Every main Pokémon game gives you three starters to choose from: one Grass type, one Fire type and one Water type. Across the nine regions from Kanto to Paldea, that makes 27 starter Pokémon, and each one evolves twice.
The games now call them first partner Pokémon. "Starter" is the older word, and it still works fine. You'll hear both.
Every starter, generation by generation
The levels in brackets are when each Pokémon evolves. The last column shows the type of the final form, because many starters pick up a second type along the way.
| Gen | Region | Line (evolution levels) | Final type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kanto | Bulbasaur → Ivysaur (Level 16) → Venusaur (Level 32) | Grass/Poison |
| 1 | Kanto | Charmander → Charmeleon (Level 16) → Charizard (Level 36) | Fire/Flying |
| 1 | Kanto | Squirtle → Wartortle (Level 16) → Blastoise (Level 36) | Water |
| 2 | Johto | Chikorita → Bayleef (Level 16) → Meganium (Level 32) | Grass |
| 2 | Johto | Cyndaquil → Quilava (Level 14) → Typhlosion (Level 36) | Fire |
| 2 | Johto | Totodile → Croconaw (Level 18) → Feraligatr (Level 30) | Water |
| 3 | Hoenn | Treecko → Grovyle (Level 16) → Sceptile (Level 36) | Grass |
| 3 | Hoenn | Torchic → Combusken (Level 16) → Blaziken (Level 36) | Fire/Fighting |
| 3 | Hoenn | Mudkip → Marshtomp (Level 16) → Swampert (Level 36) | Water/Ground |
| 4 | Sinnoh | Turtwig → Grotle (Level 18) → Torterra (Level 32) | Grass/Ground |
| 4 | Sinnoh | Chimchar → Monferno (Level 14) → Infernape (Level 36) | Fire/Fighting |
| 4 | Sinnoh | Piplup → Prinplup (Level 16) → Empoleon (Level 36) | Water/Steel |
| 5 | Unova | Snivy → Servine (Level 17) → Serperior (Level 36) | Grass |
| 5 | Unova | Tepig → Pignite (Level 17) → Emboar (Level 36) | Fire/Fighting |
| 5 | Unova | Oshawott → Dewott (Level 17) → Samurott (Level 36) | Water |
| 6 | Kalos | Chespin → Quilladin (Level 16) → Chesnaught (Level 36) | Grass/Fighting |
| 6 | Kalos | Fennekin → Braixen (Level 16) → Delphox (Level 36) | Fire/Psychic |
| 6 | Kalos | Froakie → Frogadier (Level 16) → Greninja (Level 36) | Water/Dark |
| 7 | Alola | Rowlet → Dartrix (Level 17) → Decidueye (Level 34) | Grass/Ghost |
| 7 | Alola | Litten → Torracat (Level 17) → Incineroar (Level 34) | Fire/Dark |
| 7 | Alola | Popplio → Brionne (Level 17) → Primarina (Level 34) | Water/Fairy |
| 8 | Galar | Grookey → Thwackey (Level 16) → Rillaboom (Level 35) | Grass |
| 8 | Galar | Scorbunny → Raboot (Level 16) → Cinderace (Level 35) | Fire |
| 8 | Galar | Sobble → Drizzile (Level 16) → Inteleon (Level 35) | Water |
| 9 | Paldea | Sprigatito → Floragato (Level 16) → Meowscarada (Level 36) | Grass/Dark |
| 9 | Paldea | Fuecoco → Crocalor (Level 16) → Skeledirge (Level 36) | Fire/Ghost |
| 9 | Paldea | Quaxly → Quaxwell (Level 16) → Quaquaval (Level 36) | Water/Fighting |
Patterns you can spot
The triangle
Grass beats Water, Water beats Fire and Fire beats Grass. Depending on the game, your rival picks either the starter that beats yours or the one yours beats, so the first rival battle can go either way. Our type chart for kids explains the rest of the matchups.
The levels
Most starters evolve for the first time at 16 or 17. Cyndaquil and Chimchar are the quickest, at level 14. Totodile and Turtwig wait until 18. Feraligatr is the earliest final form, at level 30.
Fighting types
Fighting is the most common second type: Blaziken, Infernape and Emboar are all Fire/Fighting, Chesnaught is Grass/Fighting and Quaquaval is Water/Fighting. That is five of the 27 final forms.
The totals are close
Every final form has a base stat total between 525 and 535, so no starter is far stronger than the others on paper. Swampert has the highest at 535. The fastest is Meowscarada, with a base Speed of 123, just ahead of Greninja at 122.
Starters outside the usual trio
A few games give you something different:
| Game | Year | Your choice |
|---|---|---|
| Pokémon Yellow | 1998 | Pikachu, which follows you around |
| Let's Go, Pikachu! / Let's Go, Eevee! | 2018 | Pikachu or Eevee, depending on the version |
| Pokémon Legends: Arceus | 2022 | Rowlet, Cyndaquil or Oshawott. Their final forms are new Hisuian forms |
| Pokémon Legends: Z-A | 2025 | Chikorita, Tepig or Totodile |
On pokee.si, the "First partners (starters)" filter covers the 27 main trios and their evolutions, 81 Pokémon in total. It leaves out the Pikachu and Eevee partners, because they aren't part of a Grass, Fire and Water set.
The next three: Generation 10
Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves were announced on Pokémon Day, 27 February 2026, for release in 2027 on Nintendo Switch 2. Their first partners are Browt (Grass), Pombon (Fire) and Gecqua (Water). They aren't in the pokee.si Pokédex yet, because their stats and evolutions haven't been published. We will add them when they are.
Which one should you pick?
There's no wrong answer, and every starter can finish the game. If you want an easier first few Gyms, look up the first Gym's type in your game and pick the starter that beats it. If you just love how one looks, that's a good reason too. Most players we know pick with their heart and then argue about it for years.
You can line any three up side by side with the Compare tool, or browse the full list with the first partner filter.