Maxim "Sensei Mori" Tomilov At times, the initial decision in a video game can be the toughest, particularly when it revolves around choosing a companion who will accompany the player for a major portion of the adventure. In Pokémon Emerald, players are tasked with selecting one of three heroes — Mudkip, Treecko, or Torchic — to traverse the Hoenn region alongside them.
Which one is the most useful in the adventure and can stand up to any opponent? Let's take a detailed look at each of the Pokémon Emerald starters in our guide, analyzing their strengths, weaknesses.
Mudkip
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First on our list is the water element representative. This adorable creature, with cheeks resembling shells and a crest on its head, evolves at level 16 into Marshtomp, and at level 36 into the serious, strong fighter, Swampert.
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The companion has average characteristics, with an emphasis on attack power. In the 2nd, 3rd evolutions, another element — Ground — is added to Water, but a weakness to Grass appears. In terms of leveling up, Mudkip is quite advantageous as it grants access to Pokémon with strong moves and high stats, thus opening up new strategies for battle.
Among its strengths are abilities like "Surf", "Hydro Pump", "Ice Beam", which will help to knock down the opponent once and for all, so that the enemy, in general, does not get up anymore, along with balanced characteristics that allow it to be a versatile fighter.
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However, its strengths are tempered by vulnerabilities to Electric/Grass types and low speed. Moreover, in the early stages, players should avoid gym leaders, as the companion is quite weak for such battles. Mudkip can perform well only in two gyms: the sixth, where flying opponents won't be a problem (if it knows "Ice Beam"), and the fourth, where enemies are weak to water, which also plays to the fighter’s advantage.
By the way, you might be interested in another article of ours where there is interesting, useful material that helps players with characters of different generations at the very beginning.
Torchic
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The next Pokémon a player can choose at the start is Torchic. Resembling a chick, this bird has good standard, special attack stats, allowing it to deal serious damage. Its subsequent evolutions — Combusken + Blaziken — are Fire/Fighting types, also distinguished by high attacking characteristics.
In this regard, Torchic suits gamers who prefer an aggressive battle strategy and constant attacking. Thanks to powerful combinations of moves available at different development levels, such as "Flamethrower", "Fire Blast", the character is effective against Bug, Steel, Grass, Ice types, and its evolutions significantly expand our list. Thus, the entire line of progression represents formidable fighters capable of dealing substantial damage.
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Unfortunately, high power is balanced with vulnerabilities to Ground, Rock, Water, as well as low defense and HP. Considering the abundance of Water Pokémon in the Hoenn region, Torchic needs a well-chosen team.
The evolutions of the hero have the same weaknesses, but their susceptibility to Rock changes to Flying/Psychic. This is their main problem: not every battle allows for an offensive strategy. In some fights, the fiery representatives will be utterly useless.
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At the start of the game, this fighter performs poorly in battles for gyms. However, for instance, if the Pokémon evolves into Combusken, it gains an advantage in the battle against Roxanne due to the "Double Kick" ability. Against the creatures of other leaders, the hero has little chance of victory.
Nevertheless, at medium-high levels of progression, this fiery trio is capable of covering much of the game's content.
Treecko
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Treecko is an adorable creature resembling a gecko both in appearance and name. It is a Grass type warrior. Relatively weak in overall stats, its special attack and speed stand out, dictating the gameplay style with this character: delivering swift and powerful blows that can immediately knock out the opponent.
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Evolutions into Grovyle and Sceptile at levels 16 and 36 respectively, do not offer much variety. Unlike the previous fighters who can be somewhat versatile, Treecko remains focused on its fast and deadly strikes throughout the game. Techniques like "Mega Drain", "Giga Drain", "Slam", and "Quick Attack" aid the warrior. Various combinations of these abilities are particularly effective against Water, Ground, Rock types.
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The drawbacks of Treecko barely balance its strengths. It has low HP, defense, is vulnerable to many kinds of damage, and has limited abilities. In some battles, for instance against Water types, Pokémon can perform excellently and secure an easy victory. However, if the fight drags on, there's a high chance that the creature will not survive.
Its evolutions share these weaknesses and similar gameplay tactics, thereby limiting the fighters' application areas. Nevertheless, in the first and eighth gyms, Treecko proves very useful as Roxanne + Juan use only Rock, Water characters, which are vulnerable to Grass type attacks.
Who to choose at the start of Pokémon Emerald?
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Considering their attributes, advantages, and disadvantages, Mudkip clearly stands out. This hero emerges as the most balanced and efficient during the initial phases of the game.
Nonetheless, this doesn't mean the other two contenders lack value! When picking your initial companion, the key is to opt for a Pokémon that ensures a smooth and enjoyable gaming experience. Should the player favor quick gameplay, Treecko excels remarkably in speed. If one desires strong hits and an assertive strategy, Torchic is the choice likely to impress with its potent damage output!
We hope our guide has helped you determine your choice of a starter partner in Pokémon Emerald.
Main image by Ensigame
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