Updated at: 12-05-2023 - By: Craig Huey

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D/P/Pt Training Locations

So, you’ve just hatched a Pokémon from an egg and want to train it so that it can compete with the Elite Four or reach its next evolutionary stage. Instead of abusing EXP Share or the Switch feature, you’d rather have your Pokémon do the heavy lifting on its own? To each his own, but since I’m one of the few who takes Pokémon seriously, I thought I’d share the routes I recommend for exploring the region with your Pokémon. The suggested areas should provide nearly optimal EXP output for what your Pokémon can handle at any given time, as calculated by comparing the maximum and minimum levels found in the location with the average experience gained per 100 encounters.

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The tiers shown are for your Pokémon (not the wild ones) and represent only my best guesses as to when you should progress to the next level. Whether or not a given stage is too easy or too difficult is highly dependent on your Pokémon’s stats and moveset, so feel free to switch to the previous or next stage as necessary until you find the right balance.

Level 1

Because I wouldn’t put my faith in a level one Pokémon to defeat a level four one, you’re pretty much limited to the same old Bidoof and Starly (and Kricketot in the morning and night in Platinum) on Route 201. Doduo swarming there is a huge plus, and having FireRed is essential for obtaining Growlithe.

Level 2-3

If you don’t have any Pokémon games for the Game Boy Advance (GBA) or a PokéRadar, it’s probably time to move on to Route 202. Lake Verity, on the other hand, is worth exploring if you are. If you have a GBA Pokémon game, preferably Ruby or Sapphire (in Platinum, you’ll need both), in the dual slot, you’ll get a level four Wobbuffet that will give insane experience for this level, provided you can handle them.onlyIf you replace those two 4% slots with Ruby and Sapphire, you’ll see a significant improvement in your overall performance.

Level 4-5

Now, depending on your Pokémon, you can choose between a few different paths. Two examples are provided below.

Level 6-7

You should be training on Route 207 during the day (in all versions) and consider yourself extremely lucky if Phanpy are currently swarming there. However, it primarily features Machop and Geodude (along with some Kricketot in the morning, Kricketot and Zubat in the night, and Ponyta especially in the morning and day in Platinum), which may or may not be to your liking depending on your Pokémon. The first floor of either Oreburgh Gate or Oreburgh Mine will do if your Pokémon can handle the Geodude but not the Machop. (Admittedly, in Platinum, both of those are lower-leveled and give less experience, so you’ll do better in Oreburgh Mine B1F.) If you’re struggling to take care of Rock-types, head to the Floaroma Town side of Route 204 in Diamond/Pearl. In Platinum, however, that section of the route is significantly higher-leveled, so you should focus on taking care of the Geodude on Route 207 instead.

Level 8-9

D/P players can exit here to reach the Valley Windworks or Route 205 Floaroma. Both are very similar, but in Valley Windworks you can find more Pachirisu and Pokémon of lower levels. As an added bonus, if you have FireRed loaded into your Game Boy Advance slot, the Elekid will boost your experience gain from both games. When both parties arereallyif that’s not your thing and you’d rather be fighting Geodude, you can do that in Oreburgh Mine B1F, but you’ll gain a lot less experience than you would in either of the other two options.

If you’re looking for the Platinum version of this,couldFloaroma Town, located on the opposite side of Route 204, may seem like a welcome distraction now that you’ve decided tolessthan Platinum”s vastly enhanced Route 207, on average. If you’re looking to catch Zubat, Geodude, and Psyduck, Oreburgh Gate B1F is a better choice than Route 207 (especially at night, when you’ll have better luck on the Route 204 Floaroma side than on Route 207). If you don’t want to deviate from Route 207, don’t.

Level 10-11

Nighttime in D/P is even more epic thanks to Eterna Forest, especially in Pearl. Also, considering that Silcoon and Cascoon only use Harden, a lot of that is very easy EXP. It’s also a dream come true for Bug and Grass type Pokémon (*cough* Flying and *cough* Fire type Pokémon). On the other hand, if you travel along Route 205 in the morning or during the day, you will find that Eterna City offers slightly better results. There’s a chance you’d like it more if it had Pokémon elements.

No matter what time of day you play, the EXP in Eterna Forest is roughly the same, and it is always slightly higher than the alternatives (Valley Windworks and Route 205 Floaroma side) in Platinum. In a rare occurrence, you need to stressnothave a Pokémon game that alters the contents of your Game Boy Advance slot; this actually reduces the average experience for Eterna Forest by switching out the lucrative Buneary and Gastly for less lucrative options like Seedot and Caterpie. Though, since the levels in Eterna Forest are higher than in D/P, you may want to consider the Valley Windworks/Route 205 Floaroma side if you think it may be too challenging for your Pokémon.

Level 12-13

You should now be training at Old Chateau in D/P if you are even remotely capable of defeating Gastly (and possibly Haunter/Gengar, which can be toggled on and off by inserting or removing a Pokémon GBA game from the GBA slot). If that’s not possible, then you should visit the Eterna City side of Route 211 during the morning or day.

