Pokémon Starters: Every Generation’s Beginner Choices and How to Pick Yours
Pokémon starters are the three beginner Pokémon you choose at the start of most mainline games—typically one Grass, one Fire, and one Water type. They’re designed to teach type matchups early, and they usually become reliable team anchors through the story.
All Pokémon Starters by Generation
| Generation | Region | Grass Starter | Fire Starter | Water Starter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gen 1 | Kanto | Bulbasaur | Charmander | Squirtle |
| Gen 2 | Johto | Chikorita | Cyndaquil | Totodile |
| Gen 3 | Hoenn | Treecko | Torchic | Mudkip |
| Gen 4 | Sinnoh | Turtwig | Chimchar | Piplup |
| Gen 5 | Unova | Snivy | Tepig | Oshawott |
| Gen 6 | Kalos | Chespin | Fennekin | Froakie |
| Gen 7 | Alola | Rowlet | Litten | Popplio |
| Gen 8 | Galar | Grookey | Scorbunny | Sobble |
| Gen 9 | Paldea | Sprigatito | Fuecoco | Quaxly |
How to Choose the Best Starter
A simple way to pick:
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Pick Grass if you like status moves, healing, and steady play.
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Pick Fire if you want fast offense and strong early battles.
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Pick Water if you prefer balanced stats and consistent matchups.
Popular “Best Starter” Picks (by playstyle)
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Easy story run: Water starters often have the smoothest overall matchup spread.
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Fast, aggressive: Many Fire starters have strong attacking stats and good move variety.
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Tactical/utility: Grass starters frequently get support moves (sleep, leeching, screens).
If you tell me which game you’re starting (or which generation you mean), I’ll recommend the best starter for that specific story path and gym order.
