Does your friend have an "unbeatable" team? Finished the game, and need something to do? Preparing for a link party? Having a balanced team of Pokemon can help you be prepared to take on any team.
Step 1
Consider what your motive is. If you're trying to beat a friend, then you need to build a team specifically created to counter his/hers. If you're trying to make a team for competitive battling, then you need to make a team that can go through hell. If you're just bored, or want to do it for the sake of having a team, then consider sticking to your favorites.
Step 2
Research all the pokemon and the moves you may want through a site like serebii or bulbapedia. If you cannot obtain the pokemon you desire in you version, use the GTS to trade for them. (Unsatisfactory stats or moves of the pokemon you traded for can be solved with breeding once you are done planning everything out. Remember that to breed with a male pokemon and keep the same species, the female needs to be replaced with a ditto.)
Step 3
Choose your pokemon. If you're trying to beat a friend, then try to use pokemon whose types are super-effective against his/hers. Also try to make stratagies that can counter your friend's. IE, if his main pokemon is a snorlax who tanks, consider sub-punching it. All teams should have a high type variety, usually with no more than two pokemon of the same type. This not only means mixing type, but also physical and special users as well. However, if you plan on baton passing nasty plot or swords dance, having more of one type of attack than the other will broaden your options a bit. Choose whatever type you want if you don't plan on battling.
Step 4
Choose your pokemon's moves. Be sure that the moves that you're assigning are moves that are possible to put on it. Try to have your pokemon support each other. For instance, having a pokemon with Cosmic Power and Baton Pass would greatly help support any tank or staller.
Step 5
Check your team for weaknesses. If you see that half of the pokemon have a weakness to one type, then change a pokemon. Simply giving you pokemon a water move will not protect it from gallade's fire-punch, so don't think that changing the move set will give you protection. You'll end up wasting a move slot and not fixing the problem.
Step 6
Catch or trade for the pokemon. You're past all the planning, but don't automatically think that the hard part's over. Now, you need to breed several of each pokemon that you want. Then, when you've bred two dozen or so, check to see which one has the best stats. (If you're playing a game that has natures and EV caps, you should check that as well.) Pick the one that looks best.
Step 7
Use the Exp share during early levels.
Step 8
Beat the Elite Four many times. They are the biggest source of experience for higher-level pokemon (as well as the biggest source of money!).
Step 9
Train your pokemon to level 100. This may not be possible, but you really, really need to.
Step 10
Take your time and have fun. Having the best pokemon team in the world won't be worth it if you haven't slaved over it and tortured yourself along the way.
Tips
- Buy as many vitamins (protein, carbos) for your pokemon as you can, and do it as early as you can. Those stat bonuses can sure come in handy! These will add 10 EVs. Be sure to know what you're feeding! Not any random stuff! Considering it has no EVs at all, 10 can be used per stat. For example-Protein boosts Attack. Considering there are none Attack EVs, you can use 10 Protiens. Plus, give your Pokemon what is right for them. Don't load an Alakazam with Focus Punch when they lack physical strength. Even if Leafeon strengthens in sunlight doesn't mean it should use Sunny Day (well, not use it itself, but by someone else).
- If it is available to you, make the pokemon you're training hold the Macho Brace. If you have availability to it give your pokemon pokerus. It also doubles the EVs but without the speed depletion. The effects still work even after the pokerus is gone. This results in your pokemon ending up with bigger stats. This doubles the EVs.
- Unless you're an expert and know what you're doing, try to have at least two attacks, of different types, on each pokemon.
- Except in some circumstances, do not have two moves of the same type on one Pokemon, such as Surf and Hydro Pump. Stat boosters and restoration moves are OK (Synthesis, Aromatherapy, Growth and Petal Dance are all Grass-type) as are moves like Flamethrower and Overheat, as they can be used in different circumstances.
- You can use berries on your pokemon that make them more friendly, but when you do, one of their stats will be lowered. This is good for erasing unwanted EVs. Always keep vitamins handy.
- Always remember that competitive battling isn't just about wiping out your opponent. It's about strategy and prediction, too. Don't think about brute power. Lay traps (Stealth Rock, Spikes, Toxic Spikes). Have Stat Boosters such as Swords Dance. It may not look much, as you may want to smackdown as hard as possible, but Swords Dance DOUBLES Attack Power. Even if it just adds 50%, do it anyways.
- You can have a max of 255 EV's on a single stat, and 510 ev's total on all stats. Keep a log and find out what stats you want to pump out on your pokemon, and figure out how many and which pokemon you should fight for your EV's
- Every 4 EV's gives 1 stat point at lvl 100. Because of this, do not make your Ev's go to 255 in a stat, but 252. This way, you have 4 extra ev's to put somewhere else that might make you have 1 more stat point.
- There is no problems with using rare candies before you have reached the EV cap, it is just a widely spread rumor.
Things You'll Need
- pokeballs
- pokemon
- A lot of time
- A Strong pokemon to back up your weaker pokemon
