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Starter Discussion & Thread

What is you favorite Sun & Moon starter?

  • Rowlet

    Votes: 467 43.2%
  • Litten

    Votes: 343 31.8%
  • Popplio

    Votes: 270 25.0%

  • Total voters
    1,080
Status
Not open for further replies.

Huckleberry

Poison Trainer
I think pokemon that have one genders mostly are determined on what their based off of. For example Milktank is an uddered cow which all females hence why it can't be another gender, Froslass is based off a ghost girl in japanese folklore hence purely female, and Jymx is a female opera singer/ female yokai hence the pure female gender.. Now Machamp is based off a wrestler, which is gender nuetral. So even if it's masculine looking, it can pass as female, cause there are also female wrestlers.

This is a good point. Since the starters are typically based on more general/gender neutral ideas, I think a distinctly feminine design now and then would compliment the overall design pool really well.

Edit: This is a thought I've been batting around a bit. Some folks have stated that the markings on Litten's face resemble the alchemical symbol for sulphur which, in certain compounds, is highly acidic. I would love to see the sulphur theme played up and have Litten be our first Fire/Poison type.
 
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yuoke

Treasure huntin'

Lykouros

Sandslash fan
Edit: This is a thought I've been batting around a bit. Some folks have stated that the markings on Litten's face resemble the alchemical symbol for sulphur which, in certain compounds, is highly acidic. I would love to see the sulphur theme played up and have Litten be our first Fire/Poison type.

This would be cool. It's tail could be that of a scorpion, like that manticore idea everyone seems to talk about every generation :p
 

.Aerodactyl.

Well-Known Member
As I said earlier, I personally feel every gen is gonna have one more feminine friendly design just to appeal to the demographic that likes more cute/pretty/graceful/"girly" things. This doesn't mean that the design will be feminine like Jynx is, but generally softer in appearance (while still trying to maintain the powerful feeling a starter needs to have). For the most part, I think they attempt gender neutrality, but it's probably less risky to have more masculine then feminine starters because stereotypically, girls are more willing to accept 'boy' things then boys are to accept 'girl' things.

I also think the one that the girl character tends to pick on the anime (and manga as well...the only exception I can see is Y having Greninja over Delphox, but I don't know who has the Delphox in that series...) is typically the one that is the "softer" design or more feminine-friendly.this Gen, I think Popplio will be the girl-owned Pokémon, as the Japanese trailer already had Rowlet and Litten picked by the representatives of the Male Hero and the best friend Haku(think that's his name). I think this means that Ash, if he doesn't get all three, is least likely to get Popplio.

But this is just my opinion and thoughts on starters and design in terms of gender and gender appeal! Doesn't make it true or anything :)
 

knightwolf09

Well-Known Member
This would be cool. It's tail could be that of a scorpion, like that manticore idea everyone seems to talk about every generation :p

But I think Litten is more based on a bomb. That whole whole sulphur thing is more of a stretch than anything. And I know sulphur can be in bombs, but explosive are meant to blow up rather than poison. And the oil on it's fur could be more of nitroglycerin or gasoline, both flammable and explosive, which it uses to ignite rather than poison.
 

.Aerodactyl.

Well-Known Member
But I think Litten is more based on a bomb. That whole whole sulphur thing is more of a stretch than anything. And I know sulphur can be in bombs, but explosive are meant to blow up rather than poison. And the oil on it's fur could be more of nitroglycerin or gasoline, both flammable and explosive, which it uses to ignite rather than poison.

I tend to agree with this opinion as well. Although I think the idea of fire/poison is cool, I think it makes more sense on a reptilian fire starter...I could see a Komodo dragon, snake, basilisk or some kind of lizard being a future fire/poison idea. Unless there is some kind of legend about a poison/fire feline in some mythology that I am not aware of, because then I could see them borrowing from that. Didnt someone say before their was some two-tailed fire/lighting cat in Japanese mythology that could be the inspiration for Litten?
 

knightwolf09

Well-Known Member
Oh? What makes you say that? Genuine curiosity here.

I already mentioned how it's oil implies it's related to explosives. Aesthetically, you can see it in it's primarily black coloring, it's tail resembles a bomb fuse, it's whisker resemble explosion effects, and someone pointed out when it's hair stands on end when it attacks it also resemble explosion effects. Not to mention Litten which could be related to a lit fuse. Also on the fact that it's bio talks about how it's calm and level headed, gives the idea that it will lose it's cool as it evolves, and when it reaches it's final stage, like a bomb, it explodes with rage and emotion.

Didnt someone say before their was some two-tailed fire/lighting cat in Japanese mythology that could be the inspiration for Litten?

Actually I was the one who brought that up and said it could be a bakeneko, but that was before Litten was officially revealed. But in folklore bakeneko's are known for licking oil from lamps, like Litten does with it's fur, so that's something.
 
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This is a good point. Since the starters are typically based on more general/gender neutral ideas, I think a distinctly feminine design now and then would compliment the overall design pool really well.

Edit: This is a thought I've been batting around a bit. Some folks have stated that the markings on Litten's face resemble the alchemical symbol for sulphur which, in certain compounds, is highly acidic. I would love to see the sulphur theme played up and have Litten be our first Fire/Poison type.

