Dex Entry
Autistic writer who starts more things than she finishes. Loves music, worldbuilding, anthropomorphism, horrible puns, and Masquerain.
- Pronouns
- She/her, Aetherai Lorekeeper
So... this was inevitable. At some point or another my tendency to massively overthink my favorite things simply had to manifest itself into some form of outlet. I could have done this on Tumblr, but I'm wildly allergic to social media drama (and let's face it, Tumblr is the absolute last place you want to be on in 2020 because it's 2020). I wanted to do this on DeviantART, but Eclipse. So I'm doing this here. The plus side is that here, I can use spoiler tags to separate my articles into sections, so a reader can quickly jump between specific sections if they should so desire on the particularly long articles (and I do have a tendency to 'talk' on and on on the Internet about subjects that truly interest me).
I was inspired to do this by a series of PokeTubers whose work I really enjoy, such as Lockstin & Gnoggin, HoopsandHipHop, Bird Keeper Toby, and one of my favorites, the criminally underadvertised The Ruin Maniac Files. (Seriously, check him out. He's awesome.) But since I'm better at writing than talking, I chose to take the form of a blog instead.
My goal is to publish one article a week. Not all the articles will be as long as this one, because I do have other projects I'm working on. And while my hope is to eventually blog my way through the entire Pokedex, not all of my articles will be writeups on specific Pokemon families. Just so you're aware. I do want variety in what I cover. Each article will also end with a discussion question or two, to encourage reader interactivity. (And also because I just love talking about these things.)
So without further ado...
I was inspired to do this by a series of PokeTubers whose work I really enjoy, such as Lockstin & Gnoggin, HoopsandHipHop, Bird Keeper Toby, and one of my favorites, the criminally underadvertised The Ruin Maniac Files. (Seriously, check him out. He's awesome.) But since I'm better at writing than talking, I chose to take the form of a blog instead.
My goal is to publish one article a week. Not all the articles will be as long as this one, because I do have other projects I'm working on. And while my hope is to eventually blog my way through the entire Pokedex, not all of my articles will be writeups on specific Pokemon families. Just so you're aware. I do want variety in what I cover. Each article will also end with a discussion question or two, to encourage reader interactivity. (And also because I just love talking about these things.)
So without further ado...
While not nearly as iconic or oversaturated as the Charmander line, the Bulbasaur line is well known for being the 'easy mode' starter of the Kanto games and Red's starter of choice in the Pokemon Adventures manga. (Yes, I know, technically Red's actual first Pokemon was Poliwag. What is it with him and frogs?) But as with many much-loved Pokemon species, Bulbasaur's line runs deeper than one might think at first glance.
Discussion questions: What is your favorite depiction/interpretation of the Bulbasaur line, either in fan works or official canon? Do you have a favorite Bulbasaur/Ivysaur/Venusaur character from a nuzlocke?
As with most Pokemon, that's actually a complicated question. There was much debate in the past over whether the Bulbasaur line was based on frogs or dinosaurs, compounded by the fact that while many of its translated names involved references to dinosaurs, its Chinese names translated to "wonderful frog seed," while its original Japanese name translated simply to "strange seed" or "strange, isn't it?" Even in the anime, Ash's Pokedex states "Researchers are unsure whether to classify Bulbasaur as a plant or animal."
In an interview posted shortly prior to the release of Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee, Ken Sugimori, one of the founding members of Game Freak, revealed that the Bulbasaur line was based on frogs to evoke the experience of having a small animal pet, to give the game "a sense of reality" and allow the player to emotionally connect with their Pokemon. This was later confirmed in-canon with Venusaur's hopping animation and with Bulbasaur in the Detective Pikachu movie having slimy, amphibious skin.
Interestingly enough, Pokemon fan artist RJ Palmer (aka Arvalis) helped create the realistic Pokemon of the Detective Pikachu movie, and was scouted based on the realistic Pokemon fan art he was already well known for on DeviantART -- and prior to his work on the movie, he was firmly in the "Bulbasaur is not a frog" camp. (I wonder how he feels about how things turned out in the end.)
Interview source: https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/creator-profile-the-creators-of-pikachu/
But why a bulb? And how exactly does a frog get a bulb on its back to begin with?
(WARNING: The following paragraphs contain NATURE, and certain aspects of said nature may be unsettling to the faint of heart. Nothing mature-rated here, just... unnerving biological realities.)
While I'm not sure whether these particular inspirations were ever actually considered in the Bulbasaur line's design, there are some interesting frog species that have unusual similarities to Bulbasaur. The most obvious are the various frog species that live within bromeliad plants. Both tree frogs and poison-arrow frogs (Grass-types and Poison-types?) will keep their tadpoles within the pool of water within the bromeliad, making Bulbasaur's setup an ironic reversion of species roles. Notably, the poison-arrow frog will go so far as to lay unfertilized eggs into the pool for her larvae to eat. Much like frogs themselves, this is equal parts awesome and disgusting.
However, the most awesome and disgusting (and egg-related) real-world counterpart to the Bulbasaur line would have to be the Surinam toad. Like Venusaur, it has a flattened body, a triangular head, and tiny eyes. Also like Venusaur, it has something alive growing under its skin.
When Surinam toads mate, after the male fertilizes the eggs, he very carefully places the eggs on the female's back, where they get absorbed into her skin. The skin grows back over the eggs, which are carried to term inside the honeycomb-like 'chambers' that form around them. The young grow into tiny toadlings, which eventually break out of their chambers and head out into the world. You can probably find videos of this process somewhere on the internet, but quite frankly, I'm too squicked out to search for one and risk having who knows what wind up in my YouTube search history.
The flower itself is based off of the Rafflesia arnoldii, the largest flower on Earth. It is the same flower that inspired Vileplume, which is said in its Pokedex entry to have the largest petals in the Pokemon world. (Obviously this was written before Gigantamax Venusaur was a thing.) What makes it all the more interesting to be on Venusaur's back is that the real-world Rafflesia arnoldii (or "corpse flower," so named because of its horrible smell) is a parasitic plant, although instead of taking root on the backs of frogs or toads, it grows on other plants. Also unlike Venusaur's symbiote, which has a clear trunk and leaves, the corpse flower lacks roots, leaves, and stems, and its main body consists of thread-like strands of tissue completely embedded inside the host plant's body. Similarly to Venusaur's plant, the flowers differ in construction based on being male or female, although the plant itself is unisexual.
