Well, I don't play competitively as well, but I just like to make my team right so I can breeze through stuff.. until I get to the battle tower where almost my entire team got crushed.. except Torterra.. he was good..
My starters were pretty much Charmander, Bulbasaur and Squirtle (I used to trade one to a friend, start a new game, trade the second one to the friend and then start the third game with Charmander, caught two rattata's and traded my starters back

) Charmander was my main though, then Bulbasaur since I like Leech Seed that much..
I did the same thing with Johto, where Feraligatr was my main, but Typhlosion had more type effectivenesses..
During Hoenn I was kinda torn, and never actually bought a game.. so I used roms and stuff to get a multiple teams with Swampert, Sceptile and Blaziken. Blaziken kicked most butt then 'pert. Blaziken (nicknamed Torque, actually won a master rank contest while being a gym pokemon xD)(the Swampert, nicknamed Mudvayne, had EQ, Surf, Ice Beam and Counter and got me the gold ability symbole by using Counter xD) Don't Ask about Sceptile, he just plainly sucked.. well.. he did beat Wallace fairly easy..
Sinnoh it's been Torterra and Infernape all the way, since I refuse to become lured into Nintendo's penguin marketing ploy..
Lol about American Idol.. my host mom was totally into it, so when I told her I participated in the Dutch version she was shocked as poop

Don't get all hyped.. I didn't get past the second round.. They thought that I can sing but missed stage presence.. I still sing and play guitar though, if somethings your hobby I don't think you should stop if someone says you can't make a living out of it..