Best Team: Best Pokemon to Use for the Story
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The Best Pokemon team to use for the story takes into account important trainer and Pokemon League battles! Read on for a guide on the best story team for Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (BDSP).
List of Contents
Best Team
Best Infernape Team
| Pokemon | Recommended Moves |
|---|---|
 Infernape
|
・Power-Up Punch(Chimchar @ Lv. 12) ・Close Combat (On Evolution) ・Acrobatics (Lv. 52) ・Flare Blitz (Lv. 68) |
 Gyarados
|
・Waterfall (Lv. 21) ・Crunch (Lv. 24) ・Dragon Dance (Lv. 36) ・Ice Fang (Move Relearner) |
 Garchomp
|
・Dragon Claw (Lv. 42) ・Swords Dance (TM75) ・Earthquake (TM26) |
 Luxray
|
・Spark (Luxio @ Lv. 18) ・Crunch (Lv. 56) ・Thunderbolt (TM24) |
 Weavile
|
・Avalanche (TM72) ・Poison Jab (TM84) ・Night Slash (Lv. 60) |
 Roserade
|
・Giga Drain (Lv. 30 when Roselia) ・Toxic (Lv. 40 when Roselia) ・Petal Blizzard (Lv. 45 when Roselia) ・Sludge Bomb (TM36) |
Infernape serves as the team's primary attacker, while Gyarados and Garchomp provide powerful late-game sweepers. Luxray, Roserade, and Weavile round out the team with excellent type coverage.
Explanation
Infernape can sweep many story battles by boosting with Power-Up Punch before finishing opponents with its powerful Fire and Fighting-Type attacks.
Gyarados can safely switch into physical attackers that threaten Infernape thanks to Intimidate, lowering their Attack upon entering battle. After setting up with Dragon Dance, it becomes a powerful sweeper that uses Waterfall as its primary STAB move, while Crunch and Ice Fang provide excellent physical coverage.
Luxray covers Infernape's weakness to Water-Type Pokemon and also handles Flying-Type opponents with its Electric-Type moves. Roserade is especially effective against Bertha's Ground-Type team, while also providing valuable Grass and Poison-Type coverage throughout the story.
Weavile gives the team a fast physical attacker that excels against Lucian's Psychic-Type Pokemon and provides strong Ice-Type coverage against Bertha's Ground-Type team and Cynthia's Garchomp.
Garchomp rounds out the team as a late-game physical sweeper, using Swords Dance to boost its Attack before sweeping with Earthquake and Dragon Claw against the Elite Four and Champion.
Best Empoleon Team
| Pokemon | Recommended Moves |
|---|---|
 Empoleon
|
・Surf (TM95) ・Drill Peck (Lv. 52) ・Flash Cannon (TM91) |
 Rapidash
|
・Flame Wheel (Ponyta @ Lv. 25) ・Stomp (Ponyta @Lv. 30) ・Flare Blitz (Lv. 63) ・Flamethrower (TM35) |
|
Garchomp
|
・Dragon Claw (Lv. 42) ・Swords Dance (TM75) ・Earthquake (TM26) |
 Staraptor
|
・Aerial Ace (Lv. 28) ・Close Combat (On Evolution) ・Brave Bird (Lv. 49) |
|
Roserade
|
・Giga Drain (Lv. 30 when Roselia) ・Toxic (Lv. 40 when Roselia) ・Petal Blizzard (Lv. 45 when Roselia) ・Sludge Bomb (TM36) |
|
Luxray
|
・Spark (Luxio @ Lv. 18) ・Crunch (Lv. 56) ・Thunderbolt (TM24) |
Empoleon serves as the team's bulky special attacker, while Garchomp acts as its primary physical sweeper.
Explanation
Although Empoleon lacks the pure fighting prowess of Infernape, it brings its own advantages to the table, such as its unique Water/Steel typing granting it a total of 10 resistances and 1 immunity. Empoleon can support its defensive capabilities with moves like Charm, but its low Speed makes it difficult to stand its ground against its three weaknesses in Electric, Fighting, and Ground. It's Flash Cannon and Drill Peck provide reliable coverage against Fairy, Ice, Grass, and Fighting-Type Pokemon.
Rapidash provides the Fire-Type coverage the team would otherwise lack and acts as a fast physical attacker, making it especially effective against Bug, Grass, Ice, and Steel-Type opponents throughout the story.
Garchomp serves as the team's late-game physical sweeper while also covering Empoleon's Electric-Type weakness.
Staraptor provides fast Flying-Type coverage and is especially useful against Fighting-Type Pokemon that threaten Empoleon. Close Combat also gives the team another powerful option against Normal, Rock, Steel, and Dark-Type opponents.
Roserade and Luxray provide reliable Grass, Poison, and Electric-Type coverage, helping the team deal with Ground, Water, and Flying-Type opponents throughout the story.
