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Growth is a powerful setup move under sun, boosting Venusaur's Special Attack by 2 stages and allowing it to 2HKO nearly all the Pokemon in the tier. It can set up on popular Pokemon such as Tangrowth, Swampert, and Amoonguss due to its typing, and then sweep through opposing teams. Giga Drain hits Water-, Ground-, and Rock-types like Primarina, Hippowdon, and Lycanroc-D super effectively. Weather Ball is Venusaur's main attacking move under sun, as its Base Power becomes 100 and is boosted by the sun, KOing Steel-types that resist Giga Drain like Celesteela, Scizor, Skarmory, and Jirachi. Sludge Bomb hits Pokemon that resist Giga Drain and Weather Ball like Salamence, Hydreigon, and Rotom-H while also hitting Fairy-types like Hatterene super effectively, though it will need a boost to OHKO the former two. Earth Power is an alternative option to hit Tentacruel, Chandelure, and Nihilego harder, but this leaves Venusaur susceptible to Salamence, as Giga Drain and Weather Ball are mandatory moves. Maximum investment in Special Attack and Speed ensures Venusaur is as strong and fast as possible. A Modest nature is used to maximize damage output while still nearly outspeeding everything under the sun. Life Orb is used to boost Venusaur's damage output, letting it OHKO Pokemon such as Rotom-H, Salamence, and Moltres after a boost, while a boost to Giga Drain gives Venusaur insane damage output and reliable recovery, making it a powerful force. Venusaur only fits on sun teams, so Torkoal is a mandatory partner, as it is the most reliable sun setter in the tier. It provides the team with entry hazard support and entry hazard control with Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin, respectively. Other Pokemon that take advantage of sun like Chandelure, Darmanitan, and Hatterene break holes in enemy teams thanks to their powerful wallbreaking capabilities amplified by sun, allowing Venusaur to sweep much more easily. Hatterene in particular checks Hydreigon and discourages entry hazards from being set so Torkoal can come in more, allowing Venusaur to sweep more easily. Venusaur also appreciates momentum such as Teleport from Chansey and Flip Turn from Swampert to help it get in safely as well as give it more opportunities to set up; for example Chansey can bring Venusaur in on physical attackers like Scizor and Azumarill, which are forced out by it under sun.

Set Description Venusaur uses the combination of Sleep Powder and Substitute to deny attacks from slower Pokemon from doing damage and set up Leech Seed to slowly chip at them. The combination of Sleep Powder, Leech Seed, and Sludge Bomb can sometimes take down faster foes such as Choice Band Zeraora. Sludge Bomb is used to beat Pokemon that Leech Seed can't beat, such as Rillaboom, Whimsicott, and Trick Tapu Fini. Wide Lens helps Sleep Powder and Leech Seed hit more frequently, which gives Venusaur more consistent odds of winning. Chlorophyll lets Venusaur beat Drought Ninetales. EVs Maximum Speed with a Timid nature allows Venusaur to outspeed Pokemon below base 80 Speed. Maximum Defense helps it to get the best damage rolls against Choice Band Garchomp. Usage Tips Against slower Pokemon, Venusaur should first use Sleep Powder, then get up a Substitute.Repeat this process as necessary until the foe is asleep on the turn Substitute is set. When that happens, use Leech Seed. Once the foe is affected by Leech Seed, Venusaur should repeatedly use Substitute to stall out turns. The only exceptions are using Sleep Powder when Venusaur is too low on health for another Substitute and using Sludge Bomb when this would KO the foe. Against faster threats like Choice Band Zeraora, Urshifu-S, and Regieleki, first use Sleep Powder, then repeatedly use Sludge Bomb. Keep in mind that these matchups rely on multiple sleep turns. As Tapu Fini and Tapu Koko's Terrains prevent them from being affected by Sleep Powder, use Sludge Bomb against them, and do not use Leech Seed because Taunt is common on those Pokemon.

Set Description Venusaur uses a Custap Berry to defeat foes that would typically OHKO it. This allows it to beat Pokemon such as Porygon-Z, Galarian Darmanitan, and Choice Scarf Volcanion that would beat Substitute Venusaur. Frenzy Plant is the best choice for a Grass-type STAB attack due to its whopping 150 Base Power, which gets a 1.5x boost from Overgrow if Venusaur has less than one third of its health left. This allows Venusaur to OHKO most Volcanion and Porygon sets. Sludge Bomb is Venusaur's most powerful Poison-type move, which is extremely useful because Fairy-types such as Sylveon, Tapu Bulu, and Aromatisse are very common threats. Earthquake can be used to safely beat Magnezone and Nihilego, while Earth Power can be run to beat Choice Scarf Heatran, with the downside being a worse matchup against Mirror Coat Magnezone and Nihilego. Sleep Powder gives Venusaur a chance to win a few matchups, such as Assault Vest Urshifu-S, non-Lum Berry Crustle, and non-Choice Band Haxorus, though this is unreliable due to inconsistency with sleep turns. Endure allows Venusaur to both get into Overgrow range against foes that would OHKO it and move first the next turn because its health will be low enough to trigger Custap Berry. EVs A Modest nature and maximum Special Attack EVs are used to secure matchups against Tapu Koko, specially defensive Aromatisse, and Life Orb Urshifu-S. Its Speed investment allows it to outspeed Modest Magnezone. The HP EVs ensure that Venusaur always survives a Modest Choice Specs Hyper Beam from Magnezone. The rest of the EVs are dumped into Defense to give the best odds against physical attackers like Dracozolt, Life Orb Urshifu-S, and stall Avalugg. If Venusaur isn't running Earthquake or Earth Power, moving the 68 EVs from HP to Defense helps with the physical attackers mentioned above. Usage Tips Against Pokemon like Porygon-Z, Choice Scarf Volcanion, and Galarian Darmanitan that threaten to OHKO Venusaur, use Endure to survive their moves and OHKO them with Overgrow Frenzy Plant on the following turn. On the other hand, use Sludge Bomb turn 1 against targets like Zeraora and Choice item Zarude, then Endure when their next attack will KO Venusaur. Against Aromatisse, make sure Venusaur first uses Sludge Bomb and then Frenzy Plant so it doesn't get locked into Struggle with Encore + Disable.

Venusaur's fantastic coverage, offensive typing, Chlorophyll, and access to G-Max Vine Lash turn it into one of the best Pokemon in the metagame. Frenzy Plant gives Venusaur the most powerful G-Max Vine Lash possible, but it trades flexibility outside of Dynamax by needing a turn to recharge. Leaf Storm, on the other hand, is a slightly less powerful Max Move and decreases Venusaur's Special Attack, but it's more flexible outside of Dynamax. Sleep Powder can disrupt the opposition and lets Venusaur potentially take the upper hand in unfavorable matchups. Weather Ball allows Venusaur to make use of the weather setup by Pokemon it's nearly always used alongside. When paired with Groudon or Torkoal, Venusaur gets Max Flare, which has a roll to OHKO most Zacian-C, and when paired with Kyogre, it gets Max Geyser, allowing it to slam Fire-types like Incineroar and Charizard. Earth Power turns into Max Quake, allowing Venusaur to threaten a KO onto Coalossal after fairly minimal prior damage and lets Venusaur boost its Special Defense. Sludge Bomb turns into Max Ooze, allowing Venusaur to boost its teams Special Attack, and it hits Grimmsnarl for a hefty amount of damage. With Life Orb and a Modest nature, Venusaur has the ability to 2HKO Rotom-H with G-Max Vine Lash and OHKO Zacian-C with Max Flare. Coba Berry improves Venusaur's matchup against Flying-types such as Landorus-T and Thundurus. Focus Sash helps against Pokemon such as Coalossal and Charizard, allowing Venusaur to threaten them with Sleep Powder after surviving any hit. When running Weakness Policy, consider running a bulkier EV spread such as 132 HP / 44 Def / 76 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe with a Timid nature, which survives Thundurus's Life Orb-boosted Max Airstream unless it gets the highest possible roll. This spread also pairs especially well with dual screens support to survive powerful super effective attacks under Dynamax, (RC) and retaliate harder. A Timid nature allows Venusaur to outspeed Regieleki and +1 Thundurus under sun, whereas Modest removes these luxuries but allows Venusaur to score more OHKOs and 2HKOs, such as G-Max Vine Lash 2HKOing Rotom-H after the residual damage from the move and Life Orb-boosted Max Quake scoring an OHKO onto Gigantamax Coalossal. Due to Chlorophyll, Venusaur pairs well with Pokemon that are able to easily set sun for it, such as Groudon and Torkoal. Paired with Groudon, Venusaur is able to check Water-types such as Rotom-W and Kyogre that threaten Groudon, while Groudon is able to threaten Fire-types such as Rotom-H, Incineroar, and Charizard that threaten Venusaur. Torkoal, on the other hand, is the best non-Restricted Pokemon to set sun for Venusaur, freeing the team to run another dangerous Restricted Pokemon such as Zacian-C or Kyogre, and it can provide additional support with Yawn or Burning Jealousy. Venusaur also pairs well with another beneficiary of the sun in Charizard because it's oftentimes able to weaken the opposition with its sheer power, allowing Venusaur to clean up. Kyogre is an amazing partner for Venusaur; although contradictory to Chlorophyll being a rain setter, it's able to take advantage of Venusaur’s Max Ooze boosts and threaten Fire-types that Venusaur struggles against. Grimmsnarl is capable of setting dual screens to help Venusaur's fairly mediocre bulk and can provide speed control with Scary Face or Thunder Wave, leaving Venusaur not completely reliant on sun. Venusaur pairs excellently alongside Porygon2 for its ability to help handle threats to Venusaur such as Landorus-T with Ice Beam and weaken Rotom-H via Eerie Impulse. Landorus-T can also be a nice teammate for Venusaur, being able to threaten opposing Charizard and Rotom-H with Rock-type coverage.

Venusaur is a great sun sweeper because of its ability Chlorophyll, good Special Attack, and good movepool consisting of moves like Growth and Weather Ball. Weather Ball turns into a Fire-type move in the sun that can take care of Corviknight and Aegislash. Giga Drain is used to enable Venusaur to take care of Water- and Ground-types such as Keldeo, Toxapex, and Gastrodon while giving it a way to recover from Life Orb recoil. Sludge Bomb is used to OHKO Fairy-types such as Togekiss and can take care of Hydreigon and Kyurem-B after a single use of Growth. Growth should be used under sun to turn Venusaur into a dangerous sweeper. Earth Power is a niche option that can be used to hit Poison-type Pokemon such as Salazzle and Drapion. Venusaur should try to set up Growth on a predicted switch or on a passive Pokemon like Ferrothorn and Toxapex. It should also come in on via a U-turn or Memento from Whimsicott or on passive Pokemon such as Toxapex. A Modest nature allows it to net an OHKO on Aegislash and Corviknight. Whimsiscott is a mandatory teammate because of its access to Prankster Sunny Day and its ability to get Venusaur in safely with U-turn or Memento. Shiftry is a great partner to pair with Venusaur because of its Dark typing and Chlorophyll, allowing it to take care of Psychic-types that Venusaur can struggle with such as Jirachi and Indeedee. Shiftry can also take care of Dragapult with Sucker Punch. Celebi also goes great with Venusaur because it can help pressure Fighting-types such as Bulletproof Kommo-o and use Weather Ball to help Venusaur sweep in the Steel-type matchup. Celebi can also greatly help in the Poison-type matchup with Earth Power and Psychic. Ferrothorn is great to pair with Venusaur due to its access to entry hazards like Stealth Rock and Spikes and ability to come in on Ice-type attacks from Cloyster and Alolan Ninetales and physical attacks such as Dracovish's Psychic Fang. Virizion is a great revenge killer that also deals with threats like Snorlax, Hydreigon, Kyurem, and Centiskorch against Normal-, Dark-, Ice-, and Bug-type matchups respectively. It can also take care of Alolan Ninetales with Smart Strike and act as an emergency Sunny Day settler if Whimsicott gets KOed.

Sludge Bomb allows Mega Venusaur to force out Grass-types such as Tangrowth, Rillaboom, Tapu Bulu, and Serperior as well as threaten status on switch-ins such as Garchomp and Landorus-T, making Mega Venusaur more annoying to switch into. Sludge Bomb also lets it threaten Fairy-types such as Clefable and Tapu Fini, forcing them out. Earth Power lets Mega Venusaur threaten Steel- and Fire-types such as Heatran, Victini, and Mega Mawile while pressuring Toxapex. Hidden Power Fire lets Mega Venusaur nail Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor and pressure Skarmory. Leech Seed is another option that lets Mega Venusaur chip down its switch-ins like Zapdos, Mega Scizor, and Mega Latias and provide additional recovery, although it means it is easily taken advantage of by the aforementioned Hidden Power Fire targets. The given EV spread allows Mega Venusaur to outspeed Mega Mawile and avoid the 2HKO from Choice Specs Ash-Greninja's Dark Pulse after Stealth Rock or one layer of Spikes, with the rest in Defense to maximise its capability to check the likes of Mega Mawile and Kartana. Defog users such as Tapu Fini, Gliscor, and Corviknight are solid partners, as they help alleviate Mega Venusaur's susceptibility to entry hazards and form a strong defensive backbone alongside it. Wish support from Clefable in particular is extremely useful to help make up for Mega Venusaur's lack of consistent recovery. Mega Venusaur is a mediocre Pokemon that fits in very specific teams and needs a lot of support to perform well, making it a lackluster choice most of the time.

