Darn, this Dratini just refuses to level up...

Started by champagnepapi March 18th, 2011 12:09 PM
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  • 22 replies

champagnepapi

exile

Male
new england
Seen September 4th, 2016
Posted June 25th, 2016
1,795 posts
12.5 Years
Here we go with another 'creative thread title'. Basically, what I'm asking, is if you've ever ditched a Pokemon that you'd intended to take with you, all the way to the Pokemon League. There are a myriad of reasons as to why we've done this, if the Pokemon constantly faints, is hard to level, or has little potential. I've ditched a Spinarak for the latter of these reasons, and a Geodude, when I learned that it couldn't evolve if I lacked two Gameboys and a link cable.

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Seen November 9th, 2015
Posted November 16th, 2012
86 posts
12.3 Years
Yes, and am about to now. This used to happen a lot when I first started playing the game, not so much anymore. But I've recently started Pearl for the first time, and I caught an Onix, thinking "Hey, it looks cool, and I've never used one before." All it really has going for it is the ability to wall Normal-types. I don't even know if there's a normal gym in Pearl (answerz?), but I think it's laggy levelling is gonna make it get the boot sometime soon.
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Superjub

Pokémon Aureolin

Age 28
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Hoenn
Seen August 23rd, 2022
Posted November 5th, 2014
2,288 posts
15.7 Years
Nope, normally once I start levelling up a Pokemon, I keep it in my main team. It seems pointless to start training, lets say a Sentret to level 30 (for example), if you're just gonna ditch it for another Pokemon later. So, if I want a Pokemon that I am going to use, but I am unable to get it until later on in the game, I just train my starter or (if I have any) the other Pokemon in my team that I know I am going to keep and use.

I have restarted my Pokemon black and soft-reseted fr a good nature for Tepig, only because it kept fainting.

WriteThemWrong

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Age 31
Male
Tucson
Seen September 22nd, 2011
Posted June 19th, 2011
1,130 posts
14.3 Years
the most common pokemon i ditched were machoke and kadabra, they were really useful in most of the early games until you got to the 6th gym leader unless you could trade and evolve them. which i never did. so i always just ditched for something else
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Age 32
Male
Australia
Seen October 17th, 2020
Posted December 21st, 2017
8,958 posts
12.3 Years
I never really ditched Pokemon until Pokemon Black.

Starved for choice, I caught a Purrloin in the first route and I didn't like it because everyone you came across had one, so I ditched it for a Munna.

Then I ditched my Munna later on in favour of a Gothita because Munna is quite honestly the most ridiculous looking thing I have ever seen in my life, and Musharna didn't look much better.
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vaporeon7

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Seen September 6th, 2016
Posted May 27th, 2014
5,143 posts
12.7 Years
I don't really ditch any Pokemon. I just hate it when they are under-leveled and I try to use them in battle. Actually a great example of this is when I use a Dratini in R/B that I get from the Game Corner. It faints easily and I have to make constant stops to the Pokemon Centre. But I would never ditch it. (Especially after that many coins.)

Kenshin5

Wanderer

Male
Oklahoma
Seen September 18th, 2013
Posted March 25th, 2013
4,391 posts
14.8 Years
I ditched Unfezant in favor of Rufflet, who is now Braviary. Only reason is because Rufflet didn't appear until Route 10 the Route right before the Elite 4. I just used Unfezant as my basic Flying type and transporter for the time it was on my team.

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Cherrim

Age 34
she / her
Toronto
Seen 4 Hours Ago
Posted 1 Week Ago
33,049 posts
20.4 Years
I was gonna make my grass type in HGSS a Hoppip until I realized I'd be grinding in the beginning for 10+ levels before it learnt anything worthwhile so... I traded in a Cherubi and didn't regret it one bit, haha.

Otherwise, I ditched my starter in White (Tepig; I already had a Litwick), my Purrloin in Black (hoped it would be better than it was), and I'm really tempted to drop my Swanna in White as well, except I've already beaten the league so I'm not sure it counts.

