Fire Power!

One of the types of Pokémon I like the most is the Fire type. As one of the three types every Trainer is introduced to at the start of the journey, it represents one of the most common types of Pokémon. It's what Trainers need most when they're up against Grass, Ice, Bug, and Steel types, while it is countered best with Water, Ground, and Rock types.

It is these type match-ups as well that determine whether the progress of the game at the beginning will be easy or hard for those who select the Fire-type starter at the beginning in older games. For example, in Generations 1, 3, and 4, the first Gym is a Rock-type Gym, which means that those who select Fire types as the starter will have a hard time unless they catch other Pokémon to supplement the battle, while in Generation 2, those that do will have an easier time as the first Gym is neutral and the second Gym is a Bug-type Gym, favoring the type's advantage.

Regardless of these match-ups, I do have one tradition regarding Fire types: I always choose the Fire-type starter no matter what happens. It's a tradition I have maintained ever since the first-generation games and one that I will never break. Due to the versatility of their type match-ups, I consider it convenient if I have one right at the beginning of the game rather than to hunt for one as the game progresses. Some of the final evolutions of these Fire-type starters look supremely tough rather than supremely terrifying; Typhlosion, Blaziken, and Infernape best represent the former. The latter is represented by Charizard and Incenroar - the latest member - while Emboar and Delphox look more cutesy.

It's hard not to appreciate Fire types for their versatility, convenience, and appearance. Yet it is for all three of these that I like this particular type of Pokémon.

[BTW, it's the Lunar New Year, the year of the Fire Rooster, isn't it? Happy Torchic New Year! ☺]