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The In-Game Team Advice Thread

Yeah, I plan on breeding it with perfect IVs, Timid/Naive nature and using Pelago to max out its Spd and Sp. Atk stats respectively. And... wow. You're saying one Agility gives it enough to outspeed Crobat/Noivern?
Eeyup lol the +2 does help out a lot lol. only 13 pokemon are naturally faster than it with one agility so out speeding most in game pokemon shouldn't be a problem :p. the only real threat are faster pokemon with Speed buffs themselves and the only naturally faster pokemon you'll likely encounter being Pheromosa.
 
I've got a question regarding a potential teammate, but I'm not sure if it would be worth the effort or not. So onto the question.

I was wondering if Naganadel was any good? I never bother with Smogon (and I don't intend to start now), nor have I ever raised an Ultra Beast. However, I'm at the point in the story where I can get Poipole (or just before it, to be exact), and I need a Special hitter, as most of my team are physical fighters. So I wanted to know of Poipole/Naganadel is worth using? And if it is, what would be a good combo of moves/nature for it? I was initially planning on a Kommo-o, but I've had zilch luck finding a Jangmo-o, and it's getting too late to breed one, so that's gone out the window. I admit if I do use one it'll be my third Mon weak to Ground, but I've run out of ideas and I only want to use Alola Mons. So would it be worth my time adding Poipole/Naganadel to my team as my sixth teammate, or should I hunt down someone else?

Oh, before I forget, the rest of my team includes Incineroar, Lycanroc (Dusk), Lurantis, Golisopod, and Mimikyu. Thanks in advance.
 
A bunch of 73's and two +120's stats? I'm not too impressed. Would you like a Jangmo-o egg? I can try to breed you one quickly.
 
Eeyup lol the +2 does help out a lot lol. only 13 pokemon are naturally faster than it with one agility so out speeding most in game pokemon shouldn't be a problem :p. the only real threat are faster pokemon with Speed buffs themselves and the only naturally faster pokemon you'll likely encounter being Pheromosa.

And I don't think you encounter Pheromosa in the Battle Tree. But even then, her Bug/Fighting typing isn't effective against Vikavolt and an Air Slash (or anything really) would wipe her out.

I've got a question regarding a potential teammate, but I'm not sure if it would be worth the effort or not. So onto the question.

I was wondering if Naganadel was any good? I never bother with Smogon (and I don't intend to start now), nor have I ever raised an Ultra Beast. However, I'm at the point in the story where I can get Poipole (or just before it, to be exact), and I need a Special hitter, as most of my team are physical fighters. So I wanted to know of Poipole/Naganadel is worth using? And if it is, what would be a good combo of moves/nature for it? I was initially planning on a Kommo-o, but I've had zilch luck finding a Jangmo-o, and it's getting too late to breed one, so that's gone out the window. I admit if I do use one it'll be my third Mon weak to Ground, but I've run out of ideas and I only want to use Alola Mons. So would it be worth my time adding Poipole/Naganadel to my team as my sixth teammate, or should I hunt down someone else?

Oh, before I forget, the rest of my team includes Incineroar, Lycanroc (Dusk), Lurantis, Golisopod, and Mimikyu. Thanks in advance.

Are you playing US or UM? If UM, Lunala/Necrozma make excellent special sweepers, and they're right around where you are in the game. You can also search for some Ultra Beasts before post-game IIRC.
 
Are you playing US or UM? If UM, Lunala/Necrozma make excellent special sweepers, and they're right around where you are in the game. You can also search for some Ultra Beasts before post-game IIRC.

Ultra Moon, but I have a no-legend policy. I don't know why but I just don't like using legendary Mons unless the story forces it (like BW) even though I know they're perfectly viable. Plus I already have a Ghost-type, and I don't like to overlap types unless absolutely necessary. So Lunala/Necrozma is not an option. And like I said I've never used ANY UBs before, though I know they dominate the competitive scene (a place I avoid like the plague), so I don't know much about them. Poipole was the first UB that actually caught my interest, especially since its design is a lot less... strange compared to the rest of them. And since Poipole is just given to you is what tempted me to consider it. So that's why I'm asking about it, as I'd rather not do a lot of hunting at this point in the game for my final slot (especially since, as I said before, my hunt for my previous final slot target left me empty-handed). So that's my situation.
 
