Ausuka ranks Pokémon starters (COMPLETE)

[Ausuka]

hi in this thread I am going to rank the starter pokemon starting at #29 and doing three every day until we get to the final 2.

This includes all the fire/water/grass starters from the 9 generations of Pokémon, and also Pikachu and Eevee.

I think I will give outsized influence to their initial forms because that's what makes them starters but their evolutions will certainly play a role in this as well!

Also I'll give justifications but these are just my shitty opinions. I actively encourage dissent because I think discussion about Pokémon is fun and enjoyable and honestly that's the whole point here

Anyway here goes
#29: Fire type from gens 1-5
#28: Starter from Unova
#27: Starter from Galar or Paldea

[Isis]

Are we counting Pikachu

Whoa we are it's int the post

[Ausuka]

Pikachu is a real starter in my eyes

[Ausuka]

So is Eevee but probably slightly less real

[Pink Ball]

My guesses:
#29 Tepig
#28 Snivy
#27 Fuecoco

I was tempted to put Tepig on #28 but then I'd have to guess one of the other four fire starters on #29 and if that's the case I'll riot

[Ausuka]

My guesses:
#29 Tepig
#28 Snivy
#27 Fuecoco

I was tempted to put Tepig on #28 but then I'd have to guess one of the other four fire starters on #29 and if that's the case I'll riot

ooh interesting, is this based on what you would pick?

[Ythan]

Ooo ego

[Ausuka]

alright, let's start! pls don't be too mad

#29: Chimchar

This one is going to be very controversial, but I don't like Chimchar!

First of all - its design just isn't good to me? Like, I don't find it to be cute. The little curvy thing on its chest looks weird. Monkeys are like fine - not my favourite animal, but fine? But I just don't like this monkey.

I don't like what it evolves into either. Apart from being a regional form of Blaziken, Infernape just feels overdesigned and not aesthetically pleasing in terms of the different colours and shapes in its design. The more I look at it, the more strange it feels. I just don't understand the APPEAL of Infernape. It's not like... the worst pokemon ever. Not all of them are hits with me. But I like most of the starters, and I feel like Infernape is a miss.

This is also the second Fire/Fighting we had in a row. I actually dislike Infernape more than Emboar in this regard. If you already have two in a row of the same type, you might as well commit to the bit? But in general, I would prefer to have a variety of different type combinations for our starters. And Infernape just sticks uncomfortably close to Blaziken in design for me. While gen 4 is not my favourite gen in general, I think Empoleon is very different to Marshtomp and Torterra is very different to Sceptile, while Infernape feels like the standout of the trio for all the wrong reasons. I also think Infernape in terms of stats plays pretty similarly to Blaziken.

Also - is it just me, or do they try to *force* you to use it? I mean, you can just not run Fire type and I sometimes do that. But was it really necessary to have just Chimchar and Ponyta as our options?

Ponyta

of all things? Really?

#28: Tepig

I actually don't mind this little pig very much. I mean, I've always thought it to be worse than Snivy and Oshawott, but like... it's fine? I'm not a fan of the whole black butt thing, but apart from that it's fairly cute. Not like super great, but fine. But it loses any cuteness once it becomes Pignite, evolves into Emboar, and I just really don't like Emboar? I mean at least it plays differently from Blaziken a bit more than Infernape does, but it's still bipedal fire/fighting version 3, and like Infernape it's just overdesigned. I feel like there's a lot going on there and none of it comes together very well.

Also - I do give it minus points for just being Fire/Fighting. A fire pig is like a cool concept and I like pigs. I feel like it could have gone in a lot of really cool and different directions - fire/ground? or even pure fire works - and like it just didn't. I'm not judging them based on their competitive utility but in-game its movepool doesn't exactly feel fantastic either. I'm not a fan of how it ended up and Tepig is definitely my least favourite starter from Unova.

#27: Scorbunny

I know what you're thinking. "Ausuka, what the fuck have bipedal Fire types ever done to you?" But like shrug, they are just not my taste! I think in terms of 'overdesigned' Scorbunny/Cinderace is a lot better to look at compared to the previous two. Even so, Scorbunny just doesn't appeal to me that much. And I like rabbits! I guess I feel like a rabbit should have four legs? Like, it's just WAY too humanoid for me. And while I don't hate football- it's probably the sport I watch the most, although that's not saying a lot - it's not like particularly my thing either and the whole 'omg it plays soccer' aesthetic just completely falls flat with me. I know all the Galarian starters have jobs - spy, musician, and football player. But I think both Rillaboom and Inteleon feel more natural and do it better comparatively.

