Gen8 starter Pokemon what do you want to see?

[((JAWS))]

I’d like to see them do

Grass/Ground (I know I know, Torterra kill me lol)
Fire/Steel
Water/Fighting

 

[shoz999]

I just realized something. Pokemon has NEVER got a Narwhal Pokemon. The whales with the long unicorn-like horns in the arctic. I hope they do one as a starter. It would seem by now that we'd already get a Water/Ice-type starter, a common and natural combination of arctic-types.

 

[Storm the Lycanroc]

I think having the starters be Grass, Fire, and Water type is the best option. After all they represent the basic elements found in nature and suddenly having a new trio be Psychic, Fighting, and Dark would be out of nowhere.

 

[Kawaii Emolga]

I want a rabbit (fire/fairy)
Platypus ( water/groud or water/poison)
Koala (grass/dark or just grass)

 

[((JAWS))]

I think having the starters be Grass, Fire, and Water type is the best option. After all they represent the basic elements found in nature and suddenly having a new trio be Psychic, Fighting, and Dark would be out of nowhere.

I’m not against new starter types at all. I think it’d add a lot of variety to the game actually and I definitely think Nintendo will give that a shot at one point.

 

[Locormus]

I wonder if I am the only one who doesn't want starters at all?

This is just yet another aspect of the games that never was needed, but because Game Freak kept doing it over and over, everyone now assumes starters just have to exist, as if it was a law or something.

We have 800+ Pokemon available now (not even counting new kinds/species to be added by gen8) so why on earth can't I get my favorite at the beginning of the journey? Why limit me with measly three new elementals?

That being said, if we have absolutely have to have starters, at least make them creative - show us something we didn't see yet, offer unique type combinations like some people already mentioned above...

The answer is multilayered:
1. Marketing: GameFreak wants at least a group of easily recognizable 3-stage pokémon that EVERYBODY will be familiar with in order to make marketing easier, so they have to be available early and you don't have to scour the region to find them. The starters take the longest to design for this specific reason, they are what GameFreak hopes gets the most revenue from the games: starters and box-legendaries. That's what sells the games along with new regions and then you get into stuff like story and the more obscure dex-entries.
2. Learning-curve: Newcomers can easily understand that water douses fire, fire burns grass, etc.
3. Difficulty-curve: You can't get your favorite (or choose any) at the beginning because that will make the game off-balanced. My favorite could be Rayquaza, but the moment I get to pick a Rayquaza at the beginning then the entire games difficulty curve becomes moot. Even if your favorite is Lucario and you get a Riolu, then the game will get far too easy far too fast. This is why the hand-outs in XY were such bad moves on GameFreak behalf. The Kanto-starter handout, followed almost immediately by a free Mega Lucario. The rest of the game was incredibly easy afterwards (alongside with the xp-share being completely whacked). The game is just too easy when you pick Froakie, get a Charmander two towns down the road and then get a free Lucario yet again two towns further down the road.

Sticking to the Grass/Water/Fire seems to be given as it is easiest for newcomers to see how the types interact as opposed to more obscure ones such as Psychic beating Fighting. Psychic/Fighting/Dark isn't exactly a perfect trio due to Dark been immune to Psychic, not sure if there are other trio of types that follow the same scheme of Grass/Fire/Water.

There's Ground > Rock > Ice > Ground, with no immunities and no type being super effective against both other types. Not sure about the resistances, because Ice doesn't have any as far as I could remember (the fire/grass/water-trio has a weakness to one and a resistance to the other-type). Or Ground > Steel > Ice > Ground. There's also Fairy > Fighting > Steel > Fairy.

I’m not against new starter types at all. I think it’d add a lot of variety to the game actually and I definitely think Nintendo will give that a shot at one point.

Not Nintendo's call, but GameFreak. It might add variety, but the function of the starters is to explain how the game works in one short battle and fire burning grass and water dousing fire is just so much simpler to understand then fairies being strong against fighting-types - or even more confusion, weak to Steel-types.

Honestly, first glance impression on what is the most logical:
- Water > Fire > Grass

Or...
- Fairy > Fighting > Steel

 

[paipr_christian]

I heard this idea on a Gamefaqs (although maybe here too.... If so sorry to whose idea I reposted....)

A Grass starters that's final form is based on a ribbon dancer. But instead of ribbons it could use either vines or long thing Grass leafs.

The person suggested a rabbit. I could see something akin to Bulba line with the base stage having a green bulb, middle having a red not quite ready to blume bulb. And finally the last form has a rose, and this all be on it's butt instead of the fluffy tail.

