Choosing the best Starter in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

The choice of Starter is always a big moment in a Pokémon game, and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are no exception! It's the first big decision you'll have to make in your adventure, and the starter Pokémon is usually a very long-lasting companion in the adventure. But what's the best starter?

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The choice of the Starter

Headmaster Clavel will suggest that you choose one of the three starters at the beginning of the adventure. He then introduces you to Poussacha, Chochodile and Headdress.

Be careful, depending on the starter you choose, Menzi will choose the weak starter over yours... at least at the beginning of the adventure. But more on that later.

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The Starter and the Difficulty

In the early Pokémon games, the choice of starter was relatively tied to the difficulty of your game. The beginning of the adventure is usually the hardest part because you haven't gotten very far in the levels yet, and you have few choices for building a team. To use Pokémon Red as an example, Salamèche struggled against Rock and Water Pokémon and those in the early arenas, for example, and there were no Pokémon to capture that could compensate for its weaknesses. Whereas Bulbizarre makes it through the early part of the adventure without a problem.

This has become much less the case in recent generations and all the starters are fairly balanced. In addition, the variety of wild Pokémon available is much higher this time and you can easily get a Plant, Water and Fire Pokémon on the first Pokémon Scarlet and Violet route.

That said, if you're the type of person who only plays your starter, here's how we rate the three starting Pokémon:

Chochodile is probably the easy mode. There are many Pokémon that are weak to Fire attacks both early and late in the game. In addition, when it evolves to its final stage, it becomes a Spectre Type, which gives it a lot of resistance. On the other hand, its speed is rather low, so it often attacks second.

Headdress can have a hard time at the beginning of the game, due to the abundance of Plant and Electrik Pokémon that you encounter at the start. However, it has a wide range of attacks, including Normal, Water, Flight and Fighting, making it useful in almost any situation.

Poussacha suffers somewhat at the beginning and end of the game, due to the presence of Bug Pokémon and Flying Pokémon in Arenas or among the Dominants. It will be very comfortable in the mid-game, however, as most Pokémon are susceptible to its attacks.

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The Evolution of Starters

Choosing a starter Pokémon because it's cute is all well and good, but you run the risk of being disappointed with its final look. Remember that starters only stay in their first form for a short time, and that you will have to spend time with their final forms.

The evolution of Poussacha

The evolution of Chochodile

The evolution of Coiffeton

The three Starters have types that correspond to a Stone Leaf Scissor. Plant beats Water which beats Fire which beats Plant. But as they reach their final stage of evolution, they gain a second type that reverses this balance.

For example, Miascarade has strong Plant attacks against Palmaval's Water type, but also strong Darkness attacks against Flâmigator's Spectre. Be sure to take this into account, especially when fighting Menzi, who will reverse the advantage you had.

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But who is the best starter, then?

It's going to sound cliché, but the best one is ultimately the one that your heart dictates. Choose a Pokémon for its looks, for its personality, for its types, or for the ease it offers in the adventure. All criteria are valid!

At worst, with online play, it is now very easy to get the other starters, if you really can't decide.

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