Games
Platinum: Sinnoh with the Distortion World and a five-facility Battle Frontier
Platinum is the 2008 Nintendo DS third version of Diamond and Pearl, set in the same Sinnoh region with Giratina as its cover legendary. It changes the gym order, expands the regional Pokédex from 151 to 210 species, adds the Distortion World and replaces the single Battle Tower with a five-facility Battle Frontier. In 2026 it exists only as a used DS cartridge, and the Switch remakes Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl follow Diamond and Pearl and leave Platinum's additions out.
Platinum on Nintendo DS: structure, differences from Diamond and Pearl, postgame and how to play in 2026. Drafted 8 Nov 2026.
Platinum keeps eight gyms and moves Fantina to third
The map, the starting town and the cast match Diamond and Pearl: Twinleaf Town, Professor Rowan, the rival Barry and Team Galactic under Cyrus. The order of the middle gyms changes. Fantina's Ghost gym in Hearthome City is now the third badge, ahead of Maylene and Crasher Wake. Gym leaders, the Elite Four and Cynthia all carry rebuilt teams with more species per trainer. The climax moves from Spear Pillar into the Distortion World, a sideways cave of floating platforms where gravity points in several directions, and Giratina is fought there in its Origin Forme. The Elite Four are still Aaron, Bertha, Flint and Lucian, and Cynthia is still the Champion. The regional Pokédex grows from 151 to 210 species, which adds more Fire types early, a known weak point of the 2006 pair.
One cartridge covers most of Sinnoh and trades fill the rest
Platinum is a single version, so there is no sibling exclusive list inside its version group. The gaps are relative to Diamond and Pearl and to the trade evolutions. Kadabra, Machoke, Graveler and Haunter still evolve only through a trade, and a handful of Diamond-only and Pearl-only lines remain hard or impossible to find in Platinum. Dialga and Palkia, the Diamond and Pearl cover legendaries, can both be caught at Spear Pillar after the credits once the right orb is held. Platinum trades with Diamond, Pearl, HeartGold and SoulSilver through the Union Room in any Pokémon Center's basement, and the link is local wireless, so it still works without a server. A second Generation IV cartridge in a second DS-family system covers every trade evolution and most of the remaining gaps.
The early route leads through Roark, Gardenia and Fantina
The starters are unchanged from Diamond and Pearl. Turtwig is Grass and evolves at 18 and 32 into Torterra, Grass and Ground. Chimchar is Fire and evolves at 14 and 36 into Infernape, Fire and Fighting. Piplup is Water and evolves at 16 and 36 into Empoleon, Water and Steel. The first four milestones are the briefcase scene by Lake Verity, the Pokétch handed out in Jubilife City, Roark's Rock gym in Oreburgh City for the first badge, and Gardenia's Grass gym in Eterna City for the second. Gardenia's team gains a Roserade in Platinum, which makes a Fire or Flying answer more useful than in 2006. The third badge then comes from Fantina in Hearthome City, whose Ghost team includes Mismagius; Normal-type attackers there do no damage at all.
The Battle Frontier replaces the Battle Tower after the credits
After the Champion, the ferry from Snowpoint City reaches the Battle Zone, and the Fight Area now holds the Battle Frontier. It has five facilities. The Battle Tower is straight battles in streaks of seven. The Battle Factory lends rental Pokémon. The Battle Hall runs single battles with one Pokémon against rising opponents by type. The Battle Castle charges Castle Points for healing and items. The Battle Arcade spins a board of random effects before each battle. Wins pay Battle Points for held items and move tutors. Elsewhere, Stark Mountain holds Heatran, the National Pokédex opens Pal Park for Generation III transfers, Rotom can switch among five appliance forms in a secret room, though the Secret Key that opens it was a distributed gift that is no longer handed out, and Giratina returns to Turnback Cave if it fainted or fled during the story.
