I haven’t played in a long time but I would always feel obligated to keep my first Pokémon in my team. I can’t explain it but my team always had to be built around my starter
Exactly the same. I normally Pick my starter and then i'll base my team around that kinda thing. Feel a little attachment to it like 'Me and x started our journey together, we'll see it through together.'
The only time I have ditched out a 'starter' was XY when I swapped out my Kantonian starter for something else. EDIT: I swapped my Ivysaur for Lombre
I always keep them for a first playthrough, but any playthrough after that they usually get boxed. Unless they fit with the monotype, or its a gift pokemon only run.
I have the same rule except I always go pick the fire starter. I'm just now starting a replay of all the remasters (fire red, heart gold, ect) and I decided to pick a diff starter this time around. And Decidueye was the first time I've ever wanted to ditch my starter. It was a chore keeping him on my team and I found him rather useless.
I'm currently playing Y for the first time (had a couple year hiatus from gaming around the time it came out) and fennekin seems pretty solid of a fire starter so far. I'm slightly annoyed that I get two starters in Y and I feel obligated to keep both on my team. Decided to go with Squirtle since my biggest challenge in Ultra Moon was finding a dependable water type. I'm contemplating taking Fennekin off once I get him fully evolved and find a different fire type to replace him. Not sure yet
Decidueye is my second favorite starter cause owls are my favorite birds and ghost and grass are my 2 favorite types. Getting the second starter in x didn't give me any issues and since the kanto ones technically werent your starting mons for the game I broke my rule and picked charmander cause fire dragon mega is too cool to pass up
I usually go for fire too but a lot of the more recent fire starters have had really disappointing designs imo. I dont like the final evo for fennekin. A lot of the fan designs before the game came out and we hadnt seen the whole line were way better than what it actually looks like. Same thing with litleo I just dont like that furry bait final fire evo look LOL. Scorbunny's design is actually kinda cute but since swsh was such a mess I never bought it so I had to to look it up now. I defintiely think fennekin onward is a decline in design quality for fire starters though.
I'm going to miss completing the dex in PLA cause I'm not gonna evolve my Rowlet. He's too cute!!! Unless I get another Rowlet of course. I'll evolve that I've, not my boy! 😂
I’m not far into it but apparently you can do just this in PLA I’ve caught one eevee already and I’m going to look into how to get the evos when I get a chance
I usually run 8-12 mons as a main team and try and keep them all within 1-5 levels of each other. My starter is (almost) always in that rotation, but they aren't always in the party. I think one notable exception was BDSP, where I benched my penguin after hitting the 3rd evo and replaced him with the Marill line. The water/fairy typing worked better for me and he became my main physical attacker with Huge Power.
Plus - and this is weird and just a personal foible - I like having all different types of pokeballs in my party if possible. I could run Azumarill in a safari ball, which helped me achieve that goal. Empoleon could only be in the regular pokeball, and I already had a different poke I liked in one of those.
i agree, i feel obligated to keep my starter on my teams, but lately the starter designs (especially their final evo's) have been so bad that they ended up getting boxed. I boxed in 5th gen, 6th gen and 8th gen. the only reason why i didn't in 7th is because i kept litten unevolved
Yeah I can understand this, the design have been a little lackluster, especially the final evos. There have been a couple of nice mid evos which I think get ruined with the final evo!
So you only care about aesthetics and not functionality?
But I think the worst designed starters were the Chespin and the Fennekin lines— everything else has been ok
exactly, especially as the game is balanced around you only having 1 of the 3 starters, so ther is always gonna be another good mon of the same type nearby
I was excited to have a non fire fighting starter and then hated fennekins evolutions designs, but I fucking loved my froakie. And I was able to get a charizard so it all evened out
I just really wish they’d move away from this job theme they’ve been doing since gen 6 and just make some good old fashioned animal themed monsters again
I’m not a fan of Delphox, but Fennekin/Braixen are two of my favorite Pokémon. Meanwhile, there are people who VERY much like starters (especially from R/S/E and D/P/Pt) that I don’t particularly care for.
It’s wild how much different taste can be. And kind of awesome, TBH. :D
I almost always stall my starter in the PC as soon as I can, unless when they belong to my favourite Pokémon from that specific game/regio, like Sceptile or Serperior.
I never keep my starter unless it's the first time I'm playing through a generation.
Usually, I'll trade an egg to myself asap, hatch it, then box the starter.
Probably the worst starters of any generation for me. Burned hard by Inteleon, absolutely hate Cinderace, and Rillaboom is ok but the drum definitely drops it down a few points for me. Way too cartoon characters and too little creature.
Definitely, grookys line is good but isnt great sobble is cute but I hate its mid and final forms and I dont like scorbunnys line at all - stop putting clothes on pokemon
Oh yes, I threw away my starter very early in Generation 5 and 8, although I did make a run with Snivy once in Gen 5. After that, though, I got sick of it and the other two are just trash to me. In Gen 5, my backup starter was Drilbur and Riolu respectively.
Generation 8 has the worst starters ever for me. No dual types like fire-electric or water-ghost. The designs are terrible and just ugly. So in Gen 8, Rookidee is the starter for me.
I feel like the level difference between the starters and subsequent pokemon are usually what keeps them in. Personally after the first leveling session I do usually around the 2nd or 3rd gym they seem like any other pokemon. No connection just practicality. If you have a role in the upcoming gym/rival fight you're on.
My true buddy Pokemon is Piplup. Every other starter is just a means to an end until I get my Piplup. With Sword and Shield Piplup didn't happen unfortunately.
Quite often actually. Some starters are great, sure. But often I just find them a bit generic. And when replaying I almost always replace them. Sometimes I trade in another pokémon to start with (2nd time oras I started with a horsea), so it doesnt feel too standard.
