Starter Speculation/Discussion Thread [Read First Post]

[FrostStorm]

This is the first time i actually care what the starters look like haha. I just hope that froakie acts like Slowking, Fennekin like Serperior, and Chespin like Excadrill

Fennekin is like a fox Serperior. Everyone loves those two. I've seen 5 out of the six people in the friend box with a Fennekin avatar.

[Demon Kitsune Yoko Kurama]

Even though this is fan-made, I really like this picture of the 1st and 2nd stage evolved forms of Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie. They all look so confident.

[Froakin' Koga]

cool ideas thou i cant remember a pokemon to have this many awesome moves in 1 go. maybe mew has them so basically starter legendaries? maybe we need some starters like these.

Oh theres hardly any chance in the world froakie could learn psychic or shadow ball.
I think a possible moveset could be: Nasty Plot, Surf, Volt Switch, and some other special move, perhaps even Energy Ball

[jet311]

its just a speculation but what if chespin evolved into a fighting/grass hybrid, froakie into a water/psychic, and fennekin into a fire/dark hybrid. i came up with this by looking at their appearances. chespin has the form of a human. froakie is obviously a frog but by the way it is posing it looks like it is in a meditation stage. fennekin has a mischievious aura to it which made me come up with the idea of it being of the dark type. a starter being of the ghost type is unlikely thats why i didint take that into consideration. what do you guys think about my observations?

[GoldCyndaquil]

Oh theres hardly any chance in the world froakie could learn psychic or shadow ball.
I think a possible moveset could be: Nasty Plot, Surf, Volt Switch, and some other special move, perhaps even Energy Ball

Why's it unlikely? I mean Electabuzz can learn Psychic (as well as many other Pokes you would think wouldn't be able to learn it) and every Eeveelutions, including Eevee, can learn Shadow Ball (the same thing with this). You can't say there's hardly any chance.

[Froakin' Koga]

its just a speculation but what if chespin evolved into a fighting/grass hybrid, froakie into a water/psychic, and fennekin into a fire/dark hybrid. i came up with this by looking at their appearances. chespin has the form of a human. froakie is obviously a frog but by the way it is posing it looks like it is in a meditation stage. fennekin has a mischievious aura to it which made me come up with the idea of it being of the dark type. a starter being of the ghost type is unlikely thats why i didint take that into consideration. what do you guys think about my observations?

How is a ghost starter unlikely? the only duals we have ever had were poison, flying, fighting, ground and steel.

[Amanchu]

Oh theres hardly any chance in the world froakie could learn psychic or shadow ball.
I think a possible moveset could be: Nasty Plot, Surf, Volt Switch, and some other special move, perhaps even Energy Ball

i was actually talking about fennekin. hex, calm mind+confusion and will-o-wisp is probably a deadly move set. and to the best of my knowledge no pokemon has both hex and clam mind ofc that doesnt mean they wont. about froakie and SB with psychic alot of poke's has it so not so out there thou nasty plot may be a little too much.

[Froakin' Koga]

Why's it unlikely? I mean Electabuzz can learn Psychic (as well as many other Pokes you would think wouldn't be able to learn it) and every Eeveelutions, including Eevee, can learn Shadow Ball (the same thing with this). You can't say there's hardly any chance.

True true lots of options for froakie. if crawdaunt can learn dragon dance then anythings possible.

[XXD17]

True true lots of options for froakie. if crawdaunt can learn dragon dance then anythings possible.

The thing with crawdaunt has some logical sense...in Chinese, lobsters and crayfish are referred to as "dragon shrimp" on account of their feelers, armor and claws so a dragon shrimp learning dragon dance isn't too farfetch'd (pun intended)...whiscash learning dragon dance, however, is beyond me...

[Froakin' Koga]

i was actually talking about fennekin. hex, calm mind+confusion and will-o-wisp is probably a deadly move set. and to the best of my knowledge no pokemon has both hex and clam mind ofc that doesnt mean they wont. about froakie and SB with psychic alot of poke's has it so not so out there thou nasty plot may be a little too much.

Cofagrigus and Ninetails can both learn all of those moves and if Serperior was allowed to coil and Swampert and Torterra could curse then its not too bad for a sage frog to plot. as long as he's fragile enough not to be able to pull two off.

[BunniBear4]

I've been seeing grass/rock as an idea for Chespin a lot, but here's my one issue with it and why it will likely never happen. As soon as Chespin becomes grass/rock fire will no longer be super effective to it giving Fennekin a disadvantage. You could aruge that Empoleon gaining steel makes it no longer super effective to grass, but it gains a weakness to ground which Torterra is. I feel as if the only way to pull it off yet still keeping the triangle in tact is Fennekin to become fire/fighting and I think a majority of us don't want that.

[GoldCyndaquil]

True true lots of options for froakie. if crawdaunt can learn dragon dance then anythings possible.

Personally I would actually use Froakie if it could learn Shadow Ball (one of my fave moves).

[Froakin' Koga]

I've been seeing grass/rock as an idea for Chespin a lot, but here's my one issue with it and why it will likely never happen. As soon as Chespin becomes grass/rock fire will no longer be super effective to it giving Fennekin a disadvantage. You could aruge that Empoleon gaining steel makes it no longer super effective to grass, but it gains a weakness to ground which Torterra is. I feel as if the only way to pull it off yet still keeping the triangle in tact is Fennekin to become fire/fighting and I think a majority of us don't want that.

Im actually going to counter this with what i was countered with earlier. Empoleon got owned by torterra as well as infernape even though everything was supposed to be balanced. Maybe Chespin is the infernape in terms of pwnage this generation, stone edgeing the crap out of fenny and power whipping froakie. On the other hand while chespin benefits against fennekin it gets weak against froakie whose water stab becomes normally effective.