Platinum's move tutors teach under the 2006 category rule
Platinum inherits the Generation IV rule that each damaging move carries its own physical or special category, independent of its type. What Platinum adds is breadth. Its move tutors, paid in coloured shards at Route 212, Snowpoint City and the Survival Area, and in Battle Points at the Battle Frontier, teach moves such as Ice Punch, Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, Zen Headbutt and Iron Head. Under the old rule the three elemental punches were special. Under the 2006 rule they are physical, so high-Attack species such as Infernape, Garchomp or Gyarados can use them well. Before buying a tutor move, check its category on the summary screen and match it to the species' higher attacking stat. The glossary entry on the split is at /reference/glossary/#physical-special-split, and the move finder lists tutor learners for this version group.
HeartGold, SoulSilver and the remakes moved on from Platinum
HeartGold and SoulSilver followed in 2009 on the Platinum engine, reusing its Battle Frontier with the same five facilities in Johto. Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, the 2021 Switch remakes, rebuilt Diamond and Pearl instead. They keep the 2006 gym order and the 151-species regional Pokédex, and they have no Distortion World chapter in the main plot. Legends: Arceus, released in January 2022, visits Hisui, the land that later becomes Sinnoh, with an open-area structure unlike any of the three DS games. For the 2008 layout, the 2008 battle facilities and the 210-species Pokédex, Platinum itself remains the only source.
Platinum's Wi-Fi Plaza and Global Trade Station closed in 2014
Platinum had more online features than Diamond and Pearl: the Wi-Fi Plaza minigames, the Global Trade Station, Battle Videos and online Battle Frontier records. All of them ran on Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, which closed on 20 May 2014. Local wireless trading, battling and the Union Room still work between two DS-family systems. Platinum was never sold digitally and has no Nintendo Switch Online release, so a used cartridge is the only route in 2026, and counterfeit Platinum carts are common, so check the label and the shell before paying. Pal Park still runs on an original DS or DS Lite. To move Pokémon forward, use Poké Transfer in a Generation V game, then Poké Transporter, Pokémon Bank and Pokémon HOME. Pokémon Bank can no longer be downloaded and ends service on 25 February 2027.
| Species | Version |
|---|---|
| Dialga | Diamond; Platinum after the credits |
| Palkia | Pearl; Platinum after the credits |
| Giratina, Origin Forme in the Distortion World | Platinum (story) |
Dialga in Diamond and Palkia in Pearl (pokemon-jp-dp) and both catchable in Platinum after the Hall of Fame under conditions (pokemon-jp-pt) confirmed 8 Nov 2026. Giratina Origin Forme in the Distortion World is still from memory.
| Order | Leader | City | Badge | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roark | Oreburgh City | Coal Badge | Rock |
| 2 | Gardenia | Eterna City | Forest Badge | Grass |
| 3 | Fantina | Hearthome City | Relic Badge | Ghost |
| 4 | Maylene | Veilstone City | Cobble Badge | Fighting |
| 5 | Crasher Wake | Pastoria City | Fen Badge | Water |
| 6 | Byron | Canalave City | Mine Badge | Steel |
| 7 | Candice | Snowpoint City | Icicle Badge | Ice |
| 8 | Volkner | Sunyshore City | Beacon Badge | Electric |
5 checks before you act
- Check the cart label and shell before buying, then delete any old save with Up, Select and B on the title screen.
- Set Text Speed to Fast and Battle Scene to Off in the Options menu.
- Plan a Fire or Flying answer for Gardenia's Roserade before Eterna City.
- Carry a non-Normal attacker for Fantina's Ghost gym, now the third badge.
- Note which species you need by trade and line up a second Generation IV cartridge early.
Read next
Sources read for this page
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- ReadNintendo Support: Service Discontinuation: Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Serviceread 8 Nov 2026
- ReadNintendo Support: Pokémon Bank End of Serviceread 8 Nov 2026
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- Readポケットモンスターオフィシャルサイト: プラチナ, ポケモンread 8 Nov 2026
- ReadPokémon Platinum Version instruction booklet (Nintendo of America)read 8 Nov 2026
- ReadNintendo Store: Pokémon Legends: Arceusread 8 Nov 2026
- Read任天堂: ポケットモンスター プラチナread 8 Nov 2026
- ReadNintendo UK: Pokémon Platinum Versionread 8 Nov 2026