Bulbasaur
| Bulbasaur | |
|---|---|
| File:1bulbasaur.png National Pokédex None - Bulbasaur (#001) - Ivysaur Johto Pokédex Celebi - Bulbasaur (#226) - Ivysaur Hoenn Pokédex Deoxys - Bulbasaur (#203) - Ivysaur | |
| Japanese name | Fushigidane |
| Evolves from | None |
| Evolves into | Ivysaur |
| Generation | First |
| Species | Seed Pokémon |
| Type | Grass / Poison |
| Height | 2 ft 4 in (0.71 m) |
| Weight | 15.2 pounds (6.9 kg) |
| Ability | Overgrow |
Bulbasaur (フシギダネ Fushigidane in Japanese) is one of the Template:Pokenum fictional species of Pokémon creatures from the $15 billion[1] (as of 2003) Pokémon franchise – a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri. CNN refers to Bulbasaur and its later evolutions as “the Carmen Miranda of Pokémon figures” due to the “increasingly exotic foliage on its head” as it evolves[2] and, according to Time magazine, Bulbasaur was considered one of the “lead critters” in the original series.[3]
Bulbasaur is one of the first Pokémon a player can obtain in the first of the series’s video games, Pokémon Red & Pokémon Blue. Bulbasaur also appears often in the Pokémon anime.
In every version of the Pokémon series, Bulbasaur is a vaguely reptilian-looking creature that moves on all fours. It is small and squat, and has a light blue-green body coloration with darker blue-green spots. The artwork design of Bulbasaur was created by Ken Sugimori[4] for its 1996 debut in the Pokémon video games, and has since remained unchanged.
Characteristics
Each Bulbasaur has a seed planted on its back at birth, which soon grows into a large floral bulb as it matures. The bulb can absorb solar energy through photosynthesis in order to supply Bulbasaur with nutrients and will grow bigger if it is exposed to sunlight; for this reason, Bulbasaur enjoys taking naps in the sunlit daytime. It can survive on the stored energy without eating for days at a time. When in battle, solar energy that has been stored in the bulb can be released as a powerful Solar Beam attack. The bulb also holds seeds that can be launched at an enemy in order to sap its health in an attack called Leech Seed, and Bulbasaur is able to extend two vines from the bulb that serve as extra appendages for attacking and deftly manipulating objects.
In the Pokémon video games
Bulbasaur plays a key role in the original Pokémon video games. These were RPG strategy games created by Satoshi Tajiri for the Nintendo Game Boy (originally in Japanese but translated into other languages). Worldwide, these games and their sequels have sold over 143 million units, making them the one of Nintendo’s most popular game franchises, second only to the adventures of Mario[5]. The games are divided by release into generations (each with three or more games, often only subtly different), which follow the same basic plot in different areas of the Pokémon world, each generation building on the game play mechanics with new features. As the main character, the player’s task is to direct his or her Pokémon to battle the opponent’s Pokémon, creating a scenario which has been likened to cock fighting. However, in all media, Pokémon emphasizes the nature of these fights as competition rather than brutality.
In the first-generation Pokémon games (Red, Green, and Blue) and their remakes (FireRed and LeafGreen), Bulbasaur is one of the three Pokémon, along with Charmander and Squirtle, that the player may choose as his or her first (or “starter”) Pokémon. If the player chooses Bulbasaur, the player’s rival will invariably choose Charmander since Charmander has a type advantage over Bulbasaur.
In the next game, Pokémon Yellow, Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle are not available from the start, as all three have already been taken by other trainers; instead, the player starts with a Pikachu. Bulbasaur becomes available later in the game, as a gift from an NPC. This progression is much closer to the storyline of the anime. The three original starters, Charmander, Squirtle and Bulbasaur, are not available in any of the other games in the series (except serving the same purpose in the enhanced remakes FireRed and LeafGreen). However, Bulbasaur is one of the random Pokémon available in Pokémon Stadium as a prize for defeating all of the Gym Leaders and Elite Four members, the highest level of competition in the game.
There are seventeen different types of Pokémon (a special attribute determining strengths and weaknesses of each species), offsetting each other in a complicated series of rock-paper-scissors relationships. Bulbasaur is a Grass/Poison-type (though, it doesn’t have the ability to learn any damage-dealing Poison attacks naturally) so its attacks are particularly effective against Ground-, Rock- and Water-type Pokémon, but Psychic-, Fire-, and Flying-type attacks are particularly effective against it. Attacks of the Poison, Fighting, and Grass types do little damage to Bulbasaur, and Bulbasaur does little damage to other Grass and Poison types or to Dragon types. All other types have no particular advantage over Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur is therefore considered a good first choice for beginners, as the Kanto region’s first two Pokémon Gym Leaders, Brock and Misty (who are the first two major opponents you face in the game), use Rock-type and Water-type Pokémon, respectively. Also, the third and fourth Gym Leaders are Lt. Surge, an Electric-type specialist, and Erika a Grass-type specialist, and they have no advantage in battle against Bulbasaur and its evolved forms.
