5 best Pokémon to catch if Turtwig is your Brilliant Diamond starter

There are a variety of team comps you can experiment with in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. However, there are certain Pokémon you should definitely use depending on the starter you decide to go with. For instance, if you pick Turtwig, your team should look different than if you went with Chimchar or Piplup. While Turtwig isn’t the absolute best starter, you can make a viable team if you know which Pokémon to catch. But which Pokémon should you have on your team? These are five Pokémon team comp recommendations if you picked Turtwig in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.

Torterra

Torterra starts off as Turtwig. This Grass/Ground-type isn’t the best starter in the game but can become a powerful asset, especially if you evolve it to its final form. Turtwig evolves to Grotle at level 18 and then becomes the powerful Torterra at level 32, so you should keep this in mind as you make your way through Sinnoh. Torterra works well against Ground, Rock, Dark, Dragon, and Electric types. With decent HP alongside strong Special Defense and Defense, Torterra is a certifiable tank. The 109 Attack is also incredibly potent, but that also means Torterra will have to rely on Physical Grass-type moves, which are harder to come by. Razor Leaf and Bullet Seed will be your best friend, along with Earthquake and/or Bulldoze.

Staraptor

No team is complete without Staraptor, a Flying/Normal-type Pokémon. This creature starts off as Starly, which can be found on Route 201, and then evolves to Staravia at level 14. It then becomes Staraptor at level 34, which shouldn’t take you long if you use this Pokémon right away. Staraptor has a wide movepool with high Attack and Speed, which makes it a great all-around choice — particularly when it gets moves like Brave Bird, U-turn (Bug-type), and Thief (Dark-type).

Gyarados

You might already be familiar with Gyarados if you were a fan of the original 151 Pokémon. It’s a good idea to have a Water-type on your team in Brilliant Diamond (or any Pokémon game really), and Gyarados fits into that category. The Flying sub-type is weird, but Gyarados’ movepool puts more focus on Dragon-type moves. Gyarados starts off as Magikarp, which can be acquired from Route 225. Then, at level 20, it turns into the ferocious Gyarados. Remember, this Pokémon is effective against Fire, Flying, Steel, Dragon, and Ground types. This sea serpent’s 125 Attack and decent Speed of 81 means it can sweep through many enemies. Focus on Physical attacks like Ice Fang, Bite, and Aqua Tail, and you’ll be ingood shape.

Houndoom

Likewise, we advise having a Fire-type on your team in this remake, and Houndoom is a fantastic option. This Fire/Dark-type starts off as Houndour, which can be acquired from Route 214, 215, and from Stargleam Tavern. Houndour evolves into Houndoom at level 24 and is powerful against Psychic, Flying, Fire, Steel, Dragon, Rock, and Dark. Being strong against that many Pokémon types makes this one easy to recommend! High Speed and Special Attack is always great for Fire-types, where many of the best moves are Special.

Lucario

Another Pokémon we highly recommend is Lucario, a Fighting/Steel-type. Lucario starts off as Riolu and can be acquired from Iron Island. After reaching high friendship during the daytime, Riolu becomes Lucario. This creature is strong against Normal, Dragon, Flying, Steel, and Water types, complementing the rest of the team well. Lucario’s stat totals are on part with the Eevee evolutions and some starters, but the spread is what’s best: 112 in Speed, 140 in Special Attack, and 145 in Attack. This means Lucario can wield pretty much any attack to great effect, including off-type moves like Dragon Pulse, Poison Jab, Blaze Kick, and Thunder Punch. So, in reality, he can cover many of your team’s other vulnerabilities.

Gardevoir

For the final Pokémon, we suggest going with Gardevoir, a Psychic/Fairy type. This one starts off as Ralts, which is found in the Dazzling Cave, Route 203, and 204. At level 20, Ralts becomes Kirlia, and then at level 30, it becomes Gardevoir. This Pokémon deals high damage against Psychic, Flying, Dragon, Steel, and Water types. And, because of its 100 Speed and 165 Special Attack, Gardevoir can be a veritable powerhouse with moves like Psychic and Dazzling Gleam, but also some off-type moves like Mystical Fire and Thunderbolt.

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are available for Nintendo Switch right now.