How do YOU play the games?

[Silverwynde]

Buy a strategy guide (that is, above all others, most imperative)

I do the same thing. I can't start my game without a guide. It helps me plan things out in greater detail so I have to have one.

I nickname everything, even the Pokemon I'm sending off on a GTS trade. They all get a name.

I only use my Rare Candies if I absolutely must. The last time I did was to level up a female Dewott into Samurott and trade for a Victini. (The Victini was used to score a shiny Golett.)

In general, I hoard most of the rare and evolutionary items. I won't use one unless I have a spare.

I always keep an extra Master Ball on hand, just in case I need it.

Post E4 is when I start shiny hunting/breeding. I also spend a lot of time on GTS after the main game is done.

I very rarely raise a Pokemon to level 100 and only one of them was EV trained--that is my dearest Riser, my Golurk on Black. To me, the training time was like our bonding time.

I get very attached to my team and will get angry if someone hurts them. And don't even think about messing with Riser or any of his younger siblings, either!

I never battle competitively and I don't do the Battle Frontier/Subway.

I refuse to do Nuzlocke runs. Why? I can't let any of my team go and to me, releasing a Pokemon because it fainted is too much like a punishment to the Pokemon. I'm the one who screwed up, not them!