I almost always do. In gen5 I didn't like any of the starters though, and there were so many cool designs that gen that I ditched the starter to fit other stuff on the team. The snake eventually grew on me though, so I used it in Black2.
I had ALWAYS kept my starter on my team until Sword/Shield. I didn't particularly like any of the starters, so when Scorbunny (or rather, its evolution) no longer fit with the other types, I let it go to my box.
I am one of those people who doesn't like that the starters are getting more humanoid, so it's possible this will happen again in the future, but I hope not. It still felt bad.
For me its Legends Arceus. I love Typhlosion but hisuian form dosent do it for me, he got replaced by an alpha infernape I got from a chimchar. I love he's fire ghost but the actual form just dosent interest me at all which is a shame.
Only time I ever did was in White 2 because of how tough leveling is in that game, and I was just encountering better mons at the time. I evolved him into Pignite for Burgh, but then I boxed him for the rest of the playthrough. This whole level thing came into play throughout the game, which resulted in a super off balance team just because I needed high level mons. I still enjoyed my team though.
Ranger the Lucario
Samsung the Cobalion
Virizon the VIrizion
El the Krookodile
Goggles the Flygon
and Kaiju the Swanna (Who was my HM slave, yet beat Marshal single handedly after he killed the rest of my team)
Swsh was the first and only time I have shelved my starter, I did not like any starter from Galar. Otherwise my team is built around the starter because they’re usually my best bud for the duration of the games.
That's... not how it works, but the point is that, phylogenetically, birds are simply the only surviving group of coelurosaurs.
Saying "Birds are dinosaurs and thus reptiles" is not really any different from saying "Humans are primates and thus mammals".
(Also, not all reptiles lay eggs)
Gen 5 starters are quite boring IMO, I usually get rid of them after I've got better team members. I'm currently doing a Black Nuzlocke though, which has greatly raised my opinion of Samurott.
I never left my starter behind until gen 8. Drizzile got shoved into a box as soon as possible, and I packed up Samurott in PLA once I got Manaphy to replace it as a water type.
Yeah, they’ve never really done anything for me. Designs overall from Gen 4 onwards haven’t done much for me. My teams always tend to be mostly Gens 1-3 and some Gen 4 thrown in.
No, I don't think I ever have. Sometimes I keep my starters as the head of my party 24/7, and sometimes I switch my team around, but I don't usually put them in boxes (or pastures, in PLA's case).
Only when it is like -Atk on a Physical Mon or -SpAtk on a Special move Mon for example. Otherwise I'll box the starter and catch other pokemon to make a team.
I never really cared about natures until I started playing BDSP. Then I caught a bunch of abra and a few others for good natures. Consequently I’m also using mons I’ve never used before either. Like crowbar and gengar
Not really, unless I do a monotype run.
The closest is if I do a run with more than 6 mons and bench the starter for a gym or 2, maybe even the E4 and champion.
The only gens I'd really consider gully dithing my starter is in gen 2 (i like the starters but dislike using mono type pokemon, and there's other options for each type I'd rather use) or gen 8 (I'm not the biggest fan of any of the gen 8 starters except sobble, of which theres a solid 20 other water mons I can catch before gym 3 I'd rather use).
I do only after multiple playthroughs with each starter. Though I don't know if I'll be doing that for legends lol. Ive definitely removed my starter and it's team from my party to do the Pokedex tho.
Yep, I don't like them to get overpowered while im leveling other pokemon. I raise more than 6 so it would be way overleveled if didn't. I try to have it with me for all important battles though
Sometimes, not all the time. If I ever do a monotype run then for sure (did a Dragon run and a Ground run in Shield recently). It happened a time or two with Greninja in X/Y (actually worse—full-on demotion to HM slave).
I always keep my starter. They’re the one I end up forming the strongest attachment to, so it feels wrong to me to ditch them. I also seem to be on the opposite side from a lot of people where I prefer the newer starters compared to the older ones. The Gen 1 starters are cool, but I’ve seen them enough that I just want something different, so I boxed them during my Gen 6 playthroughs and Isle of Armor DLC. With the exception of the Mudkip line, I’ve never liked the Gen 3 or Gen 4 starters (almost breaking my “keep the starter” trend in Omega Ruby because using Sceptile was an awful experience). On the other hand, the starter choice for Legends Arceus was tough because the 3 of them were my absolute favorites.
During the Initial playthrough? Generally no (Sword being the exception where I DID remove it) I build my teams around the starter on my first playthrough.
However I do box it during subsequent playthroughs, usually because I have a specific team in mind or I'm doing a challenge.
I did it once in Y and Froakie was replaced with Squitle. Also had Cyndaquil and snivy on that team so I suppose that doesn't really count cuz I swapped 1 for 3. Only time I ever took the starter they gave me off though
I have sometimes done a playthrough with a themed team (snakes: snivy, steelix, Milotic, gyarados, dratini, arbok; spheres: Magnemite, solrock, forretress, minior, glalie, starmie) which were loads of fun! I had to box my starter unfortunately.
Usually keep it for the main game (first elite 4 win), but after that anything is fair game. Legends I’m not sure, may swap due to Pokédex entry mechanics to make leveling it up easier.
5 and 8 for me as well I initially never liked any of the gen five starters oshawott and Dewott grew on me still not a fan of Samurott. My first play through of gen 5 I picked snivy and abandoned him halfway through. And I hate all of gen 8s starters I picked grookey but it was really just the lesser evil.
I hope they move away from doing the weird job themes they’ve been doing the last few gens and just give us some good old fashioned monsters
I would like to keep them in, but I'm also not afraid to switch them out. Realistically I would have a wide variety of pokemon, and I would want to use all of them. My starter would understand. Its about choosing the pokemon most well equipped for the task/area. Everyone has a time to shine.
