Maturing as a Trainer

[H i k a r i]

How have you changed in how you train your pokemon since you first started playing the games?

I was thinking recently how much my training has changed and matured with experience. For ages I was one of those people who have a favourite pokemon they think is cute so they train it to L100 even if its weak and they dont eveolve it...like me with the 2 L100 Marill I had. Then when I got into stuff like the battle tower, for ages I only used pokemon with high attack, I was the knock-em-out quick type, I never worked on defence and so as I got higher in the battles I got defeated by trainers who exploited my weak defence and reliance on strong physical attacks. Only recently I have started EV training and stuff, and making more balanced teams, researching my pokemon carefully and stuff. Experience has changed me....how has it changed you?

 

[Ash_Pokemaster]

That's a topic I have to answer too.
I made really much time to find my trainer type. Like every n00b (1999) I started playing Pokemon caring for cool, cute or legendary Pokemon. That was with R/B/Y. After I got GS I was more caring about catching all Pokemon (like I have :P). When I caught 'em all, I kinda started using strategies and found a type of trainer. Quick-killer.. how ever I hadn't really get ON Pokemon. With Crystal I was more mature. I started caring about EVs for example. With RS I kept using the same strategy, Kyogre was a good enoughp piece for my team. I started training Pokemon ONLY with looking at effort vallues. But there was still sth missing... When I got to netbattle I learned about 00bers... I kept using Kyogre anyway. Then with FR/LG nothing changed. But a day, I was bored and got to netbattle. I had loaded a wrong team without an 00ber. Well, I had a GREAT battle and realized what's worng with 00bers and me. Back then when I had battle with 00bers my battle didn't give me happiness... (Even with 78 wins and 14 losses) I lost in that battle without the 00ber but I was happy. It was when I realized the real Pokemon meaning. Pokemon are not just digital numbers or fighting machines.You have to appriciate your Pokemon's hard work. For example a 6-ko battle with a Kyogre is nothing. You just have your hand clicking of either surf or hydro pump. A battle with single Pokemon needs you to think, to choopse the right Pokemon to put thre right attacks, share the EVs in the best way, choose a nature that won't hurt your Pokemon in many ways, choose the best item for it to holding. It totally different you have to think, and even if your Pokemon KO one of your opponents Pokemon, you have to appriciate its work. I mean you made it like that, it's not luck, power or talent... It's hard work. And you guys believe me a fair loose (Without 00bers) is better than and unfair win (with 00bers) Just follow what I said... That's the way to enter the real Pokemon battles...

 

[kohei]

Since I started Pokemon from 1998, on both Green version and Silver version, I only used Pokemon I liked. No EV training, and usually the starter Pokemon was Lv.100 while the others were in their Lv.40's.

After starting Netbattle I bacame aware of EV's and IV's, and on Emerald now, I tend to train all my "for battle" Pokemon to Lv.50 (since its much more fun), and of course, EV train them and breed them for IV's and moves.

 

[Mr Snrub]

with ym first poke game (blue 1998) i was only five so i used my master ball on a sandshrew coz the instruction book said "catches pokemon 100% of the time" i thought that meant "catches 100 pokemon" lol and looking back i was a good trainer for a 5 year old (i never used missingno). i mean my venusaur was lvl 100 by the time i got to sabrina and i had lvl 61 persian 50 tentacruel i sjut caught whatever i found and raised that. nowadays i pay attention to stats and try and train on hight-stat pokemon and stuf i am more prticualr now... looking back i think my 5 year old self with blue could kick my 12 year old self on fire reds ***! (on my blue version i caught 150 pokemon except for moltres and when i caught it for number 151 my game broke... yes thats right my cousin put missingno on it and it deleted my game even now that game will not save when u turn it off and turn it on the save is deleted... i caught my 151st pokemon on april 12th 1999 (1 day before my little brothers birthday =3) when i was still 5 (i was born in september)

 

[DarkThunder]

In 2003 when I had Sapphire I ONLY used Swampert.I only used Lv.10 Pokemon for HM moves.

 

[Cybex Mewtwo]

When I first sarted, I only wanted pokemon that would be the uber powerful or popular ones so that I could hang with the crowd and be a powerful trainer. But, as time passed forward, I began to take my own way, cut my own path through the crowd and make a name hat I would stand by. And thus I took a route that no one would follow. I now used pokemon I thought would be awesome in the battle zone. I began to use pokemon with different moves and different stats to dominate.

As of now, My best team is diverse with moves you wouldn't expect. Like Registeel with physical moves (even if his ATT is weak). this is my way and it works for me.

 

[Dragonite Tamer]

When I first started I basically only used my starter Pokemon and legendaries.

