It does in fact sit unusable until you can access King Zora with either Zelda's Lullaby or the Scale.
Fortunately, the only hard requirements for a bottle are also behind King Zora. Being the fish for Jabu and the Blue Fire, and I think a single or double use in Ganon's Castle if you have to do the Water Trial (which by that point if you don't have a bottle you are really unlucky). The only other checks the bottle opens up is the bugs in bean patches for 9 additional Skultula checks, which is a setting most people don't play with anyway.
I did forget the single "usuable" quest item slot that is designated for the Chicken/Letter, but that only exists to show off the day/night cycle and both are one use anyway.
It does in fact sit unusable until you can access King Zora with either Zelda's Lullaby or the Scale.
Fortunately, the only hard requirements for a bottle are also behind King Zora. Being the fish for Jabu and the Blue Fire, and I think a single or double use in Ganon's Castle if you have to do the Water Trial (which by that point if you don't have a bottle you are really unlucky). The only other checks the bottle opens up is the bugs in bean patches for 9 additional Skultula checks, which is a setting most people don't play with anyway.
I did forget the single "usuable" quest item slot that is designated for the Chicken/Letter, but that only exists to show off the day/night cycle and both are one use anyway.