Buttons. When you use the touch screen, you have a chance mis-touching. With the buttons, you can never go wrong.
When battling in these games, how do you do it? Do you use the buttons? Touch Screen? Both?
I use the touch screen more often, it is faster to me.
I'm a screen toucher, so to speak. I hold the stylus between two fingers while in the overworld view, but I use it for battling because of the ease in use.