5 Best Grass-type Pokemon In FireRed And LeafGreen

On February 27th, to the surprise of many, Nintendo released Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen on the Nintendo Switch for all to experience the remakes of the games that started it all for the legendary franchise. With that comes a plethora of Pokemon from Kanto, and we're going to cover and rank the best Grass Types you can house on your team and where to find them!

In Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen, Grass-types aren’t always the flashiest picks compared to Fire or Water, but a few of them are incredibly strong thanks to solid stats, status moves, and useful secondary typing. Here are the best Grass-types in the Kanto Pokedex for those games, based on overall effectiveness in a normal playthrough.

The main focus is on Pokemon that can be obtained directly in the games; however, we will include a few Grass-types that can be traded for, at least for the GBA versions of FireRed and LeafGreen​​​​​​.

Currently, the Switch versions support local trades between FireRed and LeafGreen, with Pokemon Home support coming later and, potentially, being one-way. Consequently, players will not be able to trade for Pokemon from other generations/games for the time being. However, we are going to still include a few trade recommendations just in case support is eventually added, and to cover the GBA games.

Best Grass-type Kanto Pokemon In FireRed And LeafGreen (Inc. Switch Versions)

Venusaur

The Solar Poison Toad & The Best Grass-Type Pokemon In FireRed & LeafGreen

• Where to get: Only Obtainable as your choice of Starter or Trading

With moves that allow it to be an Attack or Special Attack, Venusaur is probably the most well-rounded and safe Grass-type Pokemon in FireRed and LeafGreen, along with being the easiest powerhouse to obtain. Sludge Bomb and Earthquake give it access to Poison and Ground physical coverage, while Frenzy Plant and Solar Beam grant Special Attack properties.

Alternatively, if you want to take a more defensive approach, Leech Seed, Substitute, and Giga Drain can help you clear combat encounters while keeping Venusaur alive for a long time. Venusaur is the staple of any grass team because of its ability to mix and match its movepool. Crucially, getting Bulbasaur early makes facing Brock and Misty a cakewalk, letting trainers demolish the campaign's early Gym Leaders.

Exeggutor

The Walking Jungle of Psychic Prowess & A Great Alternative To Venusaur

• Where to get: Exeggute can be found in the Safari Zone and Berry Forest, and evolved with a Leaf Stone

Exeggutor is a more defensive-based Grass-type with a plethora of moves that can be devastating. With Chlorophyll, its speed will increase when exposed to sunlight, allowing Sunny Day to not only boost its speed but also remove the cooldown period to use Solar Beam, its strongest move.

With its Psychic Typing, it gives Exeggutor a strong move pool to fit your needs, with the ability to learn Synthesis, Reflect, Leech Seed, as well as Sleep AND Poison Powder to play a bulkier role in the party. Conversely, Psychic, Hyper Beam, and Giga Drain round out a more offensive playstyle, although you would need to teach those moves via TMs. Exeggutor will always remain a staple in any team composition lacking Grass and Psychic coverage, and can be obtained as early as reaching Celadon Gym and going to the 4th Floor of the Celadon Department, where you can buy a Leaf Stone for $2100.

Victreebel (LeafGreen Exclusive)

The Sap Sipper Trapper Pokemon & A Worthwhile Catch For LeafGreen Players

• Where to get: Obtainable in LeafGreen from obtaining a Bellsprout from Routes 5, 6, 7, etc. And evolving it into Weepinbell at Level 21 or finding a Weepinbell in Routes 12, 13, 14, and 15, and giving it a Leaf Stone to evolve into Victreebel.
• FireRed owners will need to trade locally for Victreebel with LeafGreen players.

Victreebel is the Grass-type you would use if you didn't pick Bulbasaur as a starter. Victreebel shares the same Grass/Poison typing, but it trades the defensive stats that are normally given to Venusaur for more speed and offense. With a robust movepool similar to Venusaur's own, Victreebel excels as an excellent versatile attacker, using a mix of Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder, Growth, Swords Dance, and Hidden Power to give it buffing, debilitating, and access to physical and special moves to handle any situation at hand.

Through TMs, it can even access Sunny Day and Solar Beam, alongside Giga Drain, Synthesis, Toxic, and Protect for a walling, stall setup to recover makes Victreebel an excellent replacement to justify not using Venusaur.

Vileplume (FireRed Exclusive)

The Massive Flower Pokemon & Surprisingly Versatile Option

• Obtainable in FireRed from obtaining an Oddish from Routes 5, 6, 7, etc., and evolving it into Gloom at Level 21. Alternatively, they can find a Gloom in Routes 12, 13, 14, and 15 and give it a Leaf Stone to evolve into Vileplume.
• LeafGreen players will need to trade locally to pick up Oddish, Gloom, and Vileplume.

