Picking an item forPokemonto hold in battle is a process that must be given careful consideration. Even if only going through the single-player campaign, the right effect going off at the right moment can swing the momentum of a battle in the player’s favor. Some berries are so good thatthey have been banned from competitive battles.
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One type of item that can be consistently relied upon for results is the game’s various berries, which litter Sinnoh’s landscape inPokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. These items have a whole range of different effects and are relatively simple to get hold of. This makes them perfect for keeping Pokemon in the fight, to the point where they are used all over the competitive scene.
Updated February 28, 2022by Ryan Woodrow: Berries are one of the best options when it comes toheld items in Pokemon. If players prepare well, then a well-timed berry can turn a battle around. They can restore HP, PP, heal status conditions, soften opposing attacks or even strengthen outgoing attacks. Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearls have these items scattered all over the world, but somerare berrieswill require players to go to great lengths. The good news is that, once players have one of these berries, they can plant them at any of the berry spots in the world to grow their supply infinitely.
14Oran Berry
Such a basic berry doesn’t seem like it could be considered one of the best, and while it’s not going to be used in any competitive battles, the Oran Berry can be the best item to give to Pokemon in the early-game portion of the single-player campaign.
Being able to heal 10HP without wasting a turn is a huge benefit, and against tough early battles likeRoark, the first Gym Leader, it can be a difference-maker. These berries can be found all over the region, including Routes 205, 207, 208, Floaroma Town and Eterna Forest.
13Cherri Berry
Status conditions are horrible things to deal with, especially in the early phases of a single-player campaign. Paralysis is one of the worst due to its persistence. It halves a Pokemon’s Speed, and has a chance to completely immobilize them. What’s more, it doesn’t fade over time like Sleep.
That’s why giving Pokemon a Cherri Berry to hold is a great idea, as then they can eat it to instantly clear themselves of the Paralysis effect. It’s brilliant in a battle like Volkner, where the condition is bound to be rife. They can be found on Routes 207, 208, 214, Floaroma Town, and Eterna Forest.
12Pecha Berry
Whilst Paralysis is an annoying status condition, Poison can be lethal. Thankfully, Poison doesn’t give any stat-drops, but it chips away at the Pokemon’s health every single turn. There is even a variant called “badly poisoned” where the amount of health lost increases every turn. This effect even persists in the overworld, as poisoned Pokemon will continue to lose health with every step the trainer takes.
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The Pecha Berry is what clears this, and players will be thankful that Poison is something they no longer have to deal with. Areas rife with bug-types and grass-types like Eterna Forest will especially need poison cures. This is one of the easiest to find berries, available on Routes 205, 208, 211, 212, 215, 221, and Floaroma Town.
11Enigma Berry
One of the strangest berries, and hardest to obtain, Enigma Berries have a ridiculous effect that players will absolutely love. While there are berries that soften the blow of an incoming supereffective attack, the Enigma Berry completely negates it.
Except, that’s not all, because the Pokemon who has eaten the berry will use the attack to restore their HP. It only works once, but it’s a great way to turn the opponent’s strength around. One will be given inRamanas Parkafter the player catches Kyogre, and there is a very small chance that an Enigma Berry will be given by a follower Pokemon.
10Sitrus Berry
Perhaps one of the most well-known berries aside from Oran, the Sitrus Berry is the kind of item that is always useful, regardless of the scenario. When a Pokemon falls below half HP while holding the berry, they will eat it and immediately restore 25% of their maximum HP. This will keep potentialglass-cannon sweepers like Dragonitein the fight as long as possible.
Restoring health in the middle of a battle isn’t such a big deal in singleplayer, but when playing competitively, there are precious few opportunities to do it, making the Sitrus Berry a popular choice. These can be found on Routes210,214, and224, as well as the Feugo Ironworks.
9Lansat Berry
Moving to a berry that is much harder to get a hold of, the Lansat Berry has an interesting effect. When a Pokemon falls below 25% HP, its Critical Hit rate is sharply boosted. Using this berry, Pokemon are sure to go down swinging and have a better chance of getting a massive hit in before fainting.
There is only one way to get a Lansat Berry, but it is somewhat random. For this, players will need to take one of the limited pool of Pokemon allowed in Amity Square, such asStarter Pokemon, and have them follow with one of the following natures:
When talking to them in the square, there is a chance they will give the player a berry. There is a4%chance that this will be a Lansat Berry.
8Occa Berry
While healing and greater damage are beneficial effects to seek out in battle, what’s most important to keep a Pokemon in the fight is minimizing the damage they take. Managing a Pokemon’s weaknesses is key to victory, which is where the Occa Berry and those like it come in.
These berries all reduce the damage of an incoming Super-Effective attack, each with a different type. In the Occa Berry’s case, itresists Fire-Type attacks. Going to Pastoria City, the woman in the bottom left house will give the player a random berry of this type every day. However, it can also be obtained in Amity Square at a10%chance when talking to a Pokemon of the following natures:
7Leppa Berry
While players ideally want to be throwing out theirPokemon’s most powerful moves every time, some factors make that impractical. Recoil damage is one, which the Sitrus Berry can help with, but the other is PP. This feature limits the number of times a move can be used in battle, and naturally, the biggest attacks have few PP.
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The Leppa Berry fixes this, though, as a Pokemon will eat it when a move runs of PP, restoring it by10. An easy one for players to get their hands on, Leppa Berries are found throughout the world on Routes209and221, as well as theResort Area.
6Tamato Berry
What the majority of competitivePokemonplayers care the most about is making their Pokemon as good as it can be. This means maxing out all their stats and avoiding lowering them at all costs. Solo players don’t have to worry quite as much about this, though, and sometimes the emotional connection to the Pokemon is far more important.
The Tamato Berry is part of a set of berries geared towards bonding, as feeding them to a Pokemon increases their friendship level but lowers one of their stats. In the Tamato Berry’s case, it’sSpeed. This berry can be found on Routes212,225, and228but can also be picked up by a Pokemon inAmity Square at a 10%chance with the following natures:
5Micle Berry
One of themost annoying yet effective strategiesin battle is to relentlessly lower an opponent’s accuracy to the point where all their moves have a pitiful 33% chance of hitting. This can be astoundingly frustrating and needs a solution.
The Micle Berry is that solution, as it raises a Pokemon’saccuracywhen they gobelow 25% HP. This could also be used to give a much-needed accuracy boost to powerful moves like Thunder or Hydro Cannon. This berry is anotherAmity Square exclusive, findable at a rate of just4%when walking with a Pokemon of the following natures:
