How do you get your team?

[Azure Butterfly]

I plan, then decide that I don't like half of the Pokemon and get new ones. By the time I get to the final gym, I've trained about ten different ones. XD

 

[Arc Blader]

In most instances I make it up as I go along. Half my team in Sapphire was caught in a last ditch run of Victory Road. In FireRed, two of my most used Pokémon - Kingler and Exeggutor - came from a mid-game trade with a friend of mine (as did my Wailord in Sapphire). In both FireRed and Pearl, I threw a Legendary onto my team for the hell of it (Articuno in FireRed, Palkia in Pearl). In SoulSilver, however, I did do some planning: Pick Chikorita, trade for Onix, catch a Wooper and get a Zubat in Dark Cave were part of my itinerary from the minute I got the game. My plan was a little thrown off by my reluctance to ditch Sentret and Togepi from my team (I just got a little too attached to them early on.) Fortunately, they became incredibly useful later in the game (Togekiss is a BEAST), so it all worked out in the end.

 

[Ice Tyrant]

Typically whatever you find within the first few routes because those are the Pokemon I can safely give HMs without hindering those that come later. My Platinum file had an Empoleon, Staraptor, Roserade, Bibarel, Kricketune, and a Luxray when I beat the game for the first time, and that was what I stuck with until then. My recent playthroughs tend to keep all of them at the same level, such as all of those Pokemon I just mentioned range from Levels 65 to 70. In previous years I only had the more powerful Pokemon on my team at high levels and never bothered to train the weaker ones at all once they evolved.

 

[Faye Scarlet]

Starting from Ruby, I started planning out all of my teams. D: Well, sorta. Prepare for a tl;dr post! 8D

In Ruby, I flipped through an RS guidebook and decided to write down the Pokemon I liked so I could train them. At the time, I wasn't sure which Hoenn Pokemon to use, but I needed my "flyer" and "surfer", so I picked the familiar Lanturn and Crobat.

The fire-starter was necessary, of course. I picked Gardevoir because they're really lovely, and easy to go. Then I went ahead with Flygon, because I thought they were flying/dragon back then. 8D; For the last Hoenn Pokemon, I was wondering about that Walrein when I saw Salamence. I was like "aww, look, he's so cute! I want him on my team, too!"

And that was that for Ruby. I caught and trained the same Pokemon again in Emerald, except I traded over my level 100 Blaze, 'cause I was so proud of her indeed!

In FireRed, I thought about what Pokemon to give to the hero for a team that would surprise someone else in a serious situation. Eventually, I decided that Raticate and Vileplume would surprise people, mostly the former.

Fire starter, flyer, and surfer came in the form of Charizard, Pidgeot, and Gyarados. I needed one last Pokemon for the team, but who, who? We watched some old episodes of Pokemon we had that night, one which was the Ash-becomes-a-ghost episode, with the Gengar. I was like "hey, why not a Gengar?"

But for the longest time, I never traded my Haunter. D8 She stayed a Haunter because I didn't want her to lose the affection she had for me. From...like, 2005 to 2009, she was a Haunter.

That ends how I got my final FireRed team.

I missed the first half of Generation IV, mostly because I was still into Emerald version. But I did play Brawl, and watched the Lucario movie. I knew that once I played my own Shinnoh game, I'd want a Lucario on my team somewhere, because damn that is a cool Pokemon.

Once Platinum version was announced for the US, I decided now was the time to learn the Shinnoh Pokemon and choose my team. It was also around that time that I really got into Bulbapedia. Looking through the Shinnoh Pokemon, I decided on ones I thought looked real cute. You know, 'cus I'm a girl. D:

I made sure I would get a Lucario, and my sister (who played Pearl) assured me that we will get a Lucario most definitely. All that was left was the rest of my team once Lucario was officially decided on.

I was dubious when I saw the goofy fire-butt Chimchar, but then I saw Infernape and I was all "you know that's gonna be MY starter!". For my flyer, I looked no further than Chatot, this cute little parrot that can learn fly. Plus Chatter sounded like fun to me! The surfer came up, and I was all "that cute little sea slug is the one for me!!" Gastrodon's D8 face pulled me right in. I didn't like the west sea variety, but the east sea is cuuuuuute!

Two more choices left. I realized that for being my second favorite type, I barely had any Electric Pokemon on my teams anywhere. D: I had to fix that. Luckily, Shinnoh had two very adorable electric-type Pokemon! Rotom, and Pachirisu! Pachirisu was easy to find, but I thought catching Rotom would be scary. D8 But my sister caught the Rotom for me. I was like "huh".

So...yes, there we go. A cute team for the tough Shinnoh!

Onto HeartGold version... I decided to just stop at Quilava this time around. But I still needed a flyer and surfer! Deciding that Johto wasn't really about Johto anyway, I traded over Pokemon from my Platinum game. Gave my HG trainer an Eevee, Magnezone, Honchkrow, and a Rhydon with a Protector on.

The last slot would be for Ho-oh, since my sister said she would use a Lugia in her SoulSilver, and I wanted us to match like sister-to-sister team! That's about it for HeartGold. Not very eventful, huh? I eventually put the Honchkrow in the PC for a Spiritomb from my Platinum game to help deal with Whitney, but that's about it.

 

[Delrihuzz]

^^ tl;dr

I have a typical way of going about things in the game. My starter is the only one that remains on the team from beginning to end. I'll first catch 5 pokémon of appropriate typing (1 pokémon capable of using fly, a fire type if my starter isn't; a water type if my starter isn't; etc.)

Once the game progresses, I box my first five and replace them with Pokémon I feel more comfortable of using. My requirement are very simple:

They must have a broad movepool. And they must have good/great attack stats. I don't really use status moves that often.

