Best Starter Fighter in Pokémon Fire Red: A Guide

Choosing your first fighter in the Pocket Monsters universe is a pivotal moment that sets the tone for your entire adventure. It's not just about starting your journey; it's about making a strategic choice that can influence your gameplay significantly. In Pokémon FireRed, you have three starter options, each with its own unique attributes and strategic advantages. Let's delve into the details of each starter Pokémon to help you decide which one will give you the best start in the game.

Table of Contents

• Squirtle
• Bulbasaur
• Charmander
• Choosing Your First Pokémon: Who to Take on Your Journey?

Squirtle

Image: ensigame.com

Squirtle, resembling a small turtle, comes with a sturdy shell that serves multiple purposes. Not only does it provide protection and a place for rest, but its unique shape and grooves enhance its swimming capabilities, allowing it to move swiftly through water. Squirtle can also shoot precise water jets from its mouth, making it a formidable opponent. Despite being a Water type, it performs well on land too.

This Pokémon has a calm nature but can be challenging to control, placing it between Bulbasaur and Charmander in terms of training difficulty. Squirtle is an excellent choice for beginners due to its high defense and balanced stats. It offers a significant advantage early in the game, easily defeating Rock-type trainer Brock and Water-type trainer Misty. Its final evolution, Blastoise, boasts powerful Water attacks, high survivability, and the ability to use Surf, which is useful for both battles and travel.

Image: alphacoders.com

Squirtle's Torrent ability boosts its Water moves, and its hidden ability, Rain Dish, restores 1/16 of its health during rain. However, it struggles against Grass and Electric types, particularly in battles against Erika and Lt. Surge. Its attacks are less potent compared to Charmander's, and its speed could use some improvement.

Bulbasaur

Image: ensigame.com

Bulbasaur, a Grass and Poison type, features a green body with a large bulb on its back that stores energy, enabling it to survive without food during dry periods. This bulb grows by absorbing sunlight, and its weight signals the impending evolution into Ivysaur when it becomes too heavy to stand on two legs.

Bulbasaur is an ideal choice for beginners, offering balanced stats and versatility. Its types give it an edge against the first Gym Leaders, Brock and Misty. Its Leech Seed ability allows it to inflict Damage over Time (DoT), gradually draining the opponent's HP. Vine Whip is another notable move, using its vines to strike opponents or manipulate objects, showcasing impressive strength by lifting heavy loads.

Image: pinterest.com

Bulbasaur's hidden ability, Chlorophyll, doubles its speed in sunlight, providing a strategic advantage. However, it has weaknesses against Fire, Ice, Psychic, and Flying attacks, making it vulnerable to Charmander and others. Its speed is not its strongest attribute, and in later stages, its vulnerabilities become more pronounced, with its attacks potentially less powerful than those of Charizard or Blastoise.

Charmander

Image: ensigame.com

Charmander, a Fire type lizard Pokémon, has a tail flame that indicates its health and emotions. A vibrant flame signifies strength, while a dim one indicates exhaustion. It's believed that if the flame extinguishes, Charmander's life ends, though a healthy one can keep its flame burning even in rain.

Despite being a popular choice, Charmander presents early challenges. Its high Attack and Speed stats, along with effective Fire moves against Grass, Ice, Bug, and Steel types, make it a powerful ally as it evolves into Charizard, gaining access to even stronger moves and Mega Evolution.

Image: alphacoders.com

However, Charmander struggles early on, particularly against Brock's Rock-type Pokémon and Misty's Water-type fighters due to its type disadvantage and low defense. Despite these initial hurdles, Charmander can become a formidable force if you're prepared to tackle the early game challenges.

Choosing Your First Pokémon: Who to Take on Your Journey?

Image: ensigame.com

Each starter Pokémon offers unique advantages and challenges, and your choice should align with your preferred play style. If you're seeking an easy start, Bulbasaur is the way to go. For those who relish a challenge, Charmander is a compelling option. If balance and versatility are what you're after, Squirtle might be your best bet.

In our assessment, Bulbasaur stands out as the best choice for a comfortable progression. Its Grass type gives it an advantage against the first two Gym Leaders, making it a confident starter from the get-go. With solid Defense and Stamina, it's less likely to falter in battles, making it suitable even for beginners. It proves its worth early and remains a valuable ally throughout the game.

Ultimately, each starter shapes your playstyle and battle strategy. Consider not only the early game challenges but also your long-term strategy. Your choice is the foundation of your adventure in the world of Pocket Monsters, so choose wisely based on what you seek in your companion.