How do YOU play the games?

[ZFXZFX]

There are so many different ways that I play when it comes to Pokemon.

First off, about 90% of the time if I play a pokemon game I won't try to fill up the Pokedex. But if I was going to do that on any game, it would be Emerald (And I have) mainly because that game is just so much damn fun. And considering I'm an incredibly lazy person I lose patience and give up about a quarter of the way through completing the pokedex. This most of the time ends up with me just catching any really kool pokemon that I find (And if they are really hard to catch *cough* Feebas *cough* I might just result to using a cheating device. Yeah, I'm that kind of player.

I am also one of those people that straight away delete their save files if they want to play the game again (I even do that with the games I am bothered to complete). I am definitely not into competitive gaming or EV training or whatever I just play the game for fun without making a huge fuss about having the perfect pokemon. The only thing I really care about is having my six favourite pokemon from the game in my team at some time or I feel like the game was pointless :/

So basically, I play the game like a cheating, lazy procrastinator. (Just like real life! ^.^)

ZFXZFX ~ ;038;

 

[DexHolderBlue]

I usually don't try to fill up the Pokedex, but I do try to capture any new pokemon I encounter. If the capture fails, I won't purposely go after it again, unless I accidently run into it.
As for teams, I always use 6 pokemon of all different types; sometimes I use five. In one file on Sapphire, I actually only had a team of 3 pokemon, but that's because I just wanted to play through the game quickly.
I don't ever save certain files; if I feel like starting over, I won't hesitate to.
Also, I play Pokemon with headphones on. Haha.

 

[PikachuPower]

When I was a little kid, I liked to follow Ash's format of traveling around, catching Pokemon I like, and forming a evenly trained team. Now I do Nuzlocke because the game is too easy

 

[razorrozar7]

Re: cheating, I ONLY use my Action Replay to get the event Pokemon, and ONLY after I have everything else.

 

[PrismaticPrincessAnna]

I used to be liek Ash in Yellow. Get Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Butterfree xD
Was fun coz I named my character Ash aswell, nya~

 

[razorrozar7]

I used to be liek Ash in Yellow. Get Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Butterfree xD
Was fun coz I named my character Ash aswell, nya~

That sounds interesting, I wonder why it never occurred to me.

 

[PrismaticPrincessAnna]

That sounds interesting, I wonder why it never occurred to me.

Its fun! Coz I restart the same alot

Esp I hadta put up with Nido's to defeat Brock in Yellow, nya~

 

[Qmaz246]

I catch all the Pokemon i encounter that i haven't caught yet, then train with duo- types.

 

[Kalosian]

I catch every new species of Pokemon that I meet as one of my goals in every game is to complete the Pokedex. But I usually only use the ones that I like. From 4th generation and onwards, I have never restarted any of my newer games, and I will never do it either. I used to organize my Pokemon in boxes after their typings, but stopped with that. Now I just put everything important in a few boxes and everything else in the other boxes. I have never taken a challenge while playing through the main story as I don't want to be restricted, but I like making Scramble teams after the main game is completed. I do not really battle competitively, although I enjoy the battling at the different battle facilities in the games.

 

[DX 2401PT]

Detailed Guide to Game-World Domination

Challenges: what challenges?
Priority: Rush to finish the game's storyline.
Starter-Picking Protocol: follow Pokemon Special. Sure it's not creative at all, but it saves me the trouble of picking a starter (that I'm going to abandon anyways) or picking a name (I don't use my actual name).
Example 1: Platinum Version. Platinum is female in Pokemon Special. Thus, pick girl, name Platinum (doesn't fit, so Platina). Starter: Water.
Example 2: Emerald Version. Emerald is male in Pokemon Special. Thus, pick boy. The manga counterpart to the boy is Ruby. So name Ruby, starter: Water.

Domination Methods:

Method 1: Foundation-Game exists (as in, another game from the same Generation that's already completed)

1: Fully plan out a Pokemon to be EV Raised and create an Egg containing that Pokemon (or its pre-evolution).
2: Save before hatching the Egg, hatch, and check its nature and IVs. This step is skipped if I care enough to manipulate the game's RNG to get what I want.
3: Trade the Egg over to the new game as early as possible. Hatch the Egg in the new game, and trade the offspring back to the game in which the Egg was made. EV raise and level up to around level 70.
4: Trade it back to the new game. Since the Pokemon's OT and the game's ID matches, the Pokemon will obey.
5: Repeat steps 1 ~ 4 for other Pokemon.
6: Rush. Complete the game's story as quickly as possible. Avoid as many trainers as possible, and demolish every trainer/Gym Leader/bad guy that stand between me and game-world domination.

