The best way to use the Underground in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl

The Underground is an area beneath the surface of the Sinnoh region in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl that players can utilize in many ways.

In order to access the Underground, one must first obtain an Explorer Kit. This item can be found in Eterna City where it is given to the player by the Underground Man. One of the most enticing parts about the Underground is that players can interact with one another in a variety of ways.

Here's how to get the most out of time spent in the Underground in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl.

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The best way to use the Underground in Pokemon

Obtain as much treasure and as many spheres as possible

Locating spheres in the Underground has many benefits (Image via Bulbapedia)

Spheres are the currency used by players who wish to trade with vendors in the Underground. They can be exchanged for many different items, including decorations for a Secret Base as well as traps.

In order to obtain spheres, a trainer must mine for them in the Underground. Spheres can be multiple different colors and also vary from sizes 1 - 99. A player can combine spheres of the same color to create a larger one by burying them together in the same spot.

While mining, one might encounter a variety of other treasures other than spheres. Most of these are worth a player's time and effort to find, including: fossils, evolution stones, plates that increase certain types of Pokemon's power, and even rarer items! The more commonly found objects are useful too, as there is also a vendor with whom a player can trade the treasure they find in return for spheres.

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Take other players' flags back to a Secret Base

A Secret Base in Pokemon Diamond/Pearl (Image via Game Freak)

Another aspect of the Underground that players absolutely must make use of is based around a classic game known as capture the flag. By entering another player's Secret Base, taking their flag, and returning it to one's own base, a tally is added to the trainer's record.

There are five reward milestones for total flag captures in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl. The prize increments are at 1, 3, 10, and 50 total flags successfully taken. When a player achieves 50 stolen flags, they are gifted the ability to remove all boulders from their Secret base and are also given a star on their Trainer Card.