#brilliant diamond shining pearl

Your childhood friends and rivals in your journey across the Sinnoh region!

To see more about this project, you can check out the Peaks of Sinnoh tag.

Matilda

Matilda is the driving force behind your group of friends. She has the get-up-and-go attitude to turn any plan into a reality. She loves Pokémon battles, and faces every challenge along her path with gusto! She is chosen by the legendary Pokémon Azelf to protect it from Team Dimensional.

Her starter, “Buddy,” has type advantage over your starter. When you face Matilda for the last time on Victory Road (and any other times you battle with her in the post-game) her team is made up of her starter (Buddy), Luxray (Sparky), Floatzel (Bubbles), Drifblim (Puff), Weavile (Scritchy), and Gabite (Chompers).

Matilda may appear as a competitor in the highest rank of contests in the Toughness and Coolness categories. In Toughness contests she will use Buddy, and in Coolness contests she will use Sparky. Matilda will also be at the Battle Frontier on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, where she can be teamed up with for double battles, or may appear as a challenger in higher-level single battles.   

Cato

Cato is a methodical and studious young man. He takes it upon himself to learn all he can, and think through his actions (not to mention yours and Matilda’s!) as best as he can before moving forward. Throughout your journey he seems to be one step behind you and Matilda, but he is still a formidable trainer. He is a great asset to you in double battles against Team Dimensional, and he successfully collects all eight badges, making all three of you impressively powerful trainers and the pride of Twinleaf Town. However, Cato is more focused on his Pokédex, working to document and (if possible) catch every Pokémon he can. He is chosen by Uxie to protect it from Team Dimensional.

Cato starts his team with the starter that is weak to yours. By the time you battle him for the last time in Sunyshore City (and in any battles thereafter) his team is made up of his starter, Staraptor, Lopunny, Alakazam, Lumineon, and Hipowdown.

Cato may appear as a competitor in the highest level of contests in the Cleverness and Beauty categories. In cleverness contests he will use his starter, and in Beauty contests he will use Lumineon. Cato can be found in the battle frontier on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, at which time he can join you for double battles, or may be a challenger in higher-level single battles.

On Saturdays both Cato and Matilda can be found in the town square in Twinleaf town. There you can talk to them, battle them individually, or take them both on in a double battle.

Matilda and Cato balance each other well, but that doesn’t mean you’re not an important part of this dynamic. As much as Cato’s intelligence needs Matilda’s energy to motivate him to act, and Matilda needs Cato’s level head to balance her recklessness, they both need your heart to better inform their thoughts and actions. The same way that their knowledge and enthusiasm improve your journey, your empathy makes a great fulcrum to keep things from swinging too far toward thoughts or actions.

Together, you three can take on any challenge the Sinnoh region can throw at you!

There’s a new group in Sinnoh, looking to share enlightenment. Along with control of the known universe. What could go wrong?

To learn more about this project, you can check out the Peaks of Sinnoh tag!

Team Dimensional is traveling the region, seeking to help people become one with the universe. They’re a spiritual bunch, aiming to connect with the cosmos and reconnect with the all-powerful Pokémon that created all things.

Team Dimensional grunts generally use Zubat, Glameow, Roselia, and/or Cleffa/Clefairy. 

To reconnect with those Pokémon, they need a lot of power, and a lot of followers, and they will go to great lengths to achieve that. You will, at various stages, need to confront them to prevent them from using people and Pokémon against their wills. Most importantly, you’ll need to defeat the team’s leaders, the acolytes.

Acolyte 1: Spatia

The first acolyte you encounter is Spatia. She dreams of mastering space, being able to travel great distances instantly, either by technological or metaphysical means. She’s a big fan of astral projecting. She’s an enthusiastic driver of the team, but her temper can get the better of her. She is also the newest member of the team’s higher ranks; when you first challenge her in Eterna Forest, her team is only a Marill and a Bidoof. She is blocking a path in Eterna Forest, where they are trying to spread Team Dimensional’s message of possibility and convince trainers to work with them. However, any time someone questions Team Dimensional’s goals Spatia gets angry with them and challenges them to a battle. 

You meet her a few more times in your travels, including at lake Verity. By the time you battle her for the last time, her team is made up of Bibarel, Azumarill, Floatzel, and Manatine.

