The Pokémon X and Y starters are Chespin (Grass), Fennekin (Fire) and Froakie (Water). You choose one at Lv. 5 at a café table in Aquacorde Town, where Tierno and Trevor bring the three Poké Balls on Professor Sycamore’s behalf. Each line evolves at level 16 and again at 36, into Chesnaught (Grass/Fighting), Delphox (Fire/Psychic) or Greninja (Water/Dark). We rate Fennekin the easiest through the gyms. Froakie is the fastest, and Chespin takes physical hits best. X and Y give you the same three. None of them can Mega Evolve in these games. Their Megas were first added in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, years later.
Pokémon X and Y starters at a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| The three starters | Chespin (Grass), Fennekin (Fire), Froakie (Water). Kalos Pokédex #001, #004 and #007 |
| Where and when | Aquacorde Town, right at the start, at Lv. 5 |
| Who hands them over | Tierno and Trevor, on an errand for Professor Sycamore. You pick first |
| Evolution levels | Lv. 16, then Lv. 36, for all three lines |
| Final forms | Chesnaught (Grass/Fighting), Delphox (Fire/Psychic), Greninja (Water/Dark) |
| Different in X and Y? | No. Same species, same level and same moves in both versions |
| Mega Evolution in X and Y? | No. Mega Chesnaught, Delphox and Greninja first appeared in Legends: Z-A (2025) |
| Can you get all three? | Yes. Trading with another game works at any time. Without a trade partner, Shauna and the Friend Safari cover them after the Hall of Fame |
Not Sycamore’s Kanto gift, and not the Z-A Megas
Three things get mixed up with this pick:
- Professor Sycamore’s starter is a different gift. Later, in his lab in Lumiose City, he offers Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle at Lv. 10, with the matching Mega Stone. Your Kalos starter comes first, in Aquacorde, and you never meet him there.
- Mega Chesnaught, Mega Delphox and Mega Greninja were first added in Pokémon Legends: Z-A on Nintendo Switch. X and Y have no Chesnaughtite, Delphoxite or Greninjite.
- Ash-Greninja and the Battle Bond ability came from the Sun and Moon demo. Your X and Y Greninja has one form, and it can’t transform.
Where you get your starter in Aquacorde Town
Head north from Vaniville Town along Route 1 to Aquacorde Town. Your friends are waiting at the café tables in the square. After introductions, Tierno and Trevor bring out the three Poké Balls, and you pick first. Then Shauna and your rival, Serena or Calem, take the other two.
Before you leave town, Trevor gives you the Pokédex, and Tierno hands you a letter from the professor for your mom. Then Shauna stops you for her first battle, using the starter that’s weak to yours. That’s an easy win. If your starter is hurt afterward, a woman in the shop in the northeast of town heals it.
| Starter | Type | Moves at Lv. 5 | Ability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chespin | Grass | Tackle, Growl, Vine Whip | Overgrow |
| Fennekin | Fire | Scratch, Tail Whip, Ember | Blaze |
| Froakie | Water | Pound, Growl, Bubble | Torrent |
Nature, IVs and gender are random. Each line is 87.5% male and 12.5% female. The Hidden Abilities (Bulletproof, Magician and Protean) never come on this gift. So your story Greninja won’t have Protean.
What they evolve into
| Final form | HP | Atk | Def | Sp. Atk | Sp. Def | Speed | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chesnaught | 88 | 107 | 122 | 74 | 75 | 64 | 530 |
| Delphox | 75 | 69 | 72 | 114 | 100 | 104 | 534 |
| Greninja | 72 | 95 | 67 | 103 | 71 | 122 | 530 |
Each final form learns a signature move at Lv. 36, the level it evolves: Spiky Shield for Chesnaught, Mystical Fire for Delphox and Water Shuriken for Greninja. The middle forms are single-type. Quilladin has no Fighting type and Frogadier has no Dark type until the last evolution. Braixen is the exception that matters early: it learns Psybeam at Lv. 18, so the Fire line gets a Psychic move long before it turns Psychic.
Chespin vs Fennekin vs Froakie: which should you pick?
