Cynthia

Cynthia in Diamond and Pearl
Cynthia
Species	Human
Affiliation	Elite Four (Sinnoh)
Hair color	Blonde
Eye color	Gray
Relatives	Grandparents Sister Volo, Cogita (possible ancestors)
Voiced by	Allegra Clark (2019)
Debut	Pokémon: Diamond/Pearl Versions

Cynthia is a Pokémon trainer who acts as the champion of the Sinnoh region who was featured as a supporting character and the final opponent for the player in the fourth generation Pokémon games Pokémon: Diamond, Pearl and Platinum, as well as the remakes Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl. She has since since made sporadic appearances in other Pokémon games. Like some champions, she uses Pokémon of varied types rather than being committed to one type.

Background

Cynthia was a trainer whose grandparents and sister lived in Celestic Town, although she once implied that the location of her own home was secret and could even be in a different region. At one point, she traveled with a Pokédex from Professor Rowan and became champion of the Pokémon League by defeating the Elite Four after going on various adventures with her Pokémon. She described that as having happened "a long while" ago. Aside from maintaining her role as champion of the Sinnoh region, she also worked as an archaeologist and investigated various myths related to Sinnoh.

Possible Heritage (Pokémon Legends)

In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, the characters of Volo and Cogita both bear physical resemblances to Cynthia, and they are both said to be descended from the ancient people of Hisui/Sinnoh. Their exact relation to each other is not made clear, nor whether either of them are related to Cynthia, but the implication remains that they are part of the some family lineage. All three of them bear similar tear-shaped pendants and have studied the legends of Hisui/Sinnoh. Volo was particularly depicted with several references to Cynthia, as he bore a stronger physical resemblance to her, and a new version of Cynthia's theme was used for the final battle against him. During the final battle, he also used a team of Pokémon that was almost identical to Cynthia's Platinum team. Despite Volo's similarities to Cynthia, he was ultimately shown to bear ambitions that were more similar to those of Cyrus.

Diamond/Pearl/Platinum

In Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, she was traveling throughout Sinnoh to research the myths of ancient Sinnoh due to wanting to know how people and Pokémon interacted in the olden days. It was also possible that she knew something about Team Galactic's plans and wished to circumvent them.

She first met Lucas/Dawn at Eterna City. She recognized them as Rowan's latest Pokédex-bearing trainer and introduced herself to them before giving them HM 01: Cut and, in Platinum, a Togepi egg. When the trainer met her by the Verity Lakefront after defeating Crasher Wake, she told them about the legendary mirage Pokémon and gave them a SecretPotion for the Psyduck on Route 210. She also asked Lucas/Dawn to deliver an Old Charm to her grandmother as a favor. Reminiscing on her own adventures, she then expressed her wish that Lucas/Dawn would get to meet all types of Pokémon and learn the secrets of the mirage Pokémon.

Cynthia next appeared to Lucas/Dawn at Hearthome City after they completed that city's gum challenge. She apparently had trouble tracking them down, as she wanted to thank them for completing the favor for her. She mused about how she had initially believed that Team Galactic were just eccentric freaks, but she had since come to think they might pose some real threat. Cynthia then referred Lucas/Dawn to Canalave City's library and went off on her way. In Platinum, Cynthia would also come to Lucas/Dawn and Mt. Coronet once Cyrus summoned Giratina and accompanied him into the Distortion World. After Lucas/Dawn faced Giratina, Cynthia expressed her belief that this was destined, but she still wished that she could have been the one to face Giratina. She also professed the importance of the human spirit to Cyrus, although the message did not reach him.

In all versions of the fourth generation, Lucas/Dawn met her next at the Pokémon League HQ, when they battled her for the championship. She thanked them for Mt. Coronet and noted they had overcome personal weaknesses and various challenges to get so far, and Cynthia could feel the trainer's learned power emanating from them. Cynthia was defeated, at which point she praised the trainer's passion and calculated coolness, believing that they could overcome anything. After a brief reunion with Professor Rowan, Cynthia led Lucas/Dawn to be registered in the Hall of Fame as the new champion of Sinnoh.

