I believe I can answer all those questions. That said, I would say both use HCG during cycle AND do a pct, though I would use enclomiphene instead of clomid, if available.
I came off injections for a little bit (trying to get dht dialed in) and used enclomiphene solo to SORT OF pct. Seemed to work fine with no sides.
The basic first cycle recommendation linked above is almost fool proof and as safe as possible, given the nature of This Thing We Do. It is, IMO, an excellent guide, that needs to be fully read and understood to execute successfully.
But man, I'm just some rando on the net...