6th Gen Diantha - How would you improve her?

[Alfieri]

I actually like how Diantha wasn't involved much. She was just the Champion of the Kalos League, not some kind of 10-year-old superhero like the main protagonist. You see her once or twice as some famous actress, go through the Team Flare ordeal, and then challenge the Elite Four. You make it to the Champion's room, wondering who was the champion since there wasn't an NPC who would follow you around like Cynthia or Steven. All of a sudden you see Diantha and you're just like "holy crap, wasn't she that actress? She's champion? Well what a surprise!"

That's how I felt about Iris too but that was spoiled for me because Black and White 2 was the last game to come out early in Japan.

 

[Pendraflare]

I actually like how Diantha wasn't involved much. She was just the Champion of the Kalos League, not some kind of 10-year-old superhero like the main protagonist. You see her once or twice as some famous actress, go through the Team Flare ordeal, and then challenge the Elite Four. You make it to the Champion's room, wondering who was the champion since there wasn't an NPC who would follow you around like Cynthia or Steven. All of a sudden you see Diantha and you're just like "holy crap, wasn't she that actress? She's champion? Well what a surprise!"

That's how I felt about Iris too but that was spoiled for me because Black and White 2 was the last game to come out early in Japan.

You know, to add on to this, I do want to mention that while Cynthia is still my favorite Champion, this is something I can at least respect the logic behind. To explain that a little further...well, say what you want about Iris and Diantha, at least they didn't leave a bunch of Psyduck that were suffering chronic headaches to have you cure them yourself. Cynthia has the SecretPotion needed to heal them, and instead of doing that herself she sends you to do it. I mean granted it's for the plot progression, but to leave them hurting like that isn't something I find smart.

 

[CoffeeDrink]

Well, her Pokémon sure could be beefed up a bit. There's also the fact that she uses two Rock Types is a damper. So far, all the other Champions seem to pale in comparison to Blue, but that might be just me. It's a sad fact that the champions use the same Pokémon no matter what you choose at the beginning. The Kalos Elite Four could use an overhaul when it came to their Pokémon and the move sets.

 

[Odyssey]

I think what she needs is a better team. She should use Pokémon outside of the Kalos region, as it'll mean less weaknesses and more surprises/variety. Not just that, but three of the Pokémon she used has already been used by another significant Trainer, which is obviously rather redundant. I would keep Mega Gardevoir, but the rest should be replaced by different Pokémon.

 

[curiousnathan]

I'd give her a team that was actually champion worthy with Pokemon that would suit her style and aesthetic. I mean, come on. She was a push over. My Tyrantrum destroyed every single Pokemon of hers.

 

[Pendraflare]

People are really surprised about Diantha being champion? I haven't even completed the X/Y games and it was clear as day to me. I mean, after you play enough pokemon games, you generally pick up on the idea that if you run into someone with a unique look, only a few times, they are the champion.

In that vein it pretty much came down to Sycamore, Diantha, or AZ in my head. And out of those three Diantha appeared the least so it was a fairly easy deduction.

That's basically true; some people have said that Diantha was the only character who honestly would have made sense as the Champion. AZ wouldn't, and as for Sycamore...well, we've had people here who said he's more professor material than Champion material.

 

[skyburial]

I think what she needs is a better team. She should use Pokémon outside of the Kalos region, as it'll mean less weaknesses and more surprises/variety. Not just that, but three of the Pokémon she used has already been used by another significant Trainer, which is obviously rather redundant. I would keep Mega Gardevoir, but the rest should be replaced by different Pokémon.

She followed the standard Champion format for her team, the only problem was that this generation's psuedo-legendary wasn't much of a show-stopper. There's nothing wrong with Goodra, but I think we all remember fighting Dragonite, Metagross, and Garchomp for the first time and being absolutely stumped on how to kill the **** thing. Especially in Generations III and IV, you'd have no idea where to look for the first evolution of these PL's (yeah that bike route? I'm gonna scale the wall underneath it to see if I find any... well hey, maybe I should come back with Flash, well oh hey maybe I need Strength too...)

 

[Alfieri]

People are really surprised about Diantha being champion? I haven't even completed the X/Y games and it was clear as day to me. I mean, after you play enough pokemon games, you generally pick up on the idea that if you run into someone with a unique look, only a few times, they are the champion.

