-Aristotle
Ah yes, the noble and beautiful Grass Pokémon. True warriors of nature, these beasts are designed with so many real-world flora and fauna influences that even Great Thunberg would think it’s too much. Grass, flowers, trees, you name it – the chances are, there’s a Grass Pokémon with one somewhere on their body! From the bulb on the back of Bulbasaur, the first Grass Pokémon in the dex, to the vines wrapping around Zarude’s arms, (currently) the last Grass Pokémon in the dex, Grass Pokémon are perhaps the most consistently designed ‘mon – each of them aligning with this particular design process. Although these influences may be obvious, they’re also very well executed.
Although Grass Pokémon have the highest number of type weaknesses compared to the other starters, I’ve always added a Grass type to my roster. Whether it was Bulbasaur/Exeggutor in Pokémon Red or Rillaboom in Pokémon Sword (the only time I haven’t chosen the Fire starter), I always found this type had a tactical advantage in battle. This is especially true in the current meta where Water types are particularly plentiful – having a good tactic with your Grass type can pay dividends in a doubles battle when utilised properly! Statistically, grass moves are the most likely to cause x4 damage in battle due to the abundance of dual Rock/Water/Ground ‘mon.
With that said, and at my brother’s request, I’ve got my lawnmower out and trimmed down all the Grass types leaving just ten of my favourites. It wasn’t an easy decision, like rooting up stubborn weeds or wrestling a bush with a rather rusty hedge-trimmer, but I did it. So here’s y latest Nintendo blog, my Top 10 Grass Pokémon.
Did You Know?
- Generation V introduced the most Grass types at 21.
- Fire is the only type that hasn’t been combined with Grass!
- More Grass types evolve by Evolution Stone than any other ‘mon typing.
10) Exeggutor
I’ve a lot of nostalgia for Exeggutor. As one of the ‘mon used within my first playthrough of Pokémon Red, Exeggcute was the only ‘mon that I caught the first time I visited the Safari Zone. After training him and unleashing a leaf stone on the several eggs, I had a very strong Exeggutor that got me through victory road with its powerful Grass and Psychic moves. In later playthroughs, I always started with Bulbasaur and built my team accordingly, so I never really added an Exeggutor again – this is why he didn’t make my Top 10 Kanto Pokémon blog. But I did pick up the Alolan form in Pokémon Moon, and I absolutely loved the Grass/Dragon typing. I know his Alolan design is a bit love or hate, but personally, I enjoyed the Hawaiian Palm Tree vibe he had going on.
9) Amoonguss
Amoonguss is a doubles master. In the doubles format, this incredible support Pokémon can be a menace if he’s not dealt with, and it’s for that reason that I love Amoonguss. First of all, Rage Powder is a great set-up move – it forces the opposition to attack Amoonguss, so your other ‘mon is free to prepare a barrage of damage. Secondly, having a status move like Stun Spore on Amoonguss can paralyze foes and reduce the opposition’s overall speed. Lastly, if you have an Amoonguss with the ability Regenerator, you can swap Amoonguss out once he’s made a nuisance of himself, and he’ll recover 33% of his health. Overall, the ability and moves of this mushroomy ‘mon can make him your greatest weapon or your worst enemy!
8) Roserade
Within my Pokémon Pearl squad was the Poison/Grass type Roserade. Generation IV’s Sinnoh added many new evolutions to currently existing Pokémon and Roselia was one of the ‘mon given a new evolution. Although I’ve never used Roserade competitively, nor seen her used competitively, she held strong throughout my Pearl playthrough. I’m also a big fan of Roserade’s design – a small floral ‘mon with two different coloured rose bouquets for arms and a final white rose for the back of her head. So, with Pokémon Shining Pearl due out soon, I may have to relive the Roserade glory of my past.
7) Meganium
Recently, Meganium was used as the first Illumina Pokémon in Pokémon Snap, and I couldn’t be happier. Not only was it great watching Meganium stroll through a very floral field with luminescent light bouncing off the nearby rockery and trees, but seeing the sheer scale of this monstrous Pokémon helped solidify my love for Meganium’s design. This flowered dinosaur ‘mon with the petal necklace, in my opinion, was the best designed final evolution ‘mon from Generation II’s starters. I always thought Feraligator was a bit whack looking, and the changes between Cyndaquil, Quilava and Typhlosion weren’t drastic enough to make it feel like the evolution had even changed the Pokémon. Yes, I started with Cyndaquil, but I wish I’d replayed Gold/Silver with a Chikorita taking up my party’s top spot.
