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Seen 23 Hours Ago
Posted 5 Days Ago
5,237 posts
13.7 Years
Well, you may be able to guess what this is about by the title, but......

Do you ever raise a pokémon specifically for a gym battle, never to use it again as part of your team?

I've done this once or twice, although never on purpose.....the pokémon usually fails to live up to my expectations so I drop it...i.e. my Lombre, which was useless against Flannery in Emerald....

However, this time, in Platinum, I'm seriously considering raising a Budew solely for the Oreburgh Gym as I'm not going to evolve my Chimchar until a later level. So, have any of you ever done this? Do you like doing it? Dislike it? Have particularly strong feelings about the ethics of it? ( I've heard some people say they release pokémon they're not going to use, even shines....)

Christopher

Hear Me Roar

Age 30
Male
Oklahoma
Seen June 3rd, 2022
Posted May 21st, 2016
1,331 posts
13.2 Years
No I don't think I have ever done that. I have however caught a Makuhita for the sole purpose of beating Wattson in Sapphire, but it stayed on my team due to the fact it was a pretty good pokemon and I couldn't stand having all the experience he earned go to waste.

Sydian

fake your death.

Age 30
they/them
Georgia
Seen May 22nd, 2022
Posted November 29th, 2021
33,354 posts
15.2 Years
I raised a Butterfree in Yellow because the reason I never beat Brock when I was 7 was because I didn't care to read that Thundershock didn't affect his Pokemon. I didn't want to repeat that humiliation as an older kid...so yeah. But then again, I don't know a lot of people that just use Pikachu only against Brock in Yellow...
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Enigma

The Flame Pokémon

Age 26
Female
California
Seen August 25th, 2016
Posted July 12th, 2016
1,221 posts
15.2 Years
I've probably never done that. If I have, it was in my childhood days. I'd rather train my party as a whole, so that they can cooperate and defeat my opponent, rather than just training something random for one battle. Seems like a big waste of time, if you ask me. Why not train pokemon that you are going to use anyway?

It tosses its enemies around with agility. It uses all its limbs to fight in its own unique style.
Holy Roman Empire
Seen February 23rd, 2016
Posted February 23rd, 2016
2,551 posts
13.7 Years
Once in a bug monotype run I got myself an adamant (don't remember whether that was planned or just luck though) Masquerain with Mud Shot (good thing I always pick Mudkip as my starter if I don't want to use starters as teammembers because it learns tons and tons of HMs) just to be able to beat Wattson.
Apart from that I rarely tend to do that though, I'd rather overgrind my team instead in such a situation.

560cool.

An old timer?

Age 24
Male
Eastern Europe
Seen March 29th, 2021
Posted March 9th, 2021
2,002 posts
13.7 Years
I don't remember doing this.

Although sometimes I get really attached to Pokemon and it's quite hard to drop them. I remember having to drop my Roserade in Platinum becaus it wasn't really good. It won me the Oreburgh and Pastoria Gym Battles, but in Snowpoint it just didn't cut it. So I got an Abomasnow.

That was the only time I ever dropped a Pokemon.
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♠Dawn Rayne♠

Best in the world at what I do

Age 32
Male
PA
Seen May 6th, 2012
Posted April 22nd, 2012
141 posts
12.5 Years
I pretty much train all of my Pokemon, I love using pretty much everyone and in different combos, I am always trying new things to perfect my craft in battles and I have alot of fun training them too.
If you ever need anything please don't
Hesitate to ask someone else first
I'm too busy acting like I'm not naive
I've seen it all, I was here first..

Age 30
Male
Soaring in the sky!
Seen July 5th, 2013
Posted May 26th, 2011
1,696 posts
13.2 Years
I believe I have a couple of times, mostly cause my current team had troubles dealing with the gym.
From the top of my head, all I can think of is catching a Sharpedo to deal with the twins.

Lance
the Dragon master


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Aquacorde

⟡ not everything is sink or swim ⟡

Age 29
she/her/he/him
Ankh-Morpork
Seen 11 Hours Ago
Posted March 15th, 2023
12,275 posts
18.9 Years
I never do that. I feel it's unfair to the Pokemon. /is too emotional
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Roxichu

Blastoff at the Speed of Light

Female
Team Rocket HQ
Seen February 28th, 2011
Posted February 1st, 2011
100 posts
12.6 Years
In the olden days, whenever I played R/B/Y with Charmander (or Pikachu) as my starter, I would get a Manky or Nidoran just to make Brock less of a pain, then box it soon after.

The newer generations are much better at balancing out available early-game Pokémon and Gym rosters, so I haven't done it since.
Age 31
Female
Bronx, New York
Seen September 4th, 2014
Posted September 4th, 2014
12,048 posts
17.3 Years
I dont think I ever have done this before, but I was considering of doing that before. I feel that its a waste of time to do that because I should be worrying about the six Pokemon that will be with me through out the Pokemon league. The only time I would use a Pokemon is when i dont feel like making any of my Pokemon an HM slave so I would take a useless Pokemon, turn him to an HM slave, use him and throw him right back inside the box


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Brendino

The Ruins of Alph
Seen 16 Hours Ago
Posted April 6th, 2023
8,567 posts
13.4 Years
The only time I ever remember catching a Pokemon for a gym battle was a Caterpie that I trained into a Butterfree in Yellow to face Brock. However, I don't remember if I put it in my box shortly thereafter, or if it stayed as a part of my team for a while.

#Emochu

ujhgjkjhgkujhjkhjkhkhkhhk hjkhj

Age 25
Male
Uterus.
Seen March 7th, 2014
Posted November 1st, 2012
189 posts
12.7 Years
I sorta did that,

I sacked my Arbok of my SS team cause he wasn't worthy,

His stats compared to every other tea member were SOOOOO 1st grade.

He hadn't a best stat (at lvl 80 my team all had one over 200).
I'm just an Emochu here to have fun. That is all.

Elite Overlord LeSabre™

On that 'Non stop road'

Age 97
Shimoda City
Seen 2 Weeks Ago
Posted January 25th, 2022
9,705 posts
15.5 Years
For a specific Gym, no.

But I've done something similar in Leaf Green not related to gym battles. I raised a Butterfree to Level 15 solely for the purpose of catching Abra.

I used Pidgeot as a placeholder Flyer until I could get another one (either Dragonite, Dodrio, or Zapdos during various play-throughs).

I used Electrode as a placeholder Electric-type from Route 9 until I replaced it with either Jolteon or Zapdos.

Elite Overlord LeSabre™
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Age 32
Male
Lyonesse
Seen August 15th, 2011
Posted March 15th, 2011
191 posts
14.4 Years
I have never done this iirc. I tend to have my team planned from the beginning unless I'm doing a Nuzlocke, so this problem never really matters to me. And even if I am weak to a gym leader I do it anyway; soloing Fire Red with a Raticate is possible so even with 6 Pokemon weak to something you should be fine.
I've got a plan so cunning you could brush your teeth with it.

arts

Dooonerz

@JackDonnellyy

Age 27
Male
PwningMagikarps.
Seen December 16th, 2012
Posted August 12th, 2012
457 posts
12.8 Years
I think I did this once in G/S/C where I traded a Machop specifically for Whitney. But then again, he did carry on to become a frequent member of my team <33

"Its shell is like armor and the attacks from
the hydro cannons on its back are virtually unstoppable."