Pokémon Top 5 : My Favourite Grass Types

Hello Island Guests, we are nearing this series completion! Five more types and we covered every single Pokémon type and made lists of my favourites for all of them! Today we discuss the grass type! One of my favourite typings over all that oftenly blend with another favourite typing of mine! The poison type! This does mean I had a bit of difficulty with the the number 4 and 5 on my list.. but my top 3 is something that will never change!  I love almost all grass types though and except for my top 3 they are all incredibly close to another.. except for a few but I will never tell them cause it will make them cry!

Like always time for some honourable mentions! As per the rules I can not state more than one entry per evolutionary line and if I like a final form less and it makes me want to use it less  than it can go on this list. While nowhere near as strongly as some of the other types this is how I feel about Bayleef!  I LOVE Bayleef! I am however not a big fan of Meganium.  It’s a bit safe, it doesn’t get great moves , let alone good grass moves. Since Typhlosion and Feraligatr do get some great moves with the Same Type Attack Bonus.. Meganium is just really the lesser choice. It is really outdone by most other grass starters which is a shame. Bayleef has so much personality though and will always be one of my favourites.

A Pokémon also has to feel like a grass type. Grass types usually have this covered except for some legendaries like Kartana the Ultra Beast and  Tapu Bulu the Island Guardian. Paper and a Tiki Bull do not shout Grass Type to me…However I don’t like to use Legendaries in general..only the earlier ones . There is one other Pokémon that I dont really find a grass type and that is Whimsicott. I see the fairy part, and I guess I can see how you look at it as a tree spirit thing or something.. but I just see a pixie like creature. It usually doesn’t rely on grass moves all that much either! It’s hella cute and a great Pokémon.. I am just not sure I see it as a grass type!

Speaking of almost not using legendaries there is one I do really like, no It is not shiny Celebi.. I know it is pink.. but it is just a lesser variable and more fragile version of Mew..and Mew is pink base form.  No I am  talking about Shaymin… I do not mind it’s normal form but I find it a bit meh design wise. Shaymin Sky Forme however is amazing!  I LOVE that design and the extra typing it gets puts it as one of favourites. However it is just a side form of Shaymin so I did not feel it was right to put it here as I really find regular Shaymin to be quite lackluster.

Pokémon that appeared on earlier lists will not make the cut either! Which actually includes what would be by definite number four! This Pokémon is Breloom! I love Breloom soooo much!  In the pokémon scene it has become very popular to react to Jaiden Animations , My First Nuzlocke!  In it a Breloom dies and I felt the pain! A Breloom is such an amazing grass type pokémon that it would just feel terrible to lose it! This is why I do not Nuzlocke these games. I’d cry my eyes out! In am a sucker for mushroom Pokémon and even though none of them made the list.. because they are all below Breloom.. a swarm of mushrooms would show up if this was a top 10 and every Pokémon was allowed! Breloom! You rock!

In the past I made an argument of including the “sound” type in Pokémon.. and a lot of my top five Pokémon so far would have fitted in that typing. Ludicolo, Chatot, Exploud, Toxtricity and now Maractus. I have a thing for sound based Pokémon. I am not even sure what it is because Maractus isn’t that amazing when it comes to gameplay! I just completely adore it anyway!  On a Stream of a Pokétuber called Patterrz he had a Maractus named Jeb! Jeb was amazing!  My own Maractus I used in a fan game was pretty sweet as well!  It is just such a nicely designed cactus Pokémon. A dancing cactus that has pink little flowers on its head. It is just one of those pokémon that makes me go N’awwww every time I see it. I think in part it’s it’s bunny like design , a bunny was my first plushy so I have something for bunny ears. Bunny eared cactus is definitely a win here! In the anime it’s adorable as well.. and I would like to hug it so much! It would be a bad idea! But still it’s just one of those things. 

Maractus live out in the desert where they would fall prey to some of the arrid region birds if they had not had their secret weapon! The power of dance! With a little uptempo dance they become some weird sort of scarecrow. A Marcatus can only move rhythmic and if it does it produces a Maraca like sound which scares of Pokémon..I assume because it sounds like rattlesnakes.. but maybe Pokémon are scared blind of Samba de Amigo games as well! Who knows?! The scarecrow thing they do to protect their very nutritious seeds once a year they shed ove these seeds and scatter them all across the desert. These seeds are an important food source to animals and humans in these regions alike!  Birds want to eat them while they are still on the Marcatus though..and pecks are super effective.. so you can’t really blame these cactus pokémon for defending themselves can you.