Method 2: Foundation-Game does NOT exist

Either use a friend's game as foundation, or...
1: Plan a strong Pokemon that learns good moves early on that appears early on.
2: Capture the pre-evolution form of that Pokemon and level it up. EV raise if possible.
3: Struggle through the game. Captured Legendaries will be immediately sent to the box so they don't gain unwanted EVs. If I have access to EV raising locations, then EV raise the Legendaries.

After completing the game's storyline, Pokemon Harvesting begins. Find Pokemon worthy of training, capture them, breed/RNG abuse, and EV raise. Includes Legendaries. Save before running into every Legendary, catch, nature/IV check, reset. Repeat until I get a satisfactory Legendary (or RNG abuse).
Then I go back and forth between: Pokedex completion, Battle Frontier challenge, more breeding, more EV raising, loot collecting, and route-clearing (beat everyone), and aim for the 5 Trainer Stars on Trainer Cards. Main game only.
Replace EVed Pokemon if it has inferior IVs.
If the game needs to be restarted (so I can get more one-off items or Pokemon, or if I want to go through a game again), then salvage as much as possible (transfer every valuable to a different game). Main games do not get restarted, ever.

Method 1: It makes the game really easy. It's also quick and efficient. The fun lies in crushing NPC's feeble resistance quickly and with ease. Overkill too (Level 82 Garchomp with maximum possible Attack used Outrage against a level 9 Pidgeotto in Violet City Gym in HG).

Method 2: A more... classic approach.

 

[manifesto]

I go through the game at a moderate pace but I try to explore every crack and crevice the game has to find everything I can. Every little secret I can find I will. That's the fun for me. Exploration. I make a team that's good for me and I roll with it. I play in a roleplaying way and a simple way. It's more fun for me to do that.

 

[zozo]

I play by going through the storyline, catching the pokemon I like, leveling them up so I can rock through the gyms regardless of how disadvantaged my team may be. I'll often catch and release pokemon if I only want them for dex entries. I always let my boxes fill up naturally, except for the very last box which I always fill with my "breeders" and the second to last which is filled with HM slaves and various pokemon that I have caught and used on my journey.
After the initial game is over, I'll alternate between breeding new teams for battling over wi-fi, travelling around to get the extras, gaining dex entries, and trading.

One thing I really love to do is transfer pokemon from other games onto my current one. It gives a really interesting sense of continuity for me personally within the games, and it keeps the old games relevant and playable for me too. I'll look at a pokemon and think "Oh yeah, I remember such and such from my old Pearl game!" and I'll go back and start exploring an old cart again.

Pokemon is such an amazing game. I can't think of any other series that can hold my attention, and even re-kindle my attention in older installments, the way Pokemon does.

 

[Luxie]

I catch every pokemon. I don't raise them all though. One thing to note is I don't use moves like Leer, Agility, and Confuse Ray. Those moves are wastes of turns to me. I only use moves that inflict damage.

 

[jstinftw!]

I always pay special attention to the storyline. It only goes through once without restarting, so you might as well enjoy it.

So I usually start off and keep the starter, giving me a feel that I'm the actual character and my starter is really my first Pokemon. Most people don't get rid of their starter, so. That makes sense. Then I go off on my adventure at a steady pace. Since there's a "date caught" part in the Pokemon Summary, I try to branch the dates out a bit, sometimes purposely playing other games or letting my life catch up to me in order to do that. Sometimes, I even grind just to get that done.

I usually plan my party out beforehand, so I know what I want my party to look like when I get to the Elite Four, but that doesn't mean I don't catch anything else. More often than not, I'll catch and train Pokemon until I find the Pokemon I actually planned on using, and switch it out as a back-up. You know, rotate them.

I also catch Pokemon I'm not going to use at all, although I might start releasing them to unclutter my boxes. I'll check their IVs and stuff at the Judge first though, in case I get lucky.

