The last of the Elite Four challengers that Pokémon Shining Diamond and Shining Pearl players face is Psychic-type enthusiast Lucian. Trainers will see that Lucian's Pokémon are unaffected by most Pokémon, likely leading them to join the Pokémon League after losing. To prevent this from happening, there are only a few tactics that must be used before and during this fight to ensure success.
Which Pokémon does Lucian of the Elite Four use?
Fortunately, Lucian sticks to the trend of Elite Four members using only one type of Pokémon. For him, the five psychics you will fight in this battle are Mr. Mime (Lv. 59), Medicham (Lv. 60), Girafarig (Lv. 59), Alakazam (Lv. 60) and Bronzong (Lv. 63). Of course, you'll want to avoid using any Fighting or Poison-types, as most of Lucian's Pokémon moves are capable of doing double their normal damage on them.
Of these Pokémon, expect Alakazam and Bronzong to be the most threatening. Alakazam will use his Future Sight attack multiple times, dealing an enormous amount of damage to most types after two turns have elapsed, even if Alkazam is passed out or is no longer on the field. As for Bronzong, he will often use the Trick Room status move, allowing Bronzong to attack first for the next five turns if he's slower than your current Pokémon, as in most cases.
The best Pokémon to use against the Lucian Elite Four in the Pokémon League
If you're using a Dark-type Pokémon, this makes your attacks twice as deadly against Psychic Pokémon, while their attacks should see very little damage. That said, one of your six Pokémon should be of a high level Murkrow. Before returning to the Elite Four, you can easily catch one around level 50 in the Grand Underground's Spacious Cavern, Riverside Cave, and Prairie Cave. With dark moves like Sucker Punch and Foul Play, Murkow is definitely an underrated option.
Now you will need a Pokémon that will tackle Bronzong's Trick Room simply by being slower than it. The lead candidate to take on this role should be Steelix, commonly found in the Victory Road Caves. It can come with Dark-type attacks like Crunch which has a satisfying 80 Power, but it can also learn other super effective moves like Payback and Dark Pulse.
For those who are still struggling to beat Lucian, consider hunting a cabinet at Riverbank Cave or Fountainspring Cave Hideaway. Although his moves offer no additional damage to Psychic, he is capable of having powerful Dragon-type TMs such as Dragon Pulse and Dragon Claw.
Related: Where to find Unown in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Brilliant Pearl
