Does anybody else ditch their starter in these games?

[TheGamedawg]

I've talked about this online before. I don't know why, but ever since I started playing, I've always gotten into this habit of placing my starter in the box when I get another Pokemon of the same type. I always try to make the weirdest teams i possibly can within a game (I once beat one of these with a Flaaffy & a Spinda in my team(the Spinda got the most kills on the champion)). This has lead me to thinking that I should stop using my starter as soon as possible in order to diversify my team a little bit more.

It's odd I know, but I've always seen the starter as just that, a starter. If I play a card game, I don't go to a tournament with my starter deck. It's just something you use to get use to the game, then you box it when you feel you can make your loadout more unique. These games have over 700 Pokemon for a reason, they want you to use them. And I feel it's limiting that one of three Pokemon HAS to be in my team by the end.

Does anyone else feel this way?

Edited September 28, 2015 by TheGamedawg

[TimTim]

Yeah, agreed, starters are not the most important part in the journey, and people like their starters just because they grew accustomed to their presence~I dropped my starters multiple times in other main game playthroughs~

Edited September 28, 2015 by TimTim

[Etesian]

Nope, but I've only ever had one run where I had more than 6 team members (and even then, it was just 8).

[NickCrash]

I ditched Pikachu back in Yellow, because it was underleveled and weak. I remember using none of the other starters. Back then your Nidorino evolved as soon as they reached 36lvl, so I had a team that consisted of Nidoking, Dugtrio, Hypno, Gyarados, Hitmonlee and a totally flying Dodrio. Sometime later, I added a Ninetails and an Electabuzz to the team for variety

[BBD]

nope,I never ditch my starter thought the entire journey before but after I beat the game well...you can guess

let's me give you a hint:leveling up pokemon and breeding need room so

[Vinny]

I never ditched a starter, apart from the Pikachu in Yellow. ew pikachu that can't evolve

And well, I've never ditched a started because I'm a pokédex freak :T

[SgtNoobly]

Ive grown quite attached to meh starter charizard because without his help I am nothing ;_; and because hes a freaken peusdo dragon

and my only friend

[ZEL]

I rarely keep my starter nowadays.
With the exception of Swampert in AS (because I like it a lot), for the past couple of Pokemon playthroughs I've just put my starter in the box early on. I don't exactly dislike them, but I usually find something I like more. It's been like that since at least Diamond.

Now, the "Early Birds", though... those are a different story. Can't ditch my first bird. Except you, Unfezant. Why didn't you just stay a dove.

[Juniper]

I always drop my starter because I find a more interesting pokemon or switched to a ghost mono half way through..

I just get bored of them.

If I had a protean Greninja then I would probably keep it on my team.

(Only reason I didn't in Gen 6 is because, as I said, I randomly switched to a ghost mono around the 6th gym)

[Froiky]

I havn't intentionally ditched my starter before, but while playing Reborn I found a Pokemon that was much better than my starter at the time and I got attatched to it. It was a Magby/Magmar and strangely enough my starter was a Blazekin.

[AuthorReborn]

I never ditch my starters as they are the ones who see you through the tough times of the beginning where 90% of the availible mons should be left in the early game and they should be rewarded by their dedication by going on through to the end. Furthermore, the starters do end up being some of the best mons in the main series games and will often times cover one or two types extremely well while the remainder of your team can be filled out with the likes of Gardevoir and other popluar and strong pokemon.

[Chase]

When I started playing i always thought the Pokemon on the box was something important, so I kept Charizard with me during my first Pokemon playthrough on Red.

The only starter I would consider keeping on my team nowadays is Chespin, as I absolutely adore Chesnaught.

Aside from that, the moment I caught that Poochyena during the DexNav tutorial in ORAS, that replaced my Treecko. There are so many other Pokemon out there that can fill the void your starter has and can do it ten times better. Eventually I got to Petalburg Woods where I encountered Shroomish, and Breloom is just as good a Grass type as Sceptile would be.

I think Competitive Battling kinda shed some new perspective on this for me. Prior to getting into competitive play, I always did get that "bond" with whatever the starter was, even if it wasn't particularly smooth to use it. Ditching allows you to go find a sixth Pokemon that you wouldn't be looking for because the starter would cover that hole, and like the Shroomish above, there are some really good Fires, Waters, and Grasses out there for the taking.

[Sheepish]

I find that I have been doing this a lot more lately, more because of the fact that when I purchase a game I play the absolute living daylights out of it with playthroughs that definitely exceed the amount I could count on my fingers for just about any half-decent RPG now days (favourite genre) and I find that the starters just feel so boring after awhile and I need that extra variety. Heck, who needs a Blastoise when you can have a Golduck!? Anyone...? Yeh probably just me xD

[Chase]

^ Who needs a water starter when you can usually find something like Magikarp pretty early on? Aside from the challenge of training it (which may be appealing for some!) Gyarados is a perfectly viable companion in any of the main series games, but if you picked up a Mudkip or a Froakie or something, why would you think to use it?

You don't need a grass starter when you can pick up Shroomish, or go after an Eeveelution like Leafeon

You don't need a fire starter when you can again go for an Eeveelution like Flareon or something like Magby or Growlithe in Gen 5 or something. Fire starters make the most sense as it's not easy to find Fire types in comparison to the other two.

[dead account]

I just tend to use what works. If the starter works, I'll keep using it.

The only time I've intentionally ditched my starter was for a mono-type run through B2.

[Hexagoen]

who would ever ditch their starter???

its an important part of your pokemon career, and its probably the first mon you recieve!!!

then again, in insurgance, i ditched the eevee for a better mon idc if it has an OP mega, im not training it :x

[Masquerain]

I usually (98% of the time) don't ditch my starter simply because starters are usually with cool designs and are good pokemon as a whole , so there is no particular reason for me to ditch it. Apart from sinnoh where I dislike all 3 starters, there I can actually ditch the starter

[Ice Cream Sand Witch]

I always use my starter. It's one slot on my team taken, and I always like at least one of the starters enough to use them.

[mde2001]

I keep my starters. They connect to me from the start and I can never ditch them.

[Monochrome_Complex]

In the main games yeah, fangames not so much. But admittedly my team in OR is kind of garbage looking back lol. They slaughtered the single player still but jeez man it has no offensive power.

[DreamLady]

In the main games, I usually keep my starter. The only time I ever dropped my starter was during my first Diamond run. I picked piplup because I thought it was so cute. When I was climbing up the mountain to confront the Team Plasma leader, I grew tired of my empoleon by that point. I wanted a special attacking water type and I couldn't use empoleon that well. So, I turned it into my HM slave. You know it's sad to drop a starter if they're dropped and they become an HM slave. My empoleon took over HM slave bidoof's spot. XD

[Damage]

Boxing your starter? Do you also abandon puppies at the riverbed?

[Bessi]

ditching my starter? never!!! the starter is and gonna be forever my fist choice and most powerful pokemon in my team

[Xiri]

Nope. Never have and never will (unless it was a nuzlocke)

[Yours Truly]

It really depends on the starter and their viability for me Sometimes it's a good idea to take that charizard with you and sometimes it's not but I tend not to ditch them, BUT you must know that I usually use the Pokemon I love and pretty much nothing else.

Edited September 29, 2015 by Cronos5010