With Chlorophyll doubling its Speed under the sun and making it faster than every unboosted Pokemon in the NatDex metagame, Venusaur is a staple on dedicated sun teams. Thanks to Growth giving a +2 boost under the sun, it allows Venusaur to quickly power up and threaten opposing teams. However, Venusaur struggles to hit everything it wants due to needing both Sludge Bomb for Unaware Clefable and Mega Latios and Weather Ball for Corviknight, Ferrothorn, and Mega Scizor. Furthermore, its lack of immediate power, middling bulk, and reliance on the sun make it an inconsistent and one dimensional sweeper. Giga Drain is Venusaur's main STAB option thanks to the recovery letting Venusaur stay healthy in spite of Life Orb chip damage and other hits while also allowing it to beat Chansey and Blissey more comfortably. Earth Power hits one of the biggest threats to sun in Heatran, as well as Galarian Slowking, which otherwise walls Venusaur. Weather Ball is the primary option due to it allowing Venusaur to blast through Steel-types such as Corviknight, Mega Scizor, and Ferrothorn, which otherwise wall it. Sludge Bomb can also be run, as it provides a much stronger STAB option that allows Venusaur to break through Mega Latios and Unaware Clefable, but it is generally an inferior option due to it rendering Venusaur unable to break past certain Steel-types. Poisonium Z can also be used in place of Life Orb to allow Venusaur to break past Mega Latias, which its sun teammates like Blaziken and Victini really appreciate, but this sacrifices the overall power it gets from Life Orb. A Modest nature is used because the extra power is needed to secure crucial KOes on Pokemon like Mega Latios, as well as consistently beating Chansey and Blissey, and the Speed increase from a Timid Nature is generally unneeded and is only useful for Choice Scarf Greninja. Venusaur only fits on dedicated sun teams due to its reliance on sun to function effectively. Thus, Torkoal is a needed partner alongside Venusaur, as it's able to set sun and provide Stealth Rock to help Venusaur clean better. Furthermore, Torkoal also checks the Steel-types that non-Weather Ball Venusaur is unable to break through. Fire- resistant Pokemon like Hydreigon and Mega Garchomp are also great partners alongside Venusaur due to them checking the likes of Heatran and Volcarona, which are often an issue for sun teams as a whole, and they appreciate Venusaur eliminating Unaware Clefable for them. Pokemon such as Victini, Heatran, and Blaziken are stellar partners for Venusaur, as they can punch holes in the opposing team for Venusaur to clean late game. Lastly, naturally fast Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Tapu Lele and Landorus-T make up for Venusaur's low Speed stat outside of sun, and can also clean weakened teams.

Mega Venusaur acts as a wall for Grass teams, checking threats such as Nidoking and Mega Diancie. Thick Fat crucially helps Mega Venusaur take attacks from Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Victini and Mamoswine. Sludge Bomb is Mega Venusaur's main attack and nails Grass- and Fairy-types like Rillaboom and Alolan Ninetales while doing neutral damage to threats such as Dragonite. Sludge Bomb can also be used to fish for poison against foes such as Mega Sableye, Landorus-T, and Zapdos, making them easier to wear down. Giga Drain allows it to take on threats such as Mamoswine while also gaining back health. Leech Seed can be used over Giga Drain, notably allowing setup sweepers such as Celebi and Decidueye to set up more easily. Hidden Power Fire provides meaningful damage against Steel-types such as Mega Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Bisharp. Synthesis allows Mega Venusaur to stay healthy throughout the match; it should continually use Synthesis to stay at full health so it can constantly switch into different attackers, such as Mega Lopunny and Mimikyu. 16 Speed EVs let Mega Venusaur outspeed Adamant Azumarill. All of Mega Venusaur's teammates appreciate its ability to take on so many threats, such as Mega Diancie, Mega Scizor, and Buzzwole, while also clearing the field of Toxic Spikes. Additionally, Leech Seed on top of the type's natural ability to hazard stack wears down foes quickly. Ferrothorn forms the defensive core of the team with Mega Venusaur, switching into Psychic-type attacks, setting hazards such as Stealth Rock and Spikes, and taking on threats such as Weavile with Gyro Ball. Mega Venusaur can take Fighting-type attacks for Ferrothorn such as Terrakion's Close Combat. Whimsicott can take on Dragon-type Pokemon such as Kyurem, Hydreigon, and Kommo-o with Moonblast for Mega Venusaur, notably switching into Dragonite's Outrage. It can also cripple various threats such as Blissey, Porygon2, and Choice Band Victini by removing their items. All of Mega Venusaur's offensive teammates such as Breloom, Celebi, Rillaboom, Tapu Bulu, and Zarude appreciate its ability to wear down foes such as Mandibuzz, allowing them to better clean late-game. Breloom can take on Dark- and Steel-type Pokemon for Mega Venusaur such as Hydreigon, Heatran, and Excadrill with Swords Dance + Mach Punch and take on Flying-types such as Celesteela with Continental Crush. Celebi can take on Poison- and Fighting-type Pokemon such as Nidoking, Toxapex, and Kommo-o as well as threats such as Heatran with Earth Power. Celebi can also opt to run Hidden Power Fire alongside Earth Power to handle Steel teams better. Rillaboom generally threatens offensive Pokemon such as Mega Gallade, Landorus, and Nihilego with Grassy Glide in Grassy Terrain. Tapu Bulu can also summon Grassy Terrain and takes on Steel- and Flying-type Pokemon such as Ferrothorn, Bisharp, and Zapdos with Close Combat and Stone Edge. Rillaboom and Tapu Bulu's Grassy Terrain helps Venusaur stay healthy and take Earthquakes from Pokemon like Excadrill more easily. Zarude can handle Psychic-type Pokemon such as Alakazam and Tapu Lele and pivot into status conditions due to Jungle Healing, preventing Mega Venusaur from being worn down.

Mega Venusaur is a great defensive Pokemon for Poison teams thanks to its decent movepool, recovery in two reliable forms, and amazing defensive typing, which allow it to threaten Water-types like Mega Swampert and Keldeo and come in on Electric-types such as Tapu Koko and Magnezone. Its great bulk allows it to also take on physical attackers such as Mega Lopunny and Excadrill. Giga Drain hits Ground-, Rock-, and Water-types like Hippowdon, Gastrodon, Azumarill, Terrakion, and Mega Diancie. Sludge Bomb is Mega Venusaur's strongest STAB option that greatly dents Fairy-and Grass-types like Tapu Koko, Tapu Bulu, and Rillaboom. It is also useful for its 30% poison chance against specially defensive walls like Mega Sableye, Mantine, and Zapdos. Mega Venusaur can use Leech Seed over Sludge Bomb to give it and its teammates passive recovery. Hidden Power Fire makes does good damage to Excadrill and prevents Mega Venusaur from being fodder for Mega Scizor's setup and Ferrothorn's entry hazards. Synthesis keeps Mega Venusaur healthy throughout the match. Venusaur gains Thick Fat upon Mega Evolution, which halves damage taken from Fire- and Ice-type attacks from Blacephalon, Greninja, and Alolan Ninetales, and it also prevents a 2HKOfrom Choice Scarf Victini 's V-create. 16 Speed EVs are used to outpace Adamant Azumarill. The remaining EVs maximize Mega Venusaur's physical bulk so it can tank physical attacks from Pokemon such as Landorus-T, Mega Lopunny, and Excadrill. Toxapex forms a great defensive core with Mega Venusaur, providing Haze to check setup sweepers that exploit Mega Venusaur such as Dragonite, Aegislash, Volcarona, and Mega Scizor. It switches into Mega Charizard Y and pressures the opposition with Toxic Spikes and Scald as well. Mega Venusaur in return can check Electric-types like Zeraora and Tapu Koko and switch into Ground-type attacks from Gastrodon and Hippowdon. Nihilego can set Stealth Rock and take care of Fire- and Flying-types like Mega Charizard Y, Tornadus-T, and Zapdos. Nidoking can also provide Stealth Rock support while also being a great wallbreaker that can 2HKO Mega Sableye using Earth Power, and break through Heatran + Celesteela. Nidoking can also beat Flying-types such as Zapdos and Gliscor, and in return, Mega Venusaur can switch into Ice- and Water-types like Weavile and Urshifu-R. Levitate Galarian Weezing gives the team immunity to Dragon and Ground as well as support in Will-O-Wisp and Defog. Drapion can set Toxic Spikes and switch into Psychic-type attacks from Tapu Lele, Latias, and Latios and Pursuit trap them. Alolan Muk is another Dark-type option that can use Curse, Rest, and Knock Off to take care of Psychic-types. Both Dark-types switch into Ghost-type attacks from Pokemon such as Gengar as well. Galarian Slowking can help against special attackers such as Kyurem and switch in on Psychic-types like Tapu Lele, Latios, and Alolan Raichu.

Moves Growth increases Venusaur's Attack and Special Attack by two stages in sun, making it a threatening sweeper. Sludge Bomb is the strongest attack, hitting Fairy- and Grass-types such as Florges, Shaymin, and Virizion for super effective damage. Giga Drain takes care of bulky Water-types such as Milotic and Mega Blastoise, as well as replenishes lost HP from Life Orb recoil and damage. Solar Beam can be used over Giga Drain for more damage output at the cost of only being able to use it in sun. Hidden Power Fire is boosted in the sun and is used to hit Pokemon like Escavalier while chipping away HP from the likes of Bronzong. Sleep Powder is an alternative to Growth, allowing Venusaur to induce sleep on a threat to allow a teammate like Leafeon to set up Swords Dance much more easily. It can also be used over Sludge Bomb to make Venusaur more threatening in the sun due to Sleep Powder + Growth, but then Venusaur will heavily rely on sun to do any significant damage. Set Details Maximum Special Attack and Speed EVs with a Modest nature are used to ensure Venusaur gets the best out of its wallbreaking capabilities. Life Orb is used to further increase Venusaur's offensive capabilities; the recoil can be ignored, as Giga Drain helps recover from the lost HP. Alternatively, Grassium Z can be used to KO a defensive threat with Bloom Doom, but it is useless otherwise. It is preferred to pair it with Solar Beam, as it gives Venusaur a way to KO a threat once they have been lured in after they realize the Grass-type STAB move is Solar Beam. Usage Tips Always try to switch Venusaur into bulky Water-types, as they lack a way to threaten Venusaur, apart from Slowbro and Air Slash Mantine, and use Growth on the next turn, as they will usually switch out. Giga Drain is the most spammable STAB move and should be used over Sludge Bomb if both KO the foe, as it can recover health. Use Growth on setup fodder such as Florges and Comfey, but be wary of setting up in front of Foul Play users like Umbreon, as Growth also raises Venusaur's Attack stat. Venusaur also draws its checks in, mainly Goodra, Dragalge, and Steel-types, so use that to your advantage. It is wise to save Venusaur until late-game, as it can become a dangerous late-game sweeper. Growth should be usually used on attacks that do not KO Venusaur, as it can just replenish HP with Giga Drain. Team Options Torkoal is a mandatory partner for Venusaur, as it sets sun, which allows Venusaur to fulfill its niche in the tier. Torkoal also helps the team by providing Stealth Rock support, as well as Explosion to weaken threats and give a free switch in opportunity for Venusaur. Ninetales is another option for a sun setter, which itself acts as a setup sweeper, making Sleep Powder Venusaur a preferred choice in that case. Chlorophyll users, especially Leafeon, are also good partners for Venusaur, as they can take care of Venusaur's Dragon-type checks, as well as benefit from Chlorophyll. Venusaur also helps Leafeon by taking care of defensive Pokemon. Wallbreakers such as Tyrantrum and Dragon Dance Zygarde-10% are appreciated; they resist Fire-type moves for Venusaur and can weaken the opposing team for Venusaur to clean.

Moves Synthesis is Mega Venusaur's most reliable recovery method. Rest is another option over Synthesis that allows Mega Venusaur to PP stall foes more effectively. This gives Mega Venusaur better matchups against less offensive threats like non-Taunt Mega Sableye and Pyukumuku but leaves it vulnerable for two turns. Charm improves Mega Venusaur's survivability against top physical threats like Choice Band Garchomp and Mega Charizard X. Leech Seed lets Mega Venusaur deal chip damage every turn while healing itself, allowing it to win PP stall wars. Amnesia boosts Mega Venusaur's Special Defense, allowing it to hold its own against special attackers like Choice Specs Greninja and Genesect. Sludge Bomb prevents Mega Venusaur from being too passive, helping greatly against Taunt users like Mega Gyarados, Tapu Fini, and Torrent Greninja. It also has a high chance to poison its target, improving Mega Venusaur's matchups against stall Pokemon like non-Rest Mega Slowbro. Giga Drain lets Mega Venusaur pose a threat to Pokemon like Quagsire and Rest Mega Swampert and also recovers a slight amount of HP. Set Details 248 HP and 112 Special Defense EVs let Mega Venusaur survive a Hyper Beam from Porygon-Z, as well as prevent Choice Specs Genesect from getting a Download boost and help Mega Venusaur against Volcarona and Choice Specs Naganadel. The leftover EVs are put into Defense with a Bold nature, which allows Mega Venusaur to take two Outrages from Choice Band Garchomp if the second one is used after Charm. Chlorophyll lets regular Venusaur outspeed Mega Charizard Y in sun, giving it an opportunity to win if Mega Charizard Y misses Blast Burn by outspeeding it the following turn and landing Sleep Powder first. If running Sludge Bomb over Amnesia, an EV spread of 248 HP / 108 Def / 80 SpA / 72 SpD with a Bold nature should be used to allow Mega Venusaur to survive a Hyper Beam from Choice Scarf Porygon Z and two Ice Beams from Choice Specs Greninja and 2HKO them in return with Sludge Bomb. Usage Tips Mega Venusaur is best used against hyper offensive Pokemon like Mega Gyarados, Sawk, Zeraora, and Choice Band Garchomp. It can also work well against setup Pokemon like non-Substitute Zygarde and Volcarona that cannot boost faster than it. Use Leech Seed as soon as possible to recover more HP while whittling the foe's health down. Against Archeops and Naganadel, use Synthesis first to see what move they use. If they use Head Smash or Draco Meteor, continue using Synthesis, as these moves' ability to 2HKO Mega Venusaur means it's best to just stall them out; otherwise, use the appropriate stat-boosting move. If running Rest, avoid Archeops and Naganadel. Instead, use Mega Venusaur against Pokemon like non-Rest Mega Slowbro and Pyukumuku. For some foes, mostly slower Taunt users unaffected by Sludge Bomb like Mega Mawile and Mega Aggron, it is better to use Leech Seed first. SubSeed users like Serperior and Jumpluff are useless against Mega Venusaur, so be sure to send it in on them. Team Options Kommo-o and Mega Gyarados appreciate Mega Venusaur outstalling Pokemon like Magearna and Mega Altaria and can take care of its bad matchups like Zygarde and Meloetta. With a glaring Psychic-type weakness, Mega Venusaur requires teammates that can beat Pokemon such as Mega Metagross, Meloetta, and Mega Gardevoir. Steel- and Bug-type Pokemon like Mega Mawile, Genesect, and Volcarona are great partners for this reason. In return, Mega Venusaur can take care of Garchomp, Mega Aggron, and Heatran. Mega Venusaur appreciates assistance from Pokemon that can handle Taunt users like Kommo-o. Mega Charizard X and Mega Gardevoir help to remedy this issue, while Mega Venusaur takes out opposing Mega Charizard X and Archeops.

