Sinnoh was never supposed to hurt this much. This Pokémon Renegade Platinum walkthrough takes you from your first starter to Fantina's gym, the point where most runs quietly die. Renegade Platinum is Drayano's enhancement hack of Pokémon Platinum, with smarter trainers, held items on bosses and a brutal critical-hit rate. Below you get the starter pick, every early gift Pokémon, the Roark cheese strategy, the level cap, and a boss-by-boss plan for the five-fight Fantina stretch. Bring snacks and a damage calculator.
⚡ Quick Answer
Renegade Platinum is Drayano's difficulty hack of Pokémon Platinum. Pick Chimchar or Turtwig, grab the free gift Pokémon in Jubilife and Oreburgh, beat Roark with a set-up sweeper, then keep to the level 33 cap through the Jupiter, Mira, rival, Aaron and Fantina fights.
What Is Pokémon Renegade Platinum?
Pokémon Renegade Platinum is a fan-made ROM hack of Pokémon Platinum by Drayano. It keeps the Sinnoh map but rebuilds the fights: tougher bosses, rebalanced weaker Pokémon, no trade-only evolutions, and the Fairy type added where the old ??? type used to live.[1] The campaign contains 57 boss battles, and every trainer carries competitive movesets and held items.[2]
📊 Key Stat: The stretch from Commander Jupiter to Fantina has a level cap of 33, with room for 34 on the Fantina fight, and it packs five boss battles into one split.[3]
Which Starter Should You Pick in Renegade Platinum?
First choose your character. Lucas and Dawn change which companion you face, and that nudges the difficulty slightly, so pick whichever matchup you prefer. Then comes the starter, and it matters more than in vanilla Platinum.
Why Chimchar and Turtwig Beat Piplup
Your rival Barry picks the starter with the type advantage over yours. Taking Chimchar forces him onto Piplup, the weakest of the three, which makes his early fights softer. Turtwig is just as good if you are willing to save-scum for a Shell Armor Turtwig, because Shell Armor blocks critical hits and crits are the number one reason runs end here. Starter speed stats also matter for Barry's Starly: Chimchar sits at 21, Piplup at 17 and Turtwig at 15 against Starly's 20.
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"Ideally we want to force Barry to pick the worst starter, which is unfortunately Piplup."
What Should You Collect in Jubilife City and Beyond?
The early game is a free-item buffet, and skipping it costs you later. Here is where the useful stuff sits before Roark:
| Item or Gift | Where to Get It |
|---|---|
| Scope Lens and Hidden Power TMs | Trainer School, Jubilife City |
| Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle | Reporters at the Jubilife Pokémon Center |
| Quick Claw | Tall apartment building east of Jubilife |
| Facade TM | Girl with the headband, Jubilife TV |
| Old Rod and Water Pulse TM | Fisher at the Route 218 gate |
| Rock Tomb TM and Expert Belt | Ravaged Path |
| Flash and Brick Break TMs | Bottom floor of Oreburgh Gate (needs the bike) |
| Free Beldum | Steven Stone, Oreburgh City |
| Silk Scarf, Soothe Bell and extra TMs | Route 204 |
💡 Pro Tip: Save before you talk to the farm girl about the mystery egg. If it hatches a Togepi you don't want, reload and roll again.
Barry's second battle comes right after. Tackle his Starly early, check starter matchups, and prepare for the Munchlax, which has a speed stat of only 9 but can roll Metronome and swing the fight. Kill it quickly.
How Do You Beat Roark in Renegade Platinum?
Roark's rock team looks scary, but the hack leaves a big shortcut open. His Nosepass runs Stealth Rock, Thunder Wave, Shock Wave and Sandstorm, so it is not much of a damage threat. Set up a sweeper behind it and you can roll through his whole team.
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Roark's Team at a Glance
- Nosepass: Speed 18, holds a Smooth Rock for an eight-turn Sandstorm. This is your free setup turn.
- Bonsly: Speed 12, holds a Rindo Berry that halves Grass damage. Brick Break and Stealth Rock are its tools.
- Geodude: Speed 15, holds an Expert Belt with Rock Tomb and elemental punches. Predict its move and swap into something that outspeeds and one-shots it.
- Onix: Speed 36 after its boost, Muscle Band, Rock Tomb and Bulldoze. Don't let it set rocks twice.
- Larvitar: Speed 23 with Guts and a Flame Orb. Outspeed it and hit its four-times weaknesses.
- Cranidos (ace, level 16): Speed 30 and huge base attack, with Zen Headbutt and Thunder Punch. Take it out fast.
⚠️ Important: After the gym, Roark offers an evolution stone for your gift Eevee. It is very easy to click through the dialogue and grab the Water Stone by accident. Slow down and read each box.
How Do You Survive the Fantina Split?
