#002 - Ivysaur

IVYSAUR

IN SHOW

Ivysaur was never heavily featured in the show, and to be fair unless it’s one of Ash’s pokemon which have evolved not a lot of evolutions are. Ivysaur was only really introduced when the creators decided they needed to show why Bulbasaur didn’t want to evolve.

REASONS WHY YOU WANT AN IVYSAUR

So you picked up your Bulbasaur from Prof. Oak and at level 16 it’s evolved into an Ivysaur. Did your blobby Bulbasaur get any better? Well, kind of. It is, generally, just a Bulbasaur with some more splotches on its’ hide and a flower which is beginning to blossom, but the picture is better. Now you’re getting to the good grass moves, and starting to believe that this potentially worthless choice you made might actually become an awesome Venusaur and the world might finally right itself.

REASONS WHY YOU DO NOT WANT AN IVYSAUR
Mainly the same reason as Bulbasaur. You were only really getting CUT and a pokemon that could hold its own against most of the gym leaders. Ivysaur was not known for his offensive ability, but the grass starter never is so you can’t really hold that against him. The only main problem I had with Ivysaur in the games was that the pokedex entry literally said he could not stand up on his hind legs (yes when the bulb grows bigger which is to say, depending on the sun and the weather or whatever but let’s just say it’s all the time, okay?) but the picture always shows him standing on his hind legs! I like to think the pokedex entry is more than just flavour text and maybe I’m wrong but I still think you shouldn’t say something but then immediately prove yourself to be wrong.

IN SUMMARY

The only reason Ivysaur existed was so that Bulbasaur could get to Venusaur. I don’t mean that as a bad thing, and it’s a cool stage of evolution because it actually looks like the pokemon is growing and he’s not just form completely so that you can’t figure out how A turned into B like pokemon later would so he’s got that going for him but...sometimes it feels like Ivysaur only exists because all starters have to be three tiered evolutions. I don’t mean to be disrespectful. People only remember their Bulbasaur and their Venusaur. It’s not because Ivysaur is crap. It’s because he’s just a different looking and slightly stronger Bulbasaur.