Moves Sludge Bomb is Mega Venusaur's main attacking move that lets it hit foes such as Haxorus, Tapu Bulu, and Serperior. It also has a hefty chance to poison the foe, helping to deal some chip damage in between turns, though this shouldn't always be relied on except against bulky foes that you have multiple chances to poison. Giga Drain lets Mega Venusaur deal with Ground- and Rock-types like Donphan and Carracosta. Sleep Powder, albeit somewhat unreliable with its 75% accuracy, can turn the tide in Mega Venusaur's favor, which is crucial for matchups like Mega Charizard X and Crustle. Hidden Power Fire gives Mega Venusaur a way of hitting Steel-types such as Genesect and Mega Mawile that take little damage from its STAB moves. Earthquake is an option to deal with Heatran and Magnezone, while Synthesis makes matchups like Mega Charizard X more reliable by letting Mega Venusaur recover HP if the foe wakes up early. Set Details 252 HP and 192 Defense EVs with a Bold nature ensure that Mega Venusaur survives two Outrages from Adamant Haxorus. They also improve the matchups against Mega Mawile and Mega Charizard X. 16 Speed EVs are run to outspeed non-Jolly Donphan. The rest of the EVs are invested into Special Attack to deal the most damage possible. Chlorophyll lets regular Venusaur outspeed Mega Charizard Y in sun, giving it an opportunity to win if Mega Charizard Y misses Blast Burn by outspeeding it the following turn and landing Sleep Powder first. Alternatively, running an EV spread of 208 HP / 124 SpA / 176 SpD / 16 Spe with a Calm nature allows Mega Venusaur to beat Uproar Porygon-Z and Genesect in exchange for reduced reliability against physically offensive threats like Haxorus. Usage Tips Against Pokemon that Mega Venusaur cannot safely KO before it is KOed, such as Mega Charizard X, Heatran, and bulky Genesect, use Sleep Powder to disable them and give Mega Venusaur extra opportunities to freely attack them. Be wary that some variants of these Pokemon run Substitute, which bypasses Sleep Powder completely, or have significant bulk investment, meaning Mega Venusaur may require three sleep turns to KO them. Use Synthesis when Mega Venusaur can be KOed if a foe wakes up early, such as after Mega Charizard X uses Outrage or Flare Blitz. Team Options Steel-type Pokemon like Registeel and Mega Metagross cover Mega Venusaur's only two weaknesses in Flying and Psychic, taking on threats like Dragonite and Meloetta. In return, Mega Venusaur can take out the Ground-, Fighting-, and Fire-type Pokemon that bother them like Donphan, Sawk, and Mega Charizard X. Rock-type Pokemon like Crustle and Golem make for good partners, as they beat Fire-, Flying-, and Normal-type Pokemon like Mega Charizard Y, Volcarona, Archeops, Meloetta, and Porygon-Z, while Mega Venusaur takes care of Ground- and Steel-types like Donphan, Golem, and Mega Mawile if running Hidden Power Fire and Heatran if running Earthquake. Mega Venusaur falls to wallbreakers like Mega Charizard Y and Normalium Z Porygon-Z, so it appreciates the support from Mega Aggron and Donphan to beat these threats. In return, Mega Venusaur punishes other Grass-type Pokemon like Serperior and Ferrothorn as well as Water-type Pokemon like Primarina and Mega Gyarados that they have difficulty dealing with.

Moves Leech Seed wears down Steel-type switch-ins such as Necrozma-DM and Magearna while providing passive recovery that allows Mega Venusaur to outlast Pokemon such as boosted Xerneas, Blissey, and Chansey. Toxic cripples support Arceus formes, Primal Groudon, Lugia, and Giratina-O while catching Ho-Oh and Yveltal on the switch. The combination of Toxic and Leech Seed applies pressure by dishing out a sizable amount of residual damage. Roar is another option that can be used over Toxic that allows Mega Venusaur to phaze setup sweepers such as Xerneas and Calm Mind Arceus formes and punish Substitute users. Synthesis gives Mega Venusaur a reliable recovery option to keep it healthy throughout the match. It's also worth noting that Venusaur recovers more health under Primal Groudon's Desolate Land and less health under Primal Kyogre's Primordial Sea. Grass Knot is a reliable STAB move that does a sizable amount of damage to heavy targets such as Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, Mega Sableye, and Arceus formes. Earthquake is another option that gives Mega Venusaur a fighting chance against Mega Gengar, Magearna, Mega Lucario, and support Necrozma-DM. Set Details Venusaurite is required for Venusaur to Mega Evolve and receive the Thick Fat ability, which will improve its matchup against support Arceus formes that use Ice Beam as well as support Primal Groudon that use Fire-type attacks. Chlorophyll is used as the base ability to revenge kill offensive Primal Groudon under Desolate Land. 252 HP EVs provide Mega Venusaur with as much bulk as possible. 76 Special Defense EVs prevent Mega Gengar's Sludge Wave from 2HKOing Mega Venusaur, as well as preventing Xerneas's +2 Moonblast from 2HKOing after Leech Seed recovery. The rest of the EVs go into Defense along with a Bold nature to help Mega Venusaur take on strong physical attackers such as support Primal Groudon, physical Primal Kyogre, and Life Orb Marshadow. Run an Impish nature if Earthquake is being used over Grass Knot to have a better chance at 3HKOing Magearna. An alternative EV spread of 248 HP / 88 Def / 168 SpD with a Calm or Careful nature allows Mega Venusaur to take on special attackers better, such as preventing the 2HKO from +2 Xerneas's Moonblast after Stealth Rock and Leech Seed recovery as well as lowering the chance of being 2HKOed by Primal Kyogre's +1 Origin Pulse after Leech Seed recovery. However, support Primal Groudon's Precipice Blades now 2HKOes Mega Venusaur after Stealth Rock, and Life Orb Marshadow's Spectral Thief has a small chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock as well. Usage Tips Try to Mega Evolve with Venusaur as soon as possible, as Mega Venusaur's Thick Fat is vital in helping it switch into support Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, and support Arceus formes that use Ice Beam. Frequently use Leech Seed to punish Mega Venusaur's checks as they come in. Residual damage quickly racks up on an opposing threat, especially against Pokemon that lack reliable recovery. Leech Seed is also key to keeping Mega Venusaur healthy during one-on-one matchups against Pokemon it's supposed to check, and it can be used to heal its teammates once Mega Venusaur switches out. Try to use Synthesis sparingly, as it only has 8 PP, and once Mega Venusaur runs out of it, Leech Seed won't provide enough recovery to help it withstand most of its checks. Keep in mind that the amount of HP Synthesis recovers is determined by the weather. Under Primal Groudon's Desolate Land, Synthesis recovers two-thirds of Mega Venusaur's health, but under Primal Kyogre's Primordial Sea and Tyranitar's Sand Stream, it only provides one-fourth of HP recovery. An opposing Primal Kyogre's set must be scouted for, as Calm Mind variants are able to 2HKO Mega Venusaur with +1 Origin Pulse and Grass Knot fails to 2HKO after a Calm Mind boost. However, defensive and physical sets of Primal Kyogre are easily withstood. Mega Venusaur is able to take on some of stall's staple Pokemon fairly well. Physically defensive Mega Sableye is 3HKOed by Grass Knot, and its Recover PP can be stalled out, since Grass Knot has double the amount. Meanwhile, both Blissey and Chansey are unable to touch Mega Venusaur and taken advantage of by Leech Seed, which can recover a ton of health for its teammates. Team Options Ground-type Pokemon such as Arceus-Ground and Zygarde-C make for excellent partners, as they apply pressure to opposing Steel-types and other offensive threats that threaten Mega Venusaur such as Necrozma-DM, Mega Lucario, Mega Salamence, Rayquaza, offensive Primal Groudon, and Mega Gengar. Arceus-Ground can also remove entry hazards with Defog, which is important for the balance teams that Mega Venusaur fits onto. In return, Mega Venusaur checks Arceus-Water, Primal Kyogre, and Lugia. Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon are also good countermeasures for Steel-types, most notably Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor, which are two Pokemon that Mega Venusaur particularly struggles with. Ho-Oh is also able to switch into Yveltal, while Primal Groudon acts as a second check to Primal Kyogre. Dark-types such as Yveltal and Arceus-Dark are phenomenal allies that are immune to Psychic-type attacks and are great checks to Necrozma formes, Mega Gengar, Lunala, Mewtwo, and Deoxys-A . Yveltal's defensive Charti Berry set is also able to check Swords Dance variants of Necrozma-DM, Primal Groudon, and Arceus. Meanwhile, Mega Venusaur checks Fairy-types such as Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy. On the flip side, offensive Yveltal and Calm Mind + Refresh Arceus-Dark heavily pressure Mega Venusaur, so Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy make for good partners that can withstand their STAB moves fairly easily. Choice Scarf Xerneas can outspeed and knock out Bulk Up Marshadow and Ultra Necrozma, and bulkier sets can act as clerics with Aromatherapy. Meanwhile, Arceus-Fairy appreciates Mega Venusaur luring in Yveltal and Arceus-Dark to find opportunities to set up Calm Mind. Water-types such as Primal Kyogre and Arceus-Water are great teammates for Mega Venusaur. Primal Kyogre is able to force Ho-Oh, Zygarde-C, and offensive Primal Groudon sets out, while Arceus-Water switches into Mega Salamence and Rayquaza while also being able to check Ho-Oh and clear the field of entry hazards with Defog. Primal Kyogre, in particular, highly appreciates Knock Off variants of Mega Venusaur as it can remove Ferrothorn's Leftovers while being immune to opposing Leech Seed, making it easier to wear down for Primal Kyogre later in the match. Rock-types such as Tyranitar and Arceus-Rock make for amazing partners to Mega Venusaur, since they're able to reliably switch into the many common Flying-types in the tier. Arceus-Rock has the option to run Fire Blast to slam checks that it shares with Mega Venusaur such as Ferrothorn, Mega Scizor, and Mega Lucario, while Tyranitar can set up Stealth Rock and trap Mega Gengar with Pursuit. However, be aware that Tyranitar's Sand Stream nerfs Synthesis's HP recovery. In return, Mega Venusaur answers support Primal Groudon, Life Orb Marshadow, Arceus-Water, support Arceus-Ground, and most Primal Kyogre sets.

After Mega Evolving, Mega Venusaur gains exceptional defensive stats and an ability that indirectly removes two of its weaknesses in Thick Fat, making it a great late-game wincon once its checks have been removed early-game. The given EVs allow it to survive two Life Orb-boosted Earthquakes from Landorus-T and Mega Gardevoir’s Psychic, maximize the benefit of a Modest nature, and let it outspeed base 130s under Tailwind. Removing threats like Tapu Lele and Mega Salamence is key to Mega Venusaur’s survival, so Steel-types such as Aegislash and Heatran are immensely helpful in this respect.

Chlorophyll Venusaur outpaces the entire unboosted metagame when paired with Drought Mega Charizard Y. Grass Pledge is an option when Mega Charizard Y is using Fire Pledge, as their combined use creates a sea of fire that removes 12.5% of both foes’ health for four turns. That said, Energy Ball is the more flexible alternative. Sleep Powder is great support, albeit inaccurate and stopped by Electric and Misty Terrain. Hidden Power Ice lets Venusaur check foes such as Landorus-T and Mega Salamence, which sun teams typically have issues with. Venusaur struggles against Heatran, so ensure you have a check to it such as Landorus-T or Terrakion.

