How to Win Pokémon Contests in Pokémon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum

Last Updated: November 9, 2022

There are typically two choices in the Pokémon world: contests and battles. Both demand a fair amount of strategy in order to win, but contests might demand a little more, considering how often you battle throughout the game. Pokémon contests consist of three parts, which are the visual portion, then dancing, then acting. There are four levels of difficulties (normal, great, ultra, and master), five categories, and different prizes that can be won and vary based on the level of difficulty and the category.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Before the Contest

1
Decide what category you will enter. The five possible categories are tough, cute, cool, beauty, and smart. Certain Pokémon and moves are more suited to a category than others; the only other differing factors between the categories are the prizes won and the opponents you go up against.
2
Pick a Pokémon. It would be more advantageous if their favorite food corresponds with the type of contest you entered. If picking the right Pokémon isn't already vexing enough, then you'll be ever so happy to hear that the Pokémon's nature will also factor into their favorite flavor of Poffins.
- Best suited berry flavors and natures:
  - Cute: sweet berries/Poffins; sweet berries will be their favorite food if their nature is timid, hasty, jolly, or naive
  - Cool: spicy berries/Poffins and a lonely, brave, adamant, or naughty nature
  - Beauty: dry berries/Poffins and a modest, mild, quiet, or rash nature
  - Smart: bitter berries/Poffins and a calm, gentle, sassy, or careful nature
  - Tough: sour berries/Poffins and a bold, relaxed, impish, or lax nature
  - Neutral natures: hardy, docile, serious, bashful, and quirky. Therefore, Pokémon with any of these five natures will eat anything.
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3
Begin leveling your Pokémon up. The higher the level, the more moves your Pokémon can learn.
- If you have a couple heart scales on hand, go to the moves tutor in Pastoria City. To find him, go to the top of the Pokemart, then up until you see a house, then directly right. You can teach your Pokémon a move for one heart scale.
4
Collect berries and plant them. Rarer berries make better Poffins and can also be traded in for accessories.
- There's a woman whose house is left of the moves tutor's house in Pastoria, the berry master who can be found through the left exit of Hearthome, and a girl inside of the Floroma flower shop who all give out free berries each day.
5
Make Poffins. Feeding your Pokémon Poffins will increase their condition, and in turn, their score in the Visual portion of the contest. Check the tag on the berry before making it into a Poffin, though. Poffin flavors correspond with your Pokémon's favorite food and will increase their condition in usually only one respect. For instance, if you give a Pecha berry (which is sweet, so it increases cuteness) to a Marill whose favorite food is sweet and has a jolly nature, and you plan to enter them in a Cute contest, then it would be the best match.
- The Poffin house is in Hearthome.
- In Pokémon Platinum, you can buy Poffins, berries, and other contest items in the Veilstone Department Store's basement.
6
Gather accessories. Talk to lots of people, everywhere you go! Trade berries in for accessories in the Floroma flower shop, get a massage in Veilstone, or take a walk in Amity Square with a cute Pokémon.
- Easy, useful accessories to get:
  - Three masks: 2nd floor of Jubilife TV, 1st floor of Veilstone Department Store, and Pastoria City
  - Flag: Route 206
  - Big tree: Eterna Forest
  - Crown or tiara: Pal Park, with FireRed or LeafGreen in GB slot
7
Get a scarf in Pastoria once your Pokémon's condition is as high as can be. The house is located in the north-east; the boy will give you a scarf based on your first slot Pokémon's highest condition. Have your contest Pokémon hold the scarf.
- Cute: pink scarf
- Cool: red
- Beauty: blue
- Smart: green
- Tough: yellow
8
Practice! There is a practice room in the contest hall that you can use beforehand. It's just a run-through of the actual contest, without anything being official.

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Visual Portion

In the Visual portion, you will be given a theme out of twelve possible themes and a time limit. The amount of items you can use increases by five as you enter more and more difficult contests.

1
Observe your theme. Some items work better for some themes more than others. Use your best judgement. If you have a theme called "The Natural", then it'd be best to use items such as rocks and leaves, not fake facial hair.
2
Monopolize your time wisely. You have 60 seconds to dress-up your Pokémon; don't let it go to waste.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Dance Portion

In this portion, you will have the chance to be a backup dancer, and later, the lead dancer. There are four castanets set up in an arrow key formation that, when tapped, move your Pokémon. Since you'll always be the fourth contestant, you'll always be the lead dancer last. The lead dancer will perform a dance using the castanets, and all the backup dancers have to copy them.

1
Pay attention to the lead dancer, and get into the beat. Try tapping your foot along to the music and correctly hit the castanets when it's time for the backup dancers to follow along.
2
Make your movements difficult to follow once you are the lead dancer. Use all four castanets and leave erratic gaps between your steps. Some people recommend ending with the blue castanets, but there's no actual proof that this always works.

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Acting Portion

In the Acting portion, you and the rest of the Pokémon will perform moves for three judges, in hopes of increasing their voltage. If you're the only one performing for a judge, then you get a higher score. If you, along with two other Pokémon, perform for the same judge, then you will all get low scores for that round.

1
Have and use mostly moves that correspond the the type of contest you enter. If you use a cool move in a smart contest, then you'll get a lower score for that round and the judge's voltage will lower.
2
Try to be the one who fills up a judge's voltage bar. Once it's full, then whoever gave that judge the last voltage will get five points added on to their score. Be careful about it- if the judge you're going for needs only one more voltage and you're last in line, then chances are that you won't be the one to get it.
- Dexter, the head judge, awards eight points instead of five once his voltage bar is full.
3
Use moves to your advantage. If you usually score low in the Acting portion, then you will probably be first in order most of the time (Pokémon are ordered based off of their score from the previous round; lowest scorers are up front and highest scorers are at the bottom). If this is the case, then have a move that gives you a bonus for being first in order.
4
Don't try guessing which judge the other contestants will choose. It's random. Just don't even try.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I find unique fashion items like fire or sparkle?

Yoroe

Community Answer

You can find items around the world map, from NPCs or from shops. Just try exploring more.