Spamming Flamethrower and Surf is cool, I’ll admit. But the strategies that comes with using a Grass-type are often too much fun to pass up. So in the spirit of strategy and status moves, here are the absolute best Grass Pokémon you can track down for your FRLG team.
5. Parasect
Suggested Moves:
Poisonpowder Stun Spore Spore Giga Drain
Parasect is an often forgotten Bug/Grass-type that has a lot to offer as a support Pokémon. It may not have the stats to deal huge damage or stick around for a dozen turns. But it has early access to moves that inflict paralysis and poisoning. And when you catch a Paras it should already have two of these moves: Poisonpowder and Stun Spore. Parasect also has access to the only 100% accurate sleep move in the game, Spore. It’s learned at level 27, and this is main reason to add a Parasect to your team. If you want to teach Parasect an attacking move, you can teach it Giga Drain at level 51, or through TM19 which you get as a reward from beating the Celadon City Gym. I’d recommend only using Giga Drain after you’ve inflicted a status effect or two, or as a last resort. How to catch: Catch a Paras in Mt. Moon, then raise it to level 24 to evolve it into Parasect.
4. Victreebel
Suggested Moves:
Sleep Powder Poisonpowder/Toxic Stun Spore Razor Leaf/Giga Drain
Victreebel is a very typical Grass/Poison-type that does exactly what you’d expect: To poison anything it can and Razor Leaf everything else. Keep in mind that since Victreebel uses an Evolution Stone to evolve, it won’t naturally learn any moves. So make sure to teach Weepinbell all the level-up moves you want it to know before you evolve it. Like Parasect, this moveset buikd focuses on status effect moves. Its first evolution (Bellsprout) will learn Sleep Powder at level 15, Poisonpowder at level 17, and Stun Spore at level 19. This sets it up as a great support Pokémon early on. Victreebel’s high Attack stat also means it can also deal a ton of damage. So once your choice of status effect has been inflicted, follow it up with a Giga Drain, learned via TM. And once you beat Koga, consider replacing Poisonpowder with Toxic which you’ll get for beating the Fuchsia City Gym. How to catch: Bellsprout is available in LeafGreen only, starting from Route 5. Raise Bellsprout to level 21 to evolve it into Weepinbell, then get a Leaf Stone from Celadon City’s Department Store and use it on Weepinbell to evolve it into Victreebel.
3. Exeggutor
Suggested Moves:
Psychic Giga Drain Stun Spore Reflect
Exeggutor’s Special Attack stat is enormous, so be sure to build its moveset to take advantage of this. As soon as you reach Saffron City, find Mr. Psychic and speak to him to get Psychic (TM29). This is the strongest Psychic-type STAB move Exeggutor can learn. Giga Drain is Exeggutor’s best Grass-type STAB move, learned through the TM from Celadon’s Gym. And to help keep Exeggutor around for longer, stop the enemy from attacking with Stun Spore, learned at level 25. Another helpful move is Reflect, lowering physical attack damage for five turns. Exeggcute should know this when you catch it, but if not, you can find it at the Celadon Department Store roof (TM33). How to catch: You can find Exeggcute in Safari Zone areas 1, 2 and 3. Once Exeggcute knows all of the level-up moves you want it to know, get the Leaf Stone from Safari Zone area 1 (or from the Celadon Dept. Store) then use it on Exeggcute to evolve it into Exeggcutor.
2. Vileplume
Suggested Moves:
Petal Dance Stun Spore Sleep Powder Poisonpowder/Toxic
Vileplume comes with all-round great stats, high Special Attack, and a wide movepool. And you’ll also need a Leaf Stone for this evolution too – but unlike the rest of the Pokémon on this list, Vileplume can learn a move via level-up even after evolving. So let’s get into the moveset build here: Petal Dance locks Vileplume into two to three turns of powerful Grass-type attacks before confusing it. The confusion won’t be much of a drawback, since Petal Dance will probably end the battle before Vileplume can feel its effects. So it’s worth leaning. It’ll pick this up at level 44. Oddish learns Poisonpowder, Stun Spore, and Sleep Powder at levels 14, 16 and 18 respectively, and can learn Toxic by TM. I strongly recommend teaching Oddish all three of these level-up moves, and then replacing Poisonpowder with Toxic as soon as you get the chance. How to catch: Catch an Oddish on Route 5, then evolve it Gloom by raising it to level 21. Pick up the Leaf Stone from the Celadon Dept. Store and use it on Gloom to evolve it into Vileplume.
1. Venusaur
Suggested Moves:
Razor Leaf Synthesis Toxic Sleep Powder
Venusaur is the best in the game at just about everything you might want a Grass Pokémon to do. It has high Special Attack, impressive bulk, strong STAB moves, and a plethora of status moves. And there are dozens of ways you can build Venusaur while still having it remain as the best Pokémon on your team. I personally prefer to try to balance all of its strongest points, using a STAB move, a poison-inflicting move, a healing move, and a sleep move. For STAB moves, Venusaur does best with Razor Leaf, a Grass-type move that Ivysaur first learns at level 22. Venusaur’s best defensive move isn’t learned until a while later, at level 53. This is Synthesis, which heals for 50% of its max HP. For poisoning and sleep-infliction, Venusaur will of course use Toxic and Sleep Powder. Toxic comes from the Fuchsia City Gym TM, while it’ll first learn Sleep Powder as a Bulbasaur at level 15. How to catch: Choose Bulbasaur as your starter in Professor Oak’s Lab, then raise it to level 16 to evolve it into Ivysaur. Then at level 32 Ivysaur evolves into Venusaur.
