Best Starter Fighter in Pokémon Fire Red: A Guide

Embarking on your journey in the Pocket Monsters universe begins with a pivotal choice: selecting your first fighter. This decision not only kicks off your adventure but also shapes your strategic approach throughout the game. In Pokémon FireRed, you have three distinct starters to choose from, each with unique abilities and strengths. Let's delve into the characteristics of Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Charmander to help you decide which Pokémon is the best for a strong start.

Table of Contents

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

Squirtle

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Squirtle, resembling a small turtle, boasts a sturdy shell that serves multiple purposes. Beyond protection and rest, its shell's design enhances its swimming capabilities, allowing for high-speed movement in water. Squirtle can also shoot precise water jets from its mouth, making it formidable in battle. Although a Water type, it performs well on land too.

Known for its calm nature, Squirtle can be somewhat challenging to train compared to Bulbasaur but easier than Charmander. It's an ideal choice for beginners, offering high defense and balanced stats. At the game's start, Squirtle gives you a significant edge by easily defeating both Brock's Rock-type Pokémon and Misty's Water types. Its final evolution, Blastoise, features powerful Water attacks, high survivability, and the ability to use Surf, beneficial for both combat and exploration.

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Squirtle's Torrent ability enhances its Water moves, while its hidden ability, Rain Dish, restores health during rain. However, it struggles against Grass and Electric types, particularly against Erika and Lt. Surge. Its attacks are less powerful than Charmander's, and its speed is somewhat lacking.

Bulbasaur

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Bulbasaur, a Grass and Poison type, features a unique bulb on its back that stores energy, enabling it to survive without food during dry spells. This bulb grows by absorbing sunlight, signaling evolution into Ivysaur when it becomes too heavy to carry upright.

Bulbasaur is an excellent starter for new players due to its balanced stats and versatility. Its types give it an advantage over the initial Gym Leaders, Brock and Misty. Its Leech Seed ability gradually drains opponents' HP, while Vine Whip uses its vines as powerful limbs to strike foes. These vines can also lift heavy objects and aid in climbing. Bulbasaur's hidden ability, Chlorophyll, doubles its speed in sunlight, providing a tactical advantage.

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However, Bulbasaur is vulnerable to Fire, Ice, Psychic, and Flying attacks, making it weak against Charmander and similar Pokémon. Its speed is not its strong suit, and in later stages, its vulnerabilities become more pronounced, with attacks less powerful than those of Charizard or Blastoise.

Charmander

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Charmander, a Fire type lizard, has a tail flame that reflects its vitality: bright when strong, dim when exhausted, and flickering with its emotions. Its life is believed to end if the flame goes out, though a healthy Charmander's flame remains lit even in the rain.

Despite being a popular choice, Charmander can pose challenges at the game's outset. Its high Attack and Speed stats, coupled with effective Fire moves against Grass, Ice, Bug, and Steel types, make it a formidable fighter. As it evolves into Charizard, it gains access to powerful moves and the ability to Mega Evolve.

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However, Charmander struggles early on against Brock's Rock-type and Misty's Water-type Pokémon due to its type disadvantages and relatively low defense. Despite these initial hurdles, Charmander can become a powerful ally in later stages, rewarding trainers who embrace the challenge.

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

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Each of the three starters has distinct advantages and challenges, making the choice dependent on your preferred play style. For an easier start, Bulbasaur is recommended due to its effectiveness against the first two Gym Leaders. If you relish a challenge, Charmander is a compelling choice, while Squirtle offers balance and versatility.

In our view, Bulbasaur stands out as the best option for a smooth progression. Its Grass type gives it an early advantage, and its solid Defense and Stamina make it resilient in battles, ideal for beginners. It remains useful throughout the game, providing a strong foundation for your adventure in the world of Pocket Monsters.

Your choice of starter will influence your playstyle and battle strategies, so consider both the early game challenges and your plans for the later stages. No matter your decision, it will set the stage for an unforgettable journey in the Pokémon universe.