Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Hidden Moves: How to get & use Fly, Rock Climb, Surf, Strength, and more

A classic part of the Pokemon pantheon are HMs, or Hidden Moves. These special abilities aren't just skills for Pokemon to use in battle, but are also key to progression in the game. Usable outside of battle, HMs such as Cut, Fly, and Rock Smash open up new areas of Sinnoh and in turn allow you to progress deeper into the region and storyline of the Pokemon title in question.

In Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, HMs return once again - but with one major difference. This time, you don't need to teach a Pokemon the move in question in order to use it in the overworld. This frees up Pokemon move lists to be populated with stuff you'll actually use, rather than having a 'HM Slave' creature overloaded with not-so-hot combat moves that are really just used to get around the world map. 

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Pokemon Diamond & Pearl HM Hidden Moves for the Poketch

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl features eight moves that were once HMs - but now they're regular TM moves that can also be used outside of battle once you fulfil certain conditions:

In order to use each special Hidden Move, you'll need to both acquire the associated TM and also complete a specific Gym; each of the game's Gyms unlocks use of one of these skills on the outside of battle, which helps to gate your progression directly to your Gym progress. You can view out Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Gym leader guide for more on beating each of the gyms.

Once unlocked, usage of HMs is managed via the Poketch gadget; all you have to do is execute the move in the right place to successfully use it. 

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Rock Smash - breaking boulders

Rock Smash does exactly what the name suggests - it allows you to blast rocks to pieces to open up some new paths. Pokemon Diamond & Pearl's Sinnoh is a fairly rocky region, so it's very useful for your progression.

  • How to get Rock Smash: Rock Smash is mercifully unmissable; it'll be given to you by a friendly, chatty Hiker Trainer as you make your way towards Oreburgh City. You won't be able to use it right away, however.
  • How to use Rock Smash: You can unlock Rock Smash for use on the overworld by simply progressing the story. You'll first need to make your way to Oreburgh City proper and beat the Gym Leader, Roark. After that, you can use Rock Smash via the Poketch.

Cut - slicing plants

A Pokemon staple, this slices away obstacles like certain trees in order to open up new pathways.

  • How to get Cut: Cynthia will hand over TM93 Cut as part of the story, in Eterna City, at the Galactic Building. 
  • How to use Cut: Once you have the TM, you first need to defeat Eterna City Gym in order to use Cut on the overworld.
  • Places to use Cut: Route 206, 210, 212, 215, 222, 224, 225, 229, Eterna City, Eterna Forest, Great Marsh
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Fly - fast travel

Fly is Pokemon's equivalent of Fast Travel, and in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl you can use it to travel to any of the game's Towns and Cities, plus a few other key locations - but you must have visited them naturally first.

  • How to get Fly: You'll find this TM when you tackle the Galactic Warehouse, a sort of mini-dungeon. This is a missable item, though you can go back and get it any time. It's inside a Pokeball within the Galactic Warehouse.
  • How to use Fly: In order to actually use Fly and begin that sweet, sweet fast travel life, you'll need to defeat the Veilstone City gym. After that, you can fly from any non-dungeon outdoor location at your leisure.
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Defog - clearing fog

Defog is a HM that wasn't present in the oldest Pokemon games, though functionally it's very similar to Flash - it's a move that gets rid of an annoying visual effect (rather than darkness, this time it's fog), allowing you to explore new areas. 

  • How to get Defog: You'll find TM97 for Defog near the start of the Great Marsh zone - at the gate, near Pastoria City. Talk to the green-haired NPC on the right as you enter the Marsh.
  • How to use Defog: As ever, you'll need to beat the challenges of a gym in order to use Defog out of battle. Beat the nearby Pastoria City Gym to unlock the ability to use it with your Poketch to clear away fog.
  • Where to use Defog: Route 210, Mt. Coronet, Lost Tower, Victory Road
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Surf - swimming over water

Perhaps the most iconic of the HMs, Surf allows you to float over water, which opens up access to new areas as well as a much wider variety of random encounters with wild water-type Pokemon. Sadly, you can't get a surfing Pikachu in this game.

  • How to get Surf: TM95 Surf can be found in Celestic Town, but you'll only be able to find it after examining the ruins and dealing with Team Galactic. After all that's happened, Cynthia's Grandmother will hand over the TM. 
  • How to use Surf: To unlock the use of Surf, you'll need to head to Hearthome City Gym. Defeat its leader and among your rewards is the ability to use Surf outside of battle, allowing the trainer to ride around on a wild Bibarel.

Strength - moving boulders

A classic HM present right the way back to Pokemon Red, Blue, and Green, Strength lets you shift around Boulders - which is used for completing traditional top-down rock sliding puzzles, basically. 

  • How to get Strength: You'll be able to grab TM96 Strength on the very top floor of the Lost Tower, which you can reach from Route 209. 
  • How to use Strength: In order to unlock the use of Strength outside of battle, you'll first need to defeat the boss of the Canalave City Gym. 
  • Places to use Strength: Iron Island, Mt. Coronet, Oreburgh Gate, Snowpoint Temple, Stark Mountain, Victory Road
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Rock Climb - clambering cliffs

We've smashed rocks, we've pushed them about - and now we complete the trilogy with climbing them. Honestly, this works a lot like Waterfall, but with pathways carved out of the rocks in mountainsides. 

  • Where to get Rock Climb: To use Rock Climb you'll need to obtain TM100, which is found on Route 217. Inside the snowstorm, go into the cabin and chat to the Hiker Trainers. After that, search for the TM100 Rock Climb item among the snow outside.
  • How to use Rock Climb: Given where you found it, it's perhaps appropriate that you'll need to conquer the Snowpoint City Gym in order to use Rock Climb out in the overworld. 
  • Places to use Rock Climb: Route 207, 208, 210, 213, 216, 225, 226, 227, Mt. Coronet, Sendoff Spring, Stark Mountain, Sunyshore City, Veilstone City, Victory Road

Waterfall - aquatic elevators

One of the slightly newer HM skills, Waterfall is pretty simple - it lets you clamber up waterfalls, allowing you to use them as aquatic stairways. It's the perfect pairing with Surf.

  • Where to get Waterfall: This one is actually nice and simple. First of all, you have to defeat the Sunyshore City Gym Leader, Volkner. After that, go to Sunyshore City Beach and talk to Jasmine, the Olivine City Gym Leader. She'll hand over TM99, Waterfall.
  • How to use Waterfall: This one is actually simple! By the time you can go get Waterfall off Jasmine, you've already unlocked the ability to use it outside of battle. 
  • Places to use Waterfall: Route 208, 210, 211, Mt. Coronet, Pokemon League, Victory Road