Pokémon Champions flips the traditional starter formula on its head. Instead of picking from three regional options, you're choosing from a roster of 10 fully evolved or iconic Pokémon, and each one brings a complete pre-built team with it. That's a lot of variables to weigh before you've even thrown a Poké Ball.
The good news: the choice isn't as permanent as it feels. The better news: some picks are objectively stronger out of the gate than others.
What makes a good starter in Pokémon Champions?
The starter you pick determines your initial team of six. You get your chosen Pokémon plus five additional party members, all pre-selected to complement that lead. After testing every composition, the most competitive starting rosters tend to share a few traits: type coverage across at least four damage categories, at least one Pokémon with a reliable speed tier, and ideally a weather or status condition anchor.
Personal preference matters too, especially if you're planning to transfer Pokémon in from Pokémon Home. According to Insider Gaming's coverage of the game, any Pokémon you don't already own from another title is worth considering as your starter pick, since recruiting them later won't include the bonus team members.
The top starter picks and why they work
Tyranitar (Rock/Dark)
Tyranitar is the strongest competitive pick at launch. It's the only starter in the selection that comes with an immediate weather move, giving you board control from turn one. Rock/Dark typing offers solid offensive coverage, and the supporting cast it brings (Arcanine, Whimsicott, Drampa, Aggron, Sylveon) covers most of its weaknesses. If you're planning to play seriously, this is the team to start with.
Pikachu (Electric)
Don't let the mascot status fool you into dismissing Pikachu as a gimmick pick. The Static ability passively threatens paralysis on any opponent that lands a physical hit, which disrupts a huge number of common strategies. The accompanying team of Kingambit, Garchomp, Azumarill, Gyarados, and Gengar is one of the most well-rounded compositions in the starter pool. For players new to competitive formats, this roster handles a wide spread of matchups without demanding deep type knowledge upfront.
Pikachu's Static ability triggers on contact moves, so it punishes physical attackers automatically. Even if Pikachu itself gets knocked out early, the paralysis threat changes how opponents play around it.
Charizard (Fire/Flying)
Charizard brings the Blaze ability, which boosts Fire-type moves when HP drops below one-third. That's a meaningful late-game threat in close matches. Its team includes Azumarill, Steelix, Whimsicott, Gengar, and Drampa, giving you solid physical bulk and Fairy-type support. Not the most aggressive opener, but a forgiving team for players still learning the game's competitive structure.
Gardevoir (Psychic/Fairy)
Gardevoir is the pick for players who prefer special attack-heavy teams. Psychic/Fairy dual typing covers a lot of the meta, and the supporting roster of Heracross, Drampa, Azumarill, Corviknight, and Abomasnow gives you physical presence alongside the special damage. Abomasnow also sets up hail automatically on entry, adding passive chip damage to the team's toolkit.
Don't pick a starter just because you like the lead Pokémon. The five teammates it comes with matter just as much. A strong anchor Pokémon paired with a weak supporting cast will stall out quickly in competitive play.
Tyranitar's full starting roster
All Starter Pokémon and their full teams
Every starter comes with five fixed teammates, forming your initial roster of six. Here's the complete breakdown based on data from Insider Gaming's coverage:
Can you get other starters later?
Yes. Picking one starter doesn't lock you out of the other nine. All of the Pokémon shown on the starter selection screen can appear again through the Recruit Pokémon feature, and you can also bring them in via Pokémon Home transfers.
The catch: recruiting them through normal gameplay won't come with the bonus five-member team package. That pre-built composition is exclusive to the initial starter selection. So if there's a specific team structure you want, your best shot at getting it intact is picking that starter at the start.
Also worth noting: Pokémon recruited in Pokémon Champions cannot be transferred back out of the game. That's a one-way door, so plan your Home transfers with that in mind.
If there's a Pokémon in the starter list you don't currently own in any other game, consider picking it as your starter. You'll add it to your collection without needing to hunt it down through recruiting later.
Which starter should you actually pick?
For competitive players, Tyranitar is the answer. Weather control at team preview is a genuine advantage, and its supporting cast handles most type matchups without requiring major adjustments.
For new players, Pikachu offers the most forgiving path. The team it comes with covers physical, special, Water, Dragon, Ghost, and Steel types across six Pokémon, and the Static passive does real work without you having to micromanage it.
For players who already have strong Pokémon in Home ready to import, the starter choice matters less. Grab whichever lead you're missing from your collection and build from there.
For more Pokémon Champions tips and the latest gaming guides, browse the full guides section at GAMES.GG.
