In view of Pokémon Legends: Arceus, we have gathered the best starters (plus their fellow villagers) with whom to go on an adventure in a top 10
We have dedicated several specials to the franchise to worthily welcome Shining Diamond and Shining Pearl (whatever their corners were to be smoothed), and with Pokémon Legends: Arceus on the horizon it is normal to dedicate one top 10 ai starter. The concept of first companions is one that we have had the opportunity to dissect several times over the years: just ask “Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle?” to get newbies to struggle for hours (and veterans to respond immediately). In short, there is some material to understand how to face the upcoming adventures and, why not, rediscover the previous ones.
We have imposed ourselves this time too rules, but math is not an opinion: there are “only” eight generations of pocket monsters at the writing of this special, so expect to see several times the native fauna of the same region. In addition, we will try to dedicate ourselves to them strengths in the strategic context: you will therefore find many creatures with more than one type. In short, in addition to grass, fire and water there is much more, and although the undersigned has a weakness for Squirtle there is to be objective. If you are a novice coach, leave your notebooks out: let’s learn how to play Chinese morra!
Great for street food
The fiery hedgehog Cyndaquil, by virtue of the lack of fauna belonging to its same type in the various games, opens the top 10 as the first of the two starters that we have selected from Pokémon Legends: Arceus. With his four burners on his back, this little Fire-type guy doesn’t gain a second element as he grows. In the context of the adventure where he made his debut (in the case, we allude to the Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold and SoulSilver versions), however, he manages to have an easy life in the opening bars of the game in question.
It remains to be seen whether the title coming to Nintendo Switch intends to reinvent the wheel, but unfortunately, we have our hands a bit tied on its placement in the standings. Having only the Fire-type on her side, Cyndaquil (and her evolutions, Quilava and Typhlosion) tends to specialize only in her field. Trainers who have a way will do better to teach him Thunder Punch, even if he is unlikely to learn it outside the second generation. To send a Typhlosion with the move in future games, however, you need the Pokémon Bank and the Pokémon HOME service in tandem, transforming their utility in battle into a real one. investment.
Royal Gift – the top 10 starter in the Pokémon series
We wanted to dedicate a location to the water-type starter available in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, but the Unova region has better to offer. Instead of Oshawott (and of the Dewott and Samurott evolutions, however very suitable for the setting) we preferred to sing the praises of Snivy. Here too we have an early game companion destined to grow up with only one type, but to save Snivy and the two evolutions (Servine and Serperior) he provides his hidden ability, Inversion. Not all specimens boast this ability (instead of the usual Herb help), and there is a very specific reason.
Anyone who can take advantage of the moves that interfere with the stats will already be nodding. Inversion, as the name implies, reverses every single side effect of these moves. So if the opponent chooses to throw sand in his face with a Sand Whirl attack, his accuracy will increase rather than decrease. Against certain attacks aimed at raising the statistics on purpose it can also prove insidious, it is true. Nonetheless, these are still more unique than rare occasions. Like the possibility of having a specimen of this Pokémon with the ability, on the other hand.
Croaking in the multiverse – the top 10 starter in the Pokémon series
Moving on to the polygon era of the series, Pokémon X and Y gave us one of the best allies in the series. It was time for a representative of the Water type to arrive, and here it is Froakie offers one of the most versatile choices. Growing and evolving first into Frogadier and then into Greninja, the starter will acquire the first secondary type of our ranking: Dark. This allows him to develop immunity to all Psychic-type moves, while giving him a few more weaknesses. If there was a reverse cycle of second types, we would gladly have placed it higher, but that’s not the case.
Although his cronies reach final evolutionary stages of the Grass / Fighting and Fire / Psychic type, which only further increase the cyclical vulnerabilities of the trio, there are other aspects that enhance Froakie’s evolutionary line. In fact, we are talking about a Pokémon among the representatives of the saga in the roster of (yes, exactly) Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. In addition to this, Greninja’s popularity has led him to be one of the direct meeting points between the continuity of the games and the ad mentula canis of the anime. The transformation Greninja Forma Ashin fact, it has made its way into games (Smash included).
Obligatory position for Charizard – the top 10 starter in the Pokémon series
To avoid being burned at the stake, we had to dedicate a position to another regular presence in the series. Did you believe it? We know well that Charmander and its evolutionary line are loved for the mere fact of being who they are, but the fact remains that providing the player with their own dragon (although, ironically, not Dragon-type) could only generate one of the most loved (and representative ) of the saga. And we say it not only for Charizard’s cool side, but also for its gameplay merits. Did you know that the adult version of this great little ally has received more different combinations of types?
