-----------------------------------
|-- POKEMON PLATINUM VERSION -----|
|-- GYM LEADER/ELITE FOUR GUIDE --|
-----------------------------------

Written by Murk

-----------------------------
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION:

This document is copyright 2009 David Critch, also known as Murk. It may not
be used without the express permission of myself for any means other than
purely personal use. Any violators of this will be punished to the fullest
extent of the law. You have been warned.

The following websites may use my FAQ with or without my permission, due to
being granted permission in the past:

- www.gamefaqs.com
- www.gamespot.com
- www.neoseeker.com
- www.supercheats.com

Any and all others MUST ask first by means of e-mail communication. You can
reach me at one of two e-mail addresses:

- murkthegreat@gmail.com
- ultravaidd19@hotmail.com

I will check one or both at least a few times a month, so if you are asking to
use this guide, be patient.
-----------------------------


-----------------------------

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
1: Introduction/Contact Information
2: Gym Leader Guide
3: Elite Four Guide
4: Gym Leader 2.0 Guide
5: Final Notes/Closing
-----------------------------


=======================================
| 1: INTRODUCTION/CONTACT INFORMATION |
=======================================

Hello, and welcome to my newest guide on GameFAQs, the Pokemon Platinum Boss
Guide. If you have followed any of my previous guides, you will know that I
write up the boss guides in a certain way. Aside from a few small changes,
that same specific way will be implemented in this guide as well.

This time around, on top of giving as much information as I can on the gym
leaders, E4 members and rival battles, I will also be adding a new feature,
in which I will be presenting the team I personally used at the time of the
battle. This way, newcomers will have an idea on what to use and why. Mostly
everything else will remain the same, so don't worry.

In case you have any questions, I can be contacted personally at one of the
two e-mail addresses that I posted in the copyright information section. There
is, however, a restriction on what you may contact me for, listed here:

- If you contact me for personal issues, or even just to say hello, the e-mail
will be ignored and deleted. I will only address e-mails pertaining to the
guide.
- If you contact me with questions that are easily answered within the guide,
I will likely delete the e-mail as well. If there is anything in my guide that
is unclear, feel free to notify me through e-mail and I will explain further,
but if I find that the so-called unclear section is in fact easily explained
in the guide itself, I will not reply.
- Hate mail will not be addressed. It will be deleted immediately, with no
exceptions whatsoever. Don't waste my time and your own telling me unsavory
things about myself or my mother.
- If you see any mistakes in my guide, please notify me as soon as possible,
and I will rectify them. This guide is here to help people, not to further
confuse them. If you do find a mistake and inform me, your name will be added
to the list of thanks at the end of the guide, and the error will be fixed
as soon as I find it.

Thank you for your patience, and without further ado, I present my guide!


=======================
| 2: GYM LEADER GUIDE |
=======================

|----------------------------------------------------------------|
|-- Leader 1: Roark ---------------------------------------------|
|-- Specialty: Rock-type Pokemon --------------------------------|
|-- Prizes: TM 76 (Stealth Rock), Coal Badge, $1640 -------------|
|-- Pokemon: Geodude, Onix, Cranidos ----------------------------|
|-- HM Usage: Can now use HM 06 (Rock Smash) outside of battle --|
|----------------------------------------------------------------|

Pokemon Synopsis:
- Geodude lv.12 (Rock/Ground): Rock Throw, Rock Tomb, Stealth Rock, Rock
Polish
- Onix lv.12 (Rock/Ground): Rock Throw, Stealth Rock, Bind, Screech
- Cranidos lv.14 (Rock): Headbutt, Leer, Pursuit, Stealth Rock

*Note: I'm not 100% sure on these moves, as they are based on memory and
Geodude and Onix don't usually last long enough to get all of their moves
recorded. Please notify me of any mistakes.

My team: Turtwig lv.16, Staravia lv.16

Difficulty: 2-3/10
Recommended Types: Water, Grass, Fighting

Battle Synopsis:
The first gym of Sinnoh starts off decently good, but if you have the right
types of Pokemon, it's a walk in the park. Geodude and Onix, as you'll recall
from the first gym in Red/Blue/Yellow (also a Rock-type gym), fall incredibly
easily to Water- and Grass-type attacks. If you started with Piplup or Turtwig
and leveled them up to lv.14 or 15, this battle will be easy. If you chose
Chimchar and now possess Monferno, it will still be easy, but not to the same
extent. Considering Machop is available at this point in the game as well,
you really have no excuses for losing here, especially if you've leveled up a
lot before attempting this battle.

Cranidos is your main problem. Being a pure Rock-type means that you cannot
hit him for 4x damage at any point, and he'll likely take a hit or two before
going down. Roark uses two Potions during the battle, so you won't like this.
The problem is, Cranidos's Atk stat is high, and Headbutt has a base power
of 70. Anything that doesn't have decent HP will be sent flying before they
can put up a fight. Again, if you have a Water or Grass Pokemon, this won't
be as much of an issue. Just exploit any and all weaknesses, and you'll be
just fine.


|---------------------------------------------------------|
|-- Leader 2: Gardenia -----------------------------------|
|-- Specialty: Grass-type Pokemon ------------------------|
|-- Prizes: TM 86 (Grass Knot), Forest Badge, $2640 ------|
|-- Pokemon: Cherubi, Turtwig, Roserade ------------------|
|-- HM Usage: Can now use HM 01 (Cut) outside of battle --|
|---------------------------------------------------------|

Pokemon Synopsis:
- Turtwig lv.20 (Grass): Grass Knot, Razor Leaf, Reflect, Sunny Day
- Cherrim lv.20 (Grass): Grass Knot, Magical Leaf, Safeguard, Leech Seed
- Roserade lv.22 (Grass/Poison): Grass Knot, Magical Leaf, Poison Sting, Stun
Spore

My team: Grotle lv.22, Staravia lv.22, Alakazam lv.22

Difficulty: 3/10
Recommended Types: Fire, Flying, Bug, Psychic

*Note: Yes, I did have an Alakazam. On Route 203 there are wild Abra, and
if you can catch one and evolve it, you can further evolve it immediately
through trading. This is what I did, for those who were wondering.

Battle Synopsis:
At this point in the game, almost every type available that is strong against
Grass-types can be caught, even Fire (I believe there are Ponyta somewhere
between Jubilife and Eterna, but I cannot recall exactly which route). With
this in mind, you can easily raise a good Pokemon strong against all of hers
to bring an easy win, especially since with the exception of Poison Sting on
Roserade, all of her Pokemon attacks are Grass as well. Just remember that
Magical Leaf has a base power of 60 and will never miss, no matter how many
times you spam Double Team.

All of her Pokemon know Grass Knot, the Grass-type version of Low Kick. What
it does is a certain amount of damage depending on your own Pokemon's weight,
so the heavier your Pokemon is, the stronger Grass Knot will be. Don't come in
here with a Pokemon that's a thousand pounds (a joke, since you won't have one
available that's that heavy anyway), or it will get destroyed.

Your main problem is Roserade, the fully evolved form of Budew. Stun Spore
will peeve you off while she picks at your health with the never-missing
Magical Leaf and weight-crushing Grass Knot. Cherrim is also a bit annoying,
but not an actual problem for you if you've got a Flying-type near its level.
Turtwig is a joke, and why it isn't evolved is something I fail to understand.
If you have the right types, none of her attacks will damage you much, so this
battle shouldn't be too much of a problem.

At this point, all of your Pokemon should be at least level 20 or so. If they
are not, level them up before continuing.


|-----------------------------------------------------------|
|-- Leader 3: Fantina --------------------------------------|
|-- Specialty: Ghost-type Pokemon --------------------------|
|-- Prizes: TM 65 (Shadow Claw), Relic Badge, $3120 --------|
|-- Pokemon: Duskull, Haunter, Mismagius -------------------|
|-- HM Usage: Can now use HM 05 (Defog) outside of battle --|
|-----------------------------------------------------------|

Pokemon Synopsis:

- Duskull lv.24 (Ghost): Shadow Sneak, Future Sight, Pursuit, Will-O-Wisp
- Haunter lv.24 (Ghost/Poison): Shadow Claw, Sucker Punch, Confuse Ray,
Hypnosis
- Mismagius lv.26 (Ghost): Shadow Ball, Magical Leaf, Psybeam, Confuse Ray

My team: Grotle lv.28, Alakazam lv.28, Glaceon lv.29, Cranidos lv.28

Difficulty: 2-3/10
Recommended Types: Normal, Dark, Ghost

*In case of questions, Glaceon came through being traded to my brother's Pearl
version and evolving at the right place there. Eevee can be obtained by
talking to Bebe in this very town. If you don't have an outside game to trade
with, Glaceon is not yet available, so don't get your hopes up. Leafeon is
available right now, though.

