The NWR Pokemon Sun and Moon Starter Debate

3DS

by the NWR Staff - May 16, 2016, 10:20 am EDT
Total comments: 10

We give you our picks, but who will YOU choose?

New Pokémon games are magical. Everyone has new creatures to love and new creatures to hate. No Pokémon are divisive as starters, though. In Pokémon Sun and Moon, we get to choose between Popplio, a clown-seal; Litten, a fiery black cat; and Rowlet, the best-dressed owl in the Pokéverse.

Site Director Neal Ronaghan sent out a survey on Patreon and Twitter in which 47% chose Litten, 44% chose Rowlet, and a whopping 9% chose Popplio. We're a bit more evenly split. For each starter, a champion has stepped forward. See if their arguments can help you decide on a favorite -- or change any decisions you've already made!

The Case For Popplio

Talkback

Mop it upMay 16, 2016

I always choose the fire one.

CaterkillerMatthew Osborne, Contributing WriterMay 16, 2016

I want that Rowlet bad! Though I always tend to go for the Pokemon that seems to be least loved so maybe I'll go with Popplio.

Really looking forward to their secondary typings as well. Grass flying might hold up but would be cool if it changed into something else. A burrowing owl thats Grass/Ground would be pretty cool. Litten's Japanese name and coloring give the idea of molten rock so I would love if we got a Fire/Rock or Fire/Ground out of it. I don't know what Popplio could be, maybe it's clown theme could lend it's self to Fairy?

None of those typings are unique but with Tropious and Shayman as our only Grass/Flying Pokemon, Camrupt/Primal Groudon as Fire/Ground, Magcargo as Fire/Rock and Azumarril as Water/Fairy I would be pretty content with any of those secondary typings. Doesn't matter if they have quadruple weaknesses, they can join the 4x club with Charizard, Swampert and Torterra.

With the circus theme going we've got the clown, the ring master and I guess just the performing tiger. Not sure how those things could play into their potential typings. When I think of clowns I guess I think of fairy because of Mr Mime. With the others who knows?

OedoMay 16, 2016

I can see all three of them having cool evolutions. I wasn't a fan of Oshawott either (who had a similar circus/aquarium theme to Popplio) and couldn't see how its design could go in a good direction, but Dewott is friggin' amazing and one of my favourite Pokemon designs. They fudged it up a bit with the final evolution, but the point is all three of them can go in any number of good direction from here. I can see myself choosing either of the three after seeing how things shake out.

TOPHATANT123May 16, 2016

Like Pikachu I like it when a Pokemon is designed to be both cute and cool. Litten looks like it's trying too hard to be cool, Popplio looks like it's trying too hard to be cute, and Rowlet is in that perfect middle zone with cuteness and coolness in equal measure.