Best starter choices in Pokémon Champions: Who should you pick first

You get to pick your first friend in Pokémon Champions as soon as you finish the introductory battle mission, and it's much more expansive than you would imagine. While the traditional games have us begin with one of the three regional starters, things are slightly different in this one. Let's look at all the beginner choices, followed by who you should pick.Table of contentsAll starter choices in Pokémon ChampionsWho should you pickAll starter choices in Pokémon Champions There are ten different choices to pick from your first draw, and you can select any one that you may like. The table below has a list of all of them, along with their types. Screenshot by Destructoid PokémonTypeCharizardFire, FlyingTyranitarRock, GyranitarArmarougeFire, PsychicPalafinWaterPikachuElectricLucarioFighting, SteelGardevoirPsychic, FairyAbsolDarkAltariaDragon, FlyingSnorlaxNormalWho should you pick None of the ten picks is either game-breaking or they are completely useless. If you love any of the 10, you can go with that one. If you want to mix-max, however, here are my top three recommendations.Gardevoir: Having a Pokémon that's Fairy and Psychic can be a wonderful combination out of the boat. It also offers four moves that belong to four different element types. This allows you to hit the weakness of a specific Pokémon that you'll find in the battle. While it's not the tankiest of options, Gardevoir has an amazing Speed stat, which almost always means a first attack.Charizard: Having a Charizard with the Blaze ability for free is a great choice. It also offers Dragon-type attack moves from the start, which will be helpful in those early battles. Charizard, just like Gardevoir, has a great Speed stat, which is complemented well by its Attack.Tyranitar: This is one of the two choices you can pick from the Dark type. It also offers Rock, Dragon, and Fire-type moves from the get-go, which is one of the best combinations to have in my books. Tyranitar also comes with the Sand Stream ability, which is also pretty useful to have in my books. This is a really solid, no-nonsense pick that has more strengths than weaknesses. The post Best starter choices in Pokémon Champions: Who should you pick first appeared first on Destructoid.

Apr 8, 2026 - 11:53

Best starter choices in Pokémon Champions: Who should you pick first

You get to pick your first friend in Pokémon Champions as soon as you finish the introductory battle mission, and it's much more expansive than you would imagine. While the traditional games have us begin with one of the three regional starters, things are slightly different in this one.

Let's look at all the beginner choices, followed by who you should pick.

Table of contents

All starter choices in Pokémon Champions

There are ten different choices to pick from your first draw, and you can select any one that you may like. The table below has a list of all of them, along with their types.

Screenshot by Destructoid

Pokémon

Type

Charizard

Fire, Flying

Tyranitar

Rock, Gyranitar

Armarouge

Fire, Psychic

Palafin

Water

Pikachu

Electric

Lucario

Fighting, Steel

Gardevoir

Psychic, Fairy

Absol

Dark

Altaria

Dragon, Flying

Snorlax

Normal

Who should you pick

None of the ten picks is either game-breaking or they are completely useless. If you love any of the 10, you can go with that one. If you want to mix-max, however, here are my top three recommendations.

Gardevoir: Having a Pokémon that's Fairy and Psychic can be a wonderful combination out of the boat. It also offers four moves that belong to four different element types. This allows you to hit the weakness of a specific Pokémon that you'll find in the battle. While it's not the tankiest of options, Gardevoir has an amazing Speed stat, which almost always means a first attack.
Charizard: Having a Charizard with the Blaze ability for free is a great choice. It also offers Dragon-type attack moves from the start, which will be helpful in those early battles. Charizard, just like Gardevoir, has a great Speed stat, which is complemented well by its Attack.
Tyranitar: This is one of the two choices you can pick from the Dark type. It also offers Rock, Dragon, and Fire-type moves from the get-go, which is one of the best combinations to have in my books. Tyranitar also comes with the Sand Stream ability, which is also pretty useful to have in my books. This is a really solid, no-nonsense pick that has more strengths than weaknesses.

The post Best starter choices in Pokémon Champions: Who should you pick first appeared first on Destructoid.

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