In Platinum, Cynthia would then appear before Lucas/Dawn at the Celestic Ruins and explain her long-winded theory about an alternative explanation of the theory that the cave painting that was apparently about Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf summoning either Dialga or Palkia at the Spear Pillar, as she felt that the painting instead involved Dialga, Palkia and Giratina summoning another more powerful Pokémon - the original Pokémon (later to be known as Arceus). Cynthia would also visit the player's villa on random days or after the player purchased a piano.

In Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl, she would use stronger Pokémon when challenged to rematches. She would air her 'petty complaints' about the pressure that comes with the role of Champion and would give out a Champion Sticker when defeated in a rematch. She could also appear at the Battle Tower as an opponent in these remakes.

HeartGold/SoulSilver

She also appeared in HeartGold and SoulSilver for a special event (although it is uncertain whether this takes place before or after the events of Diamond/Pearl/Platinum). She visited the Sinjoh Ruins and when Gold/Lyra arrived with Arceus, she was impressed and could sense a strong energy emanating from their Pokéballs, similar to that of Dialga, Palkia and Giratina. She then guided Gold/Lyra to the Mystri Stage, where the trainer's Arceus gave life to either a Dialga, Palkia or Giratina of their own. Cynthia realized that they have witnessed the one moment no one has ever seen before, that of a Pokémon egg being born; she went on to compare the world to an egg and wondered if Arceus was trying to teach them why new life is considered sacred. At this point, Gold was returned to Johto by the same mysterious force that brought him to the ruins in the first place (caused by Arceus's powers combining with that of the Unown).

Black/White

She later traveled to Unova in Pokémon: Black and White Versions in order to investigate the Abyssal Ruins and satiate her curiosity. Cynthia had at some point befriended Caitlin of Unova's Elite Four (as well as beaten her in battles), and Caitlin let Cynthia stay at her villa in Undella Town. Caitlin apparently had villas like that all over the world, all of which Cynthia was welcome at. When Hilbert/Hilda visited, Cynthia noted their striking resemblance to Lucas/Dawn, particularly in their intense eyes. Cynthia offered them a battle to get to know each other better. She noted that her Pokémon were radiating in their Pokéballs, wondering if Hilbert/Hilda was the reason and who they were. When she was defeated, Cynthia felt her expectations had been surpassed and confirmed that they reminded her of Lucas/Dawn. Cynthia departed due to having plenty of things to investigate back in Sinnoh, but she looked forward to meeting Hilbert/Hilda again.

Cynthia returned to the villa every spring and summer as those were her favorite seasons to visit Unova. She could be rebattled by Hilbert/Hilda, and she was also visited by gym leaders and Elite Four members such as Lenora (whom she knew from sharing archeological research), Elesa, Skyla, Shauntal and Caitlin.

She reappeared in Black and White 2, where her encounters with Nate/Rose were recycled from the previous game, except that Cynthia made no note of this trainer reminding them of Lucas/Dawn. She also competed in the Pokémon World Tournament, taking part in the Champions Tournament.

Sun/Moon

In Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, Cynthia traveled to the Alola Islands and appeared as a competitor who could be battled and recruited at the Battle Tree.

Pokémon Roster

Cynthia uses the following Pokémon for the Elite Four challenge in Diamond, Pearl and Platinum:

• Spiritomb
• Lucario
• Gastrodon (Diamond/Pearl only)/Togekiss (Platinum only)
• Milotic
• Roserade
• Garchomp

In Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl, she uses the Diamond/Pearl version of her team for the first match and the Platinum version for initial rematches. For rematches after completing the Stark Mountain event, she uses a variation of her Platinum team that also replaces Roserade with Porygon-Z. At the Battle Tower in those remakes, her three-Pokémon teams always include Garchomp along with two of her other Pokémon (Lucario and Togekiss, Togekiss and Milotic or Lucario and Gastrodon).

In Black and White, she uses the following roster:

• Spiritomb
• Milotic
• Braviary
• Lucario
• Eelektross
• Garchomp

For tournament fights in Black 2 and White 2, her potential team could contain some or all of a group of Pokémon that matches her roster from Platinum, with the exception of containing a Glaceon in place of her Milotic.

For Battle Tree fights in Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, the pool of Pokémon that she would use two or three of for battles included Milotic, Spiritomb, Garchomp, Lucario and Togekiss.

