Morning all,

Recently I've been itching to start playing Emerald and I've been contemplating a basic look of a starting party, and I'm not entirely certain how to go about it.

In order to make things simple; lets start with the...starters. I've been thinking of using either Treecko or Torchic. I've never used Treecko because I find him fairly tepid, but he's not too horrible. As for Torchic, I love the little bird, but I've used him a bit too much. In any case, I've narrowed down the 3 other slots to the following pokemon

Slakoth (for Slaking eventually)
Octillery/Lanturn (Lanturn will make up for the exceptionally crappy electric choices in 3rd gen as well)
Flying type (Swellow, Flygon, Salamence, Altaria)

Thank you for your time, and I appreciate any suggestions offered.

Don't forget that as an in-game team, the important thing is to have decent level pokemon. Which means that the sooner you can obtain the pokemon, the easier it will be to use in your team. (Slaking therefore is a good choice as you get it in Rustboro forest). Both Treecko and Torchic are decent starters - just remember that Torchic will have more difficulty against the first gym.

As for your pokemon, Salamence is obtained rather late in the game, after HM Waterfall. Octillery and Lanturn are really UU - they could work but you may consider choosing another pokemon.

Typically, I just use 2-3 pokemon for the entire game, and never have to worry about level training

i prefer treeko (1st gym won)

then you need a flying type or ralts (2nd gym down)

the rest is a breeze


my opinion is to end up with sceptile altaria gaurdevoir slacking(or snorlax, miltank blissy) and lanturn (wailord anyone?)

The first gym leader isn't a huge issue for me since by that time I usually have my main pokemon up to level 20. As for using Salamence as an example. it was really just that: an example, but you're right. Salamence is in a really crappy place in the game. By the time you can really use him most of the game is over (although this may not be true for emerald, but I haven't played it before so I'm uncertain). I was seriously thinking of using Swellow until I can get Flygon.




I'm not certain what you mean by "UU". Under used? If that's what you mean then that's exactly why I'd like to use them (I'm a fan of the underused), that, and being really good pokemon. Octillery can learn a huge number of moves and has damn good attack, decent defense, and speed may not be an issue (especially if you baton pass some good stat altering nonsense in there). On the same token, Lantern is a wonderful dual type that can use STAB for both Surf and Thunderbolt, among other incredible attributes.

I enjoy having a full set of pokemon. It lengthens the amount of time I spend playing the game in an entertaining fashion, and nothing really feels as good as having 6 powerful things in your party by the end of the game.

As for the rest of my team. I think I'll leave that up to the situation. So far I have: torchic, flygon, slaking, and octillery/lantern. Any more suggestions? critiques? comment?

I realize that availability is an issue, but most of the ones mentioned aren't terribly difficult to get, or take a long time to get to game-wise with the exception of Chinchou. So if worst comes to worst I can either get a Gyarados(simple) or Milotic(harder).

Torchic is o.k, since there is not too many fire pokemon, unless you wanna settle for the
2nd rate Ninetales, Torkoal is o.k. as a sponge, Camerupt isn't good.
Blazekin is very versatile and a good mixed sweeper.

moveset:
Focus Punch/Sky Uppercut
Flamethrower/ Fire Blast/ Blaze Kick
Bulk Up
Earthquake

Blaiziken's weaknesses: water, ground, flying, psychic

moveset: (Covers Ground)
Dragon Claw/ Ice Beam
Dragon Dance (too boost it's already insane attack)
Hydro Pump/ Surf
Earthquake (to cover the 4x elec weakness)

Weakness Electric, Rock (already covered)

Manectric serves not only as a sweeper, the roar+toxic combo is really good.
Magneton has nice sp. attack, but is a bit slow, but the steel type makes up for it.
or
Thunderbolt
Roar (manectric) / Rain Dance
Toxic (manectric)/ Thunder
Bite/return - Zap Cannon (magneton)

Weaknesses Ground (covered), fighting, fire (covered)

Against fighting:

nice sp. sweeper
Psychic
Dream Eater
Hypnosis
Calm Mind

Weaknesses: Dark (covered), Ghost, Bug (covered)

Now, to cover ghost, a nice dark like
or or

Cacturne:
Spikes/ Leech Seed?
Toxic
Giga Drain
Faint Attack

Shiftry
Sunny Day
Solar Beam
Toxic/ Leech seed?
Aerial Ace
(NOT THE BEST MOVESETS, but you kinda get the point)

Absol (probably best, much more versatile)

Slash
Shadow Ball
Swords Dance
Aerial Ace

Now a nice good sponge.

Shedinja
Confuse Ray
Toxic
Shadow Ball
Sand Attack/ Flash/ Double Team

Rap Up: (In order you can get them)





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> has a good over all stats.. as for your other Pokemon, i suggest having a first because can be obtained in the late game unless you'll going to have it in trade. is a good early game pokemon too..

I'm bumping this topic, simply because I have seen too many "Go with Treeko" cmments.



Grass has the smae advantage as water against rock. And with marshtomp, the third gym is really a breeze, compared to say...a grass type which suffers greatly as it is affected by electric moves.



No, in fact, Sceptile and Blazike are extremely frail, lacking balanced defensive stats necessary for the battle fronteir.

i use to take the water starter is ansane and fears only grass (thanks to ice beam), for flying pokémon, i think is a really good choice with spikes and air cutter, altaria is just too défensive and salamence is too late to get, flygon is not really a flying pokémon, if you want a poké flying simple to get, is really good with endeavor, quick attack and aerial ace, it covers weakness too

is just better than {millotic} cause you can get it before gym 2 and like it destroys dragons, it learns thunder waves that's cool


between and both are good if you want a good sweeper, the second is cool with thunder-waves, roar, thunderbolt and bite/crunch/HP grass/HP ice the first is weak ti fighting and fire too

if you want a sponge is just insane (i love it}