6th Gen Training / Grinding

[Ho-Oh]

So I want to ask about grinding and training here, pretty much. When you get the games do you intend to "grind" (grinding for those who don't know is over levelling your Pokemon by a few levels in comparison to the area you're in, in order to be able to take on future challenges easier) or do you intend to just take every battle on as if you can't actually grind? Do you intend to EV train your Pokemon - and spend time doing just that when you get the games or throughout your journey (although mainly in attack stat at first)? Or would you rather leave EV training until later? Do you intend to both grind and EV train at the same time? Or do you maybe not intend to EV train at all? Do you think this'll give you an advantage post-game if you EV train early on, or if you grind earlier? Share what you plan to do~

 

[Handsome Samurott]

Those are good questions. It all depends on what your focus in the game is. For me personally, I just enjoy the world of Pokemon. I enjoy the storyline, I like beating the game, and I want to raise my Pokemon well in that context. I have grinded in some games in the past, but with Generation 6 I think I am going to take a more laissez-faire approach. I have never done EV training before, partly because I did not understand it, partly because it takes too long, and partly because it requires obtaining special items to speed up the training process, items which require you to jump through hoops to get. Also, EV training is not as important to me because I do not do competitive battling.

With X and Y, I think my strategy will be to build a solid team, enjoy the new experience, and beat the main game. Then I will catch and breed Pokemon to continue my journey with Pokemon.

 

[Arlo]

I go into a new game with the presumption that the level curve has been set so that I can go from one town to the next with whatever team I have at the moment and do whatever there is to do along the way, and spread the experience around so that everyone's about the same level, and that'll be just enough to manage to beat the gym leader. At this point, GF's pretty good about that, so it usually works out. I usually end up grinding anyway though, but that's because I'm constantly switching out team members and trying out new pokemon. But I just grind the new ones up until they pretty much match the rest, and that usually works. I don't like to grind more than that, mostly because I prefer to be underleveled and to win with strategy - it's just much more satisfying to me that way.

I completely ignore EVs in the first run through a game, since I have no idea who I'm going to use later on and it's just too much hassle trying to avoid getting EVs I don't want when I'm just trying to make it from point A to point B. When I figure out an E4 team, I only use a current one if it already has a beneficial nature and if it hasn't battled much, so has few EVs, or can get by with a relatively even EV spread. For the rest, I retire the earlier versions of those pokemon (I've got a beach background PC box named "Miami" just for that) and go back and catch or breed new ones to make sure that they've got beneficial natures (and good egg moves, if I'm breeding), then I take the time to EV train them precisely. And with those, I only grind them up as far as I think I can get away with. Beneficial nature and good EVs plus a solid moveset is plenty of advantage right there, and almost nothing satisfies me more than being able to beat the E4 underleveled.

 

[Miss Doronjo]

Yeah, normally I'd skip over EV training my pokemon during the main plot of the story, and usually stick to grinding my pokemon to specific levels each. Although, yes, it sort of depends on the level of difficulty that these new games will dish out; if they have EV trained pokemon, then I'd EV train pokemon. However, I pretty much doubt that they will, so, I'll more likely be grinding (preferably with a Lucky Egg if they provide it).

Normally, I'd EV train pokemon during the post game events, so that, you know -- if they have any battle facilities, or an expert battling comittee, I'd be on board and on top of that immediately.

 

[BrandoSheriff]

I never EV train, I stopped because I'm not a competitive battler. I like to battle with my favorites instead of planning/balancing/strategically choosing moves.

As for grinding, I tend to, but not in a way anyone would think. Before going to a Gym, I usually set a level goal for my team and train them until they are all that level. Then I rinse and repeat. I don't set goals far enough to one-shot everything at the current time, so the challenge factor is still present.

(That memory of Marlon's Jellicent is etched into my brain... O_O)

 

[Pokestick good times.]

I'd like to go into these games as blindly as possible, as if we were back in the age before the interwebs and we had to experience everything ourselves.
Therefore... I would prefer to challenge myself, but on the other hand I'd also want to stay a few levels in advance for safety since I would never know what awaits in front of me. Especially if I'm going to have quite a large team (like in B2, where my main team has about, eight members that I switched between), grinding would most likely have to be done.

I wonder if they're going to have an easy grinding tool, like Audinos in Unova, or go back to the old school way.

 

[François2]

I've never EV trained before finishing the game. I have a friend who tried EV training in BW2 and never advanced beyond the first town. EV training isn't fun, it should be saved until you've done everything fun already! That said I do grind a bit, just to save time on a loss to a gym leader (and inevitable post-loss grinding). I always want to go into a new town with every pokémon on the same level, too.

