Does everyone on the Pokémon Universe really start out with a Starter Pokémon?

[Superfox]

Does everyone on the Pok?mon Universe really start out with a Starter Pok?mon?

It's something I was thinking about when I was making my last thread. So, basically the question popped into my mind. If the starters are supposed to be the designated Pok?mon that each trainer chooses, then does that mean that literally every trainer in the Pok?mon world chooses a starter and that's their first Pok?mon?

If its the case of the former, then why doesn't everyone have their starters on their teams? I know they could have released them or stored them away, but isn't that supposed to be the Pok?mon with whom they share the strongest bond?

We've seen examples of Gym Leaders or other trainers having starter Pok?mon on their teams, but a majority don't. Plus, there are the cases where trainers are specialists in only a certain type, not just the Gym leaders, but also the trainer classes like the Bug Catchers or even the Youngster trainers who only have like a single Rattata. In many cases, the type they specialize in isn't a type represented by the starters. In the case of those trainers, would it make sense for them to ditch their starters (most likely their strongest Pok?mon at that point) so early?

So, therefore, is choosing a starter only the case for the trainers who start out in the main character/player's hometown? If so, how do trainers get Pok?mon if people aren't even allowed in the wild without a partner?

What are your guys's thoughts?

 

[icycatelf]

Not all trainers in the Pok?mon universe start their journey with a "Starter Pok?mon." Hoenn's Wally started his with Ralts (Norman loaned Wally a Zigzagoon so he could find and catch it) and your friendly rival in HGSS has Marill. In the Pok?mon Adventures manga, Red's first Pok?mon was Poliwag. In Magical Pok?mon Journey, I believe the heroine's mom gave her a Pikachu for her birthday (much like how a parent might get their child a pet in the real world). There are more examples, but I'll leave it at that.

I don't think children would have too much trouble catching weaker Pok?mon since its not that uncommon for kids in the real world to catch insects and other small animals without even leaving their yard.

 

[Topaz Light]

Nahhh, I don't think starter Pok?mon are something every trainer has or receives.

Actually, the way NPC trainer rosters are laid out in the games kind of gives the impression that it's unusual to be given such a rare Pok?mon to start out with. The protagonists and rivals of the series are the exceptions, rather than the rule.

Also note that starter Pok?mon can almost never be found in the wild and are generally given out only by renowned Pok?mon researchers, so I don't think it's a stretch to say that those Pok?mon aren't ones most people have easy access to.

 

[moon]

I think in the game universe, which usually makes a lot more sense than the anime-verse, nobody really starts out with the "starter" pok?mon. if you think about it, in every game there are special circumstances that make you receive a pok?mon from the professor in the beginning. All the other trainers in the world (bar maybe your rival) receives theirs in other ways.

In the anime, it's kind of weird how they make the trio the starter trio in every region. Not many trainers actually have those pok?mon, so did they box their starter then? Or release it? Nah, I think that was always a bit weird and kind of a plothole in the anime.

 

[jjc927]

My guess would be that a trainer doesn't necessarily have to go to the Professor of the region to start out, they could just go out completely on their own getting their own Pokeballs and getting a Pok?mon on their own or being given one. The trainers that are shown having more than 6 Pok?mon on hand are probably in this case.

 

[Mawa]

I wonder what make a kid special enough to get a special Pokemon as a first one... Does the parents pay for them, like in a pet shop? That's always the idea I have XD

Some gets their first Pokemon as a gift (like Wally). It look like a "starter" Pokemon are somewhat rare and specials.

 

[colours]

Thinking about this, I feel like, as far as the games are concerned, it's more like being in the right place at the right time for the protagonist. Gen III certainly seems to imply this much at least, what with using the Professor's own Pokemon (in which one of them became your starter Pokemon) to help him out in his Poochyena bind. In most other games, it's really just bad timing of the protagonist wandering into the grass and being caught and scolded by the professor.

Interestingly, in SM, it seems that your first Pokemon is a Meowth, but because it's more a family pet and not used for battle, it doesn't really count.

 

[Superfox]

I guess I'm just going off of things I've seen from the games (and what I remember of the anime) that do sort of point to it being a thing that new trainers get to pick from one of the three starters. For example, I do remember one episode from when I was a kid where Nurse Joy was actually the one handing out (the Hoenn) starters to a new trainer. So, it may be a thing where, when there isn't a professor, Joys across the region are responsible for giving new trainers their starter.

 

[Star Arcana]

I'll add my voice to the echo; it's almost impossible that EVERYONE kicks their journeys with a "starter". Even in the anim?, we've seen trainers begin with others: Sakura with Eevee, Jessie with Ekans, and Lillie with A. Vulpix just to list a few.

In the manga, "starters" are rarely the trainers real first Pok?mon. They tend to be given as compensation for helping the regional professor or because their family knows them.

Interestingly enough in the anim?, Sycamore has given out Kanto starters to the rival trio.

 

[miragespot]

In the games at least, definitely not. They're rare, and if there was no Pokemon Professor nearby, you wouldn't have access to them at all. I imagine most trainers start off with Caterpie or Zigzagoon or Purrloin or some other common low-level Pokemon.

But what if a trainer lived somewhere where the surrounding routes had high-level Pokemon? Would they still start their journey with a low-level Pokemon? Nacrene City in B2W2, for instance, has level 55+ Pokemon on its local routes...

 

[Superfox]

I think levels are just there for gameplay-reasons. Lore-wise every Pok?mon would more or less be at the same levels of strength and it just depends on the trainer using them.
Otherwise why would the first few Gym Leaders be held in high regard as some of the stronger trainers in the region when there are wild Pok?mon 4 times their level in the end-game areas?

Yeah, true. But how would people in other towns and cities even be able to catch a wild Pok?mon in the first place? Remember that the player character isn't even allowed out of the town limits until they get their starter. Wouldn't other characters also not be allowed into the wild if they didn't first have a Pok?mon. Its a catch-22.