How to Beat Elite Four Bertha in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

The second Elite Four member is a Ground Type master but they all share a common Grass weakness. Even without Torterra, there are many Pokémon that are capable of learning high damaging Grass Type moves to make quick work of the fight.

Bertha's Team

• Quagsire Lvl 55 - This Pokémon can be very bulky and has reliable recovery with Recover on top of Bertha's Full Restores. It has Water Absorb which makes it regain HP when hit with Water Type moves. Bertha can switch in Quagsire into the player's Water Type attacks if they switch it out earlier in the battle. While it doesn't hit hard, Toxic can whittle away at the player's Pokémon.
• Whiscash Lvl 55 - While Grass has a four times effectiveness against this Pokémon, it also holds a Rindo Berry. The berry halves the damage of Grass Type attacks but it is still possible to take it out with just one attack. Taking it out quickly is important, however, as it can use Belch to do super effective damage against any Grass Types it faces.
• Golem Lvl 56 - This will be the only Pokémon to always survive on one HP due to its Ability, Sturdy. It can setup with Rock Polish before going for damaging moves so Priority Moves can ensure the Knock Out if it ends up outspeeding any Pokémon it faces. Bertha may use a Full Restore so it can be beneficial to whittle it down with a lower damaging move before hitting it super effectively.
• Sudowoodo Lvl 56 - With poor Special Defense, this Pokémon is best taken out with a Special Attack. It has a Sitrus Berry to recover a quarter of its HP but can be taken out easily with a Surf or Giga Drain.
• Hippowdon Lvl 59 - While this Pokémon may not hit too hard, it has lots of moves that can be super effective against many Pokémon. When it is low on HP it will use Rest and instantly wake up with its Chesto Berry. It carries Ice Fang, Crunch, and Earthquake.

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Teams

Ground Types have three weaknesses and Bertha's team doesn't do a great job of protecting itself from them. Water, Grass, and Ice are all super effective against Ground Types but Quagsire and Whiscash's typing makes it so only Grass is super effective.

Grass Types

• Torterra - Although Hippowdon's Ice Fang can be some serious damage to it, Torterra is the perfect matchup against Bertha's team. Capable setting up with Swords Dance or Rock Polish, this Pokémon can Earthquake and Wood Hammer its way to victory with ease. Because it is Defensively bulky, Bertha's Pokémon can barely do much damage to it. Even when low, it can recover with Synthesis or a few Full Restores.
• Roserade - This Pokémon is the best Grass Type that players that didn't choose Torterra can catch before the Elite Four. With a high Special Attack, its Energy Ball, Giga Drain, or Petal Blizzard is capable of taking out most of Bertha's team in one hit. It isn't recommended to use Petal Blizzard against Golem, however, as Bertha can keep healing it until Roserade is Confused.

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Water Types

• Empoleon - As good as this Starter Pokémon is, Empoleon is weak to Ground Type moves. If brought for the rest of the Elite Four and the Champion, Empoleon does learn Aqua Jet which can come in handy against any low HP Pokémon. Used mainly against a Golem that has already setup with Rock Polish.
• Gyarados - This Pokémon is almost guaranteed to be caught during a Nuzlocke and is a great choice to bring to the Elite Four. Dragon Dance should never be underestimated but can be risky against Bertha's Sudowoodo and Golem as they have super effective Rock Type moves. Ice Fang will still do plenty of damage to Whiscash and Quagsire and Waterfall will take care of every other Pokémon without any Dragon Dances.
• Octillery - An often overlooked Pokémon, Octillery has poor Defensive stats but makes up for it with its coverage. It has evenly high Attack and Special Attack, making moves like Energy Ball or Waterfall very useful against Bertha. For the other members, it is capable of learning Flamethrower, Thunderbolt, and even Ice Beam. Using this Pokémon with a Reflect and Lightscreen setup Pokémon can give it the protection it needs to run through teams.
• Pelipper - Although weak against Rock Type moves, Pelipper is a powerful threat against the Elite Four. Hurricane works great against both Water/Ground Types that Bertha has and the weather boosted Surf or Scald will take everything else out. Golem is still a threat, but players can try to bulk up Pelipper with Stockpile to make sure its Defense is high enough to handle anything Golem tries to dish out.
• Bibarel - After learning Curse at level 58, Bibarel becomes nearly unstoppable. Its Ability, Simple, doubles its stat changes, making Curse give it two stages of Attack and Defense increase while lowering its Speed. For Special Defense coverage, it can learn Amnesia as well. It can learn Grass Knot for Quagsire but with its stat increase, even Strength will be enough to take it out. It is highly underrated and something Nuzlockers may want to consider bringing if they are low on Pokémon.
• Milotic - With high Special Attack and extra Defense when paired with a Flame Orb, Milotic is one of the best options to bring to the Elite Four. Scald or Surf, Ice Beam, and Dragon Pulse are its best offensive options with several support options. It can safely set up Reflect and Lightscreen as well as force a Pokémon to switch out with Dragon Tail.

Generally Good Pokémon

• Alakazam - Although this Pokémon has poor Defense, its high Speed and Special Attack makes it perfect for switching in after a Knock Out. Energy Ball and Grass Knot is its best move against Bertha's Pokémon and Shadow Ball can be used for the following Elite Four member.
• Weavile - Similarly to Alakazam, Weavile has poor Defense but has high Speed and Attack. With access to a Priority Move in both Quick Attack and Ice Shard, this Pokémon can guarantee a Knock Out on a Rock Polished Golem or future Elite Four member's fast Pokémon.
• Mismagius - This Pokémon can switch safely into an Earthquake with its Levitate Ability. With access to coverage moves like Energy Ball and Dazzling Gleam, its offensive capabilities should not be underestimated. It can also learn Will O Wisp to burn Pokémon and lower their Attack stat or raise its own Special Attack with Nasty Plot.

For more Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl guides, check out How to Beat Elite Four Aaron in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl on Pro Game Guides.