Maractus is a Never Used tier Pokémon and it’s base stat total of 461 is quite low! It has a very decent special attack and a fair amount of health though so it’s best if you equip it with a Big Root, and teach it Leech Seed and Giga Drain. Big Root boosts your health gains and it’s ability Water Absorb let’s you freely switch it in against water types and provide some extra heals even. Acupressure will help you give it some boosts on the turns your opponent is free to swap out but you can go with Growth as well.. but Growth will make speed an issue. If your opponent runs a lot of physical moves Spiky Shield is a good shoutout.. or use Maractus to counter your opponents walls and teach it toxic!  Personally I prefer to use it as a Wall breaker! A careless opponent can really let you buff your Cactus up nice and easy!  If you do run Acupressure, which gives you a random stat buffed you could take poison jab instead of toxic as well in case you get lots of physical attack buffs!

The pinkest grass type I could find (except for maybe Shiny Celebi)  is definitely on my favourites list. While again it’s stats are a bit lackluster, it is just such an interesting Pokémon.  We all know the walking twig bug is a bug pretending to be a plant. So Creatures Inc, Game Freak and Nintendo came up with a plant pretending to be a bug! Amazing! It’s a Totem Pokémon as well so if you play Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon you can get a special version of this pokémon.. which was a huge selling point for me to use it. It’s amazing!  Sun and Moon really made their mons so much more memorable. The design looks very feminine and elegant but you can also tell it is a physical attack that will use it’s sickle talons to attack. Its pre-evolution is absolutely adorable and I just want to hug it till it heads pops.. but not literally I’d be super super upset. I like cool evolutions fine but I love the graceful evolutions just a bit better.  Primarina , Gardevoir, Milotic and Lurantis, it is nice to see some “grace” in the pokémon world. This is definitely a monster I have taken a shine to.

Lurantis is very themed in with solar light! Not only is grooming  this pokémon an effort that requires a lot of love and sunlight, this makes it quite popular among non Pokémon Trainers who want to have the Lurantis with the most vibrant colours. So it has a pretty nice life. It has little defences against bugs however so it just pretends to be a bug itself! In its habitat there are still a few  bugs so that is probably a good move. However if you look closely you can spot that the cloth over its arm is actually flower petals. These petals are harder than they look super thin and razor sharp. So they are often used as a sickle! However these petals can also actually shoot laser beams! Yes it is actually called a laser in the Pokédex! These beams are so powerful that they can blow holes in , what else but, thick steel plates. The steel plate industry in the Pokémon world must REALLY be thriving with how much of those get destroyed! Of course this pokémon is a Alola region creation so  it has a more twisted pokédex entry as well. When it is slashing and cutting into its opponents and great speed and grace people almost look like it is dancing. If you see a Lurantis cutting up it’s opponent you will think it’s the most Glamorous Pokémon you have ever seen.

There are many ways to build a Lurantis  for battle. It has Contrary as it’s hidden ability so a Leaf Storm using Lurantis is a good way to build for victory! Z Sunny day for some speed and bam!  But that is not what we are after! Today I want to give you a build that does that whole laserbeam from it’s petals thing! So we make a set that has the ability Leaf Guard (which prevents status changes in the sun)  Sunny Day, which sets up the sun!  Toxic, to prevent your opponent from setting up (As toxic damage stacks over time) Aerial Ace  to deal with bugs and (most) poison types and Solar Blade.. which is buffed up by Sunny Day.EV’s  go into Health to make it sure it can take a hit and Attack to make sure it deals Maximum Damage. Your laser plant is ready for use!

Vileplume is just another Pokémon I am just in love with! From it’s simple but appealing looks, to its cry. Every time i see a Vileplume I want to use one. When I saw  it in Pokémon Snap it was my favourite Pokémon to put on camera. Vileplume has been on plenty of my teams and will continue to be for the future. It is great and bulky so it allows you to scout new Pokémon a lot as a result  I really like to use it during first runs and as a lead. That means I always see what nickname I give it first and most.. and our bond really grows! I also still like the fact that Oddish it’s prevolution can punch and tackle better than an Onix. Vileplume has that level of clunk in it..it doesn’t seem to be able to run very fast and the way it’s hands are shaped make think with how it’s head is shaped it can get into a few awkward situations! So in essence I really like this pokémon because I think it could easily get it’s head stuck in a door!

