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  • How to Prepare for Cynthia
  • How to Trounce Cynthia
  • What to Exercise Later Beating Cynthia
  • How to Fix for the Rematches with Cynthia
  • Cynthia'due south Rematch Teams
  • How Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl'south Cynthia Compares to the Original Games'

Those hoping to become the very best in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl will need to prove themselves against a string of powerful Pokemon Trainers. First, they'll need to defeat all 8 of Sinnoh's gym leaders, which itself is no piece of cake feat. Next, they'll have to brave the perils of Victory Road and then accept on a quartet of veteran trainers known as the Aristocracy Four. Even afterward doing so, however, one big challenge however remains, with players also required to shell Sinnoh's reigning Pokemon Champion, Cynthia.

Though players encounter Cynthia at diverse points throughout Vivid Diamond & Shining Pearl, it's only after players have defeated the Elite Four that she's revealed to be the regional champion. Looking at her team though, it'due south easy to understand how she earned the championship, as it's full of powerful Pokemon and boasts exceptional type coverage. As a issue, those hoping to shell Cynthia and take away her crown are going to have their piece of work cut out for them.

Updated March xxx, 2022, by Tom Bowen: Subsequently completing the game and unlocking the National Dex, Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl players will be able to rematch some of the many strong opponents that they fought along the manner to becoming Sinnoh'southward newest Pokemon Champion. Cynthia is one such opponent and boasts a team that'south considerably stronger the second time around. Players tin even challenge Cynthia to a second rematch besides if they like, in which her team will once once again receive a huge boost in levels. This guide has been updated to provide information well-nigh Cynthia's rematch teams, besides equally some suggestions on how players should approach the ii rematches with Cynthia. A section comparing Cynthia's team in the original games and the 2021 remakes has also been added, and highlights some of the key differences likewise as the issues that may arise from these changes.

How to Ready for Cynthia

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Preparing for the boxing with Cynthia is fabricated all the more difficult by the fact that it comes immediately subsequently players have taken on the Elite Four. This ways that the team that players assemble to defeat Aaron, Bertha, Flintstone, and Lucian also needs to be able to vanquish Cynthia too. Needless to say, players should be sure to bring plenty of healing items and so that they can recover HP in and in between battles. Given that the games' strongest moves tend to have lower PP than others, this should also include a few Ethers as well. Unfortunately, still, PP restoring items cannot exist bought similar Potions and Revives, meaning players will need to take establish and saved a few throughout their journey.

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Different the Elite Four before her, Cynthia has no real type preference, with her vi Pokemon representing nine unlike types between them. Thankfully, the fact that all but ane of them are dual-type Pokemon often makes hitting weakness a trivial easier. Providing players have a Pokemon with a strong grass-type attack somewhere in their squad, Milotic and Gastrodon shouldn't crusade too much trouble, while ice-type attacks can be used to take care of both Garchomp and Roserade. The latter tin likewise exist easily beaten with fire-type moves, which volition also come in handy against Lucario. Annoyingly, Spiritomb's only real weakness is to fairy-type attacks, though players tin just utilise brute force to accept it downwards if demand exist.

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Given that both Palkia and Dialga tin can acquire Blizzard using TM14, which is found at Lake Vigil or purchased at the Section Store in Veilstone Metropolis, they should be the actor's get-to Pokemon for water ice-blazon attacks. Those who chose Infernape equally their starter should already have fire-type attacks taken care of, simply for everyone else, Rapidash is a more than capable stand-in. Haunter / Gengar can learn Dazzling Gleam using TM21, which players can find at the Team Galactic HQ or the Department Shop. Both Pokemon tin also acquire Giga Drain, which is found on Route 209 by using Surf. If they don't plan on taking a Haunter / Gengar or a designated grass-blazon specialist, players can instead use one of the Grass Knot TMs (TM86) that they got after beating Gardenia. All 3 starters tin learn it, as too tin can Kadabra / Alakazam.

