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Dragon-type Pokemon are all the rage. Every new iteration of the Pokemon series has introduced us to new ones, and even the least celebrated species among them are still fairly popular. But few have ever been as popular as Garchomp. In the original Diamond & Pearl games for Nintendo DS, finding a Gible and raising it to become a Garchomp was more than just a good time — it was a rite of passage. That same rite of passage has been reborn 15 years later in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl.
Catching a Gible was never an easy task. Given that they're largely faithful remakes of the original Diamond & Pearl, you can be certain the same applies in Pokemon BDSP. Our guide's got you covered, so boot up your save file and get ready to grab that Gible today.
How to Unlock the Strength HM
If there's one annoying bit of news to break to you, it's this. You can't catch a Gible until you've obtained HM04 Strength. The only time this hasn't been the case in a Sinnoh game was in Pokemon Platinum. Since we're not in some hypothetical Pokemon Luminous Platinum remake, we've got to tough things out the old-fashioned way. So put those boots on, intrepid trainers. We're going for a hike.
The Strength HM can be found at the top of Lost Tower. The tower is located roughly midway between Hearthome City and Solaceon Town. There are no special requirements for entry, so waltz right on in. Just know that there are wild Pokemon lurking inside, as well as a handful of rival trainers, so be sure to heal up at Hearthome or Solaceon first if necessary.
Your goal is to ascend Lost Tower to its peak. Now's a great time to catch Gastly and Murkrow, by the way. You'll also bump into lots of Zubat (because of course) and the occasional Golbat.
Once you've reached the top of Lost Tower, a pair of old ladies will await you. Speak with the one on the left and she'll reward you with Strength. You can also obtain a Cleanse Tag while you're up here — just chat with the old lady on the right.
Where to Use Strength to Find a Gible
Now that Strength is yours, you can begin your search for Gible in earnest.
But first here's a warning: You won't be able to use Strength outside of battle until you've defeated Byron at the Canalave City Gym, so don't waste your time searching for Wayward Cave until then!
Travel to Route 206 near Cycling Road. Instead of going up Cycling Road, turn right before the entrance and you'll see a couple of trees you can chop down with Cut. Head onto the route behind them and go straight up to the end, where you should be able to see a cave entrance on your right.
As opposed to going in via this entrance, walk beneath the bridge on your left and continuously push up against the back wall while strafing. As you go further left, you should eventually come across an alternate, hidden entrance into Wayward Cave. From here, use Strength to immediately push the boulders obstructing your path out of the way. This is one of those times where the quality of life improvements in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl really earn their keep; instead of needing to teach a Pokemon the Strength move, you'll summon a wild Pokemon to do the dirty work on your behalf.
Past the rocks at B1F, there is a 15 percent chance per battle of encountering a wild Gible. The Gible you find here will range between levels 15-17. Alternatively, you can look for Gible in certain Hideaway biomes in the Grand Underground after adding Dragon statues to your Secret Base.
You've finally caught yourself one of Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl's most prized Pokemon, but training your newfound friend to become a Garchomp will take some doing.
How to Evolve Gible into Garchomp
We've got good news and bad news for you. Since most tend to prefer the good news first, here it is — you won't need to meet any special conditions to evolve your Gible into a Garchomp. That means no rare evolution stones, no happiness stat max, no trading with a friend and hoping they're actually your friend and will give your Pokemon back free of charge. Nothing.
On the other hand, while Gible evolves into Gabite at a reasonably early level 24, Gabite will not evolve into Garchomp until level 48. That means you're going to need to commit yourself to the long haul to reap the rewards here.
Thankfully, Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl includes an EXP Share system that will allow all Pokemon in your party to accrue experience points from battles. Bear in mind, however, the experience distribution is going to vary relative to various factors such as your Pokemon's level, the level of the defeated opponent, and whether or not a Pokemon is active during the fight. Put simply, keeping Gible or Gabite in the back constantly is going to slow things down.
Gabite isn't a bad Pokemon. That helps. This is no Magikarp situation if you take our meaning. Moves like Dragon Breath and Bulldoze will keep your enemies at bay so long as you're not taking any chances against Pokemon who are well above your Gabite's level.
With patience, Gabite will become Garchomp, and you will have one of Sinnoh's coolest Pokemon in your party. Rumor has it, the region's champion rather favors Garchomp herself. Perhaps a dragon-versus-dragon epic finale is in your future.