Pokémon Legends: Z‑A keeps its starter trio classic: Chikorita, Tepig, and Totodile. Unlike the regional twists used in past entries, these starters evolve along their traditional lines, and each receives a new Mega Evolution later on. Early in the story, you’ll also gain access to a Kanto starter (Bulbasaur, Squirtle, or Charmander) and all three Kalos starters (Chespin, Fennekin, Froakie), so type coverage is easy to shore up as you build a team.

Starter evolutions and levels

All three starters follow their original evolution chains and level milestones.

Starter Evolution chain Level milestones Final typing (base)
Chikorita Chikorita → Bayleef → Meganium Bayleef at 16, Meganium at 32 Grass
Tepig Tepig → Pignite → Emboar Pignite at 17, Emboar at 36 Fire/Fighting
Totodile Totodile → Croconaw → Feraligatr Croconaw at 18, Feraligatr at 30 Water

Starter Mega Evolutions: types and roles

Each final evolution can Mega Evolve with distinct type outcomes. These forms meaningfully change matchups and how you use your starter in tougher encounters.

Mega form Mega typing What changes in practice
Mega Meganium Grass/Fairy Gains key resistances and full Dragon immunity. Leans into staying power and team support while adding better offensive options into Dragon- and Dark‑weak targets.
Mega Emboar Fire/Fighting Keeps its original offensive profile with broader stats to back it up. Reliable wallbreaking and coverage remain its calling card.
Mega Feraligatr Water/Dragon Transforms into a high‑pressure physical attacker with premium offensive and defensive coverage; its typing leaves only Dragon and Fairy as weaknesses.

Type notes:

  • Grass/Fairy on Meganium trades some old weaknesses for wider protection and a valuable immunity to Dragon moves.
  • Fire/Fighting on Emboar preserves its familiar role; Mega stats make its mixed move pool easier to leverage.
  • Water/Dragon on Feraligatr is an uncommon combination that pairs strong neutral hits with limited weaknesses.

Which starter to pick

You can’t make a wrong choice here, especially with more starters available early to cover gaps. Pick around how you like to play:

  • Totodile: Reaches its final form earlier than the others and carries strong physical Attack while staying broadly balanced elsewhere. Good if you want immediate power.
  • Chikorita: Suits a slower, control‑oriented approach. Access to sustain and chip tools like Leech Seed and Giga Drain makes long battles safer, and Mega Meganium’s resistances open safer switch‑ins.
  • Tepig: The slowest of the three with shakier defenses, but Emboar’s move options at the top end are wide. If you enjoy coverage‑driven offense, it pays off later.

If you plan to lean on Mega forms for key fights, weigh their typings: Grass/Fairy shores up Meganium’s utility, Fire/Fighting keeps Emboar straightforward and punchy, and Water/Dragon turns Feraligatr into a flexible closer.

Starter strengths and counters at a glance

Starter Offensive targets (base) Common resistances (base) Notable counters (base)
Chikorita line (Grass) Water, Ground, Rock Electric, Grass, Ground, Water Fire, Ice, Poison, Flying, Bug
Tepig line (Fire/Fighting) Grass, Ice, Bug, Steel + Rock, Dark, Ice Bug, Fairy, Fire, Grass, Ice, Steel Water, Ground, Flying
Totodile line (Water) Fire, Ground, Rock Fire, Ice, Steel, Water Grass, Electric
Tip: With extra starters available early, you can offset any bad matchup quickly. Don’t overthink your first pick—build redundancy into your team as you explore.

The bottom line: choose the partner that fits your rhythm. You’ll evolve along familiar lines, unlock distinct Mega options later, and have plenty of tools early on to balance your team, whether you want Meganium’s staying power, Emboar’s brute force, or Feraligatr’s high‑impact offense.