While humans find the smell of the corpse flower horrendous, carrion feeding flies feel very differently, and are attracted to the stench. While the flies themselves get no benefits from the corpse flower, they do play an important role in pollinating the plant, as pollen from the male flower sticks to the flies and can be transferred to female flowers. Thankfully, the flower of the Bulbasaur line has a more pleasant aroma, and is known to smell sweet shortly before Ivysaur's evolution to Venusaur.
The corpse flower is one of the rarest and most endangered plant species on earth. Unlike the Bulbasaur line, the corpse flower does not thrive in captivity, and environmentalist attempts to grow the plant in protected environments have largely failed. In my research, I was unable to determine whether said environmentalists have ever attempted to grow the corpse flower on the back of a giant toad. That is one thing that, quite frankly, we may be better off not knowing.
(Nature ends here.)
In an interview posted shortly prior to the release of Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee, Ken Sugimori, one of the founding members of Game Freak, revealed that the Bulbasaur line was based on frogs to evoke the experience of having a small animal pet, to give the game "a sense of reality" and allow the player to emotionally connect with their Pokemon. This was later confirmed in-canon with Venusaur's hopping animation and with Bulbasaur in the Detective Pikachu movie having slimy, amphibious skin.
Interestingly enough, Pokemon fan artist RJ Palmer (aka Arvalis) helped create the realistic Pokemon of the Detective Pikachu movie, and was scouted based on the realistic Pokemon fan art he was already well known for on DeviantART -- and prior to his work on the movie, he was firmly in the "Bulbasaur is not a frog" camp. (I wonder how he feels about how things turned out in the end.)
Interview source: https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/creator-profile-the-creators-of-pikachu/
But why a bulb? And how exactly does a frog get a bulb on its back to begin with?
(WARNING: The following paragraphs contain NATURE, and certain aspects of said nature may be unsettling to the faint of heart. Nothing mature-rated here, just... unnerving biological realities.)
While I'm not sure whether these particular inspirations were ever actually considered in the Bulbasaur line's design, there are some interesting frog species that have unusual similarities to Bulbasaur. The most obvious are the various frog species that live within bromeliad plants. Both tree frogs and poison-arrow frogs (Grass-types and Poison-types?) will keep their tadpoles within the pool of water within the bromeliad, making Bulbasaur's setup an ironic reversion of species roles. Notably, the poison-arrow frog will go so far as to lay unfertilized eggs into the pool for her larvae to eat. Much like frogs themselves, this is equal parts awesome and disgusting.
However, the most awesome and disgusting (and egg-related) real-world counterpart to the Bulbasaur line would have to be the Surinam toad. Like Venusaur, it has a flattened body, a triangular head, and tiny eyes. Also like Venusaur, it has something alive growing under its skin.
When Surinam toads mate, after the male fertilizes the eggs, he very carefully places the eggs on the female's back, where they get absorbed into her skin. The skin grows back over the eggs, which are carried to term inside the honeycomb-like 'chambers' that form around them. The young grow into tiny toadlings, which eventually break out of their chambers and head out into the world. You can probably find videos of this process somewhere on the internet, but quite frankly, I'm too squicked out to search for one and risk having who knows what wind up in my YouTube search history.
The flower itself is based off of the Rafflesia arnoldii, the largest flower on Earth. It is the same flower that inspired Vileplume, which is said in its Pokedex entry to have the largest petals in the Pokemon world. (Obviously this was written before Gigantamax Venusaur was a thing.) What makes it all the more interesting to be on Venusaur's back is that the real-world Rafflesia arnoldii (or "corpse flower," so named because of its horrible smell) is a parasitic plant, although instead of taking root on the backs of frogs or toads, it grows on other plants. Also unlike Venusaur's symbiote, which has a clear trunk and leaves, the corpse flower lacks roots, leaves, and stems, and its main body consists of thread-like strands of tissue completely embedded inside the host plant's body. Similarly to Venusaur's plant, the flowers differ in construction based on being male or female, although the plant itself is unisexual.
While humans find the smell of the corpse flower horrendous, carrion feeding flies feel very differently, and are attracted to the stench. While the flies themselves get no benefits from the corpse flower, they do play an important role in pollinating the plant, as pollen from the male flower sticks to the flies and can be transferred to female flowers. Thankfully, the flower of the Bulbasaur line has a more pleasant aroma, and is known to smell sweet shortly before Ivysaur's evolution to Venusaur.
The corpse flower is one of the rarest and most endangered plant species on earth. Unlike the Bulbasaur line, the corpse flower does not thrive in captivity, and environmentalist attempts to grow the plant in protected environments have largely failed. In my research, I was unable to determine whether said environmentalists have ever attempted to grow the corpse flower on the back of a giant toad. That is one thing that, quite frankly, we may be better off not knowing.
(Nature ends here.)
Well, when a mother Venusaur and a father of the Monster or Grass egg group love each other very much...
All right, seriously, I promised no more nature, so my hyper-asexual self is going to back off here.
The difficult thing about pinpointing the region of Bulbasaur's origin is that, as with most starter Pokemon, Bulbasaur is quite rare in the wild. But it had to come from somewhere, which is why I'm going to go through most if not all of its 'wild Pokemon' appearances to try to narrow things down. (For the sake of canonicity, I will only be focusing on its video game appearances, so its appearance in Hoenn in the anime or Rime City in the Detective Pikachu movie will not be counted.)
In Generation 1, of course, Bulbasaur is available as a starter Pokemon in Red, Green, and Blue, and is gifted to the player by a girl in Cerulean City if Pikachu's friendship is high enough. These are not wild encounters, however, and do not qualify them as Kanto Pokemon. However, they are occasionally found in the wild in Viridian Forest in Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee, which could mean they are rare species native to the region. Alternatively, the wild Bulbasaur of LGPE could simply be feral Pokemon descended from captively bred specimens abandoned by their trainers. I do find this very unlikely, as you'd have to be an idiot to abandon your Bulbasaur before even facing Brock. But humans have done stupider things (such as some of the game design choices for LGPE to begin with).
