Victreebel

Victreebel, The Flycatcher Pokémon. It pools in its mouth a fluid with a honeylike scent, which is really an acid that dissolves anything. Acid that has dissolved many prey becomes sweeter, making it even more effective at attracting prey. This horrifying plant Pokémon attracts prey with aromatic honey, then melts them in its mouth.

Overview

Victreebel is a cool Pokémon. I really like it. Doesn't mean it is that good, but it is very cool. Obviously, requires sun support to be most effective, and sun isn't really used too much in UU due to rain being superior and just being better in general. But still, if you have a sun team and want a Chlorophyll Pokémon to fill a spot, Victreebel is always there, looking menacing and hungry as ever.

Ability

Chlorophyll: doubles Speed under the sun. Pretty cool on a sun team, but it doesn't see much action outside of your own sun.

Move Sets

Feed me, Seymour

- Swords Dance
- Leaf Blade
- Return
- Weather Ball / Sleep Powder / Sunny Day
Item Attached: Life Orb / Heat Rock / Leftovers
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 252 Atk / 80 SAtk / 176 Spd
Naughty Nature (+Atk, -SDef) / Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)

Swords Dance boosts Victreebel's already great Attack to a stat of nearly 700. Leaf Blade is the best physical move Victreebel has access to, and it really does pack a punch. That extra crit chance is always cool to have as well. Return is a standard attack with reliability and power, really useful to fill up moveslots. Weather Ball under sun gets a big power boost and a change of type, great for taking out Steel types. Sleep Powder can allow for easy set ups and is just a great status to inflict regardless. Sunny Day doubles Victreebel's Speed and makes it completely self-supporting.
Life Orb gives a nice boost to offence, but Heat Rock is a good choice if you are using Sunny Day. If you don't want Victreebel taking damage whenever it attacks, Leftovers is still a good choice.

Mean green mother from outer space

- Sunny Day
- Solarbeam
- Sleep Powder / Sludge Bomb
- Weather Ball
Item Attached: Life Orb / Heat Rock
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 136 HP / 252 SAtk / 120 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)

Sunny Day makes Victreebel a useful Pokémon. If it can set it up itself, it is much more dangerous than if it has to rely on other team members. Solarbeam is the Grass attack to use under sun as it requires no charge. You basically get a 120 base power 100 accuracy move with no bad side effects. Sleep Powder gives you plenty of free hits or removes a counter from functioning. Sludge Bomb partners well with Solarbeam and also gets STAB, making it a pretty strong move. Weather Ball becomes Fire type and packs a punch, and also sorts out Steel types. Life Orb gives an extra punch, but as Sunny Day is such a vital part of this set, Heat Rock is a very good option.

If you feed me, Seymour, I can grow up big and strong

- Growth
- Sludge Bomb
- Energy Ball
- Sleep Powder
Item Attached: Leftovers / Life Orb
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 80 HP / 252 SAtk / 176 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)

Growth gives a boost to Victreebel's nice Special Attack and makes it a formidable Special Attacker. Sludge Bomb is a great move with power and reliability, as well as a good type combination with Energy Ball, Victreebel's other attack for this set. Sleep Powder gives free hits and free set up time.
Leftovers is always a great item to choose, but Life Orb gives that nice boost. You can go with either item, both are great in their own ways. p> Miracle-Gro Organic Choice

- Leaf Storm
- Sludge Bomb
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Sleep Powder / Weather Ball
Item Attached: Choice Specs
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 80 HP / 252 SAtk / 176 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)

Leaf Storm is all about power. 140 base attack is just ridiculous. Obviously there is the drawback of halving your Special Attack each time you use it, but as Victreebel will be switching a lot anyway, that's all good. Sludge Bomb will be the reliable attack of the set, gaining STAB and having no drawbacks outside of having a type immune to it. Hidden Power [Ice] covers a certain UU Flying/Dragon Pokémon. Sleep Powder can hit a counter on the switch, so next time it can just be sorted out through repeated attacks whilst it snoozes. Weather Ball is only effective with some kind of weather in play, but ideally sun would be up.

Look after your plant and it'll look after you - Sleep Powder
- Knock Off
- Energy Ball / Encore
- Sludge Bomb / Encore
Item Attached: Leftovers
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 80 HP / 252 SAtk / 176 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)

Sleep Powder is the best status Victreebel has access to. Definitely use it. Knock Off can completely ruin a Pokémon, depending on what item they held. Regardless, Knock Off is a great move as every Pokémon likes having an item. Energy Ball is a reliable move that gives Victreebel a bit of bite. Sludge Bomb is slightly stronger than Energy Ball, but the fact it has a type completely immune to it is a bit of a turn off. Encore is another support move that you could go for over one of the attacking moves.

EVs and Nature:

Any set that relies on the sun
136 Speed gets Victreebel 210 Speed, which gives it a nice 420 Speed when the sun is out, letting Victreebel get the jump on neutral base 90s with +1 Speed.

Every other set
176 Speed gets 220 Speed, giving Victreebel the ability to outrun all neutral base 60s. Max the offence stat you are focusing on, with excess in HP or in the other offence.

