Venusaur, the Seed Pokémon. After a rainy day, the flower on its back smells stronger. The scent attracts other Pokémon.
Overview
One of the original 3 starters, Venusaur has had no lack of love heaped upon it thoughout the generations, to its great benefit as one of the most consistently viable of the Kanto starters. In Champions, this takes shape as Venusaur being the best Chlorophyll sweeper in the game. Base 80 Speed may be unassuming, but post Chlorophyll boost is patently absurd outrunning even Scarf Meowscarada, leaving scarce few non-Venusaur Pokémon that can even outrun it in the sun. Venusaur uses this speed to great effect, with frankly absurd coverage between Grass STAB, Sludge Bomb, Earth Power and Fire Weather Ball, there is little that Venusaur can’t hit for super effective damage. Add in Growth for explosive boosting, and Venusaur becomes capable of cleaning up entire teams. Even for the Pokémon that can handle such a powerful varied offense, nothing can safely absorb Sleep Powder as the Grass types immune to it get destroyed by Fire Weather Ball and STAB Sludge Bomb.
Like many other weather attackers, Venusaur’s strength is tied to the Sun and all the issues contained therein. If caught out of its favored weather, Venusaur is incredibly underwhelming. 100 Special Attack is only considered viable for Venusaur due to the sheer explosive boosting of Sun empowered Growth and will regularly miss OHKOs even on super effective hits without that boost. Base 80 Speed, while still enough to outrun many defensive staples, falls short of numerous offensive ones, making Venusaur easy to pressure back. These issues are exasperated by Venusaurs middling defenses. While base 80 HP is certainly not bad, it is not so high to make up for 83 Defense and 100 Special Defense, making Venusaur surprisingly easy to take out, especially with Fire attacks in its favored weather. This makes Venusaur’s Speed and power issues all the more pressing, meaning Venusaur struggles to contribute out of the Sun, and even in the Sun, needs to spend a precious turn setting up. This becomes even more damming since Venusaur is hit hard by 4 moveslot syndrome and struggles to include all the STABs, coverage, Sleep Powder and Growth it wants onto a single set. There is no room for Venusaur to try to establish its own Sun, and even if their was, its frailty makes it to easy to revenge KO while setting up, putting any offensive action on a strict time limit. The presence of other powerful weather setters like Mega Froslass, Tyranitar, Hippowdon and Pelipper, disastrous for Venusaur whose frailty means it struggles getting in safely in the first place. All these issues often make the effort of getting Venusaur into play more trouble than its worth, especially when Sun setters like Mega Charizard Y and Torkoal can offer similar Fire Grass coverage without taking up a team slot or requiring boosting, to say nothing of standalone speedy attackers like Meowscarada, Cinderace and Garchomp who can offer some of the same coverage that Venusaur does without being beholden to the weather. Yet Venusaur remains king under the Sun for good reason, with its nigh peerless speed, disruption and coverage being enough to consider this old friend.
Positives
Sun Growth Boosted attacks and incredible coverage leave few if any safe resists to Venusaur’s assault.
Sleep Powder remains incredibly debilitating, shutting down otherwise would be checks.
Incredible speed with Chlorophyll, outrunning even Scarf Mewoscarada.
Negatives
Incredibly underwhelming outside of the Sun.
Needs Growth boost to deal significant damage.
80/83/100 defenses are frailer than they look without investment, making Venusaur easy to remove.
Mediocre base 80 speed leaves Venusaur outsped by most threats, highlighting its frailty.
