Best team for Pokemon Platinum

Can’t decide what team to use in pokemon platinum? Don’t worry, In this guide, I will provide the best team for the pokemon platinum game that can make the game more fun and interesting.

I will also be providing the location of every pokemon, what moveset to use, and where to get the moves. So just buckle up and sit tight.

Don’t forget to catch unreplaceable Bibarel as it can learn all 6 HM necessary to clear the game being Rock Smash, Cut, Surf, Strength, Rock Climb, and Waterfall. You can catch Bidoof at route 201. Then evolve it into Bibarel at level 15.

Infernape

When starting any pokemon game choosing the right starter is an important choice. And the starter we are going with is Chimchar.

Chimchar is a Fire-type pokemon that evolves into Monferno at level 14 and becomes Fire/Fighting, and finally becomes Infernape at level 36.

Infernape has 104 attack, 104 spl. attack and 108 speed making it one of the best sweeper in the game, Although its defenses, are just mediocre but it can still take a hit or two.

Being a Fire/Fighting-type, Infernape is weak to Flying, Water, Ground, Psychic-type moves and resists Steel, Fire, Grass, Ice, Dark-type moves.

TIP: Evolve your Chimchar before taking on First Gym, and teach it Mach punch.

As for the moveset?

Infernape both attack and spl. attack are both equal, so we are free to teach it both Physical and special moves.

And it has access to some really powerful moves like Flamethrower, Flare Blitz, Close combat, Shadow Claw, Stone Edge, Rock Slide, Thunder punch, etc.

Flamethrower

Flamethrower is a really great Fire-type move with 95 base power and a 10% chance to burn.

You can teach it through TM35 that you can inside the Fuego Ironworks right next to the boiler. Or, you can buy it from Veilstone City Game Corner for 10000 coins, but why would you do that.

Flare Blitz is another great option, It has 120 base power but it does recoil damage so I don’t recommend it, but if you want then Infernape can learn it at level 57.

Close Combat

Close Combat is the strongest Fighting-type STAB move Infernape can learn. And can provide much-needed coverage against Ground-type pokemons.

It has120 base power but it lowers Infernape the spl. defense. But I say the damage is definitely worth the damage.

You can teach it at level 41.

If you want to use a different moveset then you can go for the Brick break. It has 75 base power that you can get at the northwest of the B1F, Oreburgh Gate. You will need Rock Smash and Surf to get there.

Shadow Claw

Shadow Claw is a Ghost-type move and provides coverage against Ghost-type and Psychic-type pokemon.

It has a 70 base power and has a higher Crit-chance ratio.

You can get TM65 Shadow Claw for defeating Fantina, Hearthome City Gym leader.

U-turn

U-turn is a bug-type move with 70 base power that lets Infernape switch out after damaging the opponent. It’s effective against Psychic, Dark, and Grass-type Pokemon.

You can get its TM at the southwest of the Canalave City and will require Surf to get there.

Another great option is Thunder punch. It has 75 base power and can be taught from the Move tutor on route 212 for 2 Red and 6 Blue Shards.

But if you ask me then U-turn is better as it lets you switch out without wasting a turn.

Staraptor

The next pokemon we are going to catch is the coolest looking bird pokemon Staraptor.

Starly is a Normal/Flying-type pokemon and can be caught just after you get access to pokeballs at route 201. It then evolves into Staravia at level 14 then into Staraptor at level 32.

Staraptor is a strong Flying-type pokemon. It got a solid 120 attack and to back it up, it has 100 speed and access to some great moves like Aerial Ace, Close Combat, Brave Bird, Double Edge, etc.

The only thing that’s crippling it down is its defenses, especially pitiful 50 spl. defense. It has 85 HP and 70 defense. And considering it has Intimidate for ability that lower opponents attack its physical defense is not that bad. But it just can’t take special attacks.

But its busted offense more than makes up for its lackluster defenses.

Being a Normal/Flying-type Staraptor is immune to Ground and Ghost-type and resists Grass and Bug-type moves. And weak against Electric, Rock, and Ice-type moves.

As for the moveset:

Staraptor has a busted 120 attack but it’s spl. attack is only 65 so there is no point of teaching it special moves.

It can learn some really strong Physical moves like Close Combat, Brave Bird, Return, Fly, and a lot more.

Fly

Fly is a really useful HM that can help you move around the region. It’s a 2-turn 90 base power move so it can dish out some really good damage.

I don’t personally use it much as it can make the battle unnecessary longer but if don’t mind Ir, then you can definitely use it in battle.

You can get HM02 Fly, at the entrance of team Galactic Warehouse, Veilstone City.

Brave Bird

Brave bird is a 120 base power Flying-type move that has 1/3 of the damage as recoil damage

Staraptor learns Ariel Ace at level 28.

Before that, you can teach it, Ariel Ace. It has 60 base power and can be taught at level 28.