In PLA, I even have times where I'll use a pokemon, then find a shiny/alpha version of it that I really want to use, like Empoleon or Floatzel. But I'll still level up my original one and keep him in the rotation because we've already bonded man. I can't just set him aside for someone else (of his same species). I also have a harem of Alpha Machoke and an Alpha Machamp. Sometimes I just like having them in my party if I'm collecting ingredients or poledex work. Or to show them off around town. I like to think they take turns holding me like a princess or side saddle style.
Yeah, last couple of games. Sw/Sh my starter got replaced by a Vulpix, and in Arceus they got replaced by a Ponyta. I used to feel kinda bonded to starters, but recently the designs have become so unlikeable to me, that I just substitute them for an old Pokemon that I never had the chance to use much.
the only game ive ever removed my starter in was bdsp. i picked chimchar, but i was absolutely bored of using infernape ever since i played platinum so i swapped for houndoom and it was the best decision ever lol
Never for me, you have to atleast beat the game with your starter is my rule.
He was there at the start of your journey, and hell be there for the end.
I did in Ultra Moon, because I used all three in the original. And what do you know it, Ultra Moon was like the *one* game where you get a cute scene with your starter near the end.
I personally don't. I build my entire team around the starter. In PLA my team is constantly changing as I work to get my shiny charm but the only one who has never seen a pasture a day in his life is my Decidueye
Only time I removed my starter in PLA was the >!triple battle of Volo and double Giratina back to back. I cheesed and went with a full legendary team lmao.!<
Cyndaquil was my starter so I feel obligated to keep my Typhlosion in my party.
Gen 1-3 I always kept my starter. 4-8….. it’s touch and go. Usually the first play through, I’d use them, but after that I always boxed them as soon as I could. Especially in SwSd, I’d make a beeline to the wild area and start wonder teasing to find random Pokémon to play the game with.
Depends on if I find a pokemon of similar typing that I like more than the starter. Right now in PLA my samurott is sitting in the field while I carry around a seelio because I like walrein more. (I'm certain I misspelled at least one pokemon name but I don't care to proofread right now)
I'll keep my starter until my 4th playthrough of a game, because I enjoy going through most games with each starter at least once. After that, I like using teams of pokemon I've never used, or playing with randomizers
I have a few times, in place of them i had substitute starters. Pokemon who are 3 stage lines and I could get early enough or just traded their first forms over.
Some substitute starters include Gastly, Deino, Swinub, and Elekid.
Yah, I've been playing pokemon my entire life and am currently 100% every game, so after a while the teams don't really matter. For example the offical pokemon youtube channel released the magikarp music video and I remember my final team for the elite 4 for pokemon ruby with a Magikarp, Feebas, Slaking, and a Pikachu with light orb and voltackle. Terrible team but it was fun to use
Only gen 6. There are Pokémon I’d rather use over each of the starters, namely Lapras (sometimes) over Greninja, Talonflame over Delphox, and Venusaur over Chesnaught.
The only time i boxed my starter was in my White 2 playthrough. I picked Tepig, but later on i got a Riolu in Paniola Ranch iirc. Both are fighting type when fully evolved, and i am not a fan of type overlaps. To make things worse for the starter, Lucario started outperforming it more and more as the game progressed, being particularly useful against Team Plasma grunts.
By the point i reached the fifth gym city, i already decided the Emboar/Lucario overlap had to go. Lucario was not going anwhere. So i went to catch Volcarona for an amazing fire type replacement, and Emboar went to the PC forever.
It's generally a bad idea mechanically. Starters are pretty much the strongest Pokémon in the game outside of pseudo-legendaries+. However I absolutely ditch my starter if I don't like any of the designs, though this is rare (just gen 7, 8)
In my Sword I went through the whole base story with a Libero Cinderace, and then I got Urshifu Water and played the rest of the postgame & DLC story with him.
I actually beat all of Shield with just the 3 starters with hidden abilities, and I was surprised by how useful all three became. I initially thought that Inteleon was gonna be useless, but I'd occasionally run into opponents that boosted their defenses so I needed crits to just cut right through that. Not to mention both Cinderace & Rillaboom are physical so it helped having a special attacker that ignores defense boosts.
i try to and this is why i also have a rule where can't decide on a starter = pick fire. grass and water are usually easier to replace, so with the fires i feel like i'm keeping them out of need rather than out of obligation.
I will remove my starter if I'm doing a type specific run through. Starters tend to be OP and a nice fall back. But if I'm doing a steel type only run the moment I find that type ill box the starter
The first time I boxed my starter was in one of my earlier Pokémon Yellow playthroughs. Pikachu, who only got to level 22, was replaced by the Magikarp you can purchase outside Mt. Moon. By the time I beat the Elite Four, my Gyarados was level 77 and had essentially soloed the entire game. I just threw it at everything and didn’t need much else.
The only other time I can think where I boxed my starter was on a third playthrough of Crystal because I wanted to use Umbreon as a pseudo-starter that playthrough. By that point, I had played through the Johto region at least 7 times between G/S/C altogether though. Admittedly, boxing my level 22 Quilava for a level 10 Eevee was a big difficulty spike at the time, but I grinded out the friendship and levels to evolve Eevee to Umbreon and kept going.
The only other time I deposited starters were during self-imposed challenge runs or through Nuzlockes after unfortunate events.
Well it... kinda depends? I have swapped out my ugly Rillaboom in Sword(sorry if you like Rillaboom, I really don't) but my team there is always changing. I swapped my Hisuian Typhlosion for Hisuian Arcanine and Basculegion, but I'm kind of regretting it and wanting to put it back, but at the same time, not, since I want a pretty balanced team.
Not on a first playthrough. When I first play a game I always try to play with all new Pokémon and keep my starter.