Movesets
Sun Saurian Sweeper
-Growth
-Solar Beam
-Sludge Bomb
-Earth Power
Ability: Chlorophyll
Item: Life Orb
Stats and Nature:
2 HP / 32 SAtk / 32 Spe
Timid Nature
This Venusaur set flexes its power as a Sun-based attacker, cleaning up entire teams with minimal setup. Sun boosted Growth is key to this, pushing Venusaur’s mediocre Special Attack to catastrophic heights being the equivalent of a Nasty Plot and essential for reaching knockouts on neutral targets. Solar Beam is emblematic of this power its insane base power as after a Growth Boost and Life Orb, neutral targets are swept away, with even 32 HP/19 Special Defense Garchomp being OHKOd while Pokémon as bulky as 32 HP Umbreon buckle under its power having a 18% chance to be one shot while even bulky resists like Mega Baxcalibur still take obscene damage (49-58%), limiting safe pivots. Sludge Bomb handles most Grass resists, especially opposing Grass types like Meowscarada, and Mega Meganium, in addition to removing Fairy types and Grass resists like Mega Salamence, Mega Floette, Hydreigon, Mega Staraptor, and more. Earth Power rounds out the set as Venusaur’s solution to the Steel types that resist both STABs as well as the opposing Fire types that are assured to OHKO in the Sun.
Stats and Items:
Max Speed and Special Attack are recommended given how underwhelming Venusaur’s Speed and Special Attack are otherwise. Timid Nature and full Speed investment ensures that even Meowscarada, a Pokémon valued for revenge killing absurdly fast sweepers cannot outrun Venusaur in the sun, greatly limiting offensive checks. The power boost from Modest is tantalizing allowing Venusaur to grab otherwise impossible OHKOs on the likes of Mega Charizard Y, and Volcarona, and assure one hit knock outs on the likes of Mega Delphox and Specially Defensive Toxapex. Life Orb is heavily recommended for this set, as without the vital boost from Life Orb, Venusaur starts missing knockouts, even with at +2 Modest, especially against neutral targets like Mega Salamence (81-96%) and Hydreigon (83-98%), while greatly worsening its matchup into Unaware Skeledirge. However, Focus Sash is hard to give up as well, ensuring Venusaur can Growth safely and giving more room to go on the offense without being preemptively removed.
Partners:
Chlorophyll Venusaur cannot function without the sun, so a Sun setter is needed, ideally not Venusaur given its frailty and needing to boost already a difficult proposition. Mega Charizard Y is the best Sun setter around and one of the best Special Attackers in general, and Venusaur can capitalize on that, overwhelming their shared checks through sheer firepower. Torkoal also works as a secondary Sun setter, and can even help Venusaur get in safely after the Sun is setup thanks to its access to Yawn, and can chip opponents into KO range with Stealth Rocks. They also melt ungrounded Steel types with ease, and heavily dissuade their use, something that Venusaur lacking Weather Ball appreciates. Venusaur returns the favor with its Grass STAB being a great answer into the Water, Rock and Ground types that give Torkoal and Mega Charizard Y trouble, as well as Earth Power for opposing Fire types.
Venusaur also has issues removing neutral targets, especially Dragon types who tend to be naturally bulky enough to survive a +2 Sludge Bomb, so allies that can handle such Pokémon are greatly appreciated. Given how many of these checks are Rock weak, Stealth Rock goes miles in pushing such Pokémon into knock out range. Archaludon and Garchomp stand out as setters thanks to their Dragon STAB being a more direct answer into such Pokémon while drawing in Fairy types that Venusaur can use to safely setup or remove.
Other Options:
Energy Ball is a reliable Grass STAB option that is not hampered by weather changes, allowing Venusaur to more actively punish potential Hippowdon and Tyranitar switch ins.
Sleep Powder is a fantastic move even with the shortening of the Sleep timer acting as a 1/3 chance for a free pivot, but a miss will be disastrous and Venusaur is starved for Sun turns and moveslots as it is.
Giga Drain grants more sustainability for Venusaur, especially if it is using Life Orb, but the power drop off is rough.
Weather Ball is an incredible coverage option and Venusaur’s best option into ungrounded Steel types like Corviknight and Skarmory, but is often redundant with the Sun setters who are enabling Venusaur in the first place.
