Pokemon Fans Demand New Starter Types
As the Pokemon franchise enters its 26th year, players are asking developers to mix things up and add new starter types other than Fire, Water, and Grass.
06th Jan 2022 11:33
The Pokemon Company
Pokemon Fans Demand New Starter Types
As the Pokemon franchise enters its 26th year, players are asking developers to mix things up and add new starter types other than Fire, Water, and Grass.
06th Jan 2022 11:33
The Pokemon Company
The whole point of the Pokemon franchise is to catch 'em all (it's literally the catchphrase), but when you first step out into Kanto, Galar, Hisui, or wherever, you're usually given one 'Mon to help you on the way.
While the Pokemon series has evolved a lot over the past 26 years, one thing has remained constant. No matter where you are and which Professor sends you on the way, you've given the agonising choice of whether Fire, Water, or Grass as your partner in crime.
Why Do Fans Want To Change The Starter Pokemon?
On the cusp of Pokemon Legends: Arceus, some are asking for Game Freak to mix things up and add different starter types to the roster. A post on Reddit has exploded, with redditor u/Significant-Permit76 sharing their hopes for Fairy, Steel, and Fighting starters. Saying, "This actually works instead of fire, water and grass", the post sparked debate among the community.
Of course, it comes with its own problems. When one said a Steel-type would be too dominant too early on, someone added, "Can confirm. It's why Magnemite is basically the best pokemon to get early. In the beginning of the game it basically resists everything, then by the time you get to the late game where other trainers actually have possible type coverage it has already become a solid special sweeper."
Another suggested Dark, Psychic, Fighting, but this was rebuffed when a critic said, "Doesn’t quite work since psychic does nothing instead of 1/2. Imagine your rival battle where they have a dark starter and your psychic starter’s only good move is psychic, RIP."
One disgruntled gamer concluded, "For starter triangles, you need regular super-effectiveness AND resistances. You triangle does not achieve that. The only possible starter triangle that does not involve any of the traditional starter types (bolding it because some people don't read) is Fighting/Flying/Rock. Any other fails at some other point."
Will Pokemon Introduce More Starter Types?
As highlighted above, it's a delicate balance of having three different starter types that all have strengths/weaknesses against another. Although we might like to move away from the tried and tested Fire/Water/Grass, it works well for a reason.
Some might complain it's a little boring, but remember that several starters develop secondary type as they evolve. Remember Blaziken is Fire/Fighting, while Empoleon is Water/Steel. Fighting and Fire go hand in hand, with three starter evolutions in a row (Blaziken, Infernape, and Emboar) making the most of the combo.
Then again, there's a lot to be said for a Dragon/Dragon/Dragon combo. Dragon-type Pokemon are both effective and weak against Dragons. Imagine a starting roster of Dratini, Larvitar, and Gible. We can only hope. Let's wait and see whether Arceus' starting trio of Cyndaquil, Oshawott, and Rowlet tries anything new.
About The Author
Tom Chapman
Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.
