Which starter should you pick?
Squirtle — the safest first pick
Torrent Shell: +15 armor and +20 shield. Below 40% HP, +40% damage. Extra armor and a regenerating shield mean the early hordes chip away at you slowly, and you still get the +40% damage when things go wrong.
Bulbasaur — heals while it fights
Synthesis: +1.5 regen and +25% healing. Your Grass attacks heal you a little (0.4% of HP per hit, up to 5 times per second). Its kit includes Sleep Powder, which stops groups of enemies. In our first runs Bulbasaur started with 108 HP,9 armor and 2 regen per second.
Charmander — highest risk, highest reward
Sea of Flames: Below 40% HP, +40% damage. +10% Fire damage. It has no defensive bonus, so the damage boost only kicks in when you are already in danger. Great once you know how to kite hordes.
Our take, not a tier list yet. These picks follow from each passive. We will rank partners on the tier list once we have enough logged runs with each one.
Side-by-side comparison
| Bulbasaur | Charmander | Squirtle | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | GrassPoison | Fire | Water |
| Role | Healer | Fiery Assault | Defender |
| Passive | Synthesis +1.5 regen and +25% healing. Your Grass attacks heal you a little (0.4% of HP per hit, up to 5 times per second). | Sea of Flames Below 40% HP, +40% damage. +10% Fire damage. | Torrent Shell +15 armor and +20 shield. Below 40% HP, +40% damage. |
| Starting move | Vine Whip | Ember | Water Gun |
| Other kit moves | Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder, Solar Beam | Fire Spin, Flamethrower, Fire Blast | Bubble, Rapid Spin, Hydro Pump |
| Ultimate (by stage) | Furious Roots → Frenzy Plant → Giga Flower Whip | Rising Blaze → Blast Burn → Giga Blaze | Shell Whirlpool → Tidal Wave → Hydro Cannon |
| Evolves | Ivysaur Lv.24, Venusaur Lv.41 | Charmeleon Lv.24, Charizard Lv.44 | Wartortle Lv.24, Blastoise Lv.44 |
| Base HP / Atk / Def | 45 / 49 / 49 | 39 / 52 / 43 | 44 / 48 / 65 |
| Base Sp. Atk / Sp. Def / Speed | 65 / 65 / 45 | 60 / 50 / 65 | 50 / 64 / 43 |
Getting the other two starters
- Play 2 runs with any partner. Winning is not required — our two Bulbasaur runs ended in Zone 1 and both challenges still reached 100%.
- Start another run. The unlocked starter appears in the run.
- Weaken it and catch it. It joins your League and you can pick it from the region screen with Swap.
FAQ
What is the best starter in PokéBonk?
For a first account we suggest Squirtle or Bulbasaur: Torrent Shell gives +15 armor and +20 shield, and Synthesis heals you constantly, which forgives early mistakes. Charmander hits hardest when low on HP, which rewards confident players. You unlock the other two after 2 runs, so the choice is not permanent.
Can I get all three starters?
Yes. A new account picks one. Each of the other two has the same challenge — complete 2 runs, win or lose — and then appears in your next run so you can catch it.
Which starter is best for beginners?
Squirtle (Defender) or Bulbasaur (Healer). Both survive mistakes better than Charmander, whose passive only boosts damage once you drop below 40% HP.