Battle Synopsis:
If you caught a Gastly in Eterna Forest and leveled it up, bring it back as a
Haunter or Gengar and watch it destroy her entire team, if she doesn't destroy
it first with Mismagius. If you didn't catch a Ghost-type, you might have a
little difficulty with her final Pokemon, but nothing too serious. The rest of
the battle is a joke for this point in the game.

Duskull and Haunter are pathetic. Neither of them use attacks that utilize
their good stats (especially Haunter, who has dismal Atk though uses two Atk-
stat moves) and easily fall to their weaknesses due to their equally-pathetic
defenses. Take them down with anything you have that will crush their weak
points, like Grotle's Bite or Cranidos's Assurance.

Mismagius is a different story. Its Shadow Ball is very strong, able to bring
down anything weak to it instantly (I would know, my Alakazam was downed with
one blow...) while its Psybeam whittles down the Normal-types who resist the
Shadow Ball. I have no idea why she has Magical Leaf, but she does, so take
note of it as well. At any rate, you should have her beaten before she can do
any serious damage to you. As I said before, this isn't a hard battle.


|---------------------------------------------------------|
|-- Leader 4: Maylene ------------------------------------|
|-- Specialty: Fighting-type Pokemon ---------------------|
|-- Prizes: TM 60 (Drain Punch), Cobble Badge, $3840 -----|
|-- Pokemon: Meditite, Machoke, Lucario ------------------|
|-- HM Usage: Can now use HM 02 (Fly) outside of battle --|
|---------------------------------------------------------|

Pokemon Synopsis:
- Meditite lv.28 (Fighting/Psychic): Drain Punch, Confusion, Rock Tomb, Fake
Out
- Machoke lv.29 (Fighting): Strength, Rock Tomb, Karate Chop, Focus Energy
- Lucario lv.32 (Fighting/Steel): Drain Punch, Force Palm, Bone Rush, Metal
Claw

My team: Torterra lv.33, Alakazam lv.33, Rampardos lv.33, Glaceon lv.33

Difficulty: 4/10
Recommended Types: Flying, Psychic, Ground, Fire, Ghost

Battle Synopsis:
Because of the mixed types she uses, there's no one type that is a weakness to
all three of her Pokemon. You'll have to think to win, though her Pokemon are
not very strong.

Meditite and Machoke are both capable of using Rock Tomb, for the sole reason
of fighting back against the Flying-types that can and will decimate them with
extreme ease. If you have Staravia, level it up to lv.34 so it will become a
Staraptor, keep both Aerial Ace and Close Combat, and this battle will be over
before Maylene can even fight back. If not, just use any Flying-type attacks
to take both down.

Lucario might be a problem if you chose the wrong types. His dual-Steel erases
all of his fighting weaknesses, leaving only his Steel-type weaknesses: Fire
and Ground. Bone Rush is there to deal with Fire-types, but it isn't strong,
and most Fire-types are faster than Lucario anyway. Besides, Fire Blast is
available as a TM. You shouldn't have too many problems. If, like me, you have
a Turtwig as a starter, it should now be a Torterra. With its dual-Ground, its
Earthquake attack and STAB (Same Type Attack Boost), you'll wreck Lucario. All
in all, utilize any Pokemon strong against hers and this battle will be cake.


|----------------------------------------------------------|
|-- Leader 5: Crasher Wake --------------------------------|
|-- Specialty: Water-type Pokemon -------------------------|
|-- Prizes: TM 55 (Brine), Fen Badge, $4440 ---------------|
|-- Pokemon: Gyarados, Quagsire, Floatzel -----------------|
|-- HM Usage: Can now use HM 03 (Surf) outside of battle --|
|----------------------------------------------------------|

Pokemon Synopsis:
- Gyarados lv.33 (Water/Flying): Brine, Waterfall, Twister, Bite
- Quagsire lv.34 (Water/Ground): Water Pulse, Mud Shot, Rock Tomb, Yawn
- Floatzel lv.37 (Water): Brine, Ice Fang, Aqua Jet, Crunch

My team: Torterra lv.38, Alakazam lv.38, Rampardos lv.38, Glaceon lv.38,
Staraptor lv.38

Difficulty: 5/10
Recommended Types: Electric, Grass

Battle Synopsis:
You've likely dealt with several Water-types at this point in the game, but
none quite this strong. Gyarados is insane if you don't have the right type
(Electric) to handle it. If you do have an Electric on you, it'll easily
decimate the twenty foot demigod. Otherwise, be prepared to face an onslaught
of power from Bite and Waterfall, because its Atk stat is insane, while its
Sp. Atk stat is a joke.

Quagsire is immune to Electric Pokemon, so bring out a Grass-type (double
weakness, and its only weakness) to beat it. The reason this battle has a high
difficulty set by me is because unlike the previous gyms, this guy will hit
you hard if you don't have the right counter-types. In Quagsire's case, it
will hurt you with Nud Shot and Water Pulse, and sometimes confuse you with
the latter. I don't know why it has Rock Tomb. Just use a Grass-type and KO
this fool before he can fight back seriously.

Floatzel, the evolved form of the Buizel you've been seeing throughout this
game, is likely to give you major problems if you can't take hits. Aqua Jet is
the Water-type Quick Attack, while Brine will do more damage if his own HP is
low. Ice Fang covers the Grass-types, and Crunch just generally sweeps. Be
ready for pain. Once again, if you managed to find an Electric-type (I think
Shinx/Luxio and Pikachu are the only ones you can find at this point), it'll
do well here.


|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|-- Leader 6: Byron -------------------------------------------|
|-- Specialty: Steel-type Pokemon -----------------------------|
|-- Prizes: TM 91 (Flash Cannon), Mine Badge, $4920 -----------|
|-- Pokemon: Magneton, Steelix, Bastiodon ---------------------|
|-- HM Usage: Can now use HM 04 (Strength) outside of battle --|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|

Pokemon Synopsis:
- Magneton lv.37 (Steel/Electric): Flash Cannon, Thunderbolt, Tri Attack,
Metal Sound
- Steelix lv.38 (Steel/Ground): Flash Cannon, Earthquake, Ice Fang, Sandstorm
- Bastiodon lv.41 (Steel/Rock): Metal Burst, Stone Edge, Taunt, Iron Defense

My team: Torterra lv.42, Alakazam lv.42, Rampardos lv.42, Glaceon lv.42,
Magmar lv.42, Lucario lv.42

Difficulty: 1/10 with Ground-types; 3/10 without.
Recommended Types: Ground, Fighting, Fire, Water

Battle Synopsis:
Seriously, I cannot stress it enough: bring a Ground-type Pokemon to fight
this guy and watch it destroy his team, with maybe one or two difficulties
from Steelix. This battle is almost exactly the same as the other Steel-type
gym leader battle, way back in Gold/Silver against Jasmine, who used one
Steelix and two Magnemites. If you have a Ground-type, you have access to
Earthquake either through level-up or TM at this point, so destroy his team
with it. The following is assuming you don't have a Ground-type.

Magneton, with his Electric/Steel typing, is a fair challenge. It has Flash
Cannon and Thunderbolt, two strong attacks for their types, and both get STAB
which makes them even more powerful. Chances are that if you're Pokemon is
weak to either Electric or Steel, it'll get clobbered or at least heavily
damaged before bringing Magneton down, so don't be afraid to have lots of
Hyper/Max Potions ready. Fire- and Fighting-types work well here as well, but
really, Ground-types are your best bet because of its double weakness. In the
end, most Pokemon who can't exploit a Steel Pokemon's weakness usually can't
do much damage, and since you can find their weaknesses all around Sinnoh,
this shouldn't be a problem in the first place.

Steelix is almost exactly like the Steelix you fought in Gold/Silver, just a
few levels higher and with better attacks. One STABed Earthquake from him can
and will crush most Pokemon, especially with his decent Atk stat to back them
up, but unfortunately for you if you try to counter with them, there are very
few Flying-type Pokemon will do much against Steelix, unless you have Gyarados
or Staraptor. If you decide to use a Flying-type anyway, most will probably
get pulverized by Ice Fang. Flash Cannon is useless because of his mediocre
Sp. Atk (though it too gets STAB), and Sandstorm is a minor irritation. Also,
remember this: Steelix's Defense is so solid that you might consider using
special-based attacks to put it down, because even if you get a good hit with
a super-effective move on it, you likely won't finish it right away.

