>level only your starter and get overleveled quickly and wipe

File: Parasect.jpg (270KB, 570x570px)

270KB, 570x570px

On my first run through any new gen, I limit myself to only using new pokemon.

>Something in the middle
I run through the game until I see pokemon that I want to use. Unless it's a first run, I generally don't catch pokemon I don't intend to use. As a result, I go through the majority of the game with 3-4 pokemon.

>HM Slaves
With the exception of moves that are somewhat useful in battle (Surf, Waterfall, Strength, Fly) I use an HM mule. Usually Zigzagoon.

>catch things as you go but don't go out of your way for it
Like I said, only on my first couple runs do I bother catching all the pokemon I can. Then I only get serious about filling the pokedex in the endgame.

>use only pokemon you can get on that cart
With only some exceptions.

>Set
It's a children's game. I also play with EXP share off.

>>33316341
>Create a balanced team
I catch a lot of Pokemon in my first run of a game to fill in a bit of PokeDex. I only ever use new ones though.
>HMs
HM slave for shitty moves, HMs to my main mons for Surf/Waterfall/etc.
>Catch things as you go
Any Pokemon I look at and say, "I feel like catching that." I catch it. Especially in S/M with the Poke Pelago feature.
>Use only Pokemon you can get on that cart
Self-explanatory.
>Set
Always.

>>33316341
I always keep my team evenly leveled. Even did that way back as a kid in R/B/Y. I never use HM slaves, except sometimes in Gen 4 with its 300 HMs. I find using HM slaves fucking retarded. You're not fighting on the ladder man. It's ingame. You can't tell me your Scizor can't spare a moveslot for Cut. It's not a big deal.

>>33316341
>create a balanced team of 6 pokemon
but by balanced i mean i prefer no types be shared between the team
>HM slaves
i do a mix of the two options, i give the terrible hms being cut, flash, rock smash, whirlpool and pre-gen 4 waterfall to a slave, but the good ones i give to my team, being surf, gen 4+ waterfall, strength and fly.
>catching stuff
i work on pokedex post game but i do occasionally sit in an area and see whats there
>pokemon available
just stuff on the cart
>shift
set is more of a challenge, but most of the time its just annoying and wastes time. its not often the difference between shift and set is crucial
>other stuff
i have no strategy, i try not to get 2 mons of the same type, i do enjoy fan challenges

File: piggyback_by_ry_spirit-d2ppp7p.jpg (75KB, 600x740px)

75KB, 600x740px

>>33316341
>create a balanced team of six pokemon
Always this, though often I train even more than the party six just to pad out my time with the game and get to enjoy more Pokemon at once.
>give hms to your main team
HM slaves a shit
>catch things as you go but don't go out of your way for it
I like having a variety of Pokemon ready for use but I don't like looking up every Pokemon location unless it's something I really want on my team so I just do as I go.
>use only pokemon you can get on that cart
I won't use Pokemon from other games or people, but I will trade for locked evolutions or version exclusives
>set
Feels more natural when I have the same limits as the NPCs, so I don't use Shift.
>others
A Normal type Pokemon must be on the team, there's almost always a normal type in my favourites for a region and I love their flexibility. No other rules.

>>33316341
>something in the middle
I used to powerlevel the starter as a kid, but now I just keep a range about 5-10 levels wide for my team. I'm not gonna go full autismo to keep them all equally trained to the unit of exp, but I like to have a fully serviceable team on hand.

>give hms to your main team
>hm slaves
Bit of both.

>catch things as you go but don't go out of your way for it
Kinda this? I'll go look for a pokemon I really want, but I'm not gonna ransack every route for 100% completion.

>use only pokemon you can get on that cart
Emu only, cba getting anything other than wilds.

>shift
I know it's cheap, but I can't be bothered when 95% of switches would be >take 5% damage then ohko opponent

>>33316671
I mean cuts a bad choice, but Strength or Rock Smash or Waterfall or Surf are all good HMs

File: PlatinumTeamPreE4.png (92KB, 1536x704px)

92KB, 1536x704px

>Team balance
I usually stuck with balanced teams of six, but now I'm making teams of five. The next point elaborates on this.