Doubles and VGC Options
As the best Chlorophyll user in the game, it is of little surprise that Venusaur has flourished in Doubles, especially in Regulations M-A and M-B where Mega Charizard Y ruled the roost and Sun was everywhere. Venusaur’s coverage is invaluable for Mega Charizard Y, covering specially bulky Fairy types and the Fire types that Mega Charizard Y can’t access itself. Yet this pales in comparison to Sleep Powder. Even with the reduction of Sleep turns to 2 max, Sleep Powder can act akin to Fake Out that can be used repeatedly, blanking an opponent’s turn in a way that can’t simply dodge with Protect. To say nothing of the disastrous consequences of a two-turn Sleep especially at the screaming offensive pace that Mega Charizard Y teams operate at. It is to the point that in a mirror match, having Venusaur can make all the difference in shutting down the opposing team’s threat and allowing Mega Charizard Y to act unimpeded. Yet Venusaur’s lacking bulk makes it rather volatile and missing a Sleep Powder can as much lose one the battle as landing it can win it. Venusaur is also only as strong as Sun teams are, which have been on a major downturn in Regulation M-C. This is largely due to the return of Mega Salamence who completely crushes Mega Charizard Y + Venusaur cores.
Poison-Tinged Sun
-Sludge Bomb
-Sleep Powder
-Earth Power
-Protect
Ability: Chlorophyll
Item: Life Orb
Stat Points and Nature:
18 HP / 32 SAtk / 16 Spe
Modest Nature
Chlorophyll Venusaur is an amazing enabler for Mega Charizard Y, handling key threats that Mega Charizard Y struggles with and generally enabling its searing offense. Excepting Sludge Bomb Sludge Bomb is standard on all Venusaur as a reliable damage dealing STAB. While this may be odd given Poison's poor coverage, Sludge Bomb's poison chance is solid and adds valuable chip damage that can add up even on turns when opponents protect. The ability to rip chunks out of Fairy types like Mega Floette, Grimmsnarl and Sylveon as well as the dominant Rillaboom are a nice bonus. Sludge Bomb also synergizes nicely with Sleep Powder, preventing Grass types from being a free switch into Venusaur's most potent disruption. Even with the nerf to Sleep, Sleep Powder can act as an inaccurate Fake Out, surpressing a target for a single turn can make all the difference between getting a knockout or being knocked out. Earth Power is amazing coverage, handling the Fire types that Mega Charizard Y struggle to trade with efficiently, especially Flash Fire Ceruledge and Armarouge. The ability to check Steel types like Archauldon and Kingambit also cannot be discounted, especially when going up against Rain teams and you have lost the weather war. Protect is the Doubles staple, allowing Venusaur to block opposing Fake Outs, stall for allied setup, stall out detrimental field conditions, scout for moves and more.
Given Venusaur's underwhelming Special Attack, full investment in Special Attack and Modest nature is highly recommended for Venusaur to effeciently deal with foes, especially with the non-STAB Earth Power. Speed investment is a bit more nuanced. With the given speed investment, Venusaur can outrun Adamant Scarf Garchomp in the Sun as well as every unboosted threat including Mega Garchomp Z. However, going max Speed would not be remiss, given Venusaur sits admid the crowded base 80s where many support Pokémon with varying Speed investments reside, including Archaludon and Rillaboom, to say nothing of opposing Chlorophyll Venusaur, as well as being able to outrun Shell Smash Mega Blastoise If looking to outrun Jolly Scarf Garchomp, 27 Speed is necessary, while 29 Speed is necessary to outrun Timid Pelipper in Tailwind. Anything not being invested in Speed should go into HP to address Venusaur's bulk. Life Orb gives Venusaur a noticeable bump in power that is necessary for reaching knock outs.
Preferred Partners & Other Options:
Sun setters are vital for Venusaur to thrive. Of those, Mega Charizard Y is easily the best, offering a fast-paced offense making Venusaur's Sleep Powders even more impactful, and running Fire STAB and Solarbeam, freeing up Grass STAB and Weather Ball from Venusaur's moveset. In turn, Venusaur answers several of the Pokémon Mega Charizard Y struggles with, especially Fire types with Earth Power, and specially bulky Fairy types (and Primarina) with Sludge Bomb, on top of shutting down potential Rock Slide/Wide Guard users like Mega Aerodactyl and Garchomp. Torkoal does not outright match the extreme pace of Mega Charizard Y, but is still viable all the same.
