Best Starter Pokemon Each Gen

The most crucial decision in any Pokémon adventure happens within the first minutes - selecting your lifelong partner from Professor Oak's (or equivalent) starter trio. This initial choice influences your entire journey through gym battles, rival encounters, and legendary discoveries. Players often choose based on personal preference, treating it as a personality test, unaware how this decision will shape their path to becoming a Pokémon Champion.

Gen 1: Bulbasaur - The Clear Kanto Champion

Despite Charmander's popularity, Bulbasaur proves superior strategically throughout Kanto:

• Dominates first two gyms (Rock and Water types)
• Performs strongly against Giovanni's Ground-type lineup
• Excels against Elite Four members Bruno and Lorelei
• Dual Grass/Poison typing provides additional defensive benefits

The only significant challenges come from Erika's Grass gym and Blaine's Fire-types, easily countered by recruiting Water Pokémon abundant in Kanto.

Gen 2: Cyndaquil - Johto's Firepower

• Scarce Fire-types make Cyndaquil incredibly valuable
• Crushes Bug, Steel, and Ice gyms with ease
• Final evolution Typhlosion handles Poison-heavy Elite Four
• Only significant weakness appears against Wallace's Water-types

Gen 3: Mudkip - Hoenn's Aquatic Ace

Mudkip evolves into Swampert gaining:

• Ground-typing making it Electric-immune
• Only weakness to Grass attacks
• Super-effective against three major gyms
• Perfect HM slave for Water-heavy Hoenn region

Gen 4: Chimchar - Sinnoh's Infernal Choice

The scarcity of Fire-types continues:

• Only 5 new Fire Pokémon introduced
• Final evolution Infernape gains Fighting-type
• Dominates Steel, Ice, and Grass gyms
• Versatile against Galactic's Bug-types

Gen 5: Tepig - Unova's Burning Spirit

• Emboar's Fire/Fighting typing proves versatile
• Crushes multiple Team Plasma encounters
• Dominates Bug and Dark-type Elite Four members
• Overcomes Unova's Steel-type prevalence

Gen 6: Fennekin - Kalos' Magical Maestro

Delphox's Fire/Psychic typing offers:

• Strong against three major Kalos gyms
• Resistant to two additional gym types
• Performs well against Fairy Elite Four
• Psychic coverage handles Poison-types handily

Gen 7: Litten - Alola's Dark Flame

Incineroar's Fire/Dark typing:

• Sweeps Sophocles' Electric trial (Steel/Bugs)
• Counters Acerola's Ghost/Grass lineup
• Limited Fire-types in Alola boost value
• Z-Move potential maximizes damage output

Gen 8: Sobble - Galar's Sniper Solution

• Perfect for late-game Rock/Ground gyms
• Strong Champion Cup performances
• Inteleon's balanced stats provide versatility
• Gigantamax form offers strategic flexibility

Gen 9: Fuecoco - Paldea's Ghostly Guardian

Skeledirge dominates:

• Counters high-level Psychic/Fairy gym
• Handles Team Star's Dark/Poison bases
• Ghost typing provides additional coverage
• Unrivaled against Elite Four's Steel specialist