 

[Kanto's Past]

I never really played the R/B/Y games because I was young and didn't get it, I started playing around when Silver and Gold came out. Of course I bought Silver and was going to be the best. As for my maturety, I have begun to only now actualy get my stats and Deffence up. I was the type to just get them beat and there through, now I am starting to play my Saphire again and I already am at the Fortree town. Get this, I have Emerald but I don't take an interest in it.

 

[.::Tsunami::.]

yeah i used to always use cheats but now cause i can't i learnt to train my pokemon by my self

 

[DarkCharlie]

I used to train one Pokemon and one Pokemon only untill I was 10.

Untill I was 13, I never ever used the stat-changing moves.

 

[The Fallen]

Mine has stayed the same since I started playing the games. I usually pay more attention to my starter in the beginning, but later on I start training other pokemon I like to use.

 

[Smarties-chan]

This is an interesting question... And yes, I do believe I have matured quite a lot as a trainer. I used to train Pok?mon that were thought to be strong and cool (Charizard and Gyarados for example), but now I train Pok?mon that I actually like (Dunsparce and Cradily for instance). I also used to completely hate stall strategies and never used moves like Leech Seed, Sleep Powder, Thunderwave and Counter. I also didn't care much about which attack stat a Pok?mon had more of and just gave them strong moves -_-

The short version: When I first started playing Pok?mon I only used strong and cool Pok?mon. I didn't care much about stats or attacks and I didn't have any strategy whatsoever. I have changed all those bad habits though =P

 

[Datriot]

Well, in my first game Red(1998) I just used my Charizard for everything, and I only caught about 10 Pok?mon by the time I got to the elite four. >.>
Then, I played Red again, I did a lot better but still only used Venusaur. Caught a lot more Pok?mon though. When Pok?mon Yellow arrived I was really excited, I did quite well in that, I actually had a party of Pok?mon (Venusaur, Charizard, Blastoise, Nidoking, Clefable and Zapdos) and I caught atound 110 pok?mon but then got bored :S
When I got Crystal I did get better, I never just used starters or legendaries, all my team wasn't uber Pok?mon. XD I caught nearly all Pok?mon I could (without trading and stuff) R/S pretty much the same and same with FR/LG. I use EVs, carefully thought about movesets and strategies, used move combos and used a pok?mon's natures to my advantage in FR/LG though. So I supposed I have improved a lot. ;)

 

[Shining Lericon]

When I first started playing the games years ago, I didn't care about movesets or stats at all. Also, I just trained one Pokemon. This would go on for years. When I got Ruby version, I started to care about the movesets a little more, but still not the stats and natures. Later I started caring about EVs and natures some(only after I had beat the Elite 4, though), and movesets even more. When I got Emerald version mid-2005, I started to train more than one Pokemon. And now, I always breed and EV train my Pokemon I want to be competitive, and always in Emerald so I can do nature breeding.

 

[Synchronize]

I used to just random naturally learned moves, only using TMs such as Ice Beam and Dig, and of course HMs, but for some reason I've always known how to evenly raise pokemon so the gyms don't demolish me.

 

[~BlackHeartedWolf~]

Well, when I first started, I too just used Pokemon I liked (My first game was Gold and Silver. I got the both of them for X-mas XD). But then I realised that some pokemon worked better in different situations than others (I used to just use one Pokemon for every battle, and pretty soon, the others started falling behind). Now, I still use Pokemon that I like, but I'm more careful as far as what Pokemon I use in what battle, and I'm more careful with their movesets and stats. Since I don't use Netbattle, I really don't worry about EVs and all that other stuff. I also still don't worry about natures either. My motto is, "Use whatever you get."

 

[H i k a r i]

Yeah I used to use mostly legendaries too, but when I started going to the battle tower I had to shift into more of the regular pokemon, so I learned a lot more as I trained new Pokemon. Kyogre still rules, though XD.

 

[Cheeky Typhlosion]

When I started playing Gold at the age of 10 I only raised my Typhlosion (I mean, he kicked a lotta butt, so I couldn't help it!) and by the Elite 4 he was lvl 81! When he reached lvl 100 I killed my cousin with him and thort that he woz all I needed. I woz proven wrong when I went 2 a Pokemon get 2getha and I got owned by this guy with a balanced team and a lvl 100 Feraligatr. 2 guys who watched the match pulled me aside, gav me sum tips and helped me train for a few months, then when I came across the guy that beat me, I gav him a rematch, and beat him. So I learnt from my nu friends that its very important 2 raise a healthy balanced team. I'm still bad with it every now and again, but I eventually work it all out. I still can't figure out the EVs, but my friends r trying their best 2 help me.