Favorite Starter from Each Trio?

[Phosphene]

While I know there's a starter tier list thread, I don't think there's a thread solely for the starter you'd pick out of each trio, and I think the topic is different enough to warrant its own thread. Apologies if a thread like this has already been made.

So, for every starter trio, which starter is the one you'd go with?

 

[Fan of Jarrus]

The ones who are my favourites.

Gen 1
Charmander
Gen 2
Totodile
Gen 3
Treecko
Gen 4
Pliplup
Gen 5
Snivy
Gen 6
Froakie
Gen 7
Litten
Gen 8
Sobble

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

Kanto: Charmander
Johto: Cyndaquil
Hoenn: Treecko
Sinnoh: Chimchar
Unova: Snivy (closely followed by Oshawott)
Kalos: Fennekin
Alola: Popplio
Galar: Scorbunny

 

[Phosphene]

I based my choices on the final forms of each starter as I generally prefer to use fully-evolved Pokemon and like how they look more compared to NFEs. It was a close tie between Squirtle and Bulbasaur for Kanto, and Cyndaquil and Totodile for Johto.

Kanto:

Johto:

Hoenn:

Sinnoh:

Unova:

Kalos:

Alola:

Galar: none

 

[Emmy]

I have no particular leaning towards any one type or anything beyond simple aesthetics really. If it looks good I'll put it on my team is all.

Squirtle
Cyndaquil
Mudkip
Chimchar
Oshawott
Froakie
Rowlett
Grookey

 

[DawningWinds]

Kanto: Bulbasaur
Johto: Cyndaquil, with Chikorita as a close second
Hoenn: I don't care about the starters
Sinnoh: Piplup
Unova: Snivy, but very close between all of them
Kalos: Fennekin
Alola: Rowlet
Galar: Grookey, with Sobble as a close second

I'd say I tend towards grass-types the most- aside from Hoenn which I really just don't know and don't care, there isn't a single region where where the grass-type isn't either my first or second favorite

 

[Lightning Flame Blast]

Kanto: Charmander>Bulbasaur>Squirtle

Johto: Cyndaquil>Totodile>Chikorita

Hoenn: Treecko>Torchic>Mudkip

Sinnoh: Chimchar>Turtwig>Piplup

Unova: Snivy>Oshawott>Tepig

Kalos: Froakie>Fennekin>Chespin

Alola: Litten>Popplio>Rowlet

Galar: Grookie>Scorbunny>Inteleon

 

[nini]

Kanto: I cannot choose. I love them all too much.
Johto: Cyndaquil
Hoenn: Torchic (even tho I love mudkip for all the memes)
Sinnoh: Gastrodon!!! Turtwig
Unova: Tepig
Kalos: Fennekin
Alola: Litten
Galar: Sobble

I just realised that I love fire types the most ∑(OΔO )

 

[Tactician Karina]

Kanto: Bulbasaur
Johto: Cyndaquil w/ Totodile a close second
Hoenn: Torchic
Sinnoh: Piplup
Unova: Snivy w/ Oshawott a close second
Kalos: Fennekin
Alola: Popplio w/ Rowlet a close second
Galar: Scorbunny w/ Sobble a close second

I generally prefer a starter based on their evolutionary lines and if I find them cute/cool enough, though I sometimes tend to lean towards fire and water more.

 

[Peridorito]

Kanto: Bulbasaur
Johto: Cyndaquil
Hoenn: Treecko
Sinnoh: Turtwig
Umova: Tepig
Kalos: Froakie
Alola: Popplio
Galar: Sobble

I don't have a favorite type for starters. I tend to lean more towards either the Grass or Water ones because green and blue are my favorite colors, but Tepig and Cyndaquil are my two favorites overall.

 

[Esserise]

Kanto: Charmander > Bulbasaur > Squirtle

I really like all three of these. The Charmander and Bulbasaur families are legitimately some of my favorites, and Squirtle has a lot of charm to it as well, even if I think the transition from Wartortle to Blastoise is inelegant.