Acolyte 2: Tempus

Tempus is a more experienced member of the team, and perhaps one of the more grounded. He is the most disciplined and determined of the acolytes, and is largely responsible for operations at Team Dimensional Headquarters in Veilstone city, which is run out of the old department store, now that the department store has moved into the larger space left behind by Team Galactic all those years ago. When you go snooping around the new headquarters you aren’t initially challenged to many battles. However, once you have worked your way far enough back behind the scenes to reach Tempus, he is determined to defeat you. 

Tempus is fascinated by time – the ways its progress is both unavoidable and mutable. Time moves inexorably forward, and yet, every moment theoretically happens at once. Taking both of these things into account, there’s no better time to act than in the present! His team includes Bastiodon, Bronzong, and Magnezone, though his Pokémon are initially battled in their pre-evolved forms.

Acolyte 3: Pravita

Pravita has been with Team Dimensional since the very beginning. She keeps her mind open to all possibilities, and believes in the fluidity of all things, with her reasonings varying from the spiritual to the quantum-mechanical. Everything is changeable, and she aspires to share the power to change it with all of Team Dimensional’s followers, as soon as she can get a hold of it herself. 

Other members of Team Dimensional will sometimes mention Pravita, and you will see her briefly in the Veilstone HQ and in Celestic town. By the time you battle her on the shores of Lake Verity (soon after defeating the Canalave City gym), her team consists of Mismagius, Drifblim, and Froslass.

Team Leader: Themis

Themis has spent over a decade searching for ways to make contact with the all-powerful Pokémon that are able to mold Sinnoh, and perhaps even time, space, and reality themselves, to their will. You will meet him many times throughout your journey; the first time you see him he is talking to scientists in Oreburgh City, but he does not introduce himself until you find him sharing the good word in Hearthome City, and you don’t face him in battle until Celestic Town.

Themis was a grunt for Team Galactic, and was there to witness Cyrus’ summoning of the ultimate legendaries of the region, and the team’s following downfall. He concluded that Cyrus’ mistake was a disrespect for the legendaries, and an over-emphasis on science. Themis’ goal is to succeed where Cyrus failed, and free Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, and Arceus to reign over Sinnoh once more, with himself and Team Dimensional as their loyal servants. Servants that, presumably, will become powerful by association. And maybe, just maybe, he can retrieve Cyrus from the distortion world, and prove himself to his former team leader.

He has made one small miscalculation: none of those Pokémon are trapped any more than a Pikachu is trapped in a tree. They do not need to be summoned; they are already exerting as much power as they wish. In his aspirations to “free” the legendaries, he is blindly restricting and controlling them.

This cannot end well.

Especially after you defeat his team: Rampardos, Bastiodon, Dustox, Clefable, and Toxicroak. He will first challenge you in Celestic Town.

However, Themis is not the only former member of Team Galactic still roaming Sinnoh. Most have let the teal dye fade from their hair and disappeared into mundane lives or other trainer classes, but there are three key team members that can still be encountered in Sinnoh, and can offer you some help in taking on Team Dimensional.

Bonus: Former Galactic Commanders

Aroma Specialist Mars lives in Floaroma town, and, if asked, will tell you some about the flawed battle strategies of Team Galactic, and is the first to remark on the connections between Team Dimensional and Team Galactic. After battling Spatia for the first time, Mars will battle with you to help you train to take on Team Dimensional.

Ace Trainer Saturn prefers to keep his distance from Team Dimensional. However, he can be found in Pastoria City, where he will explain some of Team Galactic’s grand plans to you, including the summoning of legendaries on Mt. Coronet, and the creation of the red chain.

Lady Jupiter has taken up residence at Hotel Grand Lake, and now considers her time with Team Galactic to have been an absurd phase in her life that she is glad has passed. She does love to tell stories, however, and will detail the events of Team Galactic’s attempt to summon the legendaries at the Spear Pillar, including their defeat by the now-champion and Cyrus’ disappearance. 

(Feat. an update on the state of the project as a whole)

Hi! So, as you may have kind of guessed this project won’t be going forward as it has been presented in the past. Life gets busy, priorities change, and people with adhd move on. However, I have too many ideas and sprite edits stashed away to let it go completely, so I want to share those things with you in subject-specific posts. Thanks to everyone who’s checked this out, and I hope you find these ideas at least passingly interesting. So, without further ado…

The Gym Leaders!

To see more about this project, you can check out the Peaks of Sinnoh tag!

Half of the gym leaders on the roster are familiar from the original/canon adventure in the Sinnoh region, but three are new (if still somewhat familiar) faces!