Other Options

Body Slam, Grass Knot, Morning Sun, Sucker Punch, Synthesis, Teeter Dance
Body Slam is an option over Return on the Swords Dance set, but the only thing it has over Return is a chance to paralyze.
Grass Knot is another Grass attack that Victreebel can use, but Energy Ball tends to be more reliable.
Morning Sun heals Victreebel for 50% of its HP, or 100% if the sun is out.
Sucker Punch is a cool priority attack that could be used on a gimmick Choice Band set or on the Swords Dance set if you really want it there.
Synthesis is the same as Morning Sun, except it has a different name.
Teeter Dance confuses the enemy.

Countering Victreebel

Poison types ruin Victreebel. Pokémon like Muk, Drapion and Weezing make perfect counters for Victreebel. Not only do they have access to powerful STAB attacks and super effective attacks like Flamethrower, they resist both of Victreebel's STAB moves and have great bulk. Altaria resists Grass and has the Special Defence to take Sludge Bomb. Thanks to Natural Cure, Sleep Powder isn't as threatening. Just watch out for Hidden Power [Ice]. Victreebel is ridiculously frail and slow making it incredibly easy to revenge kill. Anything with a good Special Defence that doesn't get hit super effectively by Victreebel's STAB moves can do really well, such as Hypno and Uxie. Be careful about being hit by repeated strong attacks though. Steel types are amazing counters, just watch out for Hidden Power [Fire] and Weather Ball. Registeel and Aggron are two examples of good Steel types in UU. Victreebel isn't too threatening, to be honest. Sun teams are rarely used, and that is where Victreebel really shines, no pun intended. When it is used, everyone should be able to take it. Just don't let it set up after sleeping your main counter.

Locations in Games

Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald

Trade from LGXD

Colosseum/XD

Evolve from Weepinbell (XD) Trade from LG (Col)

Fire Red/Leaf Green

Evolve from Weepinbell (LeafGreen) Trade from LGXD (FireRed)

Diamond/Pearl/Platinum

Evolve from Weepinbell

HeartGold/SoulSilver

Evolve from Weepinbell

Animé Appearences

Victreebel has had a few Animé Appearences. Almost all of its appearances were under the control of James.

Episode 026: Pokémon Scent-sation
Episode 034: The Kangaskhan Kid
Episode 040: The Battling Eevee Brothers
Episode 057: The Breeding Center Secret
Pikachu's Summer Vacation
Mewtwo Strikes Back
Episode 076: All Fired Up
Episode 079: Fourth Round Rumble
Episode 088: Pikachu Re-Volts
Episode 089: The Crystal Onix
Episode 090: In the Pink
Episode 092: Stage Fight
Episode 095: Navel Maneuvers
Episode 096: Snack Attack!
Episode 097: A Shipful of Shivers
Episode 099: Tracey Gets Bugged
Episode 100: A Way Off, Day Off
Episode 102: Wherefore Art Thou, Pokémon?
Pikachu's Rescue Adventure
The Power of One
Episode 106: Bound For Trouble
Episode 112: The Stun Spore Detour
Episode 117: A Tents Situation
Episode 119: Dont Touch That 'Dile
Episode 121: A Sappy Ending
Episode 122: Roll On, Pokémon
Episode 123: Illusion Confuison
Episode 124: Flower Power
Episode 126: Snubbull Snobbery
Episode 130: The Whistle Stop
Episode 142: Wired For Battle
Episode 145: Goin' Apricorn
Episode 147: A Farfetch'd Tale
Episode 148: Tricks Of The Trade
Episode 151: Tunnel Vision
Episode 152: Hour of the Houndour
Episode 157: Forest Grumps
Episode 159: The Fortune Hunters
Episode 168: Two Hits and a Miss
Episode 171: Beauty and the Breeder
Episode 172: A Better Pill to Swallow
Episode 174: Mountain Time
Episode 175: Wobbu-palooza
Episode 179: Wings 'N' Things
Episode 180: The Grass Route
Episode 182: Howl Of The Houndoom
Episode 185: Trouble's Brewing
Episode 188: UnBEARable
Episode 190: Spring Fever
Episode 198: Control Freak
Episode 201: Current Events
Episode 203: Doin' What Comes Natu-rally!
Episode 207: The Kecleon Caper!
Episode 209: Got Miltank!
Episode 215: The Corsola Caper
Episode 224: A Promise is a Promise
Episode 228: Espeon Not Included!
Episode 231: An Egg-Sighting Adventure!
Episode 233: Due's and Don'ts
Episode 234: Just Waiting On A Friend
Episode 241: Whichever Way the Wind Blows!
Episode 242: Some Like it Hot!
Episode 245: Same Old Song & Dance
Episode 249: Outrageous Fortunes
Episode 257: Why? Wynaut!
Episode 258: Just Add Water!
Episode 263: Here's Lookin' at You, Elekid!
Episode 499: The Grass Type Is Always Greener
Giratina & The Sky Warrior
Arceus & The Jewel of Life