Ultra Moon, but I have a no-legend policy. I don't know why but I just don't like using legendary Mons unless the story forces it (like BW) even though I know they're perfectly viable. Plus I already have a Ghost-type, and I don't like to overlap types unless absolutely necessary. So Lunala/Necrozma is not an option. And like I said I've never used ANY UBs before, though I know they dominate the competitive scene (a place I avoid like the plague), so I don't know much about them. Poipole was the first UB that actually caught my interest, especially since its design is a lot less... strange compared to the rest of them. And since Poipole is just given to you is what tempted me to consider it. So that's why I'm asking about it, as I'd rather not do a lot of hunting at this point in the game for my final slot (especially since, as I said before, my hunt for my previous final slot target left me empty-handed). So that's my situation.

In many cases, when someone asks a question, they hope the person they're asking replies with an answer they've already decided in their head. From your posts I can tell you want to use Poipole, so use Poipole.

(Also, Ultra Beasts are all over the tiers in competitive. Aside from Swords Dance Kartanas getting rekt by Scarfs, I wouldn't say they dominate the meta more than the legendaries you can already use)
 
In many cases, when someone asks a question, they hope the person they're asking replies with an answer they've already decided in their head. From your posts I can tell you want to use Poipole, so use Poipole.

That's a somewhat rude assessment to me. I wasn't gunning for that kind of response, I was simply asking if Poipole was worth using as a special fighter for my team. I know barely anything about it, so that's why I'm asking. You just assumed that Poipole was my go-to choice regardless of my question's outcome, which isn't the case. Your response doesn't answer my first question at all, let alone the other half of my question (suggested moves/nature), so that's not helpful to me. And I dislike the tone of your response as well. I'm sorry, but you left me with no solid answer and made me very annoyed to boot, which doesn't help the situation in the slightest. Either answer the question fully or offer another, more specific solution that fits what I'm searching for, as I'd rather not go around in circles over the subject.
 
That's a somewhat rude assessment to me. I wasn't gunning for that kind of response, I was simply asking if Poipole was worth using as a special fighter for my team. I know barely anything about it, so that's why I'm asking. You just assumed that Poipole was my go-to choice regardless of my question's outcome, which isn't the case. Your response doesn't answer my first question at all, let alone the other half of my question (suggested moves/nature), so that's not helpful to me. And I dislike the tone of your response as well. I'm sorry, but you left me with no solid answer and made me very annoyed to boot, which doesn't help the situation in the slightest. Either answer the question fully or offer another, more specific solution that fits what I'm searching for, as I'd rather not go around in circles over the subject.

What are the other Pokémon on your team? You mentioned that you don't like having type overlaps, so I'd like to hear what you have before I make any kind of suggestion. And you're running Alolan Pokémon only, correct? Does that just mean new Gen 7 Pokémon, including new forms, or just Pokémon that you can catch within Alola?

For the record, on Poipole, I think he's an excellent Pokémon and well worth using. A timid nature is probably best. I'd smack these moves on it:

Draco Meteor
Fire Blast/Flamethrower
Sludge Wave
Nasty Plot
 
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Ultra Moon, but I have a no-legend policy. I don't know why but I just don't like using legendary Mons unless the story forces it (like BW) even though I know they're perfectly viable.
Girl, SAME. I don’t know what it is, but I never feel comfortable using legendaries, especially during the main game. It just feels...wrong. I catch them, collect them, at it stops there. ;)
 
I would love some advice for a team in preparation for my upcoming Alpha Sapphire replay-through. (Also, is “replay-through” an actual phrase, or am I making this up?) I don’t have a prefrence on a starter or anything, but I do have a few requirements:

1) No Legendaries. I know you don’t get them till late game, but I’d prefer to not use them.
2) All team members must be able to be caught in game, and they must to be able to be caught before the 7th gym.
3) No HM/TM slaves, which means the overall team needs members that can learn surf, waterfall, cut, strength, etc.
4) Pokémon native to Hoenn must take priority. I’m not opposed to using foreign pokémon, but I’d prefer them to be 3rd Generation pokémon. This is just a personal detail.

I’m not particular interested in movesets and abilities, for an in-game team it doesn’t matter to me. Thanks in advance, and don’t be afraid to suggest nicknames!
 
