Pokemon Platinum is renowned for its difficulty fasten later on in the game. Afterward battling through Victory Road and defeating your rival for the final time, information technology's time to put everything yous learned in Sinnoh to the exam past defeating the Elite Four and the famously-difficult Pokemon League Champion Cynthia.

Her team has the only EV-trained Pokemon in the entire Sinnoh region, so you'll about definitely be needing these tips and tricks to defeat her. Let'south build the ultimate squad and strategy and get your Pokemon into the Hall of Fame!

Updated Jan 19th, 2021 past Gene Cole: Many Pokemon fans are hoping for a return to Sinnoh through either a remake or rerelease of Pokemon Diamond, Pearl or Platinum. Every bit a consequence, several experienced players are likely returning to take on Cynthia and her powerful friends, so there are plenty of other strategies if you lot want to survive these tough battles in your Nuzlockes and playthroughs.

15/15 Fill up Up On H2o-Types

Floatzel making a dashing appearance in the Pokemon anime

Unlike many Elite 4 marathons, in that location's a adequately common fix of weaknesses betwixt Sinnoh'south strongest trainers. Bertha, Flint, and even Cynthia are all quite vulnerable to Water-type Pokemon, meaning that having a team filled with H2o-types tin deport you to victory through near of these battles.

If yous don't have many, you'll likely be able to find almost Pokemon capable of learning Surf or Waterfall regardless of their type. Sticking to moves like these will give you some guaranteed harm confronting every opponent in your way.

14/15 Invest In Your Starter

Two of the fully evolved Sinnoh Starters, Empoleon and Torterra, in the Pokemon anime

I of the most classic strategies in all of Pokemon is to but power-level your initial starter Pokemon, and it works meliorate than ever in Pokemon Platinum. Infernape, Empoleon, and Torterra are all incredibly powerful competitive Pokemon, and each 1 is capable of defeating almost Elite 4 members single-handedly.

Empoleon is likely the greatest in terms of law-breaking thanks to its Water-type moveset, but is worth an additional mention for its high HP and Grass-type attacks to bargain with both Bertha and Cynthia quite well. Infernape isn't as great in terms of type advantage, but its high Speed and Attack stats tin can still surprise you lot often.

xiii/15 Find The Skillful Belt

Infernape using a powerful Flamethrower in the Pokemon anime

If you're taking on a lot of trainers of different types, it'due south of import to focus all your energy on Super Effective attacks. Few held items can attain this easily, only 1 hiding in Road 221 called an Expert Chugalug will absolutely help you in this streak of fights.

This item raises the holder's damage past large margins whenever striking with Super Effective moves, meaning it'southward not as express every bit the traditional type-boosting items that only boost a single kind of assault. Merely notice this item and swap it to whoever yous call up will carry your team before each Aristocracy 4 member.

12/15 Catch A Sacrificial Bidoof

A swarm of innocent Bidoofs ready to take a hit in the Pokemon anime

Modern Pokemon games don't typically accept HM Slaves anymore, but it'due south important to remember that the other not bad utility of theirs is to take the hits you can't handle. They won't be able to impairment your opponents often, but a quick swap to them before a lethal hit can sometimes be the perfect saving grace in a dire situation.

Your Bidoofs, Starlys, and Goldeens make for a great switch-in if you need a quick turn to heal, and then go on them in your team as you go into the Elite iv. It might be somewhat silly to accept a Bidoof past your side in your Hall Of Fame portrait, only information technology'southward worthwhile if it can carry some weight from your stronger fighters.

11/15 Leech Seed Stall

Bulbasaur using Leech Seed in the Pokemon anime

For a much less typical strategy to deal with these trainers, using defensive Pokemon and the motion Leech Seed can be a smashing way to slowly bleed out any foe over several battles. This will drain their health slowly each turn, letting y'all use other healing moves and stat-raising moves to maximize your stats while they fail to take you downward.

These can exist tough to use on Pokemon that aren't competitively trained, merely the ability to use items ways you can grind money and have several things to proceed you perked up constantly. So long as they don't take a Super Effective attack, your Leech Seed staller could potentially win an entire boxing without even dealing direct damage.

10/fifteen Type Match-Ups - Aaron

Aaron is your first opponent in the Elite Four. He'due south a powerful Problems-type Pokemon user who prioritizes speed over attack power. He starts the boxing with his Yanmega, which is peculiarly dangerous due to its ability Speed Boost, which boosts speed afterwards every turn. This means Yanmega tin can attack offset, giving Aaron the reward right at the start. Using moves like Trick Room to outsmart the opponent is a good strategy.

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It'due south of import you defeat it as soon as possible with super constructive, loftier power attacks like Thunder or Flamethrower. Bug-type Pokemon are besides weak to Stone-blazon, Ice-type and Flight-type moves, then if you don't have these moves you have other options. Y'all might hit a stumbling block with his Drapion, which is a dual-blazon Toxicant/Dark Pokemon, simply a powerful Ground-type move should help you lot get through information technology.

ix/fifteen Type Friction match-Ups - Bertha

Bertha is a Ground-type expert and the second member of the Elite 4. Go in there with Grass-type, Ice-type and Water-type moves and a win is sure to be yours, every bit her Pokemon aren't generally defensive plenty to resist Super Constructive attacks.

