Best types to use for Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

With the newest entries to the main series of Pokemon games, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Pokemon Shining Pearl, only a month away, players are getting excited and choosing what Pokemon they want to add to their team on their playthrough.

Some players unfamiliar with the Sinnoh region may be unfamiliar with all of the Pokemon there are to choose from and all the important trainer battles to come, such as Gym Leaders, Elite Four Members, Team Galactic battles, and Rival Battles.

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Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl: Most potent types

One of the many points of attention for a lot of Pokemon fans is the updated Sinnoh Underground (Image via The Pokemon Company)

For a starter, the best Pokemon to choose is Chimchar. Due to the disreputable lack of Fire types in the Sinnoh region, Chimchar provides the player with not only a Fire-type but one of the best ones in the franchise.

The only other Fire-type Pokemon players could catch before the post-game in the original Pokemon Diamond and Pearl games were Ponyta. This issue was fixed in Pokemon Platinum through the addition of Houndour and Magmar; whether or not these Pokemon will make an appearance in the wild in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl is still unknown.

Another great type to have on a team is a Water-type. Water types are not just great for their coverage against some notable trainers like Roark, Bertha, Flint, and the various Rock and Ground-type trainers across the region. They also have access to the HMs or Hidden Machines Surf and Waterfall.

While Waterfall only has a couple of uses towards the end of the game, Surf is a move that players will need throughout the game. It is required to access Canalave City, where the sixth gym is, and Victory Road, the path to the Pokemon League.

Some notable Pokemon to fill this role are Floatzel, Golduck, and Bibarel, as these are the Water-type Pokemon players will have access to at their earliest points in the game. Psyduck and Bidoof, Golduck and Bibarel's pre-evolved forms, can be caught before the first gym around Jubilife City, while Buizel, Floatzel's pre-evolved form, can be seen just after the first gym just outside of Floaroma Town.

A Flying-type Pokemon is also one that many players will want on their team. Flying-type Pokemon helps deal with the second gym, which uses Grass types, the Veilstone gym, which uses Fighting-types, Aaron of the Elite Four, who uses Bug types, and various other trainers.

Most people recommend Staraptor, Starly's fully evolved form, for this position; however, if the content from Pokemon Platinum makes a comeback, as many analysts suspect, Crobat will be a much better option due to how early one can be obtained.

Most people are unaware that in Pokemon Platinum, players could catch a Golbat right after the first gym. Passed the boulders broken by Rock Smash in Oreburgh Gate, Golbat had a 10% chance to be encountered in the open basement area. Golbat is a friendship evolution, so players looking to get a Crobat right away have to spend a lot of time walking back and forth to maximize its friendship points.

A powerful Normal-type Pokemon is another excellent addition to any team. Two great choices present themselves to the player before the Veilstone gym is challenged. In the original Diamond and Pearl games, the player is given an egg upon leaving Hearthome City for the first time. This egg hatches into Happiny, the baby form of Blissey. The player can also receive a Porygon in Veilstone City from a man in a house saying that Team Galactic has tried to steal it. Porygon2 with an Eviolite or Blissey are powerful defensive Pokemon that can prove undefeatable in a standard playthrough.

For the various Flying-types players will encounter, such as the large amounts of Golbat and Zubat used by Team Galactic and Cyrus' Crobat and Cynthia's Togekiss, players may want to invest in an Electric or Rock-type Pokemon. Rhydon or Luxray are the best choices for this spot as both can be obtained relatively early. Shinx can be obtained before Jubilife City, and Rhyhorn can be found just outside of Veilstone City.

There are various ways to play any Pokemon game, so there is no such thing as a definitive "best team." Whenever a new Pokemon game is released, players are encouraged to play however they want and experiment with team creation. This serves as a guideline to assist new players unfamiliar with the Sinnoh region and the various Pokemon that inhabit it.