6) Nuzleaf
When it comes to Pokémon with two evolutions (such as the starter ‘mon), I’ll rarely favour the middle Pokémon over the first or last iteration. In my Top 10 Starter Pokémon blog, I mentioned that this is probably because, throughout the journey, it’s likely you’ll spend the least amount of time of the three with the second ‘mon. The first ‘mon is the reason you captured that Pokémon in the first place, whilst the last often gets you through tougher battles on your way to becoming Pokémon Champion. Well, an exception to this rule is Nuzleaf. I absolutely adored my Nuzleaf in my first Pokémon Ruby playthrough – so much so, I was gutted when it evolved into Shiftry, which I really didn’t like that much in comparison. The design of Nuzleaf, I found, was far superior. I loved the flexing sprite, with its raised head and mouth open as if grunting in strength. Truth be told, after I used a Leaf Stone on my Nuzleaf, I soft reset without saving to get him back and carried on my Pokémon Ruby affairs much more content.
5) Ferrothorn
Of the competitive Grass Pokémon on this list, none are tankier or bulkier than the very sturdy Ferrothorn. This behemoth is incredibly hard to take down in battle unless you’re a Fire type dealing x4 damage. But even then, Ferrothorn has access to moves like Iron Defense and Leech Seed which means it will be lingering in battle, even if you have a hard-hitting Fire type STAB move to hand. Chuck in Gyro Ball, which hits harder the slower you are compared to the opposition, and in Ferrothorns case is almost always, and you’ve got a ‘mon difficult to take down, AND that packs a punch – that’s right, the worst! (unless here’s in your squad, in which case, the best!).
4) Decidueye
To date, there’s only one starter Pokémon you can choose that has/ends up with part Ghost typing – and that is Rowlet, who evolves into Decidueye. I absolutely love the design of this Ghost/Grass Owl Pokémon. The hood that covers Decidueyes face evokes an archer-like aesthetic. This aesthetic is completed further by the visor-like pattern around his eyes, cape/toggle around the neck, and single feather atop his wonderful noggin’. This is especially fitting given his moves in Pokkén Tournament DX – several of these include arrows that Decidueye shoots from his wings like a bow from either the air or ground. Overall, Decidueye is a solidly designed ‘mon with a wonderful and unique dual typing for a starter.
3) Bulbasaur
This spot for me often switches between two ‘mon from Bulbasaur’s evolution chain – but today, it’s Bulbasaur (Venusaur is the other). The very first ‘mon in the dex, this frog Pokémon is as cute as they come. Bulbasaur has been in many of my teams, and I’ve said before that I chose Bulbasaur on my second Pokémon Red playthrough – making the first two gyms a breeze. I currently have a Venusaur in my Pokémon Sword team with the ability Chlorophyll, which doubles his speed in harsh sunlight. Bringing Torkoal, Ninetales or Groudon into battle, all of which have the ability Drought, brings out the harsh sunlight allowing Venusaur to get off moves like Sleep Powder right off the bat. Bulbasaur is incredibly cute, loveable, and evolves into a powerhouse of a competitive Pokémon.
2) Rillaboom
Speaking of Pokémon Sword competitive teams, my other setup includes the wonderful Rillaboom. I mentioned in my Top 10 Starter Pokémon that Grookey is my favourite of all the starter ‘mon so far, so it’s fitting that Rillaboom – his final evolution – places near the top of this list. Not only did Rillaboom help me crush the gyms and become Galar Champion, but he’s a monster in the competitive doubles meta. When combined with the move Grassy Glide, his hidden ability Grassy Surge allows him to attack first – causing huge damage to a large majority of types. Throw in Fake Out, to nullify a move right away, and U-turn so you can reactivate the Grassy Terrain on re-entry, and Rillaboom becomes a very handy ‘mon during battle.
1) Whimsicott
My favourite Grass Pokémon ever is Whimsicott. It’s probably not an obvious choice; maybe you were expecting to see Zarude – but I absolutely love this adorable fluff of Cotton. Whimsicott is part Fairy type, which may sway my decision as it’s one of my favourite typings. However, I think I’m so fond of this ‘mon because of how great it is as a support Pokémon in doubles battles. With the ability Prankster, all status and effect moves take priority. That means you can Taunt to stop a Trick Room, Tailwind to give your team attacking priority, and Memento if you give Whimsicott a Focus Sash to harshly lower stats as Whimscott exits the battle. Combine this battling ability with a cute design, wonderful dual typing and nostalgia from being within my Pokémon White team, and you’ll have no chance in trying to deter me from my opinion on this incredible, huggable ‘mon.
Grass Pokémon will always have a place in my squad, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing which ones are available in Shining Pearl when this is released later in the year. Whether I pay homage to my Nintendo DS Pearl playthrough and pick up Roserade or try out one of the other ‘mon from this list if they’re available, one thing is for certain; you can’t have a nin10dave Pokémon team without a Grass type.