Bulbasaur can also be spotted at the Bus Stop in Mintale Town in Pokemon Channel, which is heavily implied to take place in the Kanto region due to the presence of Viridian Forest. As this is an urban area, I am not counting this as a wild encounter.
Speaking of spinoff games, Bulbasaur can be seen in the wild in Pokemon Snap, specifically in the Pokemon Island river area. Notably, wild Porygon can also be seen in this area, meaning that not all the species on Pokemon Island were originally native there (Porygon being an artificial Pokemon designed by Silph Co.). We do learn some interesting facts about Bulbasaur behavior in the wild from observing these specimens: Bulbasaur will conceal themselves in hollow logs and stumps, not unlike actual frogs.
The first time in a mainline game in which players are able to legitimately capture a Bulbasaur in the wild is in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, where it is available on Alola Route 2 while using Island Scan on Fridays. Why rare Pokemon appear with Island Scan and how they came to arrive in Alola to begin with is unknown, but many species of starter Pokemon can be obtained via Island Scan -- Chikorita in particular is available on that very route in the original Sun and Moon. Admittedly, it would be rather boring to just assume that all starter Pokemon originated in Alola, so we'll keep on looking.
Bulbasaur has also been available in Sword and Shield via Max Raid Battle events in the Wild Area, and a tame one capable of Gigantamaxing once it evolves exists at the Master Dojo on the Isle of Armor. (It is unknown whether this specimen was naturally able to Gigantamax, or had simply eaten the Max Soup often cooked at the dojo.) So Galar is another possibility for Bulbasaur's location of origin.
Wild Bulbasaur also exist in the Fiore and Oblivia regions, where rather than training and battling Pokemon, the humans of the regions live side by side with them and mostly leave them to their own devices in the wild. It is entirely possible that one of these is Bulbasaur's initial home. In Fiore, Bulbasaur is found in Lyra Forest and Kisara Plains, while in Oblivia, it is found on Dolce Island, Hinder Cape, and the Forest Temple, while Venusaur is found on Latolato Trail, the Dark Temple, and the Odd Temple. Notably, the temples are accessed from the past via Celebi's time travel, so Oblivia may well be the oldest known appearance of Bulbasaur in the games.
By 'may well be,' I must make one final qualifying statement. Wild Ivysaur can be also captured in certain Friend Safaris in X and Y, although whether this truly counts as 'the wild' is up for debate. However, it is largely assumed that Venusaurite was one of the Mega Stones created as a result of the firing of the Ultimate Weapon in the AZ War in Kalos three thousand years ago, making it probable that the Bulbasaur line existed in Kalos at the time. However, this does not state whether they were native to the region or introduced from somewhere else, possibly from Oblivia. Why exactly the three starter Pokemon of the Kanto region are all known to Mega Evolve is unknown, at least from a Watsonian viewpoint -- everyone already knows that Game Freak is playing to the Genwunner crowd and has been doing so for an obnoxiously long time. It's possible that the three starters were specifically chosen as starters because all three of them can Mega Evolve and/or Gigantamax... but it does seem like a particularly strange coincidence. But that's another story (and possibly a future theory article).
TL;DR: Lots of possibilities on this one, but I'm going with Oblivia.
All right, seriously, I promised no more nature, so my hyper-asexual self is going to back off here.
The difficult thing about pinpointing the region of Bulbasaur's origin is that, as with most starter Pokemon, Bulbasaur is quite rare in the wild. But it had to come from somewhere, which is why I'm going to go through most if not all of its 'wild Pokemon' appearances to try to narrow things down. (For the sake of canonicity, I will only be focusing on its video game appearances, so its appearance in Hoenn in the anime or Rime City in the Detective Pikachu movie will not be counted.)
In Generation 1, of course, Bulbasaur is available as a starter Pokemon in Red, Green, and Blue, and is gifted to the player by a girl in Cerulean City if Pikachu's friendship is high enough. These are not wild encounters, however, and do not qualify them as Kanto Pokemon. However, they are occasionally found in the wild in Viridian Forest in Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee, which could mean they are rare species native to the region. Alternatively, the wild Bulbasaur of LGPE could simply be feral Pokemon descended from captively bred specimens abandoned by their trainers. I do find this very unlikely, as you'd have to be an idiot to abandon your Bulbasaur before even facing Brock. But humans have done stupider things (such as some of the game design choices for LGPE to begin with).
Bulbasaur can also be spotted at the Bus Stop in Mintale Town in Pokemon Channel, which is heavily implied to take place in the Kanto region due to the presence of Viridian Forest. As this is an urban area, I am not counting this as a wild encounter.
Speaking of spinoff games, Bulbasaur can be seen in the wild in Pokemon Snap, specifically in the Pokemon Island river area. Notably, wild Porygon can also be seen in this area, meaning that not all the species on Pokemon Island were originally native there (Porygon being an artificial Pokemon designed by Silph Co.). We do learn some interesting facts about Bulbasaur behavior in the wild from observing these specimens: Bulbasaur will conceal themselves in hollow logs and stumps, not unlike actual frogs.
The first time in a mainline game in which players are able to legitimately capture a Bulbasaur in the wild is in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, where it is available on Alola Route 2 while using Island Scan on Fridays. Why rare Pokemon appear with Island Scan and how they came to arrive in Alola to begin with is unknown, but many species of starter Pokemon can be obtained via Island Scan -- Chikorita in particular is available on that very route in the original Sun and Moon. Admittedly, it would be rather boring to just assume that all starter Pokemon originated in Alola, so we'll keep on looking.
Bulbasaur has also been available in Sword and Shield via Max Raid Battle events in the Wild Area, and a tame one capable of Gigantamaxing once it evolves exists at the Master Dojo on the Isle of Armor. (It is unknown whether this specimen was naturally able to Gigantamax, or had simply eaten the Max Soup often cooked at the dojo.) So Galar is another possibility for Bulbasaur's location of origin.
