I like almost all the water starters, but out of all 6/7, Totodile is for sure my fav of them all, and my fav starter too. Fast? Hits hard? Solid coverage options(Ice fang anybody)? And starting off cute and themn becoming badass as a Feraligatr is also a plus. But one of the main reasons I like it is cause it was also the first mon I had ever brought to the league in any of the games, so I have a bit of a soft spot for it as a result, haha.
Froakie is for sure a close second. Again, a speedy heavy hitter, and all the Greninjas I had ever used have been so OP it's not funny. Now I see why it is popular.