Bastiodon is his ace in the hole, and is quite literally a tank. Being part-
Rock and part-Steel means it has a Defense that will take hits from almost all
attacks, even attacks strong against it. If it survives an attack like
Earthquake and counters with Metal Burst, you're screwed, so either use small
damage attacks or crush it during the first turn, because Metal Burst will
dish out 1.5x what you dished out in return. Stone Edge is a strong Rock-type
attack that's there to use as a regular more, and Iron Defense
will jack up his already obscene Defense stat. If you can survive Metal Burst
and dish out a second Ground-type attack, a winnar is you.


|----------------------------------------------------------------|
|-- Leader 7: Candice -------------------------------------------|
|-- Specialty: Ice-type Pokemon ---------------------------------|
|-- Prizes: TM 72 (Avalanche), Icicle Badge, $5280 --------------|
|-- Pokemon: Sneasel, Piloswine, Abomasnow, Froslass ------------|
|-- HM Usage: Can now use HM 08 (Rock Climb) outside of battle --|
|----------------------------------------------------------------|

Pokemon Synopsis:
- Sneasel lv.40 (Ice/Dark): Slash, Aerial Ace, Ice Shard, Faint Attack
- Piloswine lv.40 (Ice/Ground): Avalanche, Earthquake, Stone Edge, Hail
- Abomasnow lv.42 (Ice/Grass): Avalanche, Wood Hammer, Focus Blast, Water
Pulse
- Froslass lv.44 (Ice/Ghost): Blizzard, Shadow Ball, Psychic, Double Team

My team: Torterra lv.45, Alakazam lv.45, Rampardos lv.45, Glaceon lv.45,
Magmortar lv.45, Lucario lv.45

Difficulty: 4/10
Recommended Types: Fire, Fighting, Rock

Battle Synopsis:
There's nothing overly difficult about this battle except the levels, and
if you're as highly leveled as I was, this battle will be over in no time.
If you're not, go out and train some more, because the levels are only gonna
get higher at this point in the game. Also, the Elite Four will crush you if
you're not at a high point, and it's possible the eighth gym will as well, so
keep that in mind as you're training.

Sneasel and Abomasnow both share common ground in one thing: they both have
a double weakness that's easily exploited. If you have an Infernape, bring
him out and he'll practically laugh them to death because his two types are
strong against both. If not, well, use Fighting on Sneasel and Fire on
Abomasnow and they'll both be done before either can think of an attack to
throw at you. Just be careful if you don't have a Fire-type on hand, as your
dear friend Abomasnow has a variety of attacks it can use on you, most over
100 in base power.

Piloswine is an interesting creature. You might remember it as the main Leader
Pokemon from the Ice-type gym back in Gold/Silver, though it was far weaker
there. This one doesn't depend on the low-accuracy Blizzard, instead choosing
to utilize type-covering attacks. It has Earthquake and Stone Edge to deal
with Fire-types, so use a Fighting-type on this one, or a Water if you choose
to use one. Remember that Avalanche will do double damage when used after the
user is hit (like Revenge and Assurance), so keep that in mind if you're not
using Water or Fire.

Froslass is her ace in the whole, though probably not her strongest. Blizzard
sucks, but if it's hailing then it won't miss, and then it won't suck as much
because of how strong it is. Plus, Shadow Ball and Blizzard both get STAB,
making them quite strong. If you have something you can use that's strong
against Ghosts (like my Alakazam and its Shadow Ball), you should be OK. If
you don't, use a Fire-type that won't get nailed with Shadow Ball and, for
some reason I don't understand, Psychic. If you have a Dark-type for this
battle, that's even better. She makes Fantina's Ghosts look like a joke, more
than they already did.


|---------------------------------------------------------------|
|-- Leader 8: Volkner ------------------------------------------|
|-- Specialty: Electric-type Pokemon ---------------------------|
|-- Prizes: TM 57 (Charge Beam), Beacon Badge, $6000 -----------|
|-- Pokemon: Jolteon, Raichu, Luxray, Electivire ---------------|
|-- HM Usage: Can now use HM 07 (Waterfall) outside of battle --|
|---------------------------------------------------------------|

Pokemon Synopsis:
- Jolteon lv.46 (Electric): Charge Beam, Iron Tail, Quick Attack, Thunder Wave
- Raichu lv.46 (Electric): Charge Beam, Focus Blast, Quick Attack, Signal Beam
- Luxray lv.48 (Electric): Thunder Fang, Ice Fang, Fire Fang, Crunch
- Electivire lv.50 (Electric): Thunderpunch, Fire Punch, Giga Impact, Quick
Attack

My team: Torterra lv.53, Alakazam lv.53, Rampardos lv.53, Glaceon lv.53,
Magmortar lv.53, Lucario lv.53

Difficulty: 7/10 (4/10 with Ground-types)
Recommended Types: Ground, Steel

Battle Synopsis:
This is it, the final leader battle!

Every single one of his Pokemon is purely Electric-type, so you won't have
to worry about ducking around the dual-types like with the other gym leaders.
He makes up for it with his team's moves, though, so be careful if you decide
to go in with a bunch of Ground-types and expect to sweep him. Unless you've
had them yourselves at any point, you've likely not seen most of his team.

If you're worried about Charge Beam, don't be. It's a joke of an attack at
this point in the game, with only 50 power and 90% accuracy. It's also the
prize for winning... a crappy prize indeed. Both Jolteon and Raichu use this
move, though if you're using a Ground-type, Raichu will use Focus Blast and
erase it from the field unless you erase Raichu first. Jolteon will use Iron
Tail in the same way. I really think they were thinking of Golems and Onixs
as their opponents when they chose those moves, because they aren't super-
effective against all Ground-types. Oh well, just sweep the first two with
your Hippowdon or Torterra, or whatever the heck you're using.

Next up is Luxray, his ace Pokemon in the other two games. It's been shafted
in this game, but it's much better now that it's dropped crappy Charge Beam
for some real attacks. The trio of fang attacks cover most types, with Crunch
taking the types it doesn't, and all of them are physical attacks upped by
Luxray's high Atk stat, so be careful who you use. I'd actually recommend a
Fighting-type against this one, as it won't be hit hard by any of Luxray's
attacks and it will probably put the hurting on him, since his Def stat sucks
a lot.

Last but certainly not least is Electivire, the new and improved Electabuzz
that you've probably never seen before now. Like Luxray, all of its attacks
are purely physical and like Luxray, he has quite high Atk. Giga Impact is
the physical form of Hyper Beam, meaning it will crush you and then make its
user wait one turn before doing anything else. I highly recommend something
along the lines of Golem for this one, as nothing it will use can hurt Golem
much. It's basically a stronger Luxray otherwise, so take it down the same
way you took Luxray down and you'll be fine.

When you win the battle and dethrone the top gym leader of Sinnoh, go ahead
and give yourself a quick pat on the back, and then get to work leveling up
in Victory Road. The levels I posted for my team in this battle were no joke
and are quite necessary. Get at it!


=======================
| 3: ELITE FOUR GUIDE |
=======================

My team before challenging the Elite Four:
- Torterra lv.60 (Grass/Ground): Wood Hammer, Earthquake, Stone Edge,
Synthesis
- Alakazam lv.60 (Psychic): Psychic, Shadow Ball, Focus Blast, Calm Mind
- Rampardos lv.60 (Rock): Rock Slide, Earthquake, Zen Headbutt, Swords Dance
- Glaceon lv.60 (Ice): Ice Beam, Iron Tail, Signal Beam, Hail
- Magmortar lv.60 (Fire): Flamethrower, Hyper Beam, Thunderbolt, Psychic
- Lucario lv.60 (Fighting/Steel): Aura Sphere, Flash Cannon, Dragon Pulse,
Dark Pulse

You'll likely have a far different team than my own, but the basic idea is
the very same: you need to have diversity. Unless you're an experienced
Pokemon vet, you're going to have trouble going into this with a team of
six Pokemon all the same type. Though I chose not to, it's recommended that
you have at least a Water-type, a Grass-type, an Electric-type and a Fire-
type on your team, as they can usually cover most other types. It is, of
course, your game and your choice, but think before you rush in, as you don't
get to leave after entering the Elite Four's turf. Once you're in, you're in
until you've either won or lost. You also need high levels. If you rush in
with anything less than level 45, you're going to get smoked unless you have
close to one hundred of every Potion and Revive available. Levels 50-60 are
the recommended area for newcomers to the series.



|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|-- Elite No.1: Aaron ----------------------------------------|
|-- Specialty: Bug-type Pokemon ------------------------------|
|-- Pokemon: Yanmega, Scizor, Heracross, Vespiquen, Drapion --|
|-------------------------------------------------------------|



*Note: No more Prizes and HM Usage sections, as there's no HMs left to be
unlocked through beating this guy, and the only prize is money, which isn't
important in the Elite Four anyway.

Pokemon Synopsis:
- Yanmega lv.49 (Bug/Flying): Bug Buzz, Air Slash, U-Turn, Double Team
- Scizor lv.49 (Bug/Steel): X-Scissor, Iron Head, Night Slash, Quick Attack
- Heracross lv.51 (Bug/Fighting): Megahorn, Close Combat, Night Slash, Stone
Edge
- Vespiquen lv.50 (Bug/Flying): Attack Order, Defend Order, Power Gem, Heal
Order
- Drapion lv.53 (Poison/Dark): Cross Poison, X-Scissor, Aerial Ace, Ice Fang

Difficulty: 5-6/10
Recommended Types: Fire, Flying, Rock, Ground

*Note: The Synopsises for the battles will be longer now because I will be
giving summaries of every Pokemon in as much detail as I can, so be sure to
brace yourselves.