The Old Chateau is a dangerous place for Pokémon of levels 12 and 13, as the levels are higher in Platinum. Instead of going to the Old Chateau in D/P, you should try the Eterna City side of Route 205, despite the fact that it offers a much more subpar experience.

Level 14-15

Without a doubt, during the day, D/P’s Route 206 is the place to be. It’s loaded with experience-granting Ponyta and Kricketune. Try the Route 207 section of Mt. Coronet during the day or night to catch a glimpse of the Machop, Geodude, Zubat, Meditite, Chingling, and even a Cleffa if you have to.

The possibility exists that the Old Chateau will be accessible for training in Platinum. Although there are no longer any Haunter in the mansion, you can increase your chances of encountering Gengar by playing a Pokémon game in the Game Boy Advance slot. If you can’t handle Gastly during the day, the Route 211 area of Mt. Coronet is your best bet, provided you can also defeat Bronzor, Geodude, Meditite, Machop, Chingling, Nosepass, and Zubat. If neither of those options appeal to you, Route 211 on the Eterna City side has fewer Bronzor and no Geodude or Nosepass but still has the Meditite, Machop, and Chingling; using Emerald in the GBA slot allows you to almost completely eliminate Bronzor while simultaneously raising the average EXP, making it preferable to Mt. Coronet (Route 211). And if none of those options work for you, then you’ll just have to stay on the Eterna City side of Route 205.

Level 16-17

On a night out in D/P, you can’t beat the Trophy Garden. When it comes to this level, there is absolutely no competition. If that doesn’t work, just keep going straight on 206.

However, with Ruby or Sapphire in the Game Boy Advance slot and at night, the low-level section of Turnback Cave (before you pass the first pillar) becomes the best place to be in Platinum. However, if the Pokémon there don’t work for your team, Route 206 is a good second choice, especially during the day.

Level 18-20

Awesome, I always take the Solaceon Town side of Route 210. Don’t bother with Ruby or Emerald in the Game Boy Advance slot; instead, train at night in D/P and either morning (ideally) or day (if you’re a late riser) in Platinum. If you don’t like the Pokémon you encounter there, you can always go to Route 212 (Pastoria City side) at night in Diamond/Pearl or Route 209 (morning or day) in Platinum, but they’ll give you less experience.

Level 21-22

The Valor Lakefront team in D/P features Girafarig, Geodude, Staravia, Graveler, Bibarel, and Kricketune, while the Route 215 team includes Ponyta, Geodude, Abra, Kadabra, and Kricketune. The nightlife at both is comparable, with a slight edge going to Valor Lakefront. Using the PokéRadar on Route 215 in Pearl will net you some Houndoom that will boost your Pokémon’s experience, but in Diamond it will be for naught.

However, in Platinum, it’s best to stick to the Solaceon side of Route 210, as it provides the most experience available at that level (although, by this point, the Trophy Garden is preferable to Route 209).

Level 23-25

The only option for D/P is Route 214. More so in Pearl, the experience you gain from it isinsanePonyta, Geodude, Graveler, Girafarig, Kricketune, and Stunky/Glameow may all be found there, depending on the version you use. There is no route that comes close to it on the same level; the Valor Lakefront and Route 215 are the closest.

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Believe it or not, in Platinum, you need tostillIf you want to stay on the Solaceon side of Route 210, you should do so. That”s how incredible it is there, you’re right.

Level 26-27

You need to travel to the side of Route 211 that leads into Celestic Town from D/P. Here, training during the day is preferred over the night, unlike the previous paths. The daytime brings out Meditite, Ponyta, Graveler, Machoke, and Chingling, while the nighttime brings out Zubat and Noctowl. If that is extremely harmful to you, all you have to do is keep taking Route 214.

However, at night and with a Game Boy Advance game (preferably Ruby or Sapphire) in the GBA slot, the middle level of Turnback Cave in Platinum is a truly amazing place. These Pokémon await you beyond the first pillar, provided that you don’t venture beyond the third one as well. Nonetheless, Valor Lakefront is close by after dark and even better in the morning.

Level 28-30

When you reach Route 221, your level of experience will increase significantly. You can catch Floatzel, Roselia, Shellos, Gastrodon, Wingull, Stunky/Glameow, Skuntank/Purugly, and company here, but if your Pokémon gets hurt, you’ll have to fly to a different location or use the computer in the Pal Park building and then retrieve it. There’s no time of day it isn’t enjoyable, but it’s best in Pearl. Route 218 in Diamond is slightly better than Route 218 in Pearl because of the presence of Floatzel, Mr. Mime, Shellos, Gastrodon, and Wingull in Diamond but much worse in Pearl because of the presence of the superior Route 221 and Glameow in Pearl. However, in either version, you’ll find a pleasant environment in which to hone your skills.