Bulbasaur’s reasonably high Special Attack and Special Defense statistics mean that it both has strong grass attacks (such as Vine Whip and Razor Leaf) and resists these sorts of attacks well, but its standard Attack statistic is quite poor, causing Bulbasaur’s physical attacks, such as Tackle, to be relatively weak. However, Bulbasaur has the ability to evolve twice (into Ivysaur beginning at level 16, and from Ivysaur to Venusaur beginning at level 32) with both evolutions giving it significantly stronger statistics. As with any Pokémon, the player can choose to stop Bulbasaur’s evolution, but few players decide to do this as Ivysaur and Venusaur are considerably stronger. The benefit of preventing evolution is that Bulbasaur, like most unevolved Pokémon, learns moves at a faster rate than its evolved forms. After it learns a number of moves, it can simply be allowed to evolve, taking advantage of both the advanced techniques and the power increase.
As Bulbasaur are not found in the wild in any version, and so cannot be caught, they are rare and therefore considered desirable despite their lack of battle prowess before evolving. Because one goal in a Pokémon RPG is to “catch ’em all”, any player of Red or Blue (for example) who does not select Bulbasaur at the beginning of the game must trade with someone else who has one. For this reason, Bulbasaur (and other starter Pokémon like Mudkip and Cyndaquil) are popularly bred for trading with other players. This feature was introduced in the second generation – second-generation and subsequent games contain locations where Pokémon can be bred to produce eggs, which hatch into Pokémon matching the mother’s earliest stage of development.
Bulbasaur also makes minor and cameo appearances in several other Nintendo games, Pokémon-centric and otherwise. In the Nintendo 64 game Pokémon Snap, players assume the identity of Todd Snap, a Pokémon photographer. At the request of Professor Oak, Todd sets out to photograph and catalogue the 62 diverse species of Kanto Pokémon that live in varied environments on “Pokémon Island”. On this island, Bulbasaur are found along the River, and three Ditto disguised as Bulbasaur in the Cave. Bulbasaur also show up in Hey You, Pikachu! and Pokémon Channel. In these first-person games, players are put in the role of children too young to become trainers, who befriend a wild Pikachu and other Pokémon. In Super Smash Bros. Melee, a fighting game starring well-known Nintendo characters, Bulbasaur appears as a trophy which the player can acquire through the in-game lottery by spending coins, known as “Smash Coins”, earned while playing.[6]
In the Pokémon anime
The Pokémon anime series and films are a set of adventures separate from most other versions of Pokémon, featuring Ash Ketchum as the main character, and following his quest to become a Pokémon Master – though what constitutes a Master is somewhat ambiguous. He and his companions travel around the Pokémon world battling other Pokémon trainers. To this end, Ash and his friend May have each trained a Bulbasaur (at different times), although Ash’s was featured for a much longer period.
Ash’s Bulbasaur has remained with him longer than all of his other Pokémon with the exception of his Pikachu. Before joining his team, it lived with a girl named Melanie, who took care of abandoned Pokémon. It is unclear whether or not this Bulbasaur has been abandoned, but Melanie was not its trainer, she was merely a friend[7]. Originally, this Bulbasaur was pessimistic about Ash, and when it and his other Pokémon were separated from him, it insisted to the other Pokémon that he has abandoned them.[8] However, following this episode, its loyalties began to improve and it eventually became one of Ash’s most faithful Pokémon.
Like all Pokémon in the anime (except a particular Meowth and a certain Slowking), Bulbasaur cannot speak and are only able to communicate verbally by repeating syllables of their species name (“bulb”, “bulba”, “saur”), using different pitches, tones and body language to convey moods. From this, however, a Bulbasaur’s trainer can usually understand what it is saying. Ash and his early companions were the first humans to witness a Bulbasaur evolution ceremony, in which all the Bulbasaur in the world gather in one place[9].
As in the games, Pokémon trainers can carry a maximum of 6 Pokémon in their active roster at any one time. Ash’s Bulbasaur remained on his active roster for much of the series, but was later left with Professor Oak after other Pokémon in Oak’s care started fighting amongst themselves. Bulbasaur was the only Pokémon able to break up these fights, and the fights would resume if it were to leave[10].
