5 best Pokemon to catch early in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

With Pokemon Scarlet and Violet finally here, many trainers may find themselves a bit overwhelmed by all the new creatures they can catch. With so much freedom given to players for the first time in the franchise, many players may not know which creatures are worth their time.

Although the appeal of the Pokemon franchise is largely due to the vast amount of creatures players can obtain, the unfortunate truth is that some are destined to be weak and do not find much use in battle. On the opposite side of the spectrum, there are absolute menaces that can carry a playthrough entirely on their own.

With all the different options players have before they even reach the first town in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, many trainers will want to know which Pokemon can lay a solid foundation for their playthrough before their journey truly begins. Here are the five best Pocket Monsters players can catch during the early game before they reach the academy.

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Which are the 5 best early-game Pokemon in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet?

1) Gastly

Gastly as it appears in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Gastly is a Pokemon that many fans of the franchise love. The iconic Ghost-type can be found at the ruins south of the lighthouse. Along with its evolutions, Gastly has access to valuable status moves like Confuse Ray, Hypnosis, and Lick, which can paralyze the targets it hits. Gastly also scales amazingly since its evolution, Haunter, has incredibly potent Ghost-type attacks.

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2) Paldean Wooper

Paldean Wooper as it appears in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Just north of the ruins where Gastly can be spotted, Paldean Wooper can be caught in the ponds that pepper the area. Unlike the standard variant of Wooper, the Paldean breed sheds its Water typing for a Poison one. Its new evolution, Clodsire, is a great HP and Special Defense tank, so it has the potential to be amazing at stalling in the later stages of a playthrough as well.

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3) Ralts

Ralts' Pokedex picture in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (Image via The Pokemon Company)

One of the few Pokemon to receive a huge buff in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Ralts is worth training now more than ever. Spotted just outside of Los Platos, trainers can typically find one of these creatures lounging by the river. With Gallade receiving the Sharpness ability, trainers will want to look for a male Ralts with the Trace ability.

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4) Fletchling

Fletchling as it appears in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Appearing in various places in the first few areas of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Fletchling will be the first instance of a Fire-type that players who did not choose Fuecoco will see. While Fletchling itself has a typing of Normal and Flying, it gains the Fire typing after its evolution. It may not remain viable during the later parts of the game, but it can carry the early stages.

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5) Houndour

Houndour as it appears in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Similar to Fletchling, Houndour is a great early-game Fire-type. Houndour can be seen harassing the player and either Miraidon or Koraidon within the game's first hour. Later it can be caught when the player is released to explore the world, in that same cave they were first seen in.

Houndour is a great investment pick unlike Fletchling, who reaches its peak usefulness early on in a playthrough. This is due to Houndour's high evolution level when compared to Fletchling. For players with the patience to see it through, Houndour's evolution, Houdoom, is amongst the best Fire-type Pokemon in the game.

Overall, these are some of the best picks for a more balanced playstyle in the early stages of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. The most fun players can have in a Pokemon game is trying all sorts of team compositions that they have never thought of before.