Also, idk if it's just me, but it gets a base 120 move, Court Change and Libero? It makes playthroughs of gen 8 easier, I guess, but I tend to like fire types less (don't worry, there will be some at the upper end too, this isn't going to be all Fire at the bottom) and when I feel like it gets favouritism - like with Charizard and Infernape, it sours me a little bit!

[Ausuka]

i hope you liked reading, pls let me know what you think

Hints for tomorrow:
#26: Grass type from Gens 1-5
#25: Starter from Kalos, Alola or Galar
#24: Starter from Kanto, Johto or Hoenn

[Skygazer]

These are all good takes so far. I don't think I've ever seen Scorbunny before (haven't played the new gens beyond pokemon showdown) but he feels more like a cartoon character than a pokemon. Infernape was my go to a lot though idk. But it was just kind of a "I need a fire type" things some times. Also I think I only picked fire types as a kid... lol.

guesses

26:

clearly going to be bulbasaur

uhhh turtwig with a chance of chikorita?
25: sobble??
24: cyndaquil?

[Haschel Cedricson]

Ego, and the correct answer for the next three is Chikorita/Sobble/Treecko.

[DkKoba]

anti monkey bias is duley noted from the Donkey Kong community

[DkKoba]

i hope you liked reading, pls let me know what you think

Hints for tomorrow:
#26: Grass type from Gens 1-5
#25: Starter from Kalos, Alola or Galar
#24: Starter from Kanto, Johto or Hoenn

Idr baby form names so
Meganium
Intellion
Typhlosion

[DkKoba]

Ego, and the correct answer for the next three is Chikorita/Sobble/Treecko.

treeko disrespect will not be tolerated...

[Haschel Cedricson]

Treecko is fine but Grovyle/Sceptile are underwhelming to the point where they drag down the whole line.

[DkKoba]

Treecko is fine but Grovyle/Sceptile are underwhelming to the point where they drag down the whole line.

disrespect for PMD2, please ban this man immediately.

[Ausuka]

Ego, and the correct answer for the next three is Chikorita/Sobble/Treecko.

Hmmm interesting

[D3f3nd3r]

sad monke noises

[Silverclaw]

Okay I figured it out. Ausuka is doing a reverse ranking

[Shirou]

Pikachu is a real starter in my eyes

Pokemon Yellow was my first pokemon game!

PREACH

bestie!!!

[Gammagooey]

Boo & hiss on Scorbunny being so low

It's better than Sobble at least, and usually I pick the grass type instantly but grass monkey wasn't appealing to me personally.

[Ausuka]

Well I'll get to talk about grookey and sobble soon enough!

[Ausuka]

alright now, time for round 2!

#26: Turtwig

I like grass types. I like turtles. I should like Turtwig. Why don't I like Turtwig? Firstly, I have to confess that I have a bias against gen 4. It is my least favourite generation. I wasn't around for DP or Platinum - I was barely 2 years old when the games came out - and I've never gotten around to playing it on an emulator. Given my experience with BDSP I'm really not sure I want to - BDSP was by far the least favourite Pokemon game I have ever played. People love to hate gen 6 but compared to BDSP, gen 6 looks like a masterpiece. It's the only game of Pokemon I've ever played that was so thoroughly engaging I didn't want to finish it THE FIRST TIME. That's coming from someone who plays most Pokemon games multiple times. Maybe the bias isn't super rational, since I did pick Piplup and not Turtwig for that game.