Nintendo has stated that, unlike the video games, Pokémon in the anime are genderless with a few exceptions. Bulbasaur typically has a relaxed attitude, rarely allowing itself to be provoked. This is a sharp contrast to its teammate Squirtle, which tends to act rashly in similar situations. Like Ash’s Pikachu, this Bulbasaur has decided it prefers not to evolve. Although this decision was not accepted by other Bulbasaur at first, they have come to respect its wishes.
During the grass field battle of the Indigo League tournament, a battle competition that takes place on the Indigo Plateau, Ash’s Bulbasaur defeated two of the opponent’s three Pokémon on its own (a Beedrill and a Scyther), despite little fighting experience as a part of Ash’s team. It also took part in the Orange League Tournament, however, it was quickly defeated by a more experienced Electabuzz, making it the only Pokémon on Ketchum’s team not to defeat at least one of the opposition’s Pokémon. Later, in the Johto League Silver Conference, Bulbasaur was able to defeat a particularly strong shiny Magneton, and then in the same match, duel a freshly-rested Meganium to a draw[11]. Bulbasaur is one of only two of Ash’s original Pokémon (the other being Snorlax) to appear so far in the English dubs of the Advanced Generation episodes, which are the most recent incarnation of the Pokémon anime.
Another featured Bulbasaur is the fourth Pokémon caught by May during her Hoenn adventures. While travelling in the Forbidden Forest (a grass Pokémon reserve), she meets it trying to pick flowers. It warms to her and defends her against the other grass Pokémon, who see her as a threat. When May leaves, Bulbasaur decides to go with her. In the Japanese version, it is voiced by Miyako Itō. Like May’s other Pokémon, it is a contest Pokémon. Pokémon contests within the series are dog show-type events in which Pokémon compete to demonstate style to a panel of judges. For this reason, it is taught the Petal Dance attack, a flashy move which garners high scores from the judges.
In the Pokémon Trading Card Game
The Pokémon Trading Card Game is a collectable card game first published by Wizards of the Coast in North America 1999. The concept is similar to that of a Pokémon battle in the video games in that each player takes turns to hit the opponent’s Pokémon.
In this capacity, Bulbasaur was among the first Pokémon cards with which players became acquainted. Bulbasaur cards have appeared in the Base Set (and Base Set 2 and Legendary Collection), Gym Challenge (as Erika’s Bulbasaur), Expedition (two cards), EX Team Magma vs. Team Aqua, and EX FireRed & LeafGreen (two cards). Considering the notability and popularity of Bulbasaur, the Pokémon had relatively few appearances in the early card series. In particular, the Rocket set contained Charmander and Squirtle cards, but no Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur has begun to make more frequent appearances in the recent expansions, starting with the Expedition set. Most Bulbasaur cards are of the “common” rarity and can generally be found with relative ease.[12]
In other media
Bulbasaur is also featured in several Pokémon manga. In Pokémon Adventures, Red, the protagonist, receives a Bulbasaur from Professor Oak after demonstrating instinctive knowledge of its abilities. It becomes one of his primary Pokémon and eventually evolves into a Venusaur. In Pokémon: Pikachu Shocks Back, Electric Pikachu Boogaloo, and Surf’s Up, Pikachu!, which (very) loosely parallel the storyline of the anime, Pikachu is seperated from Ash temporarily, and travels with a Bulbasaur to a secret Pokémon village in the mountains. Later, Ash has caught a Bulbasaur of his own, which he uses to battle team Rocket. While Ash and his companions take time off to work odd jobs, his Bulbasaur challenges an Ivysaur’s belief in an an ancient Venusaur spirit, and the two scale an enormous, ancient tree to settle the matter. Bulbasaur accompanies Ash thought his journeys in the Orange Islands, and eventually fights in the final showdown with Drake, the Orange Crew Supreme Gymleader. In Magical Pokémon Journey, a character named Pistachio has a female Bulbasaur (nicknamed “Danerina” in the Japanese version), who has a crush on him.
Bulbasaur is also the main character of two children’s books, Pokémon Tales, Volume 3: Bulbasaur’s Trouble and Bulbasaur’s Bad Day, that were published in 1999 and 2000 respectively by Sagebrush. In Pokémon Tales, Volume 3: Bulbasaur’s Trouble, Bulbasaur resolves an argument between the other Pokémon.[13] In Bulbasaur’s Bad Day, Meowth traps Bulbasaur in a pit and it has to outwit Team Rocket (the antagonists of the anime) to escape.[14]
In Japan, McDonald’s included Bulbasaur as one of a series of promotional Pokémon cards given away with their Happy Meals.[15] McDonald’s did not, however, extend this idea outside Japan. Instead, a rival company, Burger King, took up the cause: their “Power Cards” included a Bulbasaur, alongside Elekid, Charmander, Meowth, Kingler, Snorlax, Lapras, Scyther, Articuno and Pikachu in “Assortment 3”.
