How to use these rankings for your next run
Begin with the purpose of the ranking
This PokeBonk tier list draws on player records to help you choose a companion for your next run. Each card represents one growth route. Open it to see the recorded form, recommended build, items and vitamins.
Decide what you want to try: a comfortable opening, a completed late-game build, or a particular move and item combination. Review the actual setup before choosing. A recorded result describes one player's run under particular conditions; it does not establish your next run's win rate.
Understand what T0 through T2 communicate
T0 highlights priority picks, T1 offers other strong routes worth trying, and T2 provides more options to explore. Placements combine player records and practical feedback. Results still depend on moves, items, vitamins and how you play.
There is no order within a tier, and each growth route appears once. This board covers the recorded routes; absence does not establish low strength. Browse the Pokémon directory to explore other companions.
Evaluate the route from start to finish
A growth route gets one place on the board, represented by its starting form. Charmander therefore represents the route that includes Charmeleon and Charizard. This keeps later forms from appearing as separate competitors to the companion you selected at the beginning. Open the Charmander profile to review its documented evolution information instead of looking for a second ranking card for each stage.
When considering a placement, ask how the route gets from its starting conditions to its strongest stage. A difficult opening and a powerful finish can both be part of the same evaluation. The useful question is whether you can reach that finish with reasonable choices and enough room for mistakes. Pay attention to the transition between stages when reading an example. A final screenshot may show the payoff clearly while leaving the cost of reaching it unexplained.
Consider survival alongside damage
A recommendation becomes more useful when it explains what keeps the run working. Damage matters, but so do the conditions under which you can keep dealing it. When reviewing a kit, look for recorded effects that influence recovery, protection, positioning, or the ability to handle pressure. Then ask how those effects fit the situations you expect to encounter. A single attractive bonus rarely answers all of those questions.
Use the profile as a reference for the underlying descriptions. For example, you can review Bulbasaur's documented kit or Squirtle's documented kit to understand what an evaluation is discussing. Do not turn an isolated base stat into a prediction of clear speed or survival time. Those claims require an appropriate test. For your own notes, identify what ended the run and which decision you would change. That produces a more actionable comparison than calling a companion weak after one attempt.
Look for the pieces a build needs
A build-dependent recommendation should lead you to a practical question: what has to come together before the route works as intended? In a detailed guide, look for the core moves, important items, and the point when the combination starts to function. Also check whether the author describes alternatives. A build can be impressive in its completed form while requiring choices that are difficult to reproduce in a particular run.
Separate essential pieces from helpful extras as you read. If an item is missing, ask whether the guide explains a workable substitute or a different transition. If the necessary information has not been published, keep that limitation in your decision. You do not need to dismiss the recommendation; you need to understand how much of the route you can currently follow. This approach also helps you avoid copying the final inventory without understanding why those pieces were selected.
Read screenshots as part of a run story
Published run guides can connect a tier placement with an example you can study. Start with the result and its context, including any version, mode, difficulty, or date provided by the author. Then read the move and item explanations. The most useful account shows both the completed setup and the decisions that made it possible, including the point when the run became easier or a weakness became noticeable.
A victory screenshot establishes the result shown in that image. It does not, by itself, establish how often the setup succeeds. Look for captions that explain the relevant details instead of assuming every visible choice was essential. Multiple examples can help you recognize recurring conditions, while a single example is still useful for learning a sequence of decisions. If a companion has no published guide yet, its rating can remain on the board. The missing guide means the supporting walkthrough is still unavailable.
Questions to ask before following a tier
Should I always select a T0 companion?
Choose a route that fits your goal and the conditions you can support. T0 is a priority recommendation, but a familiar route with a clear transition plan may suit your next run better.
Can player votes directly change tiers?
No. Directory votes record preferences separately. This board combines recorded builds and practical feedback; votes do not automatically change placements or represent win rates.
What does highest visible damage mean?
It adds the visible move damage within one complete record. ≥ means at least one move reached the display limit, so the actual value may be higher. Missing damage is not counted as zero. This describes one recorded build's result rather than its consistency.
How can I make my own comparisons more useful?
Keep mode and difficulty consistent, and record key moves, items, vitamins, evolution stage and game version. Repeated observations can reveal patterns and help you decide whether a recorded build fits your play style.