Are you preparing for a challenge with a friend? Have you finished the game and are looking for something to do? Does a friend have an unbeatable team? With a balanced Pokemon team you can face any challenge. Read on to become the best coach!
Steps
Method 1 of 5: Choose Your Pokemon
Step 1. Consider your goal
If you are looking to beat a friend, then you need to build a specific team to defeat their friend. If you want to form a team for online battles, your goal is to beat the best Pokemon. If you are simply bored or want to create a team just for the sake of having it, choose your favorite monsters.
Step 2. Research all Pokemon and their moves
You can use sites like Serebii.net, Bulbapedia or Smogon. If you can't get the Pokemon you want in your version of the game, use the Global Center in Jubilife City to get it with a trade. If the Pokemon you got has stats or moves that don't suit you, you can fix the problem by having it reproduce when you're done designing your team.
Remember that to get a puppy of the same species as a male Pokemon, the female must be replaced with a Ditto
Step 3. Choose your Pokemon
If you're looking to beat a friend, try using Pokemon of super-effective types against his or her. Also try to adopt strategies that contrast those employed by your opponent. For example, if his main Pokemon is a Snorlax that can absorb a lot of hits while damaging your team and healing himself with Rest, use Substitute, then continue with Center Punch.
- All teams should be made up of Pokemon of various types and contain no more than two monsters of the same type. In addition to paying attention to the variety of types, also make sure you have Pokemon that use physical attacks and others that are stronger in special attacks. If, however, you plan to use Relay or Sword Dancer, having multiple attacks of a single type can help your strategy.
- It is a good idea to include Pokemon in the team that do not have the task of attacking, but to heal companions or absorb many hits. This strategy is called "stalemate".
- If you don't want to compete at a competitive level, you don't need to be so selective. The above tips are still very useful and allow you to build a very strong team!
Step 4. Try to build a team based on a specific move or game mechanic
Some teams use moves that can vary the weather, such as Distortion or Windwind. If you choose this strategy, only include Pokemon in your group that can take advantage of those effects. You should also include monsters that can cover your weaknesses and one or two that can establish the desired condition on the battlefield.
Step 5. Make sure your team contains a powerful core
This particular is essential to form a competitive group. The core consists of two or three Pokemon with complementary strengths and weaknesses, which can defeat their respective opposing elements.
Step 6. Choose Pokemon with the right nature
The nature of a monster reduces one stat by 10% and increases another by 10%. It is important to have Pokemon with favorable natures, which boost the main stats and reduce the secondary ones (Special Attack for a monster that uses physical moves, for example).
Method 2 of 5: Raising Your Pokemon
Step 1. Consider breeding your Pokemon
To get monsters perfect for battles, you can decide to dedicate yourself to breeding them until you get specimens with ideal egg moves, IVs and natures. Pokemon can learn moves from their parents; for example, if both parents have a move that the child can learn by leveling up, the new baby will know that move at birth.
- There are also some moves, called egg moves, that a Pokemon can only learn by inheriting them from a father or mother (from Generation VI onwards) who know them.
- Moves MT or MN can be passed down to children only in versions prior to the sixth generation and only by the father.
- Natures can be inherited if the parent holds a Stones. The probability is 50% before Black and White 2 and 100% in subsequent games.
Step 2. Remember that IVs (Individual Values in English, individual points in Italian) can be passed on
IV is a random hidden value assigned to each of a Pokemon's characteristics, from 0 to 31. At level 100, each stat is increased by roughly the IV value. This bonus greatly alters the power level of monsters, as well as determining the type of Hidden Power they possess. As a result, you should be looking to get Pokemon with IV values of 31 for all stats.
- Hidden Power is a special move learned by each Pokemon, which varies in type and power according to IVs. It can be useful for monsters that use special attacks and need to cover a certain element. There are online calculators that can determine which IVs you need to get a certain Hidden Power.
- Three of a Pokemon's IVs are inherited by chance from its parents. If one of them holds a Powerful item (Bracelet, Anklet, Headband, Lens, Weights, Belt), the puppy will inherit the corresponding stat. If both parents have one, the child will only inherit one stat from a randomly chosen parent, then inherit two more random IVs. From the Black / White version of the game, if a Pokemon holds a Destiny Node, its children will inherit 5 IVs.