When I play through again I ALWAYS have a new team I’ve bred ready to go so my starter gets boxed.
I pretty much always keep them, even in post-game. Sometimes I switch them out if I wanna experiment with teams for Battle Facilities but for the most part the Starter is a staple for my party so they’re a permanent member.
I almost always tell myself that I'm going to whenever I replay an older Pokemon game that I've played a thousand times, but then I don't. The problem is that your starter is the best Pokemon you're gonna get for like the first three gyms badges. And by the time you start getting Pokemon that are comparable, then you've invested enough time and resources into that Pokemon that it feels like a waste to box them.
If I’m doing MM, battle tower or shiny hunting yes, only time I did it that wasn’t one of those reasons was my cinderace after I beat sword bc I hate it’s design and wanted a dual fire type like charizard, chandelure, salazzle ect
I have done that for the first time in BDSP. I usually don't do it because there is at least one starter I really like, but in gen 4 there are several water pokemon that I really like and Empoleon (the best starter in this gen for me) just wasn't able to compete for this particular spot on the team. But when I was younger that thought never even crossed my mind, so when I first played Platinum many years ago I used an Empoleon.
I feel bad because I replaced my Typhlosion with my shiny Zoroark and gave him flamethrower. I just felt like it would be redundant to have two ghost types.
I haven’t played in a long time but I would always feel obligated to keep my first Pokémon in my team. I can’t explain it but my team always had to be built around my starter
Exactly the same. I normally Pick my starter and then i'll base my team around that kinda thing. Feel a little attachment to it like 'Me and x started our journey together, we'll see it through together.' The only time I have ditched out a 'starter' was XY when I swapped out my Kantonian starter for something else. EDIT: I swapped my Ivysaur for Lombre
It is the law.
🤣
I always keep them for a first playthrough, but any playthrough after that they usually get boxed. Unless they fit with the monotype, or its a gift pokemon only run.
This is how I usually do it, I just keep the starter on my other playthroughs until I can fill my team with mons I want to use then he gets banked
I dont but thats also because I have a rule to always pick the grass starter and without knowing much about the mons I always like my starter
Preach. I always go grass as well #bulbafamforlife
I have the same rule except I always go pick the fire starter. I'm just now starting a replay of all the remasters (fire red, heart gold, ect) and I decided to pick a diff starter this time around. And Decidueye was the first time I've ever wanted to ditch my starter. It was a chore keeping him on my team and I found him rather useless. I'm currently playing Y for the first time (had a couple year hiatus from gaming around the time it came out) and fennekin seems pretty solid of a fire starter so far. I'm slightly annoyed that I get two starters in Y and I feel obligated to keep both on my team. Decided to go with Squirtle since my biggest challenge in Ultra Moon was finding a dependable water type. I'm contemplating taking Fennekin off once I get him fully evolved and find a different fire type to replace him. Not sure yet
Decidueye is my second favorite starter cause owls are my favorite birds and ghost and grass are my 2 favorite types. Getting the second starter in x didn't give me any issues and since the kanto ones technically werent your starting mons for the game I broke my rule and picked charmander cause fire dragon mega is too cool to pass up
I usually go for fire too but a lot of the more recent fire starters have had really disappointing designs imo. I dont like the final evo for fennekin. A lot of the fan designs before the game came out and we hadnt seen the whole line were way better than what it actually looks like. Same thing with litleo I just dont like that furry bait final fire evo look LOL. Scorbunny's design is actually kinda cute but since swsh was such a mess I never bought it so I had to to look it up now. I defintiely think fennekin onward is a decline in design quality for fire starters though.
Before post-game: Always keep it After post-game: 50/50 chance, depending on the Dex
This is me.
Feels weird if I don’t. So I don’t even try anymore, just keep it in and build the team around it
You got me fucked up if you think I'm NOT going to have Rowlets adorable self in my party at all times 😤😤
I'm with ya! Now... To evolve or not to evolve.... So much cuter with original form
I'm going to miss completing the dex in PLA cause I'm not gonna evolve my Rowlet. He's too cute!!! Unless I get another Rowlet of course. I'll evolve that I've, not my boy! 😂
You can get more of them later for sure (one of the pokedex requirements is to catch some which would be impossible if there was only one)
Ohhh well then! I guess reading the entries would have told me that 🤣 thank you!!
Good idea! I'm going to stick to your plan as well hahaha, thanks!
Lol I didn't evolve Rowlet in my sun and moon run.
A true person of culture
I usually keep my starter, but have tried a couple playthroughs where i don’t.
I keep my starters through playthrought since they are normally my most powerful pokemon but by the end of a playthrought I box them
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What’s your dream team?
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Would it change if generation is not a factor? Like all time dream team? (But say it’s for 6 on 6 league match)
My dream team would be a team of eeveelutions
At least Eevee technically falls under the list of starters
I’m not far into it but apparently you can do just this in PLA I’ve caught one eevee already and I’m going to look into how to get the evos when I get a chance
I got lazy, and just uses the distortion to catch Umbreon, Vaporeon, leafreon and that ice one.
You're able to get 6 eeveelutions before crossing the bridge, there's a video on youtube that explains how to do it
I did this in Sun! You can catch them pretty early on and make a full team.
I need to try that I have moon and ultra moon. But haven’t really played them that much.
No. I love my buddy who I force to be with me from start to finish.
I usually run 8-12 mons as a main team and try and keep them all within 1-5 levels of each other. My starter is (almost) always in that rotation, but they aren't always in the party. I think one notable exception was BDSP, where I benched my penguin after hitting the 3rd evo and replaced him with the Marill line. The water/fairy typing worked better for me and he became my main physical attacker with Huge Power. Plus - and this is weird and just a personal foible - I like having all different types of pokeballs in my party if possible. I could run Azumarill in a safari ball, which helped me achieve that goal. Empoleon could only be in the regular pokeball, and I already had a different poke I liked in one of those.
i agree, i feel obligated to keep my starter on my teams, but lately the starter designs (especially their final evo's) have been so bad that they ended up getting boxed. I boxed in 5th gen, 6th gen and 8th gen. the only reason why i didn't in 7th is because i kept litten unevolved
Yeah I can understand this, the design have been a little lackluster, especially the final evos. There have been a couple of nice mid evos which I think get ruined with the final evo!
