Sinnoh Pokédex
Physical/special split — the move set revolution.
Diamond, Pearl, Platinum (and the Brilliant Diamond / Shining Pearl remakes) · Released 2006
About Generation 4
Sinnoh is the Gen 4 region, and the home of the most impactful balance change in Pokémon's 25-year history: the physical/special split. Before Gen 4, move damage type was determined by the move's *elemental* type — all Fire moves were special, all Rock moves were physical, regardless of what made sense. Gen 4 split this per move, meaning Crunch became physical, Ice Beam stayed special, and Dragon Claw finally existed as a physical Dragon option.
Sinnoh lore & design
Sinnoh is based on Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island — which is why Mt. Coronet runs north-to-south through the middle of the map and why the region has the coldest, snowiest routes in the franchise. Dialga and Palkia represent time and space, directly referencing Ainu creation mythology from Hokkaido's indigenous culture.
Did you know?
Diamond & Pearl's original Sinnoh soundtrack is considered by many fans to be the best in the franchise — composer Junichi Masuda wrote the route themes using a 'walking tempo' deliberately matched to the player's overworld walking speed.
The physical/special split
Diamond and Pearl made a change so fundamental that it retroactively rewrote every Pokémon that came before it. Until Generation 4, whether a move was physical or special was decided by its type: all Fire moves were special, all Rock moves physical. From Gen 4 onward it is a property of the individual move.
The consequences were enormous. Pokémon with high Attack and a special-typed movepool had been mechanically broken for three generations and were suddenly viable. Physical Fire attackers, special Rock attackers and countless other combinations became possible for the first time.
This is the single most common source of confusion when comparing modern data against older guides. If a strategy from Ruby and Sapphire makes no sense in the current games, the split is usually the reason.
Stealth Rock and the Sinnoh metagame
Generation 4 also introduced Stealth Rock, a move so influential that it is still the single most common entry hazard in competitive play. It damages an incoming Pokémon based on its Rock-type weakness, which means a 4x-weak Pokémon such as Charizard loses half its health simply by entering the battle. Whole tiers are shaped by whether a Pokémon can survive it.
Sinnoh's own additions were strong. Garchomp is a pseudo-legendary that has spent most of its existence in the highest tier, and the region added excellent evolutions for older Pokémon — Magnezone, Rhyperior, Electivire, Togekiss and Roserade among them.
All Sinnoh Pokémon (107)
#0387turtwig
#0388grotle
#0389torterra
#0390chimchar
#0391monferno
#0392infernape
#0393piplup
#0394prinplup
#0395empoleon
#0396starly
#0397staravia
#0398staraptor
#0399bidoof
#0400bibarel
#0401kricketot
#0402kricketune
#0403shinx
#0404luxio
#0405luxray
#0406budew
#0407roserade
#0408cranidos
#0409rampardos
#0410shieldon
#0411bastiodon
#0412burmy
#0413wormadam plant
#0414mothim
#0415combee
#0416vespiquen
#0417pachirisu
#0418buizel
#0419floatzel
#0420cherubi
#0421cherrim
#0422shellos
#0423gastrodon
#0424ambipom
#0425drifloon
#0426drifblim
#0427buneary
#0428lopunny
#0429mismagius
#0430honchkrow
#0431glameow
#0432purugly
#0433chingling
#0434stunky
#0435skuntank
#0436bronzor
#0437bronzong
#0438bonsly
#0439mime jr
#0440happiny
#0441chatot
#0442spiritomb
#0443gible
#0444gabite
#0445garchomp
#0446munchlax
#0447riolu
#0448lucario
#0449hippopotas
#0450hippowdon
#0451skorupi
#0452drapion
#0453croagunk
#0454toxicroak
#0455carnivine
#0456finneon
#0457lumineon
#0458mantyke
#0459snover
#0460abomasnow
#0461weavile
#0462magnezone
#0463lickilicky
#0464rhyperior
#0465tangrowth
#0466electivire
#0467magmortar
#0468togekiss
#0469yanmega
#0470leafeon
#0471glaceon
#0472gliscor
#0473mamoswine
#0474porygon z
#0475gallade
#0476probopass
#0477dusknoir
#0478froslass
#0479rotom
#0480uxie
#0481mesprit
#0482azelf
#0483dialga
#0484palkia
#0485heatran
#0486regigigas
#0487giratina altered
#0488cresselia
#0489phione
#0490manaphy
#0491darkrai
#0492shaymin land
#0493arceusCommonly Asked Questions About Sinnoh
What is the physical/special split?
A Generation 4 change making a move's damage category a property of the move itself rather than its type. Before it, every Fire move was special and every Rock move physical. After it, a Pokémon's stats and its movepool could finally be matched deliberately — the most important balance change in the series.
How many Pokémon were added in Sinnoh?
107, numbered #387 Turtwig through #493 Arceus. Many were new evolutions or pre-evolutions of existing Pokémon rather than wholly new lines, which is why Sinnoh materially improved a number of older species.
Why is Stealth Rock so important?
It damages every Pokémon that switches in, scaled by their Rock-type weakness, so a 4x-weak Pokémon loses half its health on entry. It is the most common entry hazard in competitive play and a major factor in whether a Pokémon is viable at all.