Starter PKMN - problems and solutions

[Leaf_Ranger]

Starter Pkmn are one of the most important thing when revealing a new generation and starting our own adventure. The truth is that despite the weaknesses and strengths connection being a nice beginning to the concept of types, I believe that the current system has some flaws and could deserve some changes, even if for one time only. What are your thoughts and suggestions?

First of all, I think that the starters have one very basic problem that is they don't seem to have an area to which they are native. This makes them seem like they are not part of the local fauna and/or that they are always neary extinction and hence why they're not found in the wild nor with any indication to their home. I believe that one way of improving the formula would be to have the starters appear in new spots in previous traveled areas that you would have to discover post-game or even mid-game and according to each Pkmn characteristics that would hint at where you could find them.

I'm a Grass-type trainer and so never had a problem because I always get a Grass-type partner Pkmn but what about the other trainers that like other types and would like to have their own type starter Pkmn? I know that starters are hard to create and design but if they make starters that only evolve one time, perhaps it could make things easier for the creators while also pleasing lots of trainers. Also, the fact that the Pkmn would be two-stages only would perhaps make the game a little bit harder. As for the Rival's Pkmn, that could be determined through the ID which could also serve to make the game harder or easier.

 

[Nicolas721]

I don't have a problem with starters not being available in the wild, it's understandable why they are made that way. It would be great if things like the Friend Safari returned though or if the ones you didn't choose were locked behind BP or something.

I would like for the evolution levels to raise, since it feels you spend too little with the earlier stages. Sometimes your starter has already evolved before obtaining a cool feature like Hoenn's contests. I would change them to 20 and 40 respectively. Also, your rival having the starter with the type advantage should come back.

 

[Camille]

I actually really like the fact they aren't available in the wild (and was very annoyed when they became catchable in the wild in Generation VII). I'd love the starters from other regions to be locked behind various tasks again, like they were in HeartGold/SoulSilver. I'd also like the player character to meet the starters in the lab for the first time again.

 

[Leaf_Ranger]

I don't have a problem with starters not being available in the wild, it's understandable why they are made that way. It would be great if things like the Friend Safari returned though or if the ones you didn't choose were locked behind BP or something.

I would like for the evolution levels to raise, since it feels you spend too little with the earlier stages. Sometimes your starter has already evolved before obtaining a cool feature like Hoenn's contests. I would change them to 20 and 40 respectively. Also, your rival having the starter with the type advantage should come back.

I can understand on why not giving the whole trio of starters, because that makes the games easier but in terms of them fitting in their debut regions, we don't know nothing, as to where they would be found and why they're so rare. For example, Typhlosion is the Eruption Pkmn but I don't think that he fits in Johto; Team Rocket poaches Pkmn but they don't use the starter lines.

I agree with you on the raising of the evolution levels and that we spend very little time with the little guys and middle stages and in my case, sometimes is harder to resist the temptation to evolve them.

I actually really like the fact they aren't available in the wild (and was very annoyed when they became catchable in the wild in Generation VII). I'd love the starters from other regions to be locked behind various tasks again, like they were in HeartGold/SoulSilver. I'd also like the player character to meet the starters in the lab for the first time again.

I was only annoyed because it just seemed random and they were just shoved in. If it were to be locked behind task, I'd like for them to be real quests and not just achievements. Also, someting that I liked to see in Temtem is that the lab recreates the creature's habitat and I'd like to see this in Pkmn.

 

[Silktree]

Typhlosion fits New Bark Town since it's close to Mt. Silver, which was once volcanic if Mt. Fuji is any indication. Who knows where the species was discovered, though.

The main that bothers me about starters is the type repetition. It's so deja vu.

 

[Flaster]

I don't have many issues with starter pokemon at all, though I would love to see new types other than the standard three they give us. Only once the fire/grass/water was broken at all when Pikachu was given as a starter, but that wasn't really a main series game and was a special edition of Yellow, so.

 

[Matleo]

maybe they could make them live in hords and that to get one you would need to win against a final form in a big hord battle? a rare encounter at a specific place and time?
But exchange with in build game play trainers and getting maybe eggs at the day care centers or from the profesor and from Nurse Joy as a build in option would be great, you could use it or not.

My biggest problem with starters that they should get more moves from the start when we begin and I mean damage dealing moves and learn new moves faster, even weak ones of other types and not that it takes so long without any reason to learn weak moves. Would be cool to get starters in future that have 4 moves, one of their type, a status boosting move and two other moves of other types.
Tackle feels to random and over use, like Bite, Headbutt, Rage, Dragon Rage and other options more.
Generaly 1 stages are weak status wise and I never get it why they have so limited options taking that first stage should learn more and faster then second or third stage starters, especially many moves under base power 100... this would allow to make harder gym leaders and oponents too by the way.

Starters should get secondary ability option and I hope they make in future a possibility of a pokemon using 2 abilities at the same time out of 3 taking the hidden ability option. That or maybe a new mechanic like cursed or sacred seals to use all three abilities at once?

 

[Lightning Flame Blast]

While I agree that it’s weird you never come across starter habitats, getting to catch the other two in the wild greatly undermines what’s supposed to be the big choice of the game.

XY’s way of giving us a second starter (Shauna’s starter’s egg) was a good way to start easing that in, but it’d probably only happen as post game.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

Dragon Rage

So you want to OHKO every Pokemon till the third badge?

 

[Matleo]

So you want to OHKO every Pokemon till the third badge?

depends what oponents would have agains it...
a totaly fairy gym?
or partially fairy pokemon in gym leaders arsenal?
bug gym with Shedinja? or a pokemon with sturdy?

Would make sense for Charmander against rock pokemon actually to have it and metal claw in remake games.

also the move may change and be more like sonic boom? that did 20 damage always... stopped hitting ghost in gen 7.
both were not added to gen 8 yet...
I would want them both back and do 25hp or 30hp damage , would make sense and be enough.
Both are cool and needed taking abilities that heal up or half damage, light screen , reflect, aurora veil and other options....

Dragon Rage (move) - Bulbapedia, the community-driven Pokémon encyclopedia

bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net

Sonic Boom (move) - Bulbapedia, the community-driven Pokémon encyclopedia

bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net

Bullet seed should become a special move, bc it looks that way and be learnable for grass starters too.
Especially level up or like a first move that a pokemon uses.
It could be power 20 actually bc it doesnt look as stronger then solarbeam or solar blade.
Or be again like 15 or 18, to not be overpowered. (if multistrike moves would work even after faiting the oponent out and hit the next pokemon send out for the full execution and use of the multistrike move....)

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

depends what oponents would have agains it...
a totaly fairy gym?
or partially fairy pokemon in gym leaders arsenal?
bug gym with Shedinja? or a pokemon with sturdy?

Every early game Pokemon isn’t immune to Dragon type. It'll OHKO any low level Pokémon, and making every Pokémon encountered till Gym 3 a fairy type or Shedinja is bad game design.

 

[Poke Dragon]

Since starters can be bred, you can just trade newly hatched starters for other first stage starters, it's what I did with the Alolan starters back in Gen 7. It's really not that difficult to obtain all three starters once you get access to breeding and trading.

 

[Sakuraa]

I don't mind the starters not being found in the wild. I like that they're considered really rare. Sometimes I do wish we'd see other trainers with the starters aside from just the PC, rival, and 1 other character, though. I guess to allow you the chance to have the others, perhaps they could make it so you'd get them as gifts after beating the game.

I don't know about changing the starter types though. The current trio is not only iconic, but it's the only one that works perfectly and make sense. I know people have tried to consider other types they could use, but it always ends up being a bit uneven.