Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearltake players back to Generation 4’s Sinnoh region for the first time in 15 years. Whether a new or returning player, Sinnoh’s expansive choice of Pokemon can be overwhelming, and choosing who to take on the journey to the Elite Four can be tough.
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A helpful way for players to build their team is to look at the starterPokemonthey chose.Building a team around the startingPokemoncan create a well-rounded party of heavy hitters.Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlprovide players with many great choices, andwhether Piplup, Chimchar, or Turtwigwas the initial choice, there is always a perfect match to accompany them. Here are some of the best companions for Sinnoh’s penguin Pokemon, Piplup.
Updated on June 15th, 2022, by Russ Boswell:Piplup is definitely a fan favorite for those making their way through the Sinnoh region. The adorable little Penguin Pokemon starts out as one of the cutest starters around, before evolving into a truly menacing creature in Empoleon. Players that fall in love with Piplup will likely want to carry him the entire game. Thankfully, there are quite a few Pokemon out there that pair well with the cute critter and can compliment its typing and attacks. To better showcase the bestpossible Pokemon to use with Piplup, the following list has been updated and now includes even more entries.
16Gardevoir
Those looking for a strong partner to pair alongside their Piplup can snag a Gardevoir. This powerful Pokemon is a Psychic/Fairy dual-type, giving it a wide array of punishing moves that will dominate most opponents. Gardevoir’s high Special Attack makes it a damaging force that will work well with Piplup or any other Pokemon that players decide to add to their roster during the journey through Sinnoh.
If players can keep Gardevoir safe (thanks to its low defense in HP), they’ll be able to easily lay waste to a wide array of types like Water, Flying, Dragon, Steel, and Psychic, while doing solid damage to almost everything else. Its Speed stat is a little low but that shouldn’t matter for most battles, so long as it’s able to tank at least one hit from its opponent. Those that want a Gardevoir will need to first get their hands on a Ralts and evolve it. Ralts can be found on Route 203.
Gardevoir’s Stats
15Abomasnow
Abomasnow offers players a unique typing, giving them access to a breadth of moves from both the Grass and Ice pools thanks to its dual-typing. Abomasnow doesn’t have much going for it in terms of a “power stat” but it does have a solid mixture at a base of 494. Players that learn its weaknesses will find themselves with a pretty powerful Pokemon capable of decimating any Grass types that come its way. This makes it a great addition to Piplup, who may find itself struggling a bit with the type.
Abomasnow isn’t going to bowl over players with its impressive stats but it can be a reliable and useful partner in the later parts of the game. Players that want Abomasnow can grab a Snover on Route 216 and 217. They can also find a fully-evolved Abomasnow in the Tall Grass on Mt. Coronet.
Abomasnow’s Stats
14Pineco
Pineco may not seem like much from the outside, and players would be correct in assuming that the weaker Pokemon isn’t the best choice to battle against tougher opponents, but Pineco works extremely well with Piplup concerning one particular strategy. The two weaker Pokemon can actually do quite a bit of chip damage thanks to two moves, Yawn and Spikes. By using a Piplup with Yawn, players can time their switch-out to coincide with the rival Pokemon falling asleep. This will give Pineco a chance to swoop in and lay down Spikes without worrying about taking damage.
Although it’s possible to utilize this strategy with any Pokemon that can learn Spikes, it’s possible to grab a Pineco on Route 204.
Pineco’s Stats
13Tangrowth
Every team needs a good Grass-type, and with four stats over 100,Tangrowthis not only one of the best Grass-typesinBrilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, but it also stands as one of the best Pokemonoverall. Powerful moves like Power Whip and Giga Drain compliment Piplup’s Water-type, making Tangrowth a solid option for players needing a Grass-type Pokemon.
Tangrowth’s unevolved form, Tangela, as well as Tangrowth itself, can be caught inBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearl’sGrand Underground. Tangela will evolve into Tangrowth once it has learned the moveAncient Power,and leveled up while knowing this attack.