Step 3. Make Pokemon spawn to get hidden abilities
These skills can be passed down from mothers. Male and sexless Pokemon can pass on their hidden abilities when paired with a Ditto. The female Pokemon has an 80% chance of passing their ability to the child. Probability doesn't apply if Ditto is one of the parents.
Method 3 of 5: Build a Balanced Team
Step 1. Build your team by assigning a role to all Pokemon
Study each monster's stats and moves to see if it's suitable for a specific role. Try to reproduce the following composition:
- Physical Attacker (Pokemon with high Attack value).
- Special Attacker (Pokemon with high Special Attack value).
- Physical Defender (Pokemon with a high Defense value, which can absorb damage).
- Special Defender (Pokemon similar to the Physical Defender, but with a high Special Defense value).
- Starter (Pokemon that prepares particular dangers or conditions on the battlefield in the first few turns).
- Disabling (Pokemon that inflicts negative statuses and is then replaced by an Attacker).
Step 2. Choose the moves of your Pokemon
Make sure the moves they need to learn are compatible with their types. Except in rare circumstances, don't teach a Pokemon two moves of the same type, such as Surf and Hydro Pump. This is because you will need to make sure that your Pokemon can defeat as many opponents as possible. Moves that improve stats or restore Health are great (Synthesis, Aromatherapy, Growth, and Petal Dance are all Grass-type moves, but only one of them is offensive), as are Flamethrower and Overheat, which can be used under different circumstances.
- An attacking Pokemon should know powerful moves of their type, because they receive a damage bonus. Don't neglect the moves of other types, though, so as not to find yourself in situations where your Pokemon is struggling against certain elements. Some attackers can use a preparation move to raise their attack level to very high amounts, others know support, heal, or swap moves like Reverse. Don't underestimate the priority of a move as well, because the higher priority ones always hit before the lower priority ones.
- The party defender is a hardy Pokemon with a lot of HP that can take massive damage as you heal and train other team members. Defenders should know healing moves, techniques such as Taunt, Protection, Substitute, or moves that can inflict negative states. Aromatherapy and Desire are also very useful, because they can help companions.
- Support Pokemon use moves that can inflict negative states on opponents, get rid of attackers in need of preparation, eliminate dangerous states on the battlefield, or help your team.
Step 3. Choose a powerful starter Pokemon
This is the monster that first lands on the battlefield. It is usually quick, to counteract delayed moves and other dangers before the opponent has a chance to act. In some cases, the starting Pokemon are resistant, to be used several times during the fight. They can use moves that create dangers for opponents entering battle, such as Rock Levit, Viscous Net, Spikes, Spikes, moves that create favorable conditions for your team, such as Weather, Reflect, Screen Light, or that enhance a teammate such as Distortion and Relay. They also usually know techniques that interfere with the opponent's strategy, which inflict negative states, which allow them to disappear for a turn and finally an attack, so as not to be useless if hit by Taunt.
Step 4. Don't fixate on brute force
Remember that high-level matches are not won only by annihilating your opponents; strategy and intuition are also very important. Make sure you can use traps (e.g. Rock Levit, Spikes, and Spikes) and have moves that boost your Pokemon's stats such as Sword Dance. You might think wasting an attack is a waste of time, but Sword Dancer can DOUBLE your monster's attack. You should also try techniques that can boost your stats by 50%. Use moves with additional effects like Flamethrower and Bora, which have the ability to burn and freeze the target respectively. However, make sure they are suitable for the Pokemon's stats.
- For example, using Flamethrower or Bora against a Pokemon with a low special attack value is a bad idea.
- Remember that many Pokemon don't have offensive attitudes. They are most effective with moves that cause negative enemy states, because they don't deal much damage with physical or special attacks.
Step 5. Study your team's weaknesses
If you notice that half of your Pokemon are weak against a specific type, change one of those monsters. Knowing a Water-type move doesn't protect your Pokemon from Firefist of Gallade, so it's not enough to just change the moveset. You would waste a slot and you wouldn't have solved the problem.