 

[Ho-Oh]

For me I won't be able to help it. I'm 99% sure I'll be EV training... and very early on. I'll also SR for perfect natures/characteristics ;_; Competitive has ruined me!!

 

[Astinus]

I'll do what I always do. I'll train my team to be able to handle Gyms, periodically grinding in order to meet levels or get certain moves.

As for EV training, I always do it after the main story line. That way, I have more control over what Pokemon to fight and when, and there's never a chance of a surprise trainer encounter or some plot event to make me lose track.

 

[Guy]

Like most times when I start a new game, I'll train my Pokémon to reach a certain number of levels higher than the Gyms and Elite while gradually grinding in between so as to not fall too far below the standard level curve. That being said, I pray these games come with a well balanced level curve that makes grinding not too easy, but at the same time not too hard or tedious. I've always felt like that's one of the main drawbacks with Gen II and again in HG/SS. I hope X and Y don't follow that pattern.

I find EV training too difficult at the start, because you're limited to only a certain number of Pokémon to train with. Plus, you can't always control who you run into and who you'll battle next as the storyline goes along. While I'll probably soft reset and search for Pokémon with beneficial natures, I'll save any EV training for post-game. At least that way I have more control over what I battle and it'll give me something extra after the main story is done too.

 

[Zissou]

I always grind my Pokemon. For me, at least 80% of the fun is in EV training, breeding, and grinding through to level 100. I tend to go through the game without much grinding or careful planning, but once I'm able to pick and choose I start over and craft a team from scratch. EV training, even though I'm not very competitive, is just plain fun for someone like me.

 

[hughes]

I usually grind to an extent. For the first few gym leaders, I usually like to keep my pokemon at a level above their highest pokemon. That usually gets harder later in the games, and by that point I just want to get to the Elite Four and try to get through the later gyms as quickly as possible. But as a general rule of thumbs I like to keep my pokemon at a level higher than the highest trainer in an area. I wouldn't EV train any pokemon unless it was much later in the game or even after I've beaten it.

 

[lineofdeath]

I always grind so I can one hit everything, mostly 10 level more than rhe boss I fight

 

[OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire]

I'll proably Ev train after the main story like I've done thus far except if it's like in B2W2 and they have a avenue where we can have trainers we've met open (or NPC's) Ev training shops.

 

[Killjoy]

I love grinding my pokemon to a high level, being able to smush the other team lol Though I never EV train as I'm not a competative battler.

 

[Hikamaru]

It's always a requirement that I need to have a decent level advantage against some tough trainers like Gym Leaders and Elite Four and stuff, cos sometimes they might have a move that can catch me by surprise.

I did this a lot in Black 2, where I wanted my team around Level 70 before battling the Elite Four, also early on I wanted my Riolu to have Force Palm so that I could have a better chance at beating Cheren easily.

I don't EV train cos I'm not a serious competitive battler.

 

[Student D1]

I always train my Pokémon to a higher level than the ones owned by though trainers, especially the Gyms, Elite 4 and the Champion, and I know others do as well. Like in R/S/E, before I battle my rival, I train my starter higher than Level 5, maybe like Level 10 or higher, so I battling is easier and the chance of my Pokémon fainting is lesser. So yeah, I grind my Pokémon.

As for EV training, I don't do it that much; mostly in post-story game, I do that. If I were to EV train all the time, I might not even proceed to the next town/city/route. So, just to save time, I just catch Pokémon that has a good nature and probably a good characteristic, then I'll do the EV training to it once I'm done with the game and its events after the story. That's how I was able to finish the story of White within 4 days.

 

[Jake♫]

I always try to grind a few levels ahead, but I'm hoping that we bring back the Vs. Seeker to make that task easier. As for EV Training/Natures/whatever, I have an awful habit of soft resetting/capturing multiple of the same Pokémon for a good nature due to competitive battling now, but I don't think EV training is necessary at all for in-game play. Besides, if I really want to EV train something I'm going to breed it to my specifications first anyways.

 

[Sirfetch’d]

Yeah I agree with Jake in the fact that we need the VS Seeker to return for grinding.

As for me in the games I always level grind to where I am about 5 or 6 levels ahead. I would really like for the shaking grass and Audino's to return to make grinding easier as well. I never EV train during the main story line, but I will reset to have a perfect nature on my starter.

 

[Aslan]

I've always had this habit of grinding quite a few levels ahead, either to learn certain moves or make sure I'm prepared for an upcoming gym leader. I also have quite a bad habit soft resetting and recatching Pokemon, if I find they have natures that don't fit them well :P. As for EV training, I've tried once and found it absolutely tedious. There was really no point for me anyway honestly, I never was the type into competitive battling :x.