I'm not saying it doesn't help to give some orders. I just feel like there are cases where you have to trust the Pokémon's judgment. They can catch onto things we can't. Smells, sounds, movements that might slip below the radar.

[That was Leon's logic for allowing them full autonomy, and it sure worked for him.]

But really, I feel like letting them train against teammates gives them better experiences, anyway. A trained Pokémon is always more challenging than a wild one.