Johto: Totodile > Chikorita > Cyndaquil

Totodile is readily my favorite of this set, since it’s the most practical for an in-game run and I think the whole family has a very solid progression. Chikorita is very cute though, and can make for a fun challenge. Cyndaquil is okay. It’s got a very unique look for a Fire Starter line, and I do think its family's designs progress more naturally than Chikorita's. Meganium is kinda the Blastoise of this bunch, visually. A good design that just doesn't quite connect with the two previous stages.

Hoenn: Treecko > Mudkip > Torchic

These are all pretty all-around decent, but none of them, nor their evolutions, are particular favorites of mine, except for Grovyle. But the Treecko line is in general the coolest-looking to me and pays dividends toward the end of the Hoenn region games. Mudkip is also super-practical overall, but cheeses Wattson in a way I find kind of boring. Torchic is a fine choice too, it’s just not really my thing.

Sinnoh: Turtwig > Chimchar > Piplup

Turtwig is super cute, and Torterra is just straight-up awesome. I really like the Chimchar line as well, although I am not fond of how they start with a fire on their rear/tail but then it abruptly shifts to Infernape's head. I’ve never been terribly keen on the Piplup family, but Empoleon does have a very interesting type combination.

Unova: Tepig > Snivy > Oshawott

I think the aesthetic progression is the main factor in how I rank these ones because I generally like all three. The Tepig family feels the most cohesive to me, and it's also my favorite of the Fire/Fighting Starter concepts (Emboar > Infernape > Blaziken). I really like how much weight and heft I can feel from it. The Snivy line's arrogance is fun, and as a life-long fan of snakes, I appreciate having a Starter line based on them. In a weird way though, that sort of leads to my issue with the line, which is Serperior's lack of legs. I remember reading this interview with Ken Sugimori where he said that they were worried that having a snake Starter might turn people off, and so gave Snivy limbs to make it cuter, and would segue into a more proper snake shape with Serperior, but I personally don't think Servine accomplishes this transition as effectively as it could. It still seems like the legs just stop being a thing.

Samurott is similar in the way that Oshawott and Dewott are bipedal but then Samurott switches to all fours. Again, I understand this was a deliberate choice and that Sugimori didn't just want to keep making "big otters on two legs" and that Samurott's design was actually the first of the three to be finalized, but much like Servine, I just feel like Dewott could do a better job at straddling that line between the bipedal Oshawott and the quadrupedal Samurott. But I still really like this family; Samurott's rare-spined murex helmet is really rad and just the way it uses swords in general as an extension of how otters use rocks to smash open their food. Oshawott is extremely cute, and Dewott does a great job of feeling like an Oshawott that has grown and matured, in a way that I don't think had been accomplished since way back with the Kanto mid-stage Starters.

Kalos: Fennekin > Chespin > Froakie

One day, history will vindicate the Fennekin line. Even though we have bucked the trend of literal Fire/Fighting Starters that began 18 years ago, the two since Fennekin have still been anthropomorphic athletes that very well could have been Fire/Fighting types. It is almost a cliché at this point. Delphox is a lone oasis within that vast desert - admittedly still on the anthropomorphic side, but this time we have a rather haggard-looking Fire/Psychic sorcerer. It looks like a witch doctor. It's really cool. And I love the whole thematic progression, with Fennekin eating twigs and venting air from its ears, to Delphox having long, red, flame-like hair protruding from its ears and using a kindling stick as a wand. Foxes often inhabit the woods, as do witches in folklore, and it makes so much sense that a fox creature would snag twigs off of bushes and then use them for both survival and for scrawling and witchcraft. The way Braixen's tail, with the stick wedged in it, looks like a witch's broom. Ugh, I love it.

I am fond of the Chespin line. For once a mammalian Grass-type Starter line, combined with a maturing chestnut. Once again, I think Quilladin manages to hit that interesting "the first stage, but older and more matured" look of the Kanto mid-stage Starters and Dewott. And then, I dunno. I just think Chesnaught is cool. Very tough and hulking, but without being so rugged.

Greninja doesn't transition well off of Frogadier, and I don't like Froakie's huge eyes. But this line has always performed very well whenever I've used it, and Greninja's tongue scarf is brilliant. I also love Greninja's cry.

