PokeBonk Starters: Which One Fits Your First Run?
Choose a starter by understanding its kit, not just its label. This guide compares Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle using the same questions: what it starts with, when its passive applies, and which early choices are useful under the stated conditions. Everything below was checked in game version 0.8.13.
The three starters at a glance
Use the comparison table to identify the difference you want to try. A missing field means the detail has not been checked; it is not filled from another Pokémon game or inferred from the character's appearance.
| Name | Starting move | Passive condition | Practical use | Limitation | Checked version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B Bulbasaur No. 001 | Vine Whip | Synthesis: Always active → +1.5 regeneration and +25% healing; Grass-type attacks heal 0.4% of max HP per hit (up to five times per second) | Sustained regeneration and healing; Grass attacks heal on hit | No low-HP damage bonus; the 8 comparable runs still ended surrounded in zone 1 | v0.8.13 |
| C Charmander No. 004 | Ember | Sea of Flames: HP below 40% → +40% damage, +10% Fire-type damage | Single-target attack; benefits most from early area upgrades | Median survival level 5 — the lowest of the three; runs ended before the low-HP bonus mattered | v0.8.13 |
| S Squirtle No. 007 | Water Gun | Torrent Shell: Always active → +15 armor and +20 shield; +40% damage below 40% HP | Deepest baseline survival (median level 11); Bubble and Rapid Spin provide space control | Water Gun is a narrow beam; without area picks, runs were still surrounded | v0.8.13 |
Sources: PokeBonk client bundle and embedded data, v0.8.13 · Reviewed run ledger (53 runs) plus HUD auto-records
Bulbasaur: starting kit and opening decisions
Mechanism. In v0.8.13, Bulbasaur starts with Vine Whip. Its passive, Synthesis, is always active: +1.5 regeneration and +25% healing, and its Grass-type attacks heal 0.4% of max HP per hit (up to five times per second). The passive name and effect were checked on the v0.8.13 starter screen and against the client's Spanish ability strings. We did not record reliable passive trigger counts for Bulbasaur runs, so this page makes no claim about how often it fires.
Practical action. Play for sustained recovery: keep Grass attacks connecting and use the regeneration to extend fights. Vine Whip hits in a line, so aim through the group rather than into it. This advice applies to Classic mode with base Lab progress.
Observation and limit. In run B08 the run was retired by the operator at level 23 after a long farming session, but also after 23 levels without a zone-1 exit. Across the eight comparable Bulbasaur runs the target was reached 0 times. We did not establish that Synthesis converts into a clear. See this starter's assessment · Open the Pokédex entry
Charmander: starting kit and opening decisions
Mechanism. In v0.8.13, Charmander starts with Ember. Its passive, Sea of Flames, applies below 40% HP: +40% damage and +10% Fire damage. Checked in the v0.8.13 client; no reliable passive trigger counts were recorded for Charmander runs.
Practical action. Ember is single-target, so the earliest card that covers area matters more than the next Ember point. Compare each upgrade with the move and condition it actually affects before picking. This advice applies to Classic mode with base Lab progress.
Observation and limit. All ten comparable Charmander runs ended in zone 1 with a median level of 5 — the lowest of the three starters. The pattern suggests an early coverage problem rather than a damage-ceiling problem, but with zero clears we cannot verify the fix. See this starter's assessment · Open the Pokédex entry
Squirtle: starting kit and opening decisions
Mechanism. In v0.8.13, Squirtle starts with Water Gun. Its passive, Torrent Shell, is always active: +15 armor and +20 shield; below 40% HP, damage is increased by 40%. Its ultimate, Shell Whirlpool (贝壳旋风 in the game's Chinese UI; Torbellino Caparazón in the client's Spanish strings), spins inside the shell: a whirlpool pulls nearby enemies in, hits them repeatedly and ends in a wave. The name and description were checked in the v0.8.13 client; the HUD records show the same Chinese name.
Practical action. We do not have reliable per-trigger counts for the v0.8.13 passive, so treat Torrent Shell as a defensive buffer with a low-HP damage window rather than a measured trigger rate. Prioritize Bubble or Rapid Spin early so Water Gun has room to work, and use Shell Whirlpool when surrounded rather than saving it. This advice applies to Classic mode with base Lab progress.
Observation and limit. Squirtle's ten comparable baseline runs reached 0 clears with a median level of 11 — the deepest survival of the three, still not a clear. Recorded choices often include Bubble and Rapid Spin; Hydro Pump appears occasionally. See this starter's assessment · Open the Pokédex entry
Compare your first upgrade choices
Level-ups offer 3 cards; the Lab's choice4 upgrade raises this to 4. Refresh (F), Skip (X) and Banish (Z) each have a limited number of uses (base 2 / 2 / 1, increased by Lab upgrades) — checked in v0.8.13 against the client and recorded runs.
A recorded first-choice set from run S03 offered Water Gun, a berry card and Bubble; the recorded choice was Water Gun. In run S04 the recorded choices favored Water Gun upgrades, defense boosts and Rapid Spin, with Bubble taken once; the run still ended in a zone-1 swarm at level 17. These are recorded examples, not a guaranteed offer order — judge each card by what it changes for your current kit, and use Banish on cards that do not support your build.
What our starter observations cover
The observations behind this page are 30 baseline runs (10 per starter) on Classic mode, base Lab progress, v0.8.13, under protocol PB-BASE. All reviewed runs were executed by an automated input agent under operator supervision; the disclosure is in how we test. Squirtle additionally has 15 build-exploration and 5 targeted-check runs, which inform only Squirtle sections — a route observed on one starter does not count as a test of the other two. The results table and x/n figures live on the tier list; per-run summaries are in test records.
Need a recommendation or a specific game fact?
Open the starter tier list for a scoped recommendation. Use the Pokédex for a named move, passive or evolution note. For a route to follow, read the build section and check its starting requirements.
Starter questions
Is there a best starter for every player?
This guide does not make that claim; recommendations belong to a stated target and setup.
Are these official rankings?
No. Our recommendations are independent editorial judgments with the evidence shown.
Why is a field missing?
It has not been checked to the required scope. Send a correction with the version and supporting detail rather than treating the gap as a game restriction.