GENERAL DIFFERENCES
- Squirtle has better defenses and typing
- Charmander has higher Sp. Atk and Speed, so fights are faster when typing is not a concern
- Squirtle can rush to beat Brock and Misty; Charmander must get extra experience to beat them
- Both starters must rely on inaccurate moves, but Charmander is more likely to die after a miss
- Charmander has a much riskier Elite Four

BY SPLIT
- BROCK: Squirtle catches an extra slave, has a slow Weedle fight, and has a fast but risky Brock fight; Charmander fights two extra trainers, has a fast Weedle fight, and has a slow but safe Brock
- MT. MOON: Squirtle fights an extra trainer
- BILL: Squirtle has a slow but safe Misty fight and a fast but risky rival fight; Charmander delays Misty and has an extremely risky rival
- MISTY: Squirtle has risky fights at S.S. Anne Rival and Surge; Charmander has a risky rival fight that sets up a fast deathwarp to Misty. Charmander has a fast but risky Misty fight and delays Surge
- ROCK TUNNEL: Squirtle breezes through with Water Pulse and Bite; Charmander struggles to deal with Slowpokes and Rock types
- ERIKA: Squirtle delays Erika; Charmander breezes through with Ember and Flamethrower
- GIOVANNI 1: Both have an easy time; Charmander is a few seconds faster
- SURGE: Charmander has a free fight 
- POKE FLUTE: Squirtle has an awkward rival fight and must manipulate low HP; Charmander breezes through and is able to take an efficient free heal because it doesn't need low HP
- GYMS 5-7: Squirtle does Koga-->Blaine-->Erika-->Silph-->Sabrina; Charmander does Silph-->Sabrina-->Koga-->Blaine. Minimal time differences because Surf and Flamethrower are so strong. Charmander does the fights a bit faster but needs to pick up Lapras
- GIOVANNI 3: Charmander saves a few seconds in text
- LORELEI: Squirtle has a slow but safe Lorelei fight; Charmander has risky fight that can save 30 seconds
- BRUNO: Squirtle has a faster and safer fight
- AGATHA: Charmander has a faster and safer fight
- LANCE: Squirtle has a faster and safer fight
- CHAMPION: Nearly identical