Best Starter Fusions in Pokémon Infinite Fusion: Fusing Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle

Your starter choice in Pokémon Infinite Fusion shapes more than the first few hours. Because every Pokémon can be fused, the Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle you pick at Oak’s lab is also the foundation of your fusion plans for the entire game. So what is the best starter fusion in Pokémon Infinite Fusion? There is no single answer, but there is a clear safest pick: Squirtle gives you the most flexibility. It handles the early gyms well on its own and fuses into excellent Water pairings with either of the other two starters.

This guide covers everything you need to plan around your starter: how starter fusions actually work under the current 6.x rules, how to get all three Kanto starters in one save, which starter to pick for a fusion-focused run, every starter-plus-starter pairing with exact typings, the best early partners players actually search for, and what happens when your fused starters evolve. All mechanics are current for version 6.7.2.

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.

How starter fusions actually work

Before picking pairings, you need the real rules. A lot of older guides still describe version 5.x mechanics, and the typing rules changed. Here is how fusing your starter works in the current game, verified against the Fusion FAQs on the Fandom wiki.

You cannot fuse anything until you get your first DNA Splicer. The manager of the Viridian City Poké Mart hands you one for free during the Oak’s Parcel errand at the start of the game. After that, regular DNA Splicers cost ₽300 at any Poké Mart, so fusing is cheap enough to experiment with. The Super Splicer (₽1,000, available after your fourth badge) keeps the best IVs of both parents and uses the higher level, and the DNA Reverser (₽300, available after your first badge) swaps a fusion’s head and body order without unfusing it. There is also an Infinite Splicer key item earned from the robot in the Cinnabar lab for unlimited free fusions.

Typing is where order matters most. A fusion takes the head’s primary type plus the body’s secondary type. If the body has no secondary type, the fusion takes the body’s primary type instead. In version 6.x there are no dominant types left except one special case: Normal/Flying always passes Flying. The old 5.x rules where Bulbasaur’s Grass or Charizard’s Fire dominated are gone, which is exactly why older starter guides get the typings wrong.

Stats follow a weighted formula. Attack, Defense, and Speed lean toward the body: floor(2 × Body / 3 + Head / 3). HP, Special Attack, and Special Defense lean toward the head: floor(2 × Head / 3 + Body / 3). The practical rule is simple: put your special attacker on top and your physical attacker on the bottom. Fusion level is (Higher × 2 + Lower) / 3, rounded down, and you choose one ability from each parent’s available set at fusion time.

Two mechanics questions come up constantly. First, yes, fused starters still evolve: both halves evolve at their normal levels even while fused, and if both can evolve at the same time you choose the order. Second, you can unfuse at any time and both parents return, but a fusion cannot be fused again with something else. Plan your final pairings deliberately, and save before expensive experiments. If you want to run the numbers yourself, our fusion calculator and fusion tool handle the math.

Getting all three Kanto starters in one save

You only pick one starter at Oak’s lab, but you are not locked to it forever. Infinite Fusion gives you several legitimate ways to collect the full Kanto trio, and you will want all three if you plan to experiment with starter fusions. Our full walkthrough is in the every starter in one playthrough guide; here is the short version.

• Cerulean City Pokémon Center trade. An NPC trades you a Kanto starter matched to your pick: picked Bulbasaur and bring any Grass-type to get Squirtle, picked Charmander and bring any Fire-type to get Bulbasaur, picked Squirtle and bring any Water-type to get Charmander. The trader only appears after you have completed a trade in a Viridian, Pewter, Vermilion, or Celadon Pokémon Center.
• Viridian River overworld spawns. With Surf, you can find starters walking around in the overworld along the Viridian River. Listen for the scurrying sound; up to three can appear at once.
• Postgame breeders. Breeders in Pallet Town and New Bark Town trade Hoenn starters for Kanto and Johto starters after the main story.

One detail worth knowing: your rival does not just pick one of the leftovers. After you choose, Blue fuses the two remaining Kanto starters into a single Pokémon. If you pick Squirtle, expect to face his Charmander and Bulbasaur fusion (nicknamed along the lines of “Charsaur”) in your rival battles. It is a fun preview of what starter fusions look like, and a reminder to prepare for dual typings when you fight him. The Fandom wiki’s starter page documents all of these methods.

Which starter to pick when you plan to fuse

The classic question, which starter should I pick in Pokémon Infinite Fusion, has a different answer when fusing is part of the plan. You are not just picking a Pokémon; you are picking a typing foundation and an early-game carry. Here is how the three compare against the opening stretch of Kanto. (Exact gym rosters shift between versions, so treat the gym notes as general guidance for version 6.7.2 rather than a fixed team list.)

Squirtle is the safest pick. Water hits Brock’s Rock-types super effectively, which solves the hardest early wall in the game, and it stays useful through Misty and Lt. Surge’s Ground-types. For fusing, Water is one of the best types to build around: it pairs with Bulbasaur for a Grass/Water or Water/Poison fusion and with Charmander for the popular Fire/Water and Water/Fire combos. If you only care about minimizing risk, pick Squirtle.

