Do you ever not use your starter?

[SvelteDonut]

I boxed my starter until the post-game in AS because I managed to Wonder Trade a Protean Froakie early on and also the Shiny Beldum given away. That versus using all three Hoenn starters in my main OR team.

 

[Oblox]

OR - never liked this games starters (or the sinnoh lot) and id bred up some kanto starters and others in pokemon white for just this occasion.

Loved the Kanto starters (including pikachu!), johtos Totodile was quite good and Froakie is nice but other than that i've just not been impressed with the designs. Gen V's starters were my least favourite though.

 

[Judge Mandolore Shepard]

I don't think there has ever been a time when playing the games where I have not used my starter.

 

[Arylett Charnoa]

I ALWAYS use my starter. This is a requirement for my gameplay experience. It just feels wrong and story-breaking to just dump the first Pokemon I've ever received in a PC. And I always like to make up a little mental story for myself whenever I play through the games. Even if I dislike all of the starters (like in Sinnoh), I will still pick one and use it.

 

[Bounsweet]

I've only ever done one playthrough without my starter and that was in X version when I did a Fairy-type monotype challenge... other than that, I've used my starter in every single playthrough!

 

[DyingWillFlareon]

I use my starter in every playthrough I can, exceptions being only in runs that were meant for challenges that I couldn't use it, and even then I would perfer to cheat/hack in the starters(I do challenges on emu) and every actual game I own has my starter in it. In fact, I believe I've used every starter except Tepig and Froakie so far, although Fenniken wasn't my starter in a certain game it was still on my team.
Besides, how can I rp the game if my storyline is corrupted by me just dumping my starter? XD
Favorite starters seems to be a different topics answered here, so Imll just say I love the Johto and Hoenn trios most, followed by Unova, but with Sinnoh last. Honestly, if I hadn't been Piplup in PMD2 I probably wouldnmt like any of the Sinnoh starters, but I still don't hate them. They just don't stand out to me.....

Kanto-Charizard
Johto-Feraligatr(tough choice for me)
Hoenn-Blaziken(with Swampert close behind)
Sinnoh-Maybe Empoleon
Unova-Samorrott(another hard choice but I loved Oshawott from the very beginning~)
Kalos-Chesnaught(CHESPIN LOOKS LIKE AN EVEN CUTER OSHAWOTT AND MY CHESNAUGHT IS SO DERPY HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE IT)

 

[Candy]

So far, aside from challenges, I've always used them. Not sure, they do have that certain sentimental value about them, which is why I always kept them.

The only two times I boxed my starter is at a Heart Gold re-playthrough just 'cause I don't like Feraligatr, and at a White re-playthrough 'cause I don't like Emboar. Yeah, dex purposes. Still don't like them.

 

[Bellsprout]

Yeah I started doing that in dppt. I replayed those games so much, that I was getting tired of the starters. It felt weird at first, but now I'm used to it. Every time a game comes out I eventually play with all the starters and then as I replay them again I make whole teams without them. I did it in hg/ss a lot too. It's fun and keeps the game from getting so monotonous.

 

[Pendraflare]

That is true - as far as times that I could use my starter but didn't went, one was in Black 2 where I was permitted to use Fighting-types but left my Pignite behind near Nimbasa City in favor of more interesting stuff like Drapion, Escavalier, and - I can't believe i'm saying this - Lucario. The other was in X where there were roughly 40 Pokémon I could choose from, and since I had just used a Greninja the last time I went through it (with the same nature as the Frogadier I had, no less), I decided to drop it around Shalour City.

 

[Universe]

i like starter pokemon a little too much, so no i've never dumped mine.

rather, i like starter pokemon so much that i rarely evolve them at all.

 

[Mega_Kris]

i think the only time i don't use my starter is either when its convenient, when i'm trying to evolve pokemon to complete the pokedex

 

[Thursday]

Like most people, I usually use my starter. I usually stop using them during challenges and post-E4, although I have done just random restarts where I didn't touch my starter outside of trading/boxing it. The only game I can think of that I really dislike using my starter on is Yellow version but Pikachu is a pretty weak Pokemon by the time E4 happens (especially compared to others you can get).

 

[Cerberus87]

I build my team around my starter, as taught first hand by the great Blue Oak.

I did box Tepig in Black 2, but since then I made a new file and used Oshawott all the way through.

 

[Drayton]

I never put my starter in the PC and assume the starter is level 5 in particular which is good, though in HG/SS I tend to switch the starter I choose and going along with Gen1/3 Starters and I may/may not boxed them in the PC

 

[Son Growku]

I've never not used my starter Pokemon in the 16 years I've been playing. It just doesn't feel right. In fact, up until Platinum I pretty much only used my starer. I'm glad I've stopped doing that, the games are much more fun raising a whole team, but yeah, it's always on my team. Boxing your starter to me is akin to getting a puppy for the first time, playing with it once, and putting it in a cage forever. ;-;

 

[The Amazing Justin]

I ALWAYS use my starter. This is a requirement for my gameplay experience. It just feels wrong and story-breaking to just dump the first Pokemon I've ever received in a PC. And I always like to make up a little mental story for myself whenever I play through the games. Even if I dislike all of the starters (like in Sinnoh), I will still pick one and use it.

I'm surprised you dislike the Sinnoh starters. I love them. I used all three when I played Platinum, but everyone has their opinion.

I agree with you that it feels a little strange to not use your first pokemon. The only time I ever did that was in Gen 4 when I picked Turtwig and boxed it after the first gym. Replaced it with Budew. I wanted a team of all catchable Pokemon as crazy as it sounds.

 

[Trainer Galza]

I generally don't box my starter until about the end of the game. I usually level up more than one of the same type in a play through.. but it does depend on the challenges the gyms present. I like to come prepared. Its usually when I do Elite Four research that I drop my starter off in the pc and go with the guys who can actually face the challenges the best. After that point, my starter kind of just sits in the sidelines with the other retired party members and rarely comes back into service.

 

[Pendraflare]

I never hated the Sinnoh starters, they have alright typings everything considered, although I do get that people weren't very in favor of receiving a second Fire/Fighting starter. But other than Chimchar a lot of players found the other two to not be that formidable. Although I think Empoleon's Steel-typing gives it some worthwhile resistances, which is alright, even if it loses the Fire resist at that.

 

[Warspirit]

Only time I didn't use my starter was in B/W. I got an Oshawott because Tepig/Snivy were unappealing to me. But the darn thing kept getting knocked out by simple things. So I switched it out for a Blastoise around the 3rd/4th gym.

It feels very weird to not use your starter. It's like your little buddy you got on Day 1 and you've both set out on a journey together and been through so much. I always have mine in my team no matter what.

 

[Guest123_x1]

I've almost always kept my starter on my team throughout every single Pokémon game that I've ever played. On the rare occasion that I box it, I end up taking it back out after a short period of time. Seems weird to me to not have your starter Pokémon with you through the trials and tribulations of your journey.