I always do this...

[Dreamaker.]

I'm a terrible noob for doing this but:

On all the games, I always end up just raising the one mega pokemon (usually my starter). Later in the game I usually end up like this when facing the elite four: lvl 70+ starter, 1 or 2 legendarys. a (usually < lvl 30) pokemon with fly, a ground pokemon with most HMs, and 1 or 2 others (again < lvl 30).

The problem is, the games let you away with this for the most part (provided you don't pick low PP moves for the high level pokemon, and bring an elixir to use before the champion), but as soon as you go near MP play (excluding friends who do the same), or the battle tower, you get slaughtered.

Any suggestions for getting out of this habit, and having a balanced team?

 

[processr]

You could say to yourself that you want to get all your Pokémon to exactly level x before a certain point, and don't allow yourself to go further or train any Pokémon past that level unless it's completely necessary. It's not impossible by any means; I managed it on Platinum, more or less, with all my main six Pokémon now being level 71 or 72. It's something that requires effort, rather than simply thinking "eh, it's easier just to nuke everything with my starter".

 

[Cherrim]

→ Pick a team before you go through, even if you don't plan on trading anything in. (ie, make a list of what you plan to catch and when it'll be on your team.)

→ When you catch a new Pokemon in your party, stop and level it up until it's on par with everyone else in your team.

→ Make sure everyone on your team is within 3 levels of each other at the beginning of the game. By the end, a gap of 5 levels or so is still acceptable.

It takes a LOT longer to go through the game because you've gotta stop and grind for a while between gyms sometimes. But! I find it far more fun when you put this much effort in. Gym battles are no longer finished in 5 turns and you have to put a lot more thought into everything you do.

The main thing is just remembering not to let any Pokemon get too far ahead of the pack. It can get annoying, especially if one Pokemon is levelling so much easier than the others, but stick with it. :B

 

[kingofjokers]

→ Pick a team before you go through, even if you don't plan on trading anything in. (ie, make a list of what you plan to catch and when it'll be on your team.)

→ When you catch a new Pokemon in your party, stop and level it up until it's on par with everyone else in your team.

→ Make sure everyone on your team is within 3 levels of each other at the beginning of the game. By the end, a gap of 5 levels or so is still acceptable.

It takes a LOT longer to go through the game because you've gotta stop and grind for a while between gyms sometimes. But! I find it far more fun when you put this much effort in. Gym battles are no longer finished in 5 turns and you have to put a lot more thought into everything you do.

The main thing is just remembering not to let any Pokemon get too far ahead of the pack. It can get annoying, especially if one Pokemon is levelling so much easier than the others, but stick with it. :B

yeah what he said plus the same thing happen to me cause in platinum i wanted to transfer a lvl 5 ghastly and get a gengar and it started to get exp like crazy but i manage to beat the elite four when i got to victory road i put my gengar in the pc and kept trying and leveling up