The new Oreburgh city gym leader, Carmilla, has already been featured in the Oreburgh city post, but let’s talk about her anyway:

Gym Leader 1: Carmilla

Carmilla is the youngest gym leader in Sinnoh, having taken over the Oreburgh gym from Roark. Her focus is on poison types, and her gym has bouncy, bubble-inspired theming.

If you defeat her team of Stunky, Budew, and Zubat, you’ll receive the venom badge, and have completed the first step of your Pokémon league journey!

Gym Leader 2: Gardenia

Gardenia has maintained her position as gym leader of Eterna city, though the forest maze in her gym has grown thicker and more lush over time, and Lass Caroline is now a Parasol Lady. 

You receive the forest badge for defeating her Cherubi, Leafeon, and Grotle.

Gym Leader 3: Maylene

Maylene has grown into a confident and accomplished gym leader in Veilstone city. She still gives out the cobble badge when you defeat her, and all of the other trainers in her dojo-themed gym. However, the other trainers in the gym are no longer exclusively black belts, now including battle girls and a ninja boy (who battles with a Croagunk). 

Maylene’s gym challenge team consists of Meditite, Riolu, and Machamp, but outside of the gym, and in any later battles, she can still be found with her partner Pokémon: Lucario.

Gym Leader 4: Quake

Quake took over the Pastoria gym from his mentor Crasher Wake when the elder wrestler retired*. Quake specializes in ground type Pokémon, and has redesigned the gym to better reflect that. 

Like Gardenia, Quake’s gym mimics the natural world, with a system of rivers running through it. The rivers can be navigated by crossing a series of bridges which raise and lower based on various control points throughout the gym (not unlike the buttons in the original layout). The rivers may not be wide, but they are deep, and the currents will sweep you right back to the front of the gym if you try to cross without using a bridge! The other gym trainers include rangers, ranchers, and fishermen.

He will award you the coast badge for defeating him and his team of Hippopotas (whose moveset includes muddy water), Quagsire, and (west sea) Gastrodon.

*Crasher Wake still lives in Pastoria city, and will give the player some advice about type effectiveness (grass is best) if talked to before battling Quake. Crasher Wake can also be battled post-elite four on select days of the week.

Gym Leader 5: Keira

Long-time contest judge Keira took over the Hearthome gym when Fantina left to travel the world and hone her battling skills some years ago. Though the ghost-type master has since returned to Sinnoh, Fantina is now a member of the elite four, and Keira and her normal-type team have remained the next step of the gym challenge. 

When you first reach Hearthome city, Keira is away from the gym, focused on her contest performances. When met briefly at the super contest hall, she explains that she has a couple very important master-rank contests to complete, and encourages you to challenge the Veilstone gym in the meantime. Keira and Quake can both be challenged after Maylene; it is only a matter of whether the player decides to double back or travel on to Pastoria city first.

The gym itself is constructed to encourage showmanship, and is styled after the super contest hall, with a largely pink, purple, yellow, and blue color scheme. On the first floor, the player must dress up (in any outfit other than the base player outfit. The player can choose to wear their contest outfit, as they well have learned about contests well before challenging this gym) before battling a Lady. On the second floor, you must follow a pattern of DDR-style arrows across the floor (stepping on the wrong tile will drop you down to the floor below) to battle a Lass. The third floor requires you to summon a Pokémon to use strength in order to move stage rosters aside to reach and challenge an Idol. 

Then, finally, you can challenge Keira, who will compliment you performance in the gym. Her room has retained the original stained glass, but now includes a stage, and has been repainted in a lighter pink, as opposed to the original, shadowy purple. Once you defeat her Jigglypuff, Porygon-Z, and Lopunny, Keira will award you the Twirl Badge

Gym Leader 6: Roark

Roark has taken over the Canalave city gym for his father, Byron*. The gym is now rock type, as opposed to steel, but has remained largely unchanged in most other respects. The gym trainers you must defeat to reach Roark include Workers, Black Belts, and Ace trainers–most notably Black Belt Jonathan and Ace Trainer Darius.

When you do reach Roark, he notes that he has been interested in your progress. He loves being a gym leader and battling new, promising trainers like you and Carmilla all the time, and that’s part of why he agreed to take over this gym for his father. His team includes Graveler, Steelix, Bastiodon, and Rampardos, and once defeated he awards you the mine badge.

