Before you can even consider catching Spiritomb, you must first get an Odd Keystone and then complete a very specific requirement to unlock its encounter. So head to the PokéMarket to buy a bunch of PokéBalls and read on to learn how to get Spiritomb. On this page: The easiest way to do so is to visit Route 208 - west of Hearthome City. Here in the bottom right-hand corner near the Honey Tree and long grass, you’ll find a trainer. They are a little hard to spot though, because they’re hidden by the trees. This trainer will give you an Odd Keystone and instruct you to head to Route 209. You may also find an Odd Keystone when digging in the Grand Underground and, once you can use Surf outside of battle by earning the Hearthome City Gym Badge, you can find one hidden in the tree south of Twinleaf Town. First, you need to visit Route 209, east of Hearthome City, and the Hallowed Tower, which can be found on the eastern side of the route, south of the Lost Tower. It doesn’t, however, look like a tower - more of an ominous hole. When you interact with the Hallowed Tower you’ll be asked to place your Odd Keystone in the tower. Doing so will allow you to start truly working towards your encounter with Spiritomb. Next, you need to venture into the Grand Underground and talk to 32 of the NPC characters who you can encounter down there. It’s important to note that the vendors - who look like hikers - and any players you meet while playing online in the Grand Underground do not count towards this tally. Only the NPC characters, of which there are 35, count towards Spiritomb and you must talk to 32 unique people, which means you can’t just spam the same NPC over and over again. To help you keep track of how close you are to catching Spiritomb, the Hallowed Tower’s description will change depending on how many you’ve spoken to:
0 to 7 NPCs - It’s the Hallowed Tower. It appears to have been built many years ago. 8 to 14 NPCs - It’s the Hallowed Tower. Its stones appear to have shifted… 15 to 21 NPCs - It’s the Hallowed Tower. …Is that crying coming from inside the tower? 22 to 28 NPCs - It’s the Hallowed Tower. …Is the tower shaking ever so slightly? 29 to 31 NPCs - It’s the Hallowed Tower. There is some sort of presence… It appears ready to emerge! 32+ NPCs - Yulaaah!
Each NPC has a location in the Grand Underground where they’re more likely to appear, such as Leilani appearing in the section beneath Celestic Town, but there’s also a chance they may appear in other parts of the Grand Underground. Due to this, catching Spiritomb is far easier in the post-game for Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, because you’ll have full access to the Grand Underground. For knowledge on how to reach each separate section, visit our Grand Underground guide. If, however, you’d like to add Spiritomb to your Pokédex before this point it is possible to force these NPCs to spawn. It is, however, quite the time investment, so we only recommend doing it if you really want Spiritomb in your team. This method involves taking advantage of how the NPC for the section of tunnels you’re currently in may change every time you enter a Pokémon Hideaway or leave the Grand Underground. The best place to do this is either side of the Sunlit Cavern, which is easily accessed by entering the Grand Underground from Route 207. Once there, you’ll find two sections of tunnels - on the right and left-hand side of the Sunlit Cavern - which can be quickly travelled and both can contain an NPC. On the right-hand side, for example, you’re more likely to encounter Leticia in one of four different spots, but you may also find an NPC from anywhere else in the Grand Underground. After finding the NPC, enter and then exit the Sunlit Cavern to reset the NPC. Using this method, we encountered Donn, Eileen, Harper, Kawika, Kiera, Maika, Roy, Reggie, Rita, Samuel and Troye after an hour-long period. As mentioned above - finding these NPCs before the post-game will may take a substantial amount of time depending on your progress in the game. It’s also important to note that certain character models have been reused for the NPCs, such as Eileen and Leilani before appearing as old women, so it’s worth talking to them even if you think you’ve already met this NPC. We also recommend writing down the names of the NPCs you encounter, no matter when you attempt to find Spiritomb, you have a good idea of how close you are to accomplishing this goal. After you’ve finally talked to 32 unique NPCs, it’s time to catch Spiritomb! First, however, we recommend stocking up on PokéBalls and saving your game. If you knock Spiritomb out or have to leave the battle for any reason, then you’ll have to restart the entire process again. For this reason, we recommend using a fairy-type, which is below Level 25, to quickly lower its health. Depending on how far you are in the game, you can easily find fairy-type Pokémon in the Trophy Garden, such as Mime Jr. or Cleffa. Another good strategy is to slowly whittle down its health by using types, such as poison, which are less effective on Spiritomb. Remember, however, to avoid normal-type moves, because, thanks to Spiritomb being part ghost-type, these attacks won’t affect it. Don’t forgot to save before battling Spiritomb in case anything goes wrong, so you don’t have to repeat the finding process. Good luck catching Spiritomb in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl!