Right away from the first generation we begin with a zinger of a Pokedex entry. It’s big head is heavy and hard to hold up! Oh my Arceus I love it so much for that!  Mamma will help you with your head Boo! It also seems to be the thing with the largest petals in the world… Don’t tell it about Galarian Venusaur! The larger the petals are the more poisonous these things are. As it waddles about it spreads those toxic spores around oftenly making the sky tint yellow . This poison causes ravaging allergic reactions that sometimes can even lead to paralysis. Once a Vileplume has paralysed its prey will will walk up to it and devour it. It seems to prefer jungles as its natural habitat and it can be dangerous enough that people are advised to stay away from any pretty jungle flower because it might be a vileplume and it might not end well for you.

In combat Vileplume is one of those, Jack of all trades master of none type pokémon. It’s Special Attack is it’s best stat and the rest is actually “fine”. So EV it’s special Attack to the maximum and split what’s left across it defences and equip it with Moonlight, a powerful healing move, Effect Spore as ability to help you with you defences, Sludge Bomb And Giga Drain for offensive moves and toxic to status non physical attackers. It will be a nice set that allows Vileplume to do it’’s thing and hold it’s head up high proudly when it comes out of it’s battles victorious! It is a set focussed on enduring and out-stalling your opponent. Vileplume can also work well on a sun team but still can be a bit sluggish!  Trick Room might be an option as well if you give it a slowing item to equip, but I’d say it is best equipped with something like Leftovers who heal a little between turns.

Rowlet is just SOOO adorable.  It is one of my favourite starters ever. I wrote a lot about Rowlet before just before I joined OWLS!  Rowlet’s line is based on an Owl that is a plague in Hawaii.. evolving into an Owl that is becoming scarce on Hawaii into an owl that has gone extinct in Hawaii. I love that it is a bit a story of human hubris. First we see something as unwanted , so we try to bring back balance but we do not know what we do.. and we end up with only memories. This pokémon is so well designed and has so much personality! When the starters were revealed everybody loved Rowlet right away and I mean everybody! The little owl with a tie on it’s neck won over so many hearts including mine. The anime where Rowlet sleeps in Ash backpack just made me love it so much more. I love my grass starters but rarely do they turn out so well as Rowlet. I do think Chespin and Snivy are the weakest grass starters, respectively and seeing Creatures Inc return strongly in the form of this was amazing.  For a good chunk of my first blogging year Rowlet has also stood for OWLS. The Otaku Warriors of Liberty and Self Respect.. and a message I very much support which makes this more than a Pokémon it is a symbol as well.

Rowlet nesting in Ash bag is something that is actually explained in it’s pokédex entries. Rowlet do like to nest in caves or dark and tight spaces. It is even known to nest in Trainer’s Pockets if they are big enough! Which of course is completely adorable! Pocket Owl! It doesn’t mind being in the light all that much as well as it does sleep during the day to photosynthesis and store energy to use at night. It is a very silent flyer and on dark nights it will go out hunting for prey! When it spots something it will toss it’s feathers at it which are sharp and arrow like.. as a little..hint and what is to come. Rowlet is quite hot tempered though. It it moves too close to its opponent it doesn’t retreat of fly up and try to throw it’s feathers again.. no It just moves in close and treats their opponents to some vicious kicks.
So even though Rowlet is only 30 centimeters (or 1 foot)  tall and it only weighs 1.5 kilograms apparently it’s kicks are formidable. For those who need to know 1.5 kilograms is like 3. a bit  in pounds. This one is definitely on the list of Pokémon I would want as a pet.

Rowlet is first form pokémon, so the moveset here is a Little Cup Set, which means only unevolved pokémon.. that at least evolve ones created at level 5.  EV’s  are used to max out attack, just a little bit into special defence to tie it up with its other defensive stat and the rest goes into speed. Rowlet is a physical attacker and like most little cup Pokémon it is quite weak which means you will want to bring some set up. Rowlet’s best set up move is Sword Dance. Fittingly enough it’s best grass move is Leaf Blade. Brave Bird will give it it’s flying Same type attack Bonus and Sucker Punch will give it some hard hitting priority move your opponent really has to work around! Depending on your opponents team you give it either a Life Orb to maximize damage ,if you plan to burn it out quickly and need it for a few specific takedowns like ground or fighting types. If you want to use it to chip at your opponent you better be off equipping if with some Berry Juice though to let it endure for longer. While this format may not have the prestige of an O.U. (OverUsed Tier)  fight bringing Rowlet to a little cup fight certainly can be a hoot.