Battle Synopsis:
You start off against a team of Pokemon types that haven't been seen in an
official battle since the second gym of Johto, and that was just child's
play compared to this. Every one of his Pokemon can cover their types at
least decently, and it's going to be that way for most of the Elite Four,
so think before you chose who faces whom.

We start with Yanmega, a new face to the series. Its Atk stat isn't much to
write home about, but its Sp. Atk stat is, and Bug Buzz and Air Slash both
make good use of that on top of getting STAB. U-Turn is there in case it
doesn't want to take any chances, as it switches Yanmega out immediately
after attacking. Double Team is there because Yanmega is a cheater and likes
to aggravate people. Use a good, fast Rock-type against him and you should
be OK, but be sure to use something that has decent Sp. Defense.

Scizor is a face seen last in the Johto series, evolving from the ever-
lovable Scyther you've seen and lusted after several times. It has really
good Atk, really good moves and STAB for his best ones, so have a Fire-type
ready. If you don't, use anything that can take a hit, because it'll crush
you if you don't. Fire Pokemon can hit him for 4x damage, so use them, and
use them now. You'll be happy you did.

Heracross is also a familiar face from Johto. He's the one with the ridiculous
weakness to Flying-types that can crush anything that isn't Flying because of
his massive Atk. Every single one of his attacks hit hard, and they're varied
enough to hit extra hard against almost anything you throw at him. Megahorn
and Close Combat hit the hardest, having 120 base power and STAB to boot.
If you have a Staraptor, it shines here with its Aerial Ace/Wing Attack/Brave
Bird and speed. If not, just about any Flying-type will do. If you don't have
one at all, use a Psychic- or Fire-type, just remember that Bug-types are
strong against Psychic-types for reasons I still don't understand ten or
twelve years into the series.

You can relax a little with the always-female Vespiquen, as it's not much of
a threat compared to all of his other Pokemon, especially Heracross. Neither
of her power stats are very good, and her defenses are only marginally better,
so you can take hits from this one no problem. The Order attacks are unique to
her, as far as I know. Attack Order is strong Bug-version of Slash, in which
it has a high chance of getting critical hits. Defend Order raises both its
defenses, like the move Cosmic Power. Heal Order is Recover in Bug form. Power
Gem is a Rock-type attack with no extra effects. Just pummel it with a Rock-
type like you should have done ten minutes ago and you'll be fine, since it,
like Yanmega, has a horrible weakness to Rock Pokemon.

Finally we have Drapion, Aaron's strongest Pokemon and the only Pokemon on
his team who isn't actually a Bug-type. Being Poison and Dark means that it
has but one weakness: Ground-types (hence why I have it recommended for this
battle). However, the brilliant Pokemon scientist Aaron thought ahead and
gave Drapion Ice Fang to deal with this unfair advantage you probably don't
have anyway, so if you use a Steel/Ground or something similar that counters
that, he'll have nothing on you. Unless you have a Steelix, I doubt you have
that particular typing, so bring out a good Pokemon with a Ground-type move
(example: my Rampardos and Earthquake) and take it down that way. Remember
that Drapion has decent Def stat, so you might need a few hits to bring down
this wannabe Bug Pokemon.


|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|-- Elite No.2: Bertha ---------------------------------------|
|-- Specialty: Ground-type Pokemon ---------------------------|
|-- Pokemon: Whiscash, Gliscor, Golem, Hippowdon, Rhyperior --|
|-------------------------------------------------------------|


Pokemon Synopsis:
- Whiscash lv.50 (Ground/Water): Earth Power, Aqua Tail, Zen Headbutt,
Sandstorm
- Gliscor lv.51 (Ground/Flying): Earthquake, Fire Fang, Thunder Fang, Ice Fang
- Golem lv.52 (Ground/Rock): Earthquake, Fire Punch, Thunderpunch, Sandstorm
- Hippowdon lv.52 (Ground): Earthquake, Crunch, Stone Edge, Yawn
- Rhyperior lv.55 (Ground/Rock): Earthquake, Rock Wrecker, Megahorn, Avalanche

Difficulty: 5/10
Recommended Types: Grass, Water, Ice

Battle Synopsis:
With the exception of Whiscash, every single one of her Pokemon has the move
Earthquake, so be on your guard: you will be healing a lot throughout the
battle.

She opens with Whiscash, a Water/Ground Pokemon. You'll remember this typing
set from Quagsire of Pastoria Gym, and the annoying fact that only Grass-types
can deal more than regular damage to it. None of his stats are impressive, so
unless you're leading with a Golem or Magneton (as examples), you're safe.
Whiscash is actually an idiot in the fact that he learns Earthquake through
level-up, but opted for the weaker Earth Power. Easier for you, anyway. Aqua
Tail is a new physical Water-type move that does a good deal of damage, and
Zen Headbutt is the Psychic Headbutt. If you have a Grass-type, easy win,
'nuff said.

Gliscor is the evolved form of a Johto face, Gligar. It has a 4x weakness to
Ice Pokemon, but is immune to Electric- and Ground-types, which changes little
for you as you shouldn't be leading with either anyway. The three Fang attacks
are for type coverage, while Earthquake gets STAB and smashes Pokemon that
can't stand up to it. If you have anything with an Ice-type move, Gliscor's
nothing but a frozen target. If you don't, choose your attacks well and you
should be all right anyway. Just remember that it has high defense and decent
Atk to go along with it.

Everyone should remember Golem, who's been around since the Kanto days as the
easily-dispatched evolved form of Geodude. He has many weaknesses, two of
which are double weaknesses (Water and Grass), and low Sp. Def to stand up
to them, meaning easy victory for you if you use Surf or Giga Drain from any
Pokemon who can learn them. If you use a physical-based Pokemon, take note of
Golem's high offense and defense, and the movesets he chose for them. Fire
Punch and Thunderpunch are there to take out the Water- and Grass-types you
should be using against it – not that he'd last long enough to stand up to
them anyway – and Sandstorm is there to piss you off.

Hippowdon is a new face from Sinnoh, and is quite strong offensively and
defensively, so if you don't have something to counter it well, you're going
to get smoked. It creates a sandstorm immediately upon entering battle thanks
to its special ability, and it won't disappear unless you use a weather-
altering move of your own. It's mainly there as a physical onslaught, and it
works that role well with its attacks, so be on your guard with something
strong in the Water-type range and you should be fine.

Finally is Rhyperior, the useless new evolution of Rhydon. If you don't nail
its double weakness(es), it will murder you. All of its attacks except for
Avalanche can and will hurt and possibly even KO you if you don't kill it
first, because its Atk is seriously high and its Def isn't far behind. Its
Sp. stats are pathetic, however, so crush it any old way with a Water-type.
Seriously, if you lose to this thing, stop playing here and level up, 'cause
the battles only get harder from here on out.


|----------------------------------------------------------------|
|-- Elite No.3: Flint -------------------------------------------|
|-- Specialty: Fire-type Pokemon --------------------------------|
|-- Pokemon: Houndoom, Flareon, Rapidash, Infernape, Magmortar --|
|----------------------------------------------------------------|


Pokemon Synopsis:
- Houndoom lv.52 (Fire/Dark): Flamethrower, Dark Pulse, Sludge Bomb, Sunny Day
- Flareon lv.55 (Fire): Overheat, Giga Impact, Quick Attack, Will-o-Wisp
- Rapidash lv.53 (Fire): Flare Blitz, Solarbeam, Bounce, Sunny Day
- Infernape lv.55 (Fire/Fighting): Flare Blitz, Mach Punch, Earthquake,
Thunderpunch
- Magmortar lv.57 (Fire): Flamethrower, Solarbeam, Thunderbolt, Hyper Beam

Difficulty: 7/10
Recommended Types: Water, Rock, Ground

Battle Synopsis:
In Diamond/Pearl, this guy claimed to be the Fire-type all-star while only
having two actual Fire-types. In Platinum, he can actually stake his claim
properly, as his entire team has Fire Pokemon. I'm still raging at the lack
of Arcanine, though. Arcanine is awesome. Anyway, be on your guard: most of
his Pokemon can deal with their Water-type weaknesses quite well.

He starts with Houndoom, someone you probably remember seeing before if you
have played Gold/Silver. You won't like that he has great Sp. Atk and all of
his moves are Sp. Atk moves, along with STAB on two of them. You will like
that his defenses are pathetic, so beat him to death with a Fighting- or Rock-
type Pokemon, or wash him away with a Water-type. Your choice. Either way, he
isn't much of a threat.

Flareon, however, is a threat. He has massive attack strength and Giga Impact
to prove it. Overheat is an attack originating from Hoenn, with 140 power but
the drawback that it lowers the user's Sp. Atk by two stages after each use. I
don't think Flareon cares, though, especially since he'll probably have KOed
his target anyway. Bring a Water-type to this battle, but one that can take
a hit from Giga Impact. I recommend Gyarados personally because of his own
special ability, Intimidate, which lowers the foe's Atk stat upon entry and
re-entry. Have some Full Heals ready in case he uses Will-o-wisp.

