10 Best Early-Game Fusions in Pokemon Infinite Fusion (Before the 3rd Gym)

Which best early game fusions pokemon infinite fusion players should actually spend their DNA Splicers on? The honest answer is narrower than most “best fusions” lists admit: you get three free splicers before Brock, every splicer after that costs ₽300, and each of the first three gym leaders fields a team of fusions built to cover their own weaknesses. A fusion that does not improve at least one of the Brock, Misty, or Lt. Surge matchups is a wasted splicer. The pairs that earn their keep: Abra/Mankey for the strongest neutral offense available this early, Pichu/Geodude as the Surge answer, Bulbasaur/Pidgey for Brock and Misty coverage, Charmander/Mankey to fix Charmander’s Brock problem, Squirtle/Sandshrew as the Electric-immune all-rounder, and the missable Tangela/Geodude from the Secret Garden. This guide breaks down 10 pairs worth your splicers in version 6.7.2, with both head/body orders, the resulting typing of each order, where to catch every parent, and the traps you should skip.

Quick note: pokemon-infinitefusions.site is an unofficial fan guide. We are not affiliated with Nintendo, Game Freak, or the creators of Pokémon Infinite Fusion.

Your splicer budget before the third gym

Fusion is gated by an item economy, not by story progress, and most new players either hoard their splicers too long or burn them on the first cool sprite they see. Here is the exact economy in 6.7.2, verified against the Fandom wiki’s Fusion FAQs. You get three free DNA Splicers early: one inside the Viridian City PokéMart as part of the Oak’s Parcel quest, one from Youngster Mustafa on Route 22 before the first gym, and one from your rival on Route 22 after you beat him. Every splicer after those three costs ₽300 at any PokéMart, which is real money when Potions and Poké Balls are competing for the same funds.

Two more items shape the early game. DNA Reversers cost ₽300 and unlock after your first badge; they flip a fusion’s head/body order, which makes experimenting far less scary, since a wrong order is fixable. Super Splicers cost ₽1,000 and need four badges, so they are irrelevant before the third gym and this guide ignores them. One practical detail from the wiki: fusing returns held items to your bag, so strip the parents before you fuse. And if you ever want the parents back, unfusing with any splicer returns both of them, though the head’s ability gets rerolled while the body keeps its original ability.

The budget math is simple. Three free splicers plus whatever ₽300 purchases you can afford means most players fuse somewhere between two and six times before Lt. Surge. That is the entire premise of this guide: with splicers this scarce, every early fusion should beat at least one gym leader’s team. A fusion that is merely “cool” is a luxury you buy after the third badge.

The head-and-body rules behind every early fusion

You cannot pick good pairs without the order rules, so here is the one-paragraph version. In every fusion, one Pokémon is the head and the other is the body. Attack, Defense, and Speed lean two-thirds toward the body; HP, Special Attack, and Special Defense lean two-thirds toward the head. The practical translation: put your special attacker on top and your physical attacker on the bottom. Typing follows its own rule: the fusion takes the head’s primary type plus the body’s secondary type (a single-typed body donates its primary type), with a redundancy rule that collapses doubled types into one. The fused level averages out as ((higher level × 2) + lower level) / 3, which punishes fusing a level 20 with a level 5, and you choose between the two parents’ abilities at fusion time. Our guide to how fusion works covers the full mechanics; run every pair below through the Pokémon Infinite Fusion calculator to confirm both orders before you commit a splicer.

Two version-specific facts matter for everything below. First, the trade evolutions (Kadabra, Haunter, Machoke, Graveler) evolve at level 40 in Infinite Fusion instead of by trading, which is dev-confirmed and means you should never plan an early-game strategy around Alakazam, Gengar, or Golem. Second, gym battles cap your team at the leader’s team size: two Pokémon against Brock and Misty, three against Surge. A fused pair that covers two of the leader’s weaknesses in one slot is worth more than two unfused specialists, because you only get two or three slots.

How the best early game fusions were picked

Every pair below passed four filters. Both parents are catchable before Lt. Surge in Classic mode, with encounter locations verified on the Fandom wiki and linked per pair. Each pair improves at least one of the first three gym matchups, measured against the leaders’ actual fused teams (Brock’s Rock and Steel coverage, Misty’s Water-heavy roster, Surge’s Electric core backed by Fighting types). No pair depends on a level-40 evolution, a post-gym-3 area, or a legendary. And where the two possible orders produce meaningfully different typings, both are listed so you can choose. Ability upside was considered too, since you pick the better parent ability at fusion time.