Vileplume is also a Grass-type you would use if you didn't pick Venusaur to have its Grass/Poison typing. Vileplume is a more defensive option compared to Venusaur and Victreebel, adopting a more passive and tanky playstyle. Moves like Poison Powder, Sleep Powder, Synthesis, Giga Drain, and Ingrain can boost its debilitating and survivability, enabling it to whittle down opponents for your other Pokemon.

Surprisingly, despite its stats leaning it towards a more defensive style, it possesses access to Swords Dance, Body Slam, and Sludge Bomb to be an efficient physical attacker on top of its robust move pool. It even has Hidden/Secret Power to deal damage to opponents that resist its grass or poison moves in a jiffy. Vileplume excels as a stocky backline support to sleep or poison a trainer's Pokemon to buy time for you to heal the rest of your team or lay the groundwork for an exceptional physical attacking tank.

Using a Sun Stone, FireRed players can also evolve Gloom into Bellossom​​​​​​. Both games have some Gen 2 Pokemon, although they are mostly found in the post-game's Sevii Islands.

Tangela

The Vine Spaghetti Creature & A Decent Back-Up Option

• Where to get: Route 21, Treasure Beach, and trading a Venonat at the Pokémon Lab on Cinnabar Island

Tangela is certainly the weakest of the bunch when it comes to offensive and even defensive properties, given that by the time you're capable of obtaining one, you could already have a fully leveled Victreebel, Venusaur, or Vileplume. Its redeeming qualities are a slightly above-average Defense and Special Attack to dole out damage, but they are offset by its slow Speed and horrendous Special Defense, making Tangela a risky choice when slotting it into your team.

For all its weaknesses, Tangela can learn Double Team, Ingrain, Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, and Leech Seed, giving a shot at being an evasive, stalling Pokemon if it can survive the first attack. It can also debilitate its opponent, but with its better-than-average Special Attack, it can make use of Giga Drain and the standard bread-and-butter strategy of Sunny Day and Solarbeam.

Chlorophyll is very useful, but trainers have to keep in mind Tangela's average Speed. With Tangela being unfortunate enough that Tangrowth was added in Generation IV and not III, trainers will find it difficult, but not impossible, to make do with this Spaghetti Creature.

Good Grass-Type Pokemon You Can Trade For In GBA Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen

Breloom

The Punching Stall Shroom

• Where to get: Trading from Pokemon Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, or XD.

Breloom stands as a capable physical attacker with access to Bullet Seed, Mach Punch, and Iron Tail as steep coverage. It possesses buffing moves such as Bulk Up and Swords Dance to enhance its physical abilities.

Surprisingly, it has access to a more tanky, debilitating route with Stun Spore, Leech Seed, and Substitute, making it a solid option for trainers looking for a more supportive, passive playstyle. Brelooms can be a staple of teams that are lacking proper Grass and Fighting types.

Ludicolo

The Wide-Brimmed Rain Dancing Aficionado

• Where to get: Ludicolo can be obtained from trading with Pokemon Sapphire or Emerald and/or evolving a Lombre with a Water Stone, which evolves from Lotad at Level 14

Ludicolo is an excellent Pokemon with a useful pairing of Water and Grass. Ludicolo is a strong mixed attacker with access to powerful moves drawn from its excellent dual-typing. Hydro Pump, Ice Beam, Surf, Fake Out, Waterfall, and Dive give Ludicolo amazing coverage against multiple types at once, with the stats to pack a punch with a surprisingly high amount of Special Defense to tank.

Ludicolo's Rain Dance diminishes the power of Fire-type moves while increasing its own Water-type abilities, giving it an advantage that not many other Grass-type Pokémon can utilize thanks to its unique typing.

Cacturne

The Cactus that's not Maractus

• Where to get: Obtainable from trading with Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, or Emerald copy.

Cacturne is an exceptionally potent Physical Attacker to round out a party's composition, being a purely offensive Pokemon with access to strong physical and special moves such as Needle Arm, Giga Drain, and Feint Attack.

Combining its Sand Veil ability with Sandstorm leads to five turns of chip damage to every type except Rock, Ground, and Steel, making Cacturne quite a dodge tank. It is also capable of using Leech Seed alongside Giga Drain in a sandstorm to be an evasive, constantly health-draining, physically capable fighter that can learn Swords Dance, Substitute, and Grass Whistle to put opponents to sleep and set up a capable cornerstone in a team composition.