 

[((JAWS))]

The answer is multilayered:
1. Marketing: GameFreak wants at least a group of easily recognizable 3-stage pokémon that EVERYBODY will be familiar with in order to make marketing easier, so they have to be available early and you don't have to scour the region to find them. The starters take the longest to design for this specific reason, they are what GameFreak hopes gets the most revenue from the games: starters and box-legendaries. That's what sells the games along with new regions and then you get into stuff like story and the more obscure dex-entries.
2. Learning-curve: Newcomers can easily understand that water douses fire, fire burns grass, etc.
3. Difficulty-curve: You can't get your favorite (or choose any) at the beginning because that will make the game off-balanced. My favorite could be Rayquaza, but the moment I get to pick a Rayquaza at the beginning then the entire games difficulty curve becomes moot. Even if your favorite is Lucario and you get a Riolu, then the game will get far too easy far too fast. This is why the hand-outs in XY were such bad moves on GameFreak behalf. The Kanto-starter handout, followed almost immediately by a free Mega Lucario. The rest of the game was incredibly easy afterwards (alongside with the xp-share being completely whacked). The game is just too easy when you pick Froakie, get a Charmander two towns down the road and then get a free Lucario yet again two towns further down the road.



There's Ground > Rock > Ice > Ground, with no immunities and no type being super effective against both other types. Not sure about the resistances, because Ice doesn't have any as far as I could remember (the fire/grass/water-trio has a weakness to one and a resistance to the other-type). Or Ground > Steel > Ice > Ground. There's also Fairy > Fighting > Steel > Fairy.



Not Nintendo's call, but GameFreak. It might add variety, but the function of the starters is to explain how the game works in one short battle and fire burning grass and water dousing fire is just so much simpler to understand then fairies being strong against fighting-types - or even more confusion, weak to Steel-types.

Honestly, first glance impression on what is the most logical:
- Water > Fire > Grass

Or...
- Fairy > Fighting > Steel

Well everyone has their preferences. No need to generalize for everybody

 

[Marika_CZ]

1. Marketing: GameFreak wants at least a group of easily recognizable 3-stage pokémon that EVERYBODY will be familiar with in order to make marketing easier, so they have to be available early and you don't have to scour the region to find them. The starters take the longest to design for this specific reason, they are what GameFreak hopes gets the most revenue from the games: starters and box-legendaries. That's what sells the games along with new regions and then you get into stuff like story and the more obscure dex-entries.
2. Learning-curve: Newcomers can easily understand that water douses fire, fire burns grass, etc.
3. Difficulty-curve: You can't get your favorite (or choose any) at the beginning because that will make the game off-balanced. My favorite could be Rayquaza, but the moment I get to pick a Rayquaza at the beginning then the entire games difficulty curve becomes moot. Even if your favorite is Lucario and you get a Riolu, then the game will get far too easy far too fast. This is why the hand-outs in XY were such bad moves on GameFreak behalf. The Kanto-starter handout, followed almost immediately by a free Mega Lucario. The rest of the game was incredibly easy afterwards (alongside with the xp-share being completely whacked). The game is just too easy when you pick Froakie, get a Charmander two towns down the road and then get a free Lucario yet again two towns further down the road.

Re 1 - Yes that makes sense from GameFreak POV, except they don't need it. They could still slap an image of previous startes and everyone would go "Oh a new Pokemon game." Fans will buy the new game anyway and newcomers are actually more likely to recognize classic Pokemon.

Re2 - Um, that is not even learning curve, that is just one NPC telling you this stuff. Since the game insist on unskippable tutorials, might as well make that explanation part of it. There, resolved.

Re 3 - OMG you took me literally. Obviously you wouldn't be able to get legendaries, or mega stones. What you imagined a National pokédex list and a player clicking on it or something? Just offer the player selection of stage 1 of Pokemon who are available in the game.
No it is not going to be any easier. In fact starters are usually the ones who are easy to train, get powerful moves and early evolutions. And no offense to anyone but with free unlimited grinding and static enemies and bosses, one should be able to win with six Raticates. You don't even have to be competitive, just level them high enough.
This is also very simply resolved by "recommending" the most balanced Pokemon to the player first (new starters), and letting them select anything else if they insist oherwise. This way people who like the concept of starters can still have them and the ones who want either challenge or something else have other alternatives.

This franchise most amazing feature is that it has 800+ virtual creatures that you can play with. But instead of using that to their advantage and showing them off, they actually limit the number of them. 800 Pokémon, and I can choose from whopping three of them at the beginning of th game :/

It might add variety, but the function of the starters is to explain how the game works in one short battle and fire burning grass and water dousing fire is just so much simpler to understand

And why do you need starters for this? Because that could be resolved with a single tutorial. Also as of gen7 the move menu TELLS you what is and isn't super effective. Why would you tie a very simplistic learning process to a choice with a Pokemon that you are stuck with for a remainder of the playthrough? You can have those separated.

Anyway, those are just my two cents. It is not like the world will end because we have yet another grass/fire/water starter to choose from, it is just somewhat disappointing, because it is getting stale.

