Summary
- Tepig is the strongest overall starter pick due to its superior offensive stats and excellent type matchups against key battles.
- All three starters receive Mega Evolution to change their typings and make them endgame options.
- Overall, your choice won’t significantly affect your playthrough since you’ll still have access to other starter Pokemon.
Which pokemon should you pick as your starter in Pokemon Legends: Z-A? To start with your Lumiose City adventure, you have to choose between Chikorita, Totodile, and Tepig. While they don’t significantly affect your progression, it will be helpful to learn about the Pokémon Legends ZA starters!
The Three Starter Pokemon Options
Pokemon Legends: Z-A features an interesting starters mix from different generations. Chikorita and Totodile are both from the Johto region (Generation 2), while Tepig is from the Unova region (Generation 5). All the starters vary in their typings but eventually gain the Fighting-type when it evolves.
-
- Chikorita – pure Grass-type
- Totodile – pure Water-type
- Tepig – pure Fire type
Unlike in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, these starters generally don’t have special regional forms. They only evolve into their traditional final forms such as Meganium, Feraligatr, and EMboar respectively. However, they became impactful in late-game due to the Mega Evolution.
Evolution Lines and Base Stats Comparison
While they don’t affect the early-game difficulty, its evolution base stats makes it crucial later on. These starters varies in what level do they start to evolve such as:
|
Pokemon |
Level Evolution |
Evolution Base Stats |
|
Chikorita |
Evolves to Bayleef at Lvl 16 then Meganium at Lvl 32 |
Meganium has 100 Defense and Special Defense but struggles in offensive stats. |
|
Totodile |
Evolves into Croconaw at Lvl 18 then Feraligatr at Lvl 30 |
Feraligatr serves as a reliable attacker with 105 Attack. |
|
Tepig |
Evolves into Pigite upon reaching Lvl 17 then Emboar at Lvl 36 |
Emboar provides 123 Attack and 100 Special Attack but suffers from 65 in Defense and Special Defense |
However, the real game-changer comes once these evolutions turn into Mega Evolutions. Upon reaching their Mega Evolution forms, they gain significant damage to aid in combat:
|
Mega Evolutions |
Damage Stats |
|
Mega Meganium |
Becomes Grass/Fairy-type with 143 Special Attack damage. |
|
Mega Feraligatr |
Achieve Dragon-Type form to earn massive 160 Attack stat. |
|
Mega Emboar |
Turns as Fire/Fighting type with 148 Attack and 110 Special Attack damage plus improved bulk at 110 HP. |
Best Starter: Why Tepig Stands Out
Out of all the starters, Tepis is a perfect starter choice for your Pokemon Legends ZA adventure. First, Emboar has a more modern stat distribution due to it being a Generation 5 Pokemon. It gives you an advantage in overall power level against the Generation 2 starters.
Moreover, the Fire/Fighting typing provides excellent coverage against key trainer battles. Emboar is the only starter that isn’t weak to any of them and even has super-effective STAB moves against several. It has a 2x advantage against Philippe’s dual-type team.
It has superior potential as it can win matchups against numerous powerful Megas upon reaching Mega Evolution form. Emboar can stand against powerful Megas like Mega Tyranitar, Mega Excadrill, Mega Mawile, and Mega Gyarados. With this, you’ll gain significant advantage in both story battles and Rogue Mega battles throughout the game.
Alternative Options: Totodile and Chikorita
However, Totodile and Chikorita remain viable alternatives to Tepig. If you prefer Water-types and defensive-oriented starters, then you may pick Totodile. The Feraligatr balanced stat line and good defensive typing makes it reliable throughout the game.
Also, its Mega Evolution form provides excellent late-game coverage and is only weak to three Mega Pokemon. Chikorita though is one of the worst starters across all Pokémon games. It struggles offensively despite reaching its Mega Evolution form. The Mega Megamanium has lower offensive stats compared to the other two starters.
Final Recommendation
Looking at their end-game capabilities, Tepig is an outstanding choice among Pokemon Legends ZA starters. Reaching the Mega Evolution form provides balanced offense and defense to Defeat powerful Mega. Still, you may choose other starters according to your preferences.
Writer’s Recommendations
Hi there, it’s Stal! If you loved that article, make sure to check out these other articles I’ve written just for you. See you there!