Wild Bulbasaur also exist in the Fiore and Oblivia regions, where rather than training and battling Pokemon, the humans of the regions live side by side with them and mostly leave them to their own devices in the wild. It is entirely possible that one of these is Bulbasaur's initial home. In Fiore, Bulbasaur is found in Lyra Forest and Kisara Plains, while in Oblivia, it is found on Dolce Island, Hinder Cape, and the Forest Temple, while Venusaur is found on Latolato Trail, the Dark Temple, and the Odd Temple. Notably, the temples are accessed from the past via Celebi's time travel, so Oblivia may well be the oldest known appearance of Bulbasaur in the games.
By 'may well be,' I must make one final qualifying statement. Wild Ivysaur can be also captured in certain Friend Safaris in X and Y, although whether this truly counts as 'the wild' is up for debate. However, it is largely assumed that Venusaurite was one of the Mega Stones created as a result of the firing of the Ultimate Weapon in the AZ War in Kalos three thousand years ago, making it probable that the Bulbasaur line existed in Kalos at the time. However, this does not state whether they were native to the region or introduced from somewhere else, possibly from Oblivia. Why exactly the three starter Pokemon of the Kanto region are all known to Mega Evolve is unknown, at least from a Watsonian viewpoint -- everyone already knows that Game Freak is playing to the Genwunner crowd and has been doing so for an obnoxiously long time. It's possible that the three starters were specifically chosen as starters because all three of them can Mega Evolve and/or Gigantamax... but it does seem like a particularly strange coincidence. But that's another story (and possibly a future theory article).
TL;DR: Lots of possibilities on this one, but I'm going with Oblivia.
(Yes, I am aware that the canonical term for this is 'evolution,' but that's kind of a confusing term because it can be taken to mean the other kind of evolution, so I'm going with metamorphosis. Sue me.)
An interesting quirk of frog Pokemon is that whether they hatch as tadpoles or froglets appears to directly correlate with their typing. Water-type frogs such as Poliwrath and Seismitoad start their lives as tadpole Pokemon, while Poison-type frogs like Bulbasaur and Croagunk start out as frogs. Of course, it's natural that Water-type Pokemon would be more at home in the water and that land-dwelling Pokemon would be less likely to have their offspring live in ponds, but there are of course exceptions (Surskit comes to mind, but mainly because Masquerain is awesome and I can't stop thinking about it).
Bulbasaur largely remains the same throughout its evolution, at least in its animal shape: it's a frog that grows into a bigger frog. (Contrary to popular belief, not all real-world frogs hatch as tadpoles.) The plant on Bulbasaur's back is another story. It naturally grows from a bud into a blossom into an entire tree, eventually (through either Mega Evolution or Gigantamax) becoming so enormous as to threaten to overtake its host Venusaur in size. The Venusaur itself likewise adapts to its own temporary transformation, with Mega Venusaur growing bulkier and developing 'thick fat' to halve its type weaknesses, and Gigantamax Venusaur becoming a colossus that's still dwarfed by its now-enormous flower.
Various forms of media have depicted Bulbasaur's metamorphosis in an interesting manner. In the anime, many members of the Bulbasaur line congregate together in various places to absorb sunlight to mass evolve. This was depicted both in the original generation's Bulbasaur's Mysterious Garden and in the more recent anime's Ivysaur's Mysterious Tower. Notably, even a Bulbasaur that does not evolve can still become larger and stronger, as The Mystery Menace revealed that a Bulbasaur that had been abandoned by its trainer for failing to evolve had grown to an enormous size (while still not evolving) while living in the sewer. It is entirely possible that the lack of sunlight within the sewer had led to Bulbasaur having to eat more than is usual for the naturally photosynthesizing species, which led to its unnatural growth.
In The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga, which is loosely based off the anime, Bill describes watching his Ivysaur evolving into a Venusaur as a slow process of 'bloom(ing)'. This is counter to other media's depiction of the process, which usually has it happen at the same rate as any other species' evolution.
An interesting quirk of frog Pokemon is that whether they hatch as tadpoles or froglets appears to directly correlate with their typing. Water-type frogs such as Poliwrath and Seismitoad start their lives as tadpole Pokemon, while Poison-type frogs like Bulbasaur and Croagunk start out as frogs. Of course, it's natural that Water-type Pokemon would be more at home in the water and that land-dwelling Pokemon would be less likely to have their offspring live in ponds, but there are of course exceptions (Surskit comes to mind, but mainly because Masquerain is awesome and I can't stop thinking about it).
Bulbasaur largely remains the same throughout its evolution, at least in its animal shape: it's a frog that grows into a bigger frog. (Contrary to popular belief, not all real-world frogs hatch as tadpoles.) The plant on Bulbasaur's back is another story. It naturally grows from a bud into a blossom into an entire tree, eventually (through either Mega Evolution or Gigantamax) becoming so enormous as to threaten to overtake its host Venusaur in size. The Venusaur itself likewise adapts to its own temporary transformation, with Mega Venusaur growing bulkier and developing 'thick fat' to halve its type weaknesses, and Gigantamax Venusaur becoming a colossus that's still dwarfed by its now-enormous flower.
Various forms of media have depicted Bulbasaur's metamorphosis in an interesting manner. In the anime, many members of the Bulbasaur line congregate together in various places to absorb sunlight to mass evolve. This was depicted both in the original generation's Bulbasaur's Mysterious Garden and in the more recent anime's Ivysaur's Mysterious Tower. Notably, even a Bulbasaur that does not evolve can still become larger and stronger, as The Mystery Menace revealed that a Bulbasaur that had been abandoned by its trainer for failing to evolve had grown to an enormous size (while still not evolving) while living in the sewer. It is entirely possible that the lack of sunlight within the sewer had led to Bulbasaur having to eat more than is usual for the naturally photosynthesizing species, which led to its unnatural growth.
In The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga, which is loosely based off the anime, Bill describes watching his Ivysaur evolving into a Venusaur as a slow process of 'bloom(ing)'. This is counter to other media's depiction of the process, which usually has it happen at the same rate as any other species' evolution.