What this list is not: a ranking of the strongest fusions in the game. The strongest fusions in the game need Pokémon you cannot catch yet. This is a ranking of return on splicer: the most gym wins per ₽300 spent, using what is actually in the tall grass around you.

The 10 pairs worth your splicers

1. Abra + Mankey: the early special attacker

Both orders: Abra head + Mankey body = Psychic/Fighting; Mankey head + Abra body = Fighting/Psychic. Where to catch: Abra on Route 24 at a 20% encounter rate (levels 8-12); Mankey on Route 22 at 20% (levels 2-5). Ability pick: choose between Abra’s Synchronize or Inner Focus and Mankey’s Vital Spirit or Anger Point; none of them are bad, so take whichever parent has the better nature. Evolution note: Abra becomes Kadabra at level 16, which is a genuine power spike you will feel immediately, but Alakazam waits until level 40, so do not build plans around it.

Why it works: this is the strongest neutral offense available before the third gym. Special attacker on top (Abra’s Special Attack weighting) plus a physical body gives you two strong attacking stats, and Psychic/Fighting coverage hits nearly everything for neutral damage while Fighting lands super effectively on Brock’s Rock types (Geogey, Dignix, Amaidos) and his Steel types (Arduck, Stee Jr.). Psychic also answers Surge’s Koffloom, the Poison/Fighting fusion with Levitate that walls every Ground type on this list. Watch out: Brock’s Geogey opens with Gust, and Flying is super effective against the Fighting half, so do not lead this fusion into Geogey. Check both orders in the fusion calculator: Psychic/Fighting and Fighting/Psychic play differently against Misty’s team.

2. Pichu + Geodude: the Surge answer

Both orders: Pichu head + Geodude body = Electric/Ground; Geodude head + Pichu body = Rock/Electric. Where to catch: Pichu in Viridian Forest at 5-10% (levels 3-5); Geodude on Route 3 via Rock Smash at 30% (levels 5-15). Note there is no wild Pikachu in Viridian Forest, only Pichu, which corrects a very common assumption. Ability pick: Geodude’s Sturdy is the prize here; it turns would-be knockouts into survival turns. Pichu’s Static is a fine consolation.

Why it works: Electric/Ground is immune to Electric, which blanks the STAB of Surge’s Voltby (Electric/Water), Raibuzz (pure Electric), and Munchode (Normal/Electric), while Ground hits all of them super effectively. That is four of Surge’s team handled by one fusion, which is absurd value for a single splicer. Watch out: two of Surge’s fusions punish this pick. Pikalett (Electric/Ground) carries Mud-Slap, and Ground is 4x super effective against Electric/Ground, so Pikalett can end you. Koffloom has Levitate, making it fully immune to your Ground moves, so bring a Psychic answer like pair #1 for it. And Seellery’s Water moves hit your Ground half hard. This fusion solos most of Surge’s team but it does not solo all of it; plan the other two team slots around Koffloom and Seellery.

3. Tangela + Geodude: the Secret Garden bruiser

Both orders: Tangela head + Geodude body = Grass/Ground; Geodude head + Tangela body = Rock/Grass. Where to catch: Tangela in the Secret Garden at 45%, which is unlocked by beating your rival on Route 22 before facing Brock (missable, so do it early); Geodude on Route 3 via Rock Smash. The Secret Garden also offers Eevee, Ditto, and Mime Jr., making the detour worth it beyond this one pair. Ability pick: Tangela’s Chlorophyll or Leaf Guard against Geodude’s Rock Head or Sturdy; Sturdy is usually the best defensive pick.

Why it works: Grass/Ground is one of the best defensive typings you can build this early. Grass hits Brock’s Geogey (Rock/Flying), Dignix (Ground/Rock), and Tanyte (Grass/Water) super effectively, while Ground handles his Steel types and Amaidos. Against Surge, Grass punishes Voltby (Electric/Water) and Seellery (pure Water) for their Water halves, and Ground covers the Electric core. Watch out: Grass/Ground is 4x weak to Ice, so keep it far away from Misty’s Foaura (Grass/Ice with Snow Warning and Icy Wind) and Frosras (Ice/Water). Misty’s two Grass types also resist your Grass STAB, so this is a Brock and Surge specialist, not a Misty answer.

