Best Starter Pokémon in Every Nintendo DS Game (Complete Guide)
Diamond/Pearl/Platinum – HeartGold/SoulSilver – Black/White – Black 2/White 2
Choosing the right starter Pokémon can completely change your playthrough—especially in the Nintendo DS era, where game difficulty, gym matchups, and movepools vary greatly.
This guide breaks down the best starter in every DS Pokémon game, with analysis, difficulty rating, and recommended movesets.
⭐ Why Starters Matter in DS Pokémon Games
In Generations 4 and 5, starters:
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Have limited early-game coverage
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Rely heavily on gym matchups
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Gain access to powerful final evolutions
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Often determine your entire team’s pacing
This guide covers all DS mainline games:
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Diamond / Pearl
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Platinum
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HeartGold / SoulSilver
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Black / White
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Black 2 / White 2
🟦 Pokémon Diamond & Pearl — Best Starter: Chimchar
Winner: Chimchar → Infernape
Chimchar is the best overall choice in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl thanks to its excellent dual typing and strong early-game matchups.
Why Chimchar Wins
✔ Becomes Fire/Fighting at Monferno (Lv. 14) — extremely early
✔ Strong against 3 gyms: Roark, Gardenia, Byron
✔ Fast, high offense, flexible movepool
✔ Close Combat + Flamethrower are unmatched
Problems With the Others
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Turtwig is powerful but slow; struggles early.
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Piplup is good later, but the mid-game Water/Ground types outclass it.
Recommended Moveset
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Flamethrower
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Close Combat
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Grass Knot
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Mach Punch / U-Turn
🟪 Pokémon Platinum — Best Starter: Chimchar (Even More Dominant)
Winner: Chimchar → Infernape
Platinum has improved difficulty, but Chimchar still remains the strongest starter by a huge margin.
Why Chimchar Is Even Better in Platinum
✔ Better early matchup because Platinum changes gym order slightly
✔ More Fire-type moves available early
✔ Improved Monferno level-up moves
✔ Has coverage for most major opponents
Turtwig & Piplup?
Still strong but generally slower and match worse with gyms.
Overall: Chimchar is the most recommended pick for beginners and advanced players.
🟫 Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver — Best Starter: Totodile
Winner: Totodile → Feraligatr
This is the one DS game where the Water starter is unquestionably the best.
Why Totodile Wins
✔ Great early-game stats
✔ Amazing movepool (Ice Fang, Crunch, Waterfall)
✔ Beats many Team Rocket fights
✔ Late-game Dragon coverage with Ice Fang
✔ Even matchups vs most gyms
Chikorita & Cyndaquil Weaknesses
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Chikorita is one of the weakest starters in the entire franchise (bad matchups everywhere).
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Cyndaquil is strong early but struggles mid-game until it becomes Typhlosion.
Recommended Moveset
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Waterfall
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Ice Fang
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Crunch
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Earthquake / Return
Totodile gives the smoothest, most reliable run.
⚫ Pokémon Black & White — Best Starter: Tepig
Winner: Tepig → Emboar
This generation flips everything: Tepig is easily the best starter for BW1.
Why Tepig Wins
✔ Becomes Fire/Fighting — excellent coverage
✔ Strong vs early gyms (Normal, Bug, Steel)
✔ Very high HP + diverse movepool
✔ Thrives in most major battles
Snivy & Oshawott?
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Snivy is too passive (bad attacking stats).
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Oshawott is decent, but Emboar outclasses it in key fights.
Recommended Moveset
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Flamethrower
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Brick Break / Hammer Arm
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Flame Charge
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Wild Charge
If you want the easiest BW run, Tepig is the answer.
⚪ Pokémon Black 2 & White 2 — Best Starter: Oshawott
Winner: Oshawott → Samurott
BW2 changes the matchup pattern significantly. Oshawott becomes the best starter in these sequels due to balanced early-game advantages.
Why Oshawott Is Best
✔ Great matchups vs first two gyms
✔ Excellent moves early: Razor Shell, Aqua Jet
✔ Good coverage later (Megahorn, Ice Beam)
✔ Best mixed stats of the trio
Why Not Tepig or Snivy?
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Tepig struggles with early-game Rock & Water routes.
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Snivy still suffers from low offense.
Recommended Moveset
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Razor Shell
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Aqua Jet
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Ice Beam
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Megahorn
A highly consistent choice for beginners.
🟩 Summary Table — Best Starter in Each DS Pokémon Game
| Game | Best Starter | Final Evolution | Key Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond/Pearl | Chimchar | Infernape | Best overall coverage |
| Platinum | Chimchar | Infernape | Dominates new gym order |
| HeartGold/SoulSilver | Totodile | Feraligatr | Most reliable matchups |
| Black/White | Tepig | Emboar | Strongest early-game dominance |
| Black 2/White 2 | Oshawott | Samurott | Balanced and consistent |
🎮 Final Recommendation
If you’re playing Sinnoh, pick Chimchar.
If you’re playing Johto, pick Totodile.
If you’re playing Unova, choose:
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Tepig in BW1
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Oshawott in BW2
You’ll get the easiest, smoothest playthrough in each game.