While Fire-types can shoot bursts of flames at you, and Water-types carry the power of the sea, Grass-types use… leaves? But Grass Pokémon are much more resilient than people think. Despite having 5 weaknesses, they can hit some of the most common types with super effective damage. Unfortunately, you seem to see a lot of the same Grass-types over and over. Ferrothorn. Venusaur. Rillaboom. So what other options could we try that can be just as effective? Let’s find out!
15. Appletun
In a new Pokémon game with new creatures, it’s sometimes hard for the newbies to stand out amongst the classic favorites – even if they have a cool Grass/Dragon typing. Appletun is literally a pie dragon. And like most pies, it’s very filling. This means that Appletun has a great 110 HP stat. With its decent defense stats and great 100 base Special Attack, Appletun is able to be a great tank. What makes this really work is Appletun’s signature move Apple Acid. This is an attack that is guaranteed to lower your opponent’s Special Defense, meaning the next use will be even stronger! Appletun may look a little goofy, but there is a lot of power underneath that stupid hat.
14. Gourgeist
With Gourgeist, we now begin the trend of having a bunch of Pokémon with the Grass/Ghost dual-typing. Gourgeist is on this list simply because of its unique gimmick that gives it a ton of variety. Like choosing a pumpkin, a Gourgeist is only as good as its size. Each one has a different range of stats, with all 4 sizes having different Attack, Speed, and HP stats. This means they can range from speedy sweepers, all the way to bulky physical walls. These are all supported with great moves like Leech Seed, Will-O-Wisp, and Phantom Force. So Gourgeist may not be the most effective Pokémon on this list, but it is definitely the most fun.
13. Dhelmise
Time for another grassy ghost! Dhelmise might be one of the coolest designs in all of Pokémon. A seaweed-covered anchor with a ship’s wheel behind it? I’m getting massive Pirates of the Carribean vibes. Dhelmise also stands out because of its unique ability. Steelworker gives all Steel-type moves a bonus 1.5x damage. Essentially, Dhelmise has 3 STAB attacks. This means that Shelmise is going to be hitting a lot harder with all of its moves, especially with that 131 base attack! Combine these with great defenses and it becomes clear that Dhelmise can become an anchor for your team.
12. Exeggutor
Exeggutor was once one of the greatest Pokémon out there, threatening every trainer in Red, Blue, and Yellow. However, it had a massive fall from grace that can only be beaten by the likes of Tauros. However, this does not mean that Exeggutor is useless. It has the ability Harvest that gives it the chance to restore a berry after it has been eaten. This means that Exeggutor can have the chance to constantly be able to heal with Sitrus Berries. Kinda like Leftovers on steroids! If you do this along with Leech Seed, Sleep Powder, and Giga Drain, you could create a stall Pokémon the likes of which most trainers have never seen. Also, why not check out its Alolan form? That thing is doofy as heck, and I love it!
11. Parasect
It’s very easy to hate on Parasect. It’s creepy, has an awful dual-typing, and is unbelievably slow. But I put this little guy on here because that can actually be an advantage. Trick Room is an awesome move that reverses the battle order of Pokémon. That means slower Pokémon go first. And with a 95 base Attack, you will not want Parasect to go first. The best thing that Parasect has, though, is access to the move Spore. This is the only move in all of Pokémon that can put opponents to sleep, and has 100 accuracy. So if Parasect is going first, your opponent is going to sleep. While I understand that this is a lot to set up for a Pokémon that’s kind of lackluster, just imagine the look on your opponent’s face when you beat them with a freaking Parasect.
10. Rotom-Mow
Each of the Rotoms are fascinating, with interesting typings and powerful attacks. And Rotom-Mow is no different. Rotom-Mow is the cutest lawn mower you’ve ever seen – and a Water-type’s nightmare. It has a unique Grass/Electric typing that gets to take advantage of moves like Thunderbolt and Leaf Storm. But I always have more fun running a Trick set on Rotom-Mow. Trick is a move that has the user switch items with the opponent. This is great if you give Rotom-Mow something like a Choice Scarf or Choice Specs. Both of these can lock an opponent into a single move and cripple defensive walls like Ferrothorn or Skarmory. Now I’ll admit that Rotom-Mow may not be the best of the Rotoms. But it definitely deserves to be in the conversation.
9. Victreebel
While some fans may recognize Victreebel for all the times it tried to eat James’ face, players never really use it much in the games. Which is a shame, because Victreebel is a great sweeper. While this may be shocking for a Pokémon with only 70 base speed, Victreebel’s ability Chlorophyll doubles the Pokémon’s speed in sunlight. So if you teach Victreebel Sunny Day (or pair it with a Pokemon like Torkoal) you suddenly have a sun sweeper. But what makes Victreebel really cool is the fact that it can be a physical or special attacker. While its Attack is higher than its Special Attack, I’d still recommend going the special route, because Victreebel learns Solar Beam – a powerful Grass-type move that’s also even better in the sun. If you go with Victreebel, victories will soon follow!
8. Shiftry
I’m not gonna lie: I didn’t think I would see Shiftry on this list. It has pretty good stats, but nothing that really blew me away. But then I realized that it’s probably the best physical sun sweeper in the game. Yes, Shiftry is yet another Pokémon with Chlorophyll. But there aren’t really that many physical options when it comes to this ability. And Shiftry is the perfect Pokémon to take advantage of that, with moves like Growth, STAB Knock Off, and Solar Blade. And Solar Blade is the perfect move to use on Shiftry. Basically, it’s a physical Solar Beam. While it usually takes two turns to work, it only takes one in sunlight. And since Shiftry will be in the sun anyways, you might as well run the 125 base attack! The only frustrating thing about Shiftry is that it’s the Wickid Pokémon. Is that a spelling error, or am I missing something?
