The three main Kanto first partner Pokémon, as seen in Pokémon the Series. From left to right: Charmander, Bulbsaur, and Squirtle.
The Kanto first partner Pokémon are the first partner Pokémon in the Generation I games and their remakes. They are from the Kanto region.
Description[]
The Kanto first partner Pokémon consists of Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle, representing Grass, Fire, and Water, respectively. Bulbasaur evolves into Ivysaur then into Venusaur. Charmander evolves into Charmeleon then into Charizard. Squirtle evolves into Wartortle then into Blastoise.
Pikachu has been the Kanto first partner Pokémon in certain appearances and media. While it can be encountered in the wild in Pokémon Red Version and Pokémon Blue Version and Pokémon FireRed Version and Pokémon LeafGreen Version, Pikachu has been a first partner Pokémon in some appearances, most notably Ash Ketchum's in Pokémon the Series, but also the player's in Pokémon Yellow Special Pikachu Edition and Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu!.
An Eevee was intended for the player in Pokémon Yellow Special Pikachu Edition, although their rival took it instead. In Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee!, Eevee is always the player's first partner Pokémon.
List[]
Appearances[]
Core series[]
Pokémon Red Version and Pokémon Blue Version and remakes[]
In Pokémon Red Version and Pokémon Blue Version and its remakes Pokémon FireRed Version and Pokémon LeafGreen Version, the player can pick either Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle as their first partner Pokémon in Professor Oak's Laboratory. Each first partner Pokémon is contained in its own Poké Ball on a table within the lab. The player's rival also chooses a first partner Pokémon, but he always choose after the player, more specifically one with a type advantage over the player's. The remaining first partner Pokémon stays on the table for the remainder of gameplay.
Pokémon Yellow Special Pikachu Edition[]
In Pokémon Yellow Special Pikachu Edition, the player receives Pikachu as their first partner Pokémon after Professor Oak captures it in the tall grass just outside of Pallet Town.
Meanwhile, the player's rival receives an Eevee, which had been intended for the player. The evolution of Eevee depends on the outcome of the battles between the player and their rival in Professor Oak's Laboratory and the optional one on Route 22. If the player defeats their rival the first time and also battles them on Route 22, their rival's Eevee evolves into Jolteon. If the player defeats their rival in Professor Oak's Laboratory and then either loses or skips the battle on Route 22, their rival's Eevee evolves into Flareon. If the player either loses both battle or skips the second battle, their rival's Eevee evolves into Vaporeon.
It is possible for the player to obtain all three main first partner Pokémon later on. A girl in Cerulean City gives a Bulbasaur to the player if they and their Pikachu have a hig. At the north of Route 24, a boy gives the player a Charmander. In Vermilion City, Officer Jenny gives the player a Squirtle after the player has defeated the Vermilion City Gym.
Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version[]
In Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version, Professor Oak will allow the player to choose one of the Kanto First partner Pokémon after obtaining all the 16 gym badges and defeating Red.
Pokémon X and Pokémon Y[]
In Pokémon X and Pokémon Y, Professor Sycamore will allow the player to choose one of the Kanto starters when the player visits his lab in Lumiose City and defeats him in a battle. He will also give the player a Mega Stone corresponding to the Pokémon which the player chooses:
- If the play chooses Bulbasaur: Venasaurite
- If the player chooses Charmander: Charizardite X (X) Charizardite Y (Y)
- If the player chooses Squirtle: Blastoisnite
Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon[]
In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon, the Kanto starters can be caught in the wild via Island Scan on Melemele Island.
Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee![]
In Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee!, the player receives one of the Partner Pokémon, Pikachu or Eevee as their first Pokémon depending on which version of the game they are playing. The player's rival will receive a regular Pikachu or Eevee in those games. Much like with Pokémon Yellow, the player will obtain the Kanto First partner Pokémon later in the game. they will be same way as they did in Pokémon Yellow. The Kanto first partner Pokémon also receives the power of Mega Evolution once Blue gives the player Key Stone and Mega Stones for the Kanto first partner Pokémon, which opens the Viridian City Gym.
Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield[]
In Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, the player receives a Charmander as a gift from Leon in Postwick after surpassing him as Champion, which will be capable of Gigantamaxing when fully evolved.
In Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield: The Isle of Armor, Honey will let the player choose either Bulbasaur or Squirtle after completing the Master Dojo's first trial. Once fully evolved, these Pokémon will be capable of Gigantamaxing. Honey will keep the Pokémon not chosen by the player, and use it on her team.
In Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield: The Crown Tundra, Ivysaur, Charmeleon, and Wartortle can be found in Dynamax Adventures.
Anime[]
Like in Pokémon Red Version and Pokémon Blue Version and the remakes Pokémon FireRed Version and Pokémon LeafGreen Version, beginning Trainers who originated in Kanto can receive one of the first partner Pokémon—Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle—from Professor Oak. However, there have been exceptions of receiving one of them from another Pokémon Professor, such as from Sycamore or Cerise, or at a school.
Main[]
- Ash:
- received a Pikachu as his very first Pokémon, and he (Pikachu) can even Gigantamax.
- Caught three of the Kanto region First partner Pokémon, Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle, in quick succession. However, one out of the three evolved, as Charmander was the only one that had (and still has) evolved, becoming a Charmeleon, and later a Charizard, both of which were very disobedient to Ash until an incident in the Orange Archipelago, after which he served Ash as he had when he was a Charmander. Bulbasaur was also going to evolve, but decided to stay as himself, then become an Ivysaur.