Was there ever any doubt in my mind that this would be my favourite grass type? Hell no! Not only is Bulbasaur my favourite Grass type, it may very well be my penultimate favourite pokémon just behind Sylveon. This was the first pokémon I ever adventured with and with very few exceptions, whenever I can pick Bulbasaur. I think I used about 18 different Bulbasaur in games. Not counting Delta Bulbasaur in Pokémon Insurgence and Browniesaur in Pokemon Sweet Version. This is more than a Pokémon to me.. even more so than Sylveon. Bulbasaur is the single most important pokémon in my life without a shadow of a doubt. That first journey I went on with Bulbasaur the Bulbasaur changed my life. I would not be writing this today without that little guy.  Bulbasaur was something I nurtured, it started my trent for rooting for the underdog! We had Pokémon Red which meant Charmander.. and we had Pokémon Blue which meant Squirtle and while I indeed actually picked Squirtle first..empty batteries soon fixed that.. as if I got a signal from above that the little leapfrog with the bulb on it’s back should have been my partner. Now well over 20 years later.. I still partner up with Bulbasaur whenever I can.. it made me fall in love with Pokémon and taste the geek community!  It is just a super big part of me! It is part of my soul!

Pokédex entry wise Bulbasaur isn’t all that facinating though… but there is an interesting factoid all the same. The moment a Bulbasaur is born a seed is planted on it which grows out to be it’s bulb. This means that a Baby Bulbasaur technically is born without it’s bulb.. just as soon as it is born it gets its own bulb. After that moment the bulb rapidly grows every day. Bulbasaurs like to sunbathe and nap in the sun a lot as this allows them to store nutrients in said bulb. If the bulb is filled with nutrients Bulbasaur can survive on whatever nutrients it stored for days. Not having to eat a single Morsel. That is about all there is to tell about Bulbasaur’s Pokédex entry. Yet there is a question I can not shake. Who plants the seed on Bulbasaur.. is it it’s parents? What if you get a bulbasaur egg from the daycare.. do you get a seed to plant on it from the old folks taking care of the daycare?  Does the egg itself maybe plant the seed?  Is there like a sandman of bulbs?  What does a bulbasaur say when it comes out of the egg bulbless! Is it just called Saur or Asaur until it’s seed grows?! I do not know! One of my favourite pokémon in the world and I do not have an answer!

In Little Cup Bulbasaur is an amazing Pokémon as well, but I don’t think Sword and Shield have the little Cup format at all. So we are going for a Sun and Moon build here! Which means taking advantage of Z-moves and in this case Z-Celebrate. Z-moves are a form of super moves and while Celebrate is a worthless move that just gives your opponent a present Z-Celebrate will be a big and useful stat Buff!  Sludge Bomb, Giga Drain and Sleep Powder will decimate your opponents team in the later phases of the fight. If you burn out there counters against the little thing early game you are sure to sweep your way to victory using this amazing Bulbasaur build. It looks festive too!  If your opponent runs a lot of grass types, or steel types take hidden power Fire instead of sleep powder to get around those. Z-Celebrate and Little Cup will make sure that Hidden Power still has enough oomph to realling bring the pain! Who says you need to evolve to be strong!

Bulbasaur and I go way back..it is one of those pokémon I’d say I have a genuine bond with! It  opened up a new path in my life! It went with me to the  first geek gathering I ever had.. even if it did not play. I have a Bulbasaur plushie watching over me at night, I have a hard time not picking Bulbasaur whenever I can.. I genuinely feel bad.. as if we belong together. That First Bulbasaur may be gone.in terms of data, it got reset over.. and I played the other two starters as well. I also made a new game and came back to Bulbasaur. A new one! Bulbasaur accompanied me in Pokémon Leaf Green, it was on my team in Let’s Go Eevee. Bulbasaur was there for me in Pokémon Reborn, Bulbasaur was there for me in Pokémon Mega Adventures. I played variations of it, I ran a grass TCG deck just so I could play a Bulbasaur and if someone asks me what is the best starter I can without a shadow of a doubt say it’s name. My sweet Bulbasaur you will always be my number 1.

What is your favourite Grass-Type? Which of the starting types you like best? What was your first ever pokémon? Do you have any loyalty toward it?! Let me know in the comments! Next time will be the last time I can add to the chain of typings that are super effective against the previous list. Next time we discuss my five favourite Poison types! Now it’s time for me to be all plantlike and play in the sun for a bit!

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