Grinding

[Pincher]

I think I unfortunately know the answer to this but; There are only two combat handbooks and only one Native Grace obtainable for XP boosting items correct? I hope I am wrong haha.

[DerxwnaKapsyla]

Nope, that's correct. Two Combat Handbooks, Two Wooden Swords, One Native Grace. Those are the only items.

[Pincher]

bah ok.... thank you for the quick response.

[Wingshadow]

Wait, so I've been grinding to 70 without using exp-boosting items all this time? >_>" Would there happen to be a translated item list somewhere I can look at?

[FlareKyn]

You get a Combat Handbook from Kanako.  It doubles the EXP that the holder gains from battle.

You should be able to trial and error to find it if you already got it from Kanako.

[Zap]

I would like some advice on where everyone does their grinding. Normally I would prefer facing trainers, but all I have left is the Makai Four, and they are difficult to try to grind against.

[sekibanki]

The combat handbook is 戦闘の教範, and the native grace is 土着神の御利益.

[Wingshadow]

I would like some advice on where everyone does their grinding. Normally I would prefer facing trainers, but all I have left is the Makai Four, and they are difficult to try to grind against.

I grind on the level 69-71 puppets in the misty lake ice cave (past the first area. You have to beat the Makai Four once first). Bring a puppet with powerful nature, earth, or wind moves, because most of the puppets there are water/dark/poison type

[Aines445]

I would like some advice on where everyone does their grinding. Normally I would prefer facing trainers, but all I have left is the Makai Four, and they are difficult to try to grind against.

I tend to grind in the patch of grass near Yukari's (hidden) house: you get to it by using the gap-map (スキマップ). There are level 69-71 (Speed) Chens, (Power) Rans and (Defense) Yukaris that you can grind off of: Defense Yukari is a bit of a pain but it's a pretty cool spot to grind (Power Ran's weak to Water Type moves too 8D). The BGM of the area's also really nice...

[Doesnt]

If you can beat the first endgame rematch with five puppets, do it with a reincarnated black mark Kogasa in your sixth slot. Keep doing this until she gets to level 70. Once she's there, style change her to Assist and set her ability to Warning Shot. Assist Kogasa has a fairly easy time setting up on Speed Mokou and proceeding to solo the first fight; once you have her able to do that consistently, build up a Power Aya. Equipped with the Art of Combat, dual multi-hit STABs, and Earth+Electric coverage, she can solo the first three fights with zero set-up once her level is in the high 90s, and will only take a single hit per run.

Being able to solo the fights is very handy for grinding, as you can load your party with five mons that need training and build them all up at once. It's also faster to run down the halls  to the next fight than to gap out and re-enter, which is why Power Aya is preferred; she needs to be very high level to do it at all though.

[Paradarx]

First item from Kanako lets you gain 50% more EXP than you normally do t'words one puppet holding the item. The last one from Suwako after the end game will makes you go Holy Hakurei Batman! as it is x2 the EXP! Thats 100%! (I do believe Colticide told me this if I'm correct, just added my own twist to it...lol).

Eventually once you start getting around level 60 or so, the 50% EXP gain grinding will still be tough. Trainers usually give out the most. Also Fighting a puppet with a higher cost gives you more EXP.

A puppet you sent out last during the time when the opposing puppet faints will get the bonus XP while the rest of your team gets normal XP. Just cause a puppet kills it and switches out later does not mean it still gets bonus. Try it out, see what I mean.

[FlareKyn]

Actually, all puppets that participated and did not faint in-battle will get bonus EXP for being in battle.  And a puppet that faints in-battle will still obtain EXP, just not the bonus EXP from participating.

However if a puppet has been fainted from start to finish, they will not gain EXP whatsoever.

This comes from my own personal experience.  I also double-checked just before posting this using a wild encounter and two puppets with no hold items.

[Pincher]

Power Aya. Equipped with the Art of Combat, dual multi-hit STABs, and Earth+Electric coverage, she can solo the first three fights with zero set-up once her level is in the high 90s, and will only take a single hit per run.

Being able to solo the fights is very handy for grinding, as you can load your party with five mons that need training and build them all up at once. It's also faster to run down the halls  to the next fight than to gap out and re-enter, which is why Power Aya is preferred; she needs to be very high level to do it at all though.

^This... I've been doing this for awhile and it is by far the fastest method to grind that I've seen yet. I definitely recommend this method.

[Zap]

Thanks for the advice everyone! I got some good ideas on what to do now. Especially that Power Aya idea, it sounds extremely effective. :3

Before this, I was trying to grind against wilds in either Hakurei Mountain or Makai. It seems silly now, looking at the alternatives.

[Amenomori]

Wow. I didn't know Aya was that good. Gotta try that.

I've always been using DKokoro to defeat anyone and anything, using Moody + Happiness Dance, then stacking the stats.
Probably slow, but it made me get past the first Elite Four run because my DPatchy kept getting wrecked.