When you first started your game of Pokemon you were given one of the hardest decisions you will ever make in the entire game. After giving yourself a name, and your rival a hilarious and degrading moniker, you were tasked with choosing your very first starter Pokemon. The decision wasn’t easy either; there were only three choices and each of them came with pros and cons, especially considering your rival would get to choose his Pokemon after you picked yours.
Well, in case you didn’t realize it, you absolutely should have chosen the grass-type Pokemon. Many are lured away by the more tangible elemental forces of fire and water, but having a grass-type Pokemon in your arsenal to begin the game is paramount to your success, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. In case you needed additional facts to back up our argument, here are 15 Reasons Why Grass-Type Pokemon Are The Best Start.
15. They Help You Beat Brock In Red/Blue
Remember Brock from the Pokemon TV show? The dude has an affinity for rock-type Pokemon. In the game, the same sentiment is true. When you arrive to do battle with Brock at your first Gym contest, you’ll do battle against a Geodude and an Onix, two rock Pokemon. They may look fierce and tough, but never fear, player! You are equipped with a grass-type Pokemon.
Why is that important? Well, if you’ve leveled up sufficiently, your grass-type Pokemon is likely to have learned a grass-type attack, which does major damage to rock-type Pokemon, thus sealing this victory pretty effortlessly. Aren’t you glad you chose a grass Pokemon instead of that stupid fire-type who would struggle futilely against Brock’s rock monsters?
You’ll be sending Brock home crying and nursing his poor, sweet rock-type Pokemon in no time. We’re pretty sure he won’t mind, he’s got a huge crush on Nurse Joy.
14. And Help You Beat Misty In Red/Blue
That’s right, not only do the grass-type Pokemon help you defeat Brock’s rock-types, they also help you annihilate the second gym leader’s Pokemon. Another pivotal character in the Pokemon television show, Misty is quite fond of water-type Pokemon. It just so happens that water-type Pokemon are also extremely weak against grass-type Pokemon. So, get ready to Vine Whip all over their butts and take Misty down in a heartbeat. Her eclectic mix of water Pokemon are no match for your grass-type. Staryu and Starmie will have no idea what hit them when they do battle with you.
If you chose a fire-type for this battle, you are up the creek without a paddle. We all know that fire is weak against water, so Misty would clearly have an advantage here. If you chose a water Pokemon to begin the game, you are just throwing water at water, and that is a pretty even matchup. No clear advantages or anything, so you’d need to rely on other Pokemon to give you the edge, which isn’t an easy task this early in the game.
13. And Also The Third Gym Leader In Red/Blue
Well, what do you know? The Pokemon who helps you slay the first two gym leaders comes in handy against the third as well. Lt. Surge is the leader of the third gym you encounter in Red/Blue, and he strictly uses electric Pokemon, who are notably weak against grass-types. Grass Pokemon are immune to a lot of the attacks Lt. Surge will throw at you, so this makes for yet another easy gym badge victory, leaving you well on your way to demolishing this game. Also, why the heck is Lt. Surge, a military veteran, battling children? It feels like that should be some sort of crime.
How would the other starters have fared? Well, water Pokemon are notoriously weak against electric-types, so you’d be screwed there. Fire Pokemon have no clear advantage or disadvantage, so that point is moot. Opting for the grass-type will get you on the fast track to game domination. And isn’t that what we all want? To crush our opponents into submission? If that’s not why you’re here, you probably bought the wrong game. You might be looking for Pokemon Snap.
12. Fire Pokemon Are Rare
In all of the games, there are only 72 fire-type Pokemon, and only 34 fire-type attacks. Plus the fire gym leader, Blaine, doesn’t come until much later in the game, after you’ve accrued a beautiful bounty of water Pokemon that you can throw at him. In fact, by that point in the game you will probably have abandoned your starter Pokemon to make room for much cooler and useful Pokemon in your lineup.
Sure, grass Pokemon are weak against fire-types, but that won’t really even come into play until much later in the game– or whenever your rival shows up and decides to face off against you. That darn rascal. Always trying to thwart your plans of beating the game.
Plus, finding fire Pokemon later in the game is no easy task. Since there are so few of them around, it would be hard to amass a giant collection of them to destroy your grass Pokemon.
