Which starter will you choose?

[FireSnow]

As of now, I have to go with the grass birb, so darn cute and a nice typing to start off with! We'll see what happens once the full evolution lines are announced though.

 

[OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire]

I just hope that the first gym won't be ice...

 

[Cerberus87]

Every time you pick Rowlet or Popplio, God kills a Litten.

So Litten it is.

 

[Hikamaru]

I just hope that the first gym won't be ice...

That would be a huge disadvantage to Team Rowlet, considering it's the most popular right now, but it seems unlikely they'd use a powerful type like Ice this early in the game. It is interesting Rowlet is the first starter with a 4x weakness in the unevolved state.

 

[Spinosaurus]

In classic Nintendo fashion I hope Popplio evolves into a circus viking sea lion with a metal as hell theme song.

That is the only way you could redeem this design for me. But my Globox dreams with Froakie were swiftly shattered, so I'm not holding my breath.

 

[OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire]

I bet Popplio will learn Acrobat, seeing how it moves.

 

[Korbinia]

I'm choosing Litten, which will be my second fire-type ever!

 

[Spinosaurus]

Interestingly enough Litten and Rowlet break the norm of starters of having their primary colour matching their type. (Cynadquil being the exception.)

Popplio still keeps the tradition by being blue, but while Rowlet and Litten have green and red features respectively, they're primarily brown/white and black. I've been wondering why they didn't really seem like actual starters to me, but I guess that's why.

Generally speaking they all seem really inspired by western cartoon designs. They're really out there compared to other starters, but that's what I like about them.

 

[Hikamaru]

I bet Popplio will learn Acrobat, seeing how it moves.

I could also see it as its manner of being treated differently from the other sea lion Pokemon we've had. Dewgong and Walrein were mainly on the slow side, so to get a fast sea lion for once is a nice way to change it up, especially if it ends up with the same type combination.

Interestingly enough Litten and Rowlet break the norm of starters of having their primary colour matching their type. (Cynadquil being the exception.)

Popplio still keeps the tradition by being blue, but while Rowlet and Litten have green and red features respectively, they're primarily brown/white and black. I've been wondering why they didn't really seem like actual starters to me, but I guess that's why.

Generally speaking they all seem really inspired by western cartoon designs. They're really out there compared to other starters, but that's what I like about them.

I can see your point, they're really trying to break trends with this new batch of starters. Rowlet and Litten look like something you wouldn't easily pass off as starters due to their colour, and then also Pupplio with its design.

 

[Resp]

#TEAMROWLET
No surprise he's winning the poll. I can't wait to see the evolutions.
I hope he gets a different typing as he evolves but that doesn't look possible.

 

[Smiffy01]

Rowlet most likely, he looks awesome :P

 

[Aurora]

I'm probably going to choose Litten because I always pick the Fire-type starter. I'm also convinced that it will end up becoming a Fire / Dark Pokemon, which adds some cool factor (and competitive relevance).

I was made aware of a fan theory involving the marking on its head, though, which is apparently the alchemical symbol for sulphur. This means Litten's final form could be Fire / Poison or Fire / Rock, which would, frankly, be disgusting and enough to coerce me to pick the Water-type (Rowlet is awful in every way).

 

[The Evil Mewtwo]

I pick Litten because of the design itself, 2nd place is Poppilo which is a bit cool, then last is Rowlet but I will wait for the release to read the final evoultion's stats.

 

[Hikamaru]

#TEAMROWLET
No surprise he's winning the poll. I can't wait to see the evolutions.
I hope he gets a different typing as he evolves but that doesn't look possible.

There has been speculation that Rowlet's final stage could be based on a prehistoric flightless bird, going with the prehistoric trend that seems to happen with the basis of final evolution stages of most Grass starters. Even if Game Freak don't go down that path I'll still be intrigued as to how that will affect its fans who are waiting for evolutions before making their choice.

