Well, the title says it all. So what's yours. In my opinion it's via username.

any of the starter pokemon i have never beat a game on the first try without em.

For me, I don't have a single pokemon I can't play without, (I was gonna say Ralts before, since I had to have one in every game since Ruby) but My last games like Pearl and Soul Silver did not have one.)

For me, I need a good psychic/ghost (interchangeable) type in every game as well as a water or dragon type. If I don't have 2 out of those 4, my game experience is incomplete, as they are my favorite.

Same, save for the Dragon type. I can live without Dragon Pokemon. Which isn't to say I don't like them, I just never ever use them... But Psychic Pokemon are my favorite because I like Special Attack more than physical attacks, just as a preference. But Psychich Pokemon are the way to go for me.

Cannot live without an HM Slave. Someone has to help me get through the game. I normally have, like, an or something that can learn 4 HMs.

Ampharos. F**CKING awesome. Also, on the topic of HM slaves, that would be my Suicune. Waterfall, Surf, Rock Climb and Whirlpool (or Rock Smash, I forget.)

I usually just PC box my starter after a while... I also tend to try to train a new Pokemon every time I play. I usually have a zubat or geodude though.

Well for me it's , a HM Slave , the early obtainable bird pokemon with the move Fly & another pokemon that happens to look good enough for me to bother training...this tends to end up being the starter I pick though which is sad...

For some reason I'm never able to bench my starter.

I also always end up training a token ground Pokemon (normally Geodude or Dugtrio) for the electric gyms and then bench it as soon as I beat the gym leader.

if i can, ill usually have a . Sure its stats might suck compared to other pokemon but i have this obbsession with rats, also its super fang is useful reagardless of its poor stats.

I also always have to have a grass and/or bug type on my team.

Arcanine and Machoke.

I've had a Machoke since Gold, because of the one you got from that guy in the Dept. Store for a Drowzee. When they addded No Guard I was real happy. I like Bulk Up, Dynamicpunch, Cross Chop, and Focus Blast. Holding a Black Belt (No Guard for ability)

Arcanine I've had since good ol' First Gen. I love dogs, I seem to end up with three of em. :p Anyway, I use Iron Tail, Thunder Fang, Extreemespeed or Toxic, and Flare Blitz. Holding an Expert Belt.

Magikarp. Can't live without a magikarp. I have a total of eleven boxes throughout all my games filled with them. And dittos, can't live without those little globs of purple.

I always seem to slot a Charmander into my lineup, goes beyond never benching my starter, to never benching my starting starter I guess.

And a HM/TM slave, Right now I have a Graveller for Rock Smash, Strength, Rock Climb, and Dig

Zubat tends to end on alot of my teams, which reminds me of the time I found a shiny zubat in Oreburg mine within the first hour of playtime of my platinum version.
another thing I grab alot of are syncronize pokemon, abra, natu, ralts then when I'm trying toget a specific nature for some thing it goes quicker.

Everyone has a water type on their team with 3 Water HMs its hard natu (HA)

I love me some Slowpoke. =) Just because it's my favorite.

I usually just train the first one I catch regardless of nature/stats/gender. I never let it evolve either. I feel like this not only gives me a challenge (anyone can get through the game easily with an evolved starter!) but it also makes me feel like I've made a buddy with my little salamander friend. I feel like if I try to get a certain ability/nature/stats I'm not really finding a partner, but a tool. (Or maybe I am taking the game too seriously, har har har.)

I always feel awesome when I've defeated the Elite Four and there's a slowpoke in the Hall of Fame. ^_^

. Most likely. If I'm able to find an Abra early in the game, (Like how you find one in Cerulean City in Red/Blue/Yellow/FR/LG or in Goldenrod City like in Silver/Gold/HG/SS) then I will catch it. It's always useful to get a psychic pokemon in your starting party. ( for Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald)

and . I want that in my starting party.

i simply can't live without in any of my games

I always do my best to try and have a Charmander in my battle team. Someone said it goes beyond never benching your starter, to the point where you never bench your -first- starter... and that's how it is with me. I especially love shiny Charmanders, because black Charizards are awesome (as the sig says, I have about five of them, and eight Charizards in total scattered across three games).

Other Pokemon I like to work with are Swampert (my tank) and Froslass, my favorite Ice type so far.

for me it is without a doubt , its just so very useful with its unique typing and such. I also love it for it's walling capabilities to gyms

I usually try to have as much variety as possible, so I usually have both a water and fire type. Steel sometimes works its way in there, too. If it's possible to get an Espeon in the game, I MUST have it.

For me i have to have a scyther for my official team (stupid elete four kill scythers types like it was nothing) caught one first time in bug catching contest and loved them since

I also need a good fire and water type (last game it hapened to be lapras and magmar) as well as a guy to cover most weaknesses

Jolteon and magikarp FTW
Jolteon has mad Sp Atk, and speed
and magikarp becomes gyrados, who pwns

In every generation appears very early in the game and I usually stick with it 'till the end.

I also tend to pick over and stick with it. I know there are better flying types but by the time they're abailable, I've already grown fond of the guy, hehe.

I remember how both and helped in the first Gym battles of the Jotho games: against Falkner, Bugsy and Whitney and against Morty and Chuck (it learns Pursuit).

I will say my favorite pokemon of all time , gardevoir =D

il never forget the time i caught my ralts using a net ball thinking it was a bug or something XD