4. Bulbasaur + Pidgey: the starter fix

Both orders: Bulbasaur head + Pidgey body = Grass/Flying (the recommended order, since Bulbasaur’s Special Attack belongs on top). Pidgey head + Bulbasaur body = Normal/Grass in most calculator results, which wastes Pidgey’s Flying donation, so fuse Bulbasaur on top. Where to catch: Bulbasaur is your starter (or the rival’s leftover); Pidgey is everywhere on Routes 1 and 22. Ability pick: Bulbasaur’s Overgrow against Pidgey’s Keen Eye or Tangled Feet; Overgrow usually wins.

Why it works: Grass/Flying with Sleep Powder is a control machine. Grass is super effective against four of Misty’s six fusions (Jigglydeen, Oddyu, Frosras, and Azumabone all carry Water), and Sleep Powder plus Leech Seed-style stalling breaks her Super Potion sustain. Against Brock, Grass handles the Rock and Ground types while Flying gives you a clean answer to his Grass/Water Tanyte. Watch out: Misty’s Foaura is Grass/Ice with Snow Warning, and Ice is 4x super effective against Grass/Flying. Do not leave this fusion in against Foaura under any circumstances. If you picked Charmander instead, pair #5 is your starter fix.

5. Charmander + Mankey: fixing the worst starter matchup

Both orders: Charmander head + Mankey body = Fire/Fighting; Mankey head + Charmander body = Fighting/Fire. Where to catch: Charmander is your starter; Mankey on Route 22 at 20%. Ability pick: Charmander’s Blaze against Mankey’s Vital Spirit or Anger Point; Blaze’s low-HP boost synergizes with close gym fights.

Why it works: Charmander alone has a miserable Brock fight: Fire is resisted by Rock, and Brock’s team is built around Rock. Fusing with Mankey flips the matchup completely. Fighting is super effective against Geogey, Dignix, and Amaidos (all Rock), and Fire is super effective against Arduck and Stee Jr. (both Steel). Between the two STABs, every one of Brock’s six fusions takes super effective damage from something you carry. Watch out: Arduck is Steel/Water, so your Fire moves land neutrally there; lean on Fighting against it. And this pair does little for you against Misty or Surge, so treat it as a dedicated Brock solution that stays useful as a neutral attacker afterward.

6. Squirtle + Sandshrew: the Electric-immune all-rounder

Both orders: Squirtle head + Sandshrew body = Water/Ground; Sandshrew head + Squirtle body = Ground/Water. Where to catch: Squirtle is your starter; Sandshrew in Mt. Moon 1F at 8%. Ability pick: Squirtle’s Torrent against Sandshrew’s Sand Veil; Torrent is the more consistently useful of the two.

Why it works: Water/Ground is immune to Electric thanks to the Ground half, which makes it a second Surge answer alongside pair #2, and its Water STAB is genuinely useful against Misty (Water is neutral or better across most of her team, and super effective against nothing you fear). Ground covers Surge’s Electric core the same way pair #2 does. Watch out: the typing has a brutal 4x weakness to Grass, and Misty brings two Grass types in Oddyu (Grass/Water) and Foaura (Grass/Ice). Use this fusion against Misty’s Water and Electric members (Jigglydeen, Frosras, Chanchu, Azumabone) and bench it the moment a Grass type appears. Same Koffloom warning as pair #2: Levitate ignores your Ground moves.

7. Mankey + Spearow: the Route 22 express

Both orders: Mankey head + Spearow body = Fighting/Flying; Spearow head + Mankey body = Normal/Fighting (the Flying donation is lost, so Mankey goes on top). Where to catch: both on Route 22, Mankey at 20% and Spearow at 15%, catchable within minutes of each other. Ability pick: Mankey’s Vital Spirit or Anger Point against Spearow’s Keen Eye or Sniper; Sniper is fun but Vital Spirit’s sleep immunity is more practical.

Why it works: this is the fastest good fusion you can assemble: two Route 22 catches, one splicer, and you have a fast physical attacker before Brock. Fighting/Flying hits Brock’s Rock and Steel types with Fighting and gives you Flying coverage for the Grass types on the road to Misty. It will not solo any gym, but it is the best filler slot in the game at this stage: fast, cheap, and useful in every trainer fight through Mt. Moon. Watch out: frailty. Both parents are glass cannons by design, and the fusion inherits that. Do not expect it to take hits; expect it to move first and end fights.

8. Abra + Nidoran (male): the Misty specialist

Both orders: Abra head + Nidoran♂ body = Psychic/Poison; Nidoran♂ head + Abra body = Poison/Psychic. Where to catch: Abra on Route 24 at 20%; Nidoran♂ on Route 22 at 15%. Ability pick: Abra’s Synchronize or Inner Focus against Nidoran♂’s Poison Point or Rivalry; Poison Point punishes contact attackers nicely. Evolution note: a Moon Stone sits in Mt. Moon’s Dark Room (you need HM08 Flash from a Pewter City quest to reach it), which evolves the Nidoran line later; keep a spare Nidoran♂ unfused if you want a Nidoking down the road.

