What do you really want to max out, but really dare not or cannot justify?
Since reaching level 38, I have only maxed out three Machamps (one perfect, two 98%) and a 96% Blissey. A recently-raided 96% Tyranitar is likely to join that list soon. There are two others that I really want to max out, but cannot justify doing so.
If Raikou was not a legendary, I would have gone to great lengths to acquire a 96% or higher one to max out. In Singapore, finding enough raiders is easy and the real challenge is gym offence. Raikou excels at tearing through the numerous Water-type defenders and is not walled by Fairy-type defenders. What stops me (a free player) is the massive Rare Candy required (and that my best is 89%).
The second is a 98% Gyarados earned from research during the Water Festival, simply because it is my all-time favourite species. Unfortunately, a maxed Gyarados would only useful for Groudon, Onix, Rhydon and defending gyms. Even a level 30 Kyogre is stonger and starters with Hydro Cannon are also expected to outperform my beloved water dragon.
Answers
I've maxed plenty of non-optimum attackers and defenders just because I like using them. If you like Gyarados max him out - the candy isn't too difficult to obtain and dust is just a case of grinding away. Groudon might outperform him but getting multiple Groudons up to level 30 won't be an easy task and he'll hardly be useless as a filler.
So far, I've maxed a few fun things. I've not maxed anything that was completely useless. But I have maxed mon that others would scoff at.
And certainly, I started out with the more obvious ones like Machamp and Tyranitar. But I also did a 98% Gary (from research), a 100% Granbull, a 100% Lapras, a 96% Absol...
What to do next? I've got Kanto Golem, Jolteon, Sceptile, and Zapdos on my current plan for max. But who knows what I might catch or hatch tomorrow that will fancy me.
I'm a (mostly) free player as well, only ever purchased coins once.
I do not have much scruples with powering up my less-than-optimal mons. My Rayquaza is only 89%. My Mewtwo is only 87%. My Wailord is also 87%. My Blissey is only 84%, with 15 HP.
My stardust count is below 1 million, but who cares? It's not like I stand to benefit by sitting on them.
They're all powered up only to level 35, though. I do not see much difference in CP between 35 and 40, and I would much rather use the candy and stardust required to power up another mon.
Maxing legendaries is generally speaking a terrible use of resources unless there are some really important break/bulkpoints or you're swimming in RC. You could almost put 4 Kyogres to level 30 with the candy it takes to max one and even 2 L30 Kyogres are better than one maxed (for pretty much any matchup except Claydol).
Suicune, on account of him being nigh useless in PG. I *did* power up a legacy one a bit just for the novelty.
Otherwise I have a perfect Claydol but powering him up would be such a waste. And I guess I'm kinda on the fence with a shiny Kyogre that's only 87% or 89%, although I've powered it into the 30s. I mean, it's usable but... idk.
Gyarados is the best non-legendary water type at the moment. Kyogre candy is limited and HC Feraligatr is still 4 months away (and we don't yet know if it'll even get HC). If you need to solo Donphan, Flareon, Onix or some new tier 3 boss in neutral weather, a maxed Gary is a great asset.
And it's your favorite pokemon. You should never let anything keep you from powering up your favorites. One of the first mons I maxed was Flareon because I love Flareon, even though it was utterly useless at the time.
As for the question, I have enough resources that I rarely need justification to max anything. I could take almost any 5-10 mons from my storage and immediately max them with no danger to my stockpile of dust for gen 4. Last week I maxed a Swellow and I'm about to make a full team of maxed Espeons just because I can.
EDIT: I realized there is something I've thought about every now and then but still couldn't bring myself to do and it's to max my 0% Eevee and 0% Ralts.
How did I manage to forget about Donphan and Flareon? My current level 30 water dragons are only borderline viable against your favourite fiery fluffball and Ninetales, so maxing out just one Gyarados would make a huge difference. Hope these three and Onix come back so I can use my to-be-maxed Gyarados against them! Thanks for making me feel better. :)
All my perfect rejects:
-A kantonian and an alolan Grimer
-Glasses Hydro Canon Blastoise
-Cloyster
-Altaria
-Voltorb (hoping for the day Electrode learns Explosion)
-Flygon
-Carvanha
-A Sandslash I've kept since 2016
-And all the others
Also, one of each of my imprefect shinies, especially the eevolutions, a Pelipper, Wailord, and the beautiful LR Umbreon.
And finally, all the near-perfect Pokemon with gen 4 evolutions. I REALLY, really ache to just power them up fully so that when their evolutions become available I can just evolve and instantly have a couple of dozen powerhouses. But not knowing their movesets is a huge risk, so I've managed to stop myself from dumping dust on them. This includes a perfect Magmar, a perfect Elektabuzz, a 98% and 96% Tangela, 4 98% Piloswine and a 100%, a perfect Porygon, and a perfect Roselia.
Just typing this list made me very anxious. Now I need to power up something.
Oh man, so many of them...
I love Snorlax, but can't justify investment beyond L35. Too hard to get the candy, too much worse than Blissey for defending.
I have a 98% L30 Blast Burn Charizard (non-shiny), I so much want to bring him up to glorious L40, but can't justify it.
Mew (L33 atm, probably will stay there), Celebi, Gardevoir, Metagross, Flygon, Draco Meteor Dnite, most of my legendaries... the list is just too long.
Already maxed out:
2 Mewtwos (98, 89)
3 TTars (96, 96, 91 - 1 Rock, 2 Dark)
2 Machamps (100, 100)
1 Kyogre (100)
1 Raikou (96)
1 Dragonite (96)
1 Blissey (96)
Ones I will max out in the future; Rhydon to Rhyperior (100), Piloswine to Mamoswine (100). If I had better than a 91 Groudon he would be maxed but waiting for better or shiny.
Almost all of these I use on a daily basis. I would not max out a guy if he was not useful in the meta.
Oh boy, where do I even begin? I can't remember all of them so I'll just list a few off the top of my head:
- at least one Blissey
- shiny weather boosted 98% Zapdos
- 100% Articuno caught yesterday
- 2nd Rayquaza currently sitting at level 30
- Very low-leveled FP Venusaur with upper 90's IV
- 93% weather boosted Latios
- Solar Beam Groudon at lower 30's
- Earthquake Groudon at level 30
I'm sure there's more. Of course, I list these while still dragging my feet on actually maxing things like my Machamp or Tyranitar squads. I should probably do the Machamps so duo's become easier. They Tyranitar are likely fine where they are, there's never been a shortage of people for bird raids and I don't see there being any for Mewtwo next month.
Ok, this could be a long list but let me cut it short. (ADS format)
- My only Kyogre, 131313 sitting at Level 33
- My only Groundon, 141413 at Level 33
- My only Mewtwo, 151512 at Level 31
- My SA Moltres, 151415 as Level 30
- Double legacy Lapras (IS/IB), 141115 at Level 38.5
- Chanseys and Blisseys. Perfect Level 1 Chansey, 151412 Level 20 Chansey, 141415 Level 30 Chansey, 141415 Level 32 Blissey
- Besides the aforementioned perfect Chansey and a already maxed C/Solar Beam Eggy and CB/ZC Zapdos, all other 28 perfect mons.
I'm short of CTM and afraid to get Thunder, and besides Zapdos is not quite relevant right now. For Lapras yes, I might be able to max it out after this event as right now I'm a little short in candy. And I do have another ADS 151315 Lapras with cp 2000~2100 (don't remember level) and want to bring it up as offensive purpose.
