How to Make a Competitive Team?

[King Tetiro]

After completing the pokedex 100%, I now need a new challenge to head for. So I decided to do a competitive team. However I have no idea what is involved in making a team.

I hear things like EVs, Natures and all sorts. But I honestly have no idea what's going on.

Would anyone be able to give me a 101 on making a competitive team and what that involves?

 

[Zeffy]

Unless you're dedicated to learn how to breed egg moves (and possibly IVs as well) and EV train properly, you can instead use a battling simulator like Pokemon Showdown! to learn how to battle competitively first. Read the Introduction to Competitive Pokemon article on Smogon and continue from there. Though I wouldn't recommend making your own team right off the bat, even though it's very tempting. Borrow a few teams from Smogon's RMT forum first to get yourself familiarized. Once you're familiar with synergy, switching, EVs, natures, and the like, you can dabble in making your own team.

 

[King Tetiro]

Unless you're dedicated to learn how to breed egg moves (and possibly IVs as well) and EV train properly, you can instead use a battling simulator like Pokemon Showdown! to learn how to battle competitively first. Read the Introduction to Competitive Pokemon article on Smogon and continue from there. Though I wouldn't recommend making your own team right off the bat, even though it's very tempting. Borrow a few teams from Smogon's RMT forum first to get yourself familiarized. Once you're familiar with synergy, switching, EVs, natures, and the like, you can dabble in making your own team.

I am very dedicated! This is now my roadmap to Pokemon

-Collect all Pokemon
-Build a Competitive Team and test out on the Battle Maison <-
-Fulfill the current orders for my Trade Shop
-Take on the Random Regional Pokemon challenge

I want my team to be the best I can. So I'm looking into breeding the right moves for my team as well as the IVs and EV training.

What is the IV and how does it work?

 

[PlatinumDude]

I am very dedicated! This is now my roadmap to Pokemon

-Collect all Pokemon
-Build a Competitive Team and test out on the Battle Maison <-
-Fulfill the current orders for my Trade Shop
-Take on the Random Regional Pokemon challenge

I want my team to be the best I can. So I'm looking into breeding the right moves for my team as well as the IVs and EV training.

What is the IV and how does it work?

Bulbapedia and Smogon should give you a good idea on what IVs are.

 

[Nah]

Smogon is a very good resource, I won't argue with that.....but its not everything.

Anyway, after reading some of the stuff the others have posted, you'll wanna think about what battle format (Singles, Doubles, etc) and what playstyle (hyper-offensive, stall, etc) you want to try. Then come up with a team and post a team help thread in this section (or on other sites, if you wish).

Also, make sure you know the difference between EVs and IVs; they are not the same thing, and I've seen a lot of new battlers mix them up.

 

[champagnepapi]

These 2 guides should help a lot in getting competitive quality pokemon
https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/breeding-perfect-pokemon-in-pokemon-x-y.3490432/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/a-guide-to-ev-training-with-hordes.3490052/

It is a bit of work to get a Pokemon with the proper IVs [pentaperfect or flawless usually] but it's doable if you have the time and a lot easier than it used to be. If you need to know what moveset is best for a pokemon, you can check smogon as well, although some sets won't fare as well in battle maison or battle spot as they do in OU. [IE: Cresselia isn't a great OU Pokemon but is a solid choice in battle spot, same with Sash SD Garchomp and of course Pokemon who would be banned in OU like Mega Kanghaskhan or Swagger Klefki]