Every Starter Pokemon by Generation: Gen 1 Through Gen 10

There are 30 starter Pokemon by generation across ten core-series generations: a Grass, a Fire and a Water pick each time, from Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle in 1996 to Browt, Pombon and Gecqua, revealed on February 27, 2026 for Pokemon Winds and Pokemon Waves (Switch 2, 2027). Every line, evolution level and final typing is below.

Starter Pokemon by generation: the full table

Years are the original Japanese releases of the first paired games. Evolution levels and typings come from the games’ own data, checked against PokeAPI in October 2026, so they apply to the main series rather than to spin-offs.

Generation 1 starter Pokemon by evolution level (Kanto)

The trio everyone can name. Bulbasaur is the odd one out: it is Grass/Poison from level 1, which makes it one of only two starters in the whole series that begin with two types (Rowlet is the other). Charmander and Squirtle start single-typed, and only Charizard picks up a second type at the end.

• Bulbasaur, Ivysaur at level 16, Venusaur at level 32. Grass/Poison throughout.
• Charmander, Charmeleon at 16, Charizard at 36. Fire, then Fire/Flying.
• Squirtle, Wartortle at 16, Blastoise at 36. Water all the way.

Pokemon Yellow (1998) handed you Pikachu instead and let you collect the three Kanto starters from NPCs during the story, and Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee (2018) repeated the idea with a partner Pokemon that never evolves. Both remakes still count Kanto as the home of the classic trio.

Generation 2: Johto starters

Gold and Silver (1999) introduced the first trio that stays single-typed from the first form to the last, and Galar is the only other generation to do the same. The evolution levels are also the most uneven in the series: Cyndaquil evolves earliest, Totodile latest, and Feraligatr arrives a full six levels before Typhlosion.

• Chikorita, Bayleef at 16, Meganium at 32. Grass.
• Cyndaquil, Quilava at 14, Typhlosion at 36. Fire.
• Totodile, Croconaw at 18, Feraligatr at 30. Water.

Thing is, two of the three came back as starters elsewhere: Cyndaquil in Pokemon Legends: Arceus (2022), where Typhlosion gains a Hisuian Fire/Ghost form, and Chikorita and Totodile in Pokemon Legends: Z-A (October 2025) alongside Tepig.

Generation 3 starter Pokemon by type (Hoenn)

Hoenn is where final evolutions started picking up a second type as a rule rather than an exception. Blaziken became the first Fire/Fighting starter (a combination Game Freak then reused twice in a row), and Swampert’s Water/Ground typing leaves it with a single weakness, Grass, at four times damage. Sceptile stays pure Grass until its Mega form in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire (2014) adds Dragon.

• Treecko, Grovyle at 16, Sceptile at 36. Grass.
• Torchic, Combusken at 16, Blaziken at 36. Fire, then Fire/Fighting.
• Mudkip, Marshtomp at 16, Swampert at 36. Water, then Water/Ground.

Generation 4: Sinnoh starters

Diamond and Pearl (2006) shipped with the physical/special split, the change that made moves scale off Attack or Special Attack individually instead of by type. For starters that mattered: a physical Fire move finally used a physical attacker’s stat. All three Sinnoh finals are dual-typed, and Empoleon’s Water/Steel remains the only Steel-type starter line in the series.

• Turtwig, Grotle at 18, Torterra at 32. Grass, then Grass/Ground.
• Chimchar, Monferno at 14, Infernape at 36. Fire, then Fire/Fighting.
• Piplup, Prinplup at 16, Empoleon at 36. Water, then Water/Steel.

Generation 5 starter Pokemon by evolution level (Unova)

Unova’s trio evolves on a neat 17 and 36 schedule, the only generation where all three first evolutions share a level. Emboar made it three Fire/Fighting final forms in a row after Blaziken and Infernape. Oshawott got a second life in Legends: Arceus, where Hisuian Samurott is Water/Dark instead of pure Water. Tepig returned as a Legends: Z-A starter in 2025.

• Snivy, Servine at 17, Serperior at 36. Grass.
• Tepig, Pignite at 17, Emboar at 36. Fire, then Fire/Fighting.
• Oshawott, Dewott at 17, Samurott at 36. Water.

Generation 6: Kalos starters

X and Y (2013) moved the series to 3D and gave every Kalos final form a second type with no repeats: Fighting, Psychic and Dark. Greninja’s Water/Dark line also got the Ash-Greninja form in Sun and Moon and a Super Smash Bros. appearance. The levels are the tidy 16 and 36 pattern that Hoenn set.

• Chespin, Quilladin at 16, Chesnaught at 36. Grass, then Grass/Fighting.
• Fennekin, Braixen at 16, Delphox at 36. Fire, then Fire/Psychic.
• Froakie, Frogadier at 16, Greninja at 36. Water, then Water/Dark.

Generation 7 starter Pokemon by type (Alola)

Alola has the second dual-typed first form in the series: Rowlet is Grass/Flying from the start, then swaps Flying for Ghost when it becomes Decidueye at level 34. Honestly, that swap is unique among starters; every other line keeps its first type and adds one. Litten ends as Fire/Dark, Popplio as Water/Fairy, and the whole trio evolves two levels earlier than the Kalos set.