Rapidash has the infamous Sunnybeam combo (Sunny Day + Solarbeam) to use, so
Water and Rock Pokemon aren't as safe as they might think. It also has Flare
Blitz, a physical Fire attack that basically reflects Double-Edge in that it
also damages the user. Be wary, because his Atk stat is very high and Flare
Blitz will hurt a lot. If you have something faster than Rapidash, use it on
him and hope that he uses Sunny Day first, so that you can win before he even
attacks with either move.

Infernape is the fully evolved form of Chimchar, one of the three starters
available at the beginning of the game. If you started with Turtwig like I
did, you've dealt with this thing before already. If not, well, be prepared
to deal with something that has well-rounded and good stats to reflect its
high-power attacks, all of which are physical. Thunderpunch is there for the
Water-types, and Earthquake is there for anything it can't hurt with Flare
Blitz or Mach Punch, which always goes first. Water, Ground and Psychic
Pokemon all work well here, but have good defenses to go with them or you
might use up some potions here.

His staple Pokemon is the newly evolved form of Magmar, named Magmortar. It
has massive Sp. Atk and the most well-rounded pool of special-based moves
you've seen all game. The main one is Thunderbolt, which you've likely never
seen used by a Fire-type Pokemon before, so leave your Water-types to the
side, because he also has Solarbeam. Hyper Beam, also special, is there to
sweep everything else along with Flamethrower. I can't really recommend any
Pokemon for this one because of his good pool of moves, so bring out your
best Pokemon and hope for the best. The best I can do is recommend a supreme
Psychic- or Fighting-type Pokemon, the best you can use that he won't have
an edge against in the first place. You'll have to heal many times, but you
can beat him, it's just a matter of how and if.


|------------------------------------------------------------|
|-- Elite No.4: Lucian --------------------------------------|
|-- Specialty: Psychic-type Pokemon -------------------------|
|-- Pokemon: Mr. Mime, Espeon, Alakazam, Bronzong, Gallade --|
|------------------------------------------------------------|


Pokemon Synopsis:
- Mr. Mime lv.53 (Psychic): Psychic, Thunderbolt, Reflect, Light Screen
- Espeon lv.55 (Psychic): Psychic, Shadow Ball, Signal Beam, Quick Attack
- Alakazam lv.56 (Psychic): Psychic, Focus Blast, Energy Ball, Recover
- Bronzong lv.54 (Psychic/Steel): Psychic, Earthquake, Gyro Ball, Calm Mind
- Gallade lv.59 (Psychic/Fighting): Psycho Cut, Drain Punch, Stone Edge, Leaf
Blade

Difficulty: 8-9/10
Recommended Types: Dark, Ghost, Fire, Flying

Battle Synopsis:
This is quite possibly the most awesome trainer to ever hit the Sinnoh
region, simply because of his awesome name and awesome Pokemon. He's also
the hardest trainer you've faced so far, so be ready and healed.

Mr. Mime thankfully doesn't have Baton Pass, but he does have Reflect and
Light Screen to boost both defenses for a few turns. I'd tell you to Brick
Break them out of the way, but it won't do much against Mimey here anyway,
so you're just as well to wait it out. If you have a Dark-type, bring it to
fight him and watch him fall. If not, he'll watch you fall if you're not
careful. He's mainly there for the defenses, though.

Espeon is the Psychic evolved form of Eevee, and is a pain in the rear end
when you're battling him. Signal Beam is there to take out your Dark-types,
and Psychic and Shadow Ball are there to sweep everyone else with his insane
Sp. Atk. (and STAB in Psychic's case). Take it down quickly and you'll be OK,
but lag and he'll crush you.

If you thought Espeon was strong, you're not ready for Alakazam, the Pokemon
once known as the strongest Psychic-type next to Mewtwo. Focus Blast will
absolutely destroy any Dark-type you use, and Psychic will take the rest. I
have no idea what Energy Ball is for; Calm Mind would have been a far better
choice there. You know how annoying Recover is already. Counteract his almost
broken power by nailing his abysmal defenses, but you have to survive long
enough to do so. Trust me, I've had to take this entire damned challenge a few
times simply because of Alakazam, and I have one of my own.

I think this is the only person in the entire game who was able to evolve his
Bronzor. If not, it was done for the build-up of seeing the evolved form of
that cheap bastard you've been battling all game. His typing leaves him with
only two weaknesses, and depending on his special ability, you'll only be
able to nail one of them. If he has Levitate, Ground attacks won't work at
all; if he has Heatproof, Fire will only do regular damage. Luckily for you,
Bronzong doesn't have particularly strong attack force, but that doesn't stop
Psychic and Earthquake (for the Fire-types) from being a literal nightmare
for you. If you started with Infernape or came across a Magmar or Rapidash in
your travels, they'll do excellent here, but be careful of Earthquake. Too
bad for you Bronzong isn't the end like last time.

Platinum presents Gallade, the counterpart to the ever-awesome Gardevoir. This
one is basically the physical form, and has very high Atk strength to show for
it. Psycho Cut is the Psychic form of Slash, and works the same way. You have
seen Stone Edge and Drain Punch before. Leaf Blade is the Grass-type Slash. If
you lose to him, don't be too angry, I did as well. He's not as hard as the
monstrosity of Bronzong was, but he can solo a battle-worn team, so be careful
in this battle. Flying-types work best here, so bring out your Staraptor for
this one for the best results.

Even though all four Elites are done now, it isn't over. Heal to full health
and, if possible, PP and save.


|--------------------------------|
|-- Champion: Cynthia -----------|
|-- Specialty: Various Pokemon --|
|--------------------------------|



Pokemon Synopsis:
- Spiritomb lv.58 (Ghost/Dark): Shadow Ball, Dark Pulse, Psychic, Silver
Wind
- Togekiss lv.60 (Normal/Flying): Air Slash, Aura Sphere, Shock Wave, Water
Pulse
- Roserade lv.58 (Grass/Poison): Energy Ball, Sludge Bomb, Extrasensory, Toxic
- Milotic lv.58 (Water): Surf, Ice Beam, Dragon Pulse, Mirror Coat
- Lucario lv.60 (Fighting/Steel): Aura Sphere, Shadow Ball, Extremespeed,
Stone Edge
- Garchomp lv.62 (Dragon/Ground): Dragon Rush, Earthquake, Flamethrower, Giga
Impact

Difficulty: 9-10/10

Battle Synopsis:
*Note: I didn't have a Recommended Types section this time because, quite
simply, there's no types I can recommended. You have to match her diversity
with your own if you want a chance.

After Ruby/Sapphire and Steven, it was pretty much expected that this lovely
lady would be the champion, so don't be too shocked. She's the strongest
trainer you've faced thus far, and her diverse team with its diverse moves
proves that all too well. You'll need to do everything you've done and many
things you haven't done if you want a chance. You'll also need to be highly
leveled, like 55+ leveled or something, if you want a surefire win. If not,
good luck. You'll need it.

She starts with a Pokemon with no weaknesses known as Spiritomb. Actually, I
lied: he has a Fighting-type weakness if you use Foresight or a similar move
on him. Otherwise, well, he has no weaknesses. Its speed is virtually non-
existent and its attack force is lame, so you shouldn't have too many problems
if you use the right Pokemon. Take note of Shadow Ball and the fact that it
will smoke your non-Normal types after a while.

Togekiss is the fully evolved form of Togepi, the tiny egg Pokemon who was for
so long a mascot of the anime alongside Pikachu. It has high Sp. Atk and uses
moves that all rely on that stat, but it isn't too strong altogether. Oh, by
the way, Shock Wave and Aura Sphere never miss, ever, and the latter has 90
power. Don't use a Steel-type unless it's super strong. All I can really tell
you otherwise is hit it hard to bring it down.

You've seen Roserade several times before, courtesy of your rival and Gardenia
from Eterna Gym. Cynthia's Roserade is much stronger than those wimps. It gets
STAB from Energy Ball and Sludge Bomb and beats up others with Extrasensory,
and Toxic will bring out a steadily increasingly devastating poison to sap you
of your health. Any Fire or Psychic Pokemon will bring it down, but not easily
and certainly not instantly. Take note of the fact that Energy Ball may or may
not lower your Sp. Def when used on you, which is troublesome if your Pokemon
started off with that stat being weak.

You'll remember Milotic from the previous generation as one of the best Water
Pokemon of the generation. It was strong then, and it's stronger now. First
and foremost, don't lead with special attacks, or you'll get pulverized by
Mirror Coat. Surf and Ice Beam will damage you so greatly that your feelings
will be hurt, and Dragon Pulse is there to take out your, well, dragons. Its
weaknesses lie in its Def, which sucks, but Marvel Scale will give it a 50%
jump start if it has a status condition. So don't paralyse it or anything.

