How to get Staraptor in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

If you’re looking for a solid Flying-type to flesh out your party in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, it’s hard to go wrong with Staraptor, as its great speed and attack stats can make it a valuable addition to your lineup. However, you won’t be able to catch one in the wild. Here’s how you can get the Predator Pokémon in your party.

The only way to acquire a Staraptor is by leveling up a Staravia until it evolves at level 34. Staravia and its previous form, Starly, can be found in abundance around the Sinnoh region. You can find Starly while wandering around the tall grass of Route 201 right outside the game’s starting location of Twinleaf Town, and you can catch Staravia pretty early on, too, while traveling on either Route 209 or 212.

To save time searching for a Staravia (and to save Pokéballs), we recommend catching a Starly shortly after exiting Twinleaf Town and keeping it in your party throughout the game. Leveling up Pokémon here is easier than ever because of the EXP share mechanic. Even if your Starly doesn’t see much action, it’ll still earn experience points, level up, and at level 14 evolve into Staravia, which, in turn, will eventually evolve into Staraptor at level 34.