One of my favorite aspects of multi-media franchises is that each new piece of media in the franchise provides its own new lore bits to digest. While this can be taken to unhealthy extremes when the media interpretations are strongly contradictory to each other (see: Sonic the Hedgehog), for the most part, the Pokemon franchise has managed to build itself up with its different interpretations of the canon, rather than tear itself down.
One important, and often overlooked, part of the Pokemon canon is the lore bits provided in the trading card game. From new moves to Shadow Pokemon to regional variants, many aspects of the Pokemon we know and love today originated from the trading card game. In addition, the cards themselves feature a great deal of original art that often depict Pokemon doing interesting things.
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Bulbasaur_(Base_Set_44)
One example of the latter is Bulbasaur (Base Set 44), which shows Bulbasaur appearing to fire some sort of mist or cloud of smoke from its bulb. It could be an example of Stun Spore or Poison Powder, or it could be an action similar to how Red's Bulbasaur in the Adventures manga sucks up a Gastly into its bulb and expelling it out its mouth. This is not dissimilar to Ash's Bulbasaur using Whirlwind in the anime episode The Ninja Poke-Showdown, which is not a move that Bulbasaur can learn in the games.
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Bulbasaur_(Vending_S1)
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Dark_Ivysaur_(Best_of_Game_6)
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Dark_Venusaur_(Best_of_Game_7)
Bulbasaur (Vending S1) depicts an unusual coloration of Bulbasaur, which is a deeper blue and has a spotted bulb. Given that its surroundings appear to be a lab of some sort, and one of its stated moves is "First Aid," it is entirely possible that this Bulbasaur is sick in some way and that its illness is responsible for its altered appearance. Notably, its other move is "Poison Seed," which is not the name of a move, but is the name of an item in the (released later) Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series that poisons the Pokemon hit with it. Other cards have Bulbasaur knowing moves like Sleep Seed, which is also an item in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon that causes the target it's thrown at to fall asleep.
The nature of this Bulbasaur's mysterious illness may well be the result of experimentation to 'close the door to its heart' as in Cipher's shadow Pokemon process, for Dark Ivysaur (Best of Game 6) features an Ivysaur of the same cobalt blue coloration, turned crazed enough to apparently headbutt into a wall/tree (it's hard to tell with the image). It's quite possible that this is the result of Dark Ivysaur entering Hyper Mode/Reverse Mode. Dark Ivysaur later evolves into Dark Venusaur (Best of Game 7), which retains the blue coloration, but its flower is a sickly yellow, rather than the normal pink of Dark Ivysaur. Dark Venusaur produces a "Horrid Pollen" that can inflict multiple status conditions at once; however, this is not unusual in the TCG, even for members of the Venusaur family, so Dark Venusaur's ability to do so likely has nothing to do with its unusual condition.
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Bulbasaur_(Expedition_94)
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Bulbasaur_(EX_Team_Magma_vs_Team_Aqua_39)
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Bulbasaur_(POP_Series_2_12)
Bulbasaur (Expedition 94) also has the move Poison Seed, but shows Bulbasaur in an unusual position: on its back in a field of flowers. Given that the bulb on top of its back is used both in battle and for absorbing sunlight for energy, one would think that rolling over would be dangerous for its health. However, Bulbasaur appears blissful and happy in this pose, leading me to believe that the bulb may be sturdier than one could assume. This is not the only card to depict Bulbasaur among flowers; Bulbasaur (EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua 39) shows one standing in a field of daisies, while Bulbasaur (POP Series 2 12) has two Bulbasaur in a field of white flowers. Rather appropriate, given their evolutions.
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Bulbasaur_(EX_Crystal_Guardians_45)
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Ivysaur_(EX_Crystal_Guardians_34)
While multiple cards depict Bulbasaur going after apples, Bulbasaur (EX Crystal Guardians 45) takes the flower association a bit farther than one might expect, depicting Bulbasaur with a pink flower partially in its mouth. However, the context of the picture indicates that Bulbasaur is not eating the flower, but plucking petals off of it -- two petals are missing from the flower and are blowing in the wind. This indicates that Bulbasaur may be engaging in a common human ritual: "She loves me, she loves me not." Given that Bulbasaur is most commonly seen living alongside humans, it shouldn't be all that surprising to see one picking up a human habit. (I do wonder who the heartthrob is. Possibly Ivysaur (EX Crystal Guardians 34), which is the other half of the image and is jumping up to catch the petals as they fly.)
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Erika's_Bulbasaur_(Gym_Challenge_39)
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Erika's_Ivysaur_(Gym_Challenge_41)
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Erika's_Venusaur_(Gym_Challenge_4)
Erika's Bulbasaur (Gym Challenge 39) shows that Gym Leader Erika owned a Bulbasaur, which she used to run errands for her (one of its moves is Errand-Running). This card is also the closest thing we have to confirmation that the status-inducing seeds that we see in the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games do come from Bulbasaur: this Bulbasaur's other move is Sleep Seed, and its artwork directly depicts its bulb spitting out a seed very much similar in appearance to PMD's Sleep Seeds. Coincidence? Probably, but I'll take my theories where I can get them, thank you very much. This Bulbasaur later evolved into Erika's Ivysaur (Gym Challenge 41) and then into Erika's Venusaur (Gym Challenge 4). No, I don't know what's up with the numbering order either.
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Ivysaur_(Southern_Islands_5)
Ivysaur (Southern Islands 5) reveals an unusual side effect of the scent of its flower: healing damage taken. While Aromatherapy already exists in the game, the move Strange Scent in the TCG functions more similarly to Gen 8's Life Dew in that it heals direct damage to multiple Pokemon (in this case, depending on a coin flip and the decisions of the player(s) that win the coin flip).
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Ivysaur_(Bulbasaur_Deck_22)
Ivysaur (Bulbasaur Deck 22) depicts an Ivysaur using what appears to be Solar Beam... under a night sky. Interestingly enough, Solar Beam is not one of the moves on this card, which instead uses Leech Seed and Vine Whip. That's a bit of a waste if you ask me.