Return

Return is a really strong Normal-type STAB move. Its power can go up to 102 depending on the friendship level,

You can get the TM27 return at the 4F of the lost tower. Another way to get it is to buy it from the Veilstone City Game Corner for 8,000 Coins.

Before that, just use Quick attack. Staraptor can learn Quick attack at level 5.

Close Combat

Close Combat is fighting that Staraptor can learn at 34. And provides coverage against two of its weakness being Rock and Ice-type pokemon.

It has 120 base power And it lowers Staraptor spl. defense, but it doesn’t matter as it already has a pitiful 50 spl. defense.

Gyarados

The next member of our team is going to be the pseudo-Dragon-type Gyarados.

You can catch a Magikarp at route 212 with the help of Old Rod. And I know leveling Magikarp to level 20 can be frustrating. But believe me, it’s worth your effort. 

Gyarados can hit really hard with its 125 attack. As for defenses, it has 95 Hp, 79 defense, and 100 spl. defense which are not bad either. And with 81 speed it can outspeed quite a lot of pokemon.

Being a Water/Flying-type pokemon it’s weak to Electric (4x) and rock-type moves and is immune to Ground-type and resists Water, Fire, Fighting, Steel, and bug-type moves.

As for the moveset?

Gyarados has a monstrous 125 attack but its spl. attack is only 65 so we’re only going to teach it Physical unless its necessary.

Don;t worry, Gyarados has access to some of the best physical moves like Waterfall, Aqua tail, Outrage, Stone Edge, Bite, Ice Feng, Earthquake, etc.

Waterfall

Waterfall’s a necessary HM and a really strong Water-type STAB move with its 80 base power, and a 20% chance to flinch.

You can get HM07 from Jasmin after defeating Volkner, Sunyshore City Gym leader.

Before getting Waterfall, you can teach it Aqua tail. It has 90 base power but 90% accuracy so there is a chance to miss it. Gyarados can learn it at level 35.

Surf

Surf is a necessary Hm that you will be needing a lot. It has 90 base power but it’s a special move so Gyarados can’t get the most out of it.

You can get HM02 Surf from  Cynthia’s grandmother at the town shrine, Celestic Town. 

Bite

Bite is a Dark-type move and is good against Psychic, and Ghost-type pokemons.

It has 60 base power and a 30% chance to flinch. And Gyarados can learn it on its evolution at level 20.

Ice Fang

Ice Fang is a really great Ice-type move that Gyarados can learn at level 32, It is effective against Grass, Ground, Flying, and especially Dragon-type pokemon.

It has 65 base power and a 10% to freeze and a 10% chance to flinch.

Jolteon

There are quite a few Water and Flying-type pokemon in pokemon platinum so having a good Electric-type pokemon is a must. There are 3 Electric-type pokemon that stand out the most: Jolteon, Luxray, and Magnezone.

Magnemite is available really late in the game at Fuego Ironworks. While Shinx is available really early in the game at route 202, but its physical attacker and the best electric-type move it can learn is Thunder Fang.

So for this best team, we are going with the electric cat Jolteon.

You can get Eevee by talking to Bede in Hearthome City. Then you just need Thunderstone to evolve it into Jolteon.

You can found Thunderstone at Solaceon Ruins with the help of Dowsing Machine, at Route 229.

Evolve your Eevee before level 15 so that it can learn Thunder Shock at level 15.

Jolteon’s a glass cannon that is really fast and hit really hard with its 130 speed and 110 spl. attack. But defenses are really bad with 65 HP, 60 defense, and 95 spl. defenses.

And being an Electric-type pokemon Jolteon is weak to Ground-type pokemon and can resist Flying and Steel. BTW, it has Volt absorb for ability making it immune to Electric-type attacks.

As for what moveset to use?

Jolteon has 110 spl. attack but its attack is only 65 which is not useable so we are going to teach it only.

If you are wondering about the coverage move then the only use move it can learn is Shadow ball, but that doesn’t as we are mainly going to use it for its Electric-type move.

Thunderbolt

Thunderbolt is the best Electric-type move it can learn, It has 95 base power and a 10% chance to paralyze.

You can get Thunderbolt TM at the northeast of the Valley Windworks. Or if you are fell like grinding then you can buy it from Veilstone City Game corner for 10000 coins.

Before that, you cant teach it Thunder Shock that Jolteon can learn at level 15, so evolve your Eevee before level15.

Shadow Ball

Shadow Ball is a really great Ghost-type move that can provide coverage against Psychic and Ghost-type moves.

It has 80 base power and a 20% chance to lower the target’s spl. defense.

Double-Team

Double team is a really annoying move unless you are the one using it. Jokes aside it’s a good move and increase’s Jolteon’s evasiveness.

You can get the TM32 Double team at the southwest of the 1F, Wayward Cave, and you will need Cut and Rock Smash to get it.

Or you can buy it from Veilstone City Game corner for 4000 coins if you feel like grinding a lot.

Hyper Beam

Hyper beam is a normal-type move with absurdly high 150 base power, but after using this move Jolteon will not be able to move the next turn.

