Are you going to be a nice Pokémon trainer or an effective one? Andy Kluthe and Andrew Bridgman of Dorkly explain the stark choices that you have. You certainly don't want your Pokémon battle ending before it begins with a hug between the opposing monsters.
But perhaps guide is simpler than it seems. Dorkly commenter Enrico Fethry Migliorini writes:
Left column: game
Right column: cartoon