Pokémon Scarlet & Violet have just released, meaning that the final forms of the starters are finally able to be compared to one another. With Sprigatito, Fuecoco and Quaxly proving to be a solid trio, it has been interesting to see the forms they grew into. For the most part, the new starter Pokémon are exceptional, and one of the most solid trios for some time. At least when it comes to their gameplay uses, that is.
The designs have proven somewhat controversial, some more than others. As soon as Pokémon Scarlet and Violet leaked, it became a painful waiting game to see what the adorable starters would evolve into, and it’s safe to say they are quite unexpected. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; in fact, it could even be said that they are welcome surprises in how different they are from initial predictions, although some fan Pokémon designs are better than official ones from Gen 9.
#3 Meowscarada Is The Worst Starter Evolution In Pokémon Scarlet & Violet
Ever since Sprigatito was revealed, fans were speculating as to if it would become a more humanoid design like its quadrupedal buddies Litten and Fennekin. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this did end up happening. Floragato is Sprigatito’s first evolution, and is also bipedal. Like with Grovyle, Floragato is arguably cooler than its final form. With its yo-yo and poncho, it has such a cool attitude that the final form loses. Interestingly, Meowscarada also shares some design similarities with Doronjo from the anime Yatterman, which may explain why it is the most popular Gen 9 starter Pokémon in Japan. Flower Trick is its signature move, which has 70 base power, always gets critical hits, and never misses. It also gets Protean as its hidden ability, which is a huge plus, even if it has been nerfed to a one-time use. Clearly, Meowscarada will be a powerful opponent.
#2 Skeledirge Is An Okay Starter Evolution In Pokémon Scarlet & Violet
Of the three starter evolutions, Skeledirge is perhaps the least coherent. Its design is perhaps the closest to a more traditional approach. Much like Venusaur and Feraligatr before it, Fuecoco’s final form becomes a large crocodilian monster. By not being anthropomorphized, it avoids one of Gen 8's starter mistakes. It has a skull and a little flame bird that rests on its head. The main thing holding this design back is how awkward its flames look - they’re far too blocky. Skeledirge is the second Fire/Ghost starter in a row (after Legends: Arceus' Typhlosion), almost tying it with Fire/Fighting for consecutive starter-type repetitions. Its signature move is Torch Song, which has 80 base power and raises its Special Attack by one stage. Unaware is its hidden ability, meaning it can attack a foe and ignore its stat changes.
#1 Quaquaval Is The Best Starter Evolution In Pokémon Scarlet & Violet
When Quaxly was first revealed, it was highly unlikely that anyone expected it was going to become a Water/Fighting carnival dancer. Some of its features are reminiscent of peacocks, and it has one of the best walking animations in the Pokémon series. It’s essentially a Water-type version of Blaziken, but with a completely different personality, making it the best starter evolution in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Aqua Step is Quaquaval’s signature move, which raises its Speed and has 80 base power. It can also raise its Attack by defeating opponents thanks to its hidden ability, Moxie, meaning it can ively boost its Speed and Attack to deal devastating damage.
With Gen 9 officially beginning, it will be interesting to see if any of these starters become more or less popular as the new games settle, or when nostalgia kicks in years from now. It’s fairly safe to say that the Gen 9 starters were collectively a large step up from the trio in Sword & Shield, so even the worst of the three is in a better position than Galar’s best starter. Perhaps the next starters will be even better than those found in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