Set Information Mega Drain lets Mega Venusaur threaten out Pokémon like Rhydon and Poliwrath and gives it much-needed recovery. Leech Seed gives additional recovery alongside Mega Drain and lets Mega Venusaur take advantage of high-HP targets like Snorlax, Mew, and Melmetal. Sleep Powder, when landed, gives Mega Venusaur an opportunity to safely use Leech Seed or your team a chance to take advantage of that sleeping Pokémon. Sleep Powder is also very hard to switch into given the scarcity of Grass-types, and the few that exist do not appreciate taking a Sludge Bomb. Toxic is another status option and is often essential for beating Pokémon like Mew and Zapdos, which otherwise switch into Mega Venusaur fairly safety. Sludge Bomb is Mega Venusaur's secondary STAB attack and its main tool for damage dealing. Its higher Base Power and chance to poison let Mega Venusaur pressure neutral targets like Mew, Zapdos, and Mega Charizard X and Y. Bold is the preferred nature to allow Mega Venusaur to more reliably check physical threats like Mega Gyarados and Alolan Dugtrio, although Modest can be chosen to increase Mega Venusaur's offensive presence, letting it 2HKO Zapdos more easily, 2HKO Nidoking, and pressure Mew more effectively. Usage Tips Mega Evolving Venusaur early on can be important to raise its Defense enough to check threatening Pokemon. If you predict a Stealth Rock user like Sandslash or Rhydon as your opponent's lead, you can lead with Venusaur or switch it in to force them out and achieve Mega Evolution. Since Melmetal is a common response to Mega Venusaur, if you can predict it to switch in, landing Leech Seed allows you to sap large amounts of health from it, providing recovery for Mega Venusaur and the Pokemon you use to switch into Melmetal. If Mega Venusaur is running Sleep Powder, be aware of what Pokemon your opponent would use as sleep fodder, and consider if it is better to put their fodder to sleep or predict the switch and take advantage of it. Don't recklessly use Mega Venusaur as a defensive pivot; if it loses health to U-turn and Stealth Rock damage and is forced out, it can be difficult to reliably get that health back. Team Options Mega Venusaur invites in Melmetal, and Reflect Zapdos can always come in on Melmetal's Ice Punch when it is afflicted with Leech Seed and comfortably heal back up, making it a great partner. Mega Venusaur also threatens out Ground-types like Sandslash and Rhydon, which will attempt to wall Zapdos. Alolan Muk appreciates Mega Venusaur, as it can handle physical attackers like Mega Gyarados and Alolan Dugtrio, while Alolan Muk deals with Psychic-type Pokemon that would threaten Mega Venusaur like Mew, Mega Alakazam, and Starmie. Chansey is another example of good synergy, handling dedicated special attackers admirably. Powerful attackers like Dragonite and Melmetal are important as well, as they can capitalize on key defensive Pokemon being put to sleep. Melmetal also provides extra bulk to take pressure off Mega Venusaur and resists Psychic, traits shared by Mew, which can pivot into and out of Venusaur's bad matchups.

Moves Sludge Bomb is the main source of Mega Venusaur's offensive presence. Synthesis recovers health and is vital to keeping Mega Venusaur healthy throughout a match. Hidden Power Fire helps Mega Venusaur threaten Steel-type threats such as Mega Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory. Giga Drain is a moderately strong Grass-type STAB attack that provides recovery on top of damage. It should be used liberally to heal off chip from tanking hits or switching in on entry hazards. Leech Seed is a good option over Giga Drain that offers a consistent source of recovery beside Synthesis for Mega Venusaur and the rest of Grass's defensive core while whittling down both offensive and defensive threats with chip damage, such as Heatran. Sleep Powder is an option for Mega Venusaur to check setup sweepers and disable both offensive and defensive threats to the team. Set Details 248 HP EVs and 244 Defense EVs with a Bold nature maximize Mega Venusaur's physical bulk to make it as formidable a response as possible to threats such as Victini, avoiding a 2HKO from Choice Scarf V-create. 16 Speed EVs let Mega Venusaur outspeed maximum Speed Adamant Azumarill. Chlorophyll doubles Mega Venusaur's Speed in sun before Mega Evolving, which can have niche utility against threats such as Mega Charizard Y or Fire teams. An alternative mixed defensive spread featuring maximum HP EVs, 80 Special Defense EVs, and 160 Defense EVs with a Calm Nature can be used to allow Mega Venusaur to better manage special threats such as Nidoking and Greninja while still sporting enough physical bulk to handle Mega Scizor. Usage Tips Get Venusaur in safely to Mega Evolve as soon as possible to make immediate use of the improved bulk and Thick Fat. Make sure to preserve Mega Venusaur carefully in matchups where it is needed to check threats such as Mega Scizor. Sleep Powder, if used, should likewise be saved for dangerous threats to the team. Synthesis, while a source of reliable recovery, only has 8 PP and should only be used when absolutely necessary and not to stall out attacks, with the exception of V-create Victini. Likewise, let teammates manage threats whenever possible to preserve Mega Venusaur's limited recovery and minimize chip. However, Mega Venusaur can sponge Toxic and Toxic Spikes for the team and, since Mega Venusaur's Mega Stone cannot be removed, it is a good switch-in to Knock Off and Trick. Spam Giga Drain or Leech Seed liberally, as they provide sustained recovery to heal off chip damage without wasting Synthesis PP while whittling down the opposing team. Use Sludge Bomb to fish for the poison against Pokemon that wall Mega Venusaur, such as Zapdos and Mega Sableye. Team Options Ferrothorn helps support Mega Venusaur with its excellent Grass / Steel typing, which provides an immunity to Poison-type attacks and neutralities to Flying-, Bug-, and Ice-type attacks. It can also stack Spikes to wear down the opponent's team and synergizes well with Mega Venusaur's capacity to force switches. Cradily is a great specially defensive wall and Grass's premier sponge for Fire-type moves and Stealth Rock setter. Cradily is capable of checking special attackers that are threats to Mega Venusaur such as Quiver Dance Volcarona. Tapu Bulu is an amazing teammate for Mega Venusaur that acts as an excellent revenge killer with Choice Scarf while setting Grassy Terrain, which boosts Mega Venusaur's STAB Giga Drain. Grassy Terrain's passive recovery and Earthquake debuff also helps support Mega Venusaur defensively. Breloom is a strong physical attacker and cleaner for Grass teams that offers priority with Technician-boosted Mach Punch and valuable Spore utility. Breloom appreciates having Mega Venusaur to fall back on and wear down its checks, and it can check threats to Mega Venusaur such as Heatran and Diggersby in return. Celebi is a strong special attacker that offers valuable Psychic-type STAB to manage Poison-type threats such as Nidoking and Toxapex that Mega Venusaur struggles with while providing a resistance to Psychic-type moves to cover Mega Venusaur's weakness. Celebi's coverage in Earth Power and Hidden Power Fire helps in the Steel matchup. Rotom-Mow is a solid pivot and revenge killer for Grass teams that can serve as a soft check for threats such as Mega Charizard Y and Mega Pinsir when holding a Choice Scarf. Serperior is a fast special sweeper that can clean late-game with Contrary Leaf Storm and appreciates Mega Venusaur wearing down its checks. Gourgeist-XL is a decent teammate for Mega Venusaur that offers a secondary Bug- and Poison-type neutrality, a Fighting- and Normal-type immunity, Will-O-Wisp and spinblocking utility. Gourgeist-XL takes a lot of pressure off of Mega Venusaur to manage physical threats such as Swords Dance Excadrill and Mega Scizor. Whimsicott can support Mega Venusaur with speed control in Prankster Stun Spore and by disabling setup sweepers with Encore. Its Fairy-type STAB is particularly helpful against Dragon-types that threaten Mega Venusaur such as Dragonite, Kyurem-B, and Latios.

Moves Giga Drain allows Mega Venusaur to immediately restore health upon use and also hits Ground-types such as Hippowdon and Dugtrio. Sludge Bomb is primarily used to hit Grass- and Fairy-types such as Breloom and Tapu Koko for super effective damage, though its high chance to poison is also beneficial to chip away at other defensive tanks such as Mantine, Mega Sableye, and Porygon2. Synthesis is Mega Venusaur's main form of recovery. Hidden Power Fire hits bulky Steel-types in Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Mega Scizor for solid damage, effectively preventing further entry hazard stacking or setup. Leech Seed is another option that allows Mega Venusaur to gain passive recovery by sapping away at the foe's health and is very useful against its defensive checks such as Chansey and Celesteela. Set Details 16 Speed EVs are used to Speed creep Adamant Azumarill. The remaining EVs are placed into HP and Defense and coupled with a Bold nature to maximize Mega Venusaur's physical bulk while also giving it a chance to avoid the 2HKO from Choice Scarf Victini's V-create. Venusaurite is the required item in order to use Mega Venusaur. Thick Fat is Mega Venusaur's only ability, halving damage from Fire- and Ice-type moves. Usage Tips It's ideal to Mega Evolve Venusaur immediately, as it gains the defensive capabilities of Thick Fat, which allows Mega Venusaur to take on many Fire- and Ice-type attacks. Use Sludge Bomb and Leech Seed whenever possible, as they both gradually chip away at the foe. Leech Seed has the additional benefit of giving weakened teammates extra health, so they can be brought in on defensive options from foes, such as their recovery moves. Though Mega Venusaur is very bulky, it's susceptible to being worn down from entry hazards such as Spikes and Stealth Rock, which is especially noteworthy considering the low PP of Synthesis. If possible, Defog hazards away before sending Mega Venusaur in. Mega Venusaur is Poison's best check against Ground teams and its best way to defeat them, so do not send it out carelessly against every incoming Ground-type attack. Mega Venusaur must take caution when using Synthesis in different weather conditions, as its recovery is reduced in hail, rain, and sandstorm. Against setup sweepers such as Mega Charizard X, it's ideal to switch to a teammate that can check them, such as Haze Toxapex or Choice Scarf Nihilego. Both of these teammates assist Mega Venusaur by preemptively stopping them and can force a switch as a result. Utilize Mega Venusaur to come in and block common Trick users like Gengar that look to swap items with teammates like Crobat and Toxapex, as it would inhibit their utility roles. Be cautious of Taunt users such as Aerodactyl and Hydreigon, as they will restrict Mega Venusaur's ability to recover its health. It is ideal to have Mega Venusaur as healthy as possible in order for it to tank hits. Team Options Toxapex is a premier partner for Mega Venusaur, as its various forms of recovery and better resistance to Fire- and Ice-type moves ease the pressure on Mega Venusaur to handle Pokemon like Mega Charizard Y and Kyurem-B. Toxapex's ability to spread various forms of status through Scald burns, Toxic Spikes, and Baneful Bunker punishes physical attackers constantly. Baneful Bunker also allows Toxapex to scout options from common Choice-locked foes such as Tapu Koko and Latios and make the appropriate switch to a teammate. In return, Mega Venusaur offers an Electric resistance and a Ground neutrality for Toxapex. Alolan Muk also complements Mega Venusaur defensively, as its Dark typing and access to Knock Off and Pursuit make it a very potent presence against Psychic-types such as Latios and Dual Dance Mew that otherwise become very threatening to Poison teams. In return, Mega Venusaur can pivot into Ground-types and physical attackers for Alolan Muk. Choice Scarf Nihilego is a solid revenge killer against Flying- and Fire-types that threaten Mega Venusaur, such as Mega Charizard Y, Tornadus-T, and Volcarona. Nidoking can support Mega Venusaur as an offensive Stealth Rock user and wallbreaker, as its sheer power and vast coverage options can 2HKO defensive walls such as Mega Sableye and Celesteela. In return, Mega Venusaur can come in on Water- and Ice-type attacks that threaten Nidoking. Crobat assists Mega Venusaur by providing a Ground immunity and acting as a utility teammate, with options such as Defog and Taunt to prevent hazard stacking and U-turn to pivot out to teammates. Crobat can also check Mega Pinsir, one of Mega Venusaur's biggest offensive checks, through Brave Bird and use Taunt to prevent hazard stacking and recovery from Ferrothorn and Chansey. Gengar acts as a check to problematic Psychic-types such as Mega Gallade and Victini while also being able to spinblock foes such as Torkoal and Armaldo, which is very important for taking on Fire and Bug teams, as these Pokemon are their primary form of hazard control. Scolipede acts a setup sweeper that can check common revenge killers such as Latios and Excadrill after a couple of Speed boosts as well as act as a potent cleaner against Psychic teams, since it can threaten common checks to it after multiple Speed boosts, such as Choice Scarf Victini, Choice Scarf Latios, and Mega Latias. SubToxic Salazzle is a niche teammate that uses its unique ability, Corrosion, to poison and stall out Poison- and Steel-types such as Toxapex, Mega Venusaur, Heatran, and Celesteela.

Moves Sludge Bomb will almost always hit at least one of the opponent's Pokemon super effectively, with the majority of teams carrying an Island Guardian, but it's also useful for the potential to poison and wear down foes. Giga Drain facilitates Venusaur's goal of staying healthy in addition to the obvious merits it provides in matchups against Water-, Ground-, and Rock-types. Hidden Power Fire ensures that Venusaur isn't walled by Steel-types, notably making it the best Kartana answer available. Genesect and Mega Scizor are decent targets too, but most other Steel-types aren't likely to struggle with taking the hit. Leech Seed provides constant recovery, especially in tandem with Protect, and helps with the Pokemon that Mega Venusaur walls but can't do much damage to offensively, such as Zapdos. Protect stalls out field conditions and may give Venusaur a turn to safely chip away at a foe while regaining health thanks to Leech Seed. Synthesis takes a more active role in healing, relieving the pressure to keep Mega Venusaur healthy by other means. Many combinations of the moves discussed here are viable, but the listed grouping is often most effective. Set Details With the given EV spread, Mega Venusaur is guaranteed to take two Heat Waves from Mega Charizard Y. With a Bold nature and the investment in Defense, it will also avoid the 2HKO from Mega Metagross's Iron Head, even after Stealth Rock. The remaining 52 EVs are placed in Speed to ensure its ability to outspeed uninvested Rotom formes and Tapu Fini. Chlorophyll is the preferred base ability in case the opponent brings Mega Charizard Y or Torkoal. Usage Tips Mega Venusaur generally fits best on bulky offense builds, as these can offer it the time it needs to succeed and still provide enough damage output to make up for the times it can't deal much damage itself. Try to keep Venusaur healthy so that it can continue to check the threats it's needed for throughout the game. It won't deal a ton of damage to neutral targets, so focus on either hitting foes super effectively or taking advantage of the secondary effects offered by Sludge Bomb and Giga Drain. In sun, it may be better to forgo Mega Evolution to take advantage of the added Speed, provided that Mega Venusaur's added bulk isn't necessary to do its job that turn. Team Options Steel-types, especially Mega Metagross, can prove to be obstacles to Venusaur's success, so it's a good idea to pack answers like Incineroar and Landorus-T. These teammates often also benefit from Mega Venusaur's great matchup against Water-types. Kyurem-B and Mega Salamence are two of Mega Venusaur's worst matchups, so packing checks to these is crucial. Among these, Tapu Fini can provide Heal Pulse support, Diancie offers speed control, and Genesect both beats Tapu Lele and has Flamethrower to free up Venusaur from needing Hidden Power Fire. Setup sweepers like Volcarona and Kommo-o benefit from Leech Seed chipping down foes into KO range as well as Venusaur's ability to take on Tapu Fini and Tapu Koko. Conversely, some opposing setup sweepers like Mega Latias, Substitute Kommo-o, and Volcarona can give Venusaur trouble; strong checks to these such as Tapu Fini and Diancie ensure that Venusaur being setup bait won't ruin the team's chances.