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I would love some advice for a team in preparation for my upcoming Alpha Sapphire replay-through. (Also, is “replay-through” an actual phrase, or am I making this up?) I don’t have a prefrence on a starter or anything, but I do have a few requirements:

1) No Legendaries. I know you don’t get them till late game, but I’d prefer to not use them.
2) All team members must be able to be caught in game, and they must to be able to be caught before the 7th gym.
3) No HM/TM slaves, which means the overall team needs members that can learn swim, waterfall, cut, strength, etc.
4) Pokémon native to Hoenn must take priority. I’m not opposed to using foreign pokémon, but I’d prefer them to be 3rd Generation pokémon. This is just a personal detail.

I’m not particular interested in movesets and abilities, for an in-game team it doesn’t matter to me. Thanks in advance, and don’t be afraid to suggest nicknames!

Marshtomp and Gyarados are excellent for Waterfall/Strength/Rock Smash, but in general there's so many Water HMs that you might want to distribute them a bit. Zangoose and Shiftry are good for Cut, though they're Ruby exclusives IIRC. Seviper is a close second. Best III Gen mons are Gardevoir, Manectric, Flygon, maybe Mightyena, never fails me.

Mightyena nickname = Rufus for rrroof > roof > woof > bark, bark!

(Also, Swim? Is that like a mix of Surf + Dive? XD )
 
I would love some advice for a team in preparation for my upcoming Alpha Sapphire replay-through. (Also, is “replay-through” an actual phrase, or am I making this up?) I don’t have a prefrence on a starter or anything, but I do have a few requirements:

1) No Legendaries. I know you don’t get them till late game, but I’d prefer to not use them.
2) All team members must be able to be caught in game, and they must to be able to be caught before the 7th gym.
3) No HM/TM slaves, which means the overall team needs members that can learn swim, waterfall, cut, strength, etc.
4) Pokémon native to Hoenn must take priority. I’m not opposed to using foreign pokémon, but I’d prefer them to be 3rd Generation pokémon. This is just a personal detail.

I’m not particular interested in movesets and abilities, for an in-game team it doesn’t matter to me. Thanks in advance, and don’t be afraid to suggest nicknames!

Well, let's see if I can help you here.

For starters, I'd go with Torchic as your, well, starter. Blaziken got the best end of the deal regarding things like M-Evo, moves, and general flexibility. Not dismissing Treecko and Mudkip, but Grass and Water types are very common, while Fire is fairly rare, and the other two are sort of situational in terms of what they can offer. While Mudkip would probably have greater advantages, such as only one weakness, it's not very flexible or versatile, at least from my own experiences. So I'd recommend Torchic to start out with. Starting at Combusken, it can learn Cut, but since Cut is rather limited in most places, and it's not entirely "required" for the most part, you could move it to another Mon for a little while. And if you want potential names, you could always try my favorite Blaziken name: Infernox, but that's up to you.

Next, Manectric is a solid choice. While it means you'd share a Ground weakness between Blaziken and Manectric, it's nothing to be concerned about. Manectric also learns Strength, so it can be your boulder mover until that isn't needed anymore (since most Strength boulders can be pushed into holes now, thereby reducing the need for Strength long-term). I recommend Lightning Rod for an ability, since it allows it to eat an Electric move, gain Sp Atk, and deal some heavy damage with moves like Thunderbolt and Flamethrower. Plus its defenses are too lacking to really maximize Static, making it a high-risk strategy. And since you can catch Electrike just before Gym 3, you can use it against Wattson to cripple his Volt Switch strategy. As for a name, how about Thundervolt (no, not bolt, Volt), or maybe Sparx?

For a Surfer/Diver/Waterfall Mon, Sharpedo does really well there. The problem is catching Carvanha is a bit of a waiting game. While you can get the Good Rod right after Gym 5, Carvanha has a measly 5% encounter rate with it, so it might take some effort. If you need a Water Mon right away, then Wingull/Pelipper can be good Surf/Dive users. And, to a degree, Fly, but since you'll get the option to Soar later on, Fly becomes rather redundant, so Surf/Dive would be fine for the most part. And you can catch them on Route 103 right at the start of the game. Wailmer is decent for all three HMs, and can be obtained around the same time as Carvanha with the Good Rod, though it too will require patience to catch, but it would be a worthwhile choice, since it can learn all three Water HMs with ease. For names, you could do Depth Charge (Wailmer/Sharpedo), Glyde (Wingull), or Tsunami.

