Isle of Armor Bulbasaur or Squirtle: Which should you pick in the Pokemon Sword and Shield DLC?

Early on in the new expansion, you're asked to choose between Isle of Armor Bulbasaur or Squirtle. You'll get one for your party, while Honey will keep the other one. Of course, this isn't the first Kanto starter in Pokemon Sword and Shield; the other, Fire-type classic can be discovered in our how to get Charmander in Pokemon Sword and Shield guide. If you're not sure whether to choose Squirtle or Bulbasaur in the Pokemon Sword and Shield Isle of Armor expansion however, let us help.

Isle of Armor Diglett locations | Isle of Armor Avery | Isle of Armor dojo upgrades | Isle of Armor Max Mushrooms

Should you choose Bulbasaur or Squirtle in the Isle of Armor DLC?

As is usually the case with decisions like these, it ultimately doesn't really matter. If you're a huge Bulbasaur fan, pick it! The game won't be impossible to beat with the Grass-type cutie. However, there is a little information that might help your decision process.

It's important to know that both Pokemon start at level five, just like the starters in every Pokemon game to date. This means that in an area surrounded by level 60 wild Pokemon, you're going to need to utilise the XP share mechanic and ferry your choice round in your party until it levels up enough to be useful. Bulbasaur will evolve into Ivysaur at level 16 and Venusaur at level 32, whereas Squirtle will hit Wartortle at level 16 but it'll take until level 36 to reach Blastoise.

If you're playing on Pokemon Shield, Squirtle (or Blastoise) will be useful against Avery's Pokemon, but if you've got another strong Water-type in your party, that doesn't really matter. Later down the line, you'll have to take on the Tower of Water though, which is where Bulbasaur (or Venusaur) will be super handy.

Isle of Armor Bulbasaur or Squirtle: Gigantamax Venusaur and Gigantamax Blastoise — (Image credit: Nintendo)

Both of these Pokemon can Gigantamax too, without the need of Max Soup. So again, there's no benefit either way here. You can see what each one looks like from the image above. It's really down to personal preference, so pick your favourite and go from there! It's worth noting that as far as we know, the only way to obtain the other one is to trade for it unfortunately.