Every Pokémon journey begins with you choosing which partner you want to take with you on your great adventure. For Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, you'll be able to choose from Fire-type Chimcar, Water-type Piplup, and Grass-type Turtwig. Selecting the right choice for your trip is sometimes the hardest option. What is the best Pokémon to choose in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Brilliant Pearl?
chimchar
Chimchar is the Fire-type starter. He evolves into Monferno at level 14, then becomes Infernape at levfel 36, becoming Fire and Fighting types. Of the three, Chimchar has the highest speed level, followed by his special attack and attack stats. He has little health, defense, and special defense, but nothing that holds him back from being a solid all-rounder Pokémon.
You'll need to focus on Infernape's special abilities and make sure he can strike first in combat. The faster it can hit an opponent, the faster it can be swapped for another choice, or you don't have to worry about battle. It's also Fighting-type, so you'll need to watch out for Flying and Psychic-type attacks.
piplup
Piplup is the Water-type starter. He evolves into Prinplup at level 16 and then becomes Empoleon at level 36, becoming a Water and Steel type. Of the three, Piplup has the special attack, followed by his special defense and then his health and defense stats. He has a fairly low speed, but is still faster than Torterra and has the best special attack and defense.
Empoleon was designed to withstand combat. You can choose to use this Pokémon first, or you can have it as a second or third choice, ready to stand up to a particularly difficult fighter. We recommend using it against Pokémon that it can have a super effect against, such as Rock, Ice, Earth, and Fire-types.
Turtwig
Turtwig is the Grass-type starter. He becomes Grotle at level 18, and then Torterra at level 32, becoming Grass and Earth types. Of the three, Turtwig has the best offense and defense, followed by special defense and health. He is the slowest of the three, though.
Since Torterra is so slow, you want to use this Pokémon's attacks to hit hard and take down the opponent you face against it. You may want to use it as your first Pokémon due to how bulky it is, giving you a safe option to trade it or reserve it on your list to trade it for a weaker Pokémon, if a battle becomes too risky.
Which one should you choose?
It all depends on what role you want your main Pokémon to play. After you're done gathering your team, if you want a more armored Pokémon, we recommend Empoleon because it has that ever-useful steel type that makes it a tough Pokémon to fight. However, if you want a heavy fighter who can do quick damage, Infernape is a solid choice for any Pokémon trainer who plans on using their starter Pokémon on a regular basis for the rest of the game.
