Pokémon To the trainer who do Online battles, do you choose your favs or the best mons?

[Matt0106]

I play competitively, but I'm one of those trainers who really picks whatever Pokemon they like rather than the metagame. For example, I'm currently doing the February season for ranked matches in Shield, but I took my favs like Decidueye and Pikachu, even though I know darn well they might have trouble up against mainstream standards.

So I just wanted to know, am I the only one who does this? Do you prefer going with what you like, or what will win?

 

[C:Sphere]

I haven't fought online in SwSh as of yet, but if and when I do, ya betta believe I'll be taking my beloved Pyukumuku with me, just like I did in Sun & Moon doubles.
Strategizing and synergizing in order to be able to win with one's favorite(s) is the real dream.
For someone like me, using just the OU meta is too depressingly uninteresting to even bother doing.

 

[Midoriya]

Both to be honest (I wish there was a both option). I spent a ton of time crafting and rebuilding a competitive monotype dragon team to use in the OU metagame. The last time I participated in ranked battles it actually did pretty well! I climbed several or more ranks before stopping. It’s filled with my favorite dragon type Pokemon, some of which aren’t usually used in competitive. Would love to keep rebuilding and working on it until I can reach master ball tier with the team.

 

[Matt0106]

Both to be honest (I wish there was a both option). I spent a ton of time crafting and rebuilding a competitive monotype dragon team to use in the OU metagame. The last time I participated in ranked battles it actually did pretty well! I climbed several or more ranks before stopping. It’s filled with my favorite dragon type Pokemon, some of which aren’t usually used in competitive. Would love to keep rebuilding and working on it until I can reach master ball tier with the team.

I knew I should’ve put a both option but it slipped my mind (I put it now!). Also great job! I feel like I’m going to have trouble getting far in the ranks but I’ll just see where this goes

 

[Jam86]

all my strong pokemon are hacked so i refuse to use them online
whereas my favourites are super cute but then level 60-70 at most

 

[CozyVillager]

I like to battle with my favorites, it's more fun and interesting to me and I enjoy building my own teams.

 

[SpaceTokki77]

To be honest, both. One of my favs is a TANK. He is a Pyukumuku which I named Loaf. He's lvl 100 and the most damage he's ever taken from one move at this level was very little. But, I also still have my starter, a greedent, a Theivul, you get the idea. Not very strong pokemon. But like 4/6 of them are lvl 100, and the other 2 are level 80-95. So, they're decent, but I have stronger pokemon that I choose not to use lol

 

[Halloqueen]

I don't tend to play Online battles outside of occasional matches against friends, tournaments here on The Bell Tree Forums, or official tournaments when they'd use them to distribute Legendary Pokémon like the shiny Tapus last generation. That said, I do (or at least did, not particularly fond of Sword/Shield so I haven't played it online much) have competitive battling experience.

The way I approach playing Pokémon games is that I decide on a team that I want to use for a playthrough, breed them to have all the correct IVs, Natures, Abilities, and Egg Moves I want, slap a fitting nickname on them, and take them through the game. I EV train all of them in the appropriate areas as well, so all of my team members are always competitively viable. I like to know that they're either dishing out or taking as much damage as they can, depending on whether they're offensive or defensive. So, when it comes time to compete Online for whatever reason, I'm using in-game team members and they're not necessarily always the best competitive high-tier Pokémon, but they're as good as they can be for their individual species.

I feel like of the two options, I guess I lean more toward "Favorites", but it also doesn't fit. I use different Pokémon on different teams for different playthroughs, so it's not really a favoritism thing. It's just whoever the team consists of in the particular game.

 

[Mel88]

Interesting!! I have lean heavy toward to my favorite pokemon which it is Pikachu and Charizard and among them; and it's irony I never lost the battles since I was ten years old against with my friends... I mean my Chariazard knows solar beam and beat my friend's Blastiose with it several years ago... he was so mad about it...

 

[Soot Sprite]

I like playing competitively but I’m not super into it so I use the Pokémon I like. I have some that are considered good for the meta or whatever but I’m going to use my shiny favorites over those lol