Veteran fans playing Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are unlikely to want to play through the regular game. Be information technology their first time with the remake or a repeat visit, fans are always looking for ways to add extra difficulty into the Pokemon franchise.

The virtually straightforward challenge run that can be undertaken is the Nuzlocke run. There are many slight variations and optional rules, just the master thrust is that Pokemon are permanently removed from the team if they feint, and players can only grab 1 Pokemon on each route. This means slots on a squad are precious, and players volition want to fill them with the all-time possible options.

x Infernape - Burn down Required

Pokemon Infernape in battle stance

While players are gratis to pick whichever Starter Pokemon they like, picking Infernape will make life a lot easier downwardly the line. For one matter, it's a powerful Pokemon. It tin can make total use of the game's best Fighting moves, and while Physical Fire moves are few and far between, in that location are ones it can acquire.

More importantly, Fire-types are extremely rare in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. The Thousand Secret thankfully inserted more than, but if players are just using the game's overworld routes, the only other chance to get a Fire-type is Ponyta. What players run into on these routes is random, though, and so picking Chimchar is the only way to guarantee a Fire-blazon Pokemon.

9 Staraptor - Essential Early

Pokemon Staraptor flying in battle

Sinnoh's early-game Pokemon may wait cool, but most aren't the best for battling purposes. Bidoof and Kricketot are well-nigh useless against the first couple of Gym Leaders, and past the time they might be helpful, players will have access to better Pokemon.

Staraptor is one of the few that has the luxury of remaining useful from commencement to stop. Information technology's non the all-time Flying-blazon in the game, but players are likely to run into information technology early on, and it won't exist a liability if they can't find annihilation better later. It's, unfortunately, rubbish against the commencement Gym Leader, but in simply about every other major boxing, information technology proves its worth.

8 Luxray - Planning Ahead

Pokemon Luxray

Players may merely exist on the game's second road when they encounter a Shinx, only it's already time to start thinking ahead to the battle with Cynthia. This is past far the game'southward well-nigh difficult battle, and trainers demand to prepare for it from the very beginning.

Luxray or any Electric-type volition be a huge benefaction come up the Champion boxing. While near players focus on finding a style to take out Cynthia's Garchomp, her Milotic can be equally problematic due to its excessive bulk and self-healing capabilities. Information technology tin can forcefulness players into a state of war of attrition they may lose, but a Luxray that knows Wild Charge can take intendance of it adequately easily.

seven Machop - Breaking Roark

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond Shining Pearl Machop

Bated from the Champion battle, one of the game's nigh challenging battles in a Pokemon nuzlocke run is the first Gym Leader, Roark. Players won't take access to many Pokemon by that point, and if players have chosen Chimchar, as is recommended, their Starter will be useless against Roark'due south Rock-types.

The game gives players an out, though, as in the city's mines, they will notice a Machop. This powerful Pokemon learns Fighting-type moves very early and volition shatter all of Roark's Pokemon. Past this, it will continue to exist useful if players want to grow information technology to a Machamp, but it may have a amend purpose after Roark is defeated.

6 Alakazam - Reliable Power

Pokemon Alakazam In battle stance

There's zippo fancy that makes Alakazam special, it's just a very powerful Psychic-type Pokemon. As pure-Psychic, information technology has few weaknesses, and its Special Psychic attacks will hitting similar a truck confronting whatsoever Pokemon that doesn't resist it.

An Abra can exist gotten every bit early on as Oreburgh City. A resident of the city will offer players a trade of Machop for Abra. For this reason, it is recommended that players use Machop to defeat Roark beginning, and so come up and brand this trade. Ultimately, both Machamp and Alakazam will be brilliant on a team, and so information technology's up to the player who they'd rather have.

v Gyarados OR Gastrodon - Hydro-Ability

Pokemon Gastrodon & Gyarados

Water is one of the game's about valuable types, and Water Pokemon are everywhere in Sinnoh. They're the virtually common type in the entire franchise, so in that location are a couple of options for the all-time one, but at the top of the pile are Gyarados and Gastrodon.

Gyarados is the kind of Pokemon that trainers can never go incorrect with. It has enormous attacking power and bang-up Special Defense. The only thing to worry about is any Electrical-blazon attack, which will destroy it in a heartbeat. Gastrodon, meanwhile, is completely immune to Electricity. It has notably less offensive capability than Gyarados, but it has enviable defenses, which players might value more than in a nuzlocke.

4 Garchomp - Fighting Dragon With Dragon

pokemon anime cynthia and garchomp fighting

Once more thinking ahead to the boxing with Cynthia, Garchomp can be an insurmountable problem. There is a potentially simple solution, though, just getting one on the team. Dragon-type is unique in that it is super effective against itself, significant that a faster Garchomp could wipe Cynthia's out in an instant.

Fifty-fifty putting Cynthia bated, Garchomp is an insanely powerful Pokemon that dominated the competitive Pokemon scene for years; very little tin stand in its path. To catch a Gible, players will have to wait until they have 6 Gym badges and tin can use Forcefulness. Then caput to a hugger-mugger entrance to Wayward Cave, under the Cycling Road.

3 Togekiss - Fearsome Flying Fairy

Pokemon Diamond and Pearl Togekiss

In Generation 8, there is more than one way to slay a Dragon. Using an opposing Garchomp will undoubtedly do the trick, but players of Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl have an reward the Generation 4 originals did not, Fairy-types.

There are a few to choose from, just players can't go incorrect with Togekiss, although players will have to be willing to use the Chiliad Cloak-and-dagger to get it before Cynthia. With a Special Set on of 125 and access to brilliant Fairy moves similar Moonblast, Cynthia'southward Garchomp doesn't stand a take a chance. What'due south more is information technology's got bulk, also, with great Physical and Special Defense.

2 Altaria - Birds Aplenty

Pokemon Altaria Angry

Whether or not using the Grand Surreptitious is within the spirit of the Nuzlocke challenge is upwardly to the player. However, if they want to apply it, at that place are some crawly Pokemon up for grabs from quite early on in the chance.

Swablu, and its evolution, Altaria fit into a team no matter the residue of its limerick. Players could use it as a replacement for Staraptor or in a unlike slot if they and so choose. Dragon/Flight is a powerful blazon combination. It has access to a wide array of stat-boosting moves, giving information technology excessive power on tiptop of what information technology already has naturally.

1 Bronzong - Supportive Wall

Pokemon Bronzong

Some Pokemon go overlooked by most players, but fourth dimension proves they shouldn't, and Bronzong is maybe the poster child of this. Its design isn't the near interesting, and it fails to draw people in initially, but it turns out information technology'south one of Sinnoh's more powerful Pokemon.

Existence used in the competitive scene for many years, Bronzong tin can wall out merely virtually anything. Steel/Psychic is an incredible defensive type combination, naturally resisting a whopping 10 of the game's eighteen types, which gets boosted to 11 if it has the Levitate ability. On pinnacle of that, its movepool is full of great supportive moves, locking off opponents' options and enhancing the residue of the team's capabilities.

Pokemon Vivid Diamond & Shining Pearl was released on Nov 19, 2021, for Nintendo Switch.

More: Images That Volition Hitting 90s Games Right In The Nostalgia