I was reading the post with the poll about average pokemon levels when fighting the elite 4 for the first time. It sounds like a lot of people raise all their pokemon evenly.

Personally, I prefer raising just 2-4 really strong pokemon. I just wanted some of your opinions. How do you raise your pokemon and why?

i raise em evenly. cos if u have a type disadvantage u can switch out!

I always raise starters and the first 2-4 pokemon you get mostly because then you can have complete controle over things like moves sets and stats

Even raise - well balanced life = happy and prosperous one

When I first started playing seven years ago, I would only raise my starter, and just have HM slaves in my party. This works well, so long as your PkMn doesn't faint -- otherwise you're screwed

Now, I get a new PkMn every other gym, each with a two-level buffer -- so one PkMn is level 50, the next 48, the next 46, et cetera.

I train my starter to Lv 60, and I train the others to Lv 45.

Sounds good.

I just started over and am just training Squirtle for now. When I get a traded Pokemon (Mr. Mime or female Nidoran) I'll just train them and hopefully surpass Squirtle soon. I'm sure you know, but the traded ones can reach really high levels much faster than non-trades.

Anyways, thanks for your help.

Sweetness!

I train my evenly only because then my team is well balanced and I won't have any trouble with types and such.

I usually train evenly as that makes my Pokemon around the same Level and actually do something at the E4.

Yeah, I prefer to train them evenly. Just my opinion though.

I train them evenly, but not in a type advantage way unless I need to. I tend to train one Pokemon to a certain level (normally my starter), and then train others around that.

I also train them evenly. As you can see in my sig, I like to raise them all to their evolved stage, then spend a lot of time training them so that they are at equal levels. (Ignore Swalot, she's only there because I've put my HM Slave, Zigzagoon away so that I might actually have a chance of taking on the Elite Four. )

Back on my Pokemon Blue, my best Pokemon was actually my Pidgeot. I got rid of Charizard, because it kept losing. My team was pretty good actually, all in their eighties after I defeated the Elite Four. I know, I had no life...

I prefer to raise a team of twelve or so Pokemon of various types, all kept at roughly the same level. When I want to strengthen them, I bring each one in turn to my choice training sites - areas where I can raise them quickly and give them good EVs in one stroke.

In my LeafGreen game, I have ten "battling" Pokemon: Haunter, Snorlax, Flareon, Graveler, Kadabra, Raichu, Pidgeot, Gyarados, Golbat and Venusaur, all of whom are raised to fight - and four "utility" Pokemon: Butterfree, Ninetales, Farfetch'd and Persian, who are raised for purposes other than battling.

Utility Pokemon are taught HMs for use in the field, or given status-changing movesets to help with capturing wild Pokemon - it's always good to have a utility Pokemon on hand in case you run across a shiny on your travels, or encounter an obstacle that requires a certain HM to pass.

(I'd never heard the expression "HM Slave" before, and in any case I like to give things names I've invented myself.)

i always trian thm evenly

i use 1 pokemon for all trainers and gym leaders and in between i catch the other 5 up on wild pokemon that way when a gym leader or elite 4 that has types that can stop the main 1 rolls around, im prepared

I usually try to train my teams evenly, that way if one feints I'm not left with a handfull of low levels to just go out and get slaughtered. Though, my starter usually has 5 or so levels on the others.

Well, I've tried both.

In Kanto, I never believed in overtraining a few Pokemon. So I ensure that ALL my Pokemon were of a decent level before moving to the next town / event. It was a bit tedious, but it sorta paid off at the E4.

In Hoenn, I did the exact opposite for a change. I trained Blaziken all the way, only catching Pokemon for HMs and those free ones (like Castform). Easier time during the game, doubtless, but much harder at E4. Especially Wallace. (For obvious reasons.)

That's why I'm all for even training. Have about 6-8 Pokemon on your regular team, and train them evenly. The rest... heck, just do what you want. But it's more important to be prepared.

Yeah, I'm a freak for even training. As much as possible, I try to have my full team (6 pokemon, including at least one with Surf and Fly; I use HM slaves for the rest of the HMs, and fetch them as needed) at the same level, or with only a 1 level difference.

I prefer even levels. My battle strategy is based alot on type advantages, so I need to be prepared for anything.

I always over-train my starter, thought I came to regret it against the E4.

I have abosulte OCD in training. All 6 pokemon must be:

-Of differing types, to make sure I can cover as many other pokemon's weaknesses as possible.

-Arranged in order of the number of experience points needed to level up (greatest first), so that those who need more exp. points get them from battling trainers (faster) than wild pokemon or VS seeker trainers (generally slower).

-All at the same level at the time of a major battle (eg. gym battle, Gary battle or E4). Strict barriers are set (eg. RBY/FRLG lv45 for Sabrina, lv50 for Blaine, lv60 for E4)

-Attached to either a battle-assisting item (ie Quick Claw), or the Amulet coin or Lucky egg whenever it is in the top position in the squad, ASAP.

But fortunately my OCD means that after hours of compulsive organising, I stomp the E4 every single time ^_^ and I love it!!!

I recently cleared the E4 with just my 80 Charizard. I've always just used one pokemon to beat the game with, lol.