"hmm so first I'll catch Oddish"

[Flowerchild]

When playing a new game for the first time, do you tend to spend time researching/deciding on potential teams in advance, or do you just not bother and instead catch whatever pops up given the opportunity - probably discarding some of them in the process? That was a terrible sentence, let's start over: how much do you plan for your team?

Normally when it comes to new games I'll start by looking up the starters and main legendary and try and find a place for those on my team if possible. I certainly don't go and look up locations for everything, though there are certain Pokémon - like Oddish - that I'll always look up and try and use if it's obtainable in the game.

 

[Firox]

Many times I plan my team in advance, already decided on the 6 Pokemon, their nicknames ready, and have the eggs ready to be transferred.

 

[Sektor]

On new games? No, not really. On first play through I like the feeling the 'on the fly' thinking. If I just used the best team that worked for me all the time, then what would the point be of getting a new game? Catching new Pokémon and using said Pokémon to trump tougher opponents? I like destroying my opponents thusly:

 

[Mister Coffee]

On a first play through, I do like to build my teams as I'm progressing through the game, especially when I'm playing one of the brand new games (this is one of the main reasons why once Sun and Moon is released I promised myself to stay away from all spoiler sites and pokedex reveals, that way when I jump into the game, team building will be a total mystery to me), however I do team build to a specific degree.
After I have collected a few different pokemon I'll build a team based on type coverage, but most of that work can be done as I'm progressing through the game without needing outside resources. You're not going to catch me running a team with two or three of the same typed pokemon.

 

[blue]

As much as I try to refrain from doing this, it happens all the time. I was trying my hardest not to spoil or plan my team for S/M but low and behold, I've gone and done both of those. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Mawa]

I have some ideas of the Pokemon I want to have, yes.
But this doesn't define my end game team.
I can try a Pokemon and then realized it isn't as awesome as I thought, or it just doesn't fit me well. Or sometime I have to change because of the typing, HM or other stuff. So I don't want to close the door for other Pokemon I can like too if I give them a chance.
For my first time, I try to use more than 6 Pokemon (if it's a new generation)

 

[Lunar]

I never used to plan my teams and would just 'go with the flow' as far as catching Pokemon for my team is concerned. But recently, I've always planned my team and had a strong idea of what Pokemon I've wanted to use, I suppose this is because I've been replaying different versions lately and wanted to use Pokemon I haven't really had in my team before, which has definitely been enjoyable.

 

[Gandhi Savage]

Rarely do I ever plan out a team much in advance; especially beyond the starter! If I see a cool Pokémon leaked I'll be like: "OMG I WANT THAT THING SO BAD!!!" but I won't like think of it too much after that. The best example of this would be Lucario in DPPt. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world but I didn't use it for my first playthrough - in fact I don't think I used it at all until my second run of XY because I wanted a whole Kalos-exclusive team for my first play of the game! The most I'd do is think of types I'd like to use and then upgrade when I find something I prefer e.g. I'd catch a Mareep and then when the time comes catch a Pikachu and box Mareep (for the record I don't prefer Pikachu to Mareep, it's a lil adorable sheep dawwwww).​

 

[Altairis]

I literally always plan my teams down to the nicknames and moves they will have. In cases like ORAS I also planned on which ones I needed to use the DexNav for (to get egg moves, such as Boomburst for Swellow) and which routes. I think it makes the game more fun for me, because I know that my team is (usually) well balanced. I like to have a counter for every type :)

 

[Sydian]

It really depends. For most of my challenges, I tend to plan my team. Or when I'm replaying a game and I have certain Pokemon that I have the urge to use, I plan that out too. Especially with older games, cause I plan out my movesets too and the TMs aren't resusable in older games so I gotta be meticulous about it.

The teams in my signature though, those were largely unplanned. The top team (White 2) wasn't planned at all. I still don't even know who my last member will be, or even if everyone on the team now will stay. The bottom team in my sig (Y) was half planned, half not? Like I ran into the Pokemon in the wild and was like OH OKAY THIS MEETS THE CRITERIA I NEED FULFILLED SO BAM.

 

[Kikaito plush]

I don't really plan my team before hand.

 

[Itcheeee]

I always have my team planned out, and decide their moveset before starting. Helps to know if it will be possible to access the moves I want before the E4, and where I'll first encounter my desired Pokemon.

 

[Sheep]

I don't tend to plan much... my team members naturally end up coming to me. I like to explore each route to find new things to capture, and along the way I'd find a Pokémon or two I want to put in my party. Got especially hard in X & Y since there were so many things to capture. x'D

 

[dudealmighty]

In brand new games, I usually just know what the Dex looks like and what I think is cool, and I use those if I can figure out how to get them. Most of the time I never end up using what I originally thought I would.

When I'm replaying, I have an idea of two or three Pokemon that I wanna use and then wing it. I don't like to think up of the entire team because that's half the fun for me. If I come up with the whole thing before my journey starts I'll get bored.

 

[RetroPokeman]

I don't plan my team in advance on my first playthrough of a new game because I like the experience of playing a new trainer entering the world of Pokemon and cobbling a team together with whatever he comes across. On the play throughs after that, I import a team from the Pokemon bank and plow my way through the game.

 

[Sylphiel]

No planning here, outside of deciding what starter I want.

Well, okay, no planning at first. I just use what I catch and like. There will definitely be some planning involved if I feel I absolutely need something on my team to round it out. Or if I need a certain type to get past anywhere ( /shake fist at certain gym leaders). But it's more like "I need an x type, where's the nearest one I can get?" than anything else.

 

[Arjay]

The only time I've ever done this was with Black and White. I disliked most of the Pokemon introduced in Gen 5 so much that I was able to narrow down my choice of 6 Pokemon fairly quickly. Stoutland, Zebstrika, Samurott, Unfezant and Lilligant were my preferred team before I'd even bought the game. Then I saved a space for Reshiram. And then of course I had to come up with nicknames for the likes of Zebstrika and Unfezant because those are some of the laziest Pokemon names I've ever seen.

 

[Linyit]

I don't really plan, but whenever I play a pokemon game I just catch myself a pokemon that can find items or hms, until I can replace it with a strong pokemon. The first team pokemon I catch is always an electric type and then either water or fire, depends on the starter. I mostly go with the flow tho, so any Pokemon could be replaced.

 

[Megan]

I plan as I go. My mentality is more like "I have six spots that I want to fill with something useful. They all need to complement each while still maintaining their own uniqueness". I usually try to make every playthrough a team effort including giving them their own personalities and purpose, etc.

Can't really do that when catching tons of different Pokes.