The lobby timer hits ten seconds and your stomach tightens. You remember that the first pick follows you into ranked matches for weeks. You have six free Pokémon on offer—and one choice that can tilt every game.
I’ve been through dozens of starter screens on the Nintendo Switch, and I’ll save you the blind guesses. You and I will run the numbers, flag the obvious meta picks, and keep the argument simple: which starter gives you the best climb right now.
All sarter lineups in Pokémon Champions
On stream I often watch new players stare at the screen for too long; indecision kills momentum. After the tutorial battle the game hands you six Pokémon and asks for a first recruit. That first pick is free, permanent for that run, and sets the tone for your ranked season.
You’ll get identical Dragonite access no matter which starter you choose, which inflates every starter’s ceiling if you know how to use it. The starters themselves aren’t random—the game gives ten fixed lineups. Study the teammates as closely as the headline pick: the partner roster can plug holes or create glaring weaknesses.
Below is the raw table of starter choices and the five teammates that come with each. Read it like a shopping list: pick the headline whose leftovers give you coverage and tempo. If you prefer community meta discussion, check Smogon threads and Nintendo Switch Reddit for tier chatter; I use them to verify which kits are trending in ranked play.
| Starter Choice | Remaining Pokémon |
|---|---|
| Pikachu | Kingambit, Garchomp, Azumarill, Gyarados, Gengar |
| Charizard | Azumarill, Steelix, Whimsicott, Gengar, Drampa |
| Tyranitar | Arcanine, Whimsicott, Drama, Aggron, Sylveon |
| Armarouge | Steelix, Victreebel, Hydreigon, Hawlucha, Manectric |
| Lucario | Sylveon, Manectric, Victreebel, Gyarados, Froslass |
| Palafin | Gengar, Aggron, Bidreel, Sylveon, Hydreigon |
| Gardevoir | Heracross, Drampa, Azumarill, Abomasnow, Corviknight |
| Absol | Froslass, Corviknight, Garchomp, Arcanine, Whimsicott |
| Altaria | Kingambit, Arcanine, Heracross, Hawlucha, Victreebel |
| Snorlax | Hawlucha, Whimsicott, Kingambit, Beedril, Hydreigon |
How I read a starter screen
At tournaments you can tell who knows team construction by how quickly they scan teammates. I train my eye on synergy: who covers the pick’s weaknesses, who threatens priority, and whether hazards or recovery are present.
Pick Pikachu if you want immediate squad strength—its leftovers include Kingambit and Garchomp, which cover many early-game matchups. In raw team balance, Pikachu’s group is the strongest on paper. If you’re chasing ranked wins, that matters.
Your first pick is like a Swiss army knife: versatile, handy in many spots, and forgiving if you don’t know every matchup. But versatility is not always the same as meta weight—some starters have kits that are more favored by high-level players and ladders tracked by analysts at Smogon.
Which starter lineup is best in Pokémon Champions?
Short answer: Pikachu’s lineup is the most generically powerful out of the box. That said, Charizard and Tyranitar have specific teammates—Azumarill or Arcanine, for example—that let you craft a focused win condition faster if you plan around them.
I recommend you pick based on how you like to win. If you prefer speed and pressure, go with a lineup that contains Garchomp or Hawlucha. If you want bulk and resets, Snorlax or Tyranitar rosters make sense. Use Moyens I/O articles and Discord communities to check which combos are surfacing in ranked matches.
What to tweak after the pick
In stream chats I see players lock in a starter and stop planning; that’s when losses mount. Your starter is a seed, not the full garden. You should plan two additions—one to fix weaknesses and another to increase win-rate against popular ladder threats.
Every lineup in the table can be strengthened by adding Dragonite, which the game allows for all players. Add it when you need late-game coverage or a revenge killer. The rest of the roster should act as an anchor in a storm: stabilize the match so Dragonite can close.
Can I change my starter later?
No—your first recruit is fixed for that save file run, which is why the decision matters. You can still expand your team through normal catches and trades, but you won’t get a second free headline pick for that journey.
I’ve seen players recover from a weak starter by building around its strengths. Use tools like Pokémon Showdown for mock battles and practice team synergies before you climb ranked ladders on Switch.
If you want my pick for an immediate ranked push: Pikachu for balance, Tyranitar if you prefer a heavier playstyle, and Palafin if you like high-risk, high-reward moves. Which lineup will you bet your climb on?