X and Y are an easy pair of games, and all three starters will get you through the story. Pick the one you like looking at. If you want a tiebreaker, this is how the three differ. For a longer gym-by-gym breakdown with the Elite Four and Diantha, see the best starter in X and Y.
| If you want… | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The easiest gyms | Fennekin | In our read of the matchups, it has the edge at four of the eight gyms: Korrina, Ramos, Valerie and Wulfric. Grant’s Rock team is its one real problem |
| The fastest late game | Froakie | Greninja has 122 Speed and a Dark type that ignores Olympia’s Psychic moves |
| A physical tank that hits hard | Chespin | Chesnaught has 122 Defense and 107 Attack, but only 75 Sp. Def (Delphox has 100), and it’s weak to Psychic, Flying and Fairy |
| A Nuzlocke | Any of them | It depends on your rules and level caps. Greninja usually moves first, and Chesnaught takes physical hits |
Easiest early gyms: Fennekin
Fennekin’s Ember hits Viola’s Vivillon super-effectively at the first gym, but her Surskit is part Water. It knows Bubble and uses Water Sport to weaken Fire moves, so that gym is closer than it looks. At level 18, Braixen’s Psybeam handles Korrina’s Fighting team. Fire burns through Ramos’s Grass types and all three of Wulfric’s Ice types. At Valerie’s gym, Fire hits Mawile (Steel/Fairy) super-effectively and only neutrally against Mr. Mime and Sylveon. Delphox resists Fairy moves, but Mawile’s Crunch and Feint Attack hit its Psychic side hard. Its weak spot is the second gym: Grant’s Amaura and Tyrunt are part Rock, so plan to catch something else for him.
Fastest late game: Froakie
Froakie is quick from the start. Against Grant, Water hits Amaura super-effectively and Tyrunt only neutrally, but neither can hit Frogadier hard with its types. Greninja is the fastest of the three. As a Dark type it takes no damage from Psychic moves, so Olympia’s gym is almost free. The cost is the middle of the game: Ramos’s Grass types, Clemont’s Electric types and Valerie’s Fairies all give the Water line trouble.
Bulkiest pick: Chespin
At Viola’s gym, Vine Whip is only neutral against Surskit (Bug/Water) and does a quarter damage to Vivillon (Bug/Flying). Rollout, learned at Lv. 8, is the move to use there: Rock hits Surskit 2× and Vivillon 4×. It starts at only 30 power, hits 90% of the time and locks you in, and Vivillon’s Infestation is super-effective on Chespin. Ramos is a Grass gym, so your Grass moves barely dent his team, but Chespin resists his Grass moves too. Watch Jumpluff’s Acrobatics and Weepinbell’s Acid, which both hit Quilladin super-effectively. Against Grant it’s mixed: Grass hits Amaura hard but Tyrunt only neutrally, and Amaura’s Aurora Beam hits Quilladin super-effectively. Later, Chesnaught’s Fighting type helps against Clemont’s Magneton and Heliolisk and against Wulfric. But Valerie’s Fairies and Olympia’s Psychic types both hit its Fighting side hard.
| Gym | Leader’s team | Chespin line | Fennekin line | Froakie line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Viola (Bug) | Surskit Lv. 10, Vivillon Lv. 12 | Even | Even | Even |
| 2 Grant (Rock) | Amaura Lv. 25, Tyrunt Lv. 25 | Even | Tough | Good |
| 3 Korrina (Fighting) | Mienfoo Lv. 29, Machoke Lv. 28, Hawlucha Lv. 32 | Tough | Good | Even |
| 4 Ramos (Grass) | Jumpluff Lv. 30, Weepinbell Lv. 31, Gogoat Lv. 34 | Even | Good | Tough |
| 5 Clemont (Electric) | Emolga Lv. 35, Magneton Lv. 35, Heliolisk Lv. 37 | Even | Even | Tough |
| 6 Valerie (Fairy) | Mawile Lv. 38, Mr. Mime Lv. 39, Sylveon Lv. 42 | Tough | Good | Tough |
| 7 Olympia (Psychic) | Sigilyph Lv. 44, Slowking Lv. 45, Meowstic Lv. 48 | Tough | Even | Good |
| 8 Wulfric (Ice) | Abomasnow Lv. 56, Cryogonal Lv. 55, Avalugg Lv. 59 | Even | Good | Even |
These ratings are our recommendation. Good means your starter’s type hits key members of the team hard and their attacks don’t threaten it much. Tough means the reverse. Levels and your other five Pokémon matter more. Grant’s Rock types fall to many common catches, and from the second gym on you’ll also have a Kanto starter.