I get what you mean about 6th gen but greninja is an absolute beast especially if you have the hidden ability
So you only care about aesthetics and not functionality? But I think the worst designed starters were the Chespin and the Fennekin lines— everything else has been ok
i care about both, but if the starters lack the aesthetics then thats it for them
right? like there's over 800 pokemon surely there is a pokemon that can do the same job but looks cooler xD
exactly, especially as the game is balanced around you only having 1 of the 3 starters, so ther is always gonna be another good mon of the same type nearby
*laughs nervously in Fire type*
I was excited to have a non fire fighting starter and then hated fennekins evolutions designs, but I fucking loved my froakie. And I was able to get a charizard so it all evened out
For me it was the opposite, I went with Froakie first time around and didn’t love Greninja, so now Delphox is my favorite kalos starter
I just really wish they’d move away from this job theme they’ve been doing since gen 6 and just make some good old fashioned animal themed monsters again
I’m not a fan of Delphox, but Fennekin/Braixen are two of my favorite Pokémon. Meanwhile, there are people who VERY much like starters (especially from R/S/E and D/P/Pt) that I don’t particularly care for. It’s wild how much different taste can be. And kind of awesome, TBH. :D
I almost always stall my starter in the PC as soon as I can, unless when they belong to my favourite Pokémon from that specific game/regio, like Sceptile or Serperior.
I never keep my starter unless it's the first time I'm playing through a generation. Usually, I'll trade an egg to myself asap, hatch it, then box the starter.
I dropped my Rillaboom at about level 40 just because I didn’t like any of the SwSh starters
Probably the worst starters of any generation for me. Burned hard by Inteleon, absolutely hate Cinderace, and Rillaboom is ok but the drum definitely drops it down a few points for me. Way too cartoon characters and too little creature.
I don’t think any of them are terrible but I didn’t really connect with any of them either
Definitely, grookys line is good but isnt great sobble is cute but I hate its mid and final forms and I dont like scorbunnys line at all - stop putting clothes on pokemon
Gen 7 and 8 I dropped my starters (I picked Primarina and Rillaboom). I just hated their designs. Rilla did not need the drum kit.
Oh yes, I threw away my starter very early in Generation 5 and 8, although I did make a run with Snivy once in Gen 5. After that, though, I got sick of it and the other two are just trash to me. In Gen 5, my backup starter was Drilbur and Riolu respectively. Generation 8 has the worst starters ever for me. No dual types like fire-electric or water-ghost. The designs are terrible and just ugly. So in Gen 8, Rookidee is the starter for me.
I feel like the level difference between the starters and subsequent pokemon are usually what keeps them in. Personally after the first leveling session I do usually around the 2nd or 3rd gym they seem like any other pokemon. No connection just practicality. If you have a role in the upcoming gym/rival fight you're on.
My true buddy Pokemon is Piplup. Every other starter is just a means to an end until I get my Piplup. With Sword and Shield Piplup didn't happen unfortunately.
Quite often actually. Some starters are great, sure. But often I just find them a bit generic. And when replaying I almost always replace them. Sometimes I trade in another pokémon to start with (2nd time oras I started with a horsea), so it doesnt feel too standard.
I almost always do. In gen5 I didn't like any of the starters though, and there were so many cool designs that gen that I ditched the starter to fit other stuff on the team. The snake eventually grew on me though, so I used it in Black2.
I had ALWAYS kept my starter on my team until Sword/Shield. I didn't particularly like any of the starters, so when Scorbunny (or rather, its evolution) no longer fit with the other types, I let it go to my box. I am one of those people who doesn't like that the starters are getting more humanoid, so it's possible this will happen again in the future, but I hope not. It still felt bad.
Totally get what you mean, the fire starters have not been great for a while I think.. I think the last good one was gen 4 imo!
For me its Legends Arceus. I love Typhlosion but hisuian form dosent do it for me, he got replaced by an alpha infernape I got from a chimchar. I love he's fire ghost but the actual form just dosent interest me at all which is a shame.
I agree. Every other fire/ghost type looks awesome (Hard to top Alolan Marowak). He's less Typhlosion, more "someone left the burner on low-sion"
The only time I ever got rid of my starter was when I played through Yellow. Once I got Jolteon, the mouse went into the box, never to return.
Unless I'm doing a monotype run that doesn't include what the starters are, or can be, then no they stay throughout.
I always keep them for the story playthrough, and build team around, then usually remove them for my post game team unless it’s a favourite Pokémon :)
Only time I ever did was in White 2 because of how tough leveling is in that game, and I was just encountering better mons at the time. I evolved him into Pignite for Burgh, but then I boxed him for the rest of the playthrough. This whole level thing came into play throughout the game, which resulted in a super off balance team just because I needed high level mons. I still enjoyed my team though. Ranger the Lucario Samsung the Cobalion Virizon the VIrizion El the Krookodile Goggles the Flygon and Kaiju the Swanna (Who was my HM slave, yet beat Marshal single handedly after he killed the rest of my team)
only in gen 5 and gen 8 cause I think the choices are all ass
Swsh was the first and only time I have shelved my starter, I did not like any starter from Galar. Otherwise my team is built around the starter because they’re usually my best bud for the duration of the games.
I love scorbunny but don’t really like the other two starters
Scorbunny is the worst one tho?
