What is the best starter Pokémon in Pokémon Legends: Z-A? Choose between Chikorita, Tepig, and Totodile without fear of making a mistake

All major Pokémon video games pose a big question at the beginning: which starter Pokémon should you choose? In Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the dilemma is between Chikorita, Tepig, and Totodile. Choosing the “right” starter is very important for many Trainers, and thanks to our guide, you can make your decision without fear of making a mistake.

Is it better to choose Chikorita, Tepig, or Totodile at the beginning of Pokémon Legends: Z-A?

The three starter Pokémon available to us shortly after beginning our adventure in Lumiose City in Pokémon Legends: Z-A are Chikorita, Tepig, and Totodile. Chikorita and Totodile are from Generation II (Johto), while Tepig belongs to Generation V (Unova). At first glance, it seems that the decision is limited to our preference for each creature’s design and their possible advantages and disadvantages between types, but there are many more aspects to consider.

Given that there are so many battles, whether against wild Pokémon or other trainers, we must remember the historical reliability of their final evolutions in competitive play: Meganium, Emboar, and Feraligatr. Added to this is the fact that each of them has a new Mega Evolution:

• Meganium has a designated role as a tank and defensive support, with access to moves such as Reflect and Light Screen. Unfortunately, its base stat distribution and type made it a poor choice in competitive play.
• Emboar is a wall breaker with a fairly reliable track record in competitive play, even rivaling some pseudo-legendaries in this role. Although it is slow, it has remarkable Attack, which is further enhanced by its dual Fire/Fighting type, meaning that there are almost no opponents that can withstand these weaknesses.
• Feraligatr has a balanced physical attacker or sweeper role thanks to Dragon Dance. Its viability was moderate, although it is true that as there are no Abilities in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, its abilities seem to be somewhat diminished, as it depended on Sheer Force.

Next, we’ll take a look at the total base stats for each of them, including those of their new Mega Evolutions:

With the Mega evolutions, there are several surprises among the three Pokémon. For example, we see that Mega-Garchomp is an even more powerful physical attacker than Mega-Houndoom, while Mega-Meganium goes from being a mere mediocre defensive wall to a decent special attacker with solid defenses.

Our final verdict is that, even though they have similar BSTs (Meganium 525 and Mega-Meganium 625, Emboar 528 and Mega-Emboar 628, and Feraligatr 530 and Mega-Feraligatr 630), Totodile stands out as the most complete option. Feraligatr, its final evolution, stands out for its scalability and raw physical power, as well as having access to certain key moves such as Crunch and Slash, in addition to physical Water-type moves that can be used to great effect, such as Aqua Jet and Hydro Pump.

Follow MeriStation USA on X (formerly known as Twitter). Your video game and entertainment website for all the news, updates, and breaking news from the world of video games, movies, series, manga, and anime. Previews, reviews, interviews, trailers, gameplay, podcasts and more! Follow us now!