Lucario is a Pokemon that I believe every trainer should have, but in case
you do not, it's no different from Maylene's Lucario aside from being almost
twice as leveled and having better moves. Aura Sphere never misses, Shadow
Ball takes out the Psychics you might use, Stone Edge takes out the Fire-
types, and Extremespeed is basically a double Quick Attack. It's strong, but
not very defensive. Just like last time, a good Ground-type will wreck it,
and fellow Fighting-types can lay a beating as well.

Her final and staple Pokemon is Garchomp, a ferocious Pokemon with only one
real weakness: it can't take the cold. Dragon Rush is one of the best Dragon
attacks in the Pokeverse, and Earthquake is a general wrecking attack in the
Sinnoh Pokemon League. Both get STAB, by the way. Giga Impact is the attack
that will bring down most Pokemon, but don't forget that you'll get a free
turn if you can tank it. Finally, if you decide to take logical advice and use
an Ice-type, Flamethrower will melt it. (By the way, if you watched the anime
and saw her Garchomp used against the purple-haired rival, don't be fooled:
that was just the anime blowing it out of proportion. Garchomp can't really
block a direct-hit Blizzard by raising one wing) If you have a Gyarados with
Ice Fang, you've already won. If you don't, best of luck. She covers types
quite well with Garchomp, and you'll need lots of healing to survive here.

When you finally take down her six champion Pokemon, congratulations! You're
now the Pokemon League champion! And with that, a world of other possibilities
for the game open up.


===========================
| 4: GYM LEADER 2.0 GUIDE |
===========================


In Pokemon Platinum, you get the wonderous ability to rebattle the gym leaders
and Elite Four members after beating the game. They are all 60+ in level, of
course meaning that wimps like Roark and Gardenia are no longer wimps. Every
one of each leader's Pokemon is also fully evolved if they weren't before.
You're in for a tough run of it. They're all fought at Battleground at the
Survival Area, once again unavailable until after you beat the Elite Four
and obtain the National Pokedex. The catch? You can only fight one of them per
day, and that means you need two weeks to fight every trainer here. There are
also five other trainers you can battle against, all five of them being the
trainers you have paired up with at various points in the game, but they won't
be covered in this guide because they're not technically boss battles. They're
covered in the walkthroughs anyway, I believe.

Oh, by the way, if you want a chance of winning, bring your Pokemon up to at
least level 50 if you haven't already. Anything less will more than likely get
demolished against these new and improved gym leaders. Their movesets and the
fully evolved Pokemon that use them are no jokes. You've been fairly warned,
so don't send me e-mails whining that they were too tough for you if you lose
to them with underleveled teams, because like I said, I won't reply to spam.

One final note: like with the Elite Four, I will not be providing prize or
usage sections, since there's no prize except money, and every trainer/gym
leader dishes out 7800 yen upon being defeated anyway.

Onward we go. The team I used going into this series of battles is the same
as before, and same movesets, but five levels higher each.


|----------------------------------|
|-- Leader Rebattle 1: Roark ------|
|-- Specialty: Rock-type Pokemon --|
|----------------------------------|

Pokemon Sypnosis:
- Aerodactyl lv.62 (Rock/Flying): Stone Edge, Aerial Ace, Earthquake, Dragon
Claw
- Probopass lv.61 (Rock/Steel): Stone Edge, Earth Power, Discharge, Stealth
Rock
- Golem lv.61 (Rock/Ground): Stone Edge, Earthquake, Brick Break, Flamethrower
- Rampardos lv.63 (Rock): Head Smash, Zen Headbutt, Earthquake, Avalanche
- Tyranitar lv.65 (Rock/Dark): Stone Edge, Aerial Ace, Crunch, Fire Fang

Difficulty: 5/10
Recommended Types: Fighting, Water, Ground, Grass

Battle Synopsis:
You're probably as amazed as I was that this is the very same Roark we creamed
so easily back in the beginning. He ditched his Onix, probably because Steelix
is a Steel-type and therefore not able to be on a Rock-type team, and brought
in a few intense Pokemon, some from the old days and some anew. You need to
make sure you use some good strategy to win, but really, at this point of the
game, you shouldn't have too many problems with winning, especially since some
of his Pokemon have double weaknesses.

Fans of the Red/Blue and Gold/Silver games will remember Aerodactyl, the Rock-
type prehistoric creature who was once a fossil Pokemon and then became far
more common. Its best stat is its speed, with its Atk following closely
behind. It will wreck an unprepared team, so counter it with a good Pokemon
that can take a hit, preferably a Water-type because it won't be hit super-
effectively by any of Aerodactyl's moves.

Probopass is Sinnoh's evolved form of Nosepass, the staple Pokemon of the
Rock Gym back in Hoenn. It's Rock and Steel, meaning it's a fortress against
most Pokemon, but it still has weaknesses, notably to Ground- and Fighting-
types, so Lucario, Machamp, hell, even Golem will crush it if you use them.
Watch out for Stealth Rock, which will damage any Pokemon you send into the
battle through retreating or replacing.

Golem is basically the same as it was when you faced it in the Elite Four
challenge, just several levels higher and with crappier moves. Flamethrower
might be a threat if Golem's Sp. Atk didn't suck so much, and it won't last
long enough against a Grass-type to really use it anyway. Speaking of which,
use a Grass-type, or a Water-type. My advice for Pokemon like Golem and Rhydon
will never change.

You may or may not have seen Rampardos, the evolved form of Cranidos, before
now. Its Atk is massive, stronger than more or less any other physical-based
Pokemon, and all of its attacks use this stat. Head Smash is a stronger form
of Headbutt, and also a Rock-type move. It has the power of Hyper Beam, with
recoil damage. Zen Headbutt, as you may or may not know, is a Psychic-type
move that is physical and hurts like heck. I can only assume that Avalanche is
there for Grass-type moves. Use whatever strategy you used against Cranidos to
beat the stronger Rampardos; trust me, he's not that strong if you use a good
Pokemon to counter. My Torterra proved that.

Tyranitar, the Johto monstrosity, is his final and new staple Pokemon. It has
strong Atk, but not on the same level as Rampardos; nevertheless, its moves
all draw on its Atk, so reflect with something that won't get pulverized by
a STABed Crunch or Stone Edge. Aerial Ace never misses, so be careful of that
as well. All in all, he's strong, but not super strong. You should be fine.
Take note of its double weakness to Fighting-types.


|-----------------------------------|
|-- Leader Rebattle 2: Gardenia ----|
|-- Specialty: Grass-type Pokemon --|
|-----------------------------------|



Pokemon Synopsis:
- Jumpluff lv.61 (Grass/Flying): Bounce, Silver Wind, Toxic, Sunny Day
- Cherrim lv.62 (Grass): Solarbeam, Sunny Day, Leech Seed, Toxic
- Bellossom lv.61 (Grass): Giga Drain, Drain Punch, Ingrain, Sunny Day
- Torterra lv.63 (Grass/Ground): Wood Hammer, Earthquake, Stone Edge, Crunch
- Roserade lv.65 (Grass/Poison): Leaf Storm, Sludge Bomb, Shadow Ball, Hyper
Beam

Difficulty: 3/10
Recommended Types: Same as before.

Battle Synopsis:
Don't be fooled by her hew and improved team; this battle is more or less the
same battle as the last time. The only difference is that everyone is forty
levels higher and Turtwig is now a Torterra, and her moves are a little more
varied than before.

Jumpluff is a joke, plain and simple. Bounce is pretty much the same as Fly,
with a small chance of paralysing its target if it hits. It gets STAB, but as
a physical attacker – actually, an attacker in general – Jumpluff can't hold a
candle to real Grass-types. A Fire- or Ice-type will laugh this pathetic fluff
ball into an early grave. Hell, use a Rock-type if you want, it has no Grass
moves to use against them.

Cherrim isn't much harder. Solarbeam is its only attacking move, and it relies
on Sunny Day to actually be used. If you burn it out before then with a SD-
powered Fire attack, you've already won. If it does hit you with Solarbeam,
don't worry too much, as Cherrim doesn't hit very hard. Keep in mind, however,
that its Sp. Atk will be multiplied by 1.5 if it's sunny, but like I said, if
you're using a Fire-type, that doesn't matter anyway.

You've probably never seen Bellossom before unless you've played Gold/Silver,
but don't worry. It's stronger than the previous two, but by a miniscule level
of strength. Giga Drain and Drain Punch are the same except for typing, and
both are pitiful on this thing. Nevertheless, don't lead with a Water or Rock
Pokemon, as that's just stupid.

Torterra is the fully evolved form of Turtwig, and you've dealt with it before
if you started with Piplup. Unlike the first three Pokemon, Torterra can wreck
an entire team if used properly. Suggesting Fire-types here is pointless as
Earthquake will crush them if Torterra survives a hit, so use an Ice-type with
a half-decent Ice attack, as Grass/Ground means double weakness. Watch out for
Stone Edge, which is there to counter Ice Pokemon.

