Choosing The Perfect Starter: The Best Pokémon From Each Generation

5 min read Post on May 14, 2025

Choosing The Perfect Starter: The Best Pokémon From Each Generation

Generation I: Kanto's Classic Trio

The original Kanto region introduced us to the iconic starter trio: Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. Each offers a unique gameplay experience.

Bulbasaur (Grass): A Solid and Reliable Choice

Excellent early-game advantage: Bulbasaur's Grass typing provides an immediate advantage against Brock, the first Gym Leader, who utilizes Rock-type Pokémon.
Good movepool: Bulbasaur gains access to a diverse movepool, including powerful Grass and Poison-type moves, offering great offensive versatility.
Solid defensive typing: While not invincible, Bulbasaur's dual Grass/Poison typing provides decent defensive coverage early on. This makes it a surprisingly durable starter for early game battles.

Charmander (Fire): The Popular Fire-Type Starter

Effective against many early-game opponents: Charmander's Fire typing is highly effective against many common early-game opponents, providing an aggressive start to your adventure.
Evolves into the powerful Charizard: Charmander's evolution line culminates in the iconic Charizard, a powerful and popular Pokémon known for its devastating attacks.
Weaknesses to consider: Remember Charmander's significant weaknesses to Water and Ground types – these matchups require careful strategy.

Squirtle (Water): A Dependable Water-Type Starter

Strong against many early-game opponents: Squirtle's Water typing offers a powerful advantage against many early-game Fire-type Pokémon, often encountered early in the journey.
Consistent performance throughout the game: Squirtle provides consistent performance throughout the game, thanks to its balanced stats and reliable Water-type moves.
Weaknesses to watch out for: Squirtle is vulnerable to Electric and Grass types, so be mindful of these matchups in later battles.

Best Kanto Starter: Bulbasaur offers a balanced approach with strong early-game performance and a useful type combination, making it a great all-around choice for new trainers.

Generation II: Johto's Journey

Johto's starters offer a different flavor of challenge compared to Kanto.

Chikorita (Grass): Powerful Late-Game Potential

Access to powerful support moves: Chikorita may be slow early on, but it gains access to excellent support moves later in the game, bolstering its team's performance.
Early-game struggles: Chikorita struggles against Rock and Fire types in the early game, demanding careful strategy and team composition.
Excellent defensive typing later in the game: Its evolution, Meganium, boasts impressive bulk and defenses, making it a reliable tank later in the game.

Cyndaquil (Fire): A Fast and Powerful Fire-Type

Strong early-game performance: Cyndaquil's speed and Fire-type attacks provide a strong early-game presence, quickly dispatching early opponents.
Good movepool: Cyndaquil gains access to both Fire and Dark-type moves, increasing offensive versatility and type coverage.
Weaknesses to Water and Ground: However, similar to Charmander, Cyndaquil remains vulnerable to Water and Ground-type attacks.

Totodile (Water): Reliable Performance and Strong Attack Stats

Reliable performance and strong attack stats: Totodile's high attack stat and reliable Water-type moves make it a consistent offensive threat.
Good movepool: Totodile's movepool includes powerful Water and Ice-type moves, providing good type coverage.
Weaknesses to Electric and Grass: Keep in mind its vulnerabilities to Electric and Grass types which need to be addressed with careful planning.

Best Johto Starter: Totodile provides a great balance of offensive and defensive capabilities, making it an excellent choice for a reliable playthrough.

Generation III - Hoenn's Heroes

Hoenn's starters introduce a new level of strategic depth.

Treecko (Grass): A Fast and Agile Grass-Type Starter

Good offensive potential and excellent speed: Treecko boasts impressive speed and offensive prowess, allowing it to outmaneuver opponents.
Access to powerful Grass and Fighting-type moves: Its movepool offers a unique blend of Grass and Fighting-type moves, adding versatility to its attacks.
Weaknesses to Fire and Ice: Treecko’s vulnerabilities to Fire and Ice-type moves require careful team building.

Torchic (Fire): A Powerful and Reliable Fire-Type

Strong attacking presence: Torchic's high attack stat makes it a formidable offensive threat from the outset.
Evolves into Blaziken, a versatile and potent Pokémon: Its evolution, Blaziken, is renowned for its power and versatility, excelling in both physical and special attacks.
Weaknesses to Water, Ground and Rock types: Remember that Torchic shares many fire-type weaknesses, demanding strategic planning.

Mudkip (Water): A Defensive Powerhouse Water-Type

Excellent defensive stats and good bulk: Mudkip's high defense stats make it remarkably durable, capable of withstanding many attacks.
Strong against many opponents: Its Water-type moves are highly effective against many opponents, providing a reliable offensive presence.
Weaknesses to Electric and Grass types: However, Mudkip shares the usual Water-type weaknesses.

Best Hoenn Starter: Torchic offers a potent offensive threat and evolves into a remarkably strong Pokémon, Blaziken, making it a popular choice for many players.

Generations IV-VIII: A Comprehensive Overview

Generation IV (Sinnoh): Turtwig (Grass) offers a strong defensive presence and good type coverage, making it a reliable choice.
Generation V (Unova): Snivy (Grass) boasts high speed and Special Attack, making it a powerful special attacker.
Generation VI (Kalos): Chespin (Grass) provides a solid balance of offense and defense, evolving into a powerful physical attacker.
Generation VII (Alola): Rowlet (Grass/Ghost) offers a unique type combination and powerful support moves, providing a different strategic playstyle.
Generation VIII (Galar): Grookey (Grass) is a fast and strong Grass-type starter with powerful moves.

Conclusion

Choosing the "best" Pokémon starter is subjective and depends on your play style and preferred battle strategy. However, by considering type matchups, movepools, and overall strength, we’ve provided a solid guideline to help you select your ideal partner for your Pokémon journey. Remember, the best Pokémon starter is the one you enjoy playing with most! So, start your adventure today by choosing the best Pokémon starter for your next playthrough and embark on an epic journey! Happy battling!