Platinum has two separate Pokédexes to complete: the Sinnoh Pokédex and the National Pokédex. The Sinnoh Pokédex contains 209 Pokémon (210 counting Manaphy), which includes many Pokémon introduced in Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum. The National Pokédex consists of the Sinnoh Pokédex plus all remaining Pokémon between numbers 1 and 493. All Pokémon from the Sinnoh Pokédex, except for the event-exclusive Manaphy, are available between Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum. Most of the remaining Pokémon are also available, but there are a few exceptions, making it impossible to complete the National Pokédex with access to only those three games. This page will show the maximum number of Pokémon that can be obtained.
The maximum number of Pokémon you can get this way is 412, or 443 if dual-slot encounters are obtainable.
In order to complete the Sinnoh Pokédex, you will need access to at mininum a copy of Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl.
The following version-exclusive Pokémon have to be traded from Diamond or Pearl:
Several Pokémon are mutually exclusive, meaning that if you get one species, you cannot get at least one other species. The list of mutually exclusive species is below.
You will need at minimum three separate save files to get all three starters. Each save file will pick a different starter, and they can be bred and traded as needed.
For the Fossils, you will need either to trade for the missing Fossil from its relevant game, or use two copies of Platinum, one with an odd Trainer ID and one with an even one.
17 Pokémon evolve by trading: Golem, Machamp, Alakazam, Gengar, Politoed, Slowking, Steelix, Scizor, Kingdra, Porygon2, Huntail, Gorebyss, Rhyperior, Electivire, Magmortar, Porygon-Z, and Dusknoir. The easiest way to get data for them is to trade them to another game and immediately trade the newly-evolved Pokémon back.
You will need two King's Rocks, two Metal Coats, one Dragon Scale, one Up-Grade, one DeepSeaTooth, one DeepSeaScale, one Protector, one Electirizer, one Magmarizer, one Dubious Disc, and one Reaper Cloth to evolve Politoed, Slowking, Steelix, Scizor, Kingdra, Porygon2, Huntail, Gorebyss, Rhyperior, Electivire, Magmortar, Porygon-Z, and Dusknoir.
If you have access to copies of Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, and LeafGreen, and a DS that allows for use of dual-slot technology, you can obtain the following Pokémon:
All of these can also be traded from HeartGold or SoulSilver.
The remaining Pokémon are obtainable only in HeartGold, SoulSilver, Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, LeafGreen, or defunct events.
If the player does not have access to dual-slot encounters, this total is instead 81.