How to beat Byron in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

Byron's sturdy Steel-type team can be difficult to push through, so steel yourself for a rough fight.

Note: This guide is for the gym battle, not the rematch.

His Team

Byron brings three Pokémon to face you with:

• Bronzor - Level 36
  • Moves: Confuse Ray, Sandstorm, Trick Room, Flash Cannon
  • Ability: Levitate
  • Item: None
• Steelix - Level 36
  • Moves: Thunder Fang, Earthquake, Sandstorm, Gyro Ball
  • Ability: Sturdy
  • Item: Soft Sand
• Bastiodon - Level 39
  • Moves: Iron Defense, Thunderbolt, Stone Edge, Flash Cannon
  • Ability: Sturdy
  • Item: Sitrus Berry

Byron will use a single Hyper Potion and a single Full Restore when his Pokémon are low.

Related: How to beat Crasher Wake in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

Strategy

Byron's team is quite defensive, proving annoying to take down even if you have an overwhelming advantage. Expect for all of his Pokémon to survive at least one hit.

Bronzor is more of a nuisance than a threat. Trick Room will reverse the flow of battle, letting slower Pokémon go first, and Sandstorm will chip down any Pokémon that's not Rock, Ground, or Steel-type. Since it has Levitate, you'll need a Dark or Fire-type move to deal with this near-unbreakable Pokémon.

Steelix boasts a lot of weaknesses but makes up for it by having Sturdy. It's guaranteed to survive at least one attack. If it can KO your Pokémon in that one chance, you may be in trouble. It's obvious to keep Fairy, Electric, Rock, and Ice-type Pokémon away from Steelix, but you should also avoid using Water and Flying-types as well unless you're confident they can take a Thunder Fang.

Strangely enough, Steelix may actually be beneficial to you. Since it has Sturdy, if you can one-shot it, Byron will be nigh guaranteed to use a healing item on its next turn. Keep one-shotting it and Byron will waste all of his healing items.

Bastiodon doesn't do much damage and its typing isn't fantastic. It takes four times the damage from both Ground and Fighting-type moves, as well as double damage from Water moves. But it's a sheer wall, so taking it down is a hassle. Just keep slugging away until it goes down.

For tips on how to make a Bastiodon a fun team member, check out Best Nature for Shieldon and Bastiodon in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl on Pro Game Guides.