Which Pokelike starter should you choose?

Gen I: compare Brock and Misty before picking

Brock uses Geodude at level 12 and Onix at level 14, both Rock/Ground. Misty uses Staryu at level 18 and Starmie at level 20. Water is the shared defensive type that matters for the starter moves in this table.

• Bulbasaur: its Grass opener answers both early gyms by type. Keep it healthy and avoid changing away from Grass before Brock.
• Squirtle: Water is excellent against Brock, then resisted by Misty. Look for a suitable Grass or Electric attack for the second gym when a catch offers one.
• Charmander: prepare another attacker for both gyms. An available Grass or Water move helps Brock; Grass or Electric coverage helps Misty. Inspect the offered Pokémon's move, not only its species name.

Rule sources: Moves, opponents & items · Species data

Gen II: Cyndaquil, Totodile or Chikorita?

Falkner has Pidgey at level 9 and Pidgeotto at level 10, both Normal/Flying. Bugsy follows with Metapod, Kakuna and Scyther. The Scyther column makes the second boss's toughest typing comparison visible.

• Cyndaquil is a practical type-based opening recommendation for these two gyms; its advantage does not remove level or HP requirements.
• Totodile gives neutral early attack typing. Its default move is PHYSICAL here, so compare Choice Band rather than assuming every starter benefits from Choice Specs.
• Chikorita needs help into the early Flying and Bug opponents. Prioritize an offered attack type that answers the next boss before doubling down on another Grass attacker.

Rule sources: Moves, opponents & items · Species data

Turn the starter choice into a catch-and-route plan

Suppose you choose Charmander in Gen I. Before Brock, an item that boosts the same Fire attack still leaves its 0.5× type factor. A reachable catch offering a useful Grass or Water attack changes the matchup itself. Choose between the actual reachable nodes, rather than planning around a guaranteed species drop.

For Squirtle, the problem changes after Brock: Water is resisted by Misty's team. Check the move on each recruit and preserve a suitable second answer. With Bulbasaur, early coverage is already favorable by type, so a recovery opportunity can be more valuable when the lead is too injured to survive.

• Name the next boss and the first enemy you expect to face.
• Identify whether the gap is attack typing, current HP, level, or a backup after the lead falls.
• Spend the next route choice on that gap; repeat the check after a catch or trade.

Rule sources: Moves, opponents & items · Story progression

Set the lead, and recognize the Struggle fallback

The first living teammate fights first. Put the suitable attacker ahead of a weaker matchup before entering the node. Team order affects who takes the opening damage and which teammate comes in next.

Electric has a 0× type factor against Ground, but this build replaces an immune damaging move with a typeless, 50-power Struggle. An Electric lead against Brock can therefore still deal fallback damage. A healthy Grass or Water lead uses a favorable 4× move factor instead of relying on that fallback. An Electric-specific item does not boost the replacement move.

Rule sources: Combat rules · Moves, opponents & items

Equip the starter for its actual attack

The three Gen I starters and Chikorita and Cyndaquil default to SPECIAL moves in the reviewed level-5 data. Totodile defaults to PHYSICAL Water Gun. Read the label again after the team changes; use Choice Specs or Choice Band for the category actually used.

For a dual-type starter, inspect Metronome carefully. On Bulbasaur it swaps the default Grass attack to Poison; that is a poor type trade into Brock despite the damage bonus. Use the items guide and HP calculator before accepting recoil on an already injured lead.

Rule sources: Moves, opponents & items · Combat rules · Species data

Improve the next attempt with one recorded change

• If a starter lost a favorable matchup, inspect level, current HP and held item before changing the starter entirely.
• If the move was resisted, plan a different catch or lead order rather than another bonus to the same move.
• If a key recruit was lost in Nuzlocke, rebuild the plan around the remaining roster; Normal-mode sacrifice plans have a different cost.
• Record generation, mode, boss, lead move and the change you tried. Compare like-for-like attempts instead of treating one lucky run as a tier list.

Player questions