Flygon is another good option, as the Ground/Dragon combo is strong, and it naturally packs moves like Earthquake and Dragon Claw. It can also learn Cut, Rock Smash, and Strength, so that could take Strength off of Manectric to free that space up for other moves. As for a name, I usually like the names Dusty (if male) or Gale (if female).

A good Grass Mon would be Roserade, as you can catch Roselia around Gym 3, and it can learn a wide range of moves. It also hits like a truck with that monstrous Sp Atk and decent speed/Sp Def, though poor Defense. Ability-wise, I go with Natural Cure over Poison Point, as Roserade/Roselia have poor Defense, so even one physical attack can do a lot of harm, though Poison Point works well with Venoshock, which is a TM you can get right there, but I'd go with Natural Cure, as it helps deal with other status ailments. As for a name, Bloom and Flora are ones I like a lot.

And for a final teammate, I'd go with Gardevoir. Thanks to its upgrade to Psychic/Fairy, plus the extra moves it gained in the Hoenn games, make it a formidable ally. It will tear two of the E4 to pieces, and it's great at dealing with the number of Poison and Dark types in the game. Trace is the better ability to work with. Nothing wrong with Synchronize, but it only works if the Mon that inflicted Poison/Paralysis/Burn can be, in return, affected by said ailments, which is not super reliable. Trace also helps track down Abilities that you would want, like Lightning Rod and such, making finding an ideal user easier. Plus you can catch Ralts in the second route, and they're quite common in the DexNav, so finding one will be easy. As for a name, I always go with a girl and name her Lora (it was a name I used way back in Sapphire that just sorta stuck, but I like it a lot, so it works for me), but it's your call.

I hope this helps.
 
Marshtomp and Gyarados are excellent for Waterfall/Strength/Rock Smash, but in general there's so many Water HMs that you might want to distribute them a bit. Zangoose and Shiftry are good for Cut, though they're Ruby exclusives IIRC. Seviper is a close second. Best III Gen mons are Gardevoir, Manectric, Flygon, maybe Mightyena, never fails me.

Mightyena nickname = Rufus for rrroof > roof > woof > bark, bark!

(Also, Swim? Is that like a mix of Surf + Dive? XD )
Thank you for you’re help! I’m sorry this is so late, I was camping this weekend and had no access to service, except for a few random moments. I’ll definitely look into them, those were all on my list of potential pokémon.
 
Well, let's see if I can help you here.

For starters, I'd go with Torchic as your, well, starter. Blaziken got the best end of the deal regarding things like M-Evo, moves, and general flexibility. Not dismissing Treecko and Mudkip, but Grass and Water types are very common, while Fire is fairly rare, and the other two are sort of situational in terms of what they can offer. While Mudkip would probably have greater advantages, such as only one weakness, it's not very flexible or versatile, at least from my own experiences. So I'd recommend Torchic to start out with. Starting at Combusken, it can learn Cut, but since Cut is rather limited in most places, and it's not entirely "required" for the most part, you could move it to another Mon for a little while. And if you want potential names, you could always try my favorite Blaziken name: Infernox, but that's up to you.

Next, Manectric is a solid choice. While it means you'd share a Ground weakness between Blaziken and Manectric, it's nothing to be concerned about. Manectric also learns Strength, so it can be your boulder mover until that isn't needed anymore (since most Strength boulders can be pushed into holes now, thereby reducing the need for Strength long-term). I recommend Lightning Rod for an ability, since it allows it to eat an Electric move, gain Sp Atk, and deal some heavy damage with moves like Thunderbolt and Flamethrower. Plus its defenses are too lacking to really maximize Static, making it a high-risk strategy. And since you can catch Electrike just before Gym 3, you can use it against Wattson to cripple his Volt Switch strategy. As for a name, how about Thundervolt (no, not bolt, Volt), or maybe Sparx?

For a Surfer/Diver/Waterfall Mon, Sharpedo does really well there. The problem is catching Carvanha is a bit of a waiting game. While you can get the Good Rod right after Gym 5, Carvanha has a measly 5% encounter rate with it, so it might take some effort. If you need a Water Mon right away, then Wingull/Pelipper can be good Surf/Dive users. And, to a degree, Fly, but since you'll get the option to Soar later on, Fly becomes rather redundant, so Surf/Dive would be fine for the most part. And you can catch them on Route 103 right at the start of the game. Wailmer is decent for all three HMs, and can be obtained around the same time as Carvanha with the Good Rod, though it too will require patience to catch, but it would be a worthwhile choice, since it can learn all three Water HMs with ease. For names, you could do Depth Charge (Wailmer/Sharpedo), Glyde (Wingull), or Tsunami.

