"Ever regretted your starter choice?": Pokemon community weighs in with their stories

The Pokemon series' starter Pocket Monsters is always a topic of discussion among fans, especially when a new set of core series games is on the horizon. As the first partners for the trainers, these creatures often become the subject of debate regarding which ones stand out as the best.

However, the Redditor u/Chloebearxx asked a different question in a recent post:

"Have you ever regretted your starter choice?"

have you ever regretted your starter choice? byu/chloebearxx inpokemon

In u/Chloebearxx's post, they recounted how they picked starter Pokemon like Chespin and Grookey only to be disappointed as they continued to evolve into Chesnaught and Rillaboom, respectively. However, the feeling of starter regret seems to be quite common according to many trainers in the comments who also shared a similar sentiment after picking a starter they didn't care much for.

Plenty of Pokemon players shared their own experiences with "starter regret" (Image via Reddit)

Meanwhile, some fans like u/Olaanp admitted that they always waited to see the full evolutionary line of starter Pokemon so they could make a decision that they wouldn't regret. Neither experience is inherently good or bad, but it does provide some interesting insight into how players select their starters and why they sometimes have doubts about their choice after the fact.

Because starter creatures are some of the most sentimental Pocket Monsters for trainers due to them being the first friends, it's understandable for fans to have attachments to certain 'mons. Even though plenty of players expressed starter regret, other trainers had differing opinions on which starters gave them their feelings of remorse.

Trainers gave different reasonings for why they regretted picking certain starter Pokemon (Image via Reddit)

Players also expressed different reasons why their regretted starter monsters fell short of expectations. For many, it was a Pocket Monster's appearance and overall design, but other trainers looked to learnable moves, elemental type combinations, or potential viability in PvP battles. Overall, a single question revealed plenty about what trainers prioritize in a starting partner.

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Starter Pokemon show the priorities and dedication of the fanbase

Starter creatures tend to bring out plenty of passion among Pocket Monsters fans (Image via The Pokemon Company)

No matter what reason players expressed regret for picking certain starters, the conversation from Chloebearxx's post shows the priorities and overall attachment to starter creatures in particular. No matter when trainers start their journey in the core series, obtaining their first partners is a defining moment in the identity they assume as players.

There are diehard loyalists based on a starter's elemental type, trainers who prefer appearance over performance, as well as the inverse - players who want the most battle-effective starter of each in-game generation - but this diverse pool of trainers continues to develop attachment all the same. This is far from a bad thing, as it's a significant part of why the Pokemon series remains popular decades after its start.

As the years continue to unfold for the series, there's no doubt that players will continue expressing their love for their preferred starters while discussing the moments when they didn't pick the one they expected to enjoy. However, the diversity of opinions and the regular return to these topics does show that Pocket Monsters fans are still one of the most dedicated groups in gaming.