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[Powerserge]

I definitely get plenty of use out of mine. When I'm feeling down, I just sweep through people in free battle with my perfect legends~

 

[Hiatus]

Aside from those that aren't banned to Ubers, I never find myself using any legendary out-of-game, sadly (such as when having matches online).

While using overly-powerful legendaries--Lugia, Groudon, and Mewtwo, for example--when I was younger, it always felt as if I have some upper-hand of sorts, which wound up making me feel guilty and unskilled, so to speak. Due to that, I found myself avoiding most of them whenever possible. Now that I'm into competitive battling and kind of understand how things go, I have more of an actual reason as to why I shouldn't be using some of these Pokémon.

 

[Pendraflare]

I was using uber legendaries like Lugia, Ho-Oh, Kyogre, Groudon, Palkia and Dialga fairly regularly in normal plays, but I didn't realize until after a while from a certain YouTube user that they make things not as exciting. So when I first caught Giratina in Platinum I didn't use it, although I have used Ho-Oh and Lugia in HGSS just as filler.

 

[Hiatus]

Yeah, using legendaries does help reduce excitement, considering how powerful they are and how easy these Pokémon make things out to be.

So, for another topic--has any of us ever replaced your starter Pokémon in-game, before completing story? If so, what's your story? For me, last time it's happened was in my second run of Pokémon Platinum, if I remember correctly; wound up choosing Turtwig, but gave it to my friend soon after for Gyarados.

It was sort of tough to control the Pokémon at first, thanks to it being high-leveled and me not having sufficient gym badges, but thankfully, that eventually stopped.

 

[pkmin3033]

I replaced my Snivy is Pokemon Black, as it wasn't really as useful as I was expecting it to be. I ended up swapping it for a Sandile, which turned out to be a lot more beneficial to my awful Black team. I didn't really like the 5th gen starters, I only picked Snivy because of the Smugleaf meme thing going around at the time. xD

In Black 2 I picked Oshawott, ran with it for about half the game, then went and got myself a Vaporeon instead. I've just never found the 5th gen starters to be very useful...plus they're all ugly as sin =P

 

[Pendraflare]

In normal playthroughs, no, I always keep the starter.

But in challenges, I have abandoned my starter before, even if I was able to use it on my final team. One of my more recent plays of X had me leaving behind my Frogadier as I had already used Greninja in two plays in a row, but I had only chosen Froakie because it was of my specific color, so I had to. Likewise with a Pignite I had in Black 2, I had to take it because of typing but dropped it relatively early.

 

[Judge Mandolore Shepard]

I never replace any of my starters on my teams. This is because I treat them as the leaders of the teams. To replace them, in my eyes I would feel like I am dishonoring them. I would not want to dishonor Delta (my Blastoise in Blue), Galvatron (my Feraligatr in Soul Silver), Revan (my Swampert in Sapphire), Napoleon (my Empoleon in Platinum), Durendal (my Samurott in White), John Rambo (my Samurott in White 2), or Enterprise (my Greninja in X).

 

[pkmin3033]

I never replace any of my starters on my teams. This is because I treat them as the leaders of the teams. To replace them, in my eyes I would feel like I am dishonoring them. I would not want to dishonor Delta (my Blastoise in Blue), Galvatron (my Feraligatr in Soul Silver), Revan (my Swampert in Sapphire), Napoleon (my Empoleon in Platinum), Durendal (my Samurott in White), John Rambo (my Samurott in White 2), or Enterprise (my Greninja in X).

You called your Greninja Enterprise?

Dude. That is all kinds of awesome. xD

...watch me call my Latias "Voyager" in Omega Sapphire when I get it now...

 

[Pendraflare]

...watch me call my Latias "Voyager" in Omega Sapphire when I get it now...

Wow, that totally reminds me of when I would use Latios on Netbattle several years ago (like mid-2000s) and name it that. Although i'm probably not the first to do so, lol.

 

[Wicked3DS]

I keep my starter for the most part. The only time I didn't was when I did a random challenge where people picked a team for me and I didn't have a starter.

 

[Hiatus]

I sort of wish it were easy to abandon starters, but for a lot of people, it doesn't seem to be; thanks to them having unique typing and whatnot, they wind up being very helpful for your in-game team. Plus, since you have them with you from get-go, it becomes very easy to get used to these Pokémon and battle with them.

 

[Pendraflare]

Very true. XY had the starters I liked the most, I really love all three of them because their typings, while having been done before, are cool for starters. The only time i've ever abandoned the starter is if, again, i'm doing a challenge that doesn't allow me to. Or if i'm doing a Nuzlocke or Wedlocke and it dies.

 

[Hiatus]

I'm very fond of Kalos' fire-type starter, personally; although it does resemble Zorua, Vulpix, Growlithe, and a lot of other already-existing Pokémon, it evolves into something unique. Unlike final fire-type starter evolution forms in past two to three generations, this one, Delphox, doesn't seem to be a combination of fire-fighting, which is something a lot of fans were getting tired of, I believe.

Didn't like this Pokémon too much at first, to be honest, but I'm glad that's changed!

 

[Musicality]

I did a few nuzlockes and wonderlockes so I ended up ditching my starter early on - it wasn't a nice experience, personally. After playing through nearly two dozens of Pokemon games with my starter I've became attached to it.