>Using HMs
Both points, pic related. Only one HM Master. I'll distribute the rest of the HMs among my team, making sure they fit well in their movepools. The game is a lot more enjoyable if you don't have to go back and swap your team around at the PC every time you need to to use anything that isn't named Surf or Fly.

In Gen 7's case, I'm free to make a team of six.

>Catching Pokemon
I just keep the Pokemon I wish to use in mind. Less experience points are wasted this way. If I'm forced to use a Pokemon to get by (e.g. a Nidoran to get by Brock and until I can catch a Bellsprout in Pokemon Yellow), then I'll box them after they serve their purpose.

>Pokemon availability
I only use Pokemon found on the cart. No trading.

>Shift or Set
Set, of course.

>>33316881
Removing HMs from SM was the best thing about the game. Allowed alot more freedom team wise

>>33316341
Used to use 3-4 new Pokemon up until gen 5 when HM moves got fucked.

>>33316898
>having one more party member is a lot more variety

>>33316914
It is. Dont be such an asshat

>Create a balanced team of six Pokemon
Generally I'll get 3 or 4 Pokemon early on, then fill in the rest 3/4 through the game

>Give HMs to your team
Don't like wasting a team slot for something kept unused. Exception goes to moves like Cut which is only needed soon after you get it

>Catch things as you go
Though if I miss a Pokemon I will stay on that route until I find another

>Only Pokemon on the cart

>Shift
I honestly forget that option exists

>>33316756
Yeah. Strength is a pretty decent attack. Especially coming of someting like Snorlax, who's always a bro for ingame teams. But even though Cut sucks, i don't think having one dedicated mon for it is the awnser. I'm playing Yellow atm and my Charizard has

> Cut
> Slash
> Flamethrower
> Fly

I almost always use Slash because Gen 1 crit mechanics, and Flamethrower for Super Effective. And I don't feel like I have two wasted moveslots at all.

>>33316920
It's not. Rotating between 5+ party members in boxes isn't as terrible as so many people seem to think it is. Types aren't that strict; you can easily go through the game with 1 type, let alone 5.

File: my nigger.jpg (41KB, 1033x679px)

41KB, 1033x679px

>>33316881
Replace Gastrodon with Roserade and this is literally my current Platinum team.

File: handsomewhissu.png (386KB, 902x771px)

386KB, 902x771px

>>33318454
I'm glad we see eye to eye, anon. Roserade is an excellent choice as well. I just couldn't forgo a Ground type (and a Pokemon that can learn Waterfall) though, lest I don't have any way to deal with Electric types.

>>33316341
Lanturn is such a comfy pokemon

I want a giant plush one :(

> Something in the middle
I limit myself to only Pokemon that are new to the gen in the first playthrough. Typically use a team of 6 with no shared types. Starter has highest level with the rest below by about 2-4.

> Giving HMs
Usually just Surf, Waterfall, or Fly for main team. Rest I just give to a random mon.

> Catching Pokemon
Always try to catch everything and grind for the rarer encounters until each one is caught.

> Other Pokemon
Wonder trade/GTS is fine for the sake of version exclusives and legendaries. Don't use it much.

> Shift
Don't particularly care for it, kinda wastes time. Exp Share when post game.

Am I super autistic for only using and overleveling my starter? Battle strat for e4 is send out shitter and revive starter.

>>33316341
>Balanced team of six
Did the starter only thing as a kid, but six is much more fun.

>HM slaves
I'll work Surf and Fly onto my team. Everything else is slaves.

>Catch things as you go but don't go out of your way for it
I catch things I like

>Use only pokemon you can get on the cart
Unless I'm doing special run, trading makes the game too easy. Occasionally I have evolved trade evolutions though.

>Set
I am an adult.

>Personal rules
I try to be underlevelled because it's fun. I like challenging romhacks that let me go 'all out' and still have a challenge, rather than having to hold myself back. I do do nuzlockes and other challenges sometimes.

>>33316341
I haven't done a starter-only run in years. I stopped doing them around gen 3 but they were fun for a while. Nowadays I tend to run with 5-6 mons but if I replay gen 1 or 2 I'll run with 2-4 due to how awkward those games can be with their level curve.