 

[axelme]

someone on another website actually pointed out something i didn't even thin of before in regard to the fire starters:

all of the fire starters have been based off an animal of the chinese zodiac:

charmander - dragon
cyndaquil - rat
torchic - rooster
tpig - pig
fennekin - dog
litten - tiger
chimchar - monkey

that leaves 5 zodiac remaining:

rabbit
snake
sheep
ox
horse

i'd like to see a fire type snake but an ox, if the pattern continues and if the rumours of the 8th generation set in spain are true seems most likely

 

[PocketMonsterRealm]

If the region is the UK like its rumored to be since the calendar picture found in a Let's Go trailer, I could see the fire pokemon being fire/fairy as a rabbit or horse (unicorn or pegasus??) if the zodiac thing is true. (i myself is skeptical about it simply because cyndaquil is a spiky rodent and its lasts forum a honey badger thing.)

 

[axelme]

some of the connections to the zodiac are pretty loose. cyndaquil is a fire mouse but the zodiac is a rat and it's evolutions aren't mice. the zodiac is a dog and fennekin is a fox.

but it holds true for the other fire starters

 

[Marika_CZ]

I could see the fire pokemon being fire/fairy as a rabbit or horse (unicorn or pegasus??)

Not likely since we already have Ponyta / Rapidash.
I wonder myself tho, if the eventual starters might resemble anything from the chinese zodiac...

 

[lemoncatpower]

some of the connections to the zodiac are pretty loose. cyndaquil is a fire mouse but the zodiac is a rat and it's evolutions aren't mice. the zodiac is a dog and fennekin is a fox.

but it holds true for the other fire starters

Yeah it depends who you're talking to for if they fit. I personally don't think they fit and I think it's already a broken pattern, but some will argue these fit enough to make the theory stick.

Either way I really liked the idea of whoever said being able to use a favorite pokemon from the beginning... after my first playthrough, I do this by trading myself the pokemon I want as my "starter" and then boxing my actual starter. But if I didn't have to do that every time and my fav was my actual starter ,I'd be a very happy boy.

Otherwise... I'd love if the starters were three fossil pokemon and you got to choose one in the beginning. It'd explain why they're such rare pokemon too. They could all share rock typing and have grass/fire/water as primary typing with rock as secondary typing

 

[paipr_christian]

someone on another website actually pointed out something i didn't even thin of before in regard to the fire starters:

all of the fire starters have been based off an animal of the chinese zodiac:

charmander - dragon
cyndaquil - rat
torchic - rooster
tpig - pig
fennekin - dog
litten - tiger
chimchar - monkey

that leaves 5 zodiac remaining:

rabbit
snake
sheep
ox
horse

i'd like to see a fire type snake but an ox, if the pattern continues and if the rumours of the 8th generation set in spain are true seems most likely

I still say if we get a snake fire starter please don't make it /Poison. We need to see more creativity in snakes than just slapping Poison type on em, even if alot of real world snakes are poisonous.

How about a Fire/Electric snake that uses it's snake bite or its 'venom' to paralyze.

A Fire/Fairy winged serpant could be interesting too.

 

[DSDark]

I'd be okay with Grass/Steel, Fire/Fairy, Water/Fighitng

 

[paipr_christian]

I'd be okay with Grass/Steel, Fire/Fairy, Water/Fighitng

It be an interesting trio.

Grass 9 resistances and 1 immunity, while (only) weak x2 from the /Fighting and x4 from the /Fire.

The Fire/Fairy would have 7 resistances and 1 immunity. Several weaknesses, but with in this hypothetical starter trio, only stab it worry about is Water.

Water/Fighting, 5 weaknesses, and 7 resistances. x2 stab damage from Grass/Steel starters Grass attacks, and x2 from Fire/Fairy Fairy attacks.

 

[Orphalesion]

. They could still slap an image of previous startes and everyone would go "Oh a new Pokemon game." Fans will buy the new game anyway

Yeah........No.

If they had the gall to force me to use the Kanto starters in a new region, I would be very very pissed and it's one of the many, many reasons I'm not getting LGPE.
In a new Pokemon game, I want my new starters.

And well....it's not like their existence hurts you, even if you don't like them. Just shove them into the PC box at first opportunity.

The only argument I'd accept against continuous new starters is that the Fire Type often seems to get short changed and in many gens lacks options outside the starter line.

 

[Marika_CZ]

In a new Pokemon game, I want my new starters.

Have you ever asked yourself why, tho?

Just shove them into the PC box at first opportunity.

Exactly! You just said it yourself: See how unimportant they are to everything? Nothing changes if I never use them. They are like sugar in a cup of coffee - completely optional.

As I said tho, it is a minor thing to me all things considered. We all know startes will be there indeed, for the reasons @Locormus listed above.
And I am curious if the chinese zodiac theory will be proven, too

 

[Orphalesion]

Have you ever asked yourself why, tho?

Because I like new Pokemon and am curious as to which designs they come up with.
And because I don't like the Kanto Trio (anymore, after over two decades)