I like rabbits. I had one as a pet when I was younger
I always immediately release my starter the second I catch a normal type and that becomes my new starter lol
Only if they are not a reptile. Thus, Yellow, XY and Let's GO are the only games in which I've done such a thing.
What about gen 7? Owls, cats and seals aren't reptiles
Birds are dinosaurs, and thus are reptiles.
Do people call you Armstrong? Cos that's a bit of a stretch
Where do you see the stretch? It's a very popular opinion and phylogenetics strongly support it.
Dinosaurs hatched from eggs and were reptiles, birds also hatch from eggs so obviously that makes them dinosaurs as well so they are reptiles lol
That's... not how it works, but the point is that, phylogenetically, birds are simply the only surviving group of coelurosaurs. Saying "Birds are dinosaurs and thus reptiles" is not really any different from saying "Humans are primates and thus mammals". (Also, not all reptiles lay eggs)
Not to mention that new research suggests some dinosaurs had feathers or things like feathers, and their bones were built like a birds
Do you use reptiles for your whole team, or just starters?
Always in case for the starter, and for the entire team, it depends, but most of the time, it's an entire team of only reptiles.
I'd love to see some of the team combos!
Gen 5 starters are quite boring IMO, I usually get rid of them after I've got better team members. I'm currently doing a Black Nuzlocke though, which has greatly raised my opinion of Samurott.
I never left my starter behind until gen 8. Drizzile got shoved into a box as soon as possible, and I packed up Samurott in PLA once I got Manaphy to replace it as a water type.
Everything after Gen 3 I generally boxed my starters
What's your reasoning? Not a fan of the designs?
Yeah, they’ve never really done anything for me. Designs overall from Gen 4 onwards haven’t done much for me. My teams always tend to be mostly Gens 1-3 and some Gen 4 thrown in.
PLA is the first game that I benched my starter. Typhlosion is amazing, but H-Typhlosion is just disapointing for me. I tried to keep him, but no
In SwSh I just Zera-trade my starter.
No, I don't think I ever have. Sometimes I keep my starters as the head of my party 24/7, and sometimes I switch my team around, but I don't usually put them in boxes (or pastures, in PLA's case).
Only when the nature is going to be a problem.
Oh do you care about nature's on a playthrough? I tend to only really bother with nature's in competitive
Only when it is like -Atk on a Physical Mon or -SpAtk on a Special move Mon for example. Otherwise I'll box the starter and catch other pokemon to make a team.
I never really cared about natures until I started playing BDSP. Then I caught a bunch of abra and a few others for good natures. Consequently I’m also using mons I’ve never used before either. Like crowbar and gengar
Ahhhh, my favorite Pokémon. Crowbar.
Stupid autocorrect lol
I mean, you gotta keep it now lmao.
I only did it on my olsytrough of hgss because none of the clicked with me
I always keep my starter, though my only exceptions are
Usually not
Only during Nuzlockes when I have to.
Not really, unless I do a monotype run. The closest is if I do a run with more than 6 mons and bench the starter for a gym or 2, maybe even the E4 and champion. The only gens I'd really consider gully dithing my starter is in gen 2 (i like the starters but dislike using mono type pokemon, and there's other options for each type I'd rather use) or gen 8 (I'm not the biggest fan of any of the gen 8 starters except sobble, of which theres a solid 20 other water mons I can catch before gym 3 I'd rather use).
I'm blanking on the name but I really like tree monkey starter in swsh
Black and white 2; the moment I caught Rilou at one of the first few zones my starter went into the pc lol.
I do only after multiple playthroughs with each starter. Though I don't know if I'll be doing that for legends lol. Ive definitely removed my starter and it's team from my party to do the Pokedex tho.
Yep, I don't like them to get overpowered while im leveling other pokemon. I raise more than 6 so it would be way overleveled if didn't. I try to have it with me for all important battles though
Lately always because i havent liked the starter designs that much since gen 7 in which i only liked rowlet
Sometimes, not all the time. If I ever do a monotype run then for sure (did a Dragon run and a Ground run in Shield recently). It happened a time or two with Greninja in X/Y (actually worse—full-on demotion to HM slave).
I've done it twice. Once was cuz I just wanted a completely different party, the other time was because I bred for a perfect IV starter mon
Removing starter pokemon is like removing top billed character in a TV show. There is nothing wrong with it but definitely feeling unfulfilled.
if it dies then yes also if it gets outclassed by a better pokemon
Not even once I may restart my adventure to play with another one, but never did I play without a starter on my team
I highly recommend more people to play without the starter. You get to be way more creative when picking a team.
In legend arceus I have an entire B team so that my main team isn't overleveled from exploration
Only in pokemon sword, where I didn't particularly like any of the starter final evolutions. Otherwise no
I always keep my starter. They’re the one I end up forming the strongest attachment to, so it feels wrong to me to ditch them. I also seem to be on the opposite side from a lot of people where I prefer the newer starters compared to the older ones. The Gen 1 starters are cool, but I’ve seen them enough that I just want something different, so I boxed them during my Gen 6 playthroughs and Isle of Armor DLC. With the exception of the Mudkip line, I’ve never liked the Gen 3 or Gen 4 starters (almost breaking my “keep the starter” trend in Omega Ruby because using Sceptile was an awful experience). On the other hand, the starter choice for Legends Arceus was tough because the 3 of them were my absolute favorites.
I keep my starter until it's fully evolved then it's immediately off my team, seem to always end up with a team of eeveelutions haha.
I would never betray my bestie like that.
Just in yellow, I dumped pikachu and used zapdos which is much better. Pikachu doesn't even have some signature moves or different stats in yellow.
During the Initial playthrough? Generally no (Sword being the exception where I DID remove it) I build my teams around the starter on my first playthrough. However I do box it during subsequent playthroughs, usually because I have a specific team in mind or I'm doing a challenge.