As a larger alert, though, her Golem and Rhyperior are a pair of even stronger Stone and Ground-type Pokemon. Fighting, Basis- and Steel-type moves can exist helpful to inflict heavy impairment on these two if yous happen to lack the usual Ground-type counters.

8/xv Type Friction match-Ups - Flint

The third member of the Elite Four is Flint, a dear friend of Sunnyshore Gym Leader Volkner and a powerful Fire-type Trainer. All his Pokemon are Burn-types in this version, after the lack of Burn down-types in Pokemon Diamond & Pearl led to him having a few difficult exceptions.

If yous've got a strong Water or Footing-blazon Pokemon, this battle shouldn't give you also much difficulty. Over again, Surf and Earthquake prove invaluable.

vii/15 Type Match-Ups - Lucian

The last fellow member of the Elite Four is certainly the toughest. Lucian is a Psychic-type Trainer with a variety of Pokemon across his team. Ghost is a prominent weakness though then Shadow Ball is an excellent move to acquire. He starts with his Mr. Mime and Espeon, which are all-time defeated using Problems, Ghost and Nighttime-blazon moves.

His Bronzong is out adjacent, only a Flamethrower or equally-powerful Burn-type move takes it down. Back to Shadow Brawl or another strong Ghost-type move to minimize the threat of Alakazam and its loftier Special Assault stat. And then it's only Gallade left, who is weak to Flying and Ghost-type moves. With Lucian left crying on the ground, it's on to the Pokemon Champion.

6/15 Type Match-Ups - Cynthia

Similar to other champions similar Gary, Cynthia is an all-round Pokemon user, so your best bet is to attempt and match her forcefulness. Her opening Pokemon, Spiritomb, has no weaknesses, significant information technology can be extremely difficult to kill subsequently you lot've spent so much fourth dimension and then far focused on Super Effective moves. Make sure you lot take it down as fast as possible, or it'll slowly sweep your entire squad.

Cynthia's Garchomp is the stuff of legends and the other major threat. 12 years later, many Trainers say in that location's non a harder fight. Ice and Dragon-type moves are your all-time bet. Finally, her Milotic will go downwardly to strong Grass or Electric-type moves, merely try to use Physical moves if you can equally its loftier Special Defence tin can catch most of these Pokemon off guard.

5/xv Held Items

While the Expert Belt is especially helpful, nearly whatever Held Detail can turn the tide of a battle in the blink of an eye. Whether you desire HP-restoring items similar Leftovers, or stat-boosting items similar Quick Claw depends on your battle strategy.

All the members of the Aristocracy Four and Pokemon Champion Cynthia take their terminal Pokemon hold a Sitrus berry, and if y'all accept many of them it can exist a not bad tool for yourself as well. The large boost of health will oft take hold of them off-guard, and give you at least some other turn to striking them earlier you faint.

4/15 Healing Items

Healing items are going to help during this run. It'south highly unlikely you lot'll emerge from each battle unscathed, and even if yous do you'll nevertheless have taken PP hits to prevent yous from using moves in subsequently battles. It'due south strongly suggested you become a fair pile of Elixirs and Revives to make sure you tin heal upward between each encounter.

More than annihilation else, Full Restores are worth the high price tag. When your Pokemon are low in health and afflicted with a status condition, yous can give them i of these for them to be fully cured. Information technology also saves you from worrying about the number of Antidotes, Berries or Burn Heals you have in your pockets.

3/fifteen In-Battle Boosts

You might not have had much experience with in-battle issue items before. There's a range of items yous can equip and use to give your Pokemon the border. HP-restoring berries like Oran and Sitrus can make the difference betwixt a win and a loss.

Furthermore, stat-boosting items like X-Attack and X-Defence can requite your Pokemon the edge it needs to beat a particularly tough opponent. If you've been holding onto them thinking they're useless, it's definitely worth taking a turn to boost a stat if you happen to lack Status Moves on your Pokemon.

2/15 Four/EV preparation

No NPC you find in Sinnoh is Individual Value (4) or Endeavour Value (EV) trained, with the exception of the Pokemon League Champion Cynthia. If you want to be level with this fearsome Trainer, yous'll need to dedicate a lot of time to breeding your Pokemon for higher EVs to make sure their stats go on upwards with her.

EVs are points gained from battling wild Pokemon and Pokemon in Trainer battles. The type of Pokemon you lot defeat determines what ready of EV's are given out, with Pokemon with one loftier stats usually granting additional points of that stat when defeated. Information technology's quite complicated, but a cracking way to grind if you want an boosted statistical edge.

1/15 Over-leveling

If y'all've tried everything this guide has to offer but are still struggling, there'south always the over-leveling strategy. The strongest Pokemon is Cynthia's Level 62 Garchomp. By Level 80, you might have enough of a level-advantage to take her out. Victory Route is a skilful place to grind. Another option is trying to beat the Elite Four over and over.

No matter what you choose, make sure you besides take your Pokemon agree a Lucky Egg while you grind, as it boosts the experience points you earn from a boxing. The procedure still might take quite a while to complete, but it's absolutely worth the fourth dimension if y'all don't experience upward to Cynthia's infuriatingly high levels.

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