Alola: Rowlet > Litten > Popplio

This is probably my least-favorite Starter set overall. I do really like Rowlet, and the idea of having a Starter line based on owls, and Decidueye is pretty neat, but even it goes just a bit further into anthropomorphic territory than I'd like. I know the "it looks like a Digimon" criticism is overplayed and often meaningless, but Decidueye literally looks like it could have been one of the Spirit Warriors from Digimon Frontier, rather than an owl creature. Litten and Torracat are great, but then Incineroar... I fully understand what they were going for, but it's really not my thing. But, I always try to be mostly positive about Pokémon designs, and I will say that Incineroar does have a ton of personality. I've used one before, and I was still able to connect with it for largely that reason. That said, it gets at something that I believe @WyndonCalling and I were talking about in another thread, about how a lot of newer Pokémon designs will dictate their personality to you, and Incineroar is a case that really doesn't give you any leeway for interpretation. This is in contrast to the earlier, most bestial designs that did not speak in such absolute, human-like terms of expression. For instance, Charizard is overtly a "cool" design, but it feels like an animal rather than a character, and as a result, its personality is more subtle and subject to your own reading of it.

Also, the hand proportions...?

Oh and there's Primarina. Which, I dunno, I've always had this weird thing with Water-type Pokémon that are based on creatures that aren't adapted to terrestrial mobility. I can like the designs just fine, but I never feel... comfortable using them, because it kind of disrupts my immersion, I suppose? Like, if I'm in the middle of a cave or a forest with no water nearby, and I send out a Kingdra, what does that look like? I hate the idea that it just levitates in place as the in-game models depict. Does every marine-adapted Water-type also conveniently have the ability to levitate and breathe air, just in case it ever comes onto land? It just feels contrived and unrealistic to me. Same thing happens whenever I have such Pokémon walking around with me in the overworld in HGSS/LGPE/SwSh. As a result, I often ignore these Water-types as options and prefer to use others like Kingler or Seismitoad. I say all of this because Primarina is in sort of a weird middle-ground area, where yes, it's based on a sea lion which can walk on land to an extent, but the shape of its body is far more reminiscent of a mermaid, and its walk cycle looks as awkward as you'd expect from that (and wouldn't you know it, its run cycle is just it levitating). Samurott is also based on a sea lion, but I don't mind using it because it is more quadrupedal than actual sea lions, and so I can more easily believe it moving around on land.

Galar: Grookey > Sobble > Scorbunny

Much like the Hoenn Starters, these are all solid families without ever being particular favorites of mine. The Grookey line transitions the most effectively and fluidly in my eyes, although Inteleon won the Gigantamax design lottery. I like the amount of thought they put into each family's signature traits, although I wish there was more emphasis put on Sobble's ability to turn invisible. I also think each of the base designs have a very strong iconic quality to them. I'm not sure I can explain it exactly, but whenever I think "Galar" or "Sword and Shield," this is one of the first images that always comes to my mind. I've used all three and they all handle pretty nicely, but it's pretty hilarious how much better Rillaboom and Cinderace's Hidden Abilities are than Inteleon's. Instead of the (admittedly sensible from a flavor perspective) Sniper, this seems like an area in which they could have created a new Ability to illustrate the aforementioned invisibility. Really spitballing here, but maybe something like Galarian Slowbro's Quick Draw, except it's a built-in Bright Powder so that there's a chance Inteleon will evade all non-guaranteed hit moves on that turn.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Generally, I prefer Fire-types for my starters, though there are times I switch things around. My list is as followed:

Kanto: Bulbasaur
Johto: Cyndaquil
Hoenn: Torchic
Sinnoh: Chimchar (though Turtwig is a very close second)
Unova: Tepig
Kalos: Fennekin (though Froakie is a very close second)
Alola: Litten
Galar: Scorbunny

As you can see, seven out of eight Starters I pick are Fire-types. One reason is that Fire gains access to a status ailment near immediately in the form of Burn (thanks to all Fire starters learning Ember). While ones like Bulbasaur get access to the Powder/Spore moves, not every Grass starter gets said moves, so that limits the options there. Another reason is that, unlike most everyone else, I like the Fire/Fighting combo, as I find it to be a pretty cool typing. Sure, it got a bit overdone but it's still a pretty solid typing if you ask me. They also tend to get better Hidden Abilities, like Blaziken's Speed Boost (which catapulted it into Ubers), Incineroar's Intimidate and Cinderace's Libero. While I will, on occasion, pick a different starter, such as Froakie or Rowlet, I tend to prefer Fire starters overall.