You'll remember Roserade from your rival, the champion and Gardenia's original
team. It's much, much stronger now. Leaf Storm is an immensely strong Grass
move, using 140 power, and gets STAB to bring it up to Self-destruct level of
power. Sludge Bomb, also STABed, is powerful as well, and Shadow Ball will
take out whichever Psychic-type you use to counter her. We all know why it has
Hyper Beam: just to show it can. By the way, all of her attacks use the Sp.
Atk stat, and its Sp. Atk is high. Be very careful here, and use any Pokemon
that won't get pulverized by super-effective hits. Whatever strategy you used
during the first battle will likely work here as well, though.


|-----------------------------------|
|-- Leader Rebattle 3: Fantina -----|
|-- Specialty: Ghost-type Pokemon --|
|-----------------------------------|



Pokemon Synopsis:
- Banette lv.61 (Ghost): Shadow Claw, Faint Attack, Thunderbolt, Will-o-wisp
- Drifblim lv.61 (Ghost/Flying): Ominous Wind, Psychic, Silver Wind, Baton
Pass
- Dusknoir lv.62 (Ghost): Shadow Punch, Rock Slide, Protect, Double Team
- Mismagius lv.63 (Ghost): Shadow Ball, Psychic, Thunderbolt, Magical Leaf
- Gengar lv.65 (Ghost/Poison): Shadow Ball, Psychic, Thunder, Focus Blast

Difficulty: 5/10
Recommended Types: Dark, Ghost, Psychic

Battle Synopsis:
Her team has been improved since the last time you faced her, but not on any
monstrous level.

Banette is annoying, but rather tame in the long run. Its Atk stat is decent,
so Shadow Claw may or may not hurt a bit, but the rest of its attacks are low
in force all in all. Will-o-Wisp will burn you if it hits, so have some Full
Heals on hand, or Revives if the burn KOs you.

You've probably seen Drifblim before now. Its special ability is its most
life-threatening move: if you finish Drifblim off with a physical hit, you'll
lose 1/4th of your HP, even if you have less than that left. Ominous Wind and
Silver Wind both have 60 base power (O. Wind getting STAB), and both have a
chance of raising all of its stats by one point each (like Ancientpower). If
this happens, it will use Baton Pass to pass these changes on to another even
better Pokemon, so don't let it do so. Dark attacks work best here.

Dusknoir, the third form of Duskull unique to Sinnoh, is the tank of Fantina's
team. Its stat power is its defenses, both very high, so taking this one down
won't be easy. If you have a Dark-type Pokemon on hand, use it here. Dusknoir
takes advantage of its own defenses and uses Double Team and Protect to make
taking it down even more annoying. Faint Attack gets passed all of the Double
Teams in the world, but you likely won't have anything for Protect. Just be
patient and whittle it down little by little, it'll go down eventually.

You've faced her Mismagius before. The only real changes are that she replaced
Psybeam with Psychic and added Thunderbolt, making it a good special Pokemon.
The strategy to beat it this time is no different; use whatever you used last
time and Mismagius will go down before you know it.

Her last and best Pokemon by far is Gengar. You faced it as a Haunter when you
fought Fantina the first time, where it had two wimpy attacks it couldn't even
use properly. This time it took some notes from Mismagius and improved vastly,
but its weaknesses lie in its inaccurate moves. Shadow Ball and Psychic more
than make up for that. Focus Blast is there to take down the Dark-types you
probably should be using, and Thunder is just there. Use a Dark-type anyway;
you'll likely survive the first hit from Focus Blast if it hits you.


|--------------------------------------|
|-- Leader Rebattle 4: Maylene --------|
|-- Specialty: Fighting-type Pokemon --|
|--------------------------------------|



Pokemon Synopsis:
- Hitmontop lv.62 (Fighting): Triple Kick, Fake Out, Aerial Ace, Quick Attack
- Breloom lv.62 (Fighting/Grass): Mach Punch, Seed Bomb, Stone Edge, Spore
- Medicham lv.63 (Fighting/Psychic): Hi Jump Kick, Fire Punch, Thunderpunch,
Ice Punch
- Machamp lv.64 (Fighting): Cross Chop, Earthquake, Stone Edge, Rock Climb
- Lucario lv.66 (Fighting/Steel): Close Combat, Drain Punch, Extremespeed,
Bone Rush

Difficulty: 4/10
Recommended Types: Psychic, Flying, Fire

Battle Synopsis:
Maylene still isn't very hard to beat, but her team has improved. Her three
original Pokemon are now fully evolved and she's added two others, but they
aren't threatening if you followed my advice and brought the three types that
can seriously dent her lame typing.

She leads with a Hitmontop, which has lame stats and even lamer moves to go
with them. The biggest threat is Aerial Ace, which never misses, but won't do
a lot of damage anyway. She would have been better off using Hitmonchan or
Hitmonlee... Anyway, dispatch it with whatever you happen to be using, you'll
be fine.

Breloom follows, and it's a huge improvement in the Atk department. All of its
moves use this stat, and Spore puts you to sleep automatically, which can get
very annoying. Mach Punch always goes first, Seed Bomb is just a powerful move
with no extra effects, and you know Stone Edge by now. Look closely at the two
types it consists of, and think of what to use. When you're done thinking, hit
it to death with your Flying-type machine of a Pokemon.

The evolved Meditite is pathetic, plain and simple. It has mediocre Atk power,
and all of its moves use it. You've seen Pokemon using Fire, Ice and Electric
moves all at once before, so you should be familiar with what to do against
them as well. Hi Jump Kick is a strong attack, but terribly inaccurate and
damages the user if it misses. With this mind, you'll probably watch Medicham
off itself in the end, so just weaken it or beat it, whichever works.

You might not have seen Machamp, the evolved Machoke, before. It's got great
Atk strength but rather tame moves. A Psychic-type can and will crush Machamp
quite easily; otherwise, trade blows with him and hope for the best. You may
or may not need to heal a few times. It's really the same as any battle with
any Machoke you've faced in this game.

Last but not least is the Lucario you've seen a few times now, courtesy of
the champion, a former partner and Maylene herself. It hasn't gotten better
since last time, still using moves like Drain Punch and Bone Rush. Close
Combat is a strong move, however, but if you survive, his own Atk and Def
will fall, so beating him will be even easier. Extremespeed is like Quick
Attack, but twice as strong. After Breloom and Machamp, this battle will be
like nothing, so don't fret.

Seriously though, she should have chosen Hitmonlee or Hitmonchan. Heck, even
Hariyama would have been better. Hitmontop...sucks.


|-------------------------------------|
|-- Leader Rebattle 5: Crasher Wake --|
|-- Specialty: Water-type Pokemon ----|
|-------------------------------------|



Pokemon Synopsis:
- Sharpedo lv.61 (Water/Dark): Aqua Jet, Slash, Night Slash, Endure
- Quagsire lv.61 (Water/Ground): Surf, Earthquake, Stone Edge, Yawn
- Gyarados lv.62 (Water/Flying): Aqua Tail, Giga Impact, Bite, Avalanche
- Floatzel lv.63 (Water): Aqua Jet, Brine, Ice Fang, Crunch
- Ludicolo lv.65 (Water/Grass): Surf, Energy Ball, Ice Beam, Focus Blast

Difficulty: 6/10
Recommended Types: Grass, Electric, Flying

Battle Synopsis:
In most areas, most notably his Gyarados and the addition of Ludicolo, Wake
has improved _a lot_ since last time you faced him. No new evolutions, just
two new Pokemon, both Hoenn-based and one of them quite possibly the hardest
Pokemon you'd ever face if used properly.

Sharpedo is a joke, really. It has pretty good Atk stat, but its defenses are
so pathetically weak that you'll destroy it long before it can really hurt you
with any attack. If it does hit you, though, keep in mind that its Atk stat is
pretty high and a critical hit or SE (super-effective) hit can likely put you
in the danger zone, if not KO you. Endure is there to keep it alive, wasting a
turn for you.

You've seen Quagsire before. It's far stronger this time. Surf and Earthquake
both get STAB and Stone Edge will hurt you a fair bit as well. Other than that
its stats aren't high, so you should be fine, especially since neither of its
STABed attacks can hurt the Grass-type you should be using much anyway, unless
it's Torterra or something similar. Solarbeam, Seed Bomb, Wood Hammer, Giga
Drain, etc. can all off this thing easily. Watch out for Yawn, as it will put
the target to sleep on the following turn after it's used, which means you
lose a turn.

It's hard to believe, but this is the same Gyarados as last time, and it's so
much stronger that you'll lose guys to KOing if you're not careful. Aqua Tail
is super-strong and gets STAB for massive damage. Fortunately it doesn't have
access to Earthquake, so your Electric Pokemon are safe is they can take a hit
from Giga Impact and Aqua Tail. Magneton/Magnezone is most recommended here.

His Floatzel is back as well, but it sucks. Brine is crap, Ice Fang is there
for the Grass-types you probably aren't using anyway, and Crunch is a good
damage dealing move. Aqua Jet is Quick Attack in the water. Whatever you used
on him last time will work wonders again.

