Some Pokémon are never found in the grass: they are given to you, traded to you, or appear only once. They are often the most precious of the adventure. Here is the complete list for Diamond, Pearl and Platinum, with the conditions for each.
The three tables below are drawn from the data for each location in Sinnoh. Fossils and event Pokémon, which follow their own rules, are covered at the end of the page.
General advice: a gift Pokémon or a unique encounter does not come back. Save before receiving an Egg (for the Pokémon’s Nature) and before each unique encounter (so you can be sure to catch it).
🎁Gift Pokémon
| Pokémon | Location | How | Versions |
|---|---|---|---|
 Turtwig | Lake Verity | Gift (starter Pokémon) · No. 5 | Diamond, Pearl |
 Chimchar | Lake Verity | Gift (starter Pokémon) · No. 5 | Diamond, Pearl |
 Piplup | Lake Verity | Gift (starter Pokémon) · No. 5 | Diamond, Pearl |
 Turtwig | Route 201 | Gift (starter Pokémon) · No. 5 | Platinum |
 Chimchar | Route 201 | Gift (starter Pokémon) · No. 5 | Platinum |
 Piplup | Route 201 | Gift (starter Pokémon) · No. 5 | Platinum |
 Eevee | Hearthome City | Gift · No. 5 | Diamond, Pearl |
 Eevee | Hearthome City | Gift · No. 20 | Platinum |
 Happiny | Hearthome City | Gift · No. 1 | Diamond, Pearl |
 Togepi | Eterna City | Gift (Egg) · No. 1 | Platinum |
 Porygon | Veilstone City | Gift · No. 25 | Platinum |
 Riolu | Iron Island (inside) | Gift | All |
- Eevee: Bebe, the PC Box administrator, lives next to the Hearthome City Pokémon Center. In Platinum, she gives it to you on your first visit, at Level 20. In Diamond and Pearl, you need the National Pokédex, and it arrives at Level 5. Its seven evolutions are detailed in All Evolutions.
- Riolu: Riley entrusts you with an Egg on Iron Island, after your joint battle against Team Galactic. Riolu becomes Lucario when it levels up during the day with high friendship.
- Togepi (Platinum): Cynthia entrusts you with an Egg in Eterna City. Togepi becomes Togetic with high friendship, then Togekiss with a Shiny Stone.
- Porygon (Platinum): given in Veilstone City, at Level 25.
- Happiny (Diamond and Pearl): an Egg given in Hearthome City.
🤝Trades with characters
| Pokémon | Location | How | Versions |
|---|---|---|---|
 Abra | Oreburgh City | Trade for Machop | All |
 Magikarp | Sea Route 226 | Trade for a Finneon | All |
 Haunter | Snowpoint City | Trade for Medicham | All |
 Chatot | Eterna City | Trade for Buizel | All |
⭐Unique encounters
| Pokémon | Location | How | Versions |
|---|---|---|---|
 Dialga | Spear Pillar | Encounter · No. 47 | Diamond |
 Dialga | Spear Pillar | Encounter · No. 70 | Platinum |
 Palkia | Spear Pillar | Encounter · No. 47 | Pearl |
 Palkia | Spear Pillar | Encounter · No. 70 | Platinum |
 Giratina | Turnback Cave (Giratina's chamber) | Encounter · No. 47 | Platinum |
 Giratina | Turnback Cave (Giratina's chamber) | Encounter · No. 70 | Diamond, Pearl |
 Azelf | Lake Valor | Encounter · No. 50 | All |
 Uxie | Lake Acuity | Encounter · No. 50 | All |
 Mesprit | Lake Verity | Encounter · No. 50 | All |
 Drifloon | Valley Windworks | Encounter (on Fridays) · No. 22 | Diamond, Pearl |
 Drifloon | Valley Windworks | Encounter (on Fridays) · No. 15 | Platinum |
| Giratina | Distortion World | Encounter · No. 47 | Platinum |
 Heatran | Stark Mountain (inside) | Encounter · No. 70 | Diamond, Pearl |
 Heatran | Stark Mountain (inside) | Encounter · No. 50 | Platinum |
 Feebas | Mt. Coronet (underground lake) | Special (fishing on 4 random tiles) · No. 10-20 | All |
 Shaymin | Flower Paradise | Encounter · No. 30 | All |
 Spiritomb | Route 209 | Encounter (Odd Keystone required) · No. 25 | All |
 Regice | Iceberg Ruins | Encounter (event Regigigas required) · No. 30 | Platinum |
 Regirock | Rock Peak Ruins | Encounter (event Regigigas required) · No. 30 | Platinum |
 Registeel | Iron Ruins | Encounter (event Regigigas required) · No. 30 | Platinum |
 Arceus | Hall of Origin | Encounter (Azure Flute required) · No. 80 | All |
 Regigigas | Snowpoint Temple (fourth and fifth basements) | Encounter · No. 70 | Diamond, Pearl |
 Regigigas | Snowpoint Temple (fourth and fifth basements) | Encounter · No. 1 | Platinum |
 Rotom | Old Chateau | Special · No. 15 | Diamond, Pearl |
 Rotom | Old Chateau | Special · No. 20 | Platinum |
 Darkrai | Newmoon Island | Encounter · No. 40 | Diamond, Pearl |
 Darkrai | Newmoon Island | Encounter · No. 50 | Platinum |
The legendaries in this table are detailed in our guide Legendary and Mythical Pokémon. Two cases deserve a word:
- Drifloon floats in front of the Valley Windworks every Friday, once Team Galactic has been driven out. It comes back every Friday, even if you catch it.
- Feebas bites only on four water tiles of Mt. Coronet’s underground lake, chosen at random and changing every day. Fish tile by tile: it takes a while, but Milotic is worth it.
🦴Fossils
Fossils are dug up in the Underground and revived at the Oreburgh Mining Museum.
| Fossil | Pokémon | When to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Skull Fossil |  Cranidos | Diamond; in Platinum, depending on your Trainer ID (even or odd) |
| Armor Fossil |  Shieldon | Pearl; in Platinum, depending on your Trainer ID |
| Helix Fossil, Dome Fossil, Old Amber, Root Fossil, Claw Fossil |  Omanyte  Kabuto  Aerodactyl  Lileep  Anorith | After the National Pokédex |
All the digging techniques are in our Premium guide The Underground: Fortune and Fossils.