Bulbasaur is the strategist’s pick. Grass shreds Brock, and the Poison secondary gives you an edge against Grass-types, including anything resembling Misty’s Grass/Water coverage. Bulbasaur’s real strength for fusing is that Grass/Poison is a rare and useful defensive profile, and both of its starter pairings produce fusions with only a few weaknesses. The tradeoff is a slower start against Flying and Fire coverage later.

Charmander is the hardest start and the flashiest payoff. Fire is weak to Brock’s Rock-types and Misty’s Water-types, so the first two gyms are genuinely rough with an unfused Charmander. But Charmander has the highest Special Attack of the three final evolutions (base 109 as Charizard), which makes it the best head for special-attacking fusions under the stat formula. If you pick Charmander, plan to fuse early: pairing it with a Water-type partner immediately fixes its two worst matchups. Players search for exactly this (“charmander and squirtle”, “charmander and pidgey”, “charmander and nidoran”, “charmander and mankey”), which tells you how common the struggle is.

Fusing starters with each other: all six orders

The most-searched starter pairings are starter-plus-starter, so here are all six head/body orders with their exact typings under the current 6.x rules. Remember the rule: head’s primary type plus the body’s secondary type, or the body’s primary type when it has no secondary.

Bulbasaur and Charmander

Bulbasaur head + Charmander body = Grass/Fire. Bulbasaur’s Grass primary combines with Charmander’s Fire primary (Charmander has no secondary type). Grass/Fire is offensively exciting with STAB on both types, but defensively it keeps Fire’s and Grass’s shared weaknesses, so it plays like a glass cannon. Charmander head + Bulbasaur body = Fire/Poison. This is arguably the better order: Fire/Poison has fewer weaknesses, Charmander’s higher Special Attack sits in the head slot where it counts most, and Poison STAB covers Grass and Fairy threats. If you are fusing these two, lead with Charmander.

Bulbasaur and Squirtle

Bulbasaur head + Squirtle body = Grass/Water. This is one of the best defensive typings in the game: Grass/Water has very few weaknesses and strong STAB coverage against Ground, Rock, and Fire. Squirtle head + Bulbasaur body = Water/Poison (community-named “Squirtsaur”). Water/Poison trades some of that defensive purity for a better matchup spread against Fairy and Grass types. Both orders are genuinely good; pick Grass/Water for bulk and Water/Poison for coverage.

Charmander and Squirtle

Charmander head + Squirtle body = Fire/Water. Excellent offensive STAB combination that hits a huge portion of the game super effectively, with Charmander’s Special Attack in the head slot. Squirtle head + Charmander body = Water/Fire (community-named “Squirtmander”). This order is bulkier and plays better defensively, since the Water primary resists more of what the early and mid game throws at you. This is the pairing that fixes Charmander’s Brock and Misty problem in one fusion.

Best partner Pokémon for each starter

Starter-plus-starter fusions need two starters, which takes a while to arrange. These early, easy-to-catch partners answer the exact pairings players type into search, and each one solves a real problem. Treat these as strategy recommendations with the reasoning shown, built from the verified typing rules.

Partners for Charmander

• Charmander + Pidgey = Fire/Flying. Pidgey is Normal/Flying, and the 6.x rule says Normal/Flying always passes Flying, so this fusion flies. It is available almost immediately on the early routes and gives Charmander immunity to Ground plus a strong answer to Grass-types. The classic “charmander and pidgey” search exists for a reason.
• Charmander + Mankey = Fire/Fighting. Mankey is catchable on Route 22 before Brock, and Fire/Fighting hits Rock-types super effectively, which directly solves Charmander’s worst early matchup. This is the most practical answer to “charmander and mankey”.
• Charmander + Nidoran = Fire/Poison. Both Nidoran lines are available early, and Fire/Poison gives you STAB Sludge coverage plus a solid defensive profile for the mid game.

Partners for Bulbasaur

• Bulbasaur + Pidgey = Grass/Flying. The same Normal/Flying rule applies. Grass/Flying with Sleep Powder support from the Bulbasaur half is a menace in the early game, and it is the direct answer to the “bulbasaur and pidgey” query.
• Bulbasaur + Geodude = Grass/Ground or Rock/Poison. Order matters here: Bulbasaur head plus Geodude’s Ground secondary gives Grass/Ground, while Geodude head plus Bulbasaur’s Poison secondary gives Rock/Poison. Grass/Ground is the more useful order, with Electric immunity and strong coverage for the early gyms.

Partners for Squirtle

• Squirtle + Pikachu = Water/Electric. Pikachu is catchable in Viridian Forest, and Water/Electric is a fantastic offensive typing with only two weaknesses. Great answer for players who picked Squirtle and want an early power spike.
• Squirtle + Oddish or Bellsprout = Water/Grass or Grass/Poison. Squirtle head gives Water/Grass (superb defensive typing); Oddish head gives Grass/Poison with the Squirtle half’s bulk behind it. Both are available before Misty.

