4th Gen Need help with Platinum team

[Jayce Darcy]

I just got my emulator to work and so I'm gonna start my first Platinum playthrough.

I have an extremely limited amount of knowledge on Gen 4 Pokemon and moves so I would love some help on which Pokemon to get and when I should get them.

For my starter, I feel like I'm going for Empoleon.

Other than that, I know I want a Magmar (one of my fav Pokemon, no rational reason) and I want to use the Riolu when I get it. (I don't even know when I get it. Is it very late in the game to the point it's unwise to wait for it? Kinda like Beldum in RSE?)

Other Pokemon I know about is Luxray. I only know of Drifloon for Flying types, I don't even know if it's a good choice. And then I'm guessing HM slave should be Bidoof and its evolution.

Also, which nature I should go for and even their moveset would be nice. If you're feeling awesomely kind, you could tell me how I should obtain those moves too (By delaying an evolution/regular leveling/TM/etc).

Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks! :)

 

[FeraligatrMaster]

You can get Riolu by doing the Iron Island sidequest and obtaining the Egg from Riley. It evolves into Lucario, which is Fighting/Steel. Since you're going with Empoleon, you already have a Steel type. With Magmar and Luxray as well, you have 4 Pokemon weak to Ground. I'd like to suggest Gallade as an alternative, which evolves from a male Kirlia if you use a Dawn Stone on it.

Another Pokemon I'd like to suggest is Garchomp. You can get a Gible in the basement of Wayward Cave, which you can reach if you enter the Wayward Cave from the hidden entrance under the Cycling Road.

And finally, I'd like to suggest Tangrowth, which is a Grass type with high physical bulk, which will help you against Ground types. You can find a Tangela at the Great Marsh in Pastoria City. If you teach it Ancientpower, it'll evolve into Tangrowth.

 

[Jayce Darcy]

You can get Riolu by doing the Iron Island sidequest and obtaining the Egg from Riley. It evolves into Lucario, which is Fighting/Steel. Since you're going with Empoleon, you already have a Steel type. With Magmar and Luxray as well, you have 4 Pokemon weak to Ground. I'd like to suggest Gallade as an alternative, which evolves from a male Kirlia if you use a Dawn Stone on it.

Another Pokemon I'd like to suggest is Garchomp. You can get a Gible in the basement of Wayward Cave, which you can reach if you enter the Wayward Cave from the hidden entrance under the Cycling Road.

And finally, I'd like to suggest Tangrowth, which is a Grass type with high physical bulk, which will help you against Ground types. You can find a Tangela at the Great Marsh in Pastoria City. If you teach it Ancientpower, it'll evolve into Tangrowth.

I see, maybe I could drop Lucario then and pick up Gallade instead. Also I just stated I know about Luxray haha won't pick him up most likely.

Question - how late in the game can I get Ralts, Gible, Tangela? I can google their location but I have no idea when I'd reach that area, since I've never played Platinum before.

 

[FeraligatrMaster]

I see, maybe I could drop Lucario then and pick up Gallade instead. Also I just stated I know about Luxray haha won't pick him up most likely.

Question - how late in the game can I get Ralts, Gible, Tangela? I can google their location but I have no idea when I'd reach that area, since I've never played Platinum before.

You can get Gible and Ralts after the second gym, and Tangela before the 5th gym.

Also, since you're considering dropping Luxray, you could go with a Flying type instead. You can get a Starly on the first route, but if you don't want to use its line, an alternative would be Zubat, which can be found in the Oreburgh Gate, before you reach the first gym.