11. They’re Adorable
Say what you will about those other Pokemon, but the grass-types are certainly cute. From Bulbasaur to Snivy to Treecko, you’ll have an adorable little pocket monster with you at all times. Even after they evolve, they are still pretty adorable. Have a look at Torterra. Who can pretend that an enormous turtle with a forest on its back isn’t awesome to look at. Meganium is just calming and peaceful to look at, even though that Pokemon packs a vicious punch.
Plus when it’s sunny, you can catch some shade under Torterra’s or Venusaur’s giant trees growing out of their backs. Relax in the shade with your awesome grass Pokemon.
The other starter Pokemon grow up to look a lot more vicious and angsty, like they’ve gone through some serious rage issues. You don’t want to have any of that business when you’re trying to be the very best, like no one ever was.
10. They Won’t Betray You Like Charmeleon and Charizard
Speaking of evolutions of Pokemon going through some rage issues, do you remember on the television show how once Charmander evolved, it turned into a jerk? The second that little Pokemon took the next step in its evolution, it started breathing fire in Ash’s face non-stop, openly disobeying his commands, and being an all-around P.O.S.
Things got so bad that once Charmeleon evolved into Charizard, Ash had to let him go. That’s right, a Pokemon he caught and nurtured got too unruly, so he had to give that Pokemon away. It was a huge waste of time and energy. He was probably bragging to all of his friends about the cool fire Pokemon he had, only to have that Pokemon destroy his whole life after a while. There’s a lesson to be learned here.
Did Bulbasaur do anything like that? Of course not. He was a loyal trooper for Ash and his cronies, and was always there by his side, never blowing fire in his face (which is extremely deadly, by the way).
9. Many Types Of Pokemon Are Weak Against Grass-Types
Previously, it was mentioned that a grass-type Pokemon will aid you against the first three, count ’em, three gym leaders. That’s because grass-type Pokemon are potent against a ton of types of Pokemon. Not only are their attacks against rock and water Pokemon super effective, they are also powerful against ground-types as well. That puts you at a distinct advantage when heading into battle against other Pokemon trainers. And trust us, you’re going to be doing a ton of battling as you travel through these games.
Water Pokemon are very abundant in the Pokemon Universe, as there are over 140. Combine that with rock’s 67, and ground’s 75, and you have the upper hand on nearly 300 Pokemon that exist in the world. There are only 802 Pokemon in the known universes, so being strong against nearly 300 is going to help you along the road. That’s a huge advantage.
8. Many Grass Pokemon Can Learn Poison Attacks
Of the 109 grass Pokemon known to the universe, 71 of them are known as dual-type Pokemon. That means they are not just grass-types; they have a second type that grants them special abilities and attacks. Most commonly, grass Pokemon are paired with the poison-type, which can pay dividends in battle.
When you use a poison attack on an enemy, it will systematically drain their HP, thus making it almost impossible for them to carry on in battle for very long without fainting. This will maim your opponent’s Pokemon, crippling them not only during battle, but presumably after, as the effects of a poisoning don’t just end when the battle does.
Sure, it may seem a little sadistic and evil to think of being able to poison Pokemon as a good thing, but when your main objective is to defeat opponents as swiftly as possible, you’ll stop at nothing to down them. Even if that means having to poison some innocent Pokemon along the way.
7. Their Health-Replenishing Attacks
Grass-type Pokemon are notable for having many attacks that not only maim their opponent’s hit points, but also replenish their own. Moves like Leech Seed not only hurt their opponent; they replenish the grass-type Pokemon’s health in the process. In fact, there are plenty of grass-type attacks with the same effect. Grass Pokemon know how to drain the life out of their opponent. They are like the vampires of the Pokemon world.
Imagine how helpful that could be if it applied to real life. Most UFC fighters would probably love to learn a move that drains their opponent’s health and replenishes their own. That’s an ace-in-the-hole that no one can prepare for.
This will come in handy when your Pokemon is about to faint. The Leech Seed will sap some extra health so you can get in that one last attack that could mean the difference between victory and defeat.
6. Their High Defensive Stats
You know the old saying, “defense wins championships”? Well, if you’re looking to win a championship, look no further than the grass-type starters. They are generally much higher on the defensive stat scale than their fire and water counterparts. That will keep them alive and remaining in the heat of battle while all those other loser Pokemon will have fainted long ago.
Having the ability to defend yourself is paramount to succeeding in the world of battle, and if your skin is as thick as a Torterra or a Venusaur, you should consider yourself lucky. They are some of the most defensive Pokemon in the games, and that is important when you are trying to extend the length of a battle.
