don't end up like me (part 1)

so today i'm gonna tell you about the importance of being prepared in the pokemon games.

last weekend, i made the decision to beat the elite four in my pokemon diamond game. it's a big step, but i've got to do it someday. i went to play my game with the intent of beginning to train my pokemon when i suddenly started to worry about whether or not i had the right pokemon to take them on.

this is where being prepared comes in.

you can't just go against the elite four all willy nilly. you have to have the right tools. that means all the regular stuff, like potions and status heals, as well as battle items to raise your stats. but one of the most important things is having the right pokemon team. i cannot stress enough how important it is to have a well rounded pokemon team. having too many of the same types of pokemon will be very hard on you later in the game. for example, here's my pokemon team in diamond:

• Empoleon (water/steel)
• Dialga (dragon/steel)
• Pelipper (water/flying)
• Wooper (water/ground)
• Pachirisu (electric)
• Graveler (rock/ground)

the problem is evident right away: half my team is water pokemon. for regular gameplay this is fine, to an extent.  it works for getting around the world, but isn't too good for taking on gym leaders. for the elite four, my team is not as good as it could be. an example of a better one is my team from black

• Servine (grass)
• Herdier (normal)
• Purrloin (dark)
• Panpour (water)

this team is much more well rounded, with diverse pokemon types. i think a good team can be made up like this:

• one grass/fire/water type (your starter)
• one pokemon the opposite of your starter (if you have a water pokemon, one grass-type)
• one electric type
• a rock or ground (or both/half)
• a dark/psychic/ghost
• a flying or combination flying

combination pokemon can make this easier and harder, becasue you run the risk of overloading your team on one type, even if it seems well rounded (which was my problem). of course, that list i made probably isn't the best (it doesn't include fighting, dragon, or steel, which are all good to have). in the end it's best to look and see what you're up against and plan accordingly

tomorrow i'm gonna continue on with this, talking about the gym leaders, HM's, and back-ups

and i also have some links, so you don't give yourself a headache training for the elite four (like i did)

• elite four and champion pokemon
• Kanto (gen 3)
• Kanto/Johto (gen 4)
• Hoenn (gen 3)
• Sinnoh (gen 4)
• Unova (gen 5)
• type match-up list