Hyper Beam is a very situational move so you should only use this when needed.

You can buy TM15 Hyper beam from Veilstone City Department Store for 7,500 poke dollars.

Garchomp

The next member of our team is going to be Ash’s first pseudo legendary pokemon Garchomp.

You can catch Gible quite early in the game at Wayward Cave, underneath Cycling Road. It can later evolve into Gabite at level 24 then into Garchomp at level 48.

Garchomp has 130 attack, 80 spl. attack for the offense. As for the defense, it has 108 HP, 95, and 85 spl. defense, I don’t think there is any need to talk about its broken stats,

And BTW, it has 102 so you will outspeed most of the pokemon. Even if you don’t these defenses are not just for the show,

Being a Dragon/Ground-type pokemon Garchomp is weak against Ice and Dragon-type moves. And is immune to Electric-type and resists Poison, Fire, and Rock-type pokemon.

As for the moveset:

Garchomp is a busted 130 attack but it has only 80 spl. attack so it would be an injustice to its 130 attack if we don’t teach it strong physical moves.

Don’t worry, Garchomp has so many good physical moves that it becomes really hard to which move to leave out.

Dragon-Claw

Dragon-Claw is a really good Dragon-type STAB move and is effective against other Dragon=type pokemons.

Garchomp can learn it at level 33.

Earthquake

Earthquake is the best Ground-type STAB move Garchomp can learn. It has 100 base power and does double damage if the pokemon is underground. BTW it hits all the pokemon in a double battle.

You can get TM26 Earthquake where you catch Gable at Wayward Cave, and you will need Cut, Strength to it.

Before getting Earthquake you can use Dig. It’s a 3-turn 80 base power Ground-type move. Garchomp can learn it at level 40.

Rock Slide

Rock Slide is a rock-type move that can provide much-needed coverage against Ice-type pokemon.

It has 75 base power and a 30% chance to flinch.

You can get TM80 Rock Slide at the southwest of the 2F, Mt. Coronet, and will require Surf and Rock-climb to get there.

Brick Break

Brick break is a Fighting-type that can provide coverage against Normal, Rock, Steel, Ice, and Dark-type pokemon.

It has 75 base power and destroys screens like reflect, and light screen.

You can get TM31 Brick break at the northwest of the B1F, Oreburgh Gate. You will need Surf and Rock Smash to get there.

Another great option is Crunch. It’s an 80 base power Dark-type move that can provide coverage against Ghost and Psychic-type pokemon.

Garchomp can learn it at level 48.

Weavile

The last member of our team is going to be the fake Steel-type pokemon Weavile.

Sneasel can be caught on Route 216. Then you can evolve into Weavile using Razor Claw.

You can get Razor Claw on the right side of Cyrus’s office at the Team Galactic HQ, Veilstone City. If you want another, then you can get it at Victory road near the exit.

Weavile is a glass cannon with a solid 120 attack and 125 speed. Its defenses are quite bad at 70 HP, 65 defense, and 85 spl. defense.

With its Ice/Dark-typing Weavile shines r effective against 2 of the four Elite four members and 2 of Cynthia‘s pokemon.

Weavile is weak against Fire, Fight, Steel, Rock, and Fighting-type move and is immune to Psychic-type and resists Ice, Ghost, and Dark-type pokemon.

As for the moveset:

Weavile has 120 attack but it’s spl. attack is really terrible at 45, so there is no point in teaching special moves.

Weavile has a diverse learn set with moves like Ice Punch, Avalanche, X-Scissor, Ariel Ace, Brick Break, Shadow Claw, etc.

Night Slash

Night Slash is the Dark-type STAB move that is effective against Psychic and Ghost-type pokemon.

Night Slash has 75 base power and a higher critical hit ratio so there is a higher chance of Critical hit,

Lucian of Elite Four uses Psychic-type pokemon, so you should teach your Weavile one Strong Dark-type move.

Weavile can learn it at level 35.

Avalanche

Avalanche is the Ice-type STAB move that is effective against Ground-type, Flying-type, Grass-type and Dragon-type.

Avalanche has a base power of 60, but it gets doubles if takes damage first.

TIP: From my personal experience, I can tell you “Never Fight Cynthia without a good Ice-type move”. Or else her Garchomp is going to destroy you.

You can get its TM after defeating Candice, Snowpoint City Gym leader.

X-Scissor

X-Scissor is a really strong Bug-type move that has 80 base power. It’s effective against Grass-type, Psychic-type, and Dark-type pokemon.

You can get TM81 X-Scissor at the southeast of route 221.

Metal Claw

Metal Claw is a Steel-type move that is effective against Rock and Ice-type pokemon, It has 50 base power and a 10% chance to raise Weavile attack,

Weavilve can learn it at level 42.

If you want to go the high risk and high reward then you can go for the Iron tail. It has 100 base power and a 30% chance to lower the target’s defense, but it has only 75% accuracy.

You can teach it through TM23 that you can get at the east of the B2F. Iron Island.