When you begin your Pokemon journey, the beginning of every game gives you a choice. It is a choice that will affect how the rest of the game will play out for you. It’s one of the main cruxes of the entire franchise, and something that people constantly debate.
That choice, of course, is the choosing of your starter Pokemon.
Once you make this monumental decision, it shapes the way the entire game will go for you. Some choices are more challenging than others, but others will benefit you immediately. It will inform the rest of the Pokemon world about who you are as a trainer. Many people even believe it will let them know a little bit about who you are as a person.
In your initial decision, there are three types of Pokemon you can choose from, water, grass, and fire. We are here to tell you the 15 Reasons Why Fire-Type Pokemon Are The Best Starters.
15. They Are Rarer Than Water And Grass Pokemon
When you initially set out on your quest to “catch ’em all,” you want to make sure you catch all of the rarest Pokemon in the world. They are like nice little collectibles that you can show off to all of your friends. It is what solidifies your status as an elite Pokemon trainer. That’s the reason you keep all those Master Balls in your pockets, right? You want the rare Pokemon.
Well, out of the three choices you have in the beginning, choosing the first-type will grant you the first rare Pokemon in your arsenal. Water Pokemon are bountiful, and all you need is a decent rod at some point in the game to catch any of the 141 water Pokemon out there. You can walk through some tall grass and find one of the 109 grass Pokemon in the world. But just know that there are only 72 fire Pokemon to catch, making them rarer than a lot of Pokemon types.
14. They Have Incredibly Tough Evolutions
It’s hard to deny that fire Pokemon have some pretty sick evolutions. In Red/Blue, the fire starter, Charmander, evolves into one of the most sought after Pokemon in the entire world, Charizard. Remember when people were getting into legitimate brawls over Charizard Pokemon cards back when those were a thing? Well, why would you choose a Squirtle or a Bulbasaur if you knew Charmander was going to evolve into Charizard? Do you remember anyone fighting over Venusaur or Blastoise cards? Didn’t think so.
Well, it didn’t just end with Charmander. Many of the fire starters evolve into complete and utter badasses. Chimchar evolves into Infernape, which is an ape that’s on fire. How freaking awesome is that? Then, Fenniken evolves into Delphox, who is a fire/psychic type Pokemon. Great, a Pokemon that can read your mind and blow fireballs at you– sign us up.
This isn’t even scratching the surface with how incredible these evolutions are. They come with various learned abilities and specialties that would make them a great addition to any of your lineups.
13. They Have Very Few Weaknesses
Fire Pokemon have a surprisingly low amount of weaknesses for how powerful and destructive they are. It’s almost as if the game’s creator was a pyromaniac and was infatuated with fire and wanted fire Pokemon to rule the Pokemon world. It’s borderline unfair!
When you look at grass Pokemon, they actually have more weaknesses than strengths. They are weak against five types of Pokemon. Water Pokemon are weak against only two types of Pokemon (grass and electric), but those types are some of the most common in the Pokemon universe.
Fire Pokemon are only weak against water, ground, and rock Pokemon. No sweat. There aren’t too many people hoarding these types anyway, so their weaknesses will rarely be exploited. Ground and rock Pokemon? C’mon, what type of dork is into those lame type Pokemon?
It’s those damn water Pokemon you have to look out for, though. They are pretty much everywhere.
12. Many Fire Starters Gain An Additional Type When They Evolve
One of the common themes amongst the starter Pokemon is that after they evolve a few times, they gain an additional type. Fire Pokemon are no different. Having an additional type in a Pokemon battle can really give you an edge over an opponent, which will lead you to victory, and to that glorious feeling of superiority when you vanquish another trainer. It really warms the heart.
Anyway, Tepig will will enjoy the addition of a fighting type, Chimchar earns a fighting type as well when it evolves, and Torchic also earns a fighting type, while Fennekin gains a psychic type, and Charmander gets a flying type once it evolves into Charizard. The only fire starter that doesn’t earn a secondary type is Cyndaquil, but Typlosion is such a tough mofo, it doesn’t even need one.
Those secondary types could be the difference between victory and defeat when you’re battling your butt off around the universe.
11. They Are Fast
When analyzing the stats of fire starters, there are a few things that really jump out at you. A standout stat for fire starters is their awesome speed. This means that most of the time, they will be able to attack an opponent first, which can pay dividends when you and your opponent are on your last slivers of hit points and the difference between victory and defeat depends on which Pokemon is faster.