- In a different community, Ash only caught Charmander and evolved it into Charmeleon, then into Charizard.
- May:
- Caught a Bulbasaur midway through her journey in Hoenn, and was given a Squirtle by Professor Oak when she journeyed to Kanto. Bulbasaur evolved all the way into a Venusaur and Squirtle evolved into Wartortle during May's travels through Johto.
- Raised an Eevee from an Egg that has since evolved into Glaceon.
- Serena caught an Eevee in the wild, but she has since evolved into Sylveon.
- Lana caught a wild Eevee that she nicknamed Sandy.
- Goh caught a Pikachu, but she evolved into a Raichu.
Recurring[]
- Gary started his journey with a Squirtle as it evolved into Wartortle then into Blastoise.
- He also stared with a Squirtle in an alternate community in MS020: Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!.
- A recurring group of Squirtle call the Squirtle Squad were abandoned by their Trainer's until they put out a fire and a Officer Jenny took them in and made them firefighters.
- Ritchie:
- Nurse Joy from Trovitopolis took in a Bulbasaur as it was abandoned by the previous mayor of Trovitopolis.
- Gary caught an Eevee, which has since evolved into an Umbreon.
- Ursula has two Eevee, which she evolved into Flareon and Vaporeon.
- Virgil raised various Eevee and evolved seven out of eight of them.
- Alain began his journey to search for a Mega Stone with a Charmander as it evolved into Charmeleon then into Charizard.
- Tierno started with a Squirtle as it evolved into Wartortle then into Blastoise
- Shauna started out with a Bulbasaur, but it has since evolved into Ivysaur.
- Trevor started with a Charmander as it evolved into Charmeleon then into Charizard.
- Gladion found an injured Eevee when he was little but has since evolved into a Umbreon.
- Ilima started with an Eevee.
- Professor Kukui raised a Bulbasaur as he evolved into Ivysaur then became a Venusaur.
- Leon, the Champion of Galar, started with a Charmander as it evolved into Charmeleon and then into Charizard.
- Chloe caught an Eevee as her first Pokémon.
- Professor Friede:
- Raised a Charmander as his first Pokémon as it evolved into Charmeleon and then into Charizard.
- Has a Pikachu that he caught prior to the series and he calls him Captain Pikachu.
Minor[]
- Gilbert began his journey with Bulbasaur.
- Jimmy began his journey with a Squirtle as it evolved into Wartortle then into Blastoise.
- Kanto fair host has a Charmander.
- Sanpei's older brother Nihei started with Bulbasaur, then it became an Ivysaur, and finally it became a Venusaur.
- Risa caught an Eevee as her first Pokémon.
Manga[]
In the Pokémon Adventures manga, Professor Oak gave his grandson, Blue, a Charmander. Red, who scared off the Pokémon by incident at the lab, helped recover them and had Bulbasaur by his side given from Oak, training it into a Charmeleon for Gym Battles. Green, however, stole Squirtle from Oak's lab, and trained it into a Wartortle. The three later evolved into their final stages at the end of the assault of Team Rocket's tower, Silph Co.
Red also had a Pikachu, Pika, whom he caught to prevent harrassing citizens. It became loyal, to the point it joined Yellow to search for Red when he went missing. Pika later returned to Red, while Yellow obtained a female Pikachu, Chuchu. The two had an egg, which was kept by Gold and hatched into a Pichu, Pibu.
The three trainers obtained Mega Stones, effectively Mega Evolving Charizard, Blastoise and Venusaur. X, from Kalos region, obtained a Charmander from Professor Sycamore (who had Bulbasaur and Squirtle as well) and evolved into a Charizard, able to Mega Evolve it as well.
Trivia[]
- The first partner Pokémon from Kanto and Hoenn are the only two sets of first partner Pokémon that can Mega Evolve.
- Additionally, the Kanto first partners and the Galar first partner Pokémon are the only set of first partners capable of Gigantamaxing.
- This makes the Kanto first partners the only set of first partners that can both Mega evolve and Gigantamax.
- Additionally, the Kanto first partners and the Galar first partner Pokémon are the only set of first partners capable of Gigantamaxing.
- The Kanto's First partner Pokémon are the only ones to appear in more than one regional Pokédex: Kanto's, Johto's, and Kalos's.
- The Charmander line also appears alone in the Galar regional Pokédex, while the Bulbasaur and Squirtle lines appear in the Isle of Armor regional Pokédex.
- In Pokémon Yellow Special Pikachu Edition and Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu!, Pikachu is the only first partner Pokémon that cannot evolve, as well as Eevee in Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee!. Neither of them can be traded to other games, unlike other first partner Pokémon.
- Pikachu and Eevee are the only first partner Pokémon in the core series that deviate from the usual Grass, Fire, and Water typings.
- Pikachu is the only first partner Pokémon with a gender ratio of 1 male to 1 female.
- Bulbasaur is the first dual-type starter Pokémon and the only one until Rowlet, a Grass/ type, was introduced in Generation VII.
- Unlike Rowlet, Bulbasaur retains its secondary Poison type in all of its evolutionary stages.
| Kanto | |
|---|---|
| Johto | |
| Hoenn | |
| Sinnoh | |
| Hisui | |
| Unova | |
| Kalos | |
| Alola | |
| Galar | |
| Paldea | |