Method 4 of 5: Choose the Right Types
Step 1. Design your team based on types
Gym leaders and certain types of themed coaches often have teams that contain Pokemon with one type in common: Water, Electro, Poison, etc. The groups made up in this way, however, are not well balanced: it prepares your team to face as many types of Pokemon as possible. You should enter monsters that are effective against the main and most common types.
Step 2. Choose some Pokemon of the classic elemental types
In a balanced team, a Fire Pokemon, a Water Pokemon and a Grass Pokemon can fit. Among the three starters you can always choose between Fire, Water and Grass. For example, in Pokemon X / Y, the starter of Grass is Chespin, the starter of Fire is Fennekin, and the starter of Water Froakie. Whichever starter you choose, you will have the option of catching others in tall grass or with rallies.
- Fire Pokemon are strong against Ice, Grass, Beetle, and Steel, while they are weak against Water, Fire, Dragon, and Rock.
- Water Pokemon are strong against Fire, Earth, and Rock, while they are weak against Electric, Grass, and Dragon.
- Grass-type Pokemon are strong against Water, Earth, and Rock, but weak against Fire, Poison, Flying, Bug, Dragon, and Steel.
Step 3. Consider Pokemon of other common types
You will likely encounter Beetle, Flying, Poison, Psychic and Electric monsters early in the game and throughout the adventure. This doesn't mean they can't get very powerful! Flying Pokemon, in particular, can be useful for moving fast, have powerful attacks and are difficult to counter.
- Electric Pokemon are strong against water and flying monsters, but weak against Grass, Earth, and Dragon.
- Flying Pokemon are strong against Grass, Fighting, and Beetle, but weak against Electric, Rock, and Steel.
- Bug-type Pokemon are effective against Grass, Psychic, and Dark, but are weak against Fire, Fighting, Poison, Flying, Ghost, and Steel.
- Poison-type Pokemon are powerful against Grass and Fairy, but weak against Poison, Earth, Rock, Ghost, and Steel.
- Psychic Pokemon are strong against Fighting and Poison-types, but weak against Psychic, Dark, and Steel.
Step 4. Try to use at least one tough and physically strong Pokemon
Ground and Rock-types are resistant against a large variety of common types, but still have weaknesses. Their defensive stats are often very high, balancing other Pokemon's weaknesses. Fighting-type monsters are effective against some physical types and commonly difficult to defeat, but are very vulnerable to damage from special attacks.
- Ground-type Pokemon are strong against Fire, Poison, Electric, Rock, and Steel, but weak against Grass, Flying, and Beetle.
- Rock-type Pokemon are strong against Ice, Fire, Flying, and Beetle, but weak against Fighting, Ground, and Steel.
- Ice-type Pokemon are strong against Grass, Ground, Flying, and Dragon, but weak against Water, Ice, Fire, and Steel.
- Fighting-type Pokemon are effective against normal, Ice, Rock, Dark, and Steel monsters, but are weak against Poison, Flying, Beetle, Ghost, Fairy, and Psychic-types.
Step 5. In general, avoid normal type Pokemon
Some of them can get very powerful, but they have no advantage against other Pokemon. They are not super effective against any type and are weak against Fighting, Ghost, Rock and Steel types. Their upside is versatility - they can often learn MT moves of different types.
Step 6. Choose Pokemon of less common types to get special effects
Dark, Dragon, Ghost, and Fairy types are pretty rare in the Pokemon world, but they offer some of the most powerful monsters that are most useful when used in combination with more resilient and common companions.
- Dark-type Pokemon are effective against Ghost and Psychic, weak against Fighting, Dark, Fairy, and Steel.
- Dragon-type Pokemon are strong against Dragon-type, but weak against Ice, Steel, and Fairy.
- Ghost-type Pokemon are strong against Ghost and Psychic, but weak against Dark and Steel.
- Fairy-type Pokemon are strong against Dragon, Fighting, and Dark, but weak against Poison and Steel. Their attacks are not very effective against Fairy and Fire-type monsters.