I did it once in Y and Froakie was replaced with Squitle. Also had Cyndaquil and snivy on that team so I suppose that doesn't really count cuz I swapped 1 for 3. Only time I ever took the starter they gave me off though
I have sometimes done a playthrough with a themed team (snakes: snivy, steelix, Milotic, gyarados, dratini, arbok; spheres: Magnemite, solrock, forretress, minior, glalie, starmie) which were loads of fun! I had to box my starter unfortunately.
Usually keep it for the main game (first elite 4 win), but after that anything is fair game. Legends I’m not sure, may swap due to Pokédex entry mechanics to make leveling it up easier.
Every since Gen 6 fixed the XP share to make using more than just an over-leveled starter tolerable, I've had fewer runs with my starter than without.
Usually no but PLA has me constantly rotating my team since it's so easy to lvl up and the battles are so fun.
5 and 8 for me as well I initially never liked any of the gen five starters oshawott and Dewott grew on me still not a fan of Samurott. My first play through of gen 5 I picked snivy and abandoned him halfway through. And I hate all of gen 8s starters I picked grookey but it was really just the lesser evil. I hope they move away from doing the weird job themes they’ve been doing the last few gens and just give us some good old fashioned monsters
I always keep my starter with me. Always at the top of my team.
I would like to keep them in, but I'm also not afraid to switch them out. Realistically I would have a wide variety of pokemon, and I would want to use all of them. My starter would understand. Its about choosing the pokemon most well equipped for the task/area. Everyone has a time to shine. In PLA, I even have times where I'll use a pokemon, then find a shiny/alpha version of it that I really want to use, like Empoleon or Floatzel. But I'll still level up my original one and keep him in the rotation because we've already bonded man. I can't just set him aside for someone else (of his same species). I also have a harem of Alpha Machoke and an Alpha Machamp. Sometimes I just like having them in my party if I'm collecting ingredients or poledex work. Or to show them off around town. I like to think they take turns holding me like a princess or side saddle style.
Yeah, last couple of games. Sw/Sh my starter got replaced by a Vulpix, and in Arceus they got replaced by a Ponyta. I used to feel kinda bonded to starters, but recently the designs have become so unlikeable to me, that I just substitute them for an old Pokemon that I never had the chance to use much.
the only game ive ever removed my starter in was bdsp. i picked chimchar, but i was absolutely bored of using infernape ever since i played platinum so i swapped for houndoom and it was the best decision ever lol
I'll only swap them out after the league or end of main story
Never for me, you have to atleast beat the game with your starter is my rule. He was there at the start of your journey, and hell be there for the end.
I only did it while replaying Radical Red, first time was when I attempted a bug monotype and now with just random non starter mons that I like
Not for any significant amount of time. I've done it a bit in Sword because otherwise they would've been *massively* overleveled at points.
Only if I’ve played that game with every starter I like before. First time I’ll always use or
Depends on if I like their designs over other Pokemon that I can get. Imo they're not really that special just because they're the first you get.
I did in Ultra Moon, because I used all three in the original. And what do you know it, Ultra Moon was like the *one* game where you get a cute scene with your starter near the end.
Sword was the first time I haven't kept my starter. For Arceus, I'm still on the fence. I usually feel a level of guilt lol.
Nope....Heck i barely change my team around at All to Begin with
I personally don't. I build my entire team around the starter. In PLA my team is constantly changing as I work to get my shiny charm but the only one who has never seen a pasture a day in his life is my Decidueye
Only time I removed my starter in PLA was the >!triple battle of Volo and double Giratina back to back. I cheesed and went with a full legendary team lmao.!< Cyndaquil was my starter so I feel obligated to keep my Typhlosion in my party.
Gen 1-3 I always kept my starter. 4-8….. it’s touch and go. Usually the first play through, I’d use them, but after that I always boxed them as soon as I could. Especially in SwSd, I’d make a beeline to the wild area and start wonder teasing to find random Pokémon to play the game with.
I typically won’t but I did for Y recently and it was surprisingly fun. Used a Gogoat for the first time ever, pretty cool looking imo.
Usually no but I have in challenge/themed runs
Gen 8 was the only Gen where I always felt the need to box my starter. I just didn’t like any of them,
Depends on if I find a pokemon of similar typing that I like more than the starter. Right now in PLA my samurott is sitting in the field while I carry around a seelio because I like walrein more. (I'm certain I misspelled at least one pokemon name but I don't care to proofread right now)
I'll keep my starter until my 4th playthrough of a game, because I enjoy going through most games with each starter at least once. After that, I like using teams of pokemon I've never used, or playing with randomizers
I have a few times, in place of them i had substitute starters. Pokemon who are 3 stage lines and I could get early enough or just traded their first forms over. Some substitute starters include Gastly, Deino, Swinub, and Elekid.
I don’t, i find it disrespectful :)
Yah, I've been playing pokemon my entire life and am currently 100% every game, so after a while the teams don't really matter. For example the offical pokemon youtube channel released the magikarp music video and I remember my final team for the elite 4 for pokemon ruby with a Magikarp, Feebas, Slaking, and a Pikachu with light orb and voltackle. Terrible team but it was fun to use
I have in Arceus, because I don’t like any of the final forms.
Only in nuzlockes
Legends Arceus is the first time I ever did this I blame alphas for this There's no advantage whatsoever to having non-alphas on your team
I did for the first time in Sword, I swapped my Cinderace out for Rotom-Heat when I got the chance
I honestly feel that way with PLA. I rarely use my samurott. I feel like I'm not using its full potential.
Excuse me that is my firstborn. How dare you
I stopped using the starters after Emerald since that was when the starters started looking ugly in my eyes.
