How to beat Dianthe in Pokemon X and Y

Dianthe is the Champion of the Kalos League (Image via Game Freak)
Dianthe is the Champion of the Kalos League (Image via Game Freak)

Dianthe may have high-leveled Pokemon, but her team is far from unbeatable.

Along the lines of Cynthia and Blue, Dianthe's Champion team has more of a mix of types. She also definitely has her share of threats.

The good news for players, though, is that her team has many shared weaknesses, including one that could almost win the match on its own.


Strategy for beating Champion of Kalos Pokemon League

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Dianthe is basically incredibly weak to one type. Before revealing it, here is her team:

  • Hawlucha lvl 64
  • Tyrantrum lvl 65
  • Aurorus lvl 65
  • Gourgeist lvl 65
  • Goodra lvl 66
  • Mega Gardevoir lvl 68

So, given that team, what is the big weakness most of them share? It's actually the Ice type. Four of these Pokemon (Hawlucha, Tyrantrum, Gourgeist, and Goodra) take super-effective damage from Ice moves, and there is only one resist to it (Aurorus).

Of course, beating Dianthe isn't as simple as using any Ice-type and winning the match. The trainer's game plan will depend heavily on which Ice-type is being used.

For example, Mamoswine is an excellent tool since it has enough physical strength to blow through most of Dianthe's team. Mamoswine is a little slow, though, and will probably take a super-effective Flying Press from Hawlucha.

Mamoswne can deal with most of Dianthe's team (Image via The Pokemon Company)
Mamoswne can deal with most of Dianthe's team (Image via The Pokemon Company)

On the other hand, Frosslass is Ghost/Ice-type, so it won't have to worry about Hawlucha's Flying Press. It will struggle against Goodra, though, who has tons of Special Defense. It will likely eat an Ice Beam and then respond with a Fire Blast.

The best potential Ice-type to bring here would probably be Weavile. It has enough speed to hit Diancthe's threats first. It also could potentially OHKO Aurorus with a Brick Break or Low Sweep.

However, if Weavile isn't being used, a strong Steel-type could be the other piece to beating Dianthe. Steel hits Aurora for 4x effectiveness as well as beating Mega Gardevoir.

There are also plenty of solid Steel-types in the Kalos region. Steelix, Aegislash, Klefki, and even Magnezone do well against Dianthe. It also doesn't hurt that Korrina literally gives the player a Mega Lucario halfway through the game.

In short, a team of Weavile and Lucario could beat Dianthe on their own. Without these specific Pokemon, trainers might need to patch up other matchups.

It might be wise to get a Slowbro for Hawlucha or a strong physical attacker to damage Goodra. Either way, an Ice-type and a Steel-type are all a trainer will need to become Kalos Champion.

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