Flygon is another good option, as the Ground/Dragon combo is strong, and it naturally packs moves like Earthquake and Dragon Claw. It can also learn Cut, Rock Smash, and Strength, so that could take Strength off of Manectric to free that space up for other moves. As for a name, I usually like the names Dusty (if male) or Gale (if female).

A good Grass Mon would be Roserade, as you can catch Roselia around Gym 3, and it can learn a wide range of moves. It also hits like a truck with that monstrous Sp Atk and decent speed/Sp Def, though poor Defense. Ability-wise, I go with Natural Cure over Poison Point, as Roserade/Roselia have poor Defense, so even one physical attack can do a lot of harm, though Poison Point works well with Venoshock, which is a TM you can get right there, but I'd go with Natural Cure, as it helps deal with other status ailments. As for a name, Bloom and Flora are ones I like a lot.

And for a final teammate, I'd go with Gardevoir. Thanks to its upgrade to Psychic/Fairy, plus the extra moves it gained in the Hoenn games, make it a formidable ally. It will tear two of the E4 to pieces, and it's great at dealing with the number of Poison and Dark types in the game. Trace is the better ability to work with. Nothing wrong with Synchronize, but it only works if the Mon that inflicted Poison/Paralysis/Burn can be, in return, affected by said ailments, which is not super reliable. Trace also helps track down Abilities that you would want, like Lightning Rod and such, making finding an ideal user easier. Plus you can catch Ralts in the second route, and they're quite common in the DexNav, so finding one will be easy. As for a name, I always go with a girl and name her Lora (it was a name I used way back in Sapphire that just sorta stuck, but I like it a lot, so it works for me), but it's your call.

I hope this helps.
Thank you so much for your detailed response! I’m very grateful for the detail you put into your post. I’m sorry this post is a bit late, I was camping this weekend and had random access to service. It’s both a perk and a blessing for leaving civilization for a few days.

I’m very interested in the team you assembled, and the reasoning behind each one of deductive and sound. The Pokémon you have recommended have met all of the criteria perfectly. I’ll probably go with this set, even though I’ve never used Torchic as a starter. I’m eager to test him out!

Thanks once more for your time, I’m sure you spent quite a while typing that all out!
 
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Okay, I'll be starting up yet another run through White again, since I've recently shifted into retro gaming mode. This time I did some planning ahead and wanted to experiment a bit this time around, so I've mapped out a team already. I know that, until certain HMs and badges are won, I can't access some of these guys right away, so they will have placeholders until then. But I wanted to see if this setup is good or needs tweaking. And I do have one ground rule: no competitive play ideas. Which means no breeding, no Egg Moves, and no EV/IV stuff. This is just a fun-run and nothing more, but I want to mix things up a bit this time around. Recommended natures are okay, but since this will be a catch-and-use style, I can't guarantee anything. Okay, without further ado, here's my mapped-out team.

1) Emboar (Ability: Blaze, Moves: Brick Break/Rock Slide/Heat Crash/Bulk Up, Possible item: Muscle Band)
2) Gigalith (Ability: Sturdy, Moves: Rock Slide/Strength/Rock Blast/Earthquake, Possible item: Wide Lens)
3) Reuniclus (Ability: Magic Guard, Moves: Psychic/Recover/Flash Cannon/Shadow Ball, Possible item: Wise Glasses)
4) Jellicent (Ability: Water Absorb, Moves: Surf/Will-O-Wisp/Shadow Ball/Sludge Bomb, Possible item: Leftovers)
5) Galvantula (Ability: Compound Eyes, Moves: Thunderbolt/Bug Buzz/Energy Ball/Volt Switch, Possible item: Expert Belt)
6) Haxorus (Ability: Mold Breaker, Moves: Dragon Dance/Dragon Claw/Shadow Claw/Brick Break, Possible item: King's Rock)

Okay, this is what I've got. Suggestions are fine, as I know there is room for improvement, but please try to limit ideas like recoil moves and other "competitive" stuff, as I don't like those ideas much in a fun-run. Item recommendations are fine, too, as I have access to all items and TMs. And you can recommend a different teammate if you'd feel it would work better than one of the above listed Mons (with at least a detailed reason why), but be fully prepared for a possible "no" if I don't like the idea, especially since I'm experimenting with new ideas here and there, again simply for fun.

