Do you ever not use your starter?

[Balalaika]

I actually like the starter pokemon and it just feels strange playing through the game without one. I always feel the need to have it being the highest leveled pokemon in my team for the storyline too.

I have played through GSC without a starter a few times though.

 

[Pepperton]

in my first run through, i play with them just to get a feel for the game and play it 'traditionally', but if i ever play the games again, there's basically a 50/50 chance i drop the starter, depends on how i feel and what game. hoenn is least probable because those are the starters i love the most

 

[PlatinumDude]

I always use the starters in my in-game teams; it just feels wrong to part with the first Pokemon I get.

 

[Gary10]

My Samurott in White. I used it until the second badge and then kept it as an HM Slave. I don't know why I stopped using it, but my Timburr was my main Pokémon since that moment.

 

[Ruma]

I've played through generation 3 so many times, that I've definitely done it once, just to try it. As others have said it just doesn't feel right...
Haha, but I picked a starter I didn't care for (Torchic) so I wouldn't feel as compelled to use it. It was just really weird to me. But it was also fun because it gave me the opportunity to play using a different array of pokemon.

 

[Juno]

Challenges aside, I actually ditched my Kalos starter in X. I used my Froakie until it evolved into Greninja, then kind of boxed him forever. :s Normally, I'm with the majority here in that my starter is always in my party no matter what, but I just wasn't really feeling the Kalos starters and had other Pokemon that I wanted to use instead of Greninja, so I put him away almost immediately after hitting level 36.

I had my event Blaziken in my party all throughout X though.

 

[Eruption]

I'm not surprised to see most of the dumped starters are from Unova. I only like Samurott from the nine pokémon that are involved in those three evolutionary lines so it's an easy choice in terms of Oshawott. In the original Black, I think I kept it in my team for the entire game, but it was merely a bystander as I completed the majority of the game with a ridiculously over levelled Conkeldurr (usually it's my starter that I over level). In Black 2, I put it in the PC not long after the start and I can't remember what got me through most of the game but Cobalion finished up the last parts of the game. For some reason, it wasn't strong enough to carry the entire team like I usually make my starter do.

 

[Sheep]

In the first playthrough of a main series game I always use my starter because it feels really weird not to. For other playthroughs I might shake things up a bit and use different teams, like when going through challenges, but for the most part I'll still use a starter on my team (just a different one from a previous playthrough).

Poor Unova though. ]: I love Snivy and Oshawott despite the issues some people have with them. Serperior's movepool is very shallow though and I had a hard time using it.

 

[Gligar]

Well in White 2, my main pokemon was Zoroark, not my starter pokemon Samurott.

 

[JJ Styles]

No matter what game it is, I've always kept my starter along my side as it always considered it that friend till the very end. Even before i got hooked with the anime, I always thought that the starter is something that I will never replace.

I do hope that in the future game, Riot Gamefreak will consider something extra for Starter pokemon such as always spawning with the best possible IVs to make them feel even more special since technically, a starter is something a player gets ONLY ONCE without considering breeding and trading. Then again, making starters always spawn with perfect IVs (or at the very least 3-4 perfect IVs on the right places) might cause some exploitable issues that I won't bother pointing out ;)

Regarding Yellow, dumping that Pikachu is an ethical issue. Even though that Pikachu is heavy yellow pixilated baggage at best (especially since you get Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur legitimately to carry your workload), i still can't help but keep it in the party, and at times even use it to clear certain fights and areas. Its even harder on a Nuzlocke run since that Pikachu, like every Pikachu there is, will always be too fragile to stand the heat of possible BS KOs from crithaxing rattatas.

 

[Imperator161]

Unless I'm doing a challenge run, I pretty much always use my starter. I used to always keep my starter in my party for the whole game and beyond, though lately, if I use Exp. Share, I've found I have to put my starter in the PC for a while or it becomes way too overpowered.

My starter is generally my favorite Pokemon on my team (more so for the older games--I haven't been quite as fond of the starter options lately), and when I do play without a starter, it feels pretty strange. If I start with another Pokemon as my starter from the beginning (e.g., in an egglocke), I can grow attached to that starter Pokemon instead, though, especially if it's not especially weak or useless.

 

[Centipede Chan]

I almost ALWAYS use a starter pokemon in my competitive teams. Usually one that can mega evolve.

 

[Kirbychu]

When I was younger I would always use them and never box them, but that got boring. When I was even younger, I would exclusively use my starter.

Now I don't use starters very often. On the off chance I do, there's a good chance I won't evolve it all the way. I like to have different mons stand in as my starters. Makes my runs feel more unique.

In Yellow I will always use Pikachu though.

 

[Nova1]

I didn't use my starter some of the time for Gen 5 (I eventually went back and leveled the pokemon/introduced him back into my team.)

For my first Soulsilver playthrough, I got rid of my starter as soon as I got it. For my second playthrough, i'm using all 3 starters!

For gen 6, again, I stopped using my starter as soon as I could (though I did use Torchic/Charmander). I am very happy with my team.

Whether or not I use my starter just depends on how I feel about that generations starters and my mood in general. Like I love all the gen 2 starters but it felt unique to do the game without them and gave me a more exciting experience.

 

[cream]

i don't think i could ever bring myself to not use my starter. i feel like it is essential to my team. and as weird as this sounds, boxing my starter would make me feel bad.

 

[EscapeRope]

I stopped using my starter about a 1/4 into Pokemon X.

 

[Zenas]

The starters are so cute, I can't bear to stay without them...

I did once, and that pokemon was Chesnaught.
That pokemon is ugly.

 

[Gligar]

I tried it once, and I absolutely began to hate the game when I did it. I releases my Empoleon, and continued till the 6th gym for no absolute reason.

I'm never gonna do it again, it was totally the worst decision of my life. I mean, how can you not get attached to your little fluffy starter and grow up with it?

 

[Squirrel]

I use them occasionally if I'm in the mood for something simple on my team but I prefer to box them as early as possible so I can use more interesting Pokémon. That being said, those more 'interesting' Pokémon often just end up being the early route rodents... :p

 

[Precious~Dark]

First time I play through a game I always use my starter I think it makes sense story wise. If I replay a game sometimes I like to plan my team ahead and don't use the starter pokemon. I get attached to my virtual pokemon I use on my team