Tbh when I first saw Litten I thought the mark looked like a plane that is diving nose down. But since Flying type is already taken I dropped that idea. I think its evolution will be a furry creature like really furry. One more thing to note here. In the artwork where it is using Ember there is something on its back but I don't know what to make of it. Maybe it will turn into a volcano upon evolution.
 

XXD17

Draco rex
This is a good point. Since the starters are typically based on more general/gender neutral ideas, I think a distinctly feminine design now and then would compliment the overall design pool really well.

Edit: This is a thought I've been batting around a bit. Some folks have stated that the markings on Litten's face resemble the alchemical symbol for sulphur which, in certain compounds, is highly acidic. I would love to see the sulphur theme played up and have Litten be our first Fire/Poison type.

Not necessarily...Samurott is based on samurai/ shogun who were mostly traditionally depicted as male (I don't know too much about samurais so this is mostly just an observation along with the little amount that I do know). Emboar is based on Ju Bajie who was a male. Infernape is based on Sun Wukong who was a male. Empoleon has basis on Napoleon who was male. They are pretty gendered in this regard. Despite these though, the only ones that are predominantly masculine are samurott and emboar because of facial hair. The others can pass off as neutral. This point does, however, agree with your point that a feminine starter is very possible.
 

Huckleberry

Poison Trainer
Tbh when I first saw Litten I thought the mark looked like a plane that is diving nose down. But since Flying type is already taken I dropped that idea. I think its evolution will be a furry creature like really furry. One more thing to note here. In the artwork where it is using Ember there is something on its back but I don't know what to make of it. Maybe it will turn into a volcano upon evolution.

The something on its back is raised fur. Cats arch their backs and raise their fur when threatened.

Not necessarily...Samurott is based on samurai/ shogun who were mostly traditionally depicted as male (I don't know too much about samurais so this is mostly just an observation along with the little amount that I do know). Emboar is based on Ju Bajie who was a male. Infernape is based on Sun Wukong who was a male. Empoleon has basis on Napoleon who was male. They are pretty gendered in this regard. Despite these though, the only ones that are predominantly masculine are samurott and emboar because of facial hair. The others can pass off as neutral. This point does, however, agree with your point that a feminine starter is very possible.

You make a good point, I stand corrected. :)

I already mentioned how it's oil implies it's related to explosives. Aesthetically, you can see it in it's primarily black coloring, it's tail resembles a bomb fuse, it's whisker resemble explosion effects, and someone pointed out when it's hair stands on end when it attacks it also resemble explosion effects. Not to mention Litten which could be related to a lit fuse. Also on the fact that it's bio talks about how it's calm and level headed, gives the idea that it will lose it's cool as it evolves, and when it reaches it's final stage, like a bomb, it explodes with rage and emotion.

That's interesting. I've been seeing Litten more from the perspective of a match, with possible sulphur references and the fact that it sheds its fur by igniting it in a "glorious blaze" (I can see this being much like a struck match, with the fur quickly catching fire but burning away just as quickly).
 
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knightwolf09

Well-Known Member

Alexander18

Dragon Pokemon fan
Types that starters are unlikely to gain upon evolution (excluding mega evolution): Dragon, Grass, Fire, Water, Electric, Ghost, Normal and Fairy.
Types that starters are likely to gain upon evolution (excluding mega evolution): Bug, Fighting, Flying, Poison, Dark, Psychic, Ground, Rock, Steel and Ice.

Rowlet has already taken Flying as a secondary type so that leaves Litten and Popplio with the remaining likely types. Some indicate Ground and Fighting for the remaining two starters but chances are that Litten and Popplio are either single type or have one of the other likely types that they could gain.
 

Nin10nerd

Living in bliss!
The only thing I really want to be spoiled for me is what the starters final evos will look like. Keep the story and other wild Pokemon a mystery; I would just hate to start with Popplio but then be disappointed by it's final evo. Granted when I first started Emerald way back when, I wasn't too impressed with Swampert, but he did grow on me.
 

knightwolf09

Well-Known Member
Types that starters are unlikely to gain upon evolution (excluding mega evolution): Dragon, Grass, Fire, Water, Electric, Ghost, Normal and Fairy.
Types that starters are likely to gain upon evolution (excluding mega evolution): Bug, Fighting, Flying, Poison, Dark, Psychic, Ground, Rock, Steel and Ice.

Rowlet has already taken Flying as a secondary type so that leaves Litten and Popplio with the remaining likely types. Some indicate Ground and Fighting for the remaining two starters but chances are that Litten and Popplio are either single type or have one of the other likely types that they could gain.

Why is Fairy excluded? Popplio's more than likely to be Fairy.
 

clbgolden12

Alolan (and soon to be Galarian) trainer
Types that starters are unlikely to gain upon evolution (excluding mega evolution): Dragon, Grass, Fire, Water, Electric, Ghost, Normal and Fairy.
Types that starters are likely to gain upon evolution (excluding mega evolution): Bug, Fighting, Flying, Poison, Dark, Psychic, Ground, Rock, Steel and Ice.

Rowlet has already taken Flying as a secondary type so that leaves Litten and Popplio with the remaining likely types. Some indicate Ground and Fighting for the remaining two starters but chances are that Litten and Popplio are either single type or have one of the other likely types that they could gain.
Why are Electric, Dragon, and Fairy unlikely?
 
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