In that vein it pretty much came down to Sycamore, Diantha, or AZ in my head. And out of those three Diantha appeared the least so it was a fairly easy deduction.

Okay Mr. Smarty Pants.
I was talking more about the lines that Diantha was so forgettable that when you see her as champion, you're caught by surprise because she looks familiar but don't remember when you saw her last.

 

[CountessGardevoir]

I'd give her a team that was actually champion worthy with Pokemon that would suit her style and aesthetic. I mean, come on. She was a push over. My Tyrantrum destroyed every single Pokemon of hers.

Heck, her Gardevoir was decimated by my Lucario, granted, both had Mega Evolved, but still...

 

[Hikamaru]

I think what she needs is a better team. She should use Pokémon outside of the Kalos region, as it'll mean less weaknesses and more surprises/variety. Not just that, but three of the Pokémon she used has already been used by another significant Trainer, which is obviously rather redundant. I would keep Mega Gardevoir, but the rest should be replaced by different Pokémon.

I sorta agree with you. Her team is full of weaknesses to Fairy, Steel and Ice meaning that if you have moves of those types she is very easy to take down, and also most of her team are rather slow meaning you have a good shot of outspeeding and killing them (the only speedster I think she has is Hawlucha, but Mega Gardevoir gets a solid boost to its speed as well) and there's not much type variety, and as BadSamaritan summed above, there wasn't as many different dual-type combos back in the old days compared to now.

Another factor into what makes her easy is the new Exp. Share mechanics, which can put you fairly over her levels if you leave it on for the entire game. Then there's also veteran Pokemon players being much smarter and more aware of the mechanics now compared to when they first played. For example I started playing at 11 where I was a massive noob, and now as a 22-year-old I know pretty much what's good against what and I'm just now even more aware of type coverage and such.

 

[K-A]

She needs a better team and a better Presence. she didnt really strike me as Champion when i first met her. i mean they do show her but it would be better if they did the same thing they did with Lance, Steven and Cynthia and make her more integrated to the journey and not just some random character you meet one time, let the player interact with her a lot, let herself be shown battling, give her a bit more of a development more lines let the player get to know her more, it would make the player more excited to battle her, i felt that it was a missed opportunity, i mean Lysandre, Sycamore and Diantha knew each other i wanted a bit more of them interacting with one another and what not.

as for a here team

Just a team suggestion:
Trevenant:
Ability: Harvest/Sitrus Berry
Moveset: Will-o-wisp/Shadow Claw(Phantom Force)/Confuse Ray/ Leech seed
(if not she can still use the same Gourgeist but with this moveset instead)

Klefki
Ability: Prankster
Moveset; Foulplay/ Swagger/ Reflect/ Light Screen
(still have no idea why they gave Klefki to Wikstrom wouldnt Bisharp make more sense. but i guess they dont have much Kalos Steel types}

Avalugg:
Ability: Sturdy
Moveset: Curse/Eartquake/Avalanche/Gyro Ball

Azumarill:
Ability: Huge Power
Moveset: Play Rough/ Aqua Jet(or Aqua Tail)/ Super Power/ Double Edge

Goodra:
Ability: Gooey
Moveset: Fireblast/Ice Beam/Dragon Pulse/Muddy Water

Gardevoir:
Ability: does it matter shes going Mega anyway so it will always be Pixelate
Moveset; Hyper Voice( or Hyper Beam)/ Shadow Ball/ Psychic/ Moonblast

I really thought that she would have a Diancie based on her name but i guess not (--.)

tried to think of a team that doesnt really have much change on her overall Theme, it really doesnt help if they restrict theirselves on the amount of pokemon on Kalos region since its really Limited, i really hope they change her team at least on the Rematch for the up coming pokemon Z(or w/e its gonna be called)

 

[Sabrewulf238]

On one hand she's easy to defeat and doesn't have much of a role in the story.....plus it was pretty obvious she was the champion. All dressed up? Check! Seemingly no important role. Check! Villain role taken by the big red haired guy? Check! Then again Pokémon never tries that hard to hide their champions.

I didn't find her that likeable, a bit on the bland side and I never got the impression she was a powerful trainer.....and that was before I wiped the floor with her in battle.