Almost every 90s kid grew up playing some form of Pokémon, whether it was the card game, the Nintendo Game Boy game, or the console spin-offs. The original Game Boy versions (Red & Blue) were first released in 1996 and there are plenty of fans who still play them even today; provided their save hasn’t been corrupted in pursuit of the glitch Pokémon known as Missing No.
One of the most exciting parts of the game is choosing one’s very first Pokémon, aka their starter. The original starters were the fire-type Charmander, the water-type Squirtle, and the grass-type Bulbasaur. Despite being the only one of the three starter options to not have its own game released in the United States, Bulbasaur quickly became a fan favorite among players. While Bulbasaur does offer some unique benefits, there are also some drawbacks of selecting this adorable dinosaur-inspired Pokémon.
7 Perk: Vine Whip Provides A Surprising Advantage Over Brock’s Rocks & The Trainers Of Mt. Moon
Once Bulbasaur learns Vine Whip at level 13, it can take care of both Geodude and Onix with ease. While most trainers don’t typically get Bulbasaur to level 13 before taking on Brock, it would be smart to take the extra time to train to get the fight over with quickly.
After the boulder badge has been earned, Bulbasaur becomes a great asset when taking on the many trainers lurking within Mt. Moon. While Vine Whip only has ten PP (Power Points), it can often be a one-hit knockout move against rock/ground-type Pokémon.
6 Harsh Reality: Bulbasaur Is Essentially Useless Against Erika
In the world of Pokémon, knowing how different types affect each other is crucial for success. When two Pokémon of the same type square off with one another, it usually comes down to the higher level or a unique attack. The gym leader of Celadon City, Erika uses grass-types exclusively as do her many underlings.
Unless Bulbasaur is close to level 40, it wouldn’t be very effective against the teams of grass-type Pokémon employed by Erika and her trainers. The best bet for trainers would be to bring a powerful fire-type such as Growlithe, Ponyta, or even Flareon, depending on one’s preference with Eevee’s evolutionary forms. Bulbasaur is great, but this is a battle best left to other Pokémon.
5 Perk: Ivysaur Makes Quick Work Of The Cerulean Gym
Trainers who chose Bulbasaur at the beginning of their journey find that they can get through the first two gyms with relative ease. While Vine Whip is effective against ground/rock-type Pokémon, it is super-effective against water-type Pokémon which is the type that Misty uses in Cerulean City.
While both Staryu and Starmie are fairly strong water-type Pokémon, a couple of Vine Whips can take care of them fairly easily. Assuming trainers leveled up and/or evolved their Bulbasaur between Pewter City and Cerulean City, this gym shouldn’t pose much of a problem for their bulb-backed buddy.
4 Harsh Reality: Players Shouldn’t Even Bring Their Starter To Cinnabar Island
Blaine is the fearsome gym leader of Cinnabar Island and uses nothing but firepower to take down his opponents. Considering fire is the biggest weakness of grass-type Pokémon, Bulbasaur should only be used as an absolute last resort, but preferably not at all. If Bulbasaur needs to come out and play with Ponyta, Rapidash, Growlithe, and/or Arcanine, it certainly isn’t going to last long against the powerful fire-based attacks of its opponents.
3 Perk: Bulbasaur Can Learn HM01 Cut
One of the greatest benefits of choosing Bulbasaur is its ability to learn the HM “Cut.” Cut can be a useful attack when battling, but it’s also needed for progression.
There are plenty of bushes and trees that block pathways to important items or Pokémon, and most of these arboreal obstacles can be hacked away with a swift Cut. Additionally, Cut can be used to remove patches of tall grass where Pokémon are often hiding, allowing trainers to pass through undisturbed.
2 Harsh Reality: Solar Beam Is Powerful But Wastes A Turn To Charge Up
While many may view Solar Beam as an advantage to choosing Bulbasaur, it’s often more trouble than it’s worth. While the attack can be quite effective against water-type and ground-type Pokémon, it is a two-turn attack.
Venusaur can be easily KO’d while charging up. Not only could a powerful fire attack keep Venusaur from using this move, ice and psychic abilities can potentially shut down the Pokémon as well. Using Solar Beam really only makes sense when battling a weaker opponent inflicted with a status effect, which gives Venusaur the time it needs to charge up the powerful sun cannon.
1 Perk: Venusaur Can Be Incredibly Effective Against Giovanni As Well As The Elite Four
By the time trainers are ready to face the final gym leader, Giovanni of Team Rocket, they should have a fairly high-level Venusaur with an array of strong grass-type attacks. Considering all of Giovanni’s Pokémon are rock and/or ground-types, a quick Vine Whip could potentially take down each. Additionally, the first two trainers of the Elite Four should be fairly easy to defeat if Venusaur can stay awake. The first member of the Elite Four is Lorelei. While she does have an arsenal of ice attacks, most of her Pokémon are also water-types.
Assuming Venusaur can strike first (and avoid using Solar Beam), it can potentially take down Lorelei’s line-up all on its own. Bruno is the next trainer and uses all rock & fighting-type Pokémon. Venusaur can easily defeat both of Bruno’s Onix, and while grass moves aren’t super-effective against fighting-types, one of Venusaur’s powder-based attacks could be quite useful against the likes of Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee, and Machamp. Some trainers think Venusaur is the weakest of the three starters, but Bulbasaur and its subsequent evolutions have plenty of upside in the right situations.
About The Author