I usually research my Pokémon or roughly decide on my team before I play a game. Usually if I replace one of the members, it ends up being because I found something I liked better before I even got to catch said ditched member.


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mew_nani

Pokécommunity's Licensed Tree Exorcist

Female
Far Lands
Seen May 28th, 2019
Posted August 25th, 2018
1,839 posts
13.4 Years
I ditched a fair amount of Pokemon in my day. Mostly they just couldn't take hits. I can deal with a Pokemon that kinda takes a long time to level up (to a point) but if thye can't take hits or deal damage worth a crap, they usually get the boot. Purrloin is a good example of this. I caught two of 'em, trying to train them, but... I failed. :D

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Age 31
Male
United Kingdom
Seen August 26th, 2011
Posted August 14th, 2011
105 posts
12.7 Years
I rarely drop Pokemon as I always decide which ones I'll be taking with me before I start the game, however when I played through Heart Gold I wish I took Pidgeot instead of Noctowl, its moveset is currently Fly, Roost, Hypnosis and Dream Eater, I just couldn't decide what I wanted to do with it...

Yes, and am about to now. This used to happen a lot when I first started playing the game, not so much anymore. But I've recently started Pearl for the first time, and I caught an Onix, thinking "Hey, it looks cool, and I've never used one before." All it really has going for it is the ability to wall Normal-types. I don't even know if there's a normal gym in Pearl (answerz?), but I think it's laggy levelling is gonna make it get the boot sometime soon.
There aren't any normal gyms in Pearl and later on in the game you'll be able to catch Steelix in the wild, so I'd drop Onix if I were you.

And really low quality for some reason...

Shining Raichu

Expect me like you expect Jesus.

Age 32
Male
Australia
Seen October 17th, 2020
Posted December 21st, 2017
8,958 posts
12.3 Years
There aren't any normal gyms in Pearl and later on in the game you'll be able to catch Steelix in the wild, so I'd drop Onix if I were you.
Steelix's are way more powerful, it's totally worth enduring the Onix to get a Steelix. Having said that, I wouldn't catch one in the wild, as the wild ones tend to be weaker, particularly since they're already at a higher level.
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Rich Boy Rob

"Fezzes are cool." The Doctor

Age 29
Male
Seen March 15th, 2016
Posted August 15th, 2015
1,051 posts
14.9 Years
I usually find it very hard to box something after having trained it. I'm soppy sentimental like that.

However in Black I was forced to substitute a few:

Blitzle - Reason: Fast but lacked strength, defence and health.
Serperior - Reason: Just wasn't learning any good moves and started to lag behind in power. I was really disappointed by this one.
Bisharp -Reason: Was just nowhere near as powerful as it appeared. Especially annoying since I subbed her in for Serperior.
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Male
Denmark
Seen March 21st, 2013
Posted March 21st, 2013
17 posts
12.2 Years
I usually find it very hard to box something after having trained it. I'm soppy sentimental like that.

However in Black I was forced to substitute a few:

Blitzle - Reason: Fast but lacked strength, defence and health.
Feel the same like you, when i use time to train it, i dont feel like putting it into a box and leave it there.

But for the same reason as you i had to put Blitzle away. Also i put Pansear away too when i got a Tepig through the GTS, since it seemed better later on, and a lot stronger than Pansear too.
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Saryka

Seen July 16th, 2013
Posted July 16th, 2013
3,499 posts
16.2 Years
Actually, Pokémon White is the first game in the series where I've ditched certain Pokémon on my team for others. So far, I've swapped:

Unfezant >> Sigilyph
Cohagrigus >> Litwick
Timburr >> Scraggy

I also briefly swapped my Drilbur (now an Excadrill) for a Sandile, but I ended up catching the Scraggy I mentioned earlier and liked it so much, I kept it on my team. Since I didn't want two Dark-types on my team, I brought back Drilbur. I was also planning to switch my Zebstrika for a Joltik, but by the time I got to Chargestone Cave, I liked my Zebstrika so much I kept it in my party. My next playthrough of the game, I'm gonna catch myself a Joltik for my party, I've already decided.