In Other Pokémon Games

In Pokémon Unite, Cynthia appeared as an opponent during the Legacy Trainers Showdown event that first ran in September 2022, with Garchomp as the Pokémon she battled with. During a rerun of the event in April 2023, the rewards were themed around Cynthia, including being able to gain Cynthia's outfit

Pokémon Masters EX

Cynthia was featured in Pokémon Masters EX, with Garchomp as her initial partner Pokémon. As a playable sync pair, Cynthia and her Garchomp could be recruited at random through the game's Sync Pair Scout feature during limited time periods starting in January 2020, and her Garchomp was capable of Mega Evolution. There were also three variants of her that were also available through the Sync Pair Scout during limited time periods: the Sygna Suit variant that was paired with Kommo-o that was first made available in August 2020, the Sygna Suit (Renegade) variant that was paired with Giratina and introduced in December 2021, and the Sygna Suit (Aura) variant that was paired with Lucario (which could Mega Evolve during battle) which was first made available in August 2022. It was also possible to unlock Gastrodon (West Sea form) as an alternate partner for her by reaching Friendship Level 100 with her at the Trainer Lodge starting in August 2022. When battled as an opponent in some events, she would sometimes use one of her other Pokémon instead (Milotic, Togekiss and Roserade). This game followed the Platinum version of events for her, as she remembered Cyrus going into the Distortion World.

Within the Main Story, Cynthia first appeared in Chapter 1, where she and Rosa were being hassled by some locals who wanted a battle even though Cynthia's Pokémon needed to rest. Scottie/Bettie was able to take care of them for her, which earned her gratitude. She was later shown to have made it to the finals of the Pokémon Masters League tournament, and she appeared in Chapter 21, where she apprehended the majority of the Team Break members stationed in one location while others were distracted by Scottie/Bettie's team and Calem. At the end of Chapter 25, it was revealed that Cynthia would be Scottie/Bettie's first opponent in the quarterfinals. The battle took place in Chapter 27, where it was shown that her teammates were Caitlin and Darach. Cynthia decided to use her Sygna Suit and Kommo-o for the battle, even though she had not used either for battle yet. She also motivated Caitlin for the battle by acknowledging her as a rival and taking her on in a one-on-one battle. During the quarterfinals battle, Cynthia's team was defeated by Scottie/Bettie, and Cynthia accepted her defeat gracefully.

Cynthia was also featured in the Story Event "Two Champions", where she and Lance decided to battle each other. The battle was crashed by Clair and Iris, who were then joined by Rosa, and Cynthia joined forces with Lance and Scottie/Bettie to defeat them. Afterwards, Cynthia and Lance decided to hold off on the battle in order to allow their Pokémon to rest, and Lance also felt that the PML finals would be a better setting for their battle. Another prominent Cynthia appearance was in the Legendary Event "New World Dilemma", where she helped in the effort to defy Cyrus. Ultimately, she donned the Sygna Suit and used Kommo-o to defeat Cyrus's Palkia and drove him away. Her Aura Sygna Suit variant was featured in the Story Event "Threads of Strength", in which she and her Lucario prepared to battle Red at the Pasio Festival. She tried to learn more about Red from Professor Oak and ended up learning ways in which they were alike. Ultimately, the two of them teamed up to drive off a group of Team Rocket kids who were threatening a Camper who Cynthia had scolded for pretending to be Red's friend. Afterwards, Cynthia and Red were seized by the need to battle, and so they started their battle then and there.

During the Villain Arc of the Main Story, she was featured in the Sinnoh chapter, where she had donned the Renegade version of her Sygna Suit and was working with Giratina to oppose Team Galactic when they became active on Pasio. Cynthia did not want to just defeat Cyrus this time. Instead, she wanted to challenge and change his ideology so that Cyrus could change for the better. She started by exposing the truth of his plans to his commanders (Mars, Saturn and Jupiter) while battling them, which caused them to grow disillusioned with him. Cynthia ultimately confronted Cyrus while accompanied by numerous others. Together, they were able to convince Cyrus to acknowledge the value of bonds and shift his plans so that, rather than trying to remake the world, he would try to figure out a way to 'complete' the human spirit. Cynthia was satisfied with this as a step in the right direction.

Cynthia could also appear as an opponent in the Champion Stadium's Sinnoh Challenge, which replicated the line-up of Sinnoh's Elite Four and champion.

