Pokemon Black & White, along with their three starter Pokemon, are often overlooked by fans of the series due to the numerous other great Pokemon games that have been released over the years. However, Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott have a lot to offer and are worth exploring.
Each of these starter Pokemon has a unique design and move set that adds something different to the game. Additionally, there are interesting facts about Pokemon Black vs White that provide depth to their characters and make them more memorable. Here are 10 facts you didn't know about the starters:
- Oshawott is set to be one of the starting Pokemon in the upcoming game Pokemon Legends: Arceus.
Despite the significant changes promised by the open-world format, the game will keep the tradition of giving players a choice between three Pokemon. Oshawott will be the water-type starter, with Cyndaquil and Rowlet rounding out the trio.
- Their Official Launch came through the Japanese CoroCoro Magazine
The Unova starter Pokemon was first revealed in May 2010 during an episode of Pokemon Sunday. The official unveiling of Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott came the following month in the June issue of the Japanese CoroCoro magazine.
- Snivy earned the nickname "Smugleaf" from fans of the series
Fans nicknamed Siny "Smugleaf," which was later picked up by official Nintendo sources. Tepig, on the other hand, once had its signature move called "Heat Crash," which was later shared with other Pokemon in future generations of the game.
- Tepig Initially Had Its Signature Move
Tepig used to possess a unique move that was exclusively its own. Not every starter Pokemon can boast of having a signature move, and this was also the case for the Unova trio. However, Tepig was one of the privileged few that had a distinct move, though, like many others, its move eventually became available to other Pokemon in the subsequent generations of Pokemon games.
- In the Unova regional Pokedex, Snivy is listed as #001, but it's not the first Pokemon in the dex.
That honor goes to Victini, a legendary Pokemon and the favorite of the game's director Junichi Masuda. As a result, Snivy is the only grass-type starter that doesn't appear in the first slot of its region's section of the National Pokedex.
- Tepig's design is based on the British Saddleback piglet
The British Saddleback piglet inspired Tepig's design. However, it also has elements of Chinese design that may have been inspired by the pig demon Zhu Bajie from the Chinese novel Journey to the West.
- The Water-type starter Oshawott stands out from the others in a curious way.
While most starters of this type belong to the Water 1 Egg Group, Oshawott is a member of the Field group. Only one other starter, Charmander, belongs to a different Egg Group, the Monster and Dragon groups instead of Field.
- They had a lower Experience Yield Than Any Other Starter Pokemon
Unlike the usual 62 base experience points given to starter Pokémon, the Gen 5 trio had a base yield of only 28. This didn't make much difference to most players, but it did have a strategic purpose: it prevented starters from levelling up too much before the early game battles, making sure players didn't have an unfair advantage.
- The fire-type starter Tepig was once a rare case of a light Heavy Slam user.
Heavy Slam's damage output depends on the weight of both the user and the target, and Tepig's weight of under 10 kg made it an underwhelming user of the move. However, after evolving into Emboar and gaining weight of 150 kg, Heavy Slam became a powerful option for Tepig's final form.
- The base stat totals of Oshawott and Snivy, two of the starter Pokemon from the Unova region, are among the lowest for all starters in the Pokemon series. While starter Pokemon are generally slightly stronger than average to help players early in the game, this was not the case for the Unova trio.
Final Thoughts
Pokemon Black & White were the fifth generation of Pokemon games released in 2010. The games introduced 156 new Pokemon, a unique region, and significant gameplay changes, such as the removal of previous generation Pokemon until the post-game, a season’s mechanic, and Triple Battles.
This article was written in cooperation with Malay S