*Byron still lives in Canalave city, but is somewhat less helpful than Crasher Wake. When spoken to, Byron will primarily share information about boat routes, or the appeal of steel type Pokémon. After defeating the elite four, he can be challenged once a week, when he visits Iron Island.

Gym Leader 7: Candice

Candice’s role as gym leader has remained largely unchanged in the many years since the original DPPT games took place. Like Gardenia, she has not updated the interior of her gym, though some of the Ace Trainers in the gym have changed, while others have been replaced by Skiers. 

However, you do need to go retrieve Candice from her studies of the Snowpoint Temple before you can challenge her. She can be found on the third floor of the temple, where the stairs leading further down into the temple have worn away and are only accessible using rock climb. She will share some of the temple’s legends with you before returning to the gym. 

You receive the icicle badge after defeating Candice’s team of Piloswine, Weavile, Abomasnow, and Froslass.

Gym Leader 8: Barry

As one of the great trainers from Twinleaf Town, Barry was on the shortlist to become a gym leader when leader Volkner became a member of the elite four.

Barry loves the hustle and bustle of Sunyshore, and the close proximity to Victory Road and the Battle Tower. He has refitted the gym to revolve around speed, with the floors of each room using boost tiles to send you zipping across the room! Only by making your way through this breakneck maze and defeating the joggers, cyclists, and ace trainers that also train at the gym can you challenge Barry. 

Though, Barry’s still not a big fan of staying still or wasting time. He arrives at the gym at the same time as you, giving you a brief glimpse of the best path through the first room as he rushes to the gym leader’s platform at the end. He also asks what took you so long when you finally arrive!

Once you defeat his Electrode, Jolteon, Crobat, Weavile, and Torterra (his beloved starter is the only Pokémon with a base speed stat under 125) you are given the beacon badge and you’re finally ready to challenge the elite four!

Thanks for checking out this post about the future of Sinnoh’s gym leaders. If you enjoy these ideas, likes and reblogs are much appreciated, and more stuff like this can be found in the Peaks of Sinnoh tag!

City of Joy!

Welcome to Jubilife City, the communication hub of the Sinnoh region! You have a package to deliver, and a city to explore.

If you are interested in following the story of Peaks of Sinnoh, start here!

When you reach Jubilife City, with its tall buildings and bustling streets, you can find Matilda and Cato outside of the Trainer’s School. Approaching them lets you in on their conversation, where Matilda is insisting that they have to keep looking for you and battle as soon as possible. However, Cato argues that it’s important to be informed going into battle. Knowledge is power, after all.

Matilda: “Power is power!”

It’s at this point that they spot you, and Matilda challenges you to a battle. You can refuse and come back later if you are unprepared, but, either way, Matilda will battle you with her starter, Buddy, and her new Shinx, sparky.

After the battle, you give Cato the package his father sent you with. It contains a handful of berries from his family’s garden, which he then shares with you and Matilda. You receive two oran berries and two pecha berries. From here Matilda thanks Cato and races off. Cato heads into the Trainer’s School.

When you follow Cato into the school you can talk to a variety of NPCs who will tell you a variety of basic information about Pokémon, like weakness and resistance, status conditions, etc. There are also two school kids, who challenge you and Cato to a double battle. When you win, both the students and Cato are impressed by you. When Cato compliments you:

“Wow, [NAME], you did great! You’ve bonded with all your Pokémon, not just [starter].”

You can respond to him either with “Thank you!” or, “You battled well yourself!” However, neither option has an impact on Cato’s dialogue. He tells you he wants to keep studying to better prepare himself, but that you should probably explore the city.

Out on the streets, you can find Matilda talking to a Pokétch salesman. When you join the conversation, Matilda tells you,

“This guy is just giving away Pokétches! I’ve gotta get one!”

She dashes away, and the man explains that, yes, if you retrieve three Pokétch coupons from the three clowns ‘hidden’ around the city, he’ll give you a Pokétch.

The three clowns each have a question about Pokémon. One clown, outside the Pokétch building, asks if Pokémon can have weakness and resistance to different types. One between the fountains out front of the Global Hub (which you cannot yet enter; not until you have at least one gym badge) asks if Pokémon get stronger when they evolve. The third and final clown, standing to one side of the TV Station asks if Pokémon can use items in battle. If you reply correctly, “Yes” to all of them, they will give you coupons and you can return them to the salesman.