I used to EV train even my in-game team, but I actually might stop doing that again. I can EV train after I beat the E4. I feel bad for my starter though, so I might actually still EV train it in the beginning. We'll see.

Starting in Black and White, I've made it sort of a goal to at least capture all of the Pokemon in the UnovaDex. It's cool to at least have that sticker, and it's not too difficult to get them since I have both games. I also like to catch the Pokemon that are in the region that I can catch, even if they aren't Unovan.

Along with that, I like to travel every bit of the region, looking for all the hidden items, go to every area, and talk to every character.I like to take in as much as possible during my journey.

I stock up a lot on items as well. Repels, Escape Ropes, Potions, Full Heals, all the status and health items. I try to have a good amount of them just in case.

I've started getting more into the competitive scene, although I wouldn't say I was a competitive battler. Battling is still very much about fun, but I like to have like, strategic, intelligent battle. So, I guess I build more thought out teams as well as more casual teams. But this happens post-game.

And I have both Black and White, so White is my main game where everything is and Black is where I erase and start all over. The older games stay the same in case I feel like picking them up again.

I do the same in the old ones as I do in this one. Pokemon, like zozo said, is amazing. I agree withe every word zozo said.

Pokemon is such an amazing game. I can't think of any other series that can hold my attention, and even re-kindle my attention in older installments, the way Pokemon does.

 

[Sergio Aguero]

i just catch any pokemon that i dont have yet

 

[2rsa]

- I Play on Set, not Shift.
- Party members are carefully chosen before starting the game, and the starter is never abandoned.
- Party members are raised equally and are put on front in rotation by order of capture.
- No capturing pokemon except for party members, HM slaves, legenderies and shinies.
- No avoiding trainers.
- No playing in the super contests, for they are gay.
- No switching pokemon until the foe has fainted.

I'm kinda the same exept that i like the pokemon musical!

 

[McNugget]

I never really compete I just REALLY like a pokemon and it becomes mine :3
In my GBA games I always use the underdogs not starters.....

Ruby- eevee then my internal clock died..... right after i got espeon
FR- I used caterpie....then .........METAPOD *shudders* and then butterfree I beat the game too :3
Also i never like to let my pokemon faint that's why i have metagross who can take a hit for teammates

 

[FireTheAbsolLord]

I enjoy playing where I form a team of a Grass-type, Water-type, Fire-type, Flying-type, Normal-type, and misc. type, and try to beat the game with them. Types can overlap, too, basically have a Flying/Normal-type. Give them nicknames and good moves, try my best to win with them. I'm one of those people who grows an attachment to my Pokemon, and I know they're just a bunch of pixels. I also catch whatever wild Pokemon I want whenever I want. I'm not afraid to stop the course of the game just to find a Solosis I won't even use on my team, or to play a couple contests/pokeathelon matches/musicals. Also, my team members are chosen before I play, I try to set a route for me to play on before I actually play.

However, I only play that way with the new games, SoulSilver and White to be exact. On any other games I have no limits. Play that way, maybe play with only my starter (really rare), play that way but disobey a few catching rules (Like not have a normal-type), and especially nuzlocke. I just adore nuzlocking, and I'm not so bad at it. In my first nuzlocke, I'm grinding for the elite four and have only had four not-so-devastating deaths. Though I lost two to Brock...but that doesn't matter now.

 

[Blitz Lucario]

I prefer to play the game slow and take my time to get through it. I usually have a team of 6 Pokemon that I like and only catch any others that I haven't gotten from that region. I have never filled the National Dex, I only want to capture all the Pokemon of that region.

 

[The Chilli God]

No challenges for me.

However, I prefer playing close to a web browser so that I can look up information about what pokemon live in this zone, where roughly the items are, what the trainers are like, etc. I arm myself with knowledge as I go.
I go through each zone meticulously, pick up every single item and make notes to go back later and pick up items that I couldn't get the first time.
I also make sure to catch one of every available wild pokemon as I go through a zone unless that same pokemon can be caught at a higher level later on. I nickname each and every pokemon I catch unless I plan to release it or trade it away.
I sort my pokemon boxes by type, with an extra three boxes for trades, breeders, and my "main" party, which typically exceeds a party of six.
I focus mostly on collection. Consequently, I do not restart my main game, ever.