After beating Fantina in Hearthome City, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl players will need to make their way over to Canalave City, which can be found in the east of the Sinnoh region. To reach the city, players will need to use their newly-acquired Surf hidden machine, as it can only be accessed by crossing the water on Route 218. There's not much to do there when players first arrive, so, after a quick rival battle, they'll be able to head straight to the city's gym to take on its leader, Byron.

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Byron specializes in steel-type Pokemon and also happens to be the father of the Oreburgh City gym leader, Roark. Unlike his son though, Byron is no pushover, so players will need to bring their A-game in order to emerge victorious. It won't be easy, but providing players choose the right Pokemon and have leveled them all up to the high thirties, it's a hurdle that most players should be able to overcome without too much trouble.

Updated December 3, 2021 by Tom Bowen: For those who struggled to beat Byron the first time around, the rematch — which becomes available after players have unlocked the National Dex — is probably going to cause quite a few more problems. His team is not only larger and more powerful the second time around, but also a lot harder to counter due to the variety of secondary types it includes. This guide has therefore been updated to include information regarding his new team as well as a strategy for how to beat Byron in the rematch.

How to Prepare for the Canalave City Gym

Due to all of Byron's Pokemon being steel-type, Canalave City Gym is ideal for those who chose either Chimchar or Piplup as their starter Pokemon. The former is arguably a little better suited for the task due to its final stage evolution, Infernape, being both fire and fighting type. Both will still be vulnerable to Steelix' earthquake attacks, however, so players may want to have a few other Pokemon waiting in the wings just in case their starter gets knocked out.

As has been the case in most of the other gyms that players have visited so far, Machoke once again serves as a solid counter, with Revenge being able to dish out some serious damage to Byron's team if Machoke sustains damage on the same turn that it uses it. Other viable options for the Canalave City gym include Ponyta, which can be found on Routes 206, 211, and 215, and Quagsire, which players can find on Route 212 or in the Great Marsh area north of Pastoria City.

How to Get to Byron

The Canalave City Gym requires players to use special floor tiles to navigate the building. Upon entering, players should take out the two trainers in the first area and then step on the tile that's above and to the right of Worker Gary. The next section is quite linear and will take players back down to the first floor where they'll need to beat Ace Trainer Cesar so that they can step on the tile to the right of the gym's main entrance. From here, they should follow the path up to the third floor and then use the tile next to the worker who's standing against the gym's back wall. It's then just a case of following the path forward until reaching a tile with a red square with a white cross inside, which will take players right up to Byron.

How to Beat Byron

Players should be able to deal with Byron's Bronzor relatively quickly, as it seems to be more interested in using setup moves rather than actually trying to attack. Steelix will cause a lot more problems, however, as its Sturdy ability guarantees that it will get in at least one move. More often than not, this will be Earthquake, which will probably knock Empoleon or Infernape out in one hit if either is in play. If this happens, players should switch out for something bulky and revive them while continuing to chip away at Steelix' health.

Machoke, on the other hand, will be able to handle Earthquake a lot better than the two Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl starters, and should therefore have very little trouble taking out Steelix in just a couple of turns. Thankfully, Byron's final Pokemon, Bastiodon, is a lot more straightforward than the one before it, although, thanks to its Sturdy ability, will also take at least two turns to defeat. It is holding a Sitrus Berry as well, but this won't really make much difference to the outcome of the battle.

How to Beat Byron's Rematch Team

Thanks to their secondary typings, beating Byron's rematch team is going to require a few different elements, unless, of course, players are massively over-leveled. A good fire-type Pokemon like Arcanine (Brilliant Diamond) or Ninetails (Shining Pearl) can be useful against Byron's first three Pokemon, though there are plenty of other options as well. An electric-type like Raichu (evolve Pikachu) can deal with Skarmory and will also come in useful against Empoleon later on. The real MVP is going to be a good ground-type Pokemon, however.

After Skarmory, all five of Byron's remaining rematch team are weak to ground-type attacks, with three of them (Magnezone, Aggron, and Bastiodon) sustaining four times the amount of damage. With this in mind, Groudon (catch at Ramanas Park) is an excellent choice for those who have it, though Hippowdon (catch on Route 228) can also dish out some monstrous damage using Earthquake. Players could use a fighting-type like Machamp (evolve through trading) for Byron's last five Pokemon instead, but it will only be able to dish out four times damage while facing the final two.

Canalave City Gym Trainers

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