Depending on the game in which we enjoy the services of the Flame Pokémon, we can see it in three different guises. All chapters that make use of the megaevolution (X, Y, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, Ultra Moon, Let’s Go, Pikachu! And Let’s Go, Eevee!) Offered us Mega Charizard X and Mega Charizard Y, the former of which discards the combination. Fire / Flying (already an excellent starting point) in favor of the Fire / Dragon that we always wanted to see. With the advent of Dynamax e Gigamax in Sword and Shield, then, we got to know (for three turns) a new look with a greater focus on the Fire type only.
To make the table, you need Woodgeck – the top 10 starter in the Pokémon series
If it weren’t for the excellent Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire remakes, at least for the writer, there would be very little left to save the Hoenn region. However, between one Secret Base and another, one of the best Grass-type starters of the whole series stands out, Treecko. Beyond the distinctive Leaf Sweep move, what sets this reptile fused to a tree apart? Anyone who boasts one of his evolutions in the team, whether it is the Sceptile final or even just the intermediate Grovyle, will have noticed that his opponents rarely attack first. This is, in short, a very, very fast starter.
Let’s add that already at the first stage, Treecko tends to have a fairly easy life with the first gym leader… and we get a phenomenal ally to start the adventure. Which is impressive considering the adult tree that makes up Sceptile’s tail. A tree that takes on almost Christmas colors with the Mega Evolution introduced in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, but this is the minor peculiarity. The secondary type that the evolutionary line has never had, in fact, peeps out with MegaSceptile: none other than the Dragon type, believe it or not!
Grab the red Pokéball and see how deep the white rabbit hole is – the top 10 starter in the Pokémon series
Let’s say that Pokémon Sword and Shield, as you play, you have to know how to take them a little. In this case we have starters placed in our hands directly by the local champion, the lovable Dandel (brother of Hop). After a comic curtain summarized as Christmas in Galar, we have a choice between Grookey, Sobble and Scorbunny. The latter two combine basic animals with two passions that are more English than ever. On the one hand we have the final evolution Inteleon, the Pokémon version of the agent in the service of Her Majesty. On the other hand we have the Raboot and Cinderace evolutions, which as you may have guessed make of Scorbunny the fifth classified today.
We already knew that the people across the Channel have a passion for the ball, but with Cinderace we have a real gunner with a hidden ability. Unlike Inversione, however, here we are faced with a real ace in the hole. In exchange for the usual Fire Aid, some Scorbunny specimens can be equipped with Free. We do not mean the television program of Teo Mammucari, but the homonymous position in football. It works similar to Greninja’s (Mutatipo) hidden ability, corroborating the attacks used by temporarily altering the Pokémon’s type. Goal!
To make wood, it takes Root Tree – the top 10 starter in the Pokémon series
Let’s go back to Kanto for a moment to rediscover the joy of relying on Bulbasaur. There are many who dismiss the Grass type with disgust, but in addition to transforming into a trifle most of the games in which it is available also enjoys a very precious second type. We know that Oddish and family also enjoy the combination Grass / Poison, but taking advantage of them from the first bars of the game has a completely different flavor. A taste that can turn out to be very bitter in the mouth of the opponents, considering certain moves like Mudbomb. Let’s not talk about Toxin: dogs and pigs learn that for some reason.
Like Charizard, he enjoys two variants: MegaVenusaur and Venusaur Gigamax. In both cases, the combination of types does not change, allowing them to inflict massive damage on both cloying and dangerous Fairy-type Pokémon. The attack Radicalber made its debut as a signature move of this creature in the RossoFuoco and VerdeFoglia versions, only to be shared with all Grass-type starters. However, its Gigamax form maintains (at least as of this writing) exclusivity on the move Gigasferzata. In general, if someone tells you that it is better than Charizard… trust me!
Journey to the West – the top 10 starter in the Pokémon series
It was inevitable, given our focus on combinations of types, that sooner or later we paired it Fire / Fight would have peeped out. The question is: will it be Blaziken, Emboar or Infernape? To answer us with an ape-like scream is the latter, an evolved form of Chimchar and reliable fire-type starter that we got to enjoy with Pokémon Shining Diamond and Shining Pearl. Combining the Fire type with the Fighting type allows you to better juggle the weakness of the Rock type, which is often a worry of those who want incendiary powers even at the cost of complicating their lives.
We would blame the infamous presence of Ponyta and Rapidash alone in the Sinnoh region (not the ancient counterpart Hisui that…