So, I just beat the sixth gym, and holy motherfucking shit this game is hard - easily the grittiest, most tactical and downright *brutal* main series game. Even with appropriate grinding and fighting every single wild Pokemon I come across I'm always like 4 levels behind the trainers and leaders - and it is glorious.

But then my friend told me X/Y is the easiest entry so far and us like 12 levels ahead of me while playing less with all his main team Pokemon. This confused the fuck out of us until we realized - he was using the EXP share and I wasn't.

Basically, Gen VI has piss easy mode and balls to the wall mode depending on if you use the EXP share or not - so if any if you out there want to experience a naturally more difficult and tactucally engaging Pokemon game without using artificial rules like Nuzlocke, definitely play without the EXP share - it's so much fun.