In the immense world of Pokémon, there are hundreds of Pokémon that we can catch, however, it is the initial Pokémon that we keep in a special place in our hearts, since they begin a great adventure with us, their trainer. That is why today we want to show you the list with all the initial Pokémon of all generations.
Included in this list are both those from the main series and those from the side games. We’ve also created a complete list of all Legendary Pokémon by generation for you to check out. Here is the list of all starter Pokémon by generation.
Kanto Starter Pokemon: Bulbasaur/Charmander/Squirtle
starter pokemon generation 1
Pokémon Red, Green, Blue, FireRed, and LeafGreen. generation 1
The most emblematic starting Pokémon. In the original Pokémon Red, Blue and Green are Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle.
This has always been the most important decision, who would you choose? No matter which Pokémon you choose, you’re sure to have a blast roaming around Kanto with your new starter Pokémon.
In addition, Pokémon Red was the first game to be streamed on Twitch with nothing more and nothing less than 1.1 million players at the same time.
Pikachu
starter pokemon pikachu
pokemon yellow version generation 1
In Pokémon yellow you could only choose one Pokémon at the beginning: Pikachu. Without a doubt, the most famous Pokémon of all time. I’m sure even your mom knows who Pikachu is.
Pikachu’s appearance has changed quite a bit since 1998, being an electric mouse at that time, to its current appearance that is closer to a rabbit, with a more rounded drawing.
Johto: Chikorita / Cyndaquil / Totodile
starter pokemon generation 2
Pokémon Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold, and SoulSilver. generation 2
We are already in generation 2, in Johto. Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile were the first three starter Pokémon of the 100 new Pokémon that were added in Generation 2 Pokémon.
With Pokémon Gold and Silver many new features were introduced, such as the new region of Johto, which we were exploring for the first time.
Hoenn Starter Pokemon: Treecko/Torchic/Mudkip
all starter pokemon by generation
Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire, Emerald, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire. generation 3
Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire brought the series into Generation 3, adding 135 new Pokémon and 3 new starter characters to choose from: Treecko, Torchic, and Mudkip. The final evolutions of Treecko and Torchic are among the most famous: Sceptile and Blaziken.
The Pokémon world grew again in this generation, adding a new region to the Pokémon world. The Hoenn region, plus a ton of new stuff never seen before in a Pokémon game.
Sinnoh: Turtwig/Chimchar/Piplup
Generation 4 starter pokemon
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, Shiny Diamond and Shimmering Pearl. generation 4
I have to admit that of all the initial Pokémon, these 3 are my least favorite. The designs changed drastically, with the Pokémon appearing to have a less unique design.
Even so, Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup brought the series into Generation 4, adding 107 new Pokémon to the Pokédex, and adding the new Sinnoh region to explore.
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl were also the first Pokémon to come out on the Nintendo DS. And now the enhanced remakes of Pokémon Shining Diamond and Luminous Pearl are out on Nintendo Switch, too.
Unova Starter Pokemon: Snivy / Tepig / Oshawott
Pokémon Black and White Version. generation 5
Pokémon Black and White is the first generation of Pokémon games to open a “National Pokédex” after completing the main story.
Pokémon Black and White has many important news. The seasons are finally a reality, there’s the new Unova region to explore, and three new starter Pokémon: Snivy, tepig, and Oshawott.
Out of all the starter Pokemon before these, this would be the first time I would pick the grass Pokemon Snivy at the start.
Kalos: Chespin/Fennekin/Froakie
pokemon x y initials
Pokemon X/Y. Generation 6
Generation 6 explores the Kalos and Hoenn region. And you have to choose between one of the 3 starter Pokémon: Chespin, Fennekin and Froakie, each offering something unique. Being Froakie the most famous, thanks to his evolutionary line. And on the opposite side is Chespin, possibly the least chosen Pokémon of all the starters.
Pokémon X/Y is also known as Black and White 2, as it takes place two years after the original Black and White games.
Alola Starter Pokemon: Rowlet / Litten / Popplio
pokemon sun and moon generation 7
Pokemon sun and moon. generation 7
They are perhaps the most normal looking starter Pokémon in the entire Pokémon universe. Rowlet, who looks like a normal owl, Litten, who looks like a cat, and Popplio, who looks like a seal. These will be your companions in Pokémon Sun and Moon as you explore the Alola region.