Well, that about covers it. Thanks in advance to whoever responds.
 
I need some advices for my team in HeartGold. I've made a list of the Pokémon I could potentially catch. Some advices to let me choose some would be appreciated.

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My rules:
Only Gen II Pokémon
My main focus is the Elite 4 and the League.

Also that's not a rule, but I traditionally have the regional bird on my team in the league (Pidgeot, Noctowl, Swellow etc.). But if you claim that Noctowl would be only waste of space, I could reconsider it.


This setup is pretty solid. However I'd omit Sudowoodo, otherwise you'll have three Mons with a Grass weakness. Plus Sudo isn't that great overall, as it's fairly lackluster and underwhelming. And Swinub might have to be omitted due to Piloswine being only so-so (unless you do decide to go for Mamoswine, then he can stick around, but since Mamoswine is a Gen IV Mon, that might clash with your rule, so it's your call). But other than that, you've got a good selection of types and very flexible strategies with the rest of the batch.

I also know where you can find both Heracross and an underleveled Noctowl early, so that'll help fill up gaps quicker. Heracross can be found in Azela Town. Headbutt the southern trees in between Slowpoke Well and the PokeMart (there should be a set of three, if memory serves, and they'll be just above and to the right of the Charcoal house). One of those three has a very good chance of finding Heracross (I think it's the middle one, but I'd have to double-check), so once you get Headbutt, return to Azela Town and start smacking. As for Noctowl, Headbutt some of the trees near the pond in Ilex Forest, before you meet the second Kimono Girl (just northwest of the Move Tutor). It may take a bit of patience, since it has a low encounter rate, but you can find underleveled Noctowls in some of those trees, and you don't need to wait for night to find it, so it can cut down on the time searching and grinding. You'll know you found the right tree if you find things like Beedrill and Butterfree in said tree, since Noctowl tend to hang out with them, so just be persistent.

That's about all I can give right now, so I hope this helps.

EDIT: @Rockapheller I have to correct myself. You can find Heracross in the trees to the right and back of the Pokemon Center in Azalea Town, not the original place I mentioned. That place was where you could find them back in Gen II, but they've since moved from that spot, as I just checked myself. Be warned, they'll be pretty low-leveled, at most Lv5, but they have a 30% encounter rate, so it shouldn't be too hard. As for Noctowl, while the place I mentioned is correct, I also have to add an extra tip. While I said Beedrill/Butterfree hang out with it, Pineco also do, so if you find Pineco, then you're good to go, as Beedrill/Butterfree are also fairly rare. Hope this helps.
 
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Playing through Platinum for the first time (and my first ever play through of a main series game) and I'm having problems with which Pokémon to use in my last team slot. Moveset improvement suggestions would also be appreciated. I've just reached Hearthrome city.

Permanent Members
Monferno (Level 30)
-serious nature
-good perseverance and happily eats anything
Moveset- Fury Swipes, Mach Punch, Flame Wheel and Taunt

Staravia (level 23)
-Relaxed nature
-Good endurance, likes sour food
-Ability Intimidate
Moveset: Tackle, Pluck, Quick Attack, Wing Attack

Buizel (Level 24)
-mild nature
-likes to run, likes dry food
-Ability swift swim
Moveset: Aqua Jet, Quick Attack, Water, Gun, Persuit

Luxio (Level 21)
-Brave nature
-very finicky, likes spicy food
- Ability Rivalry
- Moveset: Flash, Spark, Tackle, Bite

Permanent Members end here.

Extras/Supporting Pokemon
-HM Slave Bibarel with Water Gun, Cut, Rock Smash and a Move I forgot
-Cynthia's Togepi
- Ghastly
- Chingling
- Gible

I'd like suggestions on my sixth team member and any Moveset changes which might help. I'm also new to maintaining HM thing so I'd appreciate some advice on that, too.
 
Playing through Platinum for the first time (and my first ever play through of a main series game) and I'm having problems with which Pokémon to use in my last team slot. Moveset improvement suggestions would also be appreciated. I've just reached Hearthrome city.