Like most Grass types, Venusaur also slots well onto Rain cores of Pelipper and Archaludon. While not being able to exercise its supreme speed, its ability to check opposing Water and Grass types that trouble such cores is invaluable all the same, while they easily handle the Fire and Flying types that give Venusaur pause.
Leaf Storm, Solar Beam, Energy Ball and Giga Drain are all viable Grass STAB options if one has plenty of Ground coverage, or wanting Grass coverage in the Rain (excepting Solar Beam of course). Leaf Storm is notable for being guaranteed to OHKO Basculegion regardless of weather, something no other Grass move can claim. Energy Ball is reliable Grass STAB that doesn't sink Venusaur's Special Attack. Giga Drain gives Venusaur more staying power and mitigates the chip from Giga Drain.
Weather Ball does give Venusaur Fire (or Water) coverage but is often redundant with the Weather setters who also run the move or other STABs.
Countering Venusaur
Like many other weather sweepers, the bulk of Venusaur’s difficulty comes from handling it in the Sun.
As such removing the Sun is the best way to make Venusaur more manageable, revealing its middling speed for what it is and making it far easier to knockout. Weather setters like Hippowdon, Tyranitar, Pelipper, and Alolan-Ninetails all defang Venusaur’s threat simply by switching in. However, Hippowdon and Tyranitar abhor switching into non-Solar Beam Grass STABs as does Alolan-Ninetails with Sludge Bomb. Mega Frolass is also notable as a Mega Evolution weather setter but can’t pivot in as such until it has Mega Evolved.
Defensive checks for Growth boosted Venusaur are few and far between and largely dependent on what gaps Venusaur has in its coverage. If lacking Weather Ball, ungrounded Steel types are Venusaur’s bane, given their resistance to Grass STAB and immunity to Sludge Bomb and Earth Power. Corviknight and (Mega) Skarmory are prime examples, at best being 3HKOd while threatening back with their Brave Birds. Mega Golisopod is also troubling, taking 52-61% from Life Orb Earth Power and all but OHKOing in turn with Leech Life. Scizor does take a whopping 62-73% from Life Orb Earth Power, but can reliably get the knock out from Bug Bite into Bullet Punch if it can switch in freely. Conversely, sets lacking Earth Power have more struggles against Fire types as well as Poison resistant Dragons not named Archaludon. 2 HP Ceruledge toes the line taking 71-85% from +2 Life Orb Solar Beam. 32 HP/32+ SDef Skeledirge is notable for ignoring any Growth boosts and OHKOing with Torch Song, and can even survive a single Life Orb Earth Power (50-60%). 32 HP/32 Special Defense Mega Dragalge scoffs at any non-Earth Power attack taking at most 40-47% from Modest +2 Life Orb Weather Ball and reliably 2HKOs back with Sludge Bomb after Life Orb recoil.
There are a few Pokémon close to offensive. Multiscale (Mega) Dragonite with Fire coverage is decent, taking 54-64%/45-53% from +2 Life Orb Sludge Bomb, and will OHKO back with Fire Punch/Flamethrower, but needs a free Switch as Sludge Bomb without Multiscale is liable to OHKO. 32 HP/32 Special Defense Unaware Mega Baxcalibur can’t switch in, but is not OHKOd by any of Venusaur’s moves at +2 and always OHKOs back with Icicle Crash. Mega Delphox takes a whopping 71-84% from +2 Sludge Bomb, but surviving any blow means it knocks out Venusaur.
Offensively checking Venusaur is trickier given its nigh peerless Speed in the Sun. Jolly Scarf Meowscarada, Jolly Scarf Cinderace, and Timid Scarf Greninja are notable for being able to outrun Modest Chlorophyll Venusaur and all having super effective STAB to lay Venusaur low quickly. Otherwise, priority users are recommended, especially if Venusaur took damage setting up. Ice Shard uers immediately come to mind with Mega Baxcalibur (70-84%), Mamoswine (57-68%) and Weavile (69-58%) all dealing serious damage. Mega Golisopod takes this a step further, being able to OHKO Venusaur with First Impression.