 

[PikaKnight]

Kanto: Bulbasaur
Johto: Cyndaquil
Hoenn: Mudkip
Sinnoh: Piplup
Umova: Oshawott
Kalos: Fennekin
Alola: Popplio
Galar: Grookey

 

[WyndonCalling]

...a lot of newer Pokémon designs will dictate their personality to you, and Incineroar is a case that really doesn't give you any leeway for interpretation. This is in contrast to the earlier, most bestial designs that did not speak in such absolute, human-like terms of expression. For instance, Charizard is overtly a "cool" design, but it feels like an animal rather than a character, and as a result, its personality is more subtle and subject to your own reading of it.

What do we want?

Starter Pokémon designs that reflect the sentiment set out above!

When do we want it?

At the appropriate stage in the development cycle, which we appreciate may have passed for the next instalments of the main series titles!

Gen 1: The Squirtle line. My first exposure to the final starter designs was on the Base Set packaging at my local bookshop, which only ever seemed to have Charizard and Blastoise. The former was almost always out of stock, and being a rancid little hipster from an early age I ended up firmly in camp Blue.

Gen 2: The Totodile line. As much as creative restraint is a severely undervalued commodity, it's possible to flood the market with it. I like Feraligatr's design anyway, but it wasn't exactly up against inspiring competition - I find Meganium and especially Typhlosion to be desperately dull.

Gen 3: The Mudkip line. Swampert might be the best PvE starter ever with a ridiculously good typing, stat distribution and movepool, not to mention a bevvy of favourable gym matchups. I love the squat design, the colour pallet, the playstyle - my top starter overall and usually in my top six species of all time.

Gen 4: The Chimchar line. The first Gen where I'm kinda cool on all the designs, but I took a liking to Infernape when it was first spoiled. My usual tastes would suggest this would go to Torterra, but all the clean lines and asymmetry make it feel a tad... artificial to me.

Gen 5: The Tepig line. Holy trope subversion, Batman! The usually-sleek and aesthetically pleasing Fire-types instead get a monstrous swine with awful Speed and an HP stat a mile wide. I've never stuck with a Gen 5 playthrough with anything other than Emboar, and it might be my second favourite starter of all time (coming from a semi-avowed Genwunner).

Gen 6: The Froakie line. The rot sets in, with designs that start to strongly imply a specific personality and modus operandi - it begins to feel less and less like you're keeping a pet monster in your pocket (I'm sure there's a clever contraction for that), and instead having an established character tag along for the adventure. Greninja suffers from this the least, I feel.

Gen 7: The Rowlett line. See above re. the final starter designs, though Rowlett itself is the most adorable muffin you ever did see. Also, Decidueye because Eng-ur-laaaaand, Eng-ur-laaaand etc. Special props to Incineroar for being such furry bait that it's actually a little uncomfortable to look at in pretty much every context - my least favourite starter thus far.

Gen 8: The Sobble line. Solely redeemed by Sobble itself, as Inteleon is my least favourite of the three finalists. A disappointing trio in one of my favourite new species rosters overall.

 

[Insanish Danish]

This is so difficult, but:

Kanto: Bulbasaur
Johto: Chikorita
Hoenn: Mudkip
Sinnoh: Piplup
Unova: Oshawott
Kalos: Chespin
Alola: Rowlet
Galar: Scorbunny

 

[Daenerys]

Kanto: Charmander
Johto: Cyndaquil
Hoenn: Torchic
Sinnoh: Piplup
Unova: Oshawott
Kalos: Fennekin
Alola: Litten
Galar: Grookey

 

[nickdt]

