Envoy
Formerly GTT
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2009
- Messages
- 2,994
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As of Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee, Kanto becomes the Pokemon Region with the most Starter Pokemon available to the Player in a Main Series Game (or Main Series Adjacent if you don't think they're Main Series.)
I mean, sure, we had Pokemon Yellow, but that was always seen as a one-off thing. Yes, this is a remake of Pokemon Yellow, but it also marks the second time Pikachu is available as a Starter Pokemon. Pikachu has always been the unofficial "fourth" Kanto Starter. FRLG even included a Pikachu poster in its credits scene alongside Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise. Now, with LGPE being the second Kanto game to have Pikachu as a Starter, it adds a bit more legitimacy to the idea of Pikachu being a fourth Starter. At this point, Pikachu has been a Starter in a Main Series Game almost as many times as the traditional Three. Pikachu was a Starter in Gen I through Yellow and LGPE could consider it an equivalent to FRLG. The only Generation Pikachu hasn't been a viable Starter the same way the other three have is as a secondary Starter in XY. I mean, technically, its not included with the others in the post-game of HGSS but that's because it was in Viridian Forest anyway. It should also be noted that Pikachu is available as a secret Starter choice in Pokemon Go. So, does LGPE finally legitimize Pikachu as a Starter Pokemon? Albeit a special one? Or is it still just an exception? Should Pikachu be included in every conversation about the Kanto Starters? Should we think of Pikachu alongside Squirtle, Bulba, and Char from now on? Or, even if we shouldn't, do we anyway?
As for Eevee, ever since Yellow, it's sort of been implied that lacking any other choices, Eevee is the perfect Kanto Starter....substitute. Instead of giving your Rival access to any of the traditional Starters in Yellow, they gave him an Eevee. Which, at the time, felt like a random (albeit fitting) choice. Ever since then, Eevee or its evolutions have been considered the go-to non-Starter Starters. Espeon and Umbreon were your Starters in Colosseum, Eevee was your Starter in XD, and --alongside Eevee being your Rival's Starter in Yellow, Eevee has always felt like it was Starter adjacent. A bit more so than Pikachu, even. So, does LGPE solidify Eevee as an official Kanto Starter? Or is this still another exception?
Basically, should we refer to the group as the Kanto Quintet from now on? Instead of the Kanto Trio? Should Game Freak endeavor to include Pikachu and Eevee alongside Bulba, Char, and Squirtle whenever they're distributing Kanto Starters moving forward?
Will this perhaps be the start of a new trend wherein a given region has more than three Starters at a time?
I mean, sure, we had Pokemon Yellow, but that was always seen as a one-off thing. Yes, this is a remake of Pokemon Yellow, but it also marks the second time Pikachu is available as a Starter Pokemon. Pikachu has always been the unofficial "fourth" Kanto Starter. FRLG even included a Pikachu poster in its credits scene alongside Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise. Now, with LGPE being the second Kanto game to have Pikachu as a Starter, it adds a bit more legitimacy to the idea of Pikachu being a fourth Starter. At this point, Pikachu has been a Starter in a Main Series Game almost as many times as the traditional Three. Pikachu was a Starter in Gen I through Yellow and LGPE could consider it an equivalent to FRLG. The only Generation Pikachu hasn't been a viable Starter the same way the other three have is as a secondary Starter in XY. I mean, technically, its not included with the others in the post-game of HGSS but that's because it was in Viridian Forest anyway. It should also be noted that Pikachu is available as a secret Starter choice in Pokemon Go. So, does LGPE finally legitimize Pikachu as a Starter Pokemon? Albeit a special one? Or is it still just an exception? Should Pikachu be included in every conversation about the Kanto Starters? Should we think of Pikachu alongside Squirtle, Bulba, and Char from now on? Or, even if we shouldn't, do we anyway?
As for Eevee, ever since Yellow, it's sort of been implied that lacking any other choices, Eevee is the perfect Kanto Starter....substitute. Instead of giving your Rival access to any of the traditional Starters in Yellow, they gave him an Eevee. Which, at the time, felt like a random (albeit fitting) choice. Ever since then, Eevee or its evolutions have been considered the go-to non-Starter Starters. Espeon and Umbreon were your Starters in Colosseum, Eevee was your Starter in XD, and --alongside Eevee being your Rival's Starter in Yellow, Eevee has always felt like it was Starter adjacent. A bit more so than Pikachu, even. So, does LGPE solidify Eevee as an official Kanto Starter? Or is this still another exception?
Basically, should we refer to the group as the Kanto Quintet from now on? Instead of the Kanto Trio? Should Game Freak endeavor to include Pikachu and Eevee alongside Bulba, Char, and Squirtle whenever they're distributing Kanto Starters moving forward?
Will this perhaps be the start of a new trend wherein a given region has more than three Starters at a time?
