All Pokemon Starters by Generation

In the huge world of Pokémon, there are hundreds of Pokémon for you to catch, however, all Pokémon starters have a special place in your heart as they go on a great adventure with you, their trainer.

Here is a list of all starter Pokémon by generation. This list covers the core series and side games as well. We also created a full list of all Legendary Pokémon by Generation for you to check out.

Bulbasaur / Charmander / Squirtle

Pokémon Red, Green, Blue, FireRed, and LeafGreen
Generation 1

The most iconic of all pokémon starters are these 3. Found in the original Pokémon Red, Blue, and Green are Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle.

This always seemed like the most important decision of your life, who would you pick? Grass, Fire, or Water-type? Regardless of which character you chose, I’m sure you enjoyed roaming Kanto with your new pokemon starter.

Pokémon Red was also the first game to be played on Twitch by as many as 1.1 million players at the same time (yes, they all played the game together using commands on Twitch.tv).

Pikachu

Pokémon Yellow
Generation 1

Pokémon Yellow took you on an adventure where you could only really pick one pokémon starter… It was Pikachu! The most iconic Pokémon of all time. Even your mom will know who this electric mouse is.

Just looking at the art itself from 1998, you can see how much Pikachu has changed over time from looking like a real feisty electric mouse to its current more round cute looking rabbit/mouse creature.

You can relive the adventure of Pokémon Yellow on the newer Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu / Eevee, though these are not part of the core series.

Chikorita / Cyndaquil / Totodile

Pokémon Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold, and SoulSilver
Generation 2

Welcome to Generation 2. Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile were the first new starters to the 100 new additional Pokémon that came along with Pokémon Generation 2.

Many new features were introduced with Pokémon Gold and Silver, including a whole new region of Johto to explore.

Treecko / Torchic / Mudkip

Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire
Generation 3

Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire brought the series to Generation 3, adding 135 new Pokémon and 3 new starters to choose from.

The Pokemon world really started to get big here, adding yet again a new region to the world. The region of Hoenn and a bunch of new features never seen before in a Pokemon game.

Turtwig / Chimchar / Piplup

Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
Generation 4

Of all Pokémon starters, these 3 have to be my personal least favorite. The designs seemed to change drastically and Pokémon seemed to be designed to be less unique.

Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup brought the series to Generation 4, adding 107 additional Pokémon to the Pokédex and adding the new region of Sinnoh for you to explore.

Pokémon Diamond and Pearl were also the first of the main series to be released on the Nintendo DS.

The enhanced remakes Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are out now on the Nintendo switch.

Snivy / Tepig / Oshawott

Pokémon Black and White
Generation 5

Pokémon Black and White is the first generation of Pokémon games to open up a ‘National Pokédex’ after completing the main story.

There were so many great additions to Pokémon Black and White. Seasons were finally a thing, and there is the new region of Unova to explore.

Of all Pokémon starters before these, this would be the first time I personally would choose the grass Pokemon Snivy as my starter (I usually pick the water type as my starter).

Chespin / Fennekin / Froakie

Pokémon X and Y
Generation 6

Generation 6 explores the region of Kalos and Hoenn. Choose between one of 3 interesting starter Pokémon. Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie each offer something unique.

X and Y are often referred to as Black and White 2 as it takes place 2 years after the original Black and White games.

Rowlet / Litten / Popplio

Pokémon Sun and Moon
Generation 7

Perhaps one of the most ‘common’ looking Pokémon starters of all time. Rowlet, which looks like a normal owl, Litten, which looks like a cat, and Popplio, which looks like a seal will be your eternal partners in Sun and Moon as you explore the region of Alola.

There are some other boring-looking catchables which include Mudbray, which looks like a donkey, and Toucannon, which you can guess looks exactly like a Toucan.

Grookey / Scorbunny / Sobble

Pokémon Sword and Shield
Generation 8

Sword and Shield brought in many changes, and these starters are the icons of the latest Pokémon game in the main series.

Released on the Nintendo Switch in 2019, Sword and Shield are the first games since Generation 2 that don’t include any dual typed starters.

Rowlet / Cyndaquil / Oshawott

Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Generation 8

Legends Arceus is one of the most entertaining and unique Pokémon games we have seen in some time. Not only are the battle and capturing mechanics a strict departure from mainline games, but many new regional forms were introduced!

The starters of Legends Arceus are Rowlet, Cyndaquil, and Oshawott; each of which evolves into a different Hisuian variant!

Sprigatito / Fuecoco / Quaxly

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
Generation 9

Legends Arceus is one of the most entertaining and unique Pokémon games we have seen. Not only are the battle and capturing mechanics a strict departure from mainline games, but many new regional forms were introduced!

The starters of Legends Arceus are Rowlet, Cyndaquil, and Oshawott; each of which evolves into a different Hisuian variant!

Side Games

That does it for the nine Generations of mainline Pokémon games. However, with Pokémon being such a popular franchise, there are many spinoff games out there!

In most of these spinoff games, the player will choose one or several starter Pokémon to join them on their adventure. 

So, let’s take a look at the starter Pokémon of each spinoff game!

Pikachu / Eevee

Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee

Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee are Generation One remakes (yes, again…) for the Nintendo Switch.