Sure, it’s nice to be able to attack, but if you are attacking an impenetrable wall like a grass Pokemon, you might as well just give up and go home. Their defense will keep them fighting for a long, long time.
5. Their Defensive Move Set
Not only do grass Pokemon have high stats on the defensive side of things, but they also can learn impressive defensive moves that will render their opponent’s attacks useless. Chesnaught can learn a move called Spiky Shield that can nullify all damage done by the opponent’s next attack. That’s undeniably impressive. Plus, if your defensive stats are already on the high end, these complementary movies will only help further you in the heat of battle, leading to a war of attrition that grass-types will most surely win.
Add Light Screen and Reflect to Spiky Shield, and you have an impressive defensive move set that will frustrate just about any opponent. But it won’t just drive your foe up the wall; after a healthy dose of Leech Seeds, Razor Leafs, and Vine Whips, they will be pounded into submission, with the Pokemon trainer across from you waving the white flag. Victory tastes glorious.
4. High Hit Point Levels
It’s almost not fair that grass-types are gifted with high defensive statistics, incredible defensive moves, and high hit point levels, but that’s where we stand. A key to staying in the heat of a Pokemon battle is being able to stay alive, and since grass-types have superior defense, defensive moves, moves that replenish their health, and the highest hit point levels, you know for sure these Pokemon will last you a long time.
If you got into a fight in the real world and you knew you could withstand copious amounts of punishment, far more than whoever you are fighting, you’d feel pretty confident going into that battle. Grass Pokemon have that distinct advantage to last into the later rounds of a duel.
Your grass-types won’t be fainting any time soon. You’ll be battling tooth and nail long after the water and fire Pokemon have fainted due to their ineptitude in the HP game.
3. They Are Rarer Than Water Pokemon
Sure, grass Pokemon aren’t as rare as fire-types, but all you need to do is get yourself a decent fishing rod in the Pokemon Universe, and you’ll be able to capture numerous water Pokemon. You don’t need to pick a water type to start off the game, as there are loads and loads of water types out there in the world. In fact, there are 141 water Pokemon out there, compared to 109 grass types. You’ll have plenty of time to go out on your own and pick up some water Pokemon.
And fire Pokemon? Pfft, who needs them? They are only useful in battle against one gym leader. You read that right, one single gym leader. Sure, Erika will be shaking in her boots when you roll up to her gym with a Charmeleon, but no one else will bat an eye.
So have fun with your Charmander and Cyndaquil. If you choose a fire Pokemon as your starter, you must be a glutton for punishment.
2. Their Weaknesses Are Rarely Exploited
As mentioned before, fire Pokemon don’t come into play until much later in the game. As for the rest of grass Pokemon’s weaknesses? Ice Pokemon are even rarer than fire Pokemon, with only 43, there’s only 69 poison-types, and there is only 83 bug-type Pokemon. The only worry really are flying Pokemon, but by the time you have to deal with those types, you’ll have an arsenal of other Pokemon you can deploy to fight against those.
Yes, admittedly there are more types of Pokemon who are strong against grass-types than there are types of Pokemon who are weak against grass-types. But you really shouldn’t be worried about that considering they are non-factors until later in the games.
You might be sick of me mentioning “later in the game,” but you need to understand that we are talking about STARTER Pokemon, as in the best Pokemon to START with. Sure, Grass Pokemon have their deficiencies later on, but to START the game, you can’t go wrong with these Pokemon. Sure, they may be bad for you to FINISH with, but we are just STARTING the game.
1. They Are Energy Efficient
Imagine a world, if you will, where Pokemon are real. Grass-type Pokemon would be the hippies of the Pokemon Universe. They acquire a majority of their via the sun, and many of their attacks are solar-based. You could say that they are possibly the most energy efficient Pokemon around. In a world where we are constantly trying to preserve our planet, grass Pokemon would be our best friends in that fight. In fact, Meganium, an evolution of the starter Pokemon Chikorita, is said to be able to bring dead plants back to life with its breath.
How cool is that?! Wouldn’t that be nice to have around? Amid the concerns about deforestation and whether we can actually preserve the environment, grass Pokemon could come in really handy. Think about the real-world possibilities and understand that if Pokemon were real, you’d want a grass Pokemon by your side. Fire would only bring destruction, and water Pokemon would only be useful to water the plants that your grass Pokemon just brought back to life.
Have we convinced you to start with a grass-type Pokemon? Which grass-type starter is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