Other Appearances

Other Media

• Cynthia has made a number of appearances in episodes of the Pokémon anime, starting in the Sinnoh-based series. She was shown defeating Paul with ease in one episode and helping to stop Team Galactic from stealing the Lustrous Orb in another episode. Cynthia also helped in the big battle against Team Galactic during the climax of the series. She was also seen in smaller appearances battling Elite Four members such as Aaron, Lucian and Flint. One of her last full appearances during the Sinnoh episodes was when she was shown as one of the people overseeing the Sinnoh Conference. Cynthia has also made cameo appearances in the opening/closing credits of the twelfth and thirteen anime movies, being seen battling Palmer in the former instance. She later appeared in several episodes of the Unova-based series, where she was shown to be staying at a villa as in the games. She had an exhibition match against Caitlin for the Pokémon World Tournament Junior Cup, which ended in a draw, and she watched the tournament's other battles unfold. She also battled Iris and gave her advice during the tournament. She reappeared during the Pokémon Journeys series, where she was shown to be one of the top eight competitors competing in the World Coronation series known as the Masters Eight, out of which she was considered to be the second-strongest behind Leon. She was featured in several episodes where she went on adventures with Ash's group, including one that brought them to an alternate world. She was also featured in a series of specials in which she worked with Ash, Goh, Brock and Dawn to stop the plans of a newly reassembled Team Galactic. She was then featured in the Masters Eight Tournament arc, where she defeated Iris and was ultimately bested by Ash. During her battle with Ash, her Spiritomb alone defeated half of his team, and she opted to use Dynamax instead of Mega Evolution. She expressed to Diantha that she was planning to retire from competitive battling after the tournament, but her battle with Ash managed to reinvigorate her desire to battle, so she decided to continue battling and challenged Diantha to a friendly battle following Ash's winning of the championship.
• Cynthia began appearing in the Pokémon Adventures manga during the Diamond/Pearl arc, where her actions were more directly tied to stopping Team Galactic. She first showed up at Eterna City to investigate Rad Rickshaw's disappearance and witnessed a training session of Dia, Pearl and Platina, and she gave Platina some advice. Soon afterwards, Cynthia was able to save Rad Rickshaw using primarily her own Pokémon while the other trainers watched. She was later called by Mr. Backlot to investigate missing Psyduck, which led her to travel to Route 210 on bicycle while letting Dia, Pearl and Platina ride on her Garchomp due to running into them again. She gave the Psyduck the SecretPotion, met with her grandmother and left them with her Garchomp while she returned the Psyduck to their owners. Cynthia notably traveled to Team Galactic's headquarters in this version and tried to battle Cyrus herself, but she was defeated. She and Platina rode to Spear Pillar on her Garchomp, where they witnessed and took part in the arc's final battles.
• In the Pokémon Generations anime, which adapted scenarios from the games, she appeared in one episode based on Platinum, where she confronted Cyrus, only for Giratina to appear and take him away.

Trivia

• Her English name of Cynthia may come from another name for Artemis, a Greek goddess of the hunt, wilderness, wild animals, the moon and chastity. The name's association with the moon could be a parallel with Cyrus's association with the Sun. Her Japanese name is Shirona, which is named after the Japanese name for the white-fruited nandina, which is said to symbolize "love growing stronger" and "good home" in the language of flowers.
• She is notable as the second champion character to note the similarity between player characters, with Steven Stone having made a similar yet vaguer statement about Ethan/Lyra in HeartGold/SoulSilver.
• While she is originally from Sinnoh and refers to Celestic Town as her hometown, she claims in Platinum that the location of her current home as well as its region is a secret. This implies that she may not live in Sinnoh. Her home is unlikely to be in Unova either, due to her needing to stay at someone else's villa in the fifth generation games.
• Her actually home is apparently messy.
• Volo was shown to work with Giratina for a while, and Cynthia has also been shown to have an affinity for the Pokémon. In Platinum, she seemed disappointed that Lucas/Dawn got to face Giratina instead of her. In Pokémon Masters EX, her Renegade variant was paired with Giratina, and her Sync Pair Story showed that she saw Giratina as a kind soul. Notably, that variant was added to the game less than a month before Pokémon Legends was released, although it is unclear if that timing was intended or coincidental.