Best Torterra Team
| Pokemon | Recommended Moves |
|---|---|
 Torterra
|
・Leech Seed (Grotle @ Lv. 32) ・Earthquake (Upon Evolution) ・Wood Hammer (Move Relearner) |
|
Rapidash
|
・Flame Wheel (Ponyta @ Lv. 25) ・Stomp (Ponyta @Lv. 30) ・Flare Blitz (Lv. 63) ・Flamethrower (TM35) |
|
Garchomp
|
・Dragon Claw (Lv. 42) ・Swords Dance (TM75) ・Earthquake (TM26) |
|
Gyarados
|
・Waterfall (Lv. 21) ・Crunch (Lv. 24) ・Dragon Dance (Lv. 36) ・Ice Fang (Move Relearner) |
|
Staraptor
|
・Aerial Ace (Lv. 28) ・Close Combat (On Evolution) ・Brave Bird (Lv. 49) |
 Lucario
|
・Aura Sphere (On Evolution) ・Flash Cannon (TM91) ・Nasty Plot (Lv. 24 when Riolu) |
Torterra serves as the team's bulky physical attacker, while Garchomp acts as its primary physical sweeper.
Explanation
Torterra is the team's bulky physical attacker, using Leech Seed to improve its longevity while dealing heavy damage with Grass and Ground-Type moves.
Rapidash covers Torterra's weaknesses to Ice, Bug, and Grass-Type Pokemon, while Gyarados provides valuable Water-Type coverage against Fire, Rock, and Ground-Type opponents. After setting up with Dragon Dance, Gyarados can outspeed many foes and sweep with Waterfall, while Crunch and Ice Fang provide excellent physical coverage against Psychic, Ghost, Dragon, Flying, Grass, and Ground-Type Pokemon.
Staraptor provides fast Flying-Type coverage, and Lucario offers powerful Fighting and Steel-Type special attacks against a wide range of opponents.
Finally, Garchomp serves as the team's late-game physical sweeper, using Swords Dance to boost its Attack before cleaning up the toughest battles against the Elite Four and Champion.
Best Team Candidate Tier List
| Rank | Pokemon |
|---|---|
 |
Gyarados
○ |
 |
Empoleon
○Torterra
○Luxray
○Rapidash
○Roserade
○ |
 |
 Jirachi
○ Mew
○ Alakazam
○ Gengar
○ Golem
○ |
Azumarill
MiloticPokemon marked with an ○ can be obtained early in the game, so players should take the opportunity to begin training them early on.
Explanation
Evaluated on lead member and support potential
Each of the ranks in our tier list above are determined based on the criteria below.
| Rank | Meaning |
|---|---|
| S | When sufficiently trained, can handle gyms and the Elite Four without significant problems |
| A | May not be able to take out opponents with a single neutral-damage attack, or be outsped and struggle to keep up; potential as a backup lead |
| B | Able to act as a support for a lead member |
Best Pokemon by Type
| Type | Pokemon |
|---|---|
|
Grass
|
Torterra
○Roserade
○ |
|
Water
|
Empoleon
○Gyarados
○ |
|
Fire
|
Rapidash
○ |
|
Electric
|
Luxray
○ |
|
Ice
|
|
|
Fighting
|
|
|
Ground
|
Torterra
○Golem
○ |
|
Poison
|
Roserade
○ |
|
Flying
|
|
 Psychic
|
Mew
○Jirachi
○Alakazam
○ |
 Bug
|
None |
 Rock
|
Golem
○ |
 Ghost
|
|
|
Dragon
|
|
|
Dark
|
|
|
Steel
|
Jirachi
○ |
 Fairy
|
|
|
Normal
|
Types listed as “None” are not ones for which no strong Pokemon exist, but only that there are no Pokemon within that type which players need to dedicate time training when playing the main story.
Pokemon marked with an ○ can be obtained early in the game, so players should take the opportunity to begin training them early on.
Best Moves for Each Teammate
We've selected a set of best Moves to teach each of the teammate candidates listed above based on the following criteria.
How to Select the Best Movesets
When crafting a Moveset for each of your Pokemon, you can follow this advice to get a sense of which four Moves would be a good fit. It's generally ok to break the rules occasionally while making up for it with other Moves.
- At least 10 PP, 80 Power, and 100 Accuracy
- Moves with recoil, such as Flare Blitz, deal high damage but also hurt the user. Use them when you need extra power, but keep healing items on hand.
- Having two Moves of the same type for separate purposes is possible
Example Movesets for Each Pokemon
Pokemon BDSP Related Guides
Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Tips and Tricks
Comment
GotCraZy almost 5 yearsTM48 is not Thunder Wave in BDSP - its TM73. 48 is Skill Swap
Author
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (BDSP) Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Best Team: Best Pokemon to Use for the Story
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It actually depends a lot on what game are you playing, BD doesn't have Lucario available until after you already beat the game so is not a valid choice for story mode.