In this generation there are more normal-looking Pokémon to catch, like Mudbray, which looks like a donkey, or Toucannon, which, as its name suggests, looks like a toucan. Of this generation of initial Pokémon, the only one that managed to last in the memory of many was Rowlet.
Galar: Grookey/Scorbunny/Sobble
initial pokemon sword and shield
pokemon sword and shield generation 8
Sword and Shield brought a lot of changes, and these starter Pokemon are the icons of the latest main series Pokemon game: Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble.
They were released on the Nintendo Switch in 2019, and are the first Pokémon games since Generation 2 not to include any dual-type starters. Time will tell if they are worthy of entering the starter Pokémon walk of fame.
Rowlet/Cyndaquil/Oshawott
pokemon legends arceus initials
Pokemon Legends: Arceus. generation 8
Legends Arceus is one of the most fun and unique Pokémon games we’ve seen to date. Not only because of the new combat or capture mechanics, but because many new regions have been added to the Pokemon world.
The protagonists of Legends Arceus are Rowlet, Cyndaquil, and Oshawott, and each of them evolves into a different Hisuian variant.
Generation 9 starters: Sprigatito / Fuecoco / Quaxly
starter pokemon generation 9
Scarlet and purple pokemon. generation 9
The new open-world Pokémon game brings with it Generation 9 and three new starter Pokémon: Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly. A new region called Paldea is also included, which allows us to travel through an open world inspired by Spain.
All Starting Pokemon in Side Games
So far we have mentioned the 9 generations of initial Pokémon. However, in Pokémon there are many side games, and in most of these games one or more starter Pokémon are also chosen to begin the adventure.
Let’s take a look at the starter Pokémon from these side games.
Pikachu/Eevee
Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee
pikachu eevee initials
Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee are First Generation remake games for Nintendo Switch. And depending on the game you have, Pikachu will return as a starter Pokémon, something similar to its appearance in Pokémon Yellow, or Eevee can be chosen.
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon
pokemon mystery dungeon
Approximately ten games are included in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. Despite the fact that half of these titles are parallel versions of the same game, the truth is that there are many remarkable Pokemon in this franchise, such as Pokkén.
In most games you will transform into a Pokémon based on your answers to a series of questions. You will then have the option to choose a partner Pokémon. The available starter Pokémon options vary quite a bit from game to game.
Eevee / Umbreon / Espeon
pokemon eevee umbreon espeon
Pokémon Colosseum / Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness
If we have to talk about underrated classics, those are the Pokémon spin-offs for the Nintendo Gamecube. If you’ve ever wanted to play Team Rocket, this is as close as you’ll ever get to doing so.
These games incorporated many unique mechanics, such as capturing your opponent’s Pokémon, purification, constant double battles, weather effects, or Protection/Earthquake strategies. In Colosseum, you started with an Umbreon and an Espeon, while in XD you could choose to receive the starting Eevee.
Luxio / Gabite / Staravia • Dragonair / Rhyhorn / Pidgeotto
pokemon battle revolution
For me Pokémon Battle Revolution was a huge disappointment as we were looking forward to the sequel to the beloved Pokémon Stadium franchise.
Even so, upon entering Pokétopia, depending on the player’s gender, the player receives three or six Pokémon.
If the player is a man, he will receive:
Sinnoh’s starter Pokémon, Luxio, Gabite, and Staravia.
If the player is a woman, they will receive:
The initial evolutions of Kanto, Dragonair, Rhyhorn and Pidgeotto.
Charmander / Squirtle / Bulbasaur / Pikachu
pokemon go initials
Pokemon GO
Pokémon GO became a worldwide phenomenon and, although the expectation of those first months has already subsided, it is still played by millions of people around the world.
Pokémon GO allows players to choose any Kanto Starter Pokémon as their first Pokémon. However, if the player ignores these starter Pokémon and walks a set distance, they will eventually encounter a Pikachu.
Conclusion
These are all the initial Pokémon of all generations throughout history, we hope that it has been useful or at least instructive. We also recently made a list with the 20 most powerful Pokémon and the list of Pokémon in the game Legends Arceus.