With the amount of Pokémon introduced in Diamond and Pearl, some Pocket Monsters are relatively ignored, even though they are actually great.
The Sinnoh region introduced the world to a significant number of new Pokémon. Some of these were entirely new concepts, while others were evolutions to Pocket Monsters from previous generations. With the vast amount of Sinnoh creatures, it was inevitable that some would be relatively ignored.
This does not mean, however, that these Pokémon are not viable in a playthrough. Many are quite strong, and they can benefit fans who are looking to expand their rosters. With Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl coming out soon, players should consider their options before they start a new journey in the Sinnoh region.
As far as Fossil Pokémon go, those originally from Sinnoh are generally not as popular as those in many other regions. However, this lack of attention is unfounded. Rampardos is an offensive powerhouse, having incredible attacking capabilities. This comes at the sacrifice of quite low defenses, but this dinosaur can defeat a large number of enemies in a single strike. Rampardos is also not very fast, but as long as it is not knocked out in one hit, it can easily dominate the competition.
One of the most difficult Pokémon to obtain in Generation IV, Spiritomb has always had an aura of mystery surrounding it. It is generally considered to have a fascinating design, but many players have never used it. This is largely due to its fairly inaccessible nature. Spiritomb is actually fairly strong, being one of the most powerful 4th Gen dual-type Pokémon. Its Ghost/Dark type combination makes it weak only to Fairy-type Pokémon, which did not yet exist when Diamond & Pearl first came out. Even now, this means it has great viability in battle.
The other Sinnoh Fossil Pokémon, Bastiodon is in the same situation as Rampardos. Instead of incredibly high attacking capabilities, however, Bastiodon's strengths lie in its defenses. Bastiodon has garnered some attention in Pokémon Go, in which it is a popular choice for the Go Battle League. This is because it is a wall against many attacks. The same is true in the main series, but all in all, Bastiodon is not as popular as many of its previously fossilized peers. If players want to have a Pokémon that can take consistent damage without going down, Bastiodon is a great pick.
A much-needed evolution to Generation I's Tangela, Tangrowth makes its line competitively viable. This Grass-type Pokémon has a fair amount of power and can access a decent number of strong Grass attacks. Despite this, Tangrowth is not as popular as it should be. Most fans can recognize it, but it is not used extensively on players' teams.
Tangrowth can be a great addition to a lineup, especially if players need a capable Grass-type. With the release of Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, Tangrowth may finally become a staple of many players' teams.
Murkrow received a significant upgrade with the addition of Honchkrow in Generation IV. However, with the number of fantastic evolutions added in this game, Honchkrow had to compete with the popularity of beasts like Rhyperior and Electivire. Honchcrow is a "glass cannon," but if it can take one hit without fainting, it can devastate opponents. Honchkrow can access some of the most powerful Dark-type moves in Pokémon, such as Night Slash and Dark Pulse. Its strength and great moves make it an underrated but capable Pokémon that players should consider.
While it is certainly beloved by a small but dedicated fanbase, Gastrodon has been generally swept aside by a large portion of the Pokémon fanbase. It is not extremely strong, but it is more than capable of filling out a team effectively. One benefit it has is in its typing. Water and Ground complement each other fairly well, eliminating one of Water's main weaknesses: Electric. This combination makes Gastrodon extremely vulnerable to Grass attacks, but the resistances and immunity it receives make that weakness worth it.
Weavile fills a very specific role on a team. It is incredibly fast and quite strong, allowing it needs to strike opponents and knock them out before they have the chance to hit it. It is one of the best glass cannons in the game. Unfortunately, this means it can be taken out fairly easily. This is a reason many players choose to ignore it. If it is used well, though, Weavile can be a powerful force.
Weavile's Dark/Ice type combination makes it extremely vulnerable to Fighting-types, but also allows it to combat some of the best Pokémon in the series, many of which are Psychic or Dragon. If it can attack first, Weavile can be extremely useful.
Although its design is intimidating, this scorpion-like Pokémon is often swept aside by many players. Its powerful appearance is justified by its stats, being a capable attacker in many circumstances. Its dual-typing of Poison/Dark is also fantastic, allowing Drapion to be weak only to Ground-type moves. This typing also gives it several resistances and an immunity to Psychic, one of Poison's weaknesses. Its pre-evolution Skorupi is accessible relatively early in the game, meaning players can obtain a Drapion fairly easily and use it for a large portion of a playthrough.
Another evolution added in a later Pokémon generation than the original, Probopass did not receive as much attention as many others when it was introduced. This is despite its incredible defenses, able to make Probopass a wall against a variety of attacks. The biggest drawback of Probopass is that it has two extreme vulnerabilities. On the other hand, it resists many types, making it useful in most matchups. Although vulnerabilities can cause problems for Probopass, its high defenses often allow it to withstand an extensive amount of damage.
The pure Ground-type Hippowdon is much more viable than many fans realize. With above-average bulk, this Pokémon can withstand a good amount of damage before fainting. Along with this, it is a capable attacker. The Ground-type has its limits, but Hippowdon is one of the better Ground Pokémon in the series. Its Sand Stream ability creates a sandstorm when it enters battle, damaging opponents at the end of each turn if their types do not resist it. It also has access to many strong moves, including coverage moves to deal with enemies that may resist the Ground-type.