How to Vanquish Cynthia

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Champion Cynthia (13,464)
Spiritomb (Lvl. 61)
Ghost / Nighttime
Night Pulse
Psychic
Shadow Brawl
Sucker Dial
Lucario (Lvl. 63)
Fighting / Steel
Aura Sphere
Dragon Pulse
Flash Canon
Nasty Plot
Roserade (Lvl. 60)
Grass / Poison
Dazzling Gleam
Energy Ball
Shadow Brawl
Sludge Flop
Gastrodon (Lvl. 60)
Water / Ground
Convulsion
Scald
Stone Tomb
Sludge Bomb
Milotic (Lvl. 63)
Water
Ice Beam
Mirror Coat
Recover
Scald
Garchomp (Lvl 66)
Dragon / Ground
Dragon Claw
Earthquake
Toxicant Jab
Swords Dance

Cynthia will get-go with Spiritomb, so, ideally, players will lead with a Pokemon that knows Dazzling Gleam or another stiff fairy-type attack. They'll desire to try and take it out in a unmarried hitting if possible, equally otherwise, Cynthia will withdraw it and throw out Lucario. Players should switch to their burn-blazon aggressor here, though if they happened to bring forth a Gastrodon for the Elite Four, this is also a solid choice equally it will be able to have Lucario out with Earth Ability. Assuming Roserade comes side by side, players can stick with their fire-type attacker if information technology'south already out, or switch over to Palkia / Dialga and take care of it using Blizzard or some other powerful ice-blazon assault similar Ice Beam.

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Gastrodon and Milotic normally come up out adjacent, so players should switch over to their grass-type attacker and get to town on them. The latter can be a little annoying to deal with due to its power to use Rest to recover HP, merely, given that information technology weighs 357 lbs, Grass Knot should hit with 100 set on power, which should be enough to accept information technology downwards with a single hit. If players didn't defeat it earlier, Spiritomb will render next, after which, Cynthia will use her terminal and most powerful Pokemon, Garchomp. Thankfully, however, ice-blazon attacks will deal iv times as much damage against it due to its typing, so Palkia and Dialga should be able to take care of it pretty quickly with Blizzard.

What to Do After Beating Cynthia

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Once players take beaten Cynthia, Professor Rowan will bear witness up and register their Pokemon into the hall of fame. After the credits are over, players will then be returned to Twinleaf Boondocks, where their rival has left a bulletin for them telling them to get on a transport at Snowpoint City. Doing and so will take them to a new Island where they can battle strong trainers, though that's but ane of many pieces of post-game content in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. Players can too take hold of a diverseness of Legendary and Mythical Pokemon and work towards completing their Sinnoh Pokedex. Doing so will unlock the National Dex, as well equally rematches against all eight gym leaders, the Elite Four, and, of course, Cynthia.

How to Prepare for the Rematches with Cynthia

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When compared to some of the other rematches in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, the ones with Cynthia aren't all that different from the original encounter. The just major differences — also the huge increases in levels, that is — are that Togekiss comes in for Gastrodon for both rematches and Porygon-Z replaces Roserade during the 2d. On paper, this could crusade problems, but in reality, players should already have an electric-type on hand to deal with Togekiss, while whatever half-decent fighting-type should be able to handle Porygon-Z.

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It'due south besides worth noting that Lucario's motility set changes in both subsequent battles, with Psychic preventing players from using a fighting-type to counter information technology in the first. Players can still employ fire and ground-type Pokemon, however, and then this shouldn't crave any major shakeups. In the second rematch, Lucario does gain access to Convulsion, which volition effectively dominion out near fire-types every bit viable counters, though players could still opt for a burn down/flying-blazon like Charizard (evolve Charmander) if needed. Cynthia's Spiritomb also knows Will-O-Wisp instead of Psychic in both rematches, though this arguably makes information technology easier to deal with rather than harder.