Mega Venusaur, the Seed Pokémon. In order to support its flower, which has grown larger due to Mega Evolution, its back and legs have become stronger.
Overview
After a long siesta, Mega Venusaur returns as one of the most prominent defensive Mega Evolutions around. This is in part thanks to the massive defense boosts Mega Venusaur receives upon Mega Evolution. 123 Defense and 120 Special Defense are respectable by any measure, and base 80 HP is high enough with those defenses to ensure Mega Venusaur does not go down quickly. Add in the plethora of healing options Grass types are known for, including Leech Seed, Giga Drain and Synthesis and Mega Venusaur thrives in the long game, avoiding being worn down while doing the same to its opponents. Yet what pushes Mega Venusaur over the edge is its ability Thick Fat. Grass Poison is already a solid defensive typing with incredibly valuable resistances to Fighting, Fairy, Electric, Water and Grass. The unassuming Thick Fat pushes this to a new level, reducing Mega Venusaur’s weaknesses to the relatively uncommon Flying and Psychic. The rarity of such types for offenses can leave entire teams without answers to quickly handle Mega Venusaur, forcing them into the long games Mega Venusaur excels in. Considering all this bulk, Base 122 Special Attack further piles on the pressure, as while normally poor for a Item locked Mega Evolution, is more than sufficient for Mega Venusaur to shell opponents down, further reducing the time opponents have to answer it.
However, Mega Venusaur finds itself in an extremely hostile environment. With the release of Regulation M-C, Mega Venusaur finds its bulk challenged by the domineering Mega Salamence whose Aerliate STAB is more than capable of preying on Mega Venusaur weak point. To say nothing of other well equipped Mega Evolutions like Mega Staraptor and Mega Metagross. Additionally, while base 80 Speed is rather good for a defensive Pokémon, it still falls short of many staples, leading Mega Venusaur to rely on its bulk to excel and vulnerable to being burst down if caught out of position. Additionally, due to the lack of Fire Weather Ball, and Sun boosted Growths, Mega Venusaur’s offense is far less explosive than its base forms and easier to wall as a result especially by ungrounded Steel types, though options like Toxic and Leech Seed prevent this from being cut and dry. These issues have not detracted from the massive success Mega Venusaur has enjoyed thus far and for trainers that can answer Mega Venusaur’s weaknesses may find the ideal arrangement for victory.
Positives
80/123/120 bulk is all around impressive, allowing Mega Venusaur to endure massive punishment.
Numerous healing options allow Mega Venusaur to play the long game and avoid being worn down.
Grass Poison typing with Thick Fat is phenomenal, giving Mega Venusaur numerous valuable resistances with uncommon weaknesses.
Base 122 Special Attack, Mega Venusaur’s wide coverage, Leech Seed and Toxic leave Mega Venusaur far from passive.
Excellent base form that can keep opponents guessing on when or if you will Mega Evolve.
Negatives
80 Speed is insufficient against many attackers, forcing Mega Venusaur to take a hit before acting.
Ungrounded Steel types wall off most of Mega Venusaur’s tool kit, leading to very unfavorable trades.