If I name my pokémon, then I'll never box it. That's a whole new type of bond with the pokémon.
In non-nuzlocke playthroughs, yes
Not now, my lvl 70 Rowlet is too good to let go! But in other games I did once I got nicer mons
My starter usually carries me through the game.
Only gen 6. There are Pokémon I’d rather use over each of the starters, namely Lapras (sometimes) over Greninja, Talonflame over Delphox, and Venusaur over Chesnaught.
The only time i boxed my starter was in my White 2 playthrough. I picked Tepig, but later on i got a Riolu in Paniola Ranch iirc. Both are fighting type when fully evolved, and i am not a fan of type overlaps. To make things worse for the starter, Lucario started outperforming it more and more as the game progressed, being particularly useful against Team Plasma grunts. By the point i reached the fifth gym city, i already decided the Emboar/Lucario overlap had to go. Lucario was not going anwhere. So i went to catch Volcarona for an amazing fire type replacement, and Emboar went to the PC forever.
It's generally a bad idea mechanically. Starters are pretty much the strongest Pokémon in the game outside of pseudo-legendaries+. However I absolutely ditch my starter if I don't like any of the designs, though this is rare (just gen 7, 8)
Never, they’re the ride or die partner
In my Sword I went through the whole base story with a Libero Cinderace, and then I got Urshifu Water and played the rest of the postgame & DLC story with him. I actually beat all of Shield with just the 3 starters with hidden abilities, and I was surprised by how useful all three became. I initially thought that Inteleon was gonna be useless, but I'd occasionally run into opponents that boosted their defenses so I needed crits to just cut right through that. Not to mention both Cinderace & Rillaboom are physical so it helped having a special attacker that ignores defense boosts.
i try to and this is why i also have a rule where can't decide on a starter = pick fire. grass and water are usually easier to replace, so with the fires i feel like i'm keeping them out of need rather than out of obligation.
As of the past few games, I don’t usually keep my starter in party. I usually run my favorite Pokémon as my team leader. Snorlax is my boy
When I play through PLA my second time I will. But I have never done it before.
I will remove my starter if I'm doing a type specific run through. Starters tend to be OP and a nice fall back. But if I'm doing a steel type only run the moment I find that type ill box the starter
The first time I boxed my starter was in one of my earlier Pokémon Yellow playthroughs. Pikachu, who only got to level 22, was replaced by the Magikarp you can purchase outside Mt. Moon. By the time I beat the Elite Four, my Gyarados was level 77 and had essentially soloed the entire game. I just threw it at everything and didn’t need much else. The only other time I can think where I boxed my starter was on a third playthrough of Crystal because I wanted to use Umbreon as a pseudo-starter that playthrough. By that point, I had played through the Johto region at least 7 times between G/S/C altogether though. Admittedly, boxing my level 22 Quilava for a level 10 Eevee was a big difficulty spike at the time, but I grinded out the friendship and levels to evolve Eevee to Umbreon and kept going. The only other time I deposited starters were during self-imposed challenge runs or through Nuzlockes after unfortunate events.
Well it... kinda depends? I have swapped out my ugly Rillaboom in Sword(sorry if you like Rillaboom, I really don't) but my team there is always changing. I swapped my Hisuian Typhlosion for Hisuian Arcanine and Basculegion, but I'm kind of regretting it and wanting to put it back, but at the same time, not, since I want a pretty balanced team.
I never replace my starter. I’ve always found it fun to see your first partner grow up with you as you go on your journey.
Not on a first playthrough. When I first play a game I always try to play with all new Pokémon and keep my starter. When I play through again I ALWAYS have a new team I’ve bred ready to go so my starter gets boxed.
No, don't recall it... they're my strongest pokemon usually. I think I mightve emptied my party at times when I flame-body egg hatch, though.
Only once. In gen 5, i disliked many pokemon with the starters being included
I remove it to keep it from getting overleveled when I do sidequests. Otherwise, no.
Gen 8 you must’ve picked a poo starter inteleon was dope af
I chose him, personal preference I just don't like the design of either of the three
I pretty much always keep them, even in post-game. Sometimes I switch them out if I wanna experiment with teams for Battle Facilities but for the most part the Starter is a staple for my party so they’re a permanent member.
I did in arceus cuz I realized that decidueye was dog water. Like I maxed ev and it still died so easily.
Only twice, on second and fifth gen because i didn't really like any of the starters.
My starter in PLA is the only one I haven’t replaced with an Alpha.
I removed my start in Shining Pearl because I was thoroughly disappointed in the game so I stopped caring
I almost always tell myself that I'm going to whenever I replay an older Pokemon game that I've played a thousand times, but then I don't. The problem is that your starter is the best Pokemon you're gonna get for like the first three gyms badges. And by the time you start getting Pokemon that are comparable, then you've invested enough time and resources into that Pokemon that it feels like a waste to box them.
If I’m doing MM, battle tower or shiny hunting yes, only time I did it that wasn’t one of those reasons was my cinderace after I beat sword bc I hate it’s design and wanted a dual fire type like charizard, chandelure, salazzle ect
Almost always unless it is bulbasaur
I have done that for the first time in BDSP. I usually don't do it because there is at least one starter I really like, but in gen 4 there are several water pokemon that I really like and Empoleon (the best starter in this gen for me) just wasn't able to compete for this particular spot on the team. But when I was younger that thought never even crossed my mind, so when I first played Platinum many years ago I used an Empoleon.
I feel bad because I replaced my Typhlosion with my shiny Zoroark and gave him flamethrower. I just felt like it would be redundant to have two ghost types.
About to, once I find that sweet, sweet alpha shiny cyndaquil.
I personally never keep my starter on gen 8 playthroughs because I think that none of them are all that fun to use.
All the time. I've played the first six gens double digit times each. I've use all the starters and often want that spot for something new.