 

[François2]

Also someone correct me if I'm wrong, but Chespin was the most popular X and Y starter until Greninja was revealed, correct?

I think you're right, but it would probably be more accurate to say that Chespin was the most popular XY starter until Chesnaught was revealed. I always felt that people flocked to Greninja less because they liked it and more because they had to avoid using Chesnaught somehow.

 

[Hikamaru]

I think you're right, but it would probably be more accurate to say that Chespin was the most popular XY starter until Chesnaught was revealed. I always felt that people flocked to Greninja less because they liked it and more because they had to avoid using Chesnaught somehow.

Actually if I remember, Fennekin was the most popular Kalos starter when the three were first revealed. Chespin was second most popular, and Froakie was least popular.

Chespin's fanbase actually went into decline when Quilladin was revealed, not Chesnaught. The other two's popularity switched upon the final stages being revealed, with Delphox causing the Fennekin decline, and Greninja being a very good Pokemon with an appealing design and a competitively powerful ability eventually led to Froakie becoming the most popular Kalos starter.

 

[François2]

Actually if I remember, Fennekin was the most popular Kalos starter when the three were first revealed. Chespin was second most popular, and Froakie was least popular.

Chespin's fanbase actually went into decline when Quilladin was revealed, not Chesnaught. The other two's popularity switched upon the final stages being revealed, with Delphox causing the Fennekin decline, and Greninja being a very good Pokemon with an appealing design and a competitively powerful ability eventually led to Froakie becoming the most popular Kalos starter.

You're very possibly right! My memory for XY is a bit hazy because I remember both Chespin and Fennekin being very popular at first, then I remember when the first evolutions were revealed, nobody was really happy with any of them. I remember a lot of people deciding they'd wait to see the final evolutions to decide on their favourite starter, but there were definitely a lot of people put off by Quilladin (for good reason).

I wonder if it would be possible to find the initial XY starter poll? Could be super interesting to see.

 

[Hikamaru]

I wonder if it would be possible to find the initial XY starter poll? Could be super interesting to see.

Here's the old thread you were looking for.

Fennekin was actually winning by a huge mile back then, but it was definitely upon reveal of the middle stages that most of the Chespin fans decided to switch to Froakie because they were pissed off by Quilladin, but loved Frogadier being cooler. Braixen didn't really change Fennekin that much, but it was when the final stages came that Fennekin really started declining and Froakie reigned supreme.

Also, the 7th Gen starters seem to be ranking in the same popularity order as Unova's starters when they were first revealed - Snivy was initially most popular (thanks to the Smugleaf meme), Tepig was second most popular while Oshawott was least popular. It was once the evolutions were revealed that Tepig immediately became least popular, and it was all to blame on the Fire/Fighting repeat, whereas Oshawott got the cooler evolutions and gained its fanbase a lot. In fact, Oshawott literally went the same direction Froakie did, going from least popular to most popular.

 

[SummerWarSkye]

As always water for me he is going to be my cute puppy lion seal friend lol

 

[François2]

Here's the old thread you were looking for.

Fennekin was actually winning by a huge mile back then, but it was definitely upon reveal of the middle stages that most of the Chespin fans decided to switch to Froakie because they were pissed off by Quilladin, but loved Frogadier being cooler. Braixen didn't really change Fennekin that much, but it was when the final stages came that Fennekin really started declining and Froakie reigned supreme.

Also, the 7th Gen starters seem to be ranking in the same popularity order as Unova's starters when they were first revealed - Snivy was initially most popular (thanks to the Smugleaf meme), Tepig was second most popular while Oshawott was least popular. It was once the evolutions were revealed that Tepig immediately became least popular, and it was all to blame on the Fire/Fighting repeat, whereas Oshawott got the cooler evolutions and gained its fanbase a lot. In fact, Oshawott literally went the same direction Froakie did, going from least popular to most popular.

Wow, I can't believe those results! Would not have believed things were so close between Froakie and Chespin at that point at all. Thanks for the history lesson.