The 218th Street Expressway is the best option in Platinum, even more so than in Diamond. Getting rid of the Chatot by training at night is essential. The 221 is a nice alternative that is not quite as good.

Level 30-32

While Graveler are the most common Pokémon on Iron Island, you can also find Golbat, Onix (the Onix on B1F are replaced with Graveler when you use the PokéRadar, and since Graveler gives more EXP than Onix this is recommended on that floor), Steelix, and the very occasional Geodude there. Starting at B1F (with its lower levels) is an option, and later advancement to B2F (left) and B2F (right) and B3F (higher) is also possible. Unfortunately, it’s inconveniently out of the way, and Graveler are fond of using Selfdestruct, which could cause your Pokémon to faint and force you to leave until they recover. In the event that Iron Island is not a good fit for you, you can always continue your training along Routes 221 or 218.thatmuch in terms of EXP difference. Even though B3F offers significantly more experience than Route 218 in Platinum, I don’t think it’s worth your time to go there because of how difficult it is to reach.

Level 33-34

Besides the absence of swarming Swinub at Acuity Lakefront, the two locations are identical in D/P, with the exception that the latter offers significantly better experience points. Check your math. They are both saddled with auto-Hail, alas.

Since both Route 217 and Acuity Lakefront are now overrun with Swinub and Snorunt, the experience they provide is much lower than that of Route 218, so it’s better to stick to that route (or Iron Island B3F if you went there) in Platinum.

Level 35-37

If the Pokémon you have are up to the challenge, you may want to head to Mt. Coronet 2F and 3F in Diamond and Pearl. These floors are a bit more advanced and are located deep within a cave, but they still offer a substantial amount of experience.

Again, the high-level section of Turnback Cave in Platinum grants insane experience for the appropriate levels, though you must first make your way through the cave.twobarriers before you even get there. Just like before, nighttime training at that location is optimal, but thisnotto use the Game Boy Advance slot for Ruby or Sapphire. You can use Mt. Coronet 2F for training if the Pokémon you have access to are subpar. Mount Coronet (blizzard/snowfall) is another option if your Pokémon is fairly powerful; it is inaccessible, but it offers more experience than Turnback Cave and is only a little bit more difficult.

Level 38-40

Again, Mt. Coronet (blizzard/snowfall) provides an incredible amount of insight, despite the obvious difficulty of getting there. Diamond and Pearl require a nighttime train ride, while Platinum requires a morning or daytime trip. Don’t go if you don’t want to, but if you’re playing Platinum and found high-level Turnback Cave too difficult, Route 222 is a good new option.

Level 41-43

Route 222 is fantastic for D/P after dark, particularly in Diamond. At night, Pearl’s Snowfall section of Mt. Coronet offers a slightly more immersive experience, but Route 222 is much more convenient.

With the changes made for Platinum, Route 222 now provides less experience than the Snowfall area of Mount Coronet and the high-level Turnback Cave. The alternative is to visit Victory Road 2F late at night, where you can get someverypleasant encounter.

Level 44-48

The normal Victory Road segment B1F is ideal for training in D/P. The idea of training in a dark cave is never appealing, but at this point, you can’t be too picky. If you prefer its Pokémon, you can also find similar levels in Turnback Cave, which is located between the first and second pillars.

Staying on Victory Road 2F in Platinum is preferable to exploring the other areas, even if they are higher leveled. However, Snowpoint Temple’s B2F and B3F are great options for those looking for something closer to the upper end of this price range.

Level 49-52

Inside B1F on Victory Road in D/P is home to some fairly high-level Pokémon (levels 50-52) that offer a decent amount of experience (EXP), but they are cave Pokémon. One can always try Route 225 or 229, or the lower level of Snowpoint Temple. Alternative: Route 228, if you think you can handle slightly higher elevations and a sandstorm. If you’re going for Platinum, the best places to be are Snowpoint Temple Rooms B4 and B5, or Route 228 (during the day on the train). When the sun goes down on Route 228, it’s best to head to Stark Mountain or Route 227 (they’re the same except that Route 227 is crawling with Spinda) for slightly higher levels and slightly more EXP, though the difference is negligible.

Level 53-63

On average, Route 227 provides more experience points in D/P at night than Route 228, but the opposite is true during the day and early morning. This location, however, is extremely difficult to reach. To reach the middle levels of Turnback Cave, you could also try the first pillar. Some of the lower levels of Snowpoint Temple could also be suitable for this purpose.

Other than the aforementioned Route 227 and Stark Mountain, there are no locations in Platinum that offer a higher average EXP. It’s time to take on some trainers.

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Level 63-100

Normal wild Pokémon in D/P only give out the most experience in the game’s final area, Turnback Cave, which is only accessible to players at a very high level. As mentioned above, this choice is no longer available in Platinum due to the earlier availability of Turnback Cave. If you want your Pokémon to level up any further, you should have it battle the Elite Four or (in Platinum) some Gym leaders in the Battleground.