Permanent Members
Monferno (Level 30)
-serious nature
-good perseverance and happily eats anything
Moveset- Fury Swipes, Mach Punch, Flame Wheel and Taunt

Staravia (level 23)
-Relaxed nature
-Good endurance, likes sour food
-Ability Intimidate
Moveset: Tackle, Pluck, Quick Attack, Wing Attack

Buizel (Level 24)
-mild nature
-likes to run, likes dry food
-Ability swift swim
Moveset: Aqua Jet, Quick Attack, Water, Gun, Persuit

Luxio (Level 21)
-Brave nature
-very finicky, likes spicy food
- Ability Rivalry
- Moveset: Flash, Spark, Tackle, Bite

Permanent Members end here.

Extras/Supporting Pokemon
-HM Slave Bibarel with Water Gun, Cut, Rock Smash and a Move I forgot
-Cynthia's Togepi
- Ghastly
- Chingling
- Gible

I'd like suggestions on my sixth team member and any Moveset changes which might help. I'm also new to maintaining HM thing so I'd appreciate some advice on that, too.

Well, for starters, Gible is a good long-term partner to use. He's a bit slow to grow (as are all pseudo families), but he'll serve you well as a Garchomp. If you have the TM for Earthquake (you should've gotten it around the time you found Gible), then give it to Gible for a massively powerful attack + STAB, as the Gible line is probably the best line in the entire game that can maximize Earthquake's potency (Torterra is, obviously, the only other one, but since you started with Chimchar, that's not important). And if you need Garchomp to play some HM roles, it can learn Cut, Strength, Rock Smash, and Rock Climb, the last one of those will be extremely necessary for the last half of the game. Also, I recommend Dragon Claw over Dragon Rush, as the 75% accuracy isn't worth the extra power, but if you want to use it, you can, just don't be surprised if it misses half the time.

Moving on, Staravia (and later Staraptor) should get Fly to make traveling back and forth easier. I'd also give it Return for a massively powerful STAB attack at max happiness. And in the same vein, when Staraptor first evolves, it gains Close Combat, which you should use. The Defense/Special Defense drop can turn the bird into a fragile speedster, but it will allow Staraptor to punch through the many Rock and Steel types in the game, plus shatter any Ice Mons as well. For the final move slot, I'd say give it Aerial Ace for its perfect accuracy and decent power, as well as giving you a decent Flying move that isn't a 2-turn move.

Monferno is an interesting case. Because the line is so flexible, it can switch between Attack and Special Attack very easily. Since yous has a neutral nature, that leaves it a lot of options to work with, as both attacking stats will be roughly equal. For a Fire move, I recommend Flamethrower, as it's consistent, powerful, and has no drawbacks, unlike Flare Blitz, that has a nasty recoil, or Fire Blast, which is inaccurate. Because only Chimchar can learn it naturally, you'll have to use the TM found in the Fuego Ironworks to teach it Flamethrower, which won't be until you get Surf, but it's worth it. For a Fighting move, either Close Combat or Brick Break will serve it well, depending on your preference, especially since you can get Brick Break in Oreburgh Cave once you have Rock Smash and the bike. Now, if you want to use some Move Tutors, then Infernape really benefits from the one near Pastoria City with some moves like Vacuum Wave (a Special variant of Mach Punch), Thunder Punch, and Fire Punch (the latter of which if you decided not to use Flamethrower). Thunder Punch is good because it allows Infernape to fight Water and Flying Mons for super-effective damage, and with its beefy Attack stat, it'll hurt. If you need Infernape to play some HM roles, then it can learn Cut, Rock Smash, and Strength, the latter of which will also play a heavy role in the later half of the game. But really Infernape can play with a lot of moves, making it very flexible.

Buizel (and later Floatzel) will become your Surf/Waterfall Mon. Buizel and Floatzel have pretty even Attack/Special Attack stats, so both moves won't be wasted on it, so it's okay to give it both HMs. As for other moves, Ice Fang (which can be relearned via the Move Reminder in Pastoria City for a Heart Scale) and Ice Punch (again, from the Move Tutor just outside of Pastoria City) are good for helping to combat Grass Mons, as well as giving it some offensive punch against Dragons (like a certain champion's Garchomp). As for the final move slot, you could go for Crunch, which it naturally learns upon evolution to help take a bite out of the Psychic E4 member. Just be careful, as Floatzel is a fragile speedster, so it can't take much punishment, meaning it has to hit hard and fast, so keep that in mind.