Sludge Bomb still OHKOes Tapu Koko even without investment, while Giga Drain deals good damage against Water-types. Synthesis gives Mega Venusaur reliable recovery. This works great with Leech Seed, which whittles down foes and lets you conserve Synthesis's low PP. Sleep Powder can be a dangerous move as long as the coverage loss is worth it for Mega Venusaur's team. Make sure to use either Tapu Lele or Tapu Bulu to get rid of Electric or Misty Terrain. A Bold nature with maximum HP and Defense investment allows Mega Venusaur to avoid a 2HKO from Tapu Koko's non-Life Orb-boosted Brave Bird. It also avoids a 2HKO from Garchomp that lack offensive items. A Calm nature lets it avoids a 2HKO from Choice Specs Hydreigon's Dark Pulse, and it lets Mega Venusaur defeat bulky Mega Gengar even if they carry Hex. Switch-ins to Flying- and Psychic-types are very important, since Mega Venusaur can't OHKO Tapu Lele switch-ins and can be set up on by Mega Salamence.

Sludge Bomb is the main way to smash through Fairy-types such as Tapu Koko and Azumarill. Synthesis gives Mega Venusaur reliable recovery. Giga Drain gives Mega Venusaur even more recovery, while Energy Ball works if investing in Speed to defeat Suicune before it can Calm Mind up. Hidden Power Fire lets Mega Venusaur roast Steel-types such as Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor, and it ensures that Celesteela will not win when used in conjunction with Synthesis. Sleep Powder is acceptable if Mega Venusaur can give up coverage. Consider using Tapu Lele or Tapu Bulu to get rid of Electric or Misty Terrain if using this. If Heatran is a problem, Earthquake 2HKOes it. It also OHKOes Nihilego even with a Modest nature. The given spread allows Mega Venusaur to be a fairly bulky attacker. However, it can run 60 Speed EVs to outspeed Suicune and some Tapu Fini as well. Flying- and Psychic-type switch-ins are a must when using Mega Venusaur, as Mega Salamence and Tapu Lele are serious problems for it.

Moves Giga Drain does good damage while replenishing some of Venusaur's health. Sludge Bomb is Venusaur's stronger STAB move and has a chance to poison foes. Synthesis keeps Venusaur healthy when Giga Drain's recovery would not suffice, which is important to help Venusaur keep up against the numerous defensive Pokemon it threatens. Leech Seed gives Venusaur a much easier time fending off boosting Fighting-types, such as Scrafty and Gurdurr, and allows it to wear down bulky Steel- and Poison-types, as well as making it easier for Venusaur's teammates to switch into its checks. Knock Off also wears down Steel- and Poison-types, as well as putting pressure on Psychic-type switch-ins. Venusaur has access to Roar, which can phaze setup sweepers, particularly Fighting-types, especially if Venusaur has been Knocked Off prior, meaning those Fighting-types have little chance to break through Venusaur later. Set Details 24 Special Attack EVs ensure Venusaur 2HKOes Virizion with Sludge Bomb. The HP, Defense, and Special Defense investment, coupled with a Bold nature, is tailored to prevent or minimize the chances of a 2HKO from the likes of Adamant Life Orb Reckless Hitmonlee's High Jump Kick, Choice Band Sawk's Close Combat, and Jolteon's super effective Hidden Power, all after Stealth Rock damage. The 16 Spe EVs allows Venusaur to outspeed Adamant Aggron and hit it with a Knock Off to remove its Choice Band before taking a Head Smash or take out a weakened Aggron with Giga Drain, although the Defense investment should not fall below 72 Defense EVs, as it hits a useful jump point; Special Defense and Special Attack EVs can be shifted for additional Speed as well. Venusaur can invest up to 180 Speed EVs to outrun positive-natured Abomasnow and a bit less to still outpace neutral-natured Samurott, Hoopa, Exploud, or Emboar. Any higher than 180 Speed EVs would begin to compromise its ability to take weaker hits, such as tank Rhyperior's Earthquake, +2 Virizion's Stone Edge, and super effective Hidden Powers from Jolteon. Black Sludge is used for greater longevity. Overgrow is the chosen ability because it can boost Venusaur's Giga Drain in a pinch to keep it healthy, and Chlorophyll is not as useful on a Venusaur set that does not fully invest in Speed. Usage Tips Defensive Venusaur acts mainly as a glue for teams that appreciate its typing. Bulky Venusaur can switch into several defensive Pokemon such as Alomomola, Diancie, Aromatisse, Hitmontop, Poliwrath, Qwilfish, and Seismitoad and can handle more offensive Pokemon, such as Hitmonlee, Sawk, tank Rhyperior. Venusaur's typing and longevity allow it to harass defensive teams, and its ability to absorb Toxic Spikes can be very useful for balanced teams relying on the likes of Blastoise and Hitmontop for entry hazard control. Venusaur can act as a soft Fighting-type check, particularly against the likes of Gurdurr, Scrafty, and Swords Dance Virizion lacking Zen Headbutt, though it is paramount that Venusaur isn't used as the team's lone Fighting-type response. Team Options Venusaur primarily fits on bulkier, slower balanced teams, where its respectable offenses and decent Speed are helpful to provide fewer openings for opposing wallbreakers. Wish users such as Alomomola and Aromatisse make for good partners, keeping Venusaur healthy so that it does not have to use Synthesis as often. Alomomola has helpful Fire and Ice resistances, whereas Aromatisse provides a more solid Fighting-type switch-in to relieve Venusaur's burden and has Aromatherapy support; Venusaur in turn can help deal with their Electric, Grass, and Poison weaknesses. Venusaur can form a pivot core with bulky wallbreakers such as Choice Band Scrafty, Meloetta, Rhyperior, Aggron, and Druddigon. Stealth Rock users such as Steelix, Rhyperior, Seismitoad, Diancie, Mega Camerupt, and Mawile have good defensive synergy with Venusaur and provide Stealth Rock to help Venusaur put more pressure on switch-ins. Many offensive Pokemon like Venusaur's ability to prey on Fairy- and Water-types and can wear down Steel-types for each other; the likes of Swords Dance Absol, Dragon Dance Scrafty, Emboar, Virizion, Sigilyph, and Houndoom provide immediately threatening offensive presences, while Venusaur helps to pivot into their weaknesses.

Moves Leaf Storm is Venusaur's nuking attack, doing substantial damage to all but the bulkiest of Pokemon that resist it, although it harshly drops Venusaur's Special Attack per use. Sludge Bomb is a reliable and safe to throw out STAB move, as well as having a chance to poison foes. Synthesis keeps Venusaur healthy, which is important to help Venusaur last against the numerous defensive Pokemon it threatens. Sleep Powder allows Venusaur to shut down an additional threat or prevent foes from exploiting Venusaur, especially after Leaf Storm's Special Attack drop. It can also stop Steel- and Poison-types that wall or check Venusaur, namely Bronzong, Registeel, Eviolite Magneton, Golbat, defensive Drapion, Weezing, and Garbodor, from doing what they want, as well as allowing teammates to take advantage of them. Knock Off removes items and softens up the aforementioned Steel- and Poison-types to be KOed easier by teammates or Venusaur itself. Knock Off also OHKOes Hoopa and helps to ward off faster Psychic-types such as Delphox and Sigilyph from switching in. Giga Drain gives Venusaur an additional Grass-type move that doesn't lower its Special Attack while also recovering some health. It is not strongly advised to use replace Leaf Storm with Giga Drain, though, as Venusaur's offensive potential would suffer greatly. Hidden Power Fire pretty much targets only Escavalier and Magneton, as Knock Off or Leaf Storm is better or sufficient against every other notable Steel-type. Set Details Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment maximizes Venusaur's offensive prowess. A Timid nature lets Venusaur outrun the likes of positive-natured Magneton, Hoopa, Magneton, Absol, and Smeargle, as well as the likes of neutral-natured Medicham, Gallade, Braviary, Hitmonlee, and opposing Venusaur. A Modest nature gives Venusaur even more power for efficient holepunching and consequently better odds of OHKOing Pokemon such as Aromatisse and Exploud, though this is usually less meaningful than the speed boost granted by a Timid nature. Life Orb grants Venusaur's attacks a substantial boost in power. Black Sludge can be used for longevity, although Venusaur's power drops noticeably. Overgrow is the most useful ability, as it can bolster Venusaur's power even further. Chlorophyll can be used as a safeguard against sun teams, as opposing Chlorophyll Venusaur's use of Hidden Power Fire renders it slower than Venusaur without it. Usage Tips Venusaur can switch into several defensive Pokemon such as Alomomola, Aromatisse, Hitmontop, Poliwrath, Qwilfish, and Seismitoad and even some stronger defensive Pokemon such as Diancie. It can threaten a large majority of Pokemon slower than it, including the likes of Rhyperior, Slowking, defensive Flygon, Steelix, Samurott, Abomasnow, and Exploud. Venusaur may also get attacking opportunities against certain faster offensive Pokemon, such as Virizion, Hitmonlee, Rotom-C, and Flygon. Once Venusaur is in a position to threaten a KO on a slower Pokemon, which isn't difficult, it can start punching holes in defensive cores, making it a terror against stall and balanced teams. Venusaur best fits on balance or offensive teams, which appreciate its wallbreaking prowess and defensive utility. Team Options A core of Venusaur, Steelix, and a bulky Water-type, such as Alomomola, Slowking, or Jellicent, makes for an easy start to an effective balanced team combination. Venusaur doesn't have a terrific matchup against offensive teams, as its weaknesses are easily targeted, so Venusaur's partners should be suited to handle faster teams for it. Choice Scarf Medicham, Aerodactyl, Sneasel, Fletchinder, and Unburden Hitmonlee are examples of Pokemon that pose an immense threat to offensive teams, and most defensive measures the opponent has for these Pokemon get preyed upon by Venusaur. Particularly, Fletchinder has Will-O-Wisp to make it easier for Venusaur to switch into Fletchinder's counters, whereas Sneasel can Pursuit trap Psychic-types, such as Bronzong, Meloetta, Sigilyph, and Delphox, that would threaten Venusaur. Pursuit support from the likes of Sneasel, Spiritomb, Houndoom, Drapion, and Absol can be useful for Venusaur in general, though this is slightly less important should Venusaur carry Knock Off. Venusaur especially appreciates teammates that resist or can capitalize on its weaknesses. Most Stealth Rock users, such as Rhyperior, Seismitoad, Steelix, Bronzong, Diancie, and Mega Camerupt, resist and can threaten most of Venusaur's checks, as well as set up Stealth Rock to make it easier for Venusaur to attain KOs. The aforementioned Aerodactyl is an especially appealing offensive teammate due to its Fire and Flying resistances. The likes of Houndoom, Steelix, Slowking, and Rhyperior can enter battle by switching into Venusaur's weaknesses.

