Pokemon teams: Do you always use starters?

[SD-Fiend]

I pretty much always keep my starter the only time I didn't was in polatinum since I just traded over stronger pokemon from diamond.

 

[torzath]

Not only do I keep my starter, on some of the games I've traded them out as soon as I can to an alternate DS, started over, picked up two crappy Pokemon and then trade the other two starters back in, that way I can play the game with all 3 starters! It is kinda cheap but I hate having to choose one, especially when I can have them all!

I do this too because I like having the starter trio as the base of my team, but in the games where you can trade eggs, I like to trade over starter eggs instead so I'll be the OT of all of them and don't have to worry about over-leveling.

 

[SonofaJohannes]

I always keep my starter, because most Pokemon you catch in the beginning are lame, and by the time I've started encountering cool Pokemon I've already grown too attached to my starter.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

The only ones I have ever dropped are Venusaur and Feralligator a couple of times as the Grass starter tends to be very weak in comparison to others late game and Feralligator because Poliwrath was more useful. They also tend to have better base stats and well stats in general due to being trained since level 5.

I just wish they would make more HMs like Strength and Surf that are you know relatively useful in battle and not underpowered weak pieces of pure shit.

 

[Tay051173096]

Depends, how soon can I get a magnemite and geodude? Hell in gold/silver you could get a ghastly in the second town...

I do love Dugtrios though...

 

[Right Hook]

Not only do I keep my starter, on some of the games I've traded them out as soon as I can to an alternate DS, started over, picked up two crappy Pokemon and then trade the other two starters back in, that way I can play the game with all 3 starters! It is kinda cheap but I hate having to choose one, especially when I can have them all!

I do this too because I like having the starter trio as the base of my team, but in the games where you can trade eggs, I like to trade over starter eggs instead so I'll be the OT of all of them and don't have to worry about over-leveling.

Yeah, it has been a while since I played but now that you mention it I remember over-leveling the traded Pokemon was a bit of a pain in the ass.

 

[XtreemIce]

I've played them all up to the DS incarnations of the game and have NEVER strayed from the tactic of only levelling up my starter pokemon to the point that he's so overpowered he can basically one shot everything. The only other pokemon I carry are for HMs :S

Never even needed to grind the wilds, the various trainer encounters are enough.

 

[soren7550]

All but White I kept my starter. In B/W, I didn't like any of the starters. So I ditched it when I could get a good replacement.

 

[Jodah]

And that why everyone who skipped Bulbasaur is a nooblet!

I recently played through Blaze Black and it is the first one that I didn't use my starter til the end. That is primarily because I went with a "classic" team of Charmander, Squirtel, Bulbasaur, Pikachu, Gengar, and Machop.

 

[GodofDisaster]

Of course I keep my starter Pokemon, which is always the water type during my first play through, if I'm starting a new game I'll pick one of the other ones.

Also the other five members of my team, usually revolve around supporting the starter and each other.

 

[Elementary - Dear Watson]

I always use it... and never actually want to! I always plan to have a certain water, or certain fire, but end up keeping the starter... I can't help it! I guess its because they are always the strongest on the team as you play through, and you grow used to depending on them,a dn struggle to get rid of them when you get the chance!

 

[joshuaayt]

For the main game, yeah- fire Pokemon are hard to come by at first, and by the time you can catch them, hey- you already have a well trained one in your party.

Afterwards? I'll ditch it. They have decent stats, but there are Pokemon that do their job better. I have to replace all of my dudes anyway, for EV training. I never bother with it until I can go everywhere.

 

[Smiley Face]

It's totally possible to replace the starter Pokemon - there's just not really any good reason to, because since they've been around from the beginning, they'll almost always be a higher level than anything else, have better TMs, have been given nutrients, etc.

 

[Random Fella]

I always stuck with my starter, it just felt right
And usually they're one of the best in the game, depending what version and pokemon you pick.

 

[Nohra]

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure the starters naturally have higher stats than most other pokemon. Like you said, it's mostly because they're essential during most of the game, but also maybe so the player gets a bond with their starter, one stronger than the rest of the team. I know every time I'm in a bind, I can always depend on my starter to bring things home. Charizard, Typhlosion, Blaziken, Infernape, Samurott, they are the unstoppable force AND the immovable object.

They do. On average, the starter's final forms have total stats of around 530. Most of the Pokemon with higher stats are Legendary.

However, being monotype usually limits their effectiveness. Or in the case of Charizard's dual type, severe weaknesses (4x rock, gogo)

 

[GeneralFungi]

I feel a link between my pokemon like many others do, but one time I was playing through and I felt that my Snivy's performance was underwhelming. So I switched out for a Sewaddle to take on the normal type gym leader. And then I really never felt the need to switch back because it added more variety on my team this way.

 

[Zen Toombs]

Well I'm quite the softy, so yes. I always get very attached to my starter.

 

[The Funslinger]

Eh, depends.
Usually the Fire or Grass types are the best, with quality Fire Types being generally more difficult to come by anyway. Grass types are not uncommon, but the starters are generally *very* useful.

The Water Starters have been mostly bland, or otherwise rendered superfluous by the over-abundance of Water Types in each game (cue the retard spouting memes in 3..2..1..).
I mean, why bother with a Blastoise when you can eventually use a Gyarados, Milotic, or Suicune instead?

Fire: Ninetails, Arcanine, Magmar, Moltres.
Grass: Tropius... not really any other awesome grass types barring starters... fair enough.