first major choice pokemon A playthrough is the starter you need to start your journey. As a veteran pokemon Having been a player for almost 30 years, I've picked up quite a few starters over the years and have used basically every one of them at least once. At that time pokemon Gen 4, I've put hundreds of hours into it over dozens of playthroughs. pokemon diamond, pearl, platinum, Then there were their remakes and only one starter gave me a consistent advantage.
There are a variety of factors to consider when choosing a specific starter. pokemon Playthrough. The most important of these is how well my starter's typing and stats match the major battles I'll have to face, such as Gym Leader, Evil Team Leader, and Elite 4. It's also important to consider when your starter evolves and at what level it learns the specific moves it needs to gain an advantage over its opponents.
Description of the best Pokemon available in your Gen 4 playthrough.
For players looking to complete the Gen 4 Pokemon games as smoothly as possible, there are a few monsters you'll want to make sure you have on your team.
Pros and cons of each Pokemon Generation 4 starter
pokemon Gen 4 is an important entry in the franchise due to the introduction of the Physical/Special split, which separates the physical or special state of an action from its type. This change made it viable because almost any Pokémon could invest in learning the STAB move that corresponds to its strongest attack stat. So now each starting pitcher has some tradeoffs related to how freely their ideal STAB moves can be used in the game.
Turtwig pros and cons
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merit
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Lawn hitter is strong in the first gym.
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Balanced statistical distribution
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Good offensive coverage when fully evolved
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Evolve to the final stage faster than other starters
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disadvantage
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Torterra's Grass/Ground typing is 4x weak to Ice.
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Razor Leaf is your strongest physical grass STAB move until fully evolved.
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Weak against Team Galactic Boss Cyrus' team
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Grass-type starter Turtwig was the first option I chose when I first played. pokemon diamond It dates back to 2007 when it was first released. As a Grass type, Turtwig has a type advantage over the Roark's Rock type, putting it in a good position early in the game. It's also very effective against Crasher Wake's Water type, and Torterra's Ground type is great against Volkner's Electric type. I have fond memories of using Turtwig with my original team, but I noticed that it had some flaws that I couldn't have noticed through rose-colored glasses.
Despite a good early game setup, Turtwig may struggle later in Sinnoh region play. It does not evolve into Grottle until level 18, the newest of the three starters, and as a physical attacker it only has access to Razor Leaf as a physical STAB move until it evolves into Torterra. Turtwig's real killer is Candice's Ice type and Cyrus' late-game weakness to Flying and Ice types that prevent Torterra from truly excelling in Gen 4.
To counteract the late level 1 evolution, Grotle evolves into Torterra at level 32, the earliest of the three starters.
Chimchar Advantages and Disadvantages
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merit
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Good type of matchup against multiple gyms
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Great move pool with STAB options like Close Combat and Flare Blitz
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It evolves to stage 1 before any other selection.
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disadvantage
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Weak to half of the Elite Four
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Balanced stats mean you don't excel in any one area.
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It should evolve to be useful for your first gym.
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Historically, I've been a fan of the Fire type. pokemonHowever, I've only grown to like a few Fire type starters over the years. Chimchar is one of these starters, and my love for this Chimp Pokemon mainly comes from Gen 4's excellent movepool. When other starters are stuck with suboptimal STAB moves, Infernape has access to attacks like Close Combat and Flare Blitz that are completely new to Gen 4 games. Chimchar also pairs well with several important gym leaders, such as Roark's Rock type (if it evolves into Monferno and gains Mach Punch), Gardenia's Grass type, Byron's Steel type, and Candice's Ice type.
However, Infernape is fighting against half of the Elite Four, including Bertha's Ground type and Lucian's Psychic type. For Chimchar to be useful for the first gym, it needs to evolve into Monferno. That said, I had to grind to level 14 before facing that gym, as there aren't many water or grass type options to choose from before then. Some players may like the fact that Infernape is a hybrid attacker, but I preferred the mon to go all-in on physical attacks to get the most out of Close Combat and Flare Blitz, but that's not the end of the world.
Who is that character?

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Piplup
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merit
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Strong in the first gym
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Empoleon's water/steel typing has a lot of resistance.
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Solid special attack and special defense
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Better than the Elite Four
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disadvantage
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Without a TM, your move pool is limited.
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After the first round, it doesn't work well with other gyms.
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time lapse statistics
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Piplup is arguably the most iconic Gen 4 starter, but that doesn't necessarily make it the best choice to play. Despite being strong against Roark's Rock type, Piplup doesn't really shine until late in the game after it evolves into Empoleon. Once this final stage is reached, Empoleon's Water/Steel type becomes a powerful defensive monster with a lot of resistance against trainers like Aaron's Bug type and Lucian's Psychic type. Additionally, Empoleon can deal very effective damage to Bertha's Ground type and Flint's Fire type, making him a fantastic party member for the Elite Four.
Unfortunately, outside of this late-game surge, Piplup is hampered throughout the rest of my Sinnoh playthrough by its poor type matchup against Gardenia's Grass type and Volkner's Electric type, and has no real advantage over other gyms after the first gym. Empoleon's move pool is also limited by its special attack-oriented statistics. The best move to learn before level 59 is Brine, and you'll need TM for Flash Cannon to access the best Steel STAB move.
The flash cannon can be obtained through TM by defeating Byron in Canalabe City.
Pokemon Pokopia didn't give me a reason to pre-order, but that's nothing new for the series
Pokemon Pokopia sadly continues one of the most disappointing traditions of the entire series, giving you no reason to pre-order it.
After dozens of plays, it's clear that Chimchar is the best Gen 4 Pokemon starter.
Taking all of these factors into consideration, the starter I've had the most success with over my four generations of play is Chimchar. Level Chimchar up to 14 to evolve into Monferno before the first gym gets tough, but accessing Mach Punch as a STAB Fighting type move makes Monferno invaluable against Roark's Rock types, greatly eliminating Chimchar's biggest early game obstacle. After this point, Monferno will be a huge help against the next few gyms, easily taking down Gardenia's Grass types and taking down Maylene's Lucario. Pokemon Diamond and Pearl quickly.
Close Combat is also my favorite new move introduced in Gen 4, and Infernape is the perfect Pokemon to make the most of its base 120 attack power. Infernape's utility is greatly reduced after defeating Candice in Snowpoint City, but our team is generally versatile enough in the game that Infernape's weakness against the Elite Four is minor. I'm rarely unhappy when I choose Chimchar as a starter. pokemon 4th generation playthrough.

- released
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November 19, 2021
- ESRB
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E
- developer
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ILCA
- publisher
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nintendo