 

[Ellis]

I don't plan a lot out. As long as I have the unlucky HM bearer, 's fine.

I'm usually tempted to go along with the first five Pokemon I catch though. It's really stupid, the way I think about it, and it usually has to do with a "FIRST CAUGHT OMG DROOGS FOREVAR" mindset. While I'm good about it for a while, I start varying my team later on.

 

[Swills417]

I usually catch the first pidgey equivalent. Then caterpie equivalent and then a zubat. After that I usually aim towards a final team which I usually have in mind when I start a new game.

 

[Green Zubat]

I used to plan a LOT. It got to the point where I actually started to lose interest in the game because I was so obsessed with raising the perfect in-game team, like IV breeding obsessed, in the middle of story mode. I was literally losing the plot.

As such I don't bother with planning anymore and just catch pokemon I like. Still, I like to have them conform to whatever theme I appear to have going on my team, but I don't obsess about it anymore.

 

[Lavender]

I always get a flying and electric type as soon as I can in the game.
I make sure my team has fire, water, electric and flying types and the other 2 spots I fill them in with whatever I need.
I try not to have 2 of the same type on my team because I like to have a mix.

 

[Tsuness]

I usually BS a team together before I start the game... then wing it from there >_>; Most of the time I ask myself whether I want to use a water type or not, though.

 

[Thundagere]

I plan. A LOT.
I always make sure i have perfect movesets, as well as good natures. I sometimes EV train, but never IV breed. I'll occasionally trade over a pokemon if the in-game ones aren't up to scratch.
EX: Heartgold team.
I soft resetted for Adamant Feraligatr. I didn't like Pidgey, but I kind of EV trained Togepi in HP, Special Defense, and SPecial Attack (Weird set), then traded it over, evolved it to Togekiss, taught it Light Screen, Reflect, Aura Sphere, Air Slash. I got a Timid female Eevee on the first go with Great IVs in Special attack and Speed with no problems, then traded it, evolved to Jolteon, and EV trained to awesomeness.
I searched for ages for a Heracross with Guts. I didn't EV train that one yet, but I know he has a lot in Attack by just looking at his stats. I train my Growlithe against Tentacruel (I know, i'm harsh), then trade over a Skorupi to get Drapion. This was all planned out before hand. In other words, I plan a lot .
Though my team has a lot of single types, I really vary movesets by trading to Platinum. Togekiss has the status of setting up Light Screen+Reflect; Feraligatr has pure tanking power, with Ice Fang, Waterfall, Slash, and Swords Dance. Arcanine is another Physical
attacker, but he has ExtremeSpeed for Priority and ThunderFang for taking on Watert ypes. The rest of the team is like that, with varied movesets or a way to help the team.

 

[Hunter Blade]

If it's a game I haven't played, basically whatever pops out first.

If I'm doing a third version of the series (such as Platinum), I'll try to look for a few Pokemon that are unusual to have on a team, such as Golduck.

If it's a game that I get both versions, as with HGSS, the only Pokemon on my team in HG that wasn't hatched then traded over is my Meganium.

If I restart a game, I get a totally random (except for one or two) team. Like, in my new Pearl file, I have Empoleon, Luxray, Misdreavus, Golem, Roselia, and Azumarill.

 

[Zekurom]

Hacking

But when it's not a hack run, I look for places with the Pokémon I want. No sense in building up the team naturally XD

 

[Kenshi]

I play with what I find (or receive via trade), but sometimes I catch multiple copies to either trade or see which has the better stats.

 

[JohtoMotto]

If I se something useful I grab it. But I keep my types apart.

Here is an example of my team

HG:
Feraligatr, Jolteon, Vileplume, Pidgeot, Arcanine, Dragonite

 

[Lt.]

i don't plan often, infact, hardly ever,i ususaly wing it.

infact, in one recent playthrough, i wound up with three sepetate grass types before changing my team.
eventualy exed my starter, and my first caught pokemon for random pokemon i liked.

 

[~ Z ~]

When I got my SS I did plan the team before hand, so it wouldn't turn out like the ones I had as a kid in Silver and Crystal.

Spoiler

Silver and Crystal

Soul Silver

Better or worse, you decide, but I like more the new one.

However, I did have a long hype for the game too.

As for earlier...My PKN fandom kinda died after sappshire, mostly 'cose I found it rather boring.
But to memorize the old times, I bought the Platinum. Note: I skipped Diamond and Pearl.
So I hadn't really look'd into these new Pokémons, and in the end I didn't catch anything else than Magikarp -> Gyarados and my starter; Chimchar -> Infernape + HM slave Bibarel.
Mostly because I had no knowledge of these new ones.
After beating the game I finally made out a decent team, but only afterwards.

What I'm going to do with the White?
Well, SS did wake my fandom again and now I've really been looking into this one, reading Serebi net and Bulbapedia all and over again.
I've made some decisions on my team, like Daikenki, Denhura, Warubiaru, Wargle,
but I'm not sure will I end up using Yanakkie and Kojondo, or Dageki and Hihidaruma or someting else.
So...SO far a little is planned.

But usually I don't really plan.
I just go with the Pokés that look cool or cute

 

[Drake.]

I usually get the first strongest Pokemon, as you can see in my current Black team. I do capture multiples to at least get a decent nature. Usually I get terrible naturs.

 

[pakki]

I plan it all from the beginning. I always get a Pokemon from each of the basic types (water, fire, grass, electric, flying) and then for my sixth one I get one that I just want either for their looks or for how rare they are.
Like for my current game, SS, I'm trying to evolve my Eevee into an Embreon. It's taking quite a while though. The blasted thing trusts me but not enough to have it evolve. >:I

 

[TerraTF]

I tend to just look for 5 extra's I like. I always have a set style to go by though.