Dex values from pokemon.json · 21 Oct 2026

Best Starter in PokéBonk

Our data-led first-run recommendation is Squirtle when staying alive is the priority: Torrent Shell grants +15 armor and +20 shield. Choose Bulbasaur for regeneration and Grass-hit healing, or Charmander for a direct Fire-damage passive. This is a comparison of official mechanics, not a measured clear-speed ranking.

Pixel-art forest plateau and glowing ball on a stone altar; concept illustration, not a gameplay screenshot

Pixel-art rocky desert canyon under a storm sky; concept illustration, not a gameplay screenshot

What the sheet actually separates

Bulbasaur is Grass/Poison and its final form, Venusaur, is cited at in-run level 41 with file evoLevels 16 then 32 and a Venusaur BST of 525. Charmander is Fire, Charizard is Fire/Flying, file levels 16 then 36, in-run final 44, Charizard BST 534. Squirtle stays Water through Blastoise, file levels 16 then 36, in-run final 44, Blastoise BST 530. Charmander’s base Speed is 65 against Squirtle’s 43 and Bulbasaur’s 45. Squirtle’s base Defense is 65.

Those are dex numbers. The client also derives armor and cooldown from combat stats. I have not proven the in-run panel copies this BST, so a damage ranking built only on 318 versus 309 would over-claim.

Choose by passive and kit, not BST alone

Bulbasaur’s Photosynthesis supplies +1.5 regeneration, +25% healing and Grass-hit healing of 0.4% maximum HP, limited to five triggers per second. Its kit includes Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder and Solar Beam. Sleep Powder is a status tool, not another damaging type.

Charmander’s Blaze adds +10% Fire damage and +40% damage below 40% HP. Ember, Fire Spin, Flamethrower and Fire Blast are all Fire, so the official kit does not supply a second attack type. Squirtle’s Water Gun, Bubble, Rapid Spin and Hydro Pump add a Normal attack alongside Water; Torrent Shell also supplies the low-HP damage bonus. Do not deliberately take damage just to activate either passive.

Official data snapshot: v0.7.10 / mvgy3iyx / 2026-10-21

Starter stat comparison

Official dex values, not current run-panel stats. All three first evolve at run level 24.
Starter	Types	HP	Attack	Defense	Sp. Atk	Sp. Def	Speed	BST	Final run evolution
Bulbasaur	Grass / Poison	45	49	49	65	65	45	318	Venusaur: 41
Charmander	Fire	39	52	43	60	50	65	309	Charizard: 44
Squirtle	Water	44	48	65	50	64	43	314	Blastoise: 44

Frequently asked questions

So which starter is best?

Squirtle is our mechanics-based defensive recommendation; Bulbasaur favors healing and Charmander favors Fire damage. No controlled clear-time test has established a universal winner.

Do they all evolve at 16?

16 is the file’s evoLevel for the middle stage. The in-run result for starters is 24.

Sources checked 2026-10-21

PokéBonk public data: pokemon.json · accessed 2026-10-21
PokéBonk version.json · accessed 2026-10-21
PokéBonk public data: types.json · accessed 2026-10-21
Official starter kits · accessed 2026-10-21
Official starter passives · accessed 2026-10-21