Movesets
Flora Fauna Frog
-Giga Drain
-Sludge Bomb
-Earth Power
-Sleep Powder
Ability: Chlorophyll -> Thick Fat
Item: Venusaurite
Stats and Nature:
32 HP /2 Def / 32 SAtk
Modest Nature
This is a bulky attacking set, having Mega Venusaur act as a veritable juggernaut, wading through all sorts of attacks while dealing out considerable damage in return. Giga Drain and Sludge Bomb are imperative to this set’s functioning, for differing reasons. Giga Drain is STAB healing, enabling Mega Venusaur to apply pressure while keeping itself healthy, allowing it to trade far more positively into Pokémon like Hippowdon, Primarina, and Basculegion and adding to its seeming immortality. Sludge Bomb is where the bulk of Mega Venusaur’s offensive threat comes from. STAB Sludge Bomb already deals considerable damage to anything that doesn’t resist it, but the high Poison chance also adds passive damage to Mega Venusaur’s foes, making them that much easier to outlast. Earth Power is vital coverage for the Steel and Poison types that wall off both STABs, ensuring Mega Venusaur can make progress against such sturdy foes, as well as threaten off Fire and types that take Giga Drain well and that Mega Venusaur cannot easily heal from as a result. Sleep Powder, while somewhat anti synergistic with Sludge Bomb is great for punishing pivots into Pokémon that Mega Venusaur can’t threaten, disabling them and allowing Mega Venusaur to safely pivot out to a better equipped teammate, maintaining positioning. This also turns Mega Venusaur’s middling speed into an advantage, allowing it to more easily set up scenarios where it can pivot out on the forced Sleep turn, while having the bulk to survive most attacks. Chlorophyll adds an extra dimension to all this, allowing Mega Venusaur to act as a speedy attacker in its base form, cleaning up weakened foes before Mega Evolving.
Stats and Items:
Max HP and Special Attack are recommended for this set, allowing Mega Venusaur to survive a wide range of attacks while dealing as much damage with its offense. This is far from the only way to stat Mega Venusaur. Defense and Special Defense investment are highly recommended to allow Mega Venusaur to stave off a wider range of attacks. 32 Special Defense greatly inures Mega Venusaur against Special Attacks, allowing it to all but avoid an OHKO from the likes of +2 Gholdengo’s Make It Rain, a KO from Mega Garchomp Z’s Dragon Pulse into Draco Meteor, while adding a Calm Nature ensures that Timid Indeedee-M’s Expanding Force is not an OHKO. As for Defense, 32 HP/5 Def prevents Cinderace from 2HKOing with Pyro Ball. 32 HP/8 Def is enough to ensure Black Glasses Kingambit cannot 2HKO with Kowtow Cleave (while 7 Special Attack and Modest is enough to ensure Earth Power 2HKOs). 32 HP/15 Defense prevents the OHKO from Jolly Mega Metagross. Going full Defense investment denies Life Orb Garchomp of a 2HKO with Earthquake and Mega Golisopod with Leech Life. Adding Bold to that ensures that Baxcalibur’s Glaive Rush cannot 2HKO Mega Venusaur either. Item is locked to the Venusaurite.
Partners:
Allies that can handle the Flying and Psychic attacks that give Mega Venusaur trouble are invaluable. Alolan-Ninetails is an excellent example, not only threatening Mega Salamence with its Ice STAB, but setting up Screens that make Mega Venusaur completely unmovable. Mega Venusaur returns the favor with its strong matchups into Snow denying Sand and Rain setters like Hippowdon and Tyranitar, as well as solid matchups into numerous Steel and Fire types that give Alolan-Ninetails issues. Corviknight is another excellent example, tanking both Mega Salamence and Mega Metagross’ assaults with ease while loving Mega Venusaur’s ability to absorb Electric attacks. Umbreon is another strong partner, completely blanking Psychic attacks, access to Wish and Yawn to get Mega Venusaur in safely or just spread Toxic itself to place enemies on a timer. Mega Venusaur’s returns the favor with its resistance to Fighting and Dark, Umbreon’s biggest banes.
The Mega Charizards are both excellent partners to Mega Venusaur, allowing Mega Venusaur to bluff the base Chlorophyll set. Mega Charizard X is notable for a much stronger, if more volatile matchup against Mega Salamence, while Mega Charizard Y offers more flexibility and allows Mega Venusaur to serve as a speedy attacker in its base form if needed.
Other Options:
Synthesis is potent burst healing that can keep Mega Venusaur healthy even in the face of Grass resists.
Leech Seed places opponents on a timer while keeping Mega Venusaur healthy and is its best option into ungrounded Steel types like Corviknight.
Toxic is consistent, escalating passive damage that fits well with Mega Venusaur’s gameplan.
Sludge Wave is alternative Poison STAB whose lower Poison chance synergizes better with Sleep Powder and Toxic.
