Picking your first partner in Kalos isn't just a choice; it's a strategic pivot point that most players totally sleep on because they’re blinded by nostalgia or cool designs. Honestly, the X and Y starter trio—Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie—represents one of the most mechanically interesting shifts in Game Freak's design history, yet people still talk about them like it’s 2013 and we’re just looking at base stats.
You’ve got a grass knight, a fire mage, and a water ninja. Sounds simple? It isn't.
The Kalos region introduced Mega Evolution, which fundamentally broke the game's traditional power scaling. Because you get a free Kanto starter (Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle) almost immediately after the first gym, your choice of an X and Y starter actually dictates how you build your entire team to accommodate two different starter lineages. It’s a mess of typing overlaps that most newcomers trip over. If you pick Fennekin and then grab Charmander because "Mega Charizard is cool," you’ve basically handicapped your team’s coverage before you even hit Lumiose City.
The Froakie Bias and the Protean Problem
Froakie is the undisputed king of this generation. There’s no point in pretending otherwise. When people search for the best X and Y starter, they’re usually looking for a justification to pick the frog, and for good reason. Greninja’s Hidden Ability, Protean, changed the competitive meta forever.
It changes the user's type to the type of the move it’s about to use.
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That is fundamentally broken in a casual playthrough if you know what you’re doing. But here is the thing: most people playing Pokemon X or Pokemon Y today aren't using Hidden Ability patches or competitive breeding. They’re stuck with Torrent. Without Protean, Greninja is a glass cannon that can actually struggle against some of the bulkier mid-game trainers if you aren't over-leveled.
I’ve seen so many players get frustrated because their "overpowered" ninja keeps getting one-shot by a random Thunderbolt. It’s fast, sure. It hits hard. But it’s paper-thin. If you aren't playing with the competitive mindset that made Greninja famous, you might find the experience surprisingly brittle compared to the other options.
Why Chespin is the Underrated Tank You Actually Need
Chespin is the "ugly duckling" of the X and Y starter group. People hate Chesnaught’s design. I get it. It’s a bulky, beige nut-knight that looks a bit clunky compared to a sleek ninja or a majestic fox. However, from a pure gameplay perspective in the Kalos region, Chespin is a beast.
Think about the gym lineup.
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Viola’s Bug gym is a nightmare for Chespin, yeah. You have to bench him or play extremely defensively. But once you get past that initial hump? Chesnaught’s physical defense is massive. In a game where physical attackers like Tyrantrum and Lucario are everywhere, having a literal shield on your team is a godsend.
Also, consider the typing: Grass/Fighting. It’s a rare combination that gives you a huge leg up against Team Flare’s constant use of Dark and Rock types. While the Greninja fans are swapping out because they can’t take a hit, Chesnaught is sitting there, taking a Bite or a Stone Edge to the face and just laughing. It’s the "boring" choice that actually makes the game's flow much smoother.
Fennekin and the Fire-Type Trap
Fennekin is probably the most polarizing X and Y starter. Delphox is a Fire/Psychic type, which sounds incredible on paper. You’ve got high Special Attack and high Speed. It’s a wizard.
The problem?
Kalos is absolutely drowning in high-tier Fire types. If you pick Fennekin, you’re basically telling yourself you don't want to use Mega Charizard Y, Talonflame (the bird that defined the Gen 6 meta), or even Blaziken if you had the event Torchic.
Delphox suffers from "Second Choice Syndrome." It’s good, but there is almost always something else that does its job slightly better or with more "cool factor." Its signature move, Mystical Fire, is actually pretty neat because it lowers the opponent's Special Attack, making Delphox a weirdly effective anti-mage. But most players just slap Flamethrower and Psychic on it and wonder why it feels repetitive by the seventh gym.
The Secret "Second Starter" Synergy
You cannot talk about the X and Y starter choice without talking about Professor Sycamore’s gift. This is where the strategy actually lives.
- If you pick Chespin: You probably want Squirtle. Blastoise covers the Fire and Flying weaknesses that plague Chesnaught.
- If you pick Froakie: Bulbasaur is your best friend. Venusaur provides the bulk and the status-effect support that Greninja lacks.
- If you pick Fennekin: Honestly? Go with Squirtle. You need something to pivot into when a Water or Ground type threatens your fox.
Most people pick based on the "coolest" looking duo, like Froakie and Charmander. Great, now you have two fast, frail attackers and a massive shared weakness to Rock and Electricity. Good luck with that. It’s this lack of foresight that leads to the mid-game "wall" where players feel like the difficulty suddenly spiked, when in reality, they just built a team with the structural integrity of a sandcastle.
Beyond the Main Story: The Competitive Legacy
The X and Y starter trio was the first time Game Freak really leaned into the "RPG Class" archetypes. Warrior, Mage, Rogue. It was a brilliant move that gave the starters more personality than just "elemental animal."
Greninja eventually got its own unique form (Ash-Greninja) in later games, which further solidified its status. But if you look at the Smogon tiers or the VGC history of 2014-2015, Chesnaught and Delphox weren't exactly useless. Chesnaught saw play as a niche physical wall with Bulletproof, an ability that makes it immune to "ball and bomb" moves like Sludge Bomb or Shadow Ball. That’s a huge deal! It’s a specific utility that the "better" starters can't replicate.
What Most People Miss About the Kalos Meta
There’s a weird myth that Pokemon X and Y are the easiest games in the series. I mean, they are—if you use the Exp. Share. But if you turn that off, the X and Y starter you chose suddenly becomes your lifeline.
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The late-game bosses like Wikstrom and Siebold of the Elite Four have very specific counters. If you’ve relied entirely on your starter, you’re going to get swept. The Kalos starters were designed to be part of a core, not solo-run machines like Mudkip was in Gen 3.
Actionable Tips for Your Next Playthrough
Stop picking based on looks for five seconds and try a "Synergy Build."
- Check your secondary types early. Remember that your final evolutions add Fighting, Psychic, and Dark to the mix. Don't double up on these types in your early-route captures. If you’re going Greninja (Water/Dark), maybe skip the Pangoro.
- The "Middle Evolution" Slump is real. Quilladin and Braixen hit a power plateau around level 25-30. Be prepared to lean on your Kanto starter or a captured Flabébé during this stretch.
- Utilize Super Training. Since Gen 6 introduced this, you can actually fix your starter's stats. Give your Chespin some Speed EVs or your Fennekin some extra Special Defense. It makes a world of difference in the late game.
- Experiment with Move Tutors. Kalos has some great utility moves. Don't just go for four attacking moves. Give Delphox Will-O-Wisp. Give Chesnaught Leech Seed. Play the long game.
Choosing your X and Y starter is the first real decision you make in Kalos, and while Greninja gets all the glory, the "best" choice is whichever one forces you to build a more balanced, interesting team. Don't be afraid to pick the "ugly" nut-knight; you might be surprised at how much he carries you when the chips are down.