Pokerus has been in the game since the second generation and is still present in Brilliant Diamond and Brilliant Pearl. A question you may have is what is Pokerus and how does my Pokemon catch Pokerus? As the name suggests, Pokerus is a virus that Pokémon can catch. However, this is something you might want to see on your newly captured Absol or Nincada. Indeed, the virus can help train Pokémon in Sparkling Diamond and Sparkling Pearl. Let's see what Pokerus is and how to get it.
How to Catch Pokerus
Pokerus can randomly appear on a Pokemon in your party while you're battling wild Pokemon. However, the chances of catching it this way are low, so it's best to have a Pokemon with the virus in your party. Once you have a Pokémon with Pokerus in your party, having it battle alongside other Pokémon will allow the virus to spread to them. Finding the virus at random is difficult, however, so the easiest method to get a Pokémon with the virus is to trade it for it.
While the Pokémon will recover from the virus in about four days, you can place them in your box to pause the timer. The virus won't spread to other Pokémon in the box, so you can't easily mass produce Pokémon with Pokerus. The only way to broadcast Pokerus to your other Pokemon is to have the Pokemon with Pokerus in your party and use it in battle with other Pokemon. Then, with Pokerus on your Pokemon, you can start training them easily.
What does Pokerus do?
It has been hinted throughout this guide that Pokerus helps with EV training. This doubles the number of stat EVs you gain, allowing you to halve the time it takes to fully train a Pokemon. Even after your Pokémon recovers from Pokerus, the double EV bonus still works. This means you don't have to rush when it comes to leveling up a Pokemon with Pokerus and instead can focus on spreading it to other Pokemon in your party.
It is important to understand how Pokerus works. Since someone who is uninformed may get scared when they see it on their Pokemon and worry that it's something bad. Although called a virus, Pokerus is beneficial to your Pokemon and highly sought after. If you have any other Pokémon-related questions, be sure to check out our other guides for answers.
Shiny Diamond Pokémon and Pokémon Shining Pearl are only available on Nintendo Switch.
– This article was last updated on November 30, 2022