[Ghosts of the Forums]

why? craydily has that typing and the secondary STAB would be great, rock and grass are a decent pair, though Steel and grass is better

Do you see cradily having any use? And although grass helps mitigate the added water and ground weaknesses, you are giving chespin a weakness to one of the most used types in most tiers, although it does make a suggestion towards a high defense, hence my doedicurus theory, but I was saying that would have steel/ground as a secondary type.

I hope for a fast physical attacker with grass fighting type, or bulky tank with ground or steel with a secondary type, and even though it is less competitive defensively, I'd prefer ground on a defensive version.

[Flame Haji]

I would not mind something like this: Evo fan art and he made a sprite of it too: Sprite If it has to go ground or rock I would pick ground. As long as it goes along with this kinda style.

[Froakin' Koga]

Do you see cradily having any use? And although grass helps mitigate the added water and ground weaknesses, you are giving chespin a weakness to one of the most used types in most tiers, although it does make a suggestion towards a high defense, hence my doedicurus theory, but I was saying that would have steel/ground as a secondary type.

I hope for a fast physical attacker with grass fighting type, or bulky tank with ground or steel with a secondary type, and even though it is less competitive defensively, I'd prefer ground on a defensive version.

Then Chespin would be Torterra. Lets forget about defense for a moment and look at attack. With Stab rock he can actually stand up against ice, fire, flying, and bugs. Things that no other grass starter could manage. His only true threat would be steel and fighting. and im sure a nice movepool can help that. GF will not go through Torterra again and i would rather see an offensive grass/rock than a defensive grass/steel imo

[Ghosts of the Forums]

I would not mind something like this: Evo fan art and he made a sprite of it too: Sprite If it has to go ground or rock I would pick ground. As long as it goes along with this kinda style.

I guess it's ok, reminds me of Ttar. And maybe it should be a second stage instead of final evo.

Then Chespin would be Torterra. Lets forget about defense for a moment and look at attack. With Stab rock he can actually stand up against ice, fire, flying, and bugs. Things that no other grass starter could manage. His only true threat would be steel and fighting. and im sure a nice movepool can help that. GF will not go through Torterra again and i would rather see an offensive grass/rock than a defensive grass/steel imo

True, true. That could be nice. Although I really hope for fighting, you have changed my mind about rock.

[willda]

Do you see cradily having any use? And although grass helps mitigate the added water and ground weaknesses, you are giving chespin a weakness to one of the most used types in most tiers(If you are talking about Fighting It would already have this with steel), although it does make a suggestion towards a high defense, hence my doedicurus theory, but I was saying that would have steel/ground as a secondary type.

I hope for a fast physical attacker with grass fighting type, or bulky tank with ground or steel with a secondary type, and even though it is less competitive defensively, I'd prefer ground on a defensive version.

Well I have actually seen cradily be effective on some stall and bulky teams it could even be used last gen in the OU, but that arguement is pointless too, but I do agree that steel is the preferred typing should be grass/steel IMO steel is the best partner type for grass as it covers 80% of grasses weaknesses, while also have the immunity to leech seed, while using it's own leech seed as a viable means of recovery, something most steel types lack, But I just had to disagree with grass/rock being a "stupid" type, a stupid type would be Normal by itself or, since we are talking about starters, Grass/bug would be suicide and grass/Ice is also asking for trouble without a decent ability.

[Froakin' Koga]

I dont know why i cant get into grass/steel... I just think Game Freak wont go with the walling grass again. I also think that they will pass on the grass/steel this generation since we JUST had Ferrothorn and it pretty much was the ideal grass/steel. like Cradily with an upgrade. I think they will go offensive with chespin. and rock is the perfect match to make that happen

[EliJolesy]

I would not mind something like this: Evo fan art and he made a sprite of it too: Sprite If it has to go ground or rock I would pick ground. As long as it goes along with this kinda style.

See my problem with Chespin is I ain't got a clue where the heck he's going. I mean Fennekin is gonna be a fox one way of another and Froakie is gonna be a frog. That I know and it makes me feel less nervous about which one I'm gonna pick. But I can't do that with Chespin. I ain't got clue WHAT he is. That picture is the first one that makes sense

[X Rat]

Chespin is a hedgehog, which is made clear by his name in every other language except English (for some reason).

[Flame Haji]

See my problem with Chespin is I ain't got a clue where the heck he's going. I mean Fennekin is gonna be a fox one way of another and Froakie is gonna be a frog. That I know and it makes me feel less nervous about which one I'm gonna pick. But I can't do that with Chespin. I ain't got clue WHAT he is. That picture is the first one that makes sense

Ya he is a hedgehog, so I would think spikes and stuff that looks along the lines of a hedgehog.

[Demon Kitsune Yoko Kurama]

Chespin is a hedgehog, which is made clear by his name in every other language except English (for some reason).

The thing is, will it stay a hedgehog? I believe it will. Seems no reason not.

[TheEliteEmpoleon]

Chespin is a hedgehog, which is made clear by his name in every other language except English (for some reason).

I guess the 'pin' part kind does the trick.

I agree with Froakin' Koga that Chespin will go offensive, hopefully Grass/Ground or even /Dark.

[X Rat]

"Pin" could refer to a number of animals, porcupine, for one.

Edit P.S.: (Actually, pin would not necessarily need to refer to anything other than a pin). Knowing what he is, the name works, but I bet forums in other languages do not have the majority of uninitiated posters asking what he is.