diff --git a/src/data/challenge.ts b/src/data/challenge.ts
index 36f696e63c1..62751b92f9c 100644
--- a/src/data/challenge.ts
+++ b/src/data/challenge.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ import { TrainerType } from "#enums/trainer-type";
 import { Nature } from "./nature";
 import { Moves } from "#app/enums/moves.js";
 import { TypeColor, TypeShadow } from "#app/enums/color.js";
-import { Gender } from "./gender";
 import { pokemonEvolutions } from "./pokemon-evolutions";
 import { pokemonFormChanges } from "./pokemon-forms";
 
@@ -659,7 +658,6 @@ export class FreshStartChallenge extends Challenge {
     pokemon.luck = 0; // No luck
     pokemon.shiny = false; // Not shiny
     pokemon.variant = 0; // Not shiny
-    pokemon.gender = Gender.MALE; // Starters default to male
     pokemon.formIndex = 0; // Froakie should be base form
     pokemon.ivs = [10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10]; // Default IVs of 10 for all stats
     return true;
diff --git a/src/system/game-data.ts b/src/system/game-data.ts
index a4c276fa770..29bb6057722 100644
--- a/src/system/game-data.ts
+++ b/src/system/game-data.ts
@@ -1488,7 +1488,7 @@ export class GameData {
       };
     }
 
-    const defaultStarterAttr = DexAttr.NON_SHINY | DexAttr.MALE | DexAttr.DEFAULT_VARIANT | DexAttr.DEFAULT_FORM;
+    const defaultStarterAttr = DexAttr.NON_SHINY | DexAttr.MALE | DexAttr.FEMALE | DexAttr.DEFAULT_VARIANT | DexAttr.DEFAULT_FORM;
 
     const defaultStarterNatures: Nature[] = [];
 
@@ -1919,6 +1919,7 @@ export class GameData {
   fixStarterData(systemData: SystemSaveData): void {
     for (const starterId of defaultStarterSpecies) {
       systemData.starterData[starterId].abilityAttr |= AbilityAttr.ABILITY_1;
+      systemData.dexData[starterId].caughtAttr |= DexAttr.FEMALE;
     }
   }