Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire hold a special place in my heart as being the first Pokémon games on the GBA. By this point, we were all very familiar with the way Pokémon games worked and getting used to our type matchups, but the Hoenn Region brought a whole new set of challenges for us to uncover as well as three new starters who were completely unknown.
Throughout this article, I’m going to give you the stats of each starter as well as a little bit about their types, giving you all the information you’ll need when picking a Pokémon that can hold its own against as you progress past the first three gyms. All of these Pokémon have their strengths and weaknesses, but through a process of scientific elimination, we’re going to crown the best starter in Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire at the very end!
Oh, and if you need a little brush-up on your Pokémon types before you start, then take a look at the guide I made to jog your memory!
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Why Starting Off With The Right Pokémon Is Incredibly Important
I know that many of you might think that picking the best Pokémon is simply a case of which one looks the cutest or just sticking with the same type that you’ve used since the very first game (we all know Charmander was the best despite the facts about the best starter from the original Gen 1 gang…), but it goes deeper than that.
If you know your Pokémon type weaknesses and strengths, then you’ll know that whatever elemental type your Pokémon is will determine how well you fare over the first few gyms. If you’re going up against a Water-type Gym for your first battle, then the chances are your Fire-type starter will need some serious backup, which will mean lots of fighting in the grass to level up the weak Pokémon you pick up at the start.
There are also stats to consider too, but don’t worry – I’m going to lay everything out for you below with a full rundown of Mudkip, Treecko, and Torchic to help you decide which one to pick.
1. Mudkip
Mudkip might just look like a happy little critter who doesn’t want to start a fight, but this Mud Fish Pokémon certainly isn’t taking any prisoners when it evolves into the mighty Swampert. As you might have guessed from the colour coding and the fact that I mentioned it’s part fish, Mudkip is the Water-type option in both Ruby & Sapphire. It’s not the fastest Pokémon on the block, boasting only 40 speed, though to be honest that’s to be expected with those tiny little legs!
When it comes to Sp. Attack and Defence as well as Physical Defence, Mudkip scores 50 across the board. Its most impressive base stat is 70 Physical Attack, which will help moves like Rock Smash hit home in early battles.
When it comes to the first three gyms in Ruby & Sapphire, Mudkip is a great choice for the first Gym Leader Roxanne who uses Ground-type Pokémon. It’s average against Dewford Town’s Gym Leader Brawly and his team of Fighting-type Pokémon, and absolutely abysmal against the third Gym Leader Wattson’s Electric team. Obviously, by the the time you get to the third Gym you will have some other Pokémon in your team, but as your starter Pokémon tends to always be the strongest, you may lose a big advantage very quickly once Mudkip falls in battle.
2. Treecko
Treecko is one stylish dude. A Wood Gecko Pokémon, hes’ the Grass-type choice in these games and evolves into the epic-looking ‘Grovyle’ at Level 16 and the spiritual successor to Venasuar ‘Sceptile’ at Level 36.
Where Mudkip has just the one stand-out stat, Treecko boasts two in the form of Sp. Attack and Speed, sitting at a base level of 65 and 70 respectively. With a Physical Attack of 45, you’ll be relying on the Level 6 move Absorb more than Pound. Mega Drain will help the fact that Treecko only has 40 HP too, as well as a dismal Defence of 35. Sp. Def looks better at 55, so let’s hope those early annoying Shroomish critters use Absorb rather than Tackle!
When it comes to Gyms, Treecko is a great choice for the first gym as Grass-type Pokémon are strong against Ground-types. It’s a sturdy choice for the next two gyms too in the sense that it isn’t inherently weak against Fighting or Electric-types.
3. Torchic
I think Torchic could well be the happiest little critter that I’ve ever seen in any game. A fiery-little chick, Torchic evolves into the comical-looking Combusken at 16 and the ferocious-looking Blaziken at 36. To be honest, I looked a little comical at 16 too, so I get it.
Torchic is a great choice for people who like to attack first and ask questions, with a 60 base-level stat for both Pysical and Special Attack. That means that Scratch and Ember are going to be just as hard-hitting in those early battles. The 40 Physical Defence stat isn’t great, and neither is the 45 HP and Speed, but luckily these base levels increase pretty quickly once you start battling, so you won’t have to worry about those for long. The SP Def of 50 puts it in line with Mudkip.
And now for the gyms; Torchic is going to struggle against the first gym as Fire-types are notoriously weak against Ground and Rock-type critters. This little chick will have an easier time against the second and third gyms, but that first battle is going to be a tough one!
Who Is The Best Pokémon To Start Ruby & Sapphire With?
Well, this might surprise you considering I always go with Fire-type Pokémon, but I’m going to go with Mudkip based on the ease of getting through the first gym. Torchic is an absolute demon when it comes to attacking, but if you’re looking to get through that first gym without too much stress, especially if it’s your first time playing a Pokémon game, then Mudkip is a great choice.
Roxanne’s Geodude and Nosepass aren’t low levels either, coming in at Level 14 and 15 respectively. If you’ve not done much fighting, it’s plausible that Mudkip could be at a much lower level, or that you’ve fallen into the trap of just training your lead Pokémon and the others have super low levels still. In that case, every move is going to count, and Water Gun is really going to come into its own here. Mudkip gets Water Gun at Level 10, but don’t worry – Pokemon Starters obey you no matter whether you have a badge or not, so you can safely get to Level 10 before heading to the first Gym without any problems.
By Gym 3, It would be my hope that you will have some other strong Pokémon to use alongside Mudkip to take on Wattson, and Mudkip (or most likely Marshtomp by this stage) will make mincemeat out of the fourth Leader Flannery’s Fire-type Pokémon!
