As of Generation 9, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have the best, base game record for Monotype Runs (a challenge where you train only one Type of Pokémon for your team). 16 of the 18 types have their weaknesses covered with Rock and Dragon just barely missing the mark. Additionally, all but one of the types (Ice) can be caught early in the game giving you a great start to practically any Pokémon Type you choose. Finally, six types have both a starter Pokémon and a full team neutralizing their weaknesses. It’s fantastic! Check out the full team list below along with the location of your first Pokémon but first, the rules.

Rules

1. A type must be selected before starting the game. Upon playing the game the player must make all attempts to capture a Pokémon of that type as soon as possible. Once captured, the previous Pokémon of the party must be disregarded if they are not of that type.
2. Pokémon that have yet to evolve into that type (e.g., Nidoran in a Ground type Run or Caterpie in a Flying type Run) may be caught but must be evolved as soon as possible.
3. Out-of-game trading is not allowed
4. Only Pokémon caught before Elite Four are applicable for your team.
5. No Terastallizing a Pokémon into a completely different type.

Best Types
It’s incredibly hard to pick which type is the best but if I had to choose some it would be Fighting, Flying, Ground, Normal, and Water. I would also throw in Poison in Scarlet as it gets version exclusive Skuntank and Dragalge. I do want to stress that you can feasibly do a decent Monotype Run for any of the types. The ones I chose here get special mention due to their diversity and abundance, especially as you can get quite a few early in the game.

Normal subpar types get a good boost in these games especially Fire! This type has had a horrible track record in abundance and type coverage. Scarlet and Violet, however, just nails it for the burning type. They have a fantastic starter (Fuecoco), great diversity (Volcarona, Talonflame, and Houndoom for instance), and our first Fire/Grass Pokemon, Scovillain! Also, consider Electric as well! It has Mareeeeep.

Worst Types
The losers in these games aren’t necessarily horrible or bad they just couldn’t keep up with the rest. Ice, Rock, and Dragon are my pick for the worst but surprisingly, they are still among the best runs for their respective types in the series! So what went wrong? Well, Rock and Dragon missed out on complete neutralization of their weaknesses which is a shame because if we had gotten a Duraludon and a Crustle/Minior we would’ve been set! Ice and Dragon also suffer from a limited pool of early available Pokemon, ESPECIALLY Ice. You can do an in-game trade for Snom in Cortondo but that’s pretty much it, the other Ice Pokemon are too high leveled for beginning trainers. You’ll have to make due with Crabrawler, Eevee, and Shellder before you climb mountains. As such, out of all the types, stay away from Ice.

Type Teams

Bug
Ideal Team: Lokix, Rabsca, Heracross, Forretress, Volcarona, Frosmoth
Optional: Spidops, Kriketune, Vivillon, Vespiquen, Masquerain, Venomoth, Scyther
First Pokémon: Tarountula via Poco Path
Weaknesses Covered? Yes

Dark
Ideal Team: Meowscarada, Chi-Yu, Kingambit, Honchkrow, Spiritomb, Grimmsnarl
Optional: Tyranitar (S), Umbreon, Mabosstiff, Weavile, Cacturne, Krookodile, Hydreigon (S), Lokix, Bombirdier, Stuntank (S), Sableye, Zoroark, Houndoom, Wo-Chien, Chien-Pao, Ting-Lu
First Pokémon: Sprigatito as Starter
Weaknesses Covered? Yes

Dragon
Ideal Team: Dragalge (S)/Dragonite, Dragapult (V)/Hydreigon (S), Garchomp, Goodra, Tatsugiri, Baxcalibur
Optional: Haxorus, Altaria, Cyclizar, Noivern, Flapple, Appletun, Salamence (V)
First Pokémon: Supposedly, you can catch a Goomy on the streams and creeks near Los Platos.
Weaknesses Covered? No, Dragon is not covered in both versions, Violet is also exposed to Fairy moves.

Electric
Ideal Team: Eelektross, Ampharos, Kilowattrel, Toxtricity, Rotom (and its many forms), Magnezone
Optional: Raichu, Luxray, Bellibolt, Jolteon, Electrode, Pachirisu, Dedenne, Pincurchin, Pawmot, Oricorio
First Pokémon: Pawmi via Poco Path
Weaknesses Covered? Yes

Fairy
Ideal Team: Azumarill, Gardevoir, Mimikyu, Tinkaton, Grimmsnarl, Sylveon
Optional: Wigglytuff, Dachsbun, Florges, Klefki, Hatterene
First Pokémon: Azurill and Ralts near Los Platos
Weaknesses Covered? Yes

Fighting
Ideal Team: Quaquaval, Gallade, Breloom, Lucario, Annihilape, Toxicroak
Optional: Pawmot, Tauros (Flame Breed in Scarlet and Aqua Breed in Violet), Passimian (V), Hariyama, Crabominable, Medicham, Heracross, Falinks, Hawlucha, Flamigo
First Pokémon: Quaxly as Starter
Weaknesses Covered? Yes

Fire
Ideal Team: Skeledirge, Talonflame, Volcarona, Scovillain, Camerupt, Torkoal
Optional: Houndoom, Tauros Flame Breed (S), Armarouge (S)/Ceruledge (V), Coalossal, Oricorio, Flareon, Arcanine, Pyroar, Salazzle, Rotom-Heat Form, Chi-Yu
First Pokémon: Fuecoco via Starter
Weaknesses Covered? Yes! This is very rare so take this opportunity while you can.

