Bulbasaur: Evolution, Shiny Form, Cards & Complete Guide

Bulbasaur is a dual-type Grass/Poison Pokémon that was introduced in Generation I of the game. It is a quadrupedal green creature resembling a dinosaur and a frog. 

It is the first (#0001) partner Pokémon from the Kanto starter region. The first Pokémon in the Pokédex, Bulbasaur, is widely regarded as a fan-favorite Pokémon. It often ranks high in the many contests. 

Bulbasaur is often searched with variations like Balbasaur and Bulbasur. These are common misspellings, but all of them lead to the same Pokémon. 

Learn all about Bulbasaur’s evolution, variants, abilities, Bulbasaur cards, and more. 

From Seed to Flower: The Bulbasaur Evolution Line

The Bulbasaur evolution line is an iconic Grass/Poison-type family. It represents a symbolic relationship between a frog-like creature and a plant that grows from a seed to a flower. 

Physical Characteristics

It is a small quadrupedal Pokémon with a light turquoise-green body, darker green spots, and red eyes with white pupils. 

Bulbasaur is a Pokémon known for the plant bulb on its back.

It can:

• Store energy from sunlight
• Grows larger with evolution
• Eventually blooms into a full flower

Category	Seed
Height	2’04”
Weight	15.2 lbs.
Gender	Male, Female

Evolution Chain

Bulbasaur, the Pokémon introduced in Generation I, consists of three stages. The Mega Evolution is also available for the final form. 

Stage	Pokémon	Type	Level
1	Bulbasaur	Grass/Poison	Base
2	Ivysaur	Grass/Poison	Level 16
3	Venusaur	Grass/Poison	Level 32

The Bulbasaur line is well-known for being one of the three starter Pokémon in the Kanto region. 

Bulbasaur’s evolution does not require any stones or anything. It evolves naturally through leveling up. 

Abilities

This green Pokémon has access to two distinct abilities that serve different combat strategies. The first one is Overgrow (natural), and the second one is Chlorophyll (hidden). 

1. Overgrow (Natural Ability)

   It is a standard ability for all grass-type starter Pokémon that boosts the power of grass-type moves by 50% when its HP falls below one-third of its maximum. 

   This acts as a pinch ability and often triggers when it is close to fainting. 

2. Chlorophyll (Hidden Ability)

   This is a powerful hidden ability of Bulbasaur that requires special breeding or methods to obtain. 

   Effectively, it doubles the speed stat of the Pokémon when the weather is sunny or harsh. Because of this ability, Bulbasaur and its evolutions are exceptionally fast. 

Stats

Have a look at the stats of the base Bulbasaur Pokémon. 

Stat	Value
HP	45
Attack	49
Defense	49
Special Attack	65
Special Defense	65
Speed	45

By looking at stats, we can say that Bulbasaur is a balanced Pokémon. These stats make it ideal for beginners and strategic play. 

Rare Finds: Shiny Bulbasaur and the Monstera Trend

Shiny Bulbasaur and the Monstera Trend are highly sought-after variants of Bulbasaur. 

Let’s look at both of them in detail. 

Shiny Bulbasaur

Shiny Bulbasaur is a variant featuring a distinct teal body and yellowish-green bulb. Most commonly, it is hunted in Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu!/Eevee! via catch combos (11+) in Viridian Forest. 

• Players need to use lures and activate shiny charms to maximize odds. 
• It is a very rare find, and players need to be patient. 
• Shiny Bulbasaur can be immediately recognized by its teal-green skin. 

Monstera Bulbasaur Trend

There is a popular fan concept called “Monstera Bulbasaur.” While it is not officially a variant, it has huge popularity in the Pokémon community. 

• It features a Monstera plant leaf instead of a bulb.
• Often seen in fan art, 3D prints, and planters. 

Collecting Bulbasaur: From Base Set to Stellar Crown

As the number #0001 from Generation I, Bulbasaur has existed in the Pokémon Trading Card Game since the original version. 

Bulbasaur cards have existed from the iconic 1999 Base Set (including 1st Edition and Shadowless variants) to the 2024 Scarlet & Violet—Stellar Crown set. The 2024 cards feature Rare illustrations from the new era. 

Bulbasaur Base Set (1999)

Among Pokémon card collectors, the original Bulbasaur card from the 1999 Base Set is a nostalgic favorite. This card is known for its simple design, early print variations, and strong historical significance. 

• It includes Unlimited, Shadowless, and 1st Edition versions.
• Highly collectible due to age
• A mint condition card fetches a good amount in the market.

Price Range: This card fetches around $2 to $100+. 

Reverse Holo Bulbasaur Cards

The reverse holo variants of this card feature a reflective foil background. It made them more visually appealing than standard versions. They are also relatively accessible to collectors as well. 

• Shiny foil background
• More collectible
• Found in many modern expansions

Price Range: It can range from $0.60 to $6.

Full Art Bulbasaur Cards

Bulbasaur full art cards showcase extended artwork that covers most of the card surface. They come with highlighted, detailed environments and artistic styles. It makes them visually striking and popular among modern collectors. 

• Bulbasaur full art cards have artwork that covers the entire card surface
• These cards focus mainly on aesthetics
• Limited availability
• Most of the time, they are part of special sets or subsets. 

Price Range: The price of Bulbasaur full art cards can range from $4 to $40. 

Illustration Rare Bulbasaur Cards

Illustration Rare Bulbasaur cards feature story-driven artwork in the modern sets. These cards offer unique scenes and artistic depth. It makes them some of the most desirable non-Charizard collectables. 

• These cards were introduced in modern sets like the Scarlet & Violet era. 
• Detailed artwork with emphasis on storytelling
• Highly collectible

Price Range: Usually, these cards go between $10  and $100+. 

Some of these illustration rare types are part of Bulbasaur stellar crown expansion. These have a high impact on the current landscape of Pokémon card collection. These often go for high prices. You can check out the Bulbasaur #143 prices on PriceCharting by clicking on this link. 

Bulbasaur in the Pokémon Anime

Bulbasaur also featured in the Pokémon anime. 

In the anime, Bulbasaur is one of the most iconic Pokémon of Ash Ketchum. It is known for its stubbornness, protective nature, and refusal to evolve. 

It is one of the long serving Pokemon of Ash in the Anime. Now, it has evolved into a mentor figure. Bulbasaur graduated to stay at Professor Oak’s lab and acted as a peacemaker among his other Pokémon. 

• Guardian Role: When Ash met this Pokémon, it served as a protector for abandoned Pokémon. 
• Refusal to Evolve: In an episode, it resisted an evolution ceremony. Bulbasaur preferred to remain as it is. 
• Fought Many Battles: Despite being unevolved, Bulbasaur had a high win rate and fought against high-level opponents in many battles. 

Iconic Moves of Bulbasaur

Ash Ketchum’s Bulbasaur showcased many iconic moves in the Pokémon anime. Most of its moves relied on tactical and long-term control of the battlefield rather than displaying raw power. 

Iconic Moves:

• Vine Whip 
• Razor Leaf
• Solar Beam
• Leech Seed
• Sleep Powder

Conclusion

Even after a few decades, Bulbasaur remains a top-tier Pokémon because of things like nostalgic value, balanced gameplay, and strong presence in anime and TCG. 

It is one of the best starter Pokémon ever created. It still has many uses, and players from all around the world love to collect Bulbasaur. The Bulbasaur stellar crown expansion also played a pivotal role in revitalizing this Pokémon in the modern era. 

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