Luckily for you, fire Pokemon will almost always have that advantage over the other starter Pokemon. Their superior speed is a valuable asset they carry with them onto the field of battle.
There are numerous quotes about speed that should tell you exactly how valuable this skill is. “You can’t teach speed,” and of course, the quote that should stick with you the most when thinking about speed, “Speed Kills.” Wouldn’t you like your Pokemon to carry with them the asset that allows them to kill… no, wait… make other Pokemon faint? Yea, that’s what we thought.
10. They Have High Attack Stats
Oh, what’s that? Fire starter Pokemon have remarkably high attack stats? Well, isn’t that just dandy?
Speed is an incredibly important stat, but if you are packing no power behind those fast punches, you’re just going to be the first Pokemon to annoy your opponent. Thankfully, fire Pokemon generally have higher attack stats than many of the other types, especially grass and water Pokemon.
And isn’t that the point of this game? To dominate opponents in battle? Sure, there is the whole secondary plot of “catching them all,” but there are over 800 Pokemon in the world now. What are the odds you will catch them all at this point? There are just too many out there.
But in order to beat the storyline of the game, you must defeat gym leaders and other elite Pokemon trainers. Having a fire Pokemon’s high attack stats will help you do just that.
9. They Have High Special Attack Stats
You’ve got to be kidding. These Pokemon not only have high speed stats, high attack stats, but many of them have high special attack stats?! Truly, fire Pokemon are considered the most offensively-minded Pokemon in the game, and their stats prove it. Equipped with these three ever-important stats, it’s hard to see why anyone would even fathom choosing a different starter. It just seems ridiculous.
These Pokemon definitely have some serious knockout power, and that’s probably the most important thing to have when you are doing battle against a multitude of Pokemon and their trainers. Think about it. If you were a fighter, would you want to be fast and powerful with knockout power? Or would you rather be slow and defensive, slowly plodding away at your opponent with weaker punches?
Surely, any fighter worth their weight would choose the former. Just ask Conor McGregor, one of the fastest and most powerful fighters in the UFC today. He’s also a redhead, so the link to fire Pokemon is definitely there!
8. They Are Strong Against A Lot Of Types Of Pokemon
Holy guacamole, this advantage is stellar. When you really think about it, Pokemon is pretty much a game of type-matching. It’s a complicated game of chess where the player looks to exploit potential weaknesses in their opponents. It’s very cerebral for a game about pocket monsters.
Luckily, fire Pokemon have type advantages over grass, ice, bug, and steel type Pokemon. You need to understand what a big deal that is. They are strong against 293 Pokemon (109 grass, 43 ice, 83 bug, 58 steel) out of the 802 that exist. That means that fire Pokemon have a type advantage over a whopping 37% of the Pokemon world. That’s a boatload of Pokemon to have the upper hand over.
That upper hand will work to your advantage on so many occasions, we can’t even count them. But it’s certainly a lot. You won’t regret having this advantage in your lineup from the get-go.
7. They Are Modeled After Real Animals
Look, some Pokemon are just weird-looking and they are things that you would almost never find in nature. Generally speaking, almost all of the fire starters look like animals you would see at a zoo. You could potentially visit a fire Pokemon at your local zoo. How cool is that?
Tepig is a pig, obviously. You can pet pigs at just about any country fair. They are real. Cyndaquil is supposed to be a mouse and Charmander is a lizard, both of which you can see in the wild or as pets. Chimchar is a monkey, one of the most popular attractions at any zoo. Fennekin is a fox, which are seen in the wild non-stop. Finally, Torchic is a chicken, another animal seen at just about any country fair.
Can anyone tell us what a Bulbasaur is? Is it a frog? Is it a plant? Even the Pokedex is confused as to whether it’s a plant or an animal.
6. They Are Cute
Look, these fire starter Pokemon are some of the cutest things you will ever see. If you choose not to evolve them, like Ash with his Pikachu in the TV show, you will be in the presence of a truly adorable Pokemon for the rest of your time together. Just make sure they don’t evolve, because they become ferocious beasts after their initial form.
Can’t you imagine just snuggling up to a Tepig in your bed? Spooning a Chimchar on the couch? Roasting marshmallows on Charmander’s tail during a camping trip? There little Pokemon are simply adorable and will remain adorable as long as you don’t evolve them.
We can’t stress that enough. Don’t evolve these Pokemon if you want to keep them cute, but do evolve them if you want them to realize their full potential as ass-kicking machines. They just won’t be as cuddly as they were before. becoming vicious attack-oriented Pokemon. Not exactly something you want to snuggle up with on the couch.