Sure, most of them (excluding the Kanto starters and Greninja) aren't used much competitively, but the fact that you're probably the only in game trainer that has access to it with the exception of your rival(s) makes it unique. It's also your first Pokemon and all, and it has useful offensive typings and moves early on.

My favourite would have to be Bulbasaur by far - despite it being weaker than Charmander offensively, it's grown onto me, especially with MVenu being the powerhouse that it is today.

 

[Pendraflare]

I did a few nuzlockes and wonderlockes so I ended up ditching my starter early on - it wasn't a nice experience, personally. After playing through nearly two dozens of Pokemon games with my starter I've became attached to it.

Sure, most of them (excluding the Kanto starters and Greninja) aren't used much competitively, but the fact that you're probably the only in game trainer that has access to it with the exception of your rival(s) makes it unique. It's also your first Pokemon and all, and it has useful offensive typings and moves early on.

I don't know why, but I feel like some people bash the Unova starters for that reason. Sure, they're not things to use competitively (unless Contrary Snivy gets released, and even then still ehhh), but they're sufficient for in-game.

And that is another point about starters, that you're one of the very few with them, except in RB/FRLG (but not Yellow as nobody else had Pikachu) and DPPt. Never really thought of it like that.

 

[Brendino]

I always say that I'm not going to use a starter Pokemon, but for the exception of HeartGold, my starter's always made it with me until the Elite Four on my first playthroughs of the games. Maybe it's because some of the more interesting Pokemon that I want to train don't show up until later, but it always feels like a waste training a starter for the first couple of Gyms, and then just dumping it in the PC in favor of something else.

I'm still debating whether I want to drop my starter when OR/AS comes around, but it wouldn't surprise me if I keep using Sceptile throughout now that it gets its own mega evolution.

 

[Hiatus]

In my first run of ORAS, I definitely won't be dropping my starter, that's for sure, haha. I'll likely be picking Mudkip, and I sort of want to give Swampert's mega-evolution form a run to see how it's like and whatnot. In terms of design, it seems to be very promising; heavy arms and more confident-looking face. Battling-wise, Swampert plays more or less as a tank, and its mega-form could do it even better, I imagine.

I've tried to do some Nuzlocke run before, but wound up stopping mid-way through, as I've lost all my valuable Pokémon and didn't wish to capture new ones and start training again from beginning, which would've been quite a hassle. I might give it another go sometime, but not sure when, exactly.

 

[Pendraflare]

On the topic of starters and Nuzlockes, of the four Wedlockes I completed this year, I somehow had my starter make it to the end in all four - Samurott, Serperior, Greninja and Typhlosion between games. Between them, I think the one I was most satisfied to have at the end was Samurott, as I still remember how haywire things got with that one on a few occasions, like Clay and Grimsley. Either that or Greninja, as that nearly died as a Frogadier twice AND was in a no items run. The other two I did feel connections to but not as much as the Water starters.

 

[Hikamaru]

In my first run of ORAS, I definitely won't be dropping my starter, that's for sure, haha. I'll likely be picking Mudkip, and I sort of want to give Swampert's mega-evolution form a run to see how it's like and whatnot. In terms of design, it seems to be very promising; heavy arms and more confident-looking face. Battling-wise, Swampert plays more or less as a tank, and its mega-form could do it even better, I imagine.

I've tried to do some Nuzlocke run before, but wound up stopping mid-way through, as I've lost all my valuable Pokémon and didn't wish to capture new ones and start training again from beginning, which would've been quite a hassle. I might give it another go sometime, but not sure when, exactly.

I did ditch my starter in the post-game on my first Ruby run, but for OR/AS I plan to follow what I did with most games and keep the starter. Also helps that I love how buff Mega Swampert looks, so guess my love of Water starters still stays strong. Not every starter can make the cut competitively but in-game they are still sufficient since AI aren't as smart as human players.

I once tried a Wedlocke run in Y, but I learned just how brutal they can be. I recall doing a practice run and I had a Squirtle die to a wild Pancham that hit 5 times with Arm Thrust... not that long after obtaining said Squirtle.

On the topic of starters and Nuzlockes, of the four Wedlockes I completed this year, I somehow had my starter make it to the end in all four - Samurott, Serperior, Greninja and Typhlosion between games. Between them, I think the one I was most satisfied to have at the end was Samurott, as I still remember how haywire things got with that one on a few occasions, like Clay and Grimsley. Either that or Greninja, as that nearly died as a Frogadier twice AND was in a no items run. The other two I did feel connections to but not as much as the Water starters.

I surely remember all those awesome starters of yours - Swing the Samurott (White), Lacerta the Serperior (White 2), Hydride the Greninja (X) and Bagpipes the Typhlosion (HeartGold). I definitely think Hydride had the most close calls because as you said, he was close to dying while still a Frogadier on two occasions.

I do wonder if your next Wedlocke will continue your "starter lives to the end" trend so I know it'll be surprising if you do lose your starter at some point there. But I surely remember that moment in White where Grimsley killed your Watchog (who you had since the very early stage of the game). I hope your next Wedlocke is something intense because I tend to read your challenge threads on Marriland.

 

[Hiatus]

Is there any difference between Wedlocke and regular Nuzlocke runs? I've heard of the term before, but don't believe I've ever looked into it, haha.