Evolving your fused starters: final-evolution stats

This is the section no competitor covers properly: what your starter fusions actually look like once both halves evolve into Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise. Because both halves evolve at their normal levels while fused, an early-game pairing grows into these final forms. Stats below are computed from the verified fusion formula (all three final evolutions have 525 BST, and the fusions land within a few points of that).

Venusaur head + Charizard body: Grass/Flying. 79 HP / 83 Atk / 79 Def / 103 SpA / 95 SpD / 93 Spe. The standout special attacker of the six: Venusaur’s bulk in the head slot plus Charizard’s Special Attack in the body slot produces 103 Special Attack with strong Speed. Grass/Flying STAB with Sleep Powder support is genuinely threatening.

Charizard head + Venusaur body: Fire/Poison. 78 HP / 82 Atk / 81 Def / 106 SpA / 90 SpD / 86 Spe. The highest Special Attack of any starter fusion at 106, sitting in the head slot where the formula favors it. Fire/Poison is a rare offensive typing that hits Grass, Fairy, Bug, Ice, and Steel super effectively. If you want raw special damage, this is the order.

Venusaur head + Blastoise body: Grass/Water. 79 HP / 82 Atk / 94 Def / 95 SpA / 101 SpD / 79 Spe. The wall of the group: 94 Defense and 101 Special Defense on a Grass/Water typing that resists a huge portion of the game. This fusion stalls, spreads status, and refuses to die.

Blastoise head + Venusaur body: Water/Poison. 79 HP / 82 Atk / 88 Def / 90 SpA / 103 SpD / 78 Spe. A special wall with Toxic and Leech Seed potential from the Venusaur half. Slightly less physically bulky than the reverse order but better against special attackers.

Charizard head + Blastoise body: Fire/Water. 78 HP / 83 Atk / 92 Def / 101 SpA / 91 SpD / 85 Spe. The most balanced offensive option: 101 Special Attack with Fire/Water STAB coverage that hits nearly everything neutrally or better. A superb all-rounder for the late game and postgame.

Blastoise head + Charizard body: Water/Flying. 78 HP / 83 Atk / 85 Def / 93 SpA / 98 SpD / 92 Spe. Fast, specially bulky, and only weak to Electric and Rock. The Speed tier matters: 92 outspeeds a large chunk of the in-game competition.

The takeaway: every final-evolution starter fusion lands between 520 and 530 BST, so none of them is “bad”. Pick by typing and role, not by raw totals. Special attackers go head-first with Charizard; walls go head-first with Venusaur or Blastoise. Check any combination against our Infinite Fusion Dex for movepools before you commit.

Reversing and triple-fusing your starters

Picked the wrong order? The DNA Reverser (₽300 at Poké Marts after your first badge) flips any fusion’s head and body without unfusing, so you can test both orders of a pairing for the price of one item. Remember that reversing changes the typing, the stat weighting, and the available abilities, so re-check your moveset after flipping.

For the postgame, the three starters have a dedicated triple fusion: Bulbmantle, the fusion of Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle, documented on the Fandom wiki’s Triple Fusions page. It is a Fire/Water/Grass triple type with base stats of 42 HP, 50 Attack, 52 Defense, 58 Special Attack, 60 Special Defense, and 51 Speed, and it can run Chlorophyll, Solar Power, or Rain Dish as its ability. Triple fusions unlock late in the postgame, so think of Bulbmantle as a trophy for the dedicated rather than a practical team member.

Starter fusion FAQ

Can you fuse your starter right away? Not immediately. You need your first DNA Splicer, which the Viridian Poké Mart manager gives you during the Oak’s Parcel errand. That happens very early, so you will be fusing within the first hour of play.

Do fused starters still evolve? Yes. Both halves evolve at their normal levels while fused. If both are ready to evolve at the same time, the game lets you choose the order.

Can you unfuse your starter? Yes, unfusing returns both parents. But a fusion cannot be fused again with a third Pokémon, so your final pairings are permanent combinations. Save before committing to an expensive fusion.

Which starter is best for a Nuzlocke? Squirtle. It has the smoothest early game against Brock and Misty, and Water pairs safely with the most partners. Our Nuzlocke challenge guide covers hardcore rules if you want the full challenge.

Does fusing change which moves your starter learns? The fusion’s level-up movepool combines both parents, and at fusion time you choose which moves to keep. Check the combined movepool in the Infinite Fusion Dex before fusing so you do not lose an important move.

Is Bulbmantle worth using? Honestly, it is more of a collector’s piece. Its base stats total 313, well below any two-way starter fusion, and triple fusions only unlock in the late postgame. Fuse it for the Pokédex entry and the novelty, not for your main team.

Pick your starter with the endgame in mind

The best starter fusions in Pokémon Infinite Fusion are not about finding one secret overpowered combination. They are about matching your starter to your plan: Squirtle for the smoothest ride, Bulbasaur for the strategist, Charmander for the highest special-attacking ceiling. Get all three starters through the Cerulean trade and Viridian River, fuse early and cheaply while splicers cost almost nothing, and let both halves evolve into the final-evolution pairings above. If you have not grabbed the game yet, you can download Pokémon Infinite Fusion free and start experimenting within the hour.