Pokémon Diamond and Pearl: Contest Guide

This guide covers the Pokémon Contests in Diamond and Pearl, detailing how to win each category (Cool, Beauty, Cute, Smart, Tough) and rank.

Walkthrough

1
Understand Contest Categories: There are five categories: Cool, Beauty, Cute, Smart, and Tough. Each Pokémon has a base appeal in these categories.
2
Choose the Right Pokémon: Pokémon with higher base appeal in a specific category are better suited for that contest.
3
Use Appeal-Boosting Items: Items like Pokeblocks can significantly increase a Pokémon's appeal in a chosen category.
4
Master Moves: Select moves that boost your Pokémon's appeal and disrupt opponents. Moves that increase appeal in one turn and prevent opponents from acting in the next are particularly effective.
5
Gameplay Phases: Contests have two main phases: the Appeals and the Performance.
6
Appeals Phase: Players take turns using moves to impress the judges and the audience. The order of turns is determined by a Pokémon's condition. Higher condition means acting earlier.
7
Performance Phase: This phase involves using moves that either excite the crowd or make opponents nervous. Successfully exciting the crowd increases your score, while making opponents nervous can cause them to falter.
8
Winning Strategy: Focus on using moves that match the contest category and have high appeal. Learn the turn order and use moves that can prevent opponents from acting when you have a high score.
9
Ranks: There are four ranks: Normal, Super, Hyper, and Master. You must win the previous rank to unlock the next.

Tips

Pokeblocks: Make Pokeblocks by mixing Berries. The quality of the Pokeblock depends on the Berry and the mixing minigame. Higher quality Pokeblocks give a bigger appeal boost.
Move Synergies: Some moves work well together. For example, using a move that raises appeal and then a move that prevents opponents from acting on the next turn can be very effective.
Conditioning: Feeding your Pokémon Pokeblocks increases its condition, which affects its acting order in the Appeals phase.
Dress Up: Use the Dress Up feature to add accessories to your Pokémon, which can slightly boost their appeal in specific categories.
Practice: The more you participate in contests, the better you'll understand the mechanics and your Pokémon's capabilities.

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