Do you ever play without your starter?

[Hiatus]

I have never done that, because, to me, it's kind of impossible to complete any Pokémon game without the starters. Once the game is completed, though, I usually deposit them so that I could focus on training other Pokémon that are on my team.

 

[Mentalii]

I never played a game without my starter. Even if I don't particularly like it, like in DPP, where I kept my Infernape until the end, even though I don't like this Pokémon. I mean, I have nothing against it but it's nothing for me compared to a Blastoise or a Feraligator. I first put it in the PC, but... Something missed in my team. So I couldn't prevent myself from taking it back. Starters are indispensable to my team.

 

[Blade_of_darkness]

I've tried out as many starter Pokémon that I could off of all of my games, & the ones that I did like were the ones that I kept on my team.

However, generations 2 & 5 have horrible starters, so I ditched them for a better option if I have one.

 

[Sydian]

Usually in DPPt or BW, I ditch my starter. I think they're the worst batch of starters and dislike using them. Though I rarely even like playing DPPt anymore, but I'm usually alright with keeping an Empoleon or Infernape. But gen V starters are definitely my least favorite, and I almost always ditch them.

 

[Satoshi Ookami]

V generation made me do this for the first time.
And I guess it somehow broke a barrier that blocked me from doing it and now I'm doing it pretty often if I find better fire type.
But on the other hand it's not that easy... still BWB2W2 (because of Volcarona) are games where I'm most likely scrapping my starter.

 

[Harmonious Fusion]

I didn't use my Treecko much in either Sapphire or Emerald. In Sapphire it was because I decided to do a Linoone-only run, and I can't remember why I did it in Emerald.

 

[Sabrewulf238]

I have never deposited my starter before....

However I feel like I want to try doing it when Pokemon Black & White 2 comes out.

 

[XtinaIsMeLuvinWWE]

I do all the time now - there's usually a substitute I prefer in every game so I just use that instead. My problem is there are way too many pokémon that I love lol :)

I think the only starter I consistently use now is Sceptile :)

 

[jcsimpson]

I never have and never will. I feel like I'm slapping them in the face by just boxing them. They were my first ally and they'll stay with me to the end.

 

[Katie the Friendly Ghost]

Since I've played like every game five times (except White), I usually deposit the starter after I catch a Pokemon that can hold its own ground, which usually ends up being after the Rock-type gym leader lol.

 

[Golurks Were Meant to Fly]

I used to ALWAYS use my starter, no matter what. But recently I just toss them in the box unceremoniously and rather quickly. Starter's are kind of boring, since I've used almost all of them before...

 

[Know-Nothing Bozo the Non-Wonder Dog]

Quite often. I don't particularly like most of the starter Pokemon, so I usually just use them until I find another Pokemon that I like.

 

[Killjoy]

Ya, fairly often, especially in gen5, but not exclusively. I like to mix things up, as well as cinda act as an individual. I don't like being the "Ash" character, but rather the dude with random pokemon

 

[JessieFan92]

I never did that before. I need to try it one day.

 

[Legobricks]

I always play sans starter. They only stay on-team, infrequently used, until it's filled out with other monsters.
As sentimentality goes, I warm much better to the common bird or small mammal encountered on early routes since they don't start out special and yet by the end of the story will become a force unto themselves as much as any starter would.

 

[Ciax]

I mostly play with my starter, for challenges I normally don't but in normal game play every time I have used my starter except for two separate occasions. One time I was sick of the Sinnoh starters, and the other time I just felt like not using my starter, for a bit of variety.

 

[SuperSaiyanII]

More than likely I will use my starter throughout an entire main game and post game but I have gone a few times where I dump my starter off in the PC as soon as possible and it never sees the light of day again.

 

[ShinyUmbreon189]

For the most part I keep my starter cuz I've had it the whole game so why get rid of it? But when I need to I will.

 

[imevil]

I onlt let them go for challenges butnot for normal plays

 

[Spinosaurus]

Unless it's Turtwig, yep. Ever since B/W I started ditching my starters, because I feel most of the time they're way too good early in-game, easy to train, boring and everybody uses them. It's not that I hate using popular Pokemon (I still use Gyarados, but only if I train Magikarp myself), but I like variety, and generally not a lot of starters really appeal to me. It's the same with the early bird Pokemon. (Fearow >>>>> Pidgeot. Always.)

Torterra is a Grass/Ground Tortoise and Ankylosaur hybrid so it's different.