Just like past Pokémon adventure titles, Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl are chock-full of hidden items like rare candies and Great Balls for trainers to find along the journey throughout Sinnoh—and especially in the Grand Underground. Not to fret, though, as BDSP also gives you a handy tool called the Dowsing Machine to help you find these hidden items. Here's a guide on where to get and how to use the Dowsing Machine, or Item Finder, in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl: Dowsing Machine guide
How to get the Dowsing Machine in BDSP
You can get the Dowsing Machine or Item Finder quite early on in the game, right after you've beaten the second gym which is in Eterna City.
- Defeat Gardenia, the Gym Leader of Eterna City Gym (she uses Grass-types!). Obtain the Forest Badge as well as the Underground Kit.
- Access the Bicycle Road and go through Mt. Coronet.
- Keep heading south on Route 207 until you run into Professor Rowan's assistant—either Lucas or Dawn, depending on which character you picked for yourself.
- Lucas/Dawn will ask you to choose between the left or the right hand. Your choice will not matter; you will get both the Dowsing Machine and the Vs Seeker.
- You can now use the Dowsing Machine by activating it through your Poketch.
How to use the Dowsing Machine in BDSP
So now you've obtained your Dowsing Machine, but how exactly does this Item Finder tool work?
Access the Dowsing Machine by pressing the R button and navigating through the Poketch app until you get to the Item Finder. It looks like a four quadrant map or radar on the screen.
Tap on the screen or press A to reveal if there are any hidden items nearby. These will show up as a blinking dot on the field and the exact location is based on the number of steps you need to take to get to it. Your character is always at the center of the field or the “origin” point of the quadrant, and each line is one step in a certain direction. So if the item or dot is four lines to the right and two lines up on the Dowsing Machine screen, its actual location in the overworld is four steps to the east and two steps north.
Do note however that you cannot get the item if you stand right on top of it. It's similar to how you would get the item if it was not hidden (the Pokéballs on the ground), you have to stand right next to it and press A to get it. Using the example above again, you can move three steps east and two steps north so that you face eastward and obtain the item. You can also do four steps east and one step north, or you can overshoot it and go four steps east and three steps north, then turn around so you can get the item.
The Dowsing Machine is a relatively easy tool to use and it could bring great benefit with all the hidden items scattered around Sinnoh. Whenever you enter a new area, it's always a good idea to activate the Item Finder's radar and do a sweep so you can obtain some rare and useful items.
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