Why it works: Poison is super effective against Grass, and Misty’s two most annoying fusions are Grass types: Oddyu (Grass/Water with Recover and Stun Spore) and Foaura (Grass/Ice with Snow Warning). Psychic/Psychic-leaning offense backed by Poison coverage breaks exactly the part of Misty’s team that walls the Water and Grass answers on this list. Psychic also hits Surge’s Koffloom (Poison/Fighting) super effectively, giving this pair a second job. Watch out: Poison is weak defensively to Psychic and Ground, and Misty’s Azumabone (Water/Ground with Thick Club and Bonemerang) can punish the Poison half. Play it as a sniper: switch in against Grass types, get the knockout, switch out.

9. Yanma + Abra: the speed demon

Both orders: Yanma head + Abra body = Bug/Psychic (recommended, since Yanma’s Speed belongs on the bottom but its Bug typing is more useful donated from the head slot). How to get Yanma: trade a Paras to the NPC in the northwest Cerulean City house; Paras is catchable in Mt. Moon at 15% and in Viridian Forest via the mushroom spots. Abra is on Route 24 at 20%. Ability pick: Yanma’s Speed Boost or Compound Eyes against Abra’s Synchronize or Inner Focus; Speed Boost on a fast special attacker is genuinely scary.

Why it works: Surge’s team hides a Fighting core behind its Electric theme: Koffloom, Flaaty, Electachan, and Hounlade all carry Fighting, and Psychic is super effective against all four. A fast Psychic attacker with Speed Boost outruns and deletes the part of Surge’s team that Ground types cannot touch, which makes this the perfect partner to pair #2 or #6: they handle his Electric types, this handles his Fighting types. Bug STAB also pressures Misty’s Grass types in a pinch. Watch out: Hounlade is Dark/Fighting, and Dark is super effective against Psychic, so scout before you commit this fusion against it. This pair takes the most setup of any on the list (a trade plus a Route 24 catch), so build it while preparing for Surge, not before Brock.

10. Pichu + Sandshrew: the budget Surge counter

Both orders: Pichu head + Sandshrew body = Electric/Ground; Sandshrew head + Pichu body = Ground/Electric. Where to catch: Pichu in Viridian Forest at 5-10%; Sandshrew in Mt. Moon 1F at 8%. Ability pick: Pichu’s Static against Sandshrew’s Sand Veil; Static’s paralysis chance is the more useful pick in gym fights.

Why it works: this is pair #2 without the Rock typing. You keep the Electric immunity and the Ground STAB against Surge’s Electric core, but you drop Geodude’s Rock half and every weakness that came with it. If the idea of a 4x Ground weakness from Pikalett’s Mud-Slap worries you, this is the safer build: still immune to every Electric move Surge owns, still super effective against Voltby, Raibuzz, and Munchode. Watch out: you trade bulk for safety; Sandshrew’s defenses are thinner than Geodude’s, and the same Koffloom (Levitate) and Seellery (Water moves) warnings from pair #2 apply unchanged. Think of #2 and #10 as one slot with two builds: pick Geodude for bulk, Sandshrew for safety.

Pairs that waste your early splicers

Knowing what not to fuse is worth at least one saved splicer. Self-fusions (fusing two of the same species) are the classic trap: the wiki confirms the result keeps the same stats as the base species and gains only a 50% XP bonus. That is not worth ₽300 at any stage of the game. Fusing across a level gap is the silent killer: the ((higher × 2) + lower) / 3 formula means fusing your level 20 with a level 5 produces roughly a level 15, deleting five levels of training. Always train both parents to similar levels first.

Fusing unevolved Bug types (the Caterpie and Weedle lines) is outclassed within an hour of gameplay; their fused stats do not survive contact with even Brock’s team, and the splicer is gone. Planning around Alakazam, Gengar, or Golem is the version-specific trap: the trade evolutions need level 40 in Infinite Fusion, so the Kadabra you fuse at level 16 stays a Kadabra fusion for the entire early game. And fusing for looks alone is a fine hobby, but not on a ₽300 budget: the fusion preview shows you both orders for free, so window-shop all you want and spend splicers only on pairs that win gyms.