Trivia
- Bulbasaur is the first Pokémon in the original (Kanto) Pokédex, and the National Pokédex.
- The name Bulbasaur is a portmanteau of “bulb” (from the large bulb on its back) and “sauros” (Greek for “lizard”), creating a name evocative of dinosaur.
- フシギダネ (Fushigidane), the Japanese name for Bulbasaur, is a portmanteau of ふしぎ (fushigi, “mystery”) and たね; (tane, “seed”).
- In French, it is called is Bulbizarre, from “bulb” and “bizarre”.
- Its German name, Bisasam, may be partially derived from der Bisam.
- In Korean it’s known as Isanghaessa.
Notes and references
- The following games and their instruction manuals: Pokémon Red, Green, and Blue, Pokémon Yellow, Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Stadium 2, Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, Pokémon Colosseum, and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness
- Notes
- ^ “Pokemon franchise approaches 150 million games sold”, PR Newswire. URL accessed on February 28, 2006.
- ^ “Pokémon banished from another playground,” CNN, October 5, 1999. URL accessed on December 29, 2005.
- ^ “PokéMania,” Time Asia. URL accessed on December 29, 2005.
- ^ “Nintendo reveal sales figures”, PalGN Gamecube. URL accessed on February 28, 2006.
- ^ “Guides:Super Smash Bros. Melee,” IGN.com. URL accessed on December 29, 2005.
- ^ “Bulbasaur CotW (Card of the Week),” pojo.com. URL accessed on January 31, 2006.
- ^ “Bulbasaur’s Bad Day,” Amazon. URL accessed on February 1, 2006.
- ^ “Pokémon Tales, Volume 3: Bulbasaur’s Trouble,” Amazon. URL accessed on February 2, 2006.
- ^ “McDonalds’s Pokémon Booster packs,” Scyther’s Pokemon place. URL accessed on February 26, 2006.
- ^ “Episode 10 - Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village”, Serebii.net. URL accessed on February 26, 2006.
- ^ “Episode 17 - The Island of Giant Pokémon”, Serebii.net. URL accessed on February 26, 2006.
- ^ “Episode 51 - Bulbasaur’s Mysterious Garden”, Serebii.net. URL accessed on February 26, 2006.
- ^ “Episode 270 - Tie One On!”, Serebii.net. URL accessed on February 26, 2006.
- ^ “Episode 227 - Bulbasaur ... The Ambassador!”, Serebii.net. URL accessed on February 28, 2006.
- Publications
- Barbo, Maria. The Official Pokémon Handbook. Scholastic Publishing, 1999. ISBN 0439154049.
- Loe, Casey, ed. Pokémon Special Pikachu Edition Official Perfect Guide. Sunnydale, CA: Empire 21 Publishing, 1999. ISBN 130206151.
- Nintendo, et al. Official Nintendo Pokémon Snap Player’s Guide. Nintendo of America Inc., 1999. ASIN B000CDZP9G
- Nintendo Power. Official Nintendo Pokémon FireRed Version & Pokémon LeafGreen Version Player’s Guide. Nintendo of America Inc., August 2004. ISBN 193020650X
- Websites
- "Statistical analysis of Bulbasaur". PsyPoke. Retrieved December 29.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - "Individual anime episode summaries". Serebii.net. Retrieved February 28.
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- Manga volumes
- Ono, Toshihiro. Pokémon: Pikachu Shocks Back Graphic Novel. VIZ Media LLC, December 6 1999. ISBN 156931411X
- Ono, Toshihiro. Pokémon: Electric Pikachu Boogaloo Graphic Novel. VIZ Media LLC, April 5 2000. ISBN 1569314365
- Ono, Toshihiro. Pokémon: Surf’s Up, Pikachu Graphic Novel. VIZ Media LLC, June 2000. ISBN 1569314942
- Kusaka, Hidenori, & Mato. Pokémon Adventures, Volume 1: Desperado Pikachu. VIZ Media LLC, July 6 2000. ISBN 1569315078
- Kusaka, Hidenori, & Mato. Pokémon Adventures, Volume 2: Legendary Pokémon. VIZ Media LLC, December 6 2000. ISBN 1569315086
External links
- Official Pokemon website
- Bulbapedia (a Pokémon-centric Wiki)’s article about Bulbasaur as a species.
- Bulbapedia’s article about Ash’s Bulbasaur.
- Bulbapedia’s article about May’s Bulbasaur.
- Serebii.net’s 3rd Gen Pokédex entry for Bulbasaur
- Pokémon Dungeon Pokédex entry, full of statistics analysis
- PsyPoke Pokédex entry
- Smogon Pokédex entry