Anyway, onto actual reasoning. I just ... don't find it especially cute? Something about the design doesn't appeal to me. Maybe I just don't like the colour brown? Maybe it's the goofy jaw? Maybe the shell just looks weird? Anyway, while Turtwig does have a little bit of an awkward charm, and it's a Pokemon I would otherwise think is fairly neat - it's a grass turtle with a twig on its head! - it just doesn't measure up to most of the starters, which are generally some of the best Pokemon out there. Moving onto Torterra - it looks cool, frankly. It just does. But in the anime it loses most of the time which I think is kind of underwhelming. And even though it's cool... honestly, the design is underwhelming too. It's called the CONTINENT POKEMON. That's the coolest thing ever. A Pokemon with an actual ecosystem on its back. And I get they can't put too much on there, but one tree? Really? That's such a disappointing waste of an INCREDIBLY cool concept idea. Again, it doesn't need to be overdesigned but... it has spikes on its shell!!! Just put actual plant life there instead! Make it look like it has LIVE GROWTH on its back rather than a single pathetic tree! Turtwig would be a lot higher on this list if Torterra was executed better. Grass/Ground is pretty cool and it can have points for that. Basically, Turtwig was okay but I don't like it because I feel like there's so much potential there and none of it was really materialised.

#25: Chespin

I'm surprised no one guessed this, but I guess as a grass type fan it's weird that the Grass type is my least favourite in two gens so far? But like, I have similar feelings about Chespin to Turtwig. It could have been good and it just isn't and that upsets me. First of all - Chespin is cute. He is just a little guy. The design is simple, but effective. I tend to prefer designs based on cute animals but the nut thing is executed well enough that I find it difficult to complain. It's not my favourite first form starter of all time - it's actually not even my favourite from Kalos - but it's still really good against tough competition. There are lots of good places they could have took Chespin.

Then we got Quilladin. Quilladin is just Chespin in a fursuit but like whatever. It's fine. Middle stages are sometimes awkward. But Chesnaught is the awkward middle stage of final evolutions. I mean, first of all, this thing has been brown this whole time. It's a brown animal. Why is it white? Maybe there's some obscure reason about chestnuts blah whatever, although chestnuts are brown. I don't care. It looks stupid. It should be brown. Second of all, have I mentioned that it looks stupid? Third of all, I get it's supposed to look cool, but it looks like it's living in eternal pain having to carry that shell everywhere on its back. The poor thing is basically hunched over. It even looks upset, when the past two evos were just happy. Letting your Quilladin evolve is morally ambiguous at BEST in my eyes. The yellow, green, white and cream colour scheme is a bad theme which I do not hold in high esteem. Just in general, Chespin deserved better.

Also for whatever reason I just don't like Rollout.

#24: Totodile

This is what I think is the controversial pick for this round, and also the first Water type to be eliminated. And I feel bad for it being Totodile because I do want to like Totodile. We've gotten to the point now where the first stages of these Pokemon appeal to me at least a bit. It's a cute crocodile. Do I think it's amazing? No. I prefer the other Johto starters to it. But it doesn't feel like I should be ranking totodile low. It's a mischievous little thing with personality.

Then it evolves. Croconaw is weird and I don't like it. It has like that caveman belly thing going on which just feels bad to look at. The jaw starts to feel less cute and more awkward. But again, middle evolutions are often the black sheep. So let's look at Feraligatr and... What the fuck? Why does this thing have pockets on its legs? Like, this thing isn't wearing trousers right? I'm like 99% sure it isn't. Why does it have pockets on its knees? And what are those weird, like, arches on its arms? Are these supposed to look good or symbolise something? I just don't see the appeal at all. It is cool? I mean, kind of, but if you told me to take a massive blue crocodile on 2 legs and make it less cool than Feraligatr I think I'd struggle without giving it like a pathetic little meow meow face. Anyway, Totodile is another Pokemon where I just don't like the direction they went with it.

Also - I guess playing the original gen 2s on emulator, having started in like gen 6 with ORAS, I found the physical-special split kind of irritating. Totodile is kinda a perfect example of that. It's a Water type with high attack, which I'm sure at the time felt like a novel idea which would really challenge a player to decide to use STAB or moves which reflected its better stat etc etc etc but I'm just not a fan. There are better ways to give players dilemmas over what moves to use, like special effects and more exclusive movepools etc etc. I feel like it just becomes a case of 'jack of all trades master of none', personally. Which is a bit nitpicky because in the actual game the Gym leaders are pretty vulnerable to getting just swept by a jack of all trades Feraligatr, it's not actually a problem. I guess just somewhere in my soul I approve of Pokemon which can specifically specialise in a certain thing.

[Ausuka]

ok more HINTS and FUN.

#23 - Johto or Hoenn starter.
#22 - Kanto or Paldea starter.
#21 - Fire type starter from gen 6-9

[Ausuka]

sobble is safe for this round even though you people HATE sobble for some reason