Summary
The starters from the Gen 4Pokemongames tend to be viewed as some of the most popular in the franchise, and a creative fan has set about redesigning the three critters' final evolutionary stages by imagining what they’d look like if they used different types. Many regional variant Pokemon introduced since the Gen 7Pokemontitles have demonstrated how each species can look totally different based on what types they use, and have inspired countless artists from the franchise’s community to work on some custom designs of their own.
Starter Pokemon are a big deal in everyPokemongame, with almost every title in the franchise requiring Trainers to choose one Pokemon out of three to become their companion when setting out on a journey across a new region. The general pattern regarding starter Pokemon has remained pretty much unchanged since the very firstPokemongames, witheach region’s group of starter Pokemonconsisting of three candidates - one Grass-type, one Fire-type, and one Water-type. Considering the overwhelming popularity of the Gen 4Pokemongames in general, it’s not too surprising that the Sinnoh starters have long been the favorites of many fans.
Whileevery starter Pokemon in the franchise’s historyhas been subject to fan art, a community artist known as primaljort recently shared a few fantastic redesigns of the Sinnoh starters' final evolutions. These designs are based on the trio’s types each being swapped, with the custom Emperado being a Grass and Fighting-type redesign of Empoleon, Forgeterra presenting a Fire and Steel-type redesign of Torterra, and the Water and Ground-type Inundape showing off what Infernape might look like had it been the Water-type starter instead. These unofficial designs are rich with detail, even including custom Pokedex entries, shiny versions, stats, and more.
Even withPokemon Scarlet and Violet’s roster of starter Pokemonseizing much of the community’s attention for quite a while following the release of the Gen 9 games, the many other starters from previous generations remain just as relevant in the eyes of many fans, regardless of how many years ago they were first introduced.Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC also proved to be a big deal for starter enthusiasts, as the Indigo Disk expansion allows players to freely catch any and all of the franchise’s starter Pokemon in the Blueberry Academy’s Terrarium - making starter shiny hunting easier than ever.
How Pokemon Legends: Z-A Could Handle Starters
Since the reveal ofPokemon Legends: Z-A, though, many fans have begun speculating which starters might be featured in the upcoming title. Its predecessor,Pokemon Legends: Arceus, handled starters slightly differently by featuring three starters from across a mix of prior generations and even giving each starter’s final form a unique Hisuian form. It’s quitelikely this will be the case forPokemon Legends: Z-Aas well, though it’s impossible to know for sure which starters will get the spotlight just yet.
Pokemon
Pokemon is a franchise that needs no introduction. One of the most successful media empires in history, Pokemon spans games, television, films, manga, merchandise, music, and more.