What your pick changes
Your choice sets three things in the story. Shauna always takes the starter that’s weak to yours. Your rival takes the one that’s strong against yours, and later adds an Eeveelution. After the Hall of Fame, one of the Kanto legendary birds starts roaming Kalos.
| You pick | Shauna’s starter | Rival’s starter line | Rival’s Eeveelution | Roaming bird |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chespin | Froakie | Fennekin → Delphox | Jolteon | Articuno |
| Fennekin | Chespin | Froakie → Greninja | Flareon | Zapdos |
| Froakie | Fennekin | Chespin → Chesnaught | Vaporeon | Moltres |
Your rival (Serena or Calem, whichever you didn’t play as) uses the same teams either way. Their Eeveelution joins at Lv. 44, and their final team at Kiloude City reaches Lv. 70 with the fully evolved starter. Shauna’s starter also grows with her: by her Lv. 51 team it’s the final form.
The bird roams Kalos after you enter the Hall of Fame and flees every time you meet it. After enough encounters it settles in Sea Spirit’s Den, a small cave in the north of Azure Bay, where you can catch it at Lv. 70. If you want Articuno, Zapdos or Moltres from this save, your starter decides which one you can catch. The other two need a trade.
If you want the rival’s Eeveelution yourself, Eevee lives on Route 10. See where to find Eevee, or the guides to Espeon and Umbreon.
How to get the other two starters
You can’t catch Chespin, Fennekin or Froakie on any route. No Kalos grass, cave or water table has them. You can still complete the set on one save. Trading works as soon as you have at least two Pokémon in your party. Since the 2024 online shutdown, that means local wireless with another 3DS. Without a trade partner, the two in-game methods below open after you become Champion.
Shauna’s trade in Vaniville Town
After the Hall of Fame, go home to Vaniville Town. Shauna is outside and offers a Lv. 5 Pokémon of the same species as her first partner, the type weak to yours. She says it came from an Egg, and she’ll trade it for any Pokémon you choose. Give her something you won’t miss.
| If you picked | Shauna gives | Nickname | Nature | Perfect IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chespin | Froakie, Lv. 5 | Froabble | Jolly | Speed |
| Fennekin | Chespin, Lv. 5 | Chester | Adamant | Attack |
| Froakie | Fennekin, Lv. 5 | Kinniekins | Modest | Sp. Atk |
All three are male, with OT Shauna and ID 00037. Their other IVs are 20, and the nature always suits the line. Because the OT isn’t yours, the traded starter gains boosted experience in battle.
The Friend Safari in Kiloude City
The Friend Safari opens in Kiloude City after the Hall of Fame. Each friend on your 3DS friend list has one type and three slots of Pokémon at Lv. 30. The species in a friend’s safari are set by that friend’s friend code, so they never change. A Grass safari has a 50% chance that its third slot is Quilladin. Fire safaris have the same chance of Braixen, and Water safaris of Frogadier. So not every Grass, Fire or Water safari has one. Safari Pokémon have at least two perfect IVs, and once the third slot is open they can have their Hidden Ability.
The catch in 2026: the third slot only opens after that friend has entered the Hall of Fame and you have both been online together. Nintendo shut down online play for the 3DS on April 8, 2024 (April 9 in some regions). Since then, the game can’t see friends online, so a new third slot only opens if you play together in the same room. Safaris you already unlocked before the shutdown still work.
If the Safari is out, trade with a friend or breed. Any starter you get can breed with Ditto at the Day Care on Route 7 to give you more Lv. 1 copies.
Why isn’t my starter evolving?