• Rowlet, Dartrix at 17, Decidueye at 34. Grass/Flying, then Grass/Ghost.
• Litten, Torracat at 17, Incineroar at 34. Fire, then Fire/Dark.
• Popplio, Brionne at 17, Primarina at 34. Water, then Water/Fairy.

Rowlet also led the Legends: Arceus roster, where Hisuian Decidueye is Grass/Fighting rather than Grass/Ghost.

Generation 8: Galar starters

Sword and Shield (2019) went back to the Johto model. Rillaboom, Cinderace and Inteleon all stay single-typed, and the evolution levels land on 16 and 35, one level short of the usual 36. To be fair, if you like the triangle clean, this is the generation for you; if you wanted the layered typings of Alola and Paldea, it reads as a step back.

• Grookey, Thwackey at 16, Rillaboom at 35. Grass.
• Scorbunny, Raboot at 16, Cinderace at 35. Fire.
• Sobble, Drizzile at 16, Inteleon at 35. Water.

Generation 9 starter Pokemon by evolution level (Paldea)

Scarlet and Violet (2022) returned to 16 and 36 and to dual-typed finals. Meowscarada is Grass/Dark, Skeledirge is the first Fire/Ghost starter, and Quaquaval is the first Water/Fighting one. Paldea is also the last complete set before Gen 10, so for now it is the most recent trio you can actually evolve.

• Sprigatito, Floragato at 16, Meowscarada at 36. Grass, then Grass/Dark.
• Fuecoco, Crocalor at 16, Skeledirge at 36. Fire, then Fire/Ghost.
• Quaxly, Quaxwell at 16, Quaquaval at 36. Water, then Water/Fighting.

Generation 10: Winds and Waves starters (Browt, Pombon, Gecqua)

The Pokemon Day broadcast on February 27, 2026 closed with the Gen 10 reveal. Pokemon Winds and Pokemon Waves release exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 in a simultaneous worldwide launch in 2027, and Nintendo’s own store page carries that exact wording. The setting is a tropical region of islands and open sea that has not been named yet. The three starters shown are:

• Browt, the Bean Chick Pokemon. Grass type, ability Overgrow. A small bird with leaf-like brows.
• Pombon, the Puppy Pokemon. Fire type, ability Blaze. The first dog among Fire starters in ten generations.
• Gecqua, the Water Gecko Pokemon. Water type, ability Torrent.

Evolutions, final typings and evolution levels have not been announced. Nothing else is official. Anything you read about Browt’s or Gecqua’s final form before Game Freak shows it is speculation, and we’ll update this page when the official material arrives.

Which starters change type when they evolve?

Seven generations give at least one starter a second type by its final form, and two give none. Johto and Galar are the single-type generations. Kanto and Unova each have one line that gains a type (Charizard, Emboar). Hoenn gives two (Blaziken, Swampert). Sinnoh, Kalos, Alola and Paldea give all three. So if type coverage is what you pick a starter for, in practice the choice narrows to four generations where every option ends up dual-typed. The matchups themselves work the same way as in the mobile game, so our Pokemon type chart applies.

Why does the Grass, Fire, Water triangle never change? Because it teaches the type system in your first decision: whatever you pick, the rival’s starter beats it, and the first gym tests it. Thirty years in, Game Freak has not found a reason to break that lesson.

Which starter should you pick?

For a first playthrough, put simply, pick the one whose final form you want to look at for 40 hours. Sure, there are stat differences. Every starter clears its own game. If you want a shortcut, the dual-typed finals (Swampert, Empoleon, Greninja, Primarina, Meowscarada) give you more useful moves without extra team members. Playing a different game right now? We run a what should I main quiz for League players that works on the same principle: pick the one you’ll enjoy, not the one a tier list suggests. More guides on other games live in the other games section of the blog, and the Pokemon Go articles sit under their own category. Whichever generation you start with, the starter Pokemon by generation list above has the levels you need to plan the first 36 levels of the run.

FAQ

How many starter Pokemon are there by generation?

Three per generation, 30 in total across ten generations once Browt, Pombon and Gecqua from Pokemon Winds and Waves are counted. Pikachu in Yellow and the Let’s Go partners are special cases outside the trio pattern.

Which starters begin with two types?

Only Bulbasaur (Grass/Poison) and Rowlet (Grass/Flying). Every other starter is single-typed in its first form and may gain a second type on evolution.

Which generations have no dual-type starter finals?

Generation 2 (Meganium, Typhlosion, Feraligatr) and Generation 8 (Rillaboom, Cinderace, Inteleon). Both trios stay single-typed through all three stages.

What are the Gen 10 starters?

Browt (Grass, Bean Chick Pokemon), Pombon (Fire, Puppy Pokemon) and Gecqua (Water, Water Gecko Pokemon), revealed on February 27, 2026 for Pokemon Winds and Pokemon Waves, due on Nintendo Switch 2 in 2027. Their evolutions are not yet announced.

At what level do starters usually evolve?

Most lines evolve at level 16 and again at 36. Exceptions include Totodile (18 and 30), Cyndaquil and Chimchar (14 and 36), the Alola trio (17 and 34) and the Galar trio (16 and 35).

Which starters appear in the Legends games?

Pokemon Legends: Arceus (2022) uses Rowlet, Cyndaquil and Oshawott with Hisuian final forms. Pokemon Legends: Z-A, released in October 2025, picked Chikorita, Tepig and Totodile.