Pokémon Pearl

Story

The games tell the adventures of a new Pokémon trainer who aspires to become a Pokémon League champion by collecting and training Pokémon. As in most games in the series, there are eight Pokémon Gyms in Diamond and Pearl that are run by Gym Leaders, professional trainers who specialize in a particular type of Pokémon. The leaders (Roark, Gardenia, Maylene, Wake, Fantina, Byron, Candace and Volkner) act as bosses and reward experienced trainers with badges that are important for advancing in the storyline. As in Ruby and Sapphire, the protagonist must thwart the plans of a crime syndicate (here it's Team Galactic) that wants to use Pokémon to turn the region into a utopia. Like all other Pokémon RPGs, Diamond and Pearl begins in the protagonist's hometown. After seeing a report on TV about the media's search for a Red Gyarados spotted at a distant lake (the Lake of Wrath in Johto), the protagonist travels with his best friend or girlfriend to search the local lake for such a Pokémon. They meet Professor Rowan, a Pokémon evolutionary researcher, and his assistant, the playable character not selected in the game: Lucas (boy) or Dawn (girl). After a brief discussion, the professor and his assistant leave the lake, leaving behind a briefcase. When they are attacked by wild Starly, the protagonist and his rival examine the briefcase. The player then has a choice of the three Pokémon from the briefcase (Turtwig, Chimchar or Piplup) to fight the Starly with. After defeating the Starly, Lucas or Dawn retrieves the briefcase and gives it to the professor. Rowan notices that a bond has formed between the young protagonist and his chosen Pokémon, and offers it to him to go on a trip and fill his Pokédex. The protagonist encounters the main antagonist, Team Galactic, early in the game when he/she must save Professor Rowan from its minions; however, his/her motives remain unclear until the end. The protagonist encounters the team twice (when it takes over a wind farm and when it establishes a base in Eterna City) before taking over the three lakes of Sinnoh to capture the Mirage Pokémon (Uxie, Azelf and Mesprit). Shortly after the player earns his seventh Gym Badge, Team Galactic captures the Mirage Pokémon and locks them up in the Team Galactic headquarters science lab, where its members extract crystals from the Pokémon to create the Red Chain, an object that can control the legendary Pokémon Palkia (in Pearl) or Dialga (in Diamond) (both in Pokémon Platinum, although Giratina appears afterward). After freeing the trio, the protagonist can enter the cave on Mount Coronet, where the leader of Team Galactic awakens Dialga or Palkia. The legendary Pokémon's powers start to overwhelm Sinnoh, so the newly freed Uxie, Azelf and Mesprit try to stop it. The player then fights Palkia/Dialga; after defeating or capturing the Pokémon, Sinnoh returns to normal. The player then fights the elite four of the Sinnoh Region Pokémon League: Aaron, Bertha, Flint, and Lucian. After defeating all four members, the player fights the champion of the Sinnoh League, a woman named Cynthia who had appeared in the game before. If the protagonist defeats Cynthia, he or she is the new champion of the Sinnoh League and has defeated the game. After the player defeats the game, there is a new island to explore filled with other types of Pokémon. Here, his old friend who has challenged him to battles several times is waiting for him. The old friend will challenge the player to another battle. There are also stores and a tournament center on this island.