Spoilers PLZA Team Building!

[beasttrash]

What Pokémon are you all planning on using on your return to Lumiose City?

This thread is to talk about the team you are planning on building for the game! What Pokémon are you excited to use? Are you planning on using your faves? Or, are you planning on using some Pokémon you have never used in a playthrough before? Are you planning your team in advance? Or, are you gonna build your team on the fly?

Please note: This thread has the Spoilers prefix, so feel free to talk about Pokémon and mechanics that have been unannounced before release and after.

--

As for me, after much thought I think I'm going to plan my team around having a Slowpoke! Which means, with my current thought process, the best Pokemon for me to start with is Tepig! I also think I'm gonna use Bellsprout and Larvitar. I've used Bellsprout before in some playthroughs of LG, but I haven't used on in awhile! And I've never used Larvitar in any playthrough, but have been meaning to for awhile.

That said, I'm making a lot of choices based on what I know about the old turned based system, I might end up switching things around based on the RTB elements!

 

[CrinkTheBunny]

I don't normally think about my team ahead of time but I'm soooooooo excited to use Audino. My favourite Pokémon since forever and I can finally finally use one <333 I kinda wanna make my whole team pink Pokémon now....

 

[Mialentia]

I don't have too much planned so far. I have a pool of about ten Pokémon that I would like to be on my team, but my starter aside, none of them are really locked in. Here's what it looks like:

Sure:
Emboar
At least one of Victreebel or Malamar

Possible:
Glaceon
Mawile
Altaria
Greninja

Unlikely:
Slowbro
Gengar
Ampharos

I'm open to surprises though! I'm not gonna be limiting myself to these species by any means.

 

[Yung Dramps]

Emboar, Metagross, Blastoise. Those 3 are locks and the rest I will determine as I play

 

[bugfacts]

There’s basically no way I’m not gonna end up using (unannounced spoiler mega) Mega Eelektross it’s for sure locked in without even knowing the design!!

I have a hard time saying no to Mega Mawile, it’s my literal favorite mega design and one of my favorite designs in the series so as soon as one turns up I know I won’t be able to resist catching it.

Hmmmm. I’m not sure who else at the moment!

 

[Mothmallow]

I've done a bunch of shiny hunting in preparation and have a bunch of mons I plan to cycle between in my playthrough. The fact that Pokemon won't be able to leave Z-A has changed my plans a bit: notably I've had to replace abra and gastly because I likely won't be able to evolve them in game. I also had to evolve my scyther ahead of time in Arceus upon finding out but at least it can stay low level + doesn't actually get a stat increase.
Current lineup is bellsprout, weedle, larvitar, two ralts, magikarp, scizor, mareep, and gible. I also plan to use my starter (chikorita), of course, and catch a houndour/houndoom asap. It's a mon I love but I don't actually own any games it appears in (version exclusive in gen 7 and not in the dex of any Switch games I own). Really would have liked to add shiny inkay to that list, btw, but after spending a LOT of time in both Ultra Moon and Sword trying to catch one, I could not get any to shine for me...
I also have some higher level mega shinies I plan to transfer up in the late or post game, including some to use competetively like my shiny adamant perfect IVs lucario. I was a little hesitant with him, actually, since it will kinda suck to not be able to transfer him to gen 10 (assuming lucario even makes the dex for that one) but I think this is the perfect 'fate' for him tbh. I caught him in Arceus, which has no PVP and the only other game he can go to is Sword, whose PVP scene is pretty dead. Might as well give him a chance to see actual competetive use, and in another Legends game to boot.
It'll also be nice to have a home on the Switch for my collection of shiny furfrou and beedrill. The former having no appearances yet on the Switch and the latter only having Let's Go (intentionally ignoring BDSP).

 

[bugfacts]

I've had to replace abra and gastly

Oh! I’m not sure if this is a case where you really wanted to use your own Gastly from a prior catch, but if nothing else I’m like 99% sure we’ve seen pre-release screenshots or footage with wild Gastly in ZA! So you should still be able to use it! =]

two ralts

as the girl who made the “do you ever use multiples of a single Pokémon” thread on here let me just say: YEAAAHHH!!!!

t I think this is the perfect 'fate' for him tbh.

This is so sweet!! A little bittersweet, maybe, but I love that you’ve found something that feels so fresh and appropriate and exciting for him!! It’s a good fate ;v;

 

[Dizzard]

Decided to order a physical copy of Legends Z-A, Switch 1 version. No idea if it will come tomorrow or Friday (or next week)

I have been thinking of what team I would go for, some of my ideas ended up getting thrown out because the Pokemon won't be available. (I had based it off the XY pokedex which is a lot bigger. Sadly no Mienshao or Crustle this time around. One day Mienshao you'll get your time in the sun....

So right now my thoughts are:

Almost Definitely
Victreebel (I really like the mega and Victreebel has grown on me a lot in recent years)
Froslass (Never really cared that much for Froslass but I really love how her mega looks, though tbh I also really like Chandelure's mega....)
Florges (Another Pokemon that's grown on me, if it hadn't been for Mawile getting a mega back in gen 6 it might have made it on my team)
Barbaracle (I've always liked Barbaracle a bit more than the average person I think, not among my big favourites but I still like it. It's mega is really cool too)

I've used them before but I love their new mega
Malamar
Drampa
(I've used both of them on a main team before, and they're my favourite from each gen. I'd normally want to use Pokemon I've never used before but I might make an exception with these two if nothing else speaks to me. Though I have a feeling Drampa might be late game and a pain to get without trading....)

Maybe/It's a possibility
Dragonite
Skarmory
Camerupt
Absol
Metagross
Garchomp
Excadrill
Krookodile
Eelektross
Heliolisk
Noivern
Stunfisk
Chandelure

I'm strongly considering boxing my starter for the first time ever as my favourite is Chikorita, but I really want to use Victreebel and Florges.

 

[Rockapheller]

I am 6 hours into the game (rank V), my team so far is (beware of story spoilers):

Spoiler

Bayleef
Gyarados (that one kinda feels like cheating, because I found an alpha Magikarp splashing on the grasses and caught it at level 30 and immediately evolved, so I got me an OP Gyarados early in the game. I used it only when I was desperate)
Emolga -- Never had one before
Absol -- The very same Rouge Mega Absol that I defeated since it came with a mega stone
Houndoom -- Not gonna mega evolve it but I never had one before although I always wanted to have one on my team. Sadly Johto games offered it to us in the post game and never been properly in the future games to catch.

I have yet to decide the sixth member of the team; although if I want to add more Pokémon, Emolga is the first one to eliminate.
It is difficult because I am trying to avoid any Pokémon I used before, so all Pokémon are my first time experience. Otherwise I'd have Trubbish and Gastly as well.

 

[Nicolas721]

• Feraligatr: I've never used it as a starter but I've always liked its carefree attitude.
• Simisage: Mi brother and I have hold on having one since BW and now it's time.
• Scolipede: A favorite of mine...This seems like a good opportunity to know its true potential.
• Hawlucha: I used in my recent Nuzlocke but its Mega is enough reason to use it again.
• Aurorus: May have many weaknesses but it's a Pokemon I've always wanted to try out.
• Aegislash: Not my favorite but could be fun to train and use and covers the others' weaknesses really well.