Moves Growth doubles Venusaur's Attack and Special Attack in the sun. Giga Drain does damage and replenishes Venusaur's health, making it very easy to set up Growth, as Venusaur can simply heal off any damage it takes while setting up. Sludge Bomb is Venusaur's main weapon against Fire- and Flying-types and is its strongest attack outside of sun. Sleep Powder puts foes to sleep, which allows Venusaur to circumvent Sucker Punch and get free Growth turns, though one should be aware of the remaining usable sun turns while using this move to help set up. Sleep Powder is also great to use on the final turn of sun, allowing Venusaur's sun-setting teammates to switch in safely. Solar Beam is used as a disgustingly strong nuke; a Modest +2 Life Orb Solar Beam is able to cleanly OHKO offensive Drapion, for instance, much less Pokemon that do not resist Grass. Hidden Power Fire is primarily used to smack Steel-types that resist both of Venusaur's STAB moves, such as Escavalier, Bronzong, and Registeel, while also receiving a boost from sun. Set Details Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment maximizes Venusaur's offensive potential. Chlorophyll is the obvious ability of choice for a set that relies on sun to function. A Modest nature gives Venusaur the most damage output; Timid can be used to outspeed opposing Chlorophyll Venusaur, but be aware that Venusaur's use of Hidden Power Fire means that its Speed IVs would be imperfect, rendering it always slower than opposing Timid Chlorophyll Venusaur without Hidden Power Fire. Life Orb is used to enhance Venusaur's power, and Venusaur cares very little about the recoil when it can simply override it with Giga Drain. Usage Tips Venusaur's first priority as a Chlorophyll sweeper is to set up and sweep while remaining healthy. Using its bulk and typing, Venusaur should be able to find a target that cannot threaten it with an immediate KO and use Growth in the sun, after which it can Giga Drain foes for the OHKO while recovering a majority of its health back, making it that much harder for the opposing team to revenge kill Venusaur. Of course, KOing the foe can take precedence, as Venusaur would not like to waste precious sun turns. Should Sludge Bomb, Solar Beam, or sun-boosted Hidden Power Fire be able to KO a foe that Giga Drain would fail to, Venusaur should prioritize the KO, although a weakened Venusaur can use its target to replenish health if Venusaur is at no risk of taking more damage than Giga Drain can heal. Team Options Venusaur's first choices of teammates are those that can set up sun, of which there are some noteworthy candidates. Mesprit, Uxie, and Diancie can set up Stealth Rock in addition to Sunny Day, and all have their own methods of allowing Venusaur to enter battle safely, whether via U-turn, Healing Wish, Memento, or Explosion. Memento in particular synergizes well with Venusaur, as it gives Venusaur more setup opportunities. Liepard and Volbeat have Prankster Sunny Day and can give Venusaur a potential free switch in by virtue of Encore and U-turn. Venusaur highly appreciates teammates that can make use of sun in order to weaken each other's checks. Other Chlorophyll sweepers, such as Shiftry, Victreebel, and Exeggutor, are fine choices, while Fire-types such as Delphox, Houndoom, Emboar, and Mega Camerupt can wallbreak with sun-fueled Fire-type attacks, easily demolishing anything that Venusaur may have trouble breaking through. Pokemon that can circumvent Fletchinder are of utmost importance, as Venusaur would otherwise get its sweep impeded. Diancie can keep Fletchinder at bay, although its longevity on a sun team can be questionable. Electric-types such as Jolteon and Magneton are worth consideration because they can bring Venusaur into battle via Volt Switch and have sun fuel their Fire-type coverage moves.

Moves Growth allows Venusaur to get to +2 Special Attack in one turn if the sun is up, letting it immediately begin sweeping. Sludge Bomb is Venusaur's main STAB option, as it can hit a lot of Pokemon such as Sylveon and Florges extremely hard, although it can't hit Chesnaught. Giga Drain lets Venusaur hit most Pokemon that resist Poison very hard while recovering health against a lot of frailer Pokemon. Although Hidden Power Fire is kind of weak, it gets a power boost under the sun and can hit Steel-types, as well as other Pokemon that resist Venusaur's STAB combination, such as Toxicroak. Set Details Chlorophyll doubles Venusaur's Speed while the sun is up, allowing it to outspeed most relevant Choice Scarf users, as well as Mega Aerodactyl. Life Orb boosts its damage output by a significant amount, and while Lum Berry can be used to switch into Thunder Wave and Scald more easily, there is a significant decrease in sweeping potential. It has maximum Special Attack EVs and a Modest nature to hit as hard as possible. Maximum Speed EVs allow Venusaur to outspeed most relevant Choice Scarf users. Usage Tips Venusaur performs best as a late-game sweeper, destroying teams when its checks and counters have been removed; however, it still performs well as a mid-game cleaner that can punch holes in a team for a sweeper to come in later. Venusaur performs best on sun teams, which can set up the sun for it to sweep in games. It is best for Venusaur to begin setting up Growth against Pokemon such as Florges and Chesnaught, which can't really do much to it in return. Team Options Venusaur likes sun setters, especially Whimsicott, which can set up the sun with Prankster and use Memento to help bring Venusaur in so it can easily set up. Cresselia and Uxie are also good sun setters because they can help bring Venusaur in thanks to Lunar Dance and Memento, respectively, while Sableye can be a good sun setter thanks to Prankster. Fire-type sun setters such as Entei can also work as good partners, as they work not only as sun setters but also as sun abusers thanks to their powerful Fire-type attacks. Mega Aerodactyl is a good partner for Venusaur due to its typing, which allows it to beat the Fire-, Bug-, and Flying-types that beat Venusaur while also being able to pick off Pokemon that Venusaur has weakened. Mega Houndoom hits very hard when the sun is up and also hits the Steel-types that non-Hidden Power Fire Venusaur can't, making it a good partner. Fighting-types also make good partners for Venusaur, as they can lure in and deal damage to the Poison- and Psychic-types that beat Venusaur.

Moves Synthesis heals 50% of Mega Venusaur's HP, which allows it to heal after taking powerful hits. Giga Drain provides Mega Venusaur with semi-reliable recovery, 2HKOing common Water-types like Rotom-W, Keldeo, Azumarill, Manaphy, and Krilowatt; 2HKOing Rock-types like Mega Diancie and Stratagem; and 3HKOing Colossoil. Sludge Bomb is Mega Venusaur's most powerful Poison-type move and, due to the lack of Special Attack investment, is used mostly to check Fairy-types like Clefable and Sylveon and Grass-types like Necturna, Pyroak, and Breloom, as well as 3HKOing Cyclohm. Hidden Power Fire is the preferred option in the last moveslot, as it 3HKOes Leftovers Ferrothorn and 2HKOes Scizor, as well as generally hitting Steel-types hard. Knock Off is another good option, as it removes items from Mega Venusaur's switch-ins, such as Mollux's Choice Scarf, Tornadus-T's Assault Vest, and Talonflame's Sharp Beak; punishes Psychic-types like Aurumoth and Latios; and wears down opposing walls. Leech Seed is also an option to wear down checks such as Heatran and Mollux and provide extra recovery for Mega Venusaur. Set Details 20 Speed EVs are needed to outspeed Adamant maximum Speed Azumarill, as it could otherwise 2HKO Mega Venusaur with a +6 Play Rough. Only 16 Speed EVs are required if not using Hidden Power Fire, though. Running 248 HP EVs maximizes Mega Venusaur's HP stat while minimizing Stealth Rock damage. 96 Special Defense EVs and a Calm nature let Mega Venusaur tank an Analytic Fire Blast followed by a non-Analytic Fire Blast from Choice Scarf Volkraken and heal off the damage taken. The 144 remaining EVs are invested into Defense to help Mega Venusaur tank physical hits better. Since Overgrow is completely useless, Chlorophyll is the preferred ability, which doubles Mega Venusaur's Speed for one turn in sun. Usage Tips Defensive Mega Venusaur acts as a great wall and pivot; it can switch in, heal off damage, and force switches for its teammates. It can easily switch into Krilowatt, Rotom-W, Azumarill, Keldeo, Manaphy lacking Psychic, and Mega Diancie and fight back with Giga Drain; Mega Venusaur can also switch into Sylveon and hit back with Sludge Bomb. Giga Drain should be used as much as possible, as Mega Venusaur needs the recovery, while Sludge Bomb is mainly used to hit a Grass-, Flying-, Dragon-, or Fairy-type. Hidden Power Fire should be used to hit a Steel-type that's switching in, unless it's Heatran. Team Options Entry hazard removers like Skarmory, Scizor, Colossoil, and Tomohawk can rid the field of Stealth Rock, which Mega Venusaur does not like; Skarmory in particular appreciates Mega Venusaur's resistance to Electric-type moves and can take on some of Mega Venusaur's weaknesses in return. Heal Bell users such as Cyclohm, Clefable, and Chansey alleviate stray burns, which wear down Mega Venusaur a lot due to its lack of passive recovery. Colossoil and other Dark-types deal with incoming Psychic-types, while Mega Venusaur can check Fighting- and Fairy-types that give them trouble. Ground-types like Colossoil and Garchomp are helpful to eliminate Heatran, one of Mega Venusaur's counters, while Mega Venusaur can absorb Grass- and Water-type moves for them. Flying-types give Mega Venusaur problems, so Cyclohm and other physical walls that resist Flying-type moves are great teammates. Pivots like Tornadus-T, Rotom-W, Colossoil, and Scizor can be used to help Mega Venusaur switch in more easily when it is low on health and needs a chance to use Synthesis safely.

Moves Synthesis gives Mega Venusaur reliable recovery, one key factor to its effectiveness. Giga Drain hits common Water-types, 2HKOing Rotom-W, Manaphy, and Krilowatt and having a small chance to OHKO Keldeo and Azumarill; Rock-types, OHKOing Mega Diancie after Stealth Rock and OHKOing Stratagem; and Ground-types, having a chance to 2HKO Colossoil. It also provides Mega Venusaur with semi-reliable recovery. Sludge Bomb 2HKOes common switch-ins like Mega Charizard X, Aurumoth, Life Orb Tornadus-T, and Talonflame as well as 2HKOing Mega Charizard Y, Volkraken, and Tomohawk after a bit of prior damage. It also hits prominent walls hard, 2HKOing Pyroak and Cyclohm and having a chance to OHKO Clefable. Hidden Power Fire rounds out Mega Venusaur's coverage, hitting Steel-types super effectively. It has an 81% chance to knock out standard Cawmodore after Belly Drum and Sitrus Berry recovery, achieves the 2HKO on Scizor and Ferrothorn, and nets the 3HKO on Kitsunoh, Choice Scarf Jirachi, and Mega Metagross. Knock Off can be used to remove Tornadus-T's Assault Vest and Chansey's Eviolite and damages Psychic-type switch-ins like Aurumoth and Latios, but it leaves Mega Venusaur horribly walled by Cawmodore, Scizor, and Ferrothorn. Set Details 20 Speed EVs let Mega Venusaur outspeed Adamant maximum Speed Azumarill before it can OHKO Mega Venusaur with a +6 Play Rough. However, only 16 Speed EVs are required to hit this benchmark if you're not using Hidden Power Fire. 252 Special Attack EVs and a Modest nature maximize Mega Venusaur's Special Attack stat, letting it pummel its foes with Giga Drain and Sludge Bomb. Running 232 HP EVs maximizes Mega Venusaur's recovery from Synthesis while also reducing damage from Stealth Rock and Spikes. Chlorophyll is used for rare circumstances where sun is up, as it doubles Mega Venusaur's Speed on the turn it Mega Evolves. Even though Chlorophyll won't see much usage, Overgrow is completely useless, as Venusaur will want to Mega Evolve before it is at low health. Usage Tips Venusaur should Mega Evolve as soon as possible, as its base forme has lower defenses and doesn't have Thick Fat. Switch into resisted hits or into moves to which Mega Venusaur is immune, such as Spore, Sleep Powder, Leech Seed, and Toxic. Use Giga Drain when Mega Venusaur needs the extra health while maintaining offensive pressure. Use Sludge Bomb if you predict the opponent to switch into a Pokemon that resists Grass, such as Charizard, Tomohawk, or Aurumoth. However, use Hidden Power Fire if it's a Steel-type switch-in, such as Ferrothorn or Scizor. Mega Venusaur does not appreciate residual damage, so it needs to avoid burns. Additionally, it can be worn down easily, especially on the switch, so try to keep its HP up at all times. Team Options Heal Bell users like Cyclohm, Clefable, and Chansey can remove burns, which otherwise wear down Mega Venusaur and compromise its bulk. Spinners such as Tomohawk and Colossoil and Defoggers such as Scizor, Latios, and Skarmory are helpful to clear entry hazards off the field, which can wear down Mega Venusaur over the course of a match. Mega Venusaur appreciates teammates that resist Flying-type moves like Cyclohm, Krilowatt, Rotom-W, Heatran, and Skarmory as well as teammates that resist or are immune to Psychic-type moves like Heatran, Skarmory, Slowbro, and Colossoil. They appreciate Mega Venusaur's resistances to Fighting-, Water-, Electric-, and Grass-type moves. Strong physical attackers like Colossoil, Azumarill, and Scizor can take out specially bulky Pokemon like Chansey. Additionally, Scizor can remove Kyurem-B, which can bypass Mega Venusaur's Thick Fat with Teravolt and threaten it with Ice Beam. Pivots like Tornadus-T, Landorus-T, Colossoil, Scizor, and Rotom-W help Mega Venusaur switch in safely to get a free turn to use Synthesis. Pursuit trappers like Bisharp, Colossoil, and Tyranitar can remove Psychic-types; in return, Mega Venusaur can tank the Fighting-, Ground-, Grass-, Water-, and Fairy-type moves aimed towards them.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on ORAS Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out ORAS Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

Moves Giga Drain's recovery adds to Mega Venusaur's already impressive bulk. Sludge Bomb is Mega Venusaur's strongest STAB move, allowing it to deal with threatening Fairies and also possibly poison foes to aid residual damage from Leech Seed. Sleep Powder is an excellent support move in the Doubles metagame, which doesn't have a Sleep clause, and thanks to Mega Venusaur's improved bulk, it's great at spreading sleep. Leech Seed can be used instead of Sleep Powder as a means of both passive damage and recovery for Mega Venusaur and its teammate's switch-ins. Protect keeps Mega Venusaur safe while its partner deals with any possible threats, such as Talonflame. Synthesis is another option, as it provides more reliable recovery and adds to Mega Venusaur's already great bulk. However, it should only be used beside Sleep Powder, as the recovery granted from Leech Seed + Giga Drain is typically enough for Protect to be more useful in the last slot. Set Details Venusaurite is required in order for Venusaur to Mega Evolve. Thick Fat neutralizes Mega Venusaur's biggest weaknesses, Fire- and Ice-type moves, making it only weak against Psychic- and Flying-type attacks. The given HP and Defense EV investment allows Mega Venusaur to live a Life Orb Brave Bird from Talonflame, while 52 Speed EVs let Mega Venusaur outrun standard Rotom-W. The remaining EVs are invested into Special Attack which, with a Modest nature, lets Mega Venusaur deal as much damage as possible. Usage Tips Mega Venusaur works excellently late-game, as it walls most weakened Pokemon and can then stall with Leech Seed or Synthesis or spam Sludge Bomb. With Sleep Powder, it also can be used early-game to put threats to sleep, allowing you to gain momentum. Mega Venusaur is a fantastic rain counter, able to wall or defeat big rain threats such as Mega Swampert, Kingdra, and Ludicolo. Choosing to not Mega Evolve Venusaur can also help you get an edge against opposing sun teams. Team Options Heatran is a good partner to Mega Venusaur due to the fact that it can dish out a super-effective Heat Wave versus Steel-types that Mega Venusaur would normally have some trouble against, such as Aegislash, Genesect, and Ferrothorn. Heatran also brings some useful resistances to the table that Mega Venusaur appreciates, most notably resistances to Psychic- and Flying-type attacks. Mega Venusaur also helps Heatran in return by being arguably the best counter to Rain teams in the metagame, against which Heatran is often dead weight. Quick Guard users such as Keldeo or Terrakion can assist Mega Venusaur by protecting it from Talonflame's Brave Bird. Keldeo and Terrakion are also capable of getting rid of Mega Kangaskhan, who hits Mega Venusaur too hard to be tanked, and Kyurem-B, who hits Mega Venusaur with a super effective STAB Ice Beam, thanks to Teravolt. Terrakion in particular also helps remove Mega Charizard Y. Furthermore, Keldeo, Terrakion, or other Pokemon that resist Fire-type attacks like Suicune can get rid of certain Fire-types that Mega Venusaur does not fare well against, especially Heatran. In return, Mega Venusaur helps Terrakion and Keldeo by easily switching into Mega Diancie and bulky Water-types. Rotom-W, Thundurus, or other Electric-types can switch into Flying-types for Mega Venusaur, increasing its longevity. Powerful Dark- and Ghost-types such as Bisharp, Aegislash, and Darkrai can get rid of Psychic-type threats, specifically Latios and Cresselia.