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Ivysaur_(EX_Crystal_Guardians_35)
Ivysaur (EX Crystal Guardians 35) shows an Ivysaur on top of a mound of sand with seashells on it. Perhaps another example of a Pokemon picking up a human habit of play, although let's hope that it didn't get swallowed by a Sandygast shortly afterward. A Grass-type being eaten by a Ground-type would be very much embarrassing indeed.
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Celebi_&_Venusaur-GX_(Team_Up_1)
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Venusaur_&_Snivy-GX_(Cosmic_Eclipse_1)
Venusaur appears to get along quite well with other Grass-types, if the TCG is any indication. The anime confirms this in Grass Hysteria, where a Venusaur is the leader of a group of Grass-type Pokemon in the Forbidden Forest. Notably, Ash's Bulbasaur has been seen in Bulbasaur... the Ambassador! as a peacemaker between Pokemon of all sorts of types.
Celebi & Venusaur-GX (Team Up 1) depicts a Celebi and a Venusaur working side by side, which will prove ironic in the next segment, given the two species' history in the competitive scene. Venusaur & Snivy-GX (Cosmic Eclipse 1) shows a Venusaur fighting alongside a very energetic Snivy. Apparently nobody told those two the story of "Why Frog and Snake Never Play Together," because these two seem like the best of pals.
One important, and often overlooked, part of the Pokemon canon is the lore bits provided in the trading card game. From new moves to Shadow Pokemon to regional variants, many aspects of the Pokemon we know and love today originated from the trading card game. In addition, the cards themselves feature a great deal of original art that often depict Pokemon doing interesting things.
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Bulbasaur_(Base_Set_44)
One example of the latter is Bulbasaur (Base Set 44), which shows Bulbasaur appearing to fire some sort of mist or cloud of smoke from its bulb. It could be an example of Stun Spore or Poison Powder, or it could be an action similar to how Red's Bulbasaur in the Adventures manga sucks up a Gastly into its bulb and expelling it out its mouth. This is not dissimilar to Ash's Bulbasaur using Whirlwind in the anime episode The Ninja Poke-Showdown, which is not a move that Bulbasaur can learn in the games.
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Bulbasaur_(Vending_S1)
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Dark_Ivysaur_(Best_of_Game_6)
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Dark_Venusaur_(Best_of_Game_7)
Bulbasaur (Vending S1) depicts an unusual coloration of Bulbasaur, which is a deeper blue and has a spotted bulb. Given that its surroundings appear to be a lab of some sort, and one of its stated moves is "First Aid," it is entirely possible that this Bulbasaur is sick in some way and that its illness is responsible for its altered appearance. Notably, its other move is "Poison Seed," which is not the name of a move, but is the name of an item in the (released later) Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series that poisons the Pokemon hit with it. Other cards have Bulbasaur knowing moves like Sleep Seed, which is also an item in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon that causes the target it's thrown at to fall asleep.
The nature of this Bulbasaur's mysterious illness may well be the result of experimentation to 'close the door to its heart' as in Cipher's shadow Pokemon process, for Dark Ivysaur (Best of Game 6) features an Ivysaur of the same cobalt blue coloration, turned crazed enough to apparently headbutt into a wall/tree (it's hard to tell with the image). It's quite possible that this is the result of Dark Ivysaur entering Hyper Mode/Reverse Mode. Dark Ivysaur later evolves into Dark Venusaur (Best of Game 7), which retains the blue coloration, but its flower is a sickly yellow, rather than the normal pink of Dark Ivysaur. Dark Venusaur produces a "Horrid Pollen" that can inflict multiple status conditions at once; however, this is not unusual in the TCG, even for members of the Venusaur family, so Dark Venusaur's ability to do so likely has nothing to do with its unusual condition.
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Bulbasaur_(Expedition_94)
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Bulbasaur_(EX_Team_Magma_vs_Team_Aqua_39)
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Bulbasaur_(POP_Series_2_12)
Bulbasaur (Expedition 94) also has the move Poison Seed, but shows Bulbasaur in an unusual position: on its back in a field of flowers. Given that the bulb on top of its back is used both in battle and for absorbing sunlight for energy, one would think that rolling over would be dangerous for its health. However, Bulbasaur appears blissful and happy in this pose, leading me to believe that the bulb may be sturdier than one could assume. This is not the only card to depict Bulbasaur among flowers; Bulbasaur (EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua 39) shows one standing in a field of daisies, while Bulbasaur (POP Series 2 12) has two Bulbasaur in a field of white flowers. Rather appropriate, given their evolutions.
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Bulbasaur_(EX_Crystal_Guardians_45)
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Ivysaur_(EX_Crystal_Guardians_34)
While multiple cards depict Bulbasaur going after apples, Bulbasaur (EX Crystal Guardians 45) takes the flower association a bit farther than one might expect, depicting Bulbasaur with a pink flower partially in its mouth. However, the context of the picture indicates that Bulbasaur is not eating the flower, but plucking petals off of it -- two petals are missing from the flower and are blowing in the wind. This indicates that Bulbasaur may be engaging in a common human ritual: "She loves me, she loves me not." Given that Bulbasaur is most commonly seen living alongside humans, it shouldn't be all that surprising to see one picking up a human habit. (I do wonder who the heartthrob is. Possibly Ivysaur (EX Crystal Guardians 34), which is the other half of the image and is jumping up to catch the petals as they fly.)
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Erika's_Bulbasaur_(Gym_Challenge_39)
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Erika's_Ivysaur_(Gym_Challenge_41)
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Erika's_Venusaur_(Gym_Challenge_4)
Erika's Bulbasaur (Gym Challenge 39) shows that Gym Leader Erika owned a Bulbasaur, which she used to run errands for her (one of its moves is Errand-Running). This card is also the closest thing we have to confirmation that the status-inducing seeds that we see in the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games do come from Bulbasaur: this Bulbasaur's other move is Sleep Seed, and its artwork directly depicts its bulb spitting out a seed very much similar in appearance to PMD's Sleep Seeds. Coincidence? Probably, but I'll take my theories where I can get them, thank you very much. This Bulbasaur later evolved into Erika's Ivysaur (Gym Challenge 41) and then into Erika's Venusaur (Gym Challenge 4). No, I don't know what's up with the numbering order either.
