Roark, Oreburgh City gym – Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl guide

Roark is the first gym leader in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. The rock-type specialist in Oreburgh City is the first, which also means he’s pretty straightforward. Our Roark gym leader guide will assist you by listing out his party and recommending counters that you can find nearby.

Oreburgh City gym challenge

There isn’t much of an actual challenge for the Oreburgh City gym, but rather two trainers who can be avoided by going up a longer path. Both trainers have rock-type Pokémon and whether or not you battle them is up to you. (Though EXP is always good.)

Roark’s Pokémon

Roark uses rock-type Pokémon, and since he’s the first gym leader, he doesn’t really have any tricks up his sleeve. He uses the following:

1. Geodude, level 12, rock/ground
2. Onix, level 12, rock/ground
3. Cranidos, level 14, rock

Roark counters

If you started with Piplup or Turtwig, you should be able to make quick work of this gym. Roark’s rock-types are weak against water-, grass-, fighting-, steel-, and ground-type moves.

If you’re struggling, grab a Machop from route 207. This early in the game, there aren’t really any other counters available, but it should help punch down Roark’s Pokémon.

Roark gym rewards

Once you beat Roark, you’ll be able to use the HM Rock Smash outside of battle, so you can break down any of those rocks that block your path. He’ll also give you several copies of TM76, so you can teach your Pokémon Stealth Rock, which places rocks on the battlefield to damage Pokémon when they swap out. You’ll also get some stickers to decorate your Poké Balls with.