The 10 Best Version-Exclusives

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl were released in the fall of 2021 as faithful remakes of the original Pokémon Diamond and PokémonPearl. There are enough differences between both games to make them unique, and version-exclusive Pokémon are one of the most significant.

Indeed, Pokémon Shining Pearl has a slew of exclusive and powerful Pokémon that any player would be lucky to have on their team. Some are available during the main story, while others are accessible only after entering the Hall of Fame and receiving the National Dex, but they are all stellar Pokémon that make Shining Pearl even more exciting.

Honorable Mention: Lugia

Legendary Pokémon will always be worthy of a place in any Trainer’s team simply by being Legendaries. Lugia, one of the most recognizable and strongest of the Johto Legendary Pokémon, appears as a Shining Pearl exclusive, filling the place Ho-Oh occupies in Brilliant Diamond.

Lugia, a dual Psychic/Flying-type, has a base stat total of  680. Its emphasis on Physical and Special defense makes it the ideal tank, and its movepool, which includes a balanced mix of 11 different types, makes the best use of its above-average Physical and Special attack.

Purugly

Purugly has to be one of the most underrated Normal-types in Pokémon. This perpetually annoyed house cat is as ugly as its powerful, making it an absolute star in its home region. Purugly also serves as Commander Mars’ ace Pokémon, increasing its standing in Sinnoh infamy.

In the stat department, Purugly isn’t exactly fortunate. It has a decent 452 base stat total, but almost all of its stats are below average, except for one. Indeed, with a Speed stat of 112, Purugly can outspeed almost everything, making it an unexpected threat in battle.

Mismagius

Ghost-types can be tricky to master. They are also somewhat situational, considering they are only Super Effective against themselves and Psychic-types. They are immune to Normal and Fighting moves, so that’s something; however, a pure Ghost-type can be tough to use in a playthrough.

Luckily, the Sinnoh region has one Ghost-type Gym and a Psychic Elite Four specialist, making the Ghost-type highly convenient. Mismagius, Sinnoh’s resident Ghost-type, not has an undeniably cool design but also an impressive 495 base stat total that heavily favors Special Attack and Speed. And considering most Ghost-types are Special attackers, Mismagius has all the strength in all the right places.

Magmortar

The Sinnoh region is infamous for its lack of Fire-type Pokémon. Only Rapidash and Infernape are available for most of the game, which means the Elite Four Fire-type Specialist has only two Fire-types on his team. Luckily for Shining Pearl players, Magby and Magmar are available in the game, opening the door for Magmortar, one of the coolest Fire-types in Pokémon.

Magmortar boasts an impressive 540 base stat total that favors Special Attack, making it one of the most powerful Pokémon for the post-game. The only downside is that the Magmarizer, the item necessary to evolve Magmar into Magmortar, isn’t available per se in the game. Instead, wild Magby have a 5% chance of holding one, so players will need to catch as many Magby as possible until they secure the valuable item.

Ninetales

Regarding the strongest of Fire-type Pokémon, Ninetales certainly deserves a place in the category. This iconic Gen I fox is among the most beloved Pokémon in the franchise, thanks to its majestic design and battling prowess. Indeed, Ninetales’ 505 base stat total places it atop the strongest non-Legendary Fire-types, making it an instant sensation in a region like Sinnoh.

Ninetales’ assets rest on Special Defense and Speed, so players can use it as a tank to set up their strategies. As a pure Fire-type, it has three weaknesses but double the resistances; players will need to use it wisely, but it is certainly worth the risk.

Slowking

Slowpoke might be one of the most iconic Generation I Pokémon. This pink baby hippo evolves into Slowking when traded holding a King’s Rock; like the Magmarizer, the King’s Rock is only obtainable if the player catches a wild Poliwhirl that’s carrying one. Conversely, players can also find King’s Rocks by digging in the Grand Underground.

Slowking has excellent Special Attack and Special Defense and incredible HP. However, as its name suggests, it is ridiculously slow, with a base stat of only 30. Slowking’s combo of Water and Psychic results in five weaknesses, but it’s still a valuable Pokémon to have in any player’s team.

Ludicolo

Water is the most common type in Pokémon, so it’s reasonable that it’s been paired with nearly every other type. However, Ludicolo’s mix of Water/Grass remains unique in the franchise, placing it among the most coveted Pokémon for a playthrough.

Unfortunately, Ludicolo is only available after the player enters the Hall of Fame, but this poncho-wearing pineapple can still make all the difference in the post-game. With a base stat total of 480 that places extra attention on both Special stats, Ludicolo quickly becomes one of the best dual-type Water Pokémon.

Salamence

Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon will always be a player’s best friends. They all have a 600 base stat total, placing them among the strongest non-Legendary Pokémon in the franchise, which means they’ll instantly become a Trainer’s strongest Pokémon.

Salamence, one of Hoenn’s Pseudos, is an offensive machine, boasting a 135 Physical Attack and a 100 Special. A Speed of 100 guarantees it will outspeed most opponents, delivering a potentially fatal blow. Additionally, Salamence’s Dragon-typing makes it ideal for rematches against the Elite Four and Cynthia herself.

Bastiodon

Bastiodon is one of the strongest fossil Pokémon and the vastly superior fossil in the Sinnoh region. Unlike its Brilliant Diamond counterpart, Rampardos, Bastiodon isn’t a pure Rock-type, and its secondary Steel-typing helps make up for Rock’s plethora of weaknesses.

On top of a perfect type combo, Bastiodon also has a great 495 base stat total that favors Physical and Special Defense. In short, Bastiodon is a tank that won’t go down easily, which is perfect, considering its pitiful Speed stat of just 30 guarantees it won’t outspeed anything.

Palkia

Shining Pearl‘s mascot, Palkia, might not be the strongest Legendary Pokémon in the Sinnoh region, but it’s still a massively powerful beast that any player would be lucky to have. Palkia’s dual Water/Dragon-type leaves it with only two weaknesses, plus three resistances. With a massive Special Attack stat of 150, Palkia delivers blows from which its opponents might never recover.

Palkia’s status as the god of space adds further complexity to its already mystifying reputation, resulting in a Legendary Pokémon unlike any other in the franchise.

About The Author

David Caballero
(802 Articles Published)

David is a twenty-eight-year-old Mexican writer and reader. Having studied Marketing in school, he spent three years working a nine-to-five desk job before deciding to pursue a writing career. He now works as a Senior Writer in ScreenRant and does some more freelancing job, talking about the entertainment business he so loves. Currently, he’s also writing his second novel while actively working to get his first one published.

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