- Steel-type Pokemon are strong against Ice, Fairy, and Rock, but weak against Water, Fire, and Steel.
Method 5 of 5: Train Your Pokemon
Step 1. Train the Pokemon by making them fight
It is a more effective method of improving friendship and increasing the strength of your monsters than using rare candies. For high-level encounters, make sure all your Pokemon have reached level 100. If not, you would be at a disadvantage.
Step 2. Understand and use EVs (Effort Values in English, "basic statistics" in Italian)
These are points that your Pokemon earn after defeating enemy monsters, against a trainer or in tall grass, and are essential for obtaining powerful Pokemon. Each enemy earns EVs to a different extent, so you should make sure you only face opponents who award the desired EVs and avoid picking them at random. Note that you cannot receive EVs in battles with friends or in the Battle Tower. You can consult the following list to know the EVs obtained by each Pokemon: https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/List_of_Pok%C3%A9mon_by_effort_value_yield (in English).
- You can have a maximum of 255 EVs per stat and 510 EVs total across all stats. For every 4 EV points in a stat, the Pokemon earns 1 point at level 100. This means that the maximum amount of EV that can be used to increase a Pokemon's stats is 508. For this reason, never give 255 points to one stat, but 252. This gives you 4 extra EVs that you can use to increase a third stat by one point.
- Often times, it's a good idea to max out the EVs of a Pokemon's most important stat. In some cases, though, you can earn less, for example if one of your Pokemon only needs a certain speed value to outrun one of its more common opponents.
- Decide which stats you want to improve on your Pokemon, then find out how many and which opponents you should fight to get the necessary EVs. Make sure you keep a record of your progress. In order not to lose track, write down the EVs on a spreadsheet.
Step 3. Use vitamins to supplement IV training
Buy as many as possible and use them before starting the training. Each vitamin you give your Pokemon improves EVs by a specific statistic of 10. Unfortunately, you can only use them for the first 100 EVs.
- Vitamins have no effect on Pokemon over 100 EV. For example, Fuel earns your Pokemon 10 EV in Speed. If you used 10 and your Pokemon started at 0 points, you could make it up to 100. If it already had 10 points, you could use 9. If the Pokemon had 99 EVs and you used 1 Fuel, you would only earn 1 point.
- Remember to give your Pokemon only EV points that suit its characteristics. For example, it is not useful to give Protein to Alakazam, because he is not a skilled physical attacker.
Step 4. Use items to level up your Pokemon faster
If you're interested in online fights, start increasing your Pokemon's EV points using Items of Power. Use the Share Exp. or the Macho Bracelet at the lower levels. The Macho Bracelet doubles the EVs received by each enemy you face, but reduces the speed of the Pokemon using it.
If you get the chance, infect your Pokemon with Pokerus. This will also double their EVs, but with no loss of Speed. The effects will remain even when the Pokemon is cured of the virus. This way you can get monsters with better stats
Step 5. Use the items to prepare your team for battle
Attackers should keep items that increase attack stats, such as Absorb Orb, Choice-type items, or the Belt Skill. The Assault Vest can be used by more resistant attackers, while the Stolecelta can be used to outrun the opposing Pokemon, or be traded with an opponent to force them to use only one move. Defending Pokemon can use Leftovers to improve their longevity. Poison-type monsters can use Mud Cloth, in case their item is stolen. Pokemon that have Mega Evolution need their respective Mega Stone to become more powerful, and other items can be useful in particular conditions.
Advice
- Find a Pokemon with good skill. Some are very powerful and able to change the fight, while others have no effect in battle. Choose them carefully.
- You can use some Berries on your Pokemon to improve their friendship, but decrease their EVs in a stat. If the Pokemon has more than 100 EV in the stat to reduce, the EV points will be increased to 100. If it has less than 100 EV, each berry will cause that Pokemon to lose 10 EV; it's a great way to reduce unwanted EVs. Always carry vitamins with you in case you inadvertently reduce the EVs by the wrong stat. Also remember to save before using these berries.
- Using rare candies before you have reached your maximum EVs will not cause any adverse effects - this is just a widespread false news.