Moves Sludge Bomb is Venusaur's strongest STAB move, allowing it to deal with threatening Fairies and opposing Grass-types while also having a chance to poison. Giga Drain's recovery adds to Venusaur's already impressive bulk and offsets Venusaur's Life Orb damage. Leaf Storm can be used instead to achieve OHKOs that Venusaur wouldn't normally get against Pokemon such as Landorus-T. Sleep Powder is an excellent support move in the Doubles metagame, where there is no Sleep Clause, and Venusaur is almost always guaranteed to go before your target in the sun. It has less-than-ideal accuracy, but it helps maintain momentum by stopping Pokemon which Venusaur cannot KO and makes Venusaur useful against Steel-types, which wall its STAB attacks. Protect keeps Venusaur safe while its partner deals with any potential threats and while Charizard Mega Evolves to get sun up. Set Details The Speed investment makes Venusaur one of the fastest Pokemon in the game while sun is up, outspeeding up to Jolly Scarf Landorus-T. Full investment in Special Attack, a Modest nature, and a Life Orb allow Venusaur to become a powerful offensive threat. The remaining EVs are put into HP to allow Venusaur to make the most of its good defensive typing and ability to switch in on Water-types, especially Politoed. Usage Tips Sun is essential for Venusaur to reach its full potential, as its Speed is its greatest asset. It functions best as a lead to apply offensive pressure or to sleep spam threats, allowing you to gain momentum. It's also great at walling Pokemon such as Amoonguss, as its Grass typing makes Venusaur immune to powder moves. Lastly, be cautious against foes that might have Safety Goggles, such as Rotom-H and Cresselia. Team Options Venusaur should always be paired with Mega Charizard Y, as it's the only viable Drought user in the tier. Venusaur and Mega Charizard Y also have excellent synergy. Venusaur checks Rock-types, particularly Mega Diancie and Terrakion, for Mega Charizard Y, as well as Water-types that resist Mega Charizard Y's Fire-type attacks, particularly Politoed, which can replace the sun, and serves as a Trick Room check with Sleep Powder. In return, Mega Charizard Y checks Steel-types, such as Aegislash and Ferrothorn, for Venusaur. Venusaur can also put Pokemon that threaten both Mega Charizard Y and Venusaur to sleep. If the sun is up, Venusaur can switch into resisted hits, as well as Amoonguss and Breloom thanks to Venusaur's immunity to powder moves. Heatran and Talonflame checks are extremely important because they counter both Venusaur and Mega Charizard Y. Good checks include Gyarados, Rotom-W, Quick Guard Keldeo, Landorus-T, and Terrakion. Terrakion checks Rotom-H, Talonflame, and Heatran and has its Water weakness removed in the sun. Venusaur in return checks Fairy- and Water-types that threaten it.

Moves Giga Drain is an obvious choice on Mega Venusaur thanks to STAB and recovery. It also hits bulky Water-types hard, which are very popular in the metagame. Sludge Bomb is mainly used to hit Fairy-types or fish for poison. Leech Seed is a different type of recovery and is especially useful in a one-on-one situation; therefore, it is generally best to use when the foe cannot switch out. Synthesis is an option to recover a lot of HP at once, as Giga Drain and Leech Seed don't recover that much at a time. Sleep Powder is an option if you want to lull foes to sleep, but it has very shaky accuracy. Protect is a staple in Battle Spot Doubles, and it allows Mega Venusaur to dodge potential double targeting and have its ally eliminate the biggest threat to it. Set Details 252 EVs in HP maximize Mega Venusaur's overall bulk and allow it to tank as many hits as possible before it gets knocked out. 124 Defense EVs and a Bold nature are used to increase Mega Venusaur's physical bulk even further, as many of the hardest-hitting Pokemon in the metagame are physical attackers. This spread lets Mega Venusaur survive maximum Attack Life Orb Talonflame's Brave Bird and neutral-natured Choice Band Talonflame's Brave Bird. 76 Special Attack EVs maintain a high damage output for Mega Venusaur. 52 Special Defense EVs give Venusaur a little bit of extra special bulk, notably letting it survive a Psychic from neutral-natured Mega Gardevoir. Usage Tips When facing a foe that is hit neutrally by both of Venusaur's STAB moves, you must always consider which move to use: it comes down to choosing between Giga Drain's recovery and Sludge Bomb's higher power and poison chance. Picking the correct option between these can at times be the difference between winning and losing, so always think through which one you want to use. With Venusaur it is also important to consider the possibility of saving it for late in the match, as Venusaur can win one-on-one against almost all Pokemon that don't have a powerful super effective attack. Using Leech Seed early in the game can pay off but can also cost you, because then your opponent can just switch out to lift the effect of Leech Seed. However, using Leech Seed on a bulky Pokemon that is likely to stay in for a while can be very smart, as the damage dealt by Leech Seed over a few turns can quickly add up. You should also consider if your opponent has something in the back to deal with what you have out; if they don't have any good switch-ins, they will be more likely to stay in and take the damage from Leech Seed than to switch out to a worse matchup. Team Options Like so much else in Battle Spot Doubles, Mega Venusaur really appreciates Tailwind, as it allows Venusaur to outspeed many threats and maybe KO them before they get to do anything. A good Tailwind setter that works well with Venusaur is Suicune; it can easily be EVed to OHKO Talonflame every time with Scald, which is maybe the biggest threat to Venusaur out there. Suicune can also deal with Mega Salamence with Ice Beam, which is the second big threat to Venusaur. Rotom-W synergizes very well with Venusaur, as Venusaur can switch in on Rotom-W's only weakness,while Rotom-W can, in return, easily switch into Flying-type moves and threaten Talonflame with Hydro Pump and Salamence with Will-O-Wisp. Snarl and Intimidate are also helpful for Venusaur, as they both cripple foes, making them deal very little damage to Venusaur. Suicune has access to both Snarl and Tailwind, making it a very good choice for a Snarl user. For Intimidate, you can easily go with Landorus-T, seeing as it fits at least decently on almost all Battle Spot Doubles teams. Both Arcanine and Scrafty can carry Intimidate and Snarl and synergize somewhat well with Venusaur.

Moves Giga Drain is the preferred Grass-type STAB move, as it is reliable even without sun. Leaf Storm is an option, as it deals a lot of damage combined with Life Orb, OHKOing many bulky Water-types such as Suicune, Politoed, and Rotom-W. However, its Special Attack drop renders Venusaur kind of useless afterwards. Solar Beam is powerful with no direct drawbacks, but if the sun disappears it is useless. Sludge Bomb is mainly used to hit Fairy-types, namely Sylveon. Hidden Power Ice can OHKO Landorus-T and Mega Salamence, which Venusaur outspeeds under sun. Sleep Powder is an option if you want to use Sleep Powder combined with Chlorophyll, which allows Venusaur to outspeed almost any Pokemon and lull it to sleep. The only drawback is the rather poor accuracy of Sleep Powder. Protect is a staple and allows Venusaur to avoid hits it doesn't want to take, which is especially necessary because this set is quite frail. Set Details 252 EVs in Special Attack and a Modest nature let Venusaur hit as hard as possible. 252 Speed EVs allow it to outspeed as good as anything under sun, and this set doesn't really need any bulk investment, as it doesn't want to take any hits anyway. If you want to invest some EVs in bulk, you could use only 60 EVs in Speed to outspeed standard Choice Scarf Landorus-T under the sun. With 236 EVs in Speed, Venusaur outspeeds neutral-natured Mega Salamence after it has set up a Dragon Dance. Life Orb maximizes damage output; Focus Sash is an option to survive a hit that would otherwise OHKO, such as Talonflame's Brave Bird. Usage Tips If running Sleep Powder, you can go for spreading Sleep Powder on as many foes as possible while Venusaur has the Speed boost from Chlorophyll. When using this set you should just dish out as much damage as possible when sun is up, as you won't have a chance to do anything once the Speed boost is lost. If you're using Mega Charizard Y as your sun setter, you also have to make sure that Venusaur doesn't get knocked out on the first turn, as Venusaur won't get the Speed boost as Charizard Mega Evolves. Team Options Because this is a sun sweeper set, you will need a Pokemon to set up sun; Mega Charizard Y is easily the best option, outclassing Ninetales in nearly every way. It is also important to have something that checks Fire-types, as they hit Venusaur extremely hard when sun is up. Good Pokemon for this are Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Terrakion. These Pokemon also check Talonflame, which is a very big threat to Venusaur in general. Rotom-W synergizes very well with regular Venusaur as well, although Hydro Pump is very weak under sun. Fake Out support is also very good, allowing Venusaur to launch a Sleep Powder for free. It can also give Mega Charizard Y more freedom to go for Heat Wave, as you will likely be using them on the same team. Good Fake Out users include Hitmontop and Scrafty.

In sun, Venusaur's ability, Chlorophyll, doubles its Speed, instantly allowing it to outpace all other unboosted Pokemon. This makes for an insanely fast Sleep Powder, and the lack of Sleep Clause in VGC allows Venusaur to quickly incapacitate several remaining foes. In addition to providing a solid STAB move, Energy Ball hits auto-weather Pokemon, such as Tyranitar and Politoed, for super effective damage, something a sun team always needs. If one doesn't fear other weather, SolarBeam is a powerful STAB option while in sun, hitting for 120 Base Power without having to charge. However, one must be aware of the numerous ways SolarBeam can be neutered, as the four other weather starters love to switch in and leave Venusaur with a two-turn charging move that has severely reduced effectiveness. Hidden Power Ice gives Venusaur a way to hit the Dragon- and Flying-type Pokemon that take little damage from its STAB move. Sludge Bomb, however, provides a secondary STAB move that has a higher Base Power than Energy Ball, and can afflict the opponent with the poison condition. Protect is arguably the best move in doubles, shielding Venusaur from all assaults for a turn, as well as giving its partner time to eliminate a threat. Venusaur's attacking power leaves something to be desired, so a Life Orb is used to boost the damage output of all its attacks. If a Life Orb is not available, a Yache Berry makes for a suitable alternative, as it could allow Venusaur to survive a Blizzard it might otherwise not. A Modest nature and 252 Special Attack EVs let Venusaur hit as hard as possible, and 252 Speed EVs allow it to outspeed nearly everything under sun. Chandelure and Heatran pose a threat to Venusaur, making Hidden Power Ground a viable option to take care of these Pokemon. Due to Venusaur's dependence on sun, a Pokemon to set it up is greatly appreciated. Ninetales is the premier Pokemon to provide this, with its ability, Drought, instantly bringing eternal sun to the field. Venusaur helps Ninetales by taking on the dangerous Ground-types that want to smack it with a super effective Earthquake.