Doubles and VGC Options
Venusaur’s whirlwind success in VGC also opens doors for Mega Venusaur in new and exciting ways. Mega Venusaur’s excellent bulk serves it well in Doubles, especially with its very narrow weaknesses and excellent recovery turning it into an outright win condition for teams with little or no direct answers to it. This is even before getting into the large number of staples Mega Venusaur does wall, including Rillaboom, Sneasler, Basculegion, Archaluon, the Mega Raichus, Sylveon and Mega Floette. This all around excellence in both its base and Mega Evolved forms enables a vicious degree of mindgames and offers Venusaur an incredible degree of flexibility and it can choose whether to Mega Evolve on a game to game if not turn to turn basis. However, the changes to Regulation M-C have been even rougher in Doubles than in Singles for Mega Venusaur. While Mega Staraptor and Mega Metagross in regulation M-B were bad enough, Mega Salamence and its Aerialate offense is everywhere and a near hard counter to Mega Venusaur on its own. The reintroduction of Indeedee also ensures the resurgence of PsySpam teams, an entire archetype that mulches Mega Venusaur.
Inexorable Vines
-Giga Drain
-Sludge Bomb
-Earth Power
-Protect
Ability: Chlorophyll -> Thick Fat
Item: Venusaurite
Stat Points and Nature:
32 HP / 32 SAtk / 2 SDef
Modest Nature
This Mega Venusaur set has it act as a bulky attacker, being too costly to remove, but also too powerful to ignore, placing opponents into a lose lose scenario of either trying to remove Mega Venusaur and leaving its partner free to wreak havoc or ignore Mega Venusaur and have their own Pokémon be compromised by Mega Venusaur. Giga Drain helps immensely with this, being both damage and recovery, allowing Mega Venusaur to apply pressure while remaining as sticky as possible. Being able to threaten good damage into Basculegion, Milotic, and Tyranitar are nice bonuses as well. Sludge Bomb is primary damaging STAB and with its high poison rate ensures even targets that resist the move don't like switching into it unless explicitly immune. The ability to threaten Fairy types like Sylveon, Mega Floette, and Grimmsnarl alongside Grass typed support pieces like Whimsicott, Rillaboom and Tsareena is a nice bonus. Earth Power is coverage and valuable coverage at that, handling the Steel and Poison types that normally wall Mega Venusaur's STABs like Archaludon, Sneasler, Kingambit, and Gholdengo alongside threatening doubles superstar Incineroar with severe damage. Protect is the best move in Doubles, and just by having it, Mega Venusaur can avoid unnecessary damage from Fake Out + allied attack Double ups, making it that much harder to remove.
As this set is dedicated on evolving Mega Venusaur, investing fully into HP is recommended to make it as bulky as possible, with everything else going into Special Attack to make up for Mega Venusaur's inability to hold an item. It should be noted Speed investment is perfectly viable on Mega Venusaur for all the same reasons as base Venusaur, especially if intending to run it in the Sun as well. For particular HP benchmarks, 14 HP is notable for being the minimum necessary for Mega Venusaur to survive Pelipper's Hurricane. If wanting to lean even further into bulk, 32 HP and 11 Def ensures Mega Venusaur can survive a 0- Attack Mega Salamence's Double Edge.
Preferred Partners & Other Options:
Both Mega Charizards make for excellent partners for Mega Venusaur. Mega Charizard Y enables base Venusaur as a Chlorophyll attacker, while Mega Charizard X is deadly in closed teamsheet environments, luring opponents to field Dragon types against the expected Fire + Grass offense, only to be met with a powerful Dragon attacker that can threaten them back. Regardless, even in open teamsheet, Charizard can cause intense mind games on whether or not Venusaur will Mega Evolve and places more pressure on the opponent.
Mega Venusaur is a natural pick for Rain cores, gaining a true resistance to Fire in the Rain, while able to handle troublesome opponents like opposing Mega Swampert, Basculegion and Archaludon that can give Rain teams trouble. In turn, Archaludon is a natural answer to Flying typed offense between Electro Shot for opposing Pelipper and Mega Staraptor and Dragon STAB for Mega Salamence.
