10 best starter Pokemon in the mainline series

Almost every mainline story begins with choosing a starter Pokemon as a companion on the journey to be the best. Most of the time, the first Pokemon tends to stick until the very end.

Starter Pokemon is the first ever Pokemon any trainer chooses as their partner in the mainline titles of every series. Many trainers show immense love and grow their starter Pokemon as much as they can because of the emotional attachment.

Three choices are mostly given; each represents three types: Grass, Water, and Fire. Some trainers choose their picks based on the evolutionary chain of Pokemon. E.g., Torchic’s evolution Blaziken is very powerful and fast.

However, choosing the starter Pokemon is mostly about who trainers want to start their journey with. Catching powerful Pokemon comes naturally during the progression.

Meant to be a companion, the Starter Pokemon is seen as a permanent member of the roster. It will evolve and grow alongside the skills and knowledge of the trainer.

Many trainers prefer strength and a great moveset but some favor iconic Pokemon despite their stats.

Although choosing the starter Pokemon is based on someone’s preferences, here is a list of some starter Pokemon that can fulfill the role of a companion effectively.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the author’s opinion.

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Ten great starter Pokemon in ascending order

10) Rowlet

Rowlet as stressed as it can get (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Rowlet is one of the three starter Pokemon of Alola, along with Litten and Popplio. With the release of Pokemon Sun and Moon, its stressed-out face became famous as an internet meme.

This Grass-type Pokemon, at some point, became a beacon to unify players amid drastic changes in the title’s algorithm. As normal as Rowlet is, there isn’t much to any of its evolution either.

Players mostly love this Pokemon for the smiles it brings to their faces.

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9) Sobble

This Water-type starter in Pokemon Sword and Shield looks fierce but isn’t one in actuality. Sobble as a Pokemon might not offer much at the start, but as it evolves into Drizzle and then to Inteleon, it gains quite a significant amount of power.

While in the form of Sobble it may perform weakly, as it gains power, it develops Sniper Shot as its signature move and becomes a sniper worth collecting.

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8) Fuecoco

Feucoco makes it to the list of the best starters (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Said to be making its debut in the upcoming Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Fuecoco has got users excited about using Fire-type starters again. Although they have no idea about the Pokemon’s stats or other details, it has already become one of the most famous Pokemon in the franchise.

Most of it is because of its unique personality and charming smile. The vibe this Pokemon gives off is very heart whelming.

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7) Squirtle

Squirtle debuted in 1996’s Pokemon Red and Blue and was later featured in every Kanto remake. FireRed, LeafGreen, and the Let’s Go! spin-offs were blessed by this Pokemon’s appearance and charm.

With the welcoming look of this water-type Pokemon, gamers also liked how powerful Squirtle was and its type advantage against Kanto’s first gym. Despite having more defensive stats than attack power distributed to its meta, this Pokemon has become fiercer and fiercer with every evolution it has gone through.

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6) Turtwig

Turtwig as it appears in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Grass-type starter Pokemon had a frail reputation because of their weakness against Fire-type starters in the first three generations of Pokemon. Out of the first three Grass-type starters, two remain so even after all of their evolutionary changes.

Only one Pokemon managed to grab a dual-type, but that is also Grass and Poison, which doesn’t do much. Fighting a Fire-type Pokemon was still a dream for any Grass-type player until Turtwig’s final evolution came to the platform.

Torterra changes it to a dual-type Pokemon, Grass plus Ground-type, which can finally fight Fire-type starters.

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5) Froakie

Froakie as it appears in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Considered one of the best starters from Generation VI, Froakie performs even more amazingly after it evolves into Greninja. Also known as the Bubble Frog Pokemon, Froakie is one of the three starter Pokemon of Kalos.

For its part, Greninja is highly praised for its character design in the franchise.

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4) Mudkip

The water-type Pokemon Mudkip evolves into the highly versatile Swampert and can fight against pesky Fire-type starters. Considered a classic starter of Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, Mudkip is still wreaking havoc and is equally loved.

The type advantage it had over Hoenn’s 1st gym and its signature move, Muddy Water, on the Generation III platform made it a keeper.

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3) Torchic

Torchic and its evolutionary chain (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Introduced in Generation III, the Chick Pokemon Torchic is a Fire-type and one of Hoenn’s three starters, along with Treecko and Mudkip. It made its debut in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, and its evolution, Blaziken, is a combination of the Fire and Fighting types.

This dual attribute of Fire and Fighting made this Pokemon memorable and one of the most fun to play with.

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2) Chikorita

Chikorita as it appears in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Originally released in Pokemon Gold and Silver, the Grass-type starter Chikorita is mainly overlooked amid Water and Fire-type starters. Although it has a strong moveset that significantly damages the opponent, it is mostly famous for its adorable look and evolutionary chain.

The evolutionary chain of Chikorita reminds users of dinosaurs, and they perform their absolute best in different situations.

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1) Bulbasaur

With its type advantage against the first and second Kanto gyms, Bulbasaur is a Grass and Poison-type Pokemon introduced in Generation I. Pokemon Red and Blue gamers know the absolute significance of this Pokemon during the gameplay.

Known as the Seed Pokemon, Bulbasaur is also one of the three starter Pokemon in Kanto, along with Squirtle and Charmander. As one of the most iconic characters in the franchise, Bulbasaur’s Pokedex number is 001.