If a fusion goes wrong: unfusing and reversing

Early experimentation is safe because the system is forgiving. Unfusing with any DNA Splicer returns both original Pokémon, so a bad fusion costs you the splicer, not the parents. The one permanent consequence: the head’s ability is rerolled on unfuse while the body keeps its original ability, so keep a valuable ability on the body side of any fusion you might split later. The DNA Reverser (₽300, available after your first badge) flips a fusion’s head/body order in place, which fixes the most common early mistake: fusing in the wrong order and getting the worse typing. Save before you fuse, preview both orders in the fusion menu, and treat the reverser as your safety net, not your plan A.

The PokéCenter 2F Move Reminder deserves a mention here too: it can reteach moves from either original parent, so a fusion is never stuck with a bad moveset choice. Between unfusing, reversing, and the Move Reminder, there is no early-game fusion mistake you cannot fix for ₽300 or less. For team planning across all three gyms, our team builder helps you map coverage before you spend anything.

Early fusion questions, answered

When do you get DNA Splicers in Infinite Fusion?

You get three free: one in the Viridian City PokéMart through the Oak’s Parcel quest, one from Youngster Mustafa on Route 22 before the first gym, and one from your rival on Route 22 after beating him. After that, DNA Splicers cost ₽300 at any PokéMart. DNA Reversers also cost ₽300 and unlock after your first badge; Super Splicers cost ₽1,000 and need four badges.

Can you unfuse Pokémon in Infinite Fusion?

Yes. Using a DNA Splicer on a fused Pokémon splits it back into both original parents. The head’s ability is rerolled in the process while the body keeps its original ability, so plan which side holds your valuable ability before you fuse. Our fusion mechanics guide covers unfusing and reversing in full.

Is there a Pikachu in Viridian Forest?

No. The wiki’s Viridian Forest encounter table lists Pichu at 5-10%, not Pikachu, and there is no wild Pikachu there. If you want the Pikachu line early, catch a Pichu and evolve it by friendship. This matters for pair #2 and #10 above: budget your time for a 5-10% encounter, not a common one.

Should you fuse your starter?

Yes, and the game pushes you toward it: your rival fuses the two leftover starters, so unfused you are fighting fused teams with an unfused ace. Gym battles also cap your team at the leader’s size (two against Brock and Misty, three against Surge), which makes one strong fused starter more valuable than two average team members. Pairs #4, #5, and #6 above are starter fusions for exactly this reason.

Do fused Pokémon evolve?

Yes, both halves evolve at their normal levels and with their normal items or stones. The one exception that matters early: the trade evolutions (Kadabra, Haunter, Machoke, Graveler) evolve at level 40 in Infinite Fusion instead of by trading, which is dev-confirmed. Fuse a Kadabra at 16 and it stays a Kadabra fusion until 40.

How many fusions should you make before the 3rd gym?

Two to four focused fusions beat a box of experiments. With three free splicers and ₽300 apiece after that, each fusion should cover at least one gym leader’s team: one answer for Brock, one for Misty, and one or two for Surge’s split Electric and Fighting threats. Check our gym leaders guide for the full breakdown of what each leader brings.

The honest bottom line on the best early game fusions

The best early game fusions in pokemon infinite fusion are not the flashiest pairs or the highest-stat combinations: they are the cheapest answers to the three specific teams standing between you and the third badge. Abra/Mankey gives you the best neutral offense available this early. Pichu/Geodude or its Sandshrew variant blanks Surge’s Electric core. A fused starter (Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle with the right partner) fixes your weakest gym matchup. And the Secret Garden Tangela/Geodude is the best value-for-money bruiser in the early game if you unlock the garden before Brock. Two to four of these, both parents trained to similar levels, both orders checked in the fusion calculator, and the first three gyms become a team-building exercise instead of a wall.

Everything above was verified for version 6.7.2 against the Fandom wiki’s Fusion FAQs, Gym Leaders, and encounter pages. If you are starting fresh, download Pokémon Infinite Fusion version 6.7.2 so the mechanics, encounter rates, and gym teams in this guide match your game. Spend the free splicers with a plan, keep ₽300 in reserve for a reverser, and save before every fusion.

Sources: fusion mechanics, splicer locations and prices, unfusing, and ability rules from the Infinite Fusion Fandom wiki (Fusion FAQs); Brock, Misty, and Lt. Surge’s teams from the Fandom wiki (Gym Leaders); Secret Garden unlock and encounters from the Fandom wiki (Secret Garden); level-40 trade evolutions from the EeveeExpo developer thread.