Next up is Luxio. Spark should remain its main Elec move, as it feeds off of his higher Attack stat. One would argue that Thunder Fang is better, but Spark has the same base power, is 100% accurate, and has a 30% chance to paralyze the opponent, while Thunder Fang only has a 10% chance of either paralyze or flinch, and has 95% accuracy. Crunch should be a move that it gains, as the Defense lowering properties will help, plus it'll help against Fantina and the same Psychic E4 member as mentioned before. Luxray can also learn Strength, which is actually a halfway decent move on it, so give it Strength to cover that HM requirement. Its final move is up for grabs, as it has a somewhat shallow movepool in this gen, but some recommend moves like Iron Tail and Superpower for it to punch holes in Rock and Steel types, but that's your call (plus I don't think you can get Superpower until post-game, so it might not be accessible right away). I'd probably recommend something like Thunder Wave, Toxic, or Secret Power, but you can decide for yourself what you think would work best there.

As for a final member, I'd say go with Tangrowth. It's a bit slow, but can be an absolute brute when raised the right way. Plus having a Grass Mon will help against Crasher Wake, Cynthia's Milotic, and Bertha. The Mon is pretty much a tank, with an insanely high Attack and even higher Special Attack stat, along with beefy HP and Defense, so it can fight well. You can catch one in the Great Marsh in Pastoria City (be warned, it IS a Safari Zone, so Lady Luck is required there). But if you can catch a Tangela, just raise it until it learns Ancient Power and it'll evolve into quite the brute. Some moves for it would be Power Whip (which will utterly thrash Water, Rock, and Ground Mons), Sleep Powder (very handy, even if the accuracy is shaky), Rock Slide/Ancient Power (which counters 4 of its 5 weaknesses), Synthesis/Giga Drain (for recovery) and Brick Break. It can also learn Rock Smash, so it can be your smasher until the move isn't needed anymore. I also recommend getting a Zoom Lens for it. You'll need 1000 tokens from the Game Corner in Veilstone City to get it, but it'll help boost the shakier accuracy that some of Tangrowth's moves have, as the Zoom Lens boosts the accuracy of all of its moves by 20% if it moves after the opponent. That's better than the 10% boost you get from the Wide Lens. And since Tangrowth is very slow, it'll pretty much make all of its moves extremely accurate. Again, catching it is the tricky part, but it'll serve you well.

That's about all I can say right now. I hope this helps.
 
@CynthiaLover Your Post is incredibly helpful! Thanks!
Moving on, Staravia (and later Staraptor) should get Fly to make traveling back and forth easier. I'd also give it Return for a massively powerful STAB attack at max happiness. And in the same vein, when Staraptor first evolves, it gains Close Combat, which you should use. The Defense/Special Defense drop can turn the bird into a fragile speedster, but it will allow Staraptor to punch through the many Rock and Steel types in the game, plus shatter any Ice Mons as well. For the final move slot, I'd say give it Aerial Ace for its perfect accuracy and decent power, as well as giving you a decent Flying move that isn't a 2-turn move.

I had pretty much intended the star-line to be my fly-user since Bibarel cannot fly. And I do have the TM return, with Staravia having high friendship so I'll be teaching it the move asap! Close Combat is nice to have, since fragile speedsters are the kind of Pokémon I'm most comfortable with.

Your advice on Infernape is noted. I plan on it running a mixed set with Flamethrower, Mach Punch, Brick Break and coverage.

Crunch should be a move that it gains, as the Defense lowering properties will help, plus it'll help against Fantina and the same Psychic E4 member as mentioned before. Luxray can also learn Strength, which is actually a halfway decent move on it, so give it Strength to cover that HM requirement.
Is Flash needed a lot after Hearthrome city? I currently don’t have any other Flash user so I'd like to plan with that in mind.Strength will help in the HM department since I'm straining poor Bibarel too much.

As for the sixth team member, I'll be keeping Tangrowth under consideration. I'm not particularly fond of its design (specially since we’ve seen what it could have been with the Gold/Silver beta) but I don’t have much choice on the grass type.
I also recently obtained Eevee, so is leafeon a viable option?
 
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