7. Abomasnow
We go from talking about the sun to talking about Hail. Hail is a very cool weather effect that damages non-Ice-type Pokémon. And while most trainers are focused on the likes of Alolan Ninetales and Vanilluxe, they forget about the Pokémon that started it all. Abomasnow is a scary looking Pokémon that, unfortunately, has probably the worst defensive dual typing in the game. Ice/Grass has a whopping 7 weaknesses, with Fire being especially strong. But this doesn’t change the fact that this thing can hit like a truck! Abomasnow has great mixed attacking stats. Which means it can hit especially hard with Wood Hammer and Blizzard, which will never miss because Abomasnow summoned hail. Add on Earthquake and you’re hitting 64% of all Pokémon for super effective damage. With Abomasnow, there’s a lot of risk for that reward. Oh, but what a reward it is.
6. Tangrowth
Tangrowth is one of the many new evolutions that we got appended onto already-existing Pokémon added in the fourth generation. And while the likes of Electivire and Gliscor get most of the attention, Tangrowth deserves to be up there with them. Sporting a great 125 base Defense and 100 HP, Tangrowth is easily one of the best physical walls out there (at least for underrated grass types). It could easily survive a Pyro Ball from Cinderace. And if you’re using its Regenerator ability, you can survive even more. Regenerator is an ability that makes a Pokémon heal every time it’s swapped out. Combine this with Leftovers and Tangrowth will be around for a very long time, setting up Leech Seeds and putting Pokémon to sleep for your whole adventure.
5. Breloom
Breloom is quite honestly one of my favorite Fighting-types of all time. This is because Breloom has two equally useful sets that take advantage of its awesome abilities. The first is Poison Heal, which uses Poison to heal your Pokémon instead of hurt it – essentially working like Leftovers. Breloom now becomes a decent wall that can deal massive damage with Substitute and Focus Punch. But the other useful ability is Technician. Technician raises the power of moves below 60 base power 1.5x. That means Mach Punch is now 60, and Bullet Seed becomes a multi-hitting 37, meaning it can range between 74 and 185! Either of these strategies paired with Spore makes Breloom a really good grass Pokémon. But if this guy is so good, then why is it underrated? That’s because it’s not in Sword and Shield. As soon as Breloom becomes obtainable, I’m sure it’ll rise to the top again.
4. Sceptile
When people talk about Grass starters, the same ones usually get talked about. Venusaur, Rillaboom, and Serperior are all fantastic. Heck, I’d even throw Chesnaught in there. But I personally think that Sceptile deserves to be mentioned amongst all of them. Sceptile is easily the fastest of all the starters, boasting a massive 120 base speed. Combine this with a decent 105 Special Attack and you have a dangerous special sweeper. But what makes Sceptile really great is its Mega Evolution. This gives it a secondary Dragon-typing, and the ability Lightning Rod. Plus, its Speed and Special Attack both increase to 145! This is awesome, and makes Mega Sceptile a truly powerful Pokémon. And need I mention that it looks like the freaking Dragonzord?
3. Lurantis
One of the most interesting abilities in Pokémon is Contrary. With it, any stat decrease actually becomes a stat increase. Serperior takes advantage of this with Leaf Storm, and Malamar does the same with Super Power… but is there a Pokémon that can do both? Enter Lurantis! Lurantis learns both of these moves, meaning it can increase its Attack, Defense, and Special Attack, all just by attacking. And since it has decent defenses, it can just heal itself with Synthesis to make sure it’ll be in battle for the long haul. Plus, Lurantis is even more useful when you consider that it has access to Defog and Aromatherapy, meaning it can sweep and support your team members! Lurantis really can do it all.
2. Tsareena
From one Alolan Pokémon to another, Tsareena really surprised me with how good it is. Stats-wise, it functions exactly the same as Lurantis. But just better! It has higher HP, Attack, Defense, Special Defense, and Speed. And what makes Tsareena really great is its ability Queenly Majesty. This prevents any priority attacks from happening against Tsareena or her allies. This can be huge in a game that’s rampant with strong priority attackers, like Incineroar and Rillaboom. Tsareena also has incredible coverage with Power Whip, Hi Jump Kick, Triple Axel, and U-turn. Basically, Tsareena is a queen for a reason.
1. Tangela
While this isn’t the first time I ranked a base Pokémon higher than its evolved form, this is the first time I put it at #1. But what can I say? Tangela is just that underrated. This is because of Eviolite, which is an item that boosts both defenses of any Pokémon that isn’t fully evolved. This means that Tangela with Eviolite has a higher Defense and Special Defense than Tangrowth. By a lot. And I know this means Tangela can’t use Leftovers, but it has a bunch of other recovery options. Giga Drain, Leech Seed, and Synthesis are all great choices. But the best has got to be its ability Regenerator, same as Tangrowth. Yes, Tangela can’t really hit that hard. But when your defense is that high and you can recover HP so easily, you don’t need to hit that hard. Tangela is an awesome physical wall, and is easily the most underrated Grass-type of all time.