Flying
Ideal Team: Talonflame, Corviknight, Kilowattrel, Hawlucha, Gyarados, Dragonite
Optional: Jumpluff, Vivillon, Vespiquen, Drifblim (S), Salamence (V), Oriocorio (and all its forms), Squawkabilly, Pellipper, Rotom-Fan Form, Altaria, Honchkrow, Tropius, Scyther, Bombirdier, Staraptor, Noivern, Flamigo, Delibird, Braviary, Masquerain
First Pokémon: Hoppip and Fletchling vs Poco Path
Weaknesses Covered? Yes

Ghost
Ideal Team: Skeledirge, Gengar (via in-game trade), Dragapult (V)/Houndstone, Annihilape, Gholdengo, Spiritomb
Optional Pokémon: Drifblim (S), Ceruledge (V), Mismagius (V), Oricorio, Polteageist, Sableye, Banette, Brambleghast, Rotom, Froslass, Palossand, Mimikyu
First Pokémon: Fuecoco as Starter
Weaknesses Covered? Yes

Grass
Ideal Team: Meowscarada, Rotom-Mow Form, Scovillain, Toedscruel, Amoonguss, Brambleghast
Optional: Jumpluff, Sunflora, Tsareena, Arboliva, Lilligant, Leafeon, Sawsbuck, Gogoat, Tropius, Lurantis, Cacturne, Breloom, Flapple/Appletun, Abomasnow, Wo-Chien
First Pokémon: Sprigatito as Starter
Weaknesses Covered? Yes

Ground
Ideal Team: Clodsire, Garchomp, Hippowdon, Camerupt, Toedscruel, Palossand
Optional: Dugtrio, Donphan, Whiscash, Krookodile, Sandaconda, Mudsdale, Pupitar, Gastrodon, Quagsire (via in-game trade), Iron Treads (one time encounter after defeating the Ground Titan in Violet), Ting-Lu
First Pokémon: Diglett via Inlet Grotto
Weaknesses Covered? Yes

Ice
Ideal Team: Crabominable, Abomasnow, Froslass, Weavile, Cloyster, Baxcalibur
Optional: Eiscue (V), Frosmoth, Rotom-Frost Form, Delibird, Glalie, Glaceon, Beartic, Cryogonal, Avalugg, Cetitan, Chien-Pao
First Pokémon:  A level 10 Snom that can be traded for a Flabebe in Cortondo. You can also find an Eevee near Cortondo.
Weaknesses Covered?  Yes

Normal
Ideal Team: Farigiraf, Wigglytuff, Maushold, Arboliva, Staraptor, Dudunsparce
Optional: Oranguru (S), Oinkologne, Fletchling, Gumshoos, Greedent, Azurill, Slaking, Squawkabilly, Eevee, Persian, Sawbuck, Blissey, Grafaiai, Stantler, Ditto, Ursaring, Zangoose, Swablu, Pyroar, Indeedee, Cyclizar, Komala, Braviary
First Pokémon: Lechonk via Poco Path
Weaknesses Covered? Yes, same as it ever was

Poison
Ideal Team: Clodsire, Gengar (via in-game trade), Amoonguss/Venomoth, Toxicroak, Revavroom/Skuntank (S), Glimmora/Dragalge (S)
Optional: Swalot (V), Muk, Salazzle, Toxtricity, Grafaiai, Seviper, Qwilfish, Toxapex
First Pokémon: Paldean Wooper near Los Platos
Weaknesses Covered? Yes

Psychic
Ideal Team: Gardevoir, Gallade, Slowbro, Farigiraf, Rabsca, Espathra
Optional: Hypno, Oranguru (S), Armarouge (S), Oricorio, Grumpig, Medicham, Espeon, Gothitelle, Indeedee, Hatterene, Bruxish, Bronzong
First Pokémon: Ralts near Los Platos
Weaknesses Covered? Yes

Rock
Ideal Team: Drednaw, Coalossoal, Garganacl, Klawf, Glimmora, Tyranitar (S)/Lycanroc
Optional: Stonjourner (S), Sudowoodo
First Pokémon: Bonsly south of Mesagoza
Weaknesses Covered? So close but Ground is not neutralized.

Steel
Ideal Team: Corviknight, Kingambit, Bronzong, Lucario, Gholdengo, Tinkaton
Optional: Revavroom, Orthworm, Klefki, Copperajah, Forretress, Magnezone, Iron Treads (one time encounter after defeating the Ground Titan in Violet), Perserker
First Pokémon: Rookidee near Los Platos
Weaknesses Covered?  Yes, provided you have a Bronzong with the “Heatproof” Ability

Water
Ideal Team: Quaquaval, Rotom-Wash Form, Gastrodon, Gyarados, Slowbro, Tatsugiri
Optional: Floatzel, Golduck, Drednaw, Tauros Aqua Breed (V), Clawitzer (V), Quagsire (via in-game trade), Pelipper, Barraskewda, Basculin, Whiscash, Vaporeon, Palafin, Azumarill, Qwilfish, Luvdisc, Lumineon, Alomomola, Cloyster, Veluza, Dondozo, Toxapex, Bruxish
First Pokémon: Quaxly as Starter
Weaknesses Covered? Yes