- It’s holding an Everstone. Take it off in the party menu, then level up once more.
- You pressed B during the evolution. That cancels it. It tries again at the next level-up.
- It isn’t level 16 or 36 yet. The middle form needs Lv. 36, so a Lv. 35 Frogadier is normal.
- It levelled at the Day Care. Pokémon don’t evolve there. Take it out and level it up once more, by battling or with a Rare Candy, while it’s at or above Lv. 16 or 36.
Shiny starters and soft resets
The Aquacorde starters aren’t shiny-locked. Each one has the standard 1 in 4,096 chance. The Shiny Charm can’t help, because you only get it after you complete the National Pokédex.
- Save in Aquacorde Town before you walk up to the café table.
- Do the whole scene and pick your starter.
- Check its Summary for the star before Shauna’s battle, or watch for the sparkle when it comes out.
- If it’s normal, soft reset with L + R + Start and repeat.
The cutscene takes a couple of minutes each time, so expect a long hunt. Breeding the starter later with the Masuda method, with a Ditto from a game in a different language, usually gets there faster.
Pairing your starter with Sycamore’s Kanto starter
In Lumiose City, Professor Sycamore offers Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle at Lv. 10, with its Mega Stone. You get there after beating Viola, so this pick can’t help with the first gym. You’ll get the Mega Ring later, at the Tower of Mastery. Pick a Kanto type that covers your Kalos starter’s gaps:
| Kalos starter | Good Kanto partner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Chespin | Charmander or Squirtle | Fire covers Ramos, Valerie’s Mawile and Wulfric. Squirtle helps against Grant |
| Fennekin | Squirtle or Bulbasaur | Both beat Grant’s Rock types, the one gym Fennekin struggles with |
| Froakie | Charmander or Bulbasaur | Fire covers Ramos and Valerie. Grass resists Clemont’s Electric moves |
Charmander gives Charizardite X in Pokémon X and Charizardite Y in Pokémon Y. The Mega Stones guide covers the others, and a man in the Stone Emporium sells the two Kanto stones you didn’t pick: one during the story, the other after the Hall of Fame. Grass, Fire and Water safaris can also have Ivysaur, Charmeleon or Wartortle in the second slot. About one in four safaris of each type has it.
Where to check the details
- Kalos Pokédex: entries #001–009 cover all three lines.
- Kalos map: Aquacorde Town, Vaniville Town and Sea Spirit’s Den are all marked.
- Fossils: Tyrunt and Amaura, Grant’s own Pokémon, if you want them on your side.
- Alola starters: the same guide for Pokémon Sun and Moon.
Frequently asked questions
Who are the starter Pokémon in X and Y?
Chespin (Grass), Fennekin (Fire) and Froakie (Water). Professor Sycamore later gives you a Kanto starter as well: Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle.
Which Pokémon X and Y starter is the best?
For gyms, we think Fennekin has the easiest run. For speed and the late game, Froakie. For bulk, Chespin. The game is easy enough that any of them works.
Can you get all three Kalos starters on one save?
Yes. A trade with another game works at any point once you have two Pokémon. Without one, Shauna trades you one in Vaniville Town after the Hall of Fame, and the Friend Safari can have the third as a middle form.
Do Chesnaught, Delphox or Greninja Mega Evolve in X and Y?
No. Their Mega Evolutions were first added in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, and X and Y have no Mega Stones for them.
What level do Chespin, Fennekin and Froakie evolve?
At level 16 into Quilladin, Braixen or Frogadier, then at level 36 into Chesnaught, Delphox or Greninja.
Are the X and Y starters shiny locked?
No. Save before the café scene in Aquacorde Town and soft reset. The odds are 1 in 4,096.
Does Professor Sycamore give you Chespin, Fennekin or Froakie?
He sends them, but Tierno and Trevor hand them over in Aquacorde Town. Sycamore himself gives you the Kanto starter in Lumiose City.
How do I get Greninja if I didn’t pick Froakie?
If you picked Chespin, Shauna trades you Froakie after the Hall of Fame. Otherwise, catch Frogadier in a Water-type Friend Safari or trade for one.