Kanto: Squirtle. When i had the choice between the Red and Blue games, my first choice was Blue because Blastoise looked so much cooler than Charizard with having those cannons (And Blue is my favorite color). Obviously, i tried out all three starters, but Squirtle was the one i went back to the most. With Squirtle, my love for water type starters started. Bulbasaur is second and Charmander third.
Johto: Cyndaquil. When i saw the three starters for the first time when i got the choice, i choose Cyndaquil as my starter, since it looked the coolest. Totodile is a close second though. I don't like Chikorita at all. Even with the 3d animations, i prefer Cyndaquil over Totodile, despite the transition between sprites and 3d not having done the Cyndaquil line (But in particular Typhlosion) justice.
Hoenn: Do you liek Mudkipz? I liek Mudkipz. Mudkip has been my favorite Hoenn starter from the start. There is really no contest. Treecko is a second and Blaziken third.
Sinnoh: Turtwig. Initially, Chimchar was my favorite starter from Sinnoh, but it has since then be surpassed by Turtwig because of the anime and i also think Torterra is way better designed than Infernape is. Piplup is second, especially since Kukui's Empoleon in the anime has rekindled my love for Empeoleon. Chimcar is currently in third place (But in all honestly, Piplup and Chimcar are interchangeable)
Unova: Oshawott. I like Oshawott the best, not in the first place because of the anime. Tepig is second and Snivy is third.
Kalos: Surprise Surprise, its Froakie. Froakie just looks better than Chespin and Fennekin combined in my eyes, but i don't dislike them. Chespin is in second place. Fennekin is third.
Alola: Popplio. While i initially was on team Rowlet, i switched to the Popplio Defense Squad when i saw how much undeserved hate it got. Popplio (And Primarina in particular), never disappointed my in any playthrough i did. Litten is a close second (It surpassed Rowlet because of the anime) and Rowlet is a third.
Galar: Sobble. Sobble is the best Galar starter by a mile. Grookey has since then grown on me and is a close second (I even prefer Rillaboom over Inteleon now), while Scorbunny is my least favorite starter overall, because i don't see it as a starter due to its color palette being primary white instead of primary red (Which is consistent throughout the whole line and nothing about the line screams Fire type) and if it wasn't confirmed to be a starter, it could just have been a generic normal type nobody would give a second thought - which is especially funny coming from me, since my second favorite pokemon overall is a normal type. And then we have Cinderace, who i don't even see as a Pokemon, but as a human in a bunny suit.

 

[Nicolas721]

1. Squirtle, all 3 are very decent and I've chosen them numerous times but I feel more affinity towards this one because a) Water-type b) turtle c) very charismatic. Although I don't like Wartortle's design at all.
2. Chikorita because of game nostalgia, through all 3 base stages are great.
3. Mudkip, no contest at all.
4. Turtwig, no contest at all.
5. Tepig is the one I chose and the one that keeps its quality when evolving, I don't like Servine and Samurott.
6. Froakie, through Chesnaught is a bit cool.
7. Rowlet, no contest at all.
8. Scorbunny, in a similar situation to Gen 5 I don't like Drizzile, Inteleon and Thwackey but Sobble and Rillaboom are great.

 

[Sheep]

going to make my list and then vote on the poll based on which type is listed the most...! this will be interesting

• Gen I: Hard choice here since I adore Bulbasaur and Squirtle both, but I think I'll go with Squirtle since Wartortle is one of my favorite mons. he cool n cute
• Gen II: Chikorita. Too cute!
• Gen III: Treecko, I suppose? Not the hugest fan of most of these once they evolve, though Sceptile is cool.
• Gen IV: Piplup!
• Gen V: Snivy. Used to be Oshawott, but I clicked with Serperior eventually and now it's one of my favorite Unova mons.
• Gen VI: Fennekin<3
• Gen VII: Huge cat fan so probably Litten. Do like a lot of the others though.
• Gen VIII: Scorbunny! he smol and cute, I especially loved Go's.

so that's...
grass: 3
fire: 3
water: 2

close ;_; I think I'll vote grass in the end, since overall I tend to prefer it as a type and the grass starters I do like, I like a lot.

 

[RK9]

Gen 1: Charizard line.
Gen 2: Feraligatr line.
Gen 3: Swampert line. Even though I also really like the Blaziken line.
Gen 4: Infernape line.
Gen 5: Samurott line.
Gen 6: Greninja line.
Gen 7: Primarina line.
Gen 8: Rillaboom line. (Even thought I chose Inteleon. The Rillaboom sprite is horrendous compared to the official art.)