Once again, Matilda is already talking to him. She has just received her Pokétch. When you join the conversation you are given one too, along with a brief description of how to use it. Then Cato joins you, also with coupons. Now all three of you have Pokétches, and the salesman informs you of a new feature they’re especially proud of: these Pokétches can make phone calls! 

Cato notes that it could be very useful to have each other’s Pokétch numbers, so that you have someone to call in an emergency. Matilda is quick to make sure you all have each other’s number, and she and Cato also say that they’re adding their family’s numbers (Cato enters his home number, and Matilda adds both her home and her brother). When you check the Pokétch call screen, you have Cato, Matilda, and Mom registered. 

With that all sorted out, Matilda tells you that she’s off to start the gym challenge in Oreburgh City. Without further ado, she’s gone. Cato concludes that he’ll try to get a bit stronger first, but he’ll head to the first gym soon enough.

So now, once you’re satisfied with your exploration of the city–maybe you’ll look around the TV Station, or the condominium–it’s off through the tunnels to Oreburgh City! It’s time to truly begin your gym challenge.

A sandy beach town!

Matilda rushes her way down Route 201 to Sandgem Town, staying a few steps ahead of you. Cato, on the other hand, keeps pace with you for the short trip. Still, when you reach the edge of town Matilda is waiting for you so you can all enter the lab together!

If you are interested in following the story of Peaks of Sinnoh, start here!

Sandgem Town is small, much like Twinleaf Town, but the lab, the Pokémon center, and the Poké-mart make this beachside spot a point of interest in its own right. But today, you’re most interested in the lab.

Along with Matilda and Cato, you enter the lab to find Assistant Professor Larch hard at work. You wait a moment, but he still doesn’t look up. An old man steps up to the three of you, and speaks:

“Can I help you?”

You all jump and turn to face him, and Matilda pushes you forward. “Tell him what happened, [NAME]!”

You have two options: “We were attacked yesterday…” or, “We came to talk to Assistant Professor Larch…” No matter what you choose, the man replies:

“I see. I am Professor Rowan, it’s a pleasure to meet you. May I see your Pokémon?” Professor Rowan steps up to each of you in turn, and concludes that, “It looks like Lucas made the right decision. You’re all getting along quite well.”

Assistant Professor Larch finally leaves his desk to join you. “I thought so,” he tells you, and gives you the option to nickname your starter. Cato decides not to nickname his starter, but Matilda leaps at the chance (she nicknames her starter Buddy, no matter which one she chose). 

Then, Assistant Professor Larch asks the three of you if you will help him with something: will you travel the region and collect data on every Pokémon you can find? New information emerges about Pokémon every day, and you can be part of that process by catching them all.

You all agree, of course, and receive Pokédexes for your journey. Professor Rowan notes that to explore a region with Pokémon as your companions and guides is a great adventure, and Assistant Professor Larch agrees. As you learn more about Pokémon, you will also learn more about yourself.

Rowan and Larch send you on your way, and you are released into the Sinnoh region with Matilda and Cato. Cato notes the Pokémon center and the shop, which are now genuinely useful to you as trainers. He gives a quick explanation of each, before Matilda interrupts with more information: 

“Do you know how to catch Pokémon? My older brother taught me!” You can choose whether or not Matilda gives you a tutorial on catching Pokémon. If you say you don’t know how, she’ll give you the usual spiel. If you say you know already, she’s very impressed, and suggests that your mom probably taught you. She then gives you some Pokéballs, which note in their description that they can be used to catch weakened Pokémon in battle, just to be sure you’re not totally left in the dark. 

As per your mom’s request, you head home, able to catch and battle Pokémon along the way. Matilda and Cato rush ahead (Matilda faster than Cato). 

When you get home, your mom heals you up and gives you a map of the region. She wishes you luck, and reminds you that she’ll be rooting for you, and that you’re always welcome at home. When you head out, you find Cato’s dad at the edge of town. He tells you that he was trying to give a package to Cato, but Matilda dragged him away, insisting that you [the player] were probably already halfway to Jubilife city! Could you deliver the package to Cato when you reach Jubilife?

You have no choice but to take the package, which is put in your key items, and you’re off! Time to start exploring the region, and head for Jubilife city!

[Author’s note: Playing BDSP has me thinking about this project again! I had dreams of being very specific, and posting Kanto and Sinnoh posts back and forth, but I think instead I’ll focus on Sinnoh for now, and just write up what I can. I’d rather put this out there than obsess about particular qualities. Thanks for checking this out!]

Despite having brilliant diamond for awhile I have only played three hours total.