Venusaur

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Zancloor (talk | contribs) at 13:37, 25 June 2007 (→‎Pokémon anime). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Venusaur
File:Venusaur.png
National Pokédex
Ivysaur - Venusaur (#003) - Charmander
Johto Pokédex
Ivysaur - Venusaur (#228) - Charmander
Japanese nameFushigibana
Evolves fromIvysaur
Evolves intoNone
GenerationFirst
SpeciesSeed Pokémon
TypeGrass / Poison
Height6 ft 7 in (2.0 m)
Weight220.5 pounds (100.0 kg)
AbilityOvergrow

Venusaur (フシギバナ, Fushigibana in original Japanese language versions) are one of the Template:Pokenum fictional species of Pokémon creatures from the multi-billion-dollar[1] Pokémon media franchise—a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards, and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri. Venusaur are famous for evolving from Bulbasaur, one of the three species of Pokémon players can choose from at the start of their adventure in Pokémon Red and Blue (and their remakes Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen). The main purpose of Venusaur in the games, anime, and manga, as with all other Pokémon, is to battle both wild Pokémon, untamed creatures encountered while the player passes through various environments, and tamed Pokémon owned by Pokémon trainers.[2]

The name Venusaur is most likely a portmanteau of "Venus" (from the Venus flytrap) and the Greek word "sauros", meaning "lizard" (as in the word "dinosaur"). Its Japanese name, Fushigibana, can be construed as a combination of the words mystery or miracle (不思議, fushigi) and flower (花, hana). Venusaur are large, reptilian animals that walk on all fours. Like its predecessors, Bulbasaur and Ivysaur, Venusaur have a plant on their backs. The name Venusaur refers to the species as a whole, as well as individual specimens in the games, anime and manga.

Biological characteristics

At this stage of its development, the plant has bloomed into an enormous flower (vaguely resembling a Rafflesia) which Venusaur use to collect energy from sunlight, giving off a pleasant fragrance in the process. Because of this, Venusaur usually move around in an effort to follow the sun; they are more powerful in summer when they are able to absorb more sunlight. The fragrance emitted from its brilliantly-colored flower becalms foes in battle, as well as humans.

Venusaur grow in numbers more rapidly near the warmer and comforting atmosphered places of the world. Venusaur are known to rarely be seen unless seen as the leader of a herd.[3]

The female's flower contains what appears to be a seed, presumably the seed to be planted on its Bulbasaur offspring.[4]

Role

Pokémon video games

Venusaur can only be obtained in the games by evolving an Ivysaur (evolves to Venusaur at level 32), which in turn can only be obtained by evolving a Bulbasaur (evolves at level 16). Therefore, the availability of Bulbasaur, which are not found in the wild, dictates the availability of Venusaur. Venusaur have high special stats with the rest of their stats being about average.

Venusaur also have minor cameos in the Super Smash Bros. series; first in Super Smash Bros., as one of the Pokémon that would appear in the Saffron City stage, using Razor Leaf on nearby players,[5] and as one of several Pokémon which may emerge from thrown Poké balls, attacking surrounding players with Earthquake, in Super Smash Bros. Melee.[6]

Pokémon anime

File:Venusaur anime.jpg
The clone Venusaur as featured in Pokémon: The First Movie.

The Pokémon anime series and films are a meta-series of adventures separate from the canon that most of the Pokémon video games follow (with the exception of Pokémon Yellow, a game based on the anime storyline). The anime follows the quest of the main character, Ash Ketchum[7]—a Pokémon Master in training—as he and several other companions[7] travel around the fictitious Pokémon World along with their Pokémon partners, including Pikachu.

In the first season, Ash and company come across a secret garden where Bulbasaur evolve into Ivysaur in Episode 51, "Bulbasaur’s Mysterious Garden". A Venusaur protects this garden against everything except evolving Bulbasaur and Ivysaur. In Episode 112 (Enter the Dragonite), Drake, the Orange League champion, used a Venusaur in his battle against Ash, but it was defeated by Ash's Tauros. In the Advanced Challenge season, there is an episode titled "Grass Hysteria", which involves a Venusaur guarding a forest of Grass Pokémon. It accepts Ash and May, and later encourages a Bulbasaur to join May. In a contest in the Hoenn region a Venusaur was defeated by May's Combusken.

