As you make your way through the bodies of water help to guide your way, making sure that you don't move too quickly through the game and preventing you from missing important things like gym badges.
To get past these obstacles, more often than not, you will need a HM, or Hidden Machine, that will teach your pokemon a special move that can overcome the cave with no way out. Thus, HM moves can only be deleted by visiting a special character in game.
However, this means that HM moves can take up one of the valuable four moves that each pokemon can travel companion that can hold all the important HM moves.
Rock Smash
HM06 is the first HM you will get, picking it up from the badge. Rock Smash is a fighting type move but its power is not that great, though it does have the ability to sometimes lower your opponent's defense. You will need it a few times while travelling, especially near the start of the game, so keep a pokemon with this ability. Do not use it in online battles.
Cut
HM01 is a familiar HM to Pokemon map, giving you access to small, special areas. It is a good idea to travel with this move in hand.
De Fog
HM05 is generally useless, both in battle and out. If you don't mind stumbling around a lot, then you don't even need it. However, to avoid stress and frustration, you might as well take it along with you into foggy areas. In battle, using De Fog will help you to hit evasive opponents, which is not that useful at all.
Fly
HM02 is a Warehouse in Veilstone City.
Surf
HM03 is another great HM to have. You will definitely be using it a lot outside of battle to Surf, you will be using it a lot, no matter the circumstances.
Strength
HM04 is the sixth HM you can get in Platinum. In of power, it is not too bad, but nothing to fighting pokemon that doesn't have a good fourth move, you can use this to fill the void. Most of the later puzzles in the game will involve boulder pushing, so you will definitely need to have a pokemon with Strength on your travel team.
Rock Climb
HM08, despite being numbered eighth, is the Rock Climb is actually a really good move. It has good power and may cause your opponent to become confused, which can hurt them even more. Unfortunately, the attack is not 100% reliable and it may miss every now and then.
Waterfall
HM07 is another water type HM move. Unfortunately, it is not as strong as Waterfall to travel later on in the game, so do put it on a pokemon, just not one that you will be fighting with.
Your Travel Companions 541c20
If you have been common and, in fact, you should have seen plenty of them on Route 201, the first route of the game. Between Bidoof and Starly, you should be able to make it through the first half of the game without any HM related problems as Bidoof can learn Rock Smash and Cut while Starly can learn Fly and De Fog. If you have time, level up your Bidoof and evolve it to Bibarel. You can also catch a Bibarel in the Great Marsh if you don't want to waste experience points.
Bibarel is probably the best travel pokemon there is, as it can learn Rock Smash, Cut, Surf, Strength, Waterfall, and Rock Climb. The best moves to give it are Rock Smash, water pokemon that you battle with and Rock Climb can be given to your starter pokemon after it evolves for the final time, providing that you have a fourth move slot open.
If you managed to get a Pelipper, it can replace Starly in your line up, since it can learn Fly, De Fog and Surf. It can be found on most surf routes, but is fairly Diamond/Pearl, Trapinch and Vibrava can be found with the PokeRadar on Route 228 and they will evolve to Flygon. Flygon can learn Fly, Strength, De Fog, and Rock Smash. Although it is a bit of a waste to use Flygon just for HMs, between Flygon and Bibarel, you can have all eight HMs covered, which is very convenient and can make travelling less of a hassle.
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