Pokemon as a series is loved for many reasons, whether it be the giant roster of endearing creatures or a world in which kids are able to freely chase their passions. One aspect of Pokemon that has been criticized for decades at this point is the lack of difficulty options for players looking to be challenged. This is a result of a game series that is primarily designed for a younger demographic, retaining and/or obtaining a fandom of older gamers who want the series to grow alongside them.
For some players the difficulty is perfectly fine, or even tough at some points, so it's nice to know which Pokemon can make the opening moments of the adventure in the Paldea region easiest for those looking to start off on the right foot when they decide to hop into Pokemon Scarlet & Violet.
8 Lokix
Players roaming the open world of the Paldea region will quickly realize that some Pokemon found walking about are a lot more aggressive and confrontational than others. One such creature is the Bug and Dark dual-type called Lokix, also known as the Grasshopper Pokemon. Those who manage to capture a Nymble will simply need to level it up to level 24 in order for it to turn into its final dual-type form.
Its combination of solid base stats in both physical attack and speed make it extremely viable in the early game where often simply landing the first attack can make all the difference in terms of whether one succeeds or fails. Just make sure to not throw it out there against anything that harnesses the power of fire or flight.
7 Wattrel
A strange thing about Pokemon Scarlet & Violet is that the roster of new Pokemon doesn't feature the typical three-stage evolutionary line of birds that is typical of each new region. Paldea substitutes that with a two-stage line of Electric and Flying dual-types, a smaller bird named Wattrel who evolves into Kilowattrel at level 25.
Sure, this lightning-infused bird is rather effective in battle, but for those looking to "catch em' all" the fact that it can learn and use the move Thunder Wave will be an early game life safer. The ability to inflict Pokemon with a status effect like Paralysis means that catching can become a breeze and in battle, it can severely slow down any powerhouse a trainer comes across.
6 Tinkatuff
The best discovery a Pokemon fan can make is that a new Pokemon they fall in love with in a region is actually effective and viable in battle. Paldea as a region is home to many dual-types, but none as polarizing cool as the Tinkatink line. Mixing Fairy and Steel pulls from both the masculine and feminine aesthetics attached to each and creates a line of Pokemon that are as cute as they are formidable looking.
Steel-typing carries a lot of resistances and the Fairy-type has very few weaknesses. This means that the two together create a defensive wall that packs its own punch. It also helps that it evolves purely by level with Tinkatink turning into Tinkatuff at level 24 and into its final form Tinkaton at level 38.
5 Rabsca
Every Pokemon generation has a collection of Pokemon that can be caught in the early game that may not scale well the longer the player plays. Rabsca is the final evolved form of Rellor, a Bug-type Pokemon inspired by dung beetles. When the player walks around with Rellor in Let's Go mode for 1,000 steps it'll evolve into its final Bug and Psychic dual-type form.
Looking at the first five major challenges players should face in order of lowest level ascending, only the Open Sky Titan with a Flying-type Pokemon is a true mismatch for Rabsca. Every other gym, Team Star base, or Titan either holds a weakness to Bug-types or at the very least is neutral damage towards Bug-types.
4 Sprigatito
With the lowest-level gym in Cortondo being Bug-type, choosing a Grass-type starter may sound odd, but Sprigatito has an answer. At level 7 it learns the Dark-type move Bite which can make its target flinch, and the leafy cat also obtains the Normal-type move Quick Attack at level 15.
Once players get past Cortondo Gym they'll be able to roll over the Rock-type Titan they'll face in Area Three of the South Province, and follow that up with a neutral face-off against the Grass-types of the Artazon Gym. Sprigatito eventually evolves into a Grass and Dark dual-type which can cover a lot of ground, and due to the moveset, it learns it can overcome slight challenges it may face, but also provide plenty of upsides. It's not exactly the best choice, but it certainly holds its own.
3 Clodsire
Clodsire is the final form of the Paldean form of Wooper and happens to be a delightfully rotund mud whale. Its dual-typing of Poison and Ground is as interesting and unique as it is useful. Leveling up a Paldean Wooper to level 20 will result in it evolving into its final form, something that's completely reasonable in the opening hours of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet.
It may not be super effective against all types, but having a creature with great health that can poison its opponent means that Clodsire can alleviate team deficiencies by simply outliving incoming enemy strikes while they slowly whittle away and faint from the build-up of toxins in their body.
2 Fuecoco
It's hard to ask someone to pick their starter in any game based on easing their path to victory and not choosing with their heart. Out of the three, it feels like Fuecoco could provide the biggest advantage in the early game of adventuring the Paldea region.
It'll handle the Bug and Grass-type gyms in the early game pretty easily, but players will need an answer for the challenge of the Stony Cliff Titan which is a Rock-type Pokemon that completely shuts down Fuecoco's moveset. This is a nice design, as it makes trainers have to look to build a team of Pokemon and teaches them to be prepared with answers to different roadblocks they may run into.
1 Armarouge/Ceruledge
The reality is that two of the first gyms most players will encounter are likely the two found in Cortondo and Artazon. With Cortondo Gym's typing being Bug and Artazon's Grass, that means that a Fire-type would crush the two quite easily.
Players can get their hands on Charcadet with enough perseverance and luck, and if they spend the time to do so can even evolve it into either one of its final forms, Armarouge or Ceruledge. It also helps that the line tends to have good to great speed, meaning that it can fire off its supereffective moves in the blink of an eye. Training it to be in the low 20s is likely the safest call.
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet are available on the Nintendo Switch.