In Pokémon: The First Movie, Mewtwo had cloned a Bulbasaur which had since evolved into a Venusaur and is used (along with clones of Charizard and Blastoise) to defeat the trainers it has invited to its island in battle. Mewtwo and the clones eventually give up on conquest and retire to an undisclosed location, but they reappear in the sequel, Pokémon: Mewtwo Returns.

Noland was seen with a Venusaur in Numero Uno Articuno.

In "Ka Boom With A View", Spenser the fifth Frontier Brain Ash battles has a Venusaur. It manages to defeat Ash's Heracross, but is defeated by Ash's Swellow.

Pokémon Trading Card Game

File:Venusaur tcg.jpg
Venusaur in the Pokémon Trading Card Game (Base Set).

The Pokémon Trading Card Game is a collectible card game similar in goal to a Pokémon battle in the video game series; players must use cards (with individual strengths and weaknesses) in an attempt to defeat their opponent by "knocking out" all of his cards.[8] The game was first published in North America by Wizards of the Coast in 1999, until Nintendo USA started publishing the series in 2003.[9]

In the Pokémon Trading Card Game, Venusaur cards have been released (always in the limited frequency called "Rare") in the Base Set (included in Base Set 2 and the Legendary Collection), Gym Challenge (as Erika’s Venusaur), Expedition (2 normal cards and a rare holographic version), EX: FireRed and LeafGreen (as Venusaur EX), EX: Crystal Guardians (as a rare version), and as a promotional cards, a promo card Venusaur. Venusaur’s most famous appearance as a card was in the Base Set (pictured), where it was known for the "Energy Trans" Pokémon Power and Solarbeam attack. Its recent appearance as "Venusaur EX" is a beefed-up version of the original, with the same Energy Trans Poké-Power and a more powerful Solarbeam attack that does 90 points of damage.[10]

Pokémon manga

In Pokémon Adventures, Red received a Bulbasaur from Professor Oak, which he nicknamed "Saur", in Chapter 1, "VS. Mew".[11] It battled alongside Red when in Chapter 15, "Wartortle Wars", it evolved into an Ivysaur after battling a wild Primeape.[12] In Chapter 30, "Zap, Zap, Zapdos!", Red used Saur to defeat Lt. Surge's Zapdos, using its Razor Leaf attack to cut the cables that joined the Team Rocket Executive and the legendary bird.[13] In Chapter 33, "The Winged Legends", Red's Ivysaur evolved into a Venusaur mysteriously (meaning that it wasn't shown in the manga), Turtley, to defeat Zapmolcuno (a merged form of Zapdos, Moltres and Articuno) and destroy Team Rocket's control of Saffron City, splitting the three birds in the process.[14]

Red's Saur reappeared next in Chapter 40, "A Charizard... and a Champion", during the final match of the Ninth Pokémon League, against his longtime rival, Blue. The battle began with Red's Saur and Blue's Charizard facing each other. Charizard tried using Fire blast, but was hit by Saur's Poisonpowder, nearly being knocked out, despite the type advantage. As the battle progressed, Blue's Ninetails used Fire Blast to send Red's Pikachu, Pika, and Poliwrath, Poli, upward toward the ceiling. The two trainers then used their first Pokémon to battle again, Saur binding the Charizard, preventing it from attacking. Suddenly, thunderclouds began to form above the battlefield, formed from the attacks of Poli and Pika, and Saur submerged a vine into the cloud, shocking Charizard and knocking it out.[15]

When the manga started the "FireRed and LeafGreen" volume, Red, Blue and Green, the original protagonists, returned to fight the newly formed Team Rocket and the Deoxys under their power. In Chapter 24, "FireRed and LeafGreen", the three trainers were trapped inside the Trainer Tower in the Sevii Islands, battling the main computer of the building and the Deoxys Divides. Due to the prior battle between Red and Team Rocket, most his team was very weak, causing Blue to trade his Charizard with Red's Saur, since Blue was the person who was leading the fight against the computer, in an attempt to free Mewtwo from the binds. After struggling to coordinate Turtley, Saur and Charizard, the three trainers managed to focus the angle of the three powerful attacks, Blast Burn, Hydro Cannon and Frenzy Plant, to free Mewtwo from the binds, who in turn, destroyed the Trainer Tower.[16]