Cynthia's Rematch Teams

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Champion Cynthia Rematch #1 (31,200)
Spiritomb (Lvl. 74)
Ghost / Nighttime
Dark Pulse
Psychic
Shadow Ball
Sucker Punch
Lucario (Lvl. 76)
Fighting / Steel
Aura Sphere
Dragon Pulse
Flash Catechism
Psychic
Roserade (Lvl. 74)
Grass / Poison
Dazzling Gleam
Free energy Ball
Shadow Ball
Sludge Flop
Togekiss (Lvl. 76)
Fairy / Flight
Air Slash
Aureola Sphere
Dazzling Gleam
Thunder Wave
Milotic (Lvl. 74)
Water
Ice Beam
Mirror Glaze
Recover
Scald
Garchomp (Lvl 78)
Dragon / Ground
Dragon Hook
Earthquake
Poison Jab
Swords Dance
Champion Cynthia Rematch #two (35,200)
Spiritomb (Lvl. 84)
Ghost / Dark
Dark Pulse
Shadow Brawl
Sucker Punch
Will-O-Wisp
Lucario (Lvl. 86)
Fighting / Steel
Close Combat
Earthquake
Farthermost Speed
Meteor Mash
Porygon-Z (Lvl. 85)
Normal
Hyper Beam
Water ice Axle
Shadow Ball
Thunderbolt
Togekiss (Lvl. 86)
Fairy / Flying
Air Slash
Aura Sphere
Dazzling Gleam
Thunder Moving ridge
Milotic (Lvl. 84)
Water
Water ice Axle
Mirror Coat
Recover
Scald
Garchomp (Lvl 88)
Dragon / Footing
Dragon Claw
Earthquake
Poisonous substance Jab
Swords Trip the light fantastic toe

How Vivid Diamond & Shining Pearl's Cynthia Compares to the Original Games'

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Much similar the Elite four earlier her, Cynthia'south squad in Bright Diamond & Shining Pearl is the aforementioned as it was in the original releases, at to the lowest degree when it comes to the Pokemon that she uses and their levels, anyway. Where the remakes differ is that all six of her team now take Held Items rather than just one and many of their movement sets take been tweaked in guild to make them trickier to counter.

Spiritomb now has a Sitrus Berry as well equally access to Sucker Punch and Shadow Ball. The former is a somewhat lackluster addition, but Shadow Brawl tin can crusade a lot of problems for those who'd planned to counter Spiritomb with a Ghost-type Pokemon of their own. On the plus side, it's no longer able to utilise Embargo, which had the potential to brand this battle a living nightmare in the original releases.

Roserade and Gastrodon oasis't been changed all that much, with the former swapping out Extrasensory for Dazzling Gleam and the latter exchanging Rock Border for Rock Tomb. Neither does much to modify things up in the way of best counters, but will probable lead to some increased damage. Roserade'southward Good Belt could cause some real issues too, though only if it's able to attack weakness.

Cynthia's Lucario brings with it some interesting changes, as the BDSP version swaps out Psychic and Earthquake - 2 incredibly powerful moves - for Flash Cannon and Nasty Plot. While on the surface this may seem like a bit of a downgrade, the addition of a Steel-type motion prevents players from countering Lucario with a Fighting-type, while Nasty Plot and the Pokemon's Wise Spectacles tin greatly increase the power of its special moves.

Other than gaining access to Remainder, Cynthia'south Milotic remains largely unchanged, but the same cannot be said for the real star of the champion'due south squad, Garchomp. The Dragon / Ground-type trades beast force for utility, losing access to Brick Interruption and Giga Touch in society to gain Swords Dance and Poison Jab. The one-time, in detail, can speedily turn the tide in a battle if players aren't careful. It besides swaps Dragon Rush for Dragon Claw, which, although a little less powerful, is far more than likely to hit the role player'south Pokemon.

More: Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl: Complete Guide & Walkthrough