Choosing your first fighter in the Pocket Monsters universe marks the beginning of an epic journey, and it's a decision that can influence your entire gameplay experience. Each of the three starting Pokémon in Pokémon FireRed brings its own set of unique characteristics and strategic advantages. Let's dive into the details of Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Charmander to help you decide which one is best for a successful start in the game.
Table of Contents
- Squirtle
- Bulbasaur
- Charmander
- Choosing Your First Pokémon: Who to Take on Your Journey?
Squirtle
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Squirtle, the small turtle-like Pokémon, boasts a sturdy shell that serves more than just a protective function. This shell enhances its hydrodynamics, allowing Squirtle to swim at remarkable speeds. Moreover, Squirtle can shoot high-precision water jets from its mouth. While a Water type, it also performs well on land.
Squirtle's calm nature makes it a bit challenging to train compared to Bulbasaur but easier than Charmander. It's an excellent choice for beginners due to its high defense and balanced stats. Right from the start, Squirtle gives you an edge by easily defeating Brock's Rock-type Pokémon and handling Misty's team. Its final evolution, Blastoise, is equipped with powerful Water attacks and high survivability, plus the ability to use Surf for both combat and navigation.
Squirtle's Torrent ability boosts its Water moves, and its hidden ability, Rain Dish, restores its health during rain. However, it faces challenges against Grass and Electric types, particularly in battles against Erika and Lt. Surge. Additionally, its attack power lags behind Charmander's, and its speed could be better.
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Bulbasaur
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Bulbasaur, a Grass and Poison type, is a small, green creature with a distinctive bulb on its back. This bulb not only stores energy, allowing Bulbasaur to survive without food during dry spells, but also grows by absorbing sunlight, indicating imminent evolution into Ivysaur when it becomes too heavy.
Bulbasaur is a great choice for players embarking on their Pokémon adventure, offering balanced stats and versatility. Its types give it an advantage over the initial Gym Leaders, Brock and Misty. Bulbasaur's Leech Seed ability drains opponents' health over time, while Vine Whip uses its vines to strike foes or manipulate objects. Its hidden ability, Chlorophyll, doubles its speed in sunlight, providing a critical advantage in battle.
However, Bulbasaur is vulnerable to Fire, Ice, Psychic, and Flying attacks, particularly against Charmander. Its speed is not its strongest suit, and it may struggle to attack first. As the game progresses, its evolution remains susceptible to these weaknesses, and its attacks may not match the power of Charizard or Blastoise.
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Charmander
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Charmander, the Fire type lizard, has a flame on its tail that reflects its health and emotions. A healthy Charmander's flame persists even in the rain, symbolizing its vitality.
Though a popular choice, Charmander presents early challenges. It boasts high Attack and Speed, with effective Fire moves against Grass, Ice, Bug, and Steel types. As it evolves into Charizard, it gains access to powerful moves and the potential for Mega Evolution.
However, Charmander struggles against the first Gym Leaders: Brock's Rock types resist Fire attacks, and Misty's Water types can overpower it. Its low defense makes it vulnerable in early battles. Despite these initial hurdles, Charmander becomes a formidable ally as the game progresses, rewarding players who embrace the challenge.
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Choosing Your First Pokémon: Who to Take on Your Journey?
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Each of the three starters offers unique advantages and challenges, aligning with different play styles. If you seek an easy start, Bulbasaur is your go-to. If you relish a challenge, Charmander is the way to go. For balance and versatility, Squirtle is ideal.
In our view, Bulbasaur stands out as the best choice for a smooth progression. Its Grass type excels against the first two Gyms, providing a strong start. Unlike Charmander, which faces early difficulties, Bulbasaur offers confidence from the outset. With solid Defense and Stamina, it's less likely to falter in battles, making it suitable even for newcomers. It proves its value early and remains a reliable partner throughout the game.
Your chosen companion will shape your playstyle and battle strategy, not just in the early stages but throughout your adventure. Consider your long-term goals and preferences when making your decision. No matter your choice, it will lay the foundation for your journey in the world of Pocket Monsters.
