Game:

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (2021)

Duration: 27:54

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I have done about every optional stuff that I could with Surf, and it is now time to go to Route 218 and Surf to Canalave City, which is where the next Gym is located. Canalave City is a port-like area with a bridge that connects both halves, and there is a library that goes over the myths of the Sinnoh region.

As for the rest of the description, I recommend watching the full video before reading past this point of the description

Route 218 is quite short, I did consider only doing Route 218, but decided to explore Canalave City in this video so that there is something to do.
There isn't much to go over with Route 218, there are some Trainers you can battle with, including one Fisherman that has four Magikarp and one Gyarados on his team. There is one new encounter, which is only in Shining Pearl, and it is Glameow, which is not worth it, I find it unusual that it is the counterpart to Stunky, when Stunky has been available since Route 206, and you didn't have access to Glameow until this route. Even though its evolved form Purugly has high Speed and a decent Attack stat, it's not that great, and there are way better Normal-type options, like Ambipom is better than Glameow, so I cannot recommend Glameow.
In Brilliant Diamond, you can get Mr. Mime, and if you want to use one, I recommend getting it on this route because of how badly they screwed Mime Jr. in this generation by giving it Mimic at Level 32. Mr. Mime can be taught some good moves like Psychic, Dazzling Gleam, and Thunderbolt, and it is ready to go, and it is a Psychic/Fairy-type Pokémon, so it is at least one of many Fairy-type Pokémon available in this game, so Brilliant Diamond players got the better Pokémon.
After getting through Route 218, you meet Professor Rowan's assistant, in the original games, he would update your Pokédex so you can view gender differences, and he even acknowledges that. You arrive at Canalave City, and the Move Deleter is there, so if you want to delete moves, he is there. You can get the TM for Skill Swap in the souteastern house, and the house above the Pokémon Center is not accessible unless you have a special event item which allows you to access a Dark-type Mythical Pokémon said to cause nightmares.
The moment you approach the bridge, there is a rival battle, and he already got his badge from Canalave City, and I will go over his team.
Staravia: Quick Attack, Double Team, Endeavor, Pluck (Quick Claw)
Heracross: Leer, Aerial Ace, Brick Break, Thief
Buizel: Tail Whip, Bite, Swift, Brine (Sea Incense)
Roselia: Poison Sting, Sweet Scent, Giga Drain, Grass Knot (Big Root)
Ponyta: Tail Whip, Agility, Flame Wheel, Stomp (Shell Bell)
Grotle: Razor Leaf, Bite, Leech Seed, Stealth Rock (Big Root)
Monferno: Mach Punch, Power-Up Punch, Flame Wheel, Shadow Claw (Shell Bell)
Prinplup: Metal Claw, Charm, Grass Knot, Brine (Sea Incense)

Barry has finally evolved his Starly, and he now has a Heracross, which has some good Physical moves, if you have a Flying-type, you should be able to take it out without any problems. His starter has the type advantage against yours, and his team depends on which starter he has, for example, as he has Prinplup in this case, he will not have Buizel.
As with Platinum, Barry's team is fully evolved, including his starter, so I would say his Platinum team is more challenging than in the originals, but this game does provide a challenge with the held items he has on his Pokémon.
I did look into the moves the starters learn, and for some reason, Infernape learns Close Combat upon evolution, despite Monferno being able to learn it at Level 36, which is the level Monferno evolves at. Torterra learns Earthquake upon evolution, which is a great move to have, and Empoleon learns Aqua Jet to give it a priority move. The starters in this game have great secondary types, Torterra being part Ground-type to give it STAB Earthquake, Infernape being Fire/Fighting and having the stats to make that type work, and Empoleon being the only Water/Steel-type we have so far, and having very solid stats to work around it. You can reteach Wood Hammer to Torterra through the Move Maniac, and I did see that I can reteach Flare Blitz to Infernape, even though it can learn it at Level 68, so I guess it's there if I want to give it Flare Blitz at this point, and Empoleon can relearn Swords Dance, which is an option if you want to go with a Physical Empoleon with moves like Aqua Jet, Steel Wing, and Earthquake, but I would say Empoleon is better to be used as a Special Attacker with Surf and Ice Beam.
On the western side of Canalave City, there is a library where you can read about a bit of history behind the Sinnoh region, and there is the Gym, which I will hold off on until I visit Iron Island, which is an optional area in this game, but there is a good prize you can get when you visit Iron Island.

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