Self-imposed Rules

When playing through any of the main Pokemon games, does anyone else impose any kinds of rules upon themselves regarding their team?

For me:

1. No Legendaries. Capturing them is a must, but using them isn't allowed.

2. Only Pokemon that can evolve twice are allowed. Baby -> Basic is included in the above.

3. The Starter is NEVER shelved. This only applies to the Starter selected in that playthrough, not any Starters traded over or any Starter eggs hatched.

4. Aesthetics. Pokemon are in my team only because I like their designs, not because they're widely known to be OP or anything. That being said, I tend to like the designs of the pseudo-legendaries anyway...

I didn't really properly establish these rules till Gen III came along, but here are my main teams for each Gen anyway (some have more than 6, because I switch them out as necessary):

Gen I:

Charizard
Pidgeot
Raichu
Gengar
Alakazam
Poliwrath

Gen II:

Typhlosion
Pidgeot
Crobat
Ampharos
Seadra
Tyranitar

Gen III:

Swampert
Gardevoir
Flygon
Aggron
Salamence
Walrein
Crobat
Dusclops (I know this breaks rule 2, but rule 4)

Gen I Remake:

Pretty much the same as Gen I, except that I had Golem in and Poliwrath out.

Gen IV is omitted because I didn't really play it extensively. But Staraptor and Luxray will definitely be on my main team if I do. Gen V is also omitted because I'm only about halfway through it. I know Hydreigon's definitely in due to rule 4 alone.

Er is this limited to only Pokemon? If so, my rule is to always include the starter pokemon in the team no matter what.

If it isn't, then er.... any MMORPG I play, I have to play the warrior class first.

Nuuuzzzloccckeee.

Nuzlocke. I'm going to do this with B2/W2 when they're released for kicks. I expect to be destroyed by the Elite Four. Again.

i beat pokemon games... ONCE.
i must like the team i use
no research beforehand except which legendaries i'll find
i'll catch competitive legendaries, but only after catching them normally and resetting.


and for platinum, since i had already beaten pearl
-transferred charmander and squirtle egg
-full generation one team.

Sometimes i try to stick with small amount of pokémon and i only allow my pokémon to evolve if i feel they've overcome a big challenge, not sure why but it's fun.

I usually always keep my starter pokemon and then transfer/pokesav in the other two starters. Then the last 3 slots, I look through the new generation to see which pokemon I like the designs of. Turns out I have this strange attraction to fire type pokemon...

Never evolved my pokemon until after I beat the Elite 4 in the earlier games.

In the later games I used old pokemon I liked based on looks...and the game was pineappleing horrible lol. My Pearl team was:

Omastar
PARASECT
Ariados
Wigglytuff
Dodrio


yeeep. Omastar was the only one who could hold its own in a fight. Parasect saw many deaths in wild battles. Ariados was okay in the beginning due to Night Shade. Wigglytuff never died too often but was so weak. Dodrio...my god was it disappointingly fragile.

Only use pokemon from that region/generation. Even after the national dex is unlocked in the later versions, still use the team I went through the game with.

This one applies to games in general, but STOP one pace before the final boss, turn right around, and do literally everything else. Sidequests, bonus bosses that won't spitroast me etc.

No HM whores. USE ONLY THE 6 I TRAINED.

If I replay a gen/play the other game in that gen, all rules go out the window.

Never evolved my pokemon until after I beat the Elite 4 in the earlier games.

That sounds fun o.o
I might try that!

Not really a rule, more like a tendency. Only get Poison, Dark, Ghost, Bug & Psychic.

I always try to diversify my team's typing, as well as always designate one Pokemon that I caught to be an HM slave. I always keep my starter, and never train super high leveled evolved Pokemon that I caught unless I can breed them to be level 1.

I generally follow a number of rules:

- Must use the starter Pokemon on my team until post-E4
- Diversity in Typing
- Can catch legendaries, but can't use them (by legendaries I am referring to the big ones, so for example, the Musketeer Trio do not count toward this)
- Save all side-quest areas until post-E4
- I generally follow a formula for my team: 1 Tank, 1 Disruptor, 1 Physical Attacker, 1 Special Attacker, 1 Mixed Attacker, with the last spot being a wild card
- All Pokemon on the team must have an equal level by intervals of 5 (if my starter gets to 30, and the rest are 20-ish, I must stop and grind them up to 30 as well)
- The moves of the Pokemon on the team must all have different Typing (an exception to this rule is if the second move with similar Typing is a support move, for example: Flamethrower and Sunny Day)
- And I generally do not start "collecting" Pokemon until post-E4

The only rules I follow:

-Always use my starter until post E4
-all pokemon must be at least 3 levels below my starter
-team has to be diverse as possible
-NEVER give my pokemans nicknames
-legionaries must be caught but doesn't have to be used

For me I almost always ditch the start around level 50 unless it's like... Charizard or a Kanto pokemon. I pretty much hate all new gen xD

No legendaries is basically my only rule.

I try to diverse my team, and keep them 5 levels within eachother.

I tend to always drift too pseudo legendaries like dragonite/haxorus. I love ghost/poison/dark/psychic/fighting as well.

If I could have any team at the start it be
Lucario
Gengar
Crobat
Umbreon
Dragonite
Celebi

Those are my favorites haha

You know, with all the decent Stage 1 pokemon that don't have a Baby form in this Gen, I'm actually considering abolishing rule 2...

Not really rules, but my starter is ALWAYS in my first slot, and in my playthrough of Heart gold, I got my togepi and trained it to around 25 before i progressed through the game, and then played the voltorb game until I could afford my dratini, and did the same as with my togepi.