Hub lets you select a starter directly; the personality quiz is optional. There are 29 starter options in the checked source: the three regional starters from each of nine generations, plus Psyduck and Slowpoke. Pikachu is in the wider roster, but is not one of these quiz starters.
Which starter should a beginner choose?
Our starting recommendation is Squirtle or another Water Gun starter if you want to learn ranged positioning. Charmander offers a different ranged attack with Ember. If you prefer to learn a wider close-range attack, try Bulbasaur with Vine Whip, but pay attention to how close you need to stand.
These are learning recommendations, not a measured tier list. Your movement, upgrade investment, enemy types and available cards change the result. In Hub Survival, purchased upgrades are shared across partners; expeditions use a fixed preset. A rare label alone does not establish which move pattern will suit you better.
The hands-on sample so far is five short Shady Forest runs: Bulbasaur four times and Kabutops once. Because the partners were not tested under comparable repeated conditions, the sample does not support a performance ranking; the table below uses game data, while these picks focus on learning a move pattern.
Want to test a different partner without owning it? Use a weekly trial from Activities & journey. Trials leave your saved partner unchanged and do not unlock permanent ownership; the Hub activity guide explains the partner-choice rewards.
All starter Pokémon
HP and speed below are the game’s unupgraded partner values, not the main-series Pokémon stats. The table does not include purchased upgrades, run cards, items or weather. Speed is an internal game value for comparison.
| Partner | Types | Starting move | Base HP | Base speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulbasaur | Grass / Poison | Vine Whip | 90 | 97 |
| Charmander | Fire | Ember | 88 | 105 |
| Squirtle | Water | Water Gun | 90 | 96 |
| Chikorita | Grass | Vine Whip | 90 | 97 |
| Cyndaquil | Fire | Ember | 88 | 105 |
| Totodile | Water | Water Gun | 92 | 96 |
| Treecko | Grass | Razor Leaf | 88 | 107 |
| Torchic | Fire | Ember | 90 | 97 |
| Mudkip | Water | Water Gun | 92 | 95 |
| Turtwig | Grass | Vine Whip | 95 | 91 |
| Chimchar | Fire | Ember | 90 | 104 |
| Piplup | Water | Bubble | 94 | 95 |
| Snivy | Grass | Razor Leaf | 90 | 104 |
| Tepig | Fire | Ember | 99 | 97 |
| Oshawott | Water | Water Gun | 95 | 97 |
| Chespin | Grass | Vine Whip | 95 | 94 |
| Fennekin | Fire | Ember | 88 | 103 |
| Froakie | Water | Water Gun | 88 | 108 |
| Rowlet | Grass / Flying | Razor Leaf | 101 | 96 |
| Litten | Fire | Ember | 90 | 107 |
| Popplio | Water | Bubble | 92 | 95 |
| Grookey | Grass | Vine Whip | 92 | 105 |
| Scorbunny | Fire | Ember | 92 | 107 |
| Sobble | Water | Water Gun | 92 | 107 |
| Sprigatito | Grass | Razor Leaf | 88 | 105 |
| Fuecoco | Fire | Ember | 100 | 93 |
| Quaxly | Water | Water Gun | 95 | 99 |
| Psyduck | Water | Confusion | 92 | 101 |
| Slowpoke | Water / Psychic | Confusion | 110 | 84 |
Match your first move to an evolution plan
- Water Gun → Scald: take Power during the run.
- Ember → Fire Blast: also needs Power.
- Vine Whip → Power Whip: needs Power.
- Razor Leaf → Leaf Storm: needs Reflexes.
- Bubble → Surf: needs Sprint.
- Confusion → Psyshock: needs Reflexes.
Each recipe also needs the base move at its maximum level and the golden evolution card. Check the full table before choosing upgrades.
Changing partners later
Unlock more partners through the regional gacha and collection systems. Hub shares purchased upgrades across all partners in Survival, while expeditions use fixed upgrades. Weekly and event trial partners can be played without owning them; trial use does not unlock ownership. The gacha guide explains banners and guarantees; the upgrade guide separates coin purchases from run cards.