Most Grass-types are capable of running a SubSeed set with reasonable success. However, Venusaur's access to Sludge Bomb and Sleep Powder sets him apart from his brethren; the former allows Venusaur to hit opposing Grass-types who are immune to Leech Seed for great damage, and the latter makes it much easier to set up. Additionally, Venusaur's great bulk can make it difficult to break his Substitutes, and if the opponent does not have a suitable counter to him, they may find themselves struggling. While Energy Ball does not really set Venusaur apart from other Grass-types, it does allow him to beat Omastar, Kabutops, Donphan, and Milotic, who would otherwise beat this variant of Venusaur. However, you should know that by replacing either Sleep Powder or Sludge Bomb, you are losing the ability to set up as easily or hit opposing Grass-types respectively. Therefore, the choice of using Energy Ball or not depends on whether or not you have lures who can bait Pokemon for Venusaur to set up on, and teammates who can beat opposing Grass-types. The EVs of this set revolve around bolstering Venusaur's great defenses; while maximizing Speed may seem tempting, it's not really worth it, as Sceptile is simply a superior fast SubSeeder. Maximum HP increases both of Venusaur's defenses equally, and add to his overall sturdiness. The EVs in Defense cause Venusaur's Substitutes to never be broken by standard Registeel's Iron Head, while the Special Defense EVs prevent Life Orb Timid Milotic from 2HKOing Venusaur with Ice Beam. Body Slam is an option over Sleep Powder to spread paralysis, which is incredibly useful on this Venusaur due to his overall low Speed. Paralysis support is very useful for this Venusaur, as it allows Venusaur to outspeed opponents and set up a Substitute. From there, Venusaur has the advantage; unless Venusaur used Substitute against a Pokemon that is fairly strong, or can target his weaknesses, his Substitute would have most likely stayed intact. This allows Venusaur to use Leech Seed to regain his lost health, before setting up another Substitute to stall out the opponent. Because of this, Registeel, Chansey, and Clefable are all great partners to this Venusaur, since they all have decent type synergy alongside him, and are bulky enough to spread paralysis effectively. Interestingly, Venusaur has issues with Clefable herself due to her ability, Magic Guard, which prevents Venusaur from stalling her with Leech Seed. Because of this, Fighting-types such as Hitmontop and Hariyama can be used to deal with Clefable, while Ghost-types can set up on her. Speaking of Ghost-types, Ghost-types with Substitute can set up on this set with ridiculous ease, as they outspeed Venusaur and can set up a Substitute to protect themselves from Leech Seed and Sleep Powder. If Venusaur's only attacking move is Sludge Bomb, he will fail to break their Substitutes, which allows them to boost up to their heart's content. Thus, Spiritomb becomes a great partner, as he is perfectly capable of dealing with these Ghost-types thanks to Shadow Sneak and Pursuit.

Venusaur's great Special Attack stat makes him a prime candidate for sweeping opposing teams, but he is unfortunately hindered by his relatively mediocre Speed. However, this can be remedied by simply slapping a Choice Scarf on Venusaur, making him extremely fast and fairly strong. Choice Scarf Venusaur is designed to act as a hit-and-run Pokemon early in the game, throwing out powerful Leaf Storms and incapacitating Sleep Powders. Choice Scarf Venusaur can even be used in the lead position due to his blistering Speed and access to a somewhat reliable sleep inducing move. Mid-game, he can act as a great revenge killer, being able to take down Rock Polish Torterra and Aggron, as well as most Water-type sweepers. Late in the game, when the opposition has been severely weakened, he can be a decent choice to clean up the opposing team with as well. Leaf Storm is a nasty attack when fired off of Venusaur's great Special Attack, and helps compound this set's playstyle of a hit-and-run attacker. Leaf Storm's short burst of extreme power makes it a great attack to simply throw out near the beginning of the game, and it's also useful for revenge killing bulkier sweepers. Similarly, Sleep Powder can also be simply thrown out early in the game to guarantee that one of the opponent's Pokemon will be disabled temporarily. Sludge Bomb has decent neutral coverage in UU, and is usually a decent option to use if you're unsure of the incoming Pokemon. Hidden Power Ice rounds off the set by hitting Flying-types such as Altaria, Scyther, and Swellow for super effective damage, as well as Torterra. While the EV spread is extremely standard for this type of set, it's necessary due to the important Speed that Venusaur hits. At max Speed after a Choice Scarf boost, Venusaur hits 426 Speed, which is just enough to outspeed +2 neutral-natured Torterra, and speed tie with max Speed Dragon Dance Altaria. These are important to beat or speed tie with due to Venusaur's capability to revenge kill them with ease. The rest of the EVs are thrown into Special Attack to maximize Venusaur's damage output, and make him as strong as possible to help him revenge kill bulkier sweepers. Aside from Sleep Powder, Venusaur has essentially nothing that can deal with problematic foes such as specially defensive Arcanine and Registeel. Thus, appropriate teammates to deal with such troublesome opponents are appreciated. Rhyperior and Donphan are examples of such teammates, possessing both the ability to easily eliminate the likes of Arcanine and Registeel and to withstand whatever attacks they might throw at them. Dugtrio is also an option to guarantee the removal of these Pokemon, but his frailty makes it extremely difficult to switch him in. Additionally, due to this set's hit-and-run nature, defensive teammates are appreciated to deal with Pokemon who can switch into Venusaur's relatively predictable array of attacks. Bulky Water-types such as Milotic make great partners for this job, as they're extremely resilient and have a fantastic typing to take on foes such as Aggron, Scyther, Swellow, Houndoom, and Alakazam, all of whom have the ability to set up on one of Venusaur's Choice-locked attacks and sweep. The aforementioned Donphan and Rhyperior are also great options to take care of these foes, though they obviously prefer taking on physically-based opponents.

Just when you thought your Chansey and Clefable were safe, along comes this set. With a respectable base 82 Attack stat, a powerful 120 Base Power STAB attack, and the means to gain a free turn via Sleep Powder, Venusaur makes a fairly effective Swords Dance user. While his significantly higher Special Attack stat ensures that this set will remain the lesser of the two offensive sets, Swords Dance has a greater degree of surprise factor behind it, and its existence alone attests to Venusaur's sheer unpredictability. The list of counters to this set is, for the most part, far different from that of the special set. The premise behind this set is simple: put a Pokemon to sleep, set up with Swords Dance, and attempt to sweep. Bluffing a special set for as long as possible is recommended, and opening with Sleep Powder is the best way to maintain this illusion; however, it is sometimes better to Swords Dance first and then Sleep Powder -- if an opponent switches in a Pokemon slower than Venusaur, this tactic will net you an extra turn in which to boost or attack freely, so long as the switch-in does not wake up immediately or use Sleep Talk on the sleep turn. However, if you're facing a purely offensive opponent, then just opening with Power Whip can be a great move. Because most heavy offense players rely solely on type synergy for defense, blasting their go-to special Venusaur counter with a physical attack can quickly garner you the advantage in battle. After a single Swords Dance boost, Venusaur can rip through most of UU with Power Whip. Earthquake hits Registeel as well as Fire-types, such as Arcanine, and grounded Poison-types, such as Drapion, for super effective damage; Return, on the other hand, achieves coverage on Grass-types, most notably Leafeon and Sceptile, as well as Weezing. This Venusaur utilizes a cookie-cutter EV sweeper spread to great success. Maximum Attack makes Venusaur's attacks as strong as possible, while max Speed is necessary due to the important Speed that Venusaur reaches. Because Venusaur is so prominent in the UU metagame, many Pokemon, such as Kabutops and opposing Venusaur, try to outspeed or tie with him, and it's important for Venusaur to at least attempt to beat them, especially since this set is a sweeper. Depending on which move Venusaur uses in the secondary attack slot, he will be walled by different opponents. Though Sleep Powder can help disable one of Venusaur's counters, it isn't a surefire way to beat them, and as such, teammates who can deal with these problematic Pokemon are necessary. If Earthquake is used, bulky pure Grass-types such as Leafeon and Tangrowth wall Venusaur, while Flying-types, such as Altaria, Scyther, and Swellow, can switch in with relative ease. A strong Fire-type such as Blaziken, Arcanine, or Houndoom are perfect choices to deal with the aforementioned Grass-types, and in addition to this, they're amazing at luring in Pokemon such as Milotic, who are easy for Venusaur to switch into and set up. Fire-types can also deal with Weezing, another Pokemon who walls Venusaur if he uses Earthquake, as they can switch into Will-O-Wisp without fear and can take advantage of Weezing's poor attacking prowess to set up. To deal with troublesome Flying-types, physically defensive Milotic is a good option, as it is able to take physical attacks with relative ease and strike back with a super effective Ice Beam. Registeel can also wall the aforementioned Flying-types for an extremely long time and cripple them with Thunder Wave. Additionally, if you keep Stealth Rock on the field, those Flying-types will have issues switching into both Stealth Rock and Venusaur's attacks continually. However, if Return is used, the ubiquitous Registeel becomes a solid counter, as it is bulky enough to take both Power Whip and Return without fear, and can cripple Venusaur with Thunder Wave. Once more, Fire-types become excellent teammates, being able to take on Registeel with their powerful STAB attacks. However, the offensive Fire-types listed previously detest Thunder Wave as much as Venusaur does. Therefore, they cannot be assured to be completely safe when switching into Registeel. In addition to this, they can't beat opposing Arcanine, who can also check Venusaur that use Return. In this case, bulky Ground-types such as Donphan and Rhyperior are arguably better alongside Venusaur, as they make both Arcanine and Registeel suddenly look less threatening. Additionally, Rhyperior turns Arcanine and Registeel into setup bait, which will make the opponent think twice about sending the two into Venusaur haphazardly, in fear of giving Rhyperior a free switch in to wreak havoc on their team.

With fairly good and balanced offenses, strong STAB options, and Sleep Powder, Venusaur can used a mixed set to great success. This set takes advantage of how each offensive Venusaur set lures out different counters, and abuses this fact to dispatch those would-be counters with ease. For example, special Venusaur tends to lure in Chansey. By using Sludge Bomb to bluff this Venusaur as the Special Sweeper, you can then proceed to lure in Chansey and 2HKO her with Power Whip. Alternatively, you can bluff the physical set with Power Whip to lure in pure Grass-type Pokemon before KOing them with Sludge Bomb. While this set is weaker than both the physical and special sweeper sets, it's still fairly strong and capable of sweeping through the opponent's team. Sludge Bomb is Venusaur's most reliable STAB option on this set, and it can help bluff a special set. In addition to this, it has just enough power to KO Moltres as long as Stealth Rock is on the field, preventing it from switching in on Power Whip too easily. Power Whip is Venusaur's second STAB option, and it's strong enough to obtain 2HKOs against the likes of Milotic, Slowbro, and Chansey. It also tends to be Venusaur's primary sweeping move. Sleep Powder is standard on any Venusaur set, as it guarantees that Venusaur will be able to disable at least one Pokemon during the match. In the last slot, Synthesis increases Venusaur's overall longevity by healing off the damage from entry hazards, Life Orb recoil, and any weak attacks that Venusaur could have switched in on. However, Earthquake hits adversaries such as Registeel, Drapion, and Toxicroak who resist Venusaur's STAB combination. Because these foes are such huge threats, it may be worth giving up Synthesis's healing if your team needs these threats removed for your other attackers to sweep. The EV spread is finely tuned for this set's purpose. Max Speed allows Venusaur to outspeed Swords Dance Feraligatr, as well as tie with opposing Base 80 Speed Pokemon with maximum EV investment. 120 Special Attack EVs allow Venusaur to KO Moltres if Stealth Rock is in play, while the Attack EVs garner a 2HKO on Chansey, Milotic, and Slowbro as long as Stealth Rock is up. A Hasty nature is used to keep both Power Whip and Sludge Bomb strong, and it is preferred over a Naive nature due to the Surfs and occasional Ice Beams that Venusaur tends to switch in on. Entry hazards, especially Stealth Rock, are extremely important to this set, as even a single layer of Spikes will allow Venusaur to gain some important 2HKOs or OHKOs. Omastar is a fantastic Pokemon to set up entry hazards with, being bulky enough to set up multiple hazards during the match, and can lure in Grass-types for Venusaur to switch into. Omastar can also take on Arcanine to some degree, who otherwise outspeeds and threatens to KO Venusaur. Registeel is also a respectable user of Stealth Rock due to his great bulk and ability to deal with Flying-types such as Scyther and Swellow. Teammates that enjoy the removal of walls that hinder their sweep are amazing partners to this Venusaur, the prime examples being Houndoom and Swellow. Venusaur's ability to lure in and KO walls such as Chansey is greatly appreciated, as removing even just one troublesome wall drastically increases his teammates' chances of successfully sweeping. Houndoom is able to switch into Fire-types that may try to switch into Venusaur for the revenge kill, and proceed to set up a Nasty Plot, which makes him especially effective. Houndoom also tends to lure in Milotic and other bulky Water-types, which are easy switch in opportunities for Venusaur. Finally, Feraligatr and Azumarill are fantastic teammates since they lure out Tangrowth and Leafeon, both of whom Venusaur can dispose of with Sludge Bomb.

This is Venusaur's bread-and-butter set, and it utilizes his fantastic Special Attack and dual STAB to the fullest extent. Venusaur's respectable defensive stats and array of resistances enable him to switch into many prominent UU Pokemon, including Spiritomb, Milotic, and Sceptile, with the threat of unleashing a powerful, Life Orb-boosted Leaf Storm or Sludge Bomb. The main idea of the set is not to outright sweep, but instead use Venusaur as a tank, force switches, and continually bash the opponent to the point where one of your own sweepers and finish off the opponent's team. Only a handful of Pokemon resist Venusaur's STAB combination, the most common being Registeel, Drapion, and Weezing, and this is where Sleep Powder comes into play. Sleep Powder allows Venusaur to incapacitate a counter and net a free turn in the process; in some cases, it even lets Venusaur beat some of his would-be counters. For instance, Venusaur can hit a Chansey switch-in with a powerful Leaf Storm and follow up with Sleep Powder to prevent her from recovering with Soft-Boiled. Natural Cure will ensure that Sleep Clause does not activate once Chansey is switched out, so Venusaur can repeat this tactic every time he switches in until Chansey is KOed, barring a miss or one-turn sleep. Synthesis rounds off Venusaur's moveset, healing damage incurred through Life Orb recoil or from resisted attacks such as Milotic's Surf or Azumarill's Waterfall. This set utilizes a fairly standard EV spread. A Timid nature and maximum Speed are used to tie with the other base 80 Speed Pokemon that plague the UU tier, including Kabutops and Blaziken. Special Attack is maximized to augment Venusaur's damage output. Even with no investment in his defensive stats, Venusaur remains fairly bulky, both physically and specially, a trait that separates it from other Grass-type sweepers such as Sceptile and Leafeon. Unlike them, Venusaur can switch fairly comfortably into Ice Beam from bulky Water-types such as Blastoise and Milotic, for example. In terms of coