The moment you choose your partner Pokemon at the start of any Pokemon game is truly pivotal. It's an emotional connection, a bond that forms as you embark on your journey to become a Pokemon master. Your choice, often influenced by personal taste and intuition, feels like a reflection of your personality. Yet, at that moment, you're unaware of how this decision will shape your adventure through the region's gyms, rival battles, and hidden secrets.
We've conducted extensive research, analyzing base stats, strengths, weaknesses, and evolutions of every starter Pokemon across all generations. We've considered how they fare in their native regions, not just against the initial gyms, but also against the Elite Four and beyond. This comprehensive guide will help you make the best starter pick on your quest to become a Pokemon master.
Gen 1: Bulbasaur
Games: Pokemon Red & Blue, FireRed & LeafGreen
Starter options: Bulbasaur (grass), Charmander (fire), Squirtle (water)
Full guide: IGN's Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow guide
Bulbasaur emerges as the top choice for conquering the Kanto region in Pokemon Red and Blue. While Charmander might seem appealing due to the rarity of Fire types and advantages against Flying and Ground types, Bulbasaur's advantages are more pronounced. It excels against Brock's Rock Pokemon, Misty's Water types, and Giovanni's final gym lineup, making it the best option to tackle the first two members of the Elite Four. Challenges like Erika's Grass type gym and Blaine's Fire type gym can be overcome with strategic play and the plentiful Water types in Kanto.
Bulbasaur trainers will face issues with Flying types like Pidgey and Spearow in the wild, but caves filled with Ground and Rock types offer ample XP opportunities. Rival battles with Blue, particularly his Pidgeot and Charmander, can be mitigated by adding a Water type to your team. Bulbasaur's evolution into Venusaur, which gains Poison typing, further enhances its versatility and effectiveness over Charmander and Squirtle.
Gen 2: Cyndaquil
Games: Pokemon Gold & Silver, Crystal, HeartGold & SoulSilver
Starter options: Chikorita (grass), Cyndaquil (fire), Totodile (water)
Full guide: IGN's Pokemon Gold, Silver and Crystal guide
In Pokemon Gold and Silver, Cyndaquil stands out as the best starter due to the scarcity of Fire types compared to Grass and Water types. This choice adds valuable diversity to your team and excels against Bugsy's Bug type gym and Jasmine's Steel type gym. While Totodile struggles without suitable gym matchups, and Chikorita faces challenges against early Bug and Flying types as well as Morty's Poison types, Cyndaquil's Fire typing allows it to handle the majority of Johto's gyms and Elite Four members effectively.
Challenges like Pryce's Ice gym can be addressed with a well-rounded team. Cyndaquil's evolutions, particularly Typhlosion, provide a significant advantage against the Grass and Bug types in the Elite Four. While random encounters with Rock and Ground types in caves and battles against Lance's Dragon/Flying types pose challenges, Cyndaquil's overall performance far surpasses its counterparts.
Gen 3: Mudkip
Games: Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire, Emerald, Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
Starter options: Treecko (grass), Torchic (fire), Mudkip (water)
Full guide: IGN's Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald guide
Mudkip is the superior choice for Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, offering strategic advantages in the Hoenn region. Both Mudkip and Treecko are effective against three of the eight gyms, but Mudkip's Water typing gives it an edge in Flannery's Fire gym, while Treecko struggles against Flannery and Winona's Flying types. Torchic's Fire typing doesn't provide any significant gym advantages, and its Fighting type evolution, Blaziken, is disadvantaged against Wallace's Water types.
Mudkip's final evolution, Swampert, gains Ground typing, enhancing its defensive capabilities and making it immune to Electric attacks. Although Swampert faces challenges against Grass types in the Elite Four, its balanced stats and resilience allow it to power through difficult battles. The abundance of water in Hoenn can make random encounters challenging, but Mudkip's overall advantages make it the best choice.
Gen 4: Chimchar
Games: Pokemon Diamond & Pearl, Platinum, Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
Starter options: Turtwig (grass), Chimchar (fire), Piplup (water)
Full guide: IGN's Pokemon Diamond, Pearl and Platinum guide
Chimchar is the standout starter for Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, benefiting from the limited number of Fire types in the Sinnoh region. It excels against Gardenia's Grass gym, Byron's Steel gym, and Candice's Ice gym. While Turtwig can handle Roark's Rock gym and Crasher Wake's Water gym effectively, its strengths are more pronounced early in the game. Chimchar's final evolution, Infernape, is well-suited for the Elite Four, particularly against Aaron's Bug types.
Turtwig's evolution, Torterra, gains Ground typing, making it immune to Electric attacks and effective against Volkner's Electric gym. However, Chimchar's late-game advantages and effectiveness against Team Galactic's Bug types give it the edge. Piplup's evolution, Empoleon, while resilient, doesn't offer significant advantages over the gyms or Elite Four.
Gen 5: Tepig
Games: Pokemon Black & White
Starter options: Snivy (grass), Tepig (fire), Oshawott (water)
Full guide: IGN's Pokemon Black and White guide
Tepig is the clear winner in Pokemon Black and White, offering the most strategic advantages in the Unova region. Snivy struggles with only one gym advantage and numerous Bug and Flying types, while Oshawott has limited gym advantages and no significant Elite Four advantages. Tepig's Fire typing, combined with its Fighting type evolution, Emboar, allows it to excel against Burgh's Bug gym and Brycen's Ice gym.
Emboar's Fighting type is super effective against Grimsley's Dark types in the Elite Four, despite vulnerabilities to Caitlin's Psychic types. Tepig's strong attacking stats and effectiveness against Team Plasma's Steel types make it the best choice for navigating the challenging battles in Black and White, especially with the requirement to face the Elite Four twice.
Gen 6: Fennekin
Games: Pokemon X & Y
Starter options: Chespin (grass), Fennekin (fire), Froakie (water)
Full guide: IGN's Pokemon X and Y guide
Fennekin stands out as the best starter in Pokemon X and Y, capable of navigating the Kalos region's gyms with ease. It is super effective against three gyms and resistant to two more, making its final evolution, Delphox, well-prepared for the Pokemon League. Delphox's Psychic typing provides additional advantages against Fairy, Psychic, and Ice types.
Froakie's evolution, Greninja, struggles against Fairy and Grass types, while Chespin's evolution, Chesnaught, faces disadvantages against Bug and Fairy types. The Elite Four in X and Y are well-balanced, but Delphox's resistances give it a slight edge, particularly against Diantha's Gardevoir.
Gen 7: Litten
Games: Pokemon Sun & Moon
Starter options: Rowlet (grass), Litten (fire), Popplio (water)
Full guide: IGN's Pokemon Sun & Pokemon Moon guide
Litten is the optimal choice for Pokemon Sun and Moon, overcoming the challenges of the Alola region's trials. While it struggles initially, Litten's Fire typing makes it effective against Mallow's Grass trial and Sophocles' Electric trial, with its evolution into Incineroar providing a significant advantage against Acerola's Ghost trial.
Incineroar's Dark typing complicates the final trial against Mina's Fairy types, but its overall performance remains strong. Rowlet and Popplio excel in early trials but struggle in late-game battles. The diverse challenges in the Pokemon League, including 10 trainers after becoming champion, make Litten's trial-clearing ability crucial. The scarcity of Fire types in Alola further emphasizes Litten's importance.
Gen 8: Sobble
Games: Pokemon Sword & Shield
Starter options: Grookey (grass), Scorbunny (fire), Sobble (water)
Full guide: IGN's Pokemon Sword and Shield guide
Sobble narrowly edges out Grookey and Scorbunny as the best starter for Pokemon Sword and Shield. All three are effective against three gyms, but Sobble's advantage against the final gym, Raihan's Rock and Ground types, gives it a slight edge. The first three gyms are typed in a way that doesn't favor any starter, but Sobble's performance against the Champion Cup semi-finalists, particularly Bede's Fairy types and Nessa's Water types, tips the scales in its favor.
Factors like rival battles with Team Yell and overworld Pokemon encounters have minimal impact, but Sobble's final evolution, Inteleon, boasts well-balanced stats, further solidifying its position as the top choice.
Gen 9: Fuecoco
Games: Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
Starter options: Sprigatito (grass), Fuecoco (fire), Quaxly (water)
Full guide: IGN's Pokemon Scarlet and Violet guide
Fuecoco is the clear winner in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, designed to dominate the Paldea region. The gyms don't level scale, allowing flexibility in tackling them, but Fuecoco's Fire typing, combined with its Ghost type evolution, Skeledirge, provides a significant advantage against high-level Psychic/Fairy and Ice gyms, as well as the low-level Bug and Grass gyms.
Quaxly's Water typing only becomes advantageous in its third form, Quaquaval, against Larry's Normal type gym, while Sprigatito's evolution, Meowscarada, fares better against Tulip's Psychic and Ryme's Ghost gyms. Fuecoco's advantages extend to Team Star base raids, particularly against Dark and Poison types, and its superiority continues through the Elite Four, making it the best starter for conquering Paldea.
### The Best Starter Pokemon
