Which Kanto starter is best to speedrun Red?

Question

I'm speed running Red. Which starter should I use?

Answer 1

Most speedrunners use Squirtle.

For speedrunning, Squirtle is the best starter Pokemon for the
following reasons:
Squirtle has a powerful moveset to begin with, and
with the addition of TM's like Dig and Mega Punch, Squirtle has no
real weakness until the Elite Four.
Squirtle is the only starter Pokemon that can learn Surf, which you need to teach a Pokemon to
complete the game. If you used a different starter, it would require a Pokemon to be caught that can learn Surf.

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