References

Notes
  1. ^ "Pokémon Franchise Approaches 150 Million Games Sold". PR Newswire. Retrieved 2006-02-28.
  2. ^ Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire Review (page 1) Ign.com. URL Accessed June 1, 2006.
  3. ^ Venusaur Pokédex entry Serebii.net. URL Accessed November 5, 2006.
  4. ^ Psypoke - Picture Dex :: #003 - Venusaur
  5. ^ Super Smash Bros. stage guide Gamefaqs.com. URL Accessed July 11, 2006.
  6. ^ Super Smash Bros. Melee Poké ball guide Gamefaqs.com. URL Accessed July 11, 2006.
  7. ^ a b Pokémon anime overview Psypokes.com. URL Accessed May 25, 2006.
  8. ^ Pokémon Trading Card Game "How to play" guide Pokemon-tcg.com. URL Accessed July 3, 2006.
  9. ^ Pokémon Trading Card Game News; "Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire TCG Releases" Wizards.com. URL Accessed July 3, 2006.
  10. ^ List of Venusaur appearances in the Pokémon Trading Card Game Psypokes.com. URL Accessed July 22, 2006.
  11. ^ Kusaka, Hidenori, & Mato. Pokémon Adventures, Volume 1: Desperado Pikachu, VIZ Media LLC, July 6, 2000. ISBN 1-56931-507-8.
  12. ^ Kusaka, Hidenori, & Mato. Pokémon Adventures: Legendary Pokémon, Vol. 2; Chapter 33, Chapter 15, "Wartortle Wars", (pg 7-20) VIZ Media LLC, December 6, 2001. ISBN 1-56931-508-6.
  13. ^ Kusaka, Hidenori, & Mato. Pokémon Adventures, Volume 3: Saffron City Siege; Chapter 31, "The Art of Articuno" (pg 33-46) VIZ Media LLC, August 5 2001. ISBN 1-56931-560-4
  14. ^ Kusaka, Hidenori, & Mato. Pokémon Adventures, Volume 3: Saffron City Siege; Chapter 33, "The Winged Legends" (pg 77-95) VIZ Media LLC, August 5 2001. ISBN 1-56931-560-4
  15. ^ Kusaka, Hidenori, & Mato. Pokémon Adventures, Volume 3: Saffron City Siege; Chapter 31, "A Charizard... and a Champion" (pg 118-) VIZ Media LLC, August 5 2001. ISBN 1-56931-560-4
  16. ^ Synopsis of Pokémon Adventures; FRLG series, Chapter 24, "FireRed and LeafGreen" Serebii.net. URL Accessed July 11, 2006.
Publications
  • Barbo, Maria. The Official Pokémon Handbook. Scholastic Publishing, 1999. ISBN 0-439-15404-9.
  • Loe, Casey, ed. Pokémon Special Pikachu Edition Official Perfect Guide. Sunnydale, CA: Empire 21 Publishing, 1999. ISBN 1-930206-15-1.
  • Nintendo Power. Super Smash Bros. Melee Official Nintendo Player’s Guide. Nintendo of America Inc., 2001. ISBN 1-930206-19-4
  • Nintendo Power. Official Nintendo Pokémon FireRed Version & Pokémon LeafGreen Version Player’s Guide. Nintendo of America Inc., August 2004. ISBN 1-930206-50-X
  • Mylonas, Eric. Pokémon Pokédex Collector’s Edition: Prima’s Official Pokémon Guide. Prima Games, September 21 2004. ISBN 0-7615-4761-4
Manga volumes
  • Ono, Toshihiro. Pokémon: Electric Pikachu Boogaloo Graphic Novel. VIZ Media LLC, April 5 2000. ISBN 1-56931-436-5
  • Kusaka, Hidenori, & Mato. Pokémon Adventures, Volume 3: Saffron City Siege. VIZ Media LLC, August 5 2001. ISBN 1-56931-560-4
  • Kusaka, Hidenori, & Mato. Pokémon Adventures, Volume 4: The Yellow Caballero: A Trainer in Yellow. VIZ Media LLC, January 9 2002. ISBN 1-56931-710-0
  • Kusaka, Hidenori, & Mato. Pokémon Adventures, Volume 6: The Yellow Caballero: The Cave Campaign. VIZ Media LLC, September 5 2002. ISBN 1-59116-028-6
  • Kusaka, Hidenori, & Mato. Pokémon Adventures, Volume 7: The Yellow Caballero: The Pokémon Elite. VIZ Media LLC, January 2003. ISBN 1-56931-851-4

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Venusaur&oldid=140518063"