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Ivysaur_(Southern_Islands_5)
Ivysaur (Southern Islands 5) reveals an unusual side effect of the scent of its flower: healing damage taken. While Aromatherapy already exists in the game, the move Strange Scent in the TCG functions more similarly to Gen 8's Life Dew in that it heals direct damage to multiple Pokemon (in this case, depending on a coin flip and the decisions of the player(s) that win the coin flip).
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Ivysaur_(Bulbasaur_Deck_22)
Ivysaur (Bulbasaur Deck 22) depicts an Ivysaur using what appears to be Solar Beam... under a night sky. Interestingly enough, Solar Beam is not one of the moves on this card, which instead uses Leech Seed and Vine Whip. That's a bit of a waste if you ask me.
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Ivysaur_(EX_Crystal_Guardians_35)
Ivysaur (EX Crystal Guardians 35) shows an Ivysaur on top of a mound of sand with seashells on it. Perhaps another example of a Pokemon picking up a human habit of play, although let's hope that it didn't get swallowed by a Sandygast shortly afterward. A Grass-type being eaten by a Ground-type would be very much embarrassing indeed.
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Celebi_&_Venusaur-GX_(Team_Up_1)
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Venusaur_&_Snivy-GX_(Cosmic_Eclipse_1)
Venusaur appears to get along quite well with other Grass-types, if the TCG is any indication. The anime confirms this in Grass Hysteria, where a Venusaur is the leader of a group of Grass-type Pokemon in the Forbidden Forest. Notably, Ash's Bulbasaur has been seen in Bulbasaur... the Ambassador! as a peacemaker between Pokemon of all sorts of types.
Celebi & Venusaur-GX (Team Up 1) depicts a Celebi and a Venusaur working side by side, which will prove ironic in the next segment, given the two species' history in the competitive scene. Venusaur & Snivy-GX (Cosmic Eclipse 1) shows a Venusaur fighting alongside a very energetic Snivy. Apparently nobody told those two the story of "Why Frog and Snake Never Play Together," because these two seem like the best of pals.
A number of Venusaur's competitive movesets involve inflicting status conditions such as Leech Seed and Sleep Powder. In addition, Venusaur has access to moves like Synthesis and Mega Drain, which allow it to recover health. Venusaur also has a Mega Evolution and a Gigantamax form.
Please note that the following summary is far from extensive and leaves a great many things out. A link to the Smogon page for Venusaur is provided at the end of this section of the article.
In Gen 1, Venusaur was UU (underused) tier, countered by Gengar, Exeggutor, and the three legendary birds, with Gengar and Exeggutor being especially dangerous. Venusaur does outspeed Exeggutor, though, and can put it to sleep with Sleep Powder (which Grass-types do not gain immunity to until Gen 6).
In Gen 2, Venusaur was put on the UU ban list, but Smogon describes it as "mostly inferior to Meganium due to its typing." (Before you think this is a terrible insult, be aware that Meganium isn't a bad Pokemon -- it's just the more forgettable of the Johto starters, and to be fair, it had some pretty stiff competition in Typhlosion and Feraligatr.) Venusaur also suffers from not being able to learn Sludge Bomb in GSC. Skarmory is a particularly effective Venusaur counter because it strongly resists the Grass type, resists Body Slam, and can use Whirlwind.
Gen 3 Venusaur remained on the UU ban list, and benefited from finally being able to learn Sludge Bomb. It still has problems against Skarmory unless it carries a Fire-type Hidden Power, and while Celebi may be Venusaur's buddy in the TCG, it's a powerful Venusaur counter in the Gen 3 metagame. Sleep Powder means that even Venusaur counters are not entirely safe to switch into, although Hypno and Banette can come in safely with the right ability.
Gen 4 saw Venusaur's return to the UU tier as a bulky sweeper -- not uncounterable, but not to be underestimated either. It can run a special attack set with Leaf Storm and Sludge Bomb, a physical set with Swords Dance, Power Whip, and Earthquake/Return, a physically defensive set, a specially defensive set, a mixed attacker set, a Choice Scarf set, a Substitute/Leech Seed set, you name it. Notably, every single set that Smogon lists for Gen 4 Venusaur involves Sleep Powder, which just goes to show why Sleep Clause is a thing.
In Gen 5, Venusaur finally officially made it to the OU (overused) tier, but the eventual Chlorophyll+Drought ban in that generation limited its effectivity, leaving it outclassed by Ferrothorn, Amoongus, and its old frenemy Celebi. It did see better usage in VGC, however, particularly alongside Drought Ninetales. Ironically, Venusaur's own ability works against it, as Fire-type moves are super effective on Venusaur and deal even more damage in heavy sunlight. In addition, Abomasnow can take away Venusaur's sunlight and deal massive damage with Blizzard.
Gen 6 saw the arrival of Mega Venusaur in OU, which negated Venusaur's Fire and Ice weaknesses through the Thick Fat ability. Mega Venusaur's bulk and defensive typing allows it to check a great many common threats in Gen 6 OU, including several other megas such as Altaria, Diancie, Gyarados, Lopunny, and Manetric. However, Mega Venusaur retained its Flying and Psychic vulnerabilities, which are two relatively common offensive types in the Gen 6 metagame (I'm looking at you, Brave Bird Talonflame). Mega Venusaur is countered by Fire types, Flying types, Psychic types, Chansey, and Kyurem-Black.
In Gen 6 doubles, non-mega Venusaur (which is RU/rarely used tier in Gen 6 singles) has strong offensive synergy with Mega Charizard Y, which packs Drought to boost its Chlorophyll (the combination is no longer banned in Gen 6). If Venusaur is the one mega evolving, Heatran makes a good partner to it with Heat Wave (eat this, Skarmory) and itself benefits from Mega Venusaur, which can counter rain teams. And of course Quick Guard users can protect Venusaur from that obnoxious Smogon bird.