Depending on which game you purchase, either Pikachu will return as a Starter Pokémon, similar to his appearance in Pokémon Yellow, or Eevee can be chosen as your partner.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Blue and Red Rescue Team / DX / Explorers of Time, Darkness, and Sky / Gates to Infinity / Super Mystery Dungeon / Blazing, Stormy, and Light Adventure Squad

We’ll have to take a departure from our original formatting for this entry! Pokémon Mystery Dungeon is the most popular Pokémon spinoff franchise with approximately ten games! Despite half of these titles being parallel versions of the same game, there is certainly a lot to love with this franchise as, aside from Pokkén, this is the only time we can play as a Pokémon!

In most Mystery Dungeon games, you will be transformed into a Pokémon based on your answers to a questionnaire. You will then have the option of choosing a partner Pokémon. The available choices of starter and partner Pokémon vary between games so check out the information below for clarification!

Red and Blue Rescue Team and Rescue Team DX

• Bulbasaur
• Charmander
• Squirtle
• Pikachu
• Meowth*
• Psyduck*
• Machop*
• Cubone*
• Eevee*
• Chikorita
• Cyndaquil
• Totodile
• Treecko
• Mudkip
• Torchic
• Skitty

* Not available as a partner in Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team.

Explorers of Time and Darkness

• Bulbasaur
• Charmander
• Squirtle
• Pikachu
• Meowth*
• Chikorita
• Cyndaquil
• Totodile
• Treecko
• Torchic
• Mudkip
• Skitty*
• Turtwig
• Chimchar
• Piplup
• Munchlax*

* Not available as a partner.

Explorers of Sky

• Bulbasaur
• Charmander
• Squirtle
• Pikachu
• Vulpix
• Eevee
• Chikorita
• Cyndaquil
• Totodile
• Phanpy
• Treecko
• Torchic
• Mudkip
• Skitty
• Turtwig
• Chimchar
• Piplup
• Shinx
• Riolu

Gates to infinity

• Pikachu
• Snivy
• Tepig
• Oshawott
• Axew

Super Mystery Dungeon

• Bulbasaur
• Charmander
• Squirtle
• Pikachu
• Chikorita
• Cyndaquil
• Totodile
• Treecko
• Torchic
• Mudkip
• Turtwig
• Chimchar
• Piplup
• Riolu
• Snivy
• Tepig
• Oshawott
• Chespin
• Fennekin
• Froakie

Blazing Adventure Squad

• Charmander
• Vulpix
• Growlithe
• Eevee
• Cyndaquil
• Teddiursa
• Torchic
• Buneary
• Chimchar

Stormy Adventure Squad

• Squirtle
• Totodile
• Wooper
• Phanpy
• Mudkip
• Azurill
• Wynaut
• Piplup
• Riolu

Light Adventure Squad

• Pikachu
• Meowth
• Psyduck
• Pichu
• Togepi
• Mareep
• Elekid
• Shinx
• Pachirisu

Eevee / Umbreon / Espeon

Pokémon Colosseum / Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness

When it comes to underrated classics, none are more deserving of the title than the Gamecube Pokémon spinoffs! If you have ever wanted to play as Team Rocket, this is perhaps the closest you will ever get.

These games incorporated many unique mechanics such as capturing your opponent’s Pokémon, purification, and constant double battles. The double battles were much more challenging than their mainline counterparts, as each trainer would utilize in-game mechanics such as weather effects or Protect/Earthquake strategies. In Colosseum, you were started with an Umbreon and an Espeon while, in XD, you could select your desired “Eeveelution” after receiving the starting Eevee!

Luxio / Gabite / Staravia • Dragonair / Rhyhorn / Pidgeotto

Pokémon Battle Revolution

Pokémon Battle Revolution was a major disappointment, especially to those hoping for the long-awaited sequel to the beloved Pokémon Stadium franchise. PBR turned out to be nothing more than a battle simulator, and while the battle animations were well executed, the game felt very shallow.

Still, when entering Pokétopia, depending on the gender of the player, they will receive three of six Pokémon. 

If the player is a male, they will receive:

• The Sinnoh middle starter evolutions, Luxio, Gabite, and Staravia.

If the player is a female, they will receive:

• The Kanto middle starter evolutions, Dragonair, Rhyhorn, and Pidgeotto.

Charmander / Squirtle / Bulbasaur / Pikachu

Pokémon GO

Pokémon GO took the world by storm, and, while the hype has certainly died down by now, it still continues to be played by people across the globe.

Pokémon GO allows players to select any Kanto starters as their first Pokémon. However, if the player ignores these Pokémon and walks a set distance, they will eventually find a Pikachu!

Pikacahu

Pokémon Masters EX

Pokémon Masters is a mobile gacha game in which players will summon for sync pairs of famous trainers plus their Pokémon, as opposed to only collecting the Pokémon themselves.

Pokémon Masters EX starts new players with Pikachu as their partner.

Pokédex 3D

Pokédex 3D

Again, we’ll have to break the formatting rule here to list the many starter Pokémon of Pokédex 3D.

Pokédex 3D is a free application that lets you collect data on more than 150 Pokémon from the Pokémon Black and White.

In Pokédex 3D, the player can receive the following Pokémon:

• Snivy
• Servine
• Serperior
• Tepig
• Pignite
• Emboar
• Oshawott
• Dewott
• Samurott
• Audino
• Scraggy
• Minccino
• Emolga
• Foongus
• Axew
• Hydreigon

Magikarp

Magikarp Jump

Finally, let’s discuss Magikarp Jump, released for Android and iOS devices as a casual spinoff game. 

Naturally, this game starts the player off with the legendary, godly, fish itself – Magikarp!

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Once you’ve finished the all starter pokemon it’s time to view the cat pokemon and the pokemon type chart to help understand their strengths and weaknesses