What influences your decisions to use certain Pokémon?

In-game, there are a lot of different Pokémon that you can use. Whether it be that you're doing a challenge that only lets you use specific ones, or a normal playthrough with no restrictions whatsoever, how do you decide on what you want your team to be? Do you just use what looks coolest to you? Or do you try to find things that really strike your fancy for whatever reason, whether it be a certain type or something else you really like? Do you pay attention to types on your team? How do you try to think of what you want to have on you?

Discuss.

It always depends on my mood. If it's a new game I'll just play with Pokemon that I want to try. If I want to do something different I'll make a monotype team or a playthrough with only one or two Pokemon. Sometimes I make myself catch a team of Pokemon I would never use just to see if I actually like them. Sometimes I just use a team of pokemon I have never used before for no reason. I've also gone by color and some theme teams.

A typical playthrough for me is a team of six, usually a fire, water, grass/electric, flying, and then two random types.

I go with Pokémon that I like, but not necessary my favorites. In my first run I just try some Pokémon that look cool forming a varied team. In later runs I always try to use new Pokémon, ones I haven't used before (or not much before), which sometimes leads to unvaried teams. My last Ruby run for example had three water types in it.

For me, I choose Pokemon 98% based on their aesthetic with the remaining 2% based on their move pool, type and competitive prowess.

Pretty much what Lycan said, I use Pokemon that I like, however if I find a good OU/Ubers Pokemon, then of course ill catch it. Id also rather have dual type Pokemon than a one type Pokemon. I try not to have two same types of Pokemon.

The stats usually go first. I go for the pokemon that seems to have a very high Atk/Sp. Atk, since my battling style is simple offense. I also try to get other types and make sure I have at least one pokemon that is super-effective to one of the E4/Champion. But that's when I play a game for like the second or third time. More replays, and I start to do some challenge and stuff...

Don't usually have preferences, but I always go for more powerful pokémon with designs I like. The only thing I really do is to try and avoid having more than one type of pokémon in my team at any time so I can get the best type coverage.

I go for Gyarados (in EVERY SINGLE GAME), and then whichever design appeals to me up till I fill up 5 spots (I always save an empty slot for the main legendary).

^ I'll admit, i'm guilty of using the same Pokémon in certain games several times, like Gardevoir and Camerupt in RSE (the latter at least when I don't take Torchic), Ampharos and sometimes Golem in HGSS, and Gyarados too. But that's no longer the case as of Generation V, especially B2W2 which has so many Pokémon I can go with (and the same can be said about XY for that matter).

I recall mostly using Roserade a lot, in fact almost every single game that it's in the regional Dex, of which there are a lot of. I did at least try to switch things up every now and then, but design and power is mostly what makes me use certain Pokemon on my team.

Most of the time I go for type variety, and then capture whatever I like the most out of what's available to me. I always choose design/type/theme over actual competitive usefulness, because I'm in it to love and raise my Pokemon. If I only chose ones that were extremely powerful it'd make them feel like hollow weapons, and I just wouldn't like that.

There usually are some Pokemon I plan to capture and use REGARDLESS of when they become available/how strong they are long before the games get released, especially with the first games in a generation, just because I like the Pokemon so much. Clawitzer and Trevenant are good examples of this. I knew they'd make it on my team long, long before I knew how they performed or when I'd have access to them.

I always choose the Pokemon which is cute and dual typed, and always try to avoid same type of Pokemon and try to catch every type of Pokemon after all it will make the best Pokemon Team haha.

I just always go with my favourites really, I don't think you need to worry too much about building the toughest or varied team for the game play through. (Luckily!) When I did briefly dip my toe into battling online I tried using Pokemon that I wasn't keen on because they're recommended for that sort of thing but it just isn't as fun because you don't have a connection with them.

Starts out with "I like the look of this one, let's use it."

Oh what's that, I'm having difficulties because I keep running into a pokemon type (or reached a gym leader) that I can't really deal with well because I don't have a good counter type on my team? Better go train one of the appropriate type then, as long as I like the look of it. Although in this case, I'll take whatever I can get if I don't have many options at the time, but if I don't like it it's definitely getting boxed right after I'm done!

...That's pretty much it, really. First I go for looks, then I go for types I need.

I've been building my team according to balance, so they can help out each other as a team mate, rather than randomly slapping them together.

I'm also trying to explore new possibilities, for example I haven't used an Abomasnow in my team before, so I tried using one! It ended up as one of my favorites and even received a Mega Evolution in Generation VI!

I also try to sometimes branch out and use different Pokémon - even though I said that i've been guilty of using the same ones before, there tend to be ones I really like and use often for that reason. But when I do a new playthrough I often don't have my team set in stone - I try to have at least some degree of originality.

Stats don't really influence my decision, it's basically a matter of seeing a Pokemon I like the look of and using it. Typing is also important for me, I like to try and cover as many different types in one team as possible.

^ Typing is important, indeed. But sometimes when I do certain challenges that require me to use only Pokémon of selected types, it gets harder for me to pick just a few. And that can be the case even moreso with Nuzlockes, particularly when you come up against Gyms that are best handled with certain types.

Based on type (so I won't be running a mono team), appearance (I don't want to use a Pokémon that doesn't appeal to me), and movepool (weakness coverage is everything).

In my nuzruns, I like to use mons that not many people use. I guess its mostly due to me wanting to have a more unique team. I also really like trying out new things/stuff I never tried before.