This is the stretch players call the five-fight gauntlet: Jupiter, Mira, your rival, Aaron and finally Fantina. The level cap is 33, and you only get one party to grind through it, so plan your team before you walk into the Galactic Eterna Building.
| Boss | Location | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Commander Jupiter | Galactic Eterna Building | Golbat, Sableye, Tangela, Skuntank |
| Mira | Wayward Cave | Togetic, Haunter, Porygon2, Kadabra |
| Rival (Lucas or Dawn) | Route 207 | Piloswine, Clefable or Granbull, Lopunny or Lickilicky, evolved starters |
| Elite Four Aaron | Mt. Coronet area | Dustox, Beautifly, Venomoth, Scizor, Drapion |
| Fantina | Hearthome Gym | Drifblim, Dusclops, Banette, Spiritomb, Gengar, Mismagius |
Commander Jupiter and the Galactic Eterna Building
Jupiter has four Pokémon, so you can outnumber her six to four. Double up on counters instead of bringing six different answers. Fairy, Normal or Dark types handle Sableye well, but run the numbers in a battle calculator first. The real danger is Skuntank: rapid crits can wreck your team, so kill it first. Win and you get a gift Porygon and the Secret Key.
Routes 207 and 206, Gible and Mira
Pick up the Metal Coat, Gyro Ball TM, Thunderstone and Poison Barb on the routes, then head into Wayward Cave. Gible shows up in the basement at level 25, and Gligar can be caught at level 22 if you use repels. Mira's Haunter is easy once you realize a Normal type walls it and Double Team stops mattering. Her ribbon quest also pays out the Dazzling Gleam TM.
Rival and Elite Four Aaron
Your rival on Route 207 brings a full team, including your starter's evolved forms. Aaron is the surprise: an Elite Four member mid-split. Stealth Rock is excellent here because his bug team takes chip damage on every switch-in. Drapion is the problem. It carries crit-boosting gear, so bring a strong Ground-type attacker and check every damage roll before you commit.
Hearthome City and Fantina
Before the gym, visit the Fan Club, the Poffin house, Amity Square and the Contest Hall, where you can pick up the Shiny Stone. Fantina's Drifblim is the opening threat because it can Baton Pass. A reliable Captivate on a bulky male Pokémon lowers its Special Attack by two stages and takes the sting out. The rest of the team (Dusclops, Banette, Spiritomb, Gengar, Mismagius) is where the type chart bites back: this hack uses the updated type chart, so Steel types no longer resist Ghost moves. Steel still resists Dazzling Gleam and Power Gem, but Shadow Ball will not care.
What Mistakes End Renegade Platinum Runs?
When I first played through this stretch, I assumed my starter would carry me like it did in vanilla Platinum. It didn't. I lost a Pokémon to a Skuntank crit and realized I had skipped the damage calculator on a fight I thought was "easy." In my experience, the runs that survive are the ones that treat every boss as a puzzle: check speed, check held items, plan the swap, then click. Another thing I noticed is that most losses come in the turn right after a clean win, when you relax and forget the next trainer is also holding an item.
- Over-leveling past the cap, which makes the later bosses feel unfair when the cap catches up.
- Skipping the free Pokémon (Beldum, Porygon, the Kanto starters) and arriving at Fantina with a thin team.
- Trusting an old Steel-type wall against Ghost moves.
- Ignoring Stealth Rock against Aaron's bug team.
- Not saving before random gifts, like the Togepi egg.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the level cap before Fantina in Renegade Platinum?
The level cap for the split from the Galactic Eterna Building through Fantina's gym is 33, with a small allowance up to 34 for the Fantina fight itself. Treat it as a ceiling in a Nuzlocke so over-leveling doesn't flatten the difficulty the hack was built around.
Where can I find Gible in Wayward Cave?
Gible appears in the basement of Wayward Cave at level 25. Bring enough Poké Balls, because it is one of the strongest mid-game encounters you can add to your team, and its evolution line stays useful long after Fantina.
What is the best starter in Renegade Platinum?
Chimchar is a popular pick because it pushes your rival Barry onto Piplup, the weakest option. Turtwig is also strong if you reset for a Shell Armor Turtwig, which blocks critical hits in a hack where crits end runs more often than anything else.
How do I beat Aaron's Drapion?
Aaron's Drapion carries crit-boosting tools, so crits are the real danger. Bring a Ground-type attacker such as Torterra, lay Stealth Rock to soften his bug team on switch-in, and check every damage roll in a battle calculator before you commit to any attack.
Does Steel still resist Ghost moves in Renegade Platinum?
No. The hack uses the updated Gen 6 type chart, so Steel no longer resists Ghost moves. Steel still resists Mismagius's Dazzling Gleam and Power Gem, but Shadow Ball hits normally, so don't count on a Steel wall against Fantina's team.
Where do I get the Secret Key in Renegade Platinum?
You receive the Secret Key in the Galactic Eterna Building right after beating Commander Jupiter, along with a gift Porygon. Clear the building's floors, win the boss fight, and both rewards arrive in the same sequence before you head out to Route 207.
Your Game Plan From Here
Renegade Platinum rewards preparation over reflexes. Pick a smart starter, collect every gift, cheese Roark with a setup sweeper, and treat the Fantina split as five separate puzzles under a level 33 cap. Do that and you will arrive at Hearthome with a team that can survive crits instead of one that hopes to avoid them. This walkthrough stops at Fantina, and the fights beyond her get harder, so keep a damage calculator open and save often.
📚 Sources & References
- Renegade Platinum documentation summary — Drayano's hack overview
- The Definitive Guide to a Renegade Platinum Nuzlocke — Nuzlocke University, 2020
- Pokémon Renegade Platinum Guide - Five Fights For Fantina! — Disclaim, YouTube, April 2026
- Pokémon Renegade Platinum Guide - Getting Started — Disclaim, YouTube, June 2023
