Should I? Like how how many crystaliums should i have maxed out before I know I am ready?

Just beat it, either way you can use that game to go to Pulse.

Can save after the game is over (the save will take you right before the very end, so you can do it again)

You can't have any of the Chrystiruim (Sorry spelling) fully done as they are locked until you beat the game. However all the useful moves for lightning, fang, vanille etc are at level 9.

It depends on who you use, and what strategy's you're trying to do. Just try it, and if you die, you can CP farm in orphan's cradle (I think it's actually better as theres things that give you 32000 CP at a certain place in the chapter). Read a guide as to what, and where as I forgot.

Honestly, right before the boss there are the mini bosses you can fight again, keep grinding them until you are maxxed and have 100k or so CP to spend after you beat the game, wish I did that :( Now I cant get to them anymore :(

But before that I would recommend getting the growth egg (do the death trick)

Once your powerful enough to get the growth egg than your powerful enough to farm adamantortoise and adamantoise who give 82 000 CP with growth egg. So my advice would be to farm a bit in the orphans cradle the soldier that gives you 32 000 CP then finish the game. Get the growth egg using Vanille death trick and then farm the tortoise who gives you 82 K CP, platinum ingot (170 K gold) and trapezohedron (material needed for the ultimate weapon).

No... you are not :P

I used the death trick, I'm not powerful enough to take out the adamantoise :P

You use the death trick for the adamantoise also :P. Vanille/saboteur, Hope/healer, Fang/Defense. Equip healing boost item to hope and/or Vanille if necessary.

Yeah, but it's not a guarantee thing.. no matter, I grew bored of the grinding after I beat the game, one day I may go back, hooked on HoN now though :P