Grimmsnarl is an amazing partner for Mega Venusaur, thanks not only to its Screens, Spirit Break and Parting Shot making Mega Venusaur impossible to take down, but also for its ability to handle PsySpam teams thanks to its Dark typing.
Energy Ball is a viable Grass STAB option that allows Mega Venusaur to reliably OHKO Basculegion, though giving up any other move is painful.
Leech Seed is for stalling out games, especially against opponents Mega Venusaur struggles to hurt otherwise like Corviknight, Mega Skarmory, and Mega Chimecho, but comes at the cost of valuable coverage.
Synthesis is a powerful option if paired with the Sun for burst healing.
Sleep Powder remains as potent a shutdown tool as ever.
Countering Mega Venusaur
Mega Venusaur’s fantastic defensive profile and litany of healing make it a chore to remove quickly, yet its myriads of passive damage options make it that almost necessary.
Flying and Psychic attackers are one of the few ways to trade positively against Mega Venusaur. Of those, Mega Salamence is by far the best, its Aerialate Double Edges reliably OHKOing offensive Mega Venusaur with minimal investment, to say nothing of full 32 Attack Mega Salamence. This is on top of taking little to nothing from any move not named Sludge Bomb, though the move dealing a whopping 51-61% means Mega Salamence must exercise caution. Mega Metagross also does well against Mega Venusaur lacking defense investment, being favored to OHKO with Psychic Fangs, though if Mega Venusaur survives, it can pick off a half health Mega Metagross with Earth Power. Indeedee-M’s Exapanding Force is also quite devestating reliably OHKOing any Mega Venusaur not fully invested in Special Defense. While Pelipper lacks the direct power to OHKO Mega Venusaur, its Hurricane still deals a whopping 54-65% when unvested, capping out at 90% against Max HP Venusaur and capable of outspeeding if Mega Venusaur is uninvested in Speed. Mega Absol Z also deals catastrophic damage with its Psychic Cut, and unlike Pelipper, outspeeds Mega Venusaur, making it easier to revenge knockout.
Defensively checking Mega Venusaur is not recommended, given its access to Sleep Powder, Toxic and Leech Seed making any would be all miserable, though there are some viable picks. Corviknight and (Mega) Skarmory completely wall offensive sets and their Flying STABs can wear Mega Venusaur down quickly, with it having Leech Seed as its only recourse. Mega Chimecho can also use Mega Venusaur as setup fodder, while threatening immediate damage with its Psychic STAB. 32 HP/32+Special Defense Galarian Slowking is also an aggravating foe between Regenerator and its high Special Defense completely shrugging off Earth Power while halting recovery with Psychic Noise.
Locations in Games
Red/Blue/Yellow:
Evolve Ivysaur
Gold/Silver/Crystal:
Transfer from Red, Green, Blue or Yellow
Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald:
Trade from FireRed/LeafGreen
FireRed/LeafGreen:
Evolve Ivysaur
Colosseum/XD:
Trade from FireRed/LeafGreen
Diamond/Pearl/Platinum:
Trade from HeartGold/SoulSilver
HeartGold/SoulSilver:
Evolve Ivysaur
Black/White:
Transfer from Generation IV
Black 2/White 2:
Transfer from Generation IV
X/Y:
Evolve Ivysaur
Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire:
Trade from X/Y
Sun/Moon:
Transfer from Pokémon Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon
Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon:
Evolve Ivysaur
Let's Go, Pikachu!/Let's Go, Eevee!:
Evolve Ivysaur
Sword/Shield:
Max Raid Battles: Forest of Focus, Training Lowlands
Gigantamax Raid Battles: Forest of Focus, Training Lowlands
Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl:
Evolve Ivysaur
Legends: Arceus:
Not in game
Scarlet/Violet:
Evolve Ivysaur
Legends: Z-A:
Evolve Ivysaur
Hyperspace Lumiose - Poison (4 Star), Grass (4 Star), Grass (5 Star)
Anime Appearences