His new staple Pokemon is Ludicolo, one of the best Water-types in the game.
He's part-Water and part-Grass, erasing all Water weaknesses and only leaving
Grass-type ones. His strength doesn't lie in his regular stats, but instead
in his ability. If it's raining, his Swift Swim will double his speed, making
him faster than anything you use short of Electrode or Ninjask, or something
similar. Fortunately for you, he doesn't have Rain Dance. He does have other
moves, though, and all of them hit hard. You'd be better off using a Flying-
type Pokemon, as long as it can stand up to Ice Beam. Its defenses aren't
fortress-level, so you should be fine with Staraptor or Crobat.


|-----------------------------------|
|-- Leader Rebattle 6: Byron -------|
|-- Specialty: Steel-type Pokemon --|
|-----------------------------------|



Pokemon Synopsis:
- Skarmory lv.61 (Steel/Flying): Drill Peck, Night Slash, Rock Tomb, Stealth
Rock
- Steelix lv.61 (Steel/Ground): Gyro Ball, Ice Fang, Dragonbreath, Sandstorm
- Magnezone lv.62 (Steel/Electric): Flash Cannon, Thunderbolt, Supersonic,
Thunder Wave
- Bastiodon lv.63 (Steel/Rock): Metal Burst, Ancientpower, Iron Defense, Rest
- Aggron lv.65 (Steel/Rock): Metal Burst, Stone Edge, Earthquake, Avalanche

Difficulty: 3/10
Recommended Types: Ground, Fighting, Fire

Battle Synopsis:
It's a damn shame, because Steel-type Pokemon have the potential to be the
best Pokemon in the entire game, with so many resistances. Unfortunately,
Byron fails to bring them even close to their potential. His most threatening
Pokemon is his Aggron.

He leads with Skarmory, a familiar face from the previous game. Drill Peck
gets STAB, but other than that it isn't very challenging. A Steel-tyee of
your own can resist all of Skarmory's moves, so if you have a Magneton at a
good level, it can completely destroy this lame set-up.

Steelix is back, and worse than ever. Gyro Ball is better if you're faster,
and Ice Fang is decent, but Steelix's Sp. Atk is so pitiful that his non-Ice
Fang attacks will barely tickle you. Things will get annoying if he uses his
Sandstorm, so have a weather-changing move of your own. As always, Steelix's
best stat is his fortress-like Defense, so get around it with moves like Surf
and Flamethrower to beat him.

Magnezone, Sinnoh's evolved form of Magneton, is fairly strong, but doesn't
have a moveset to reflect that. Nevertheless, a STABed Thunderbolt or Flash
Cannon is still tough, so take it out with the one weakness the Pokeverse can
never seem to get off of it: Ground-types.

Bastiodon is a lot of m'eh, possessing a huge amount of Defense and not a lot
else. He's not fast, and he doesn't have to be to make the best out of Metal
Burst, so take him out with one hit using your best Ground- or Fighting-type
moves or he'll KO you instantly on his turn. Earthquake + Close Combat = KOed
Bastiodon.

His final Pokemon is his newly caught Aggron, also a Hoenn Pokemon that you
might remember Steven from Ruby/Sapphire using when you faced him. It's got
high Atk and vast Def, but has the same weaknesses as Bastiodon. On top of its
Metal Burst, it's got a STABed Stone Edge, as well as Avalanche for the Ground
Pokemon you might use. Beating it is pretty easy, however, so go ahead, crush
it with your Garchomp or Torterra or whoever you're using and its Earthquake.


|---------------------------------|
|-- Leader Rebattle 7: Candice ---|
|-- Specialty: Ice-type Pokemon --|
|---------------------------------|



Pokemon Synopsis:
- Weavile lv.62 (Ice/Dark): Avalanche, Faint Attack, Slash, Taunt
- Mamoswine lv.61 (Ice/Ground): Avalanche, Earthquake, Ancientpower, Hail
- Abomasnow lv.61 (Ice/Grass): Avalanche, Wood Hammer, Grasswhistle, Ingrain
- Froslass lv.63 (Ice/Ghost): Blizzard, Ominous Wind, Hail, Confuse Ray
- Glaceon lv.65 (Ice): Blizzard, Shadow Ball, Water Pulse, Mirror Coat

Difficulty: 4/10
Recommended Types: Same as before.

Battle Synopsis:
This battle is pretty much the same as last time, with twenty levels added on
to pretty much everyone. Her only real change is evolving her team and adding
a Glaceon to her team. If it was an easy win last time, it'll be even easier
to win this time.

You've seen Weavile before, used by Cyrus. It's just a suped-up Sneasel with
some better moves. Avalanche will hurt you if you don't finish it off right
away, but if you use a Fighting-type like you should, it'll be taken down
instantly anyway.

Mamoswine is the evolved form of Piloswine and isn't much stronger in the long
run. It does have great Attack strength, though, and Earthquake will hurt you
if you decide to use a Fire-type. Other than that, it's pretty much the same
as last time, so just deal with it the same way you did Piloswine.

Use a Fire attack against Abomasnow. 'Nuff said.

Froslass is actually weaker than before. She got rid of Shadow Ball for the
weaker Ominous Wind, gor rid of Double Team and Psychic for Hail and Confuse
Ray, and is too stupid to use her moves properly anyway. KO her the same way
you did before.

You may or may not have seen Glaceon, the Ice evolution of Eevee, before. It
isn't very defensive, but it has high Sp. Atk and can hit hard with every one
of its attacks except maybe Water Pulse. If you don't finish it quickly with
a Fire attack, it can counter with Mirror Coat, which will probably hurt like
hell. Its ability will keep it evasive in a hailstorm, so make sure it isn't
hailing and you'll be fine.

All in all, this battle is even easier this time around.


|--------------------------------------|
|-- Leader Rebattle 8: Volkner --------|
|-- Specialty: Electric-type Pokemon --|
|--------------------------------------|



Pokemon Synopsis:
- Jolteon lv.61 (Electric): Charge Beam, Double Kick, Pin Missile, Quick
Attack
- Raichu lv.61 (Electric): Charge Beam, Brick Break, Light Screen, Thunder
Wave
- Luxray lv.62 (Electric): Thunder Fang, Ice Fang, Fire Fang, Crunch
- Lanturn lv.63 (Electric/Water): Discharge, Surf, Ice Beam, Signal Beam
- Electivire lv.65 (Electric): Thunderpunch, Fire Punch, Giga Impact, Brick
Break

Difficulty: 4-5/10
Recommended Types: Ground, Grass

Battle Synopsis:
The battle is even easier this time than it is last time. With the exception
of Lanturn being added to the team, there are virtually no changes.

Jolteon has a few new moves, neither of which are any good. All of his moves
have low base power, the highest being 50, so you can easily dispatch it.

Raichu now has new and weaker moves as well, so use your Rock-type Pokemon
and bash it into the ground. Brick Break is a strong move, but not on Raichu.

Luxray is the same as before, so use the same strategy again.

Lanturn is a new face, fresh from Johto. Discharge is powerful and, I believe,
hits both opponents (I could be wrong), and Surf and Ice Beam are nothing new
to you. Signal Beam is a Bug-type move that is there, along with Ice Beam, for
the Grass-types you should be using against him. A good move such as Solarbeam
or Wood Hammer can easily take it down.

Electivire is pretty much the same as before, now having Brick Break as well,
so you can easily beat it, especially if it uses Giga Impact and has to wait
one extra turn doing nothing.

All in all, this battle is simple compared to last time, so you should be just
fine beating him.


==========================
| 5: FINAL NOTES/CLOSING |
==========================

Something that I did not mention before is that you can also face an improved
Elite Four in this game. The only difference is that every Pokemon is sixteen
levels higher, so it won't be covered in its own separate section. The moves
used the first time are all the same, with a few changes on certain Pokemon,
but all of the moves used this time around are moves you've seen and dealt
with before, so I trust you'll be all right. If enough people (say, a dozen)
people e-mail me asking to make a section for the second wave, then I will,
but only then.

As I said before, there are five trainers outside of the gym leader group who
will challenge you, all having five Pokemon each with all the same levels (61-
65) as the gym leaders, but having never personally fought them, I cannot make
a section for them. As they aren't technically bosses, I am not going to make
one anyway, but again, if enough people ask me to, I will.

Here is where we close the guide with some special thanks to some people out
there who made this guide possible.

- Me, Murk/David, for making this guide.
- You, the reader, for bearing with me long enough to reach the special thanks
section in the first place.
- CJayC and SBAllen, the former for making this website and the latter for
keeping it running.
- Psypokes.com, for having the moves of Pokemon that I wasn't able to record
(this game needs more Ditto).
- Contributor dmon2, for the same reason as the creators of Psypokes.
- *Ansh Kansara, for pointing out an error made within the guide.
- Nintendo, for making this excellent game.

This document is Copyright (C) 2009 Murk/David Critch.