Tangrowth’s Stats
12Houndoom
Houndoomisone of the best Fire-typePokemoninthe Gen 4 remakes. With a Special Attack stat of 110 and access to powerful moves like Inferno and Flamethrower, it cantake out most opponents in just a few turns. Houndoom’s Dual typing of Fire/Dark also provides it with immunity to Psychic-type moves, as well as a load of other resistances.
An evolved Houndoom can be caught in theGrand Underground, as well as in tall grass onRoute 214andRoute 215using the Poke Radar.
Houndoom’s Stats
11Rhyperior
Rhyperiorhas a strange stat combination. It boasts an enormous Attack stat of 140 and Defense stat of 130,rivaling even some of the bestlegendaryPokemon, but falls short in most other stats. A Speed stat of 40 also means Rhyperior is outpaced by most opponents, and its 4x weakness to Water and Grass-type moves can also get it into some serious trouble. Rhyperior can be worth picking up, though, if only for its Attack stat.
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Rhyperior’s base evolution, Rhyhorn, and its mid-evolution Rhydon can be found in tall grass onRoute 228andRoute 227, and can also be caught in theGrand Underground. Rhyhorn evolves into Rhydon at level 42, and then must betraded while holding Protector to evolve into Rhyperior.Playerscan level up Rhyhorn quicklythanks toBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearl’sExp. Share being permanently active.
Rhyperior’s Stats
10Staraptor
With its immunity to Ghost and Ground-type moves,Staraptorpairs especially well with a late-game Empoleon due to its weakness to Ground-type moves. Staraptor can come in handy at several points throughout the game, notably during Hearthome City’s Ghost-type gym battle and the Elite Four’s battle with Ground-type trainer Bertha. To top it off. Staraptor’s Attack and Speed stat are also top-tier.
One of the biggest positives of using a Staraptor is accessibility. Staraptor’s unevolved form, Starly, can be caught at the very beginning of the game onRoute 201, giving players plenty of time to level and evolve their new teammate.
Staraptor’s Stats
9Gallade
Galladeis a Psychic/Fighting-type Pokemon that goes great with a team built around Piplup. Gallade’s resistance to Fighting-type moves complements Empoleon’s weakness to Fighting-type. Gallade has a great Attack stat and a strong, varied move pool at its disposal.
Gallade can be a bit of trouble for players to get ahold of. Kirlia and Ralts, Gallade’s prior evolutions, can be caught onRoute 203,Route 204, or in theGrand Undergroundonce players have access to thePoke Radar. Ralts will evolve into Kirlia at level 20, but players will have touse a Dawn Stone on amale Kirliato get a Gallade. Be careful when leveling, as Kirlia will evolve into Gardevoir at level 30 unless prevented from doing so.
Gallade’s Stats
8Rapidash
Rapidash’sFire typing allows it to cover bases that Empoleon’s Water/Steel typing can’t. Rapidash has decent stats across the board and excels in battle with its 100 Attack and 105 Speed. Fire-types are rare in Sinnoh, so this one is a great addition to the team.
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Ponyta, Rapidash’s pre-evolution, can be caught in theGrand Undergroundas well asRoute 206,Route 210,Route 211,Route 214, andRoute 215. Ponyta will evolve into Rapidash at level 40.
Rapidash’s Stats
7Honchkrow
Honchkrowis a Dark/Flying-type that pairs exceptionally well with Piplup. One of Empoleon’s biggest downsides is its weakness to Ground-type moves, and Honchkrow has immunity to them entirely. Players can use this to their advantage at several points throughout their game.
Murkrow, Honchkrow’s unevolved form, can be found in theGrand Undergroundandevolved into Honchkrow using aDusk Stone. It is important to note that this Pokemon is exclusive toPokemon Brilliant Diamondand cannot be caught in the wild inShining Pearl;however, it can be traded over.
