GF would play it safe and go with our three below animals to represent the starter Pokémon:

Kangaroo (Grass/Fighting)
>Lives in Pine forests and the Outback
>They love our vegetation and have a ritualisation for fighting
>Commonly referred to as boxing kangaroos

Platypus (Water/Poison)
>Lives in the Riverland or near creeks
>The platypus is one of the few living mammals to produce venom

Tasmanian Devil (Fire/Dark)
>Lives in dry forests and coastlands
>Is a sadistic carnivorous marsupial

Comedic token Pokémon:

Koala (Grass/Poison)
>Lives in trees
>Gets high on Eucalyptus leaves and spreads chlamydia