Sobble, Scorbunny and Grookey: what is the best Pokémon Sword and Shield starting and what are its evolutions and statistics?.
Contents
- What is the best starting Pokémon Sword and Shield?
- Starter Pokémon Grookey from Pokémon Sword and Shield: evolutions and basic statistics
- Starter Pokémon Scorbunny from Pokémon Sword and Shield: evolutions and basic statistics
- Starter Pokémon Sobble from Pokémon Sword and Shield: evolutions and basic statistics
Grookey, Scorbunny Y Sobble were the first Pokémon to be announced for Pokémon Sword and Shield at the beginning of 2019. Turns out it’s also all three Starting Pokémon for the new Gen 8.
Now that the game has been released we know the second and third evolution for each starter Pokémon, along with the basic stats for each of them. We also know more about the abilities of each Pokémon.

We hope this guide helps you choose the best initial for you!
In this page:

What is the best starting Pokémon Sword and Shield?
Choosing your starting Pokémon is by far one of the most important choices in any Pokémon game. Determine the starting formation of your team or the entire game if you decide to keep it. That means you need to know which Pokémon Sword and Shield starter is the best.
The answer is … completely subjective. Sorry.

As the first three gyms focus on Grass, Water and Fire, in that order, there is no definitive initial that can easily help you in all three. The decision becomes more difficult when you remember that certain gym leaders are different depending on whether you are playing Pokémon Sword or Pokémon Shield.
You could choose Scorbunny to go quickly through the first gym, but then later you would have to pick up an electric or plant type Pokémon to help you in the second. Or you could choose Sobble and focus on building an entire team of Pokémon before taking on a gym where you really have the upper hand.

The choice is yours. But if you are having a hard time choosing one or the other, we recommend that you plan ahead so that you can create a balanced team of Pokémon. We have guides to the entire Galar regional Pokédex in Pokémon Sword and Shield and all Gen 8 Pokémon to help you.
If you want to know what they look like with the final evolutions, take a look at this video from ProsafiaGaming. Please note that it contains spoilers for initials and Legendary Pokémon:
Starter Pokémon Grookey from Pokémon Sword and Shield: evolutions and basic statistics

Grookey is a Grass-type starter Pokémon from Pokémon Sword and Shield, and ranks first in the Galar regional Pokédex in Pokémon Sword and Shield, as the Grass-type initials always do.
Grookey evolves into Thwackey at level 16, which then evolves into Rillaboom at level 35.
Each learns the Wilds skill. This ability increases the power of Grass-type moves when the Pokémon uses them with low HP.

If you are looking for a Pokémon with a powerful physical attack and a high amount of HP to stay in the fight, Grookey is your choice.
When you reach the final evolution of Grookey, Rillaboom will have the highest base HP of the initial three. That means Rillaboom will be able to withstand some of the most powerful attacks from your enemies. Couple that with its high attack power and you’ve got a Pokémon that can survive deadly moves and inflict them too.
Below you will find the basic statistics (HP, Attack, etc.) of Grookey and each of his evolutions.
Grookey, Thwackey, and Rillaboom basic stats:

Pokemon | $ | Attack | Defending | Special attack | Special defense | Speed |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grookey | fifty | 65 | fifty | 40 | 40 | 65 |
Thwackey | 70 | 85 | 70 | 55 | 60 | 80 |
Rillaboom | 100 | 125 | 90 | 60 | 70 | 85 |
Starter Pokémon Scorbunny from Pokémon Sword and Shield: evolutions and basic statistics
Scorbunny is the fire-type starter for Pokémon Sword and Shield, and is ranked fourth in the Galar regional Pokédex in Pokémon Sword and Shield.
Scorbunny evolves into Raboot at level 16, which in turn evolves into Cinderace at level 35.

Each learns the Flame Sea Ability, which increases fire-type moves when the Pokémon’s HP is low.
Cinderace has the highest Special Defense base stat of all the starting Pokémon’s final evolutions, allowing it to survive some of the most dangerous moves you can encounter.
Cinderace is also strong when attacking thanks to its basic Attack and Speed stats, which are quite high. This combination gives Cinderace more options to be the first to use its powerful fire-type moves in any round of a Pokémon battle, making it deadly if the enemy is vulnerable, such as Grass-types.
Below you will find the basic statistics (HP, Attack, etc.) of Scorbunny and each of its evolutions.
Scorbunny, Raboot and Cinderace basic stats:
Pokemon | $ | Attack | Defending | Special attack | Special defense | Speed |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Scorbunny | fifty | 71 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 69 |
Raboot | 65 | 86 | 60 | 55 | 60 | 94 |
Cinderace | 80 | 116 | 75 | 65 | 75 | 119 |
Sword and Shield are here! Our guides will help you know the basic tips and tricks to get started, which starter Pokémon is better, find out what the mysterious Pokémon is ???, know how save and autosave works and know what the differences are between versions. We also have a Poké Camp guide to play and cook with, lists of all the new Gen 8 Pokémon, the entire Sword and Shield Pokédex, and extras to unlock, including how to get an Eeeve or Pikachu as your game’s reward. from Let’s Go and how to get Mew in Sword and Shield. We also have a guide to increasing Friendship, a complete list of Gen 8 Galar-shaped Pokémon, a guide with everything we know about Zacian and Zamazenta, the Sword and Shield legendaries, and how to evolve Toxel into Toxtricity in Acute Form and Serious Form and Yamask We also tell you everything you need to know about Toxtricity Gigamax.
Starter Pokémon Sobble from Pokémon Sword and Shield: evolutions and basic statistics
Sobble is a water-type starter from Pokémon Sword and Shield, and is the seventh Pokémon in the Galar Regional Sword and Shield Pokédex.

Sobble evolves to Drizzile at level 16 and finally to Inteleon at level 35.
Each learns the Torrent ability, which makes their water-type moves stronger the lower their HP.
Sobble has the highest base Special Attack of the three starting Pokémon, and that holds up as it evolves. When it reaches its final evolution, Inteleon, it will also have the highest Base Speed.
That hides Inteleon’s relatively low HP, and allows it to deliver some very powerful attacks. Inteleon may not be able to stay on the battlefield for long, but while it is, it can do a lot of damage.

Below you will find the basic statistics (HP, Attack, etc.) of Sobble and each of its evolutions.
We’ve also included the list of moves that Sobble, Drizzile, and Inteleon can learn by leveling up.
Sobble, Drizzile and Inteleon Basic Stats:
Pokemon | $ | Attack | Defending | Special attack | Special defense | Speed |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sobble | fifty | 40 | 40 | 70 | 40 | 70 |
Drizzile | 65 | 60 | 55 | 95 | 55 | 90 |
Inteleon | 70 | 85 | 65 | 125 | 65 | 120 |
If you need more help with Pokémon Sword and Shield, take a look at our guides.