5. Everyone Secretly Wants A Charizard
Don’t deny it. There is a reason why Charizard became the most sought after Pokemon card in the entire game. There’s a reason why the card is still worth a ton of money, well past Pokemon’s heyday. There’s a reason why every time someone says the word “Charizard” you get a warm, nostalgic feeling in your heart.
It’s because everyone wants a Charizard. It’s just such a freaking cool Pokemon. It looks like a giant, angry dragon (who inexplicably isn’t a dragon-type, but that’s an argument for another time). Dragons are cool as hell!
No matter how much you may feel that Venusaur is all you’ve ever wanted, or you think Blastoise is the best, you are just lying to yourself. Charizard is one of the undisputed coolest Pokemon in the Pokemon universe and if you say otherwise, you must be in denial. Open your heart and your roster to Charizard.
4. They Have Moves That Inflict Damage After They’ve Been Used
Fire Pokemon have the advantage of inflicting damage on Pokemon long after they’ve executed an offensive maneuver. The move Fire Spin causes a ring of fire to form around an opponent that will inflict damage on them after every one of their turns. That’s powerful stuff! And it can help you defeat an opponent in a tightly contested battle.
That’s not to mention the fact that fire Pokemon have the ability to “Burn” their opponents, which is an affliction very similar to poisoning. It will sap hit points from an opponent every turn, thus increasing the likelihood of victory for you. If you use moves like Fire Spin in conjunction with a burned Pokemon, that will be a devastating 1-2 punch that will surely bring an opponent to their knees.
You definitely don’t want to be caught in these Pokemon’s rings of fire. It will be damaging to your Pokemon, as well as your reputation as a Pokemon trainer.
3. It Is More Challenging With A Fire Pokemon
Look, if we are being honest with you, choosing a fire type as your starter will present some unique and annoying challenges for you. First of all, in Red/Blue, fire Pokemon are borderline worthless against the first two gym leaders (Brock and Misty) who utilize rock and water type Pokemon. Pretty brutal. Fire Pokemon are weak against both those types.
All that means is that you will need to level up your fire starter in order to overcome those obstacles. You need to make your fire Pokemon so good that it can overcome its weaknesses against rock and water Pokemon and still defeat them.
It’s a tough ask, but any Pokemon trainer worth their weight in Pokeballs would be up to the task. So what do you say? Will you take the easy way out, or are you up to the challenge; willing to strategize and game plan more effectively in order to defeat your initial opponents?
Only the weak-willed choose water or grass Pokemon to start the game. Fire Pokemon require heart and passion for raising your Pokemon right!
2. It Will Make You A More Well-Rounded Pokemon Trainer
Because fire Pokemon don’t have many advantages against many gym leaders (in fact, they only have a clear advantage over one… yikes), it will cause you to become a more well-rounded Pokemon master. Not only will it force you to have a superior battle intellect, but it’ll also force you to capture and train more types of Pokemon out there in the world.
You see, when your Pokemon doesn’t have many clear advantages against their opponents, it will make you catch other Pokemon to make up for that. Therefore, you are spending more time looking for cool Pokemon in the world, thus making you a more well-rounded Pokemon trainer. It will cause you to catch more of the 802 Pokemon out there, and if your goal is to catch them all, choosing a fire Pokemon will get you on the road to doing that. That’s because it will be necessary to do so since fire Pokemon will only really help you against Erika’s grass Pokemon.
Just being honest: fire Pokemon are a tough match up for a majority of the original gym leaders. So, go out there and catch some other Pokemon!
1. Fire Is Just Plain Cool
Remember when you were a kid and you first learned how to start a fire? Maybe you were handed a box of matches, or a lighter, or you were in scouts and learned how to start a fire just by rubbing some sticks together or something? Wasn’t that awesome? It was. You know why? Because fire is awesome.
Even as we grow older, people are still infatuated with fire. It’s a beautiful, destructive force that can bring about the ruin of entire cities, forests, and civilizations. You have to respect that kind of power and force. It’s the eternal element of chaos, the Bible’s depiction of Hell, and the worst nightmare of many.
And that’s why it’s so freaking awesome. People love horror movies because of that. It’s our voyeuristic need to see chaos and to be surrounded by chaos, and fire is one of the best catalysts for that chaos.
Which fire-type starter is your favorite Pokemon?