Gen 7 Venusaur remains in the RU tier, while Mega Venusaur is on the UU ban list. Smogon describes Venusaur as "exclusively a choice for sun teams, as it is outclassed by Roserade and Shaymin otherwise." Growth is notably mentioned as a move for Venusaur because its effects double in strong sunlight, increasing Venusaur's Attack and Sp. Atk by two stages. When paired with Chlorophyll and possibly a Grassium Z, this is a force to behold. Torkoal is a recommended teammate for Gen 7 Venusaur teams, as this is the first generation in which it bears Drought. In this generation, Venusaur is countered by Dragon-types, Steel-types, Gigalith, and of course Fire-types, including Venusaur's old buddy Ninetales.
While Gen 8 canned Mega Evolutions indefinitely, it also saw the arrival of Gigantamax Venusaur, which was placed in the Ubers tier as with all G-Max forms. Venusaur itself is currently in the UU ban list, although the recent release of the Isle of Armor DLC for Sword and Shield (in which G-Max Venusaur debuted) has left the metagame in a tizzy, so it could be a while before Venusaur's definitive place in this gen's metagame is solidified.
For much more information regarding Venusaur in the competitive scene, you may consult its various Smogon articles: https://www.smogon.com/dex/ss/pokemon/venusaur/
Please note that the following summary is far from extensive and leaves a great many things out. A link to the Smogon page for Venusaur is provided at the end of this section of the article.
In Gen 1, Venusaur was UU (underused) tier, countered by Gengar, Exeggutor, and the three legendary birds, with Gengar and Exeggutor being especially dangerous. Venusaur does outspeed Exeggutor, though, and can put it to sleep with Sleep Powder (which Grass-types do not gain immunity to until Gen 6).
In Gen 2, Venusaur was put on the UU ban list, but Smogon describes it as "mostly inferior to Meganium due to its typing." (Before you think this is a terrible insult, be aware that Meganium isn't a bad Pokemon -- it's just the more forgettable of the Johto starters, and to be fair, it had some pretty stiff competition in Typhlosion and Feraligatr.) Venusaur also suffers from not being able to learn Sludge Bomb in GSC. Skarmory is a particularly effective Venusaur counter because it strongly resists the Grass type, resists Body Slam, and can use Whirlwind.
Gen 3 Venusaur remained on the UU ban list, and benefited from finally being able to learn Sludge Bomb. It still has problems against Skarmory unless it carries a Fire-type Hidden Power, and while Celebi may be Venusaur's buddy in the TCG, it's a powerful Venusaur counter in the Gen 3 metagame. Sleep Powder means that even Venusaur counters are not entirely safe to switch into, although Hypno and Banette can come in safely with the right ability.
Gen 4 saw Venusaur's return to the UU tier as a bulky sweeper -- not uncounterable, but not to be underestimated either. It can run a special attack set with Leaf Storm and Sludge Bomb, a physical set with Swords Dance, Power Whip, and Earthquake/Return, a physically defensive set, a specially defensive set, a mixed attacker set, a Choice Scarf set, a Substitute/Leech Seed set, you name it. Notably, every single set that Smogon lists for Gen 4 Venusaur involves Sleep Powder, which just goes to show why Sleep Clause is a thing.
In Gen 5, Venusaur finally officially made it to the OU (overused) tier, but the eventual Chlorophyll+Drought ban in that generation limited its effectivity, leaving it outclassed by Ferrothorn, Amoongus, and its old frenemy Celebi. It did see better usage in VGC, however, particularly alongside Drought Ninetales. Ironically, Venusaur's own ability works against it, as Fire-type moves are super effective on Venusaur and deal even more damage in heavy sunlight. In addition, Abomasnow can take away Venusaur's sunlight and deal massive damage with Blizzard.
Gen 6 saw the arrival of Mega Venusaur in OU, which negated Venusaur's Fire and Ice weaknesses through the Thick Fat ability. Mega Venusaur's bulk and defensive typing allows it to check a great many common threats in Gen 6 OU, including several other megas such as Altaria, Diancie, Gyarados, Lopunny, and Manetric. However, Mega Venusaur retained its Flying and Psychic vulnerabilities, which are two relatively common offensive types in the Gen 6 metagame (I'm looking at you, Brave Bird Talonflame). Mega Venusaur is countered by Fire types, Flying types, Psychic types, Chansey, and Kyurem-Black.
In Gen 6 doubles, non-mega Venusaur (which is RU/rarely used tier in Gen 6 singles) has strong offensive synergy with Mega Charizard Y, which packs Drought to boost its Chlorophyll (the combination is no longer banned in Gen 6). If Venusaur is the one mega evolving, Heatran makes a good partner to it with Heat Wave (eat this, Skarmory) and itself benefits from Mega Venusaur, which can counter rain teams. And of course Quick Guard users can protect Venusaur from that obnoxious Smogon bird.
Gen 7 Venusaur remains in the RU tier, while Mega Venusaur is on the UU ban list. Smogon describes Venusaur as "exclusively a choice for sun teams, as it is outclassed by Roserade and Shaymin otherwise." Growth is notably mentioned as a move for Venusaur because its effects double in strong sunlight, increasing Venusaur's Attack and Sp. Atk by two stages. When paired with Chlorophyll and possibly a Grassium Z, this is a force to behold. Torkoal is a recommended teammate for Gen 7 Venusaur teams, as this is the first generation in which it bears Drought. In this generation, Venusaur is countered by Dragon-types, Steel-types, Gigalith, and of course Fire-types, including Venusaur's old buddy Ninetales.
While Gen 8 canned Mega Evolutions indefinitely, it also saw the arrival of Gigantamax Venusaur, which was placed in the Ubers tier as with all G-Max forms. Venusaur itself is currently in the UU ban list, although the recent release of the Isle of Armor DLC for Sword and Shield (in which G-Max Venusaur debuted) has left the metagame in a tizzy, so it could be a while before Venusaur's definitive place in this gen's metagame is solidified.
For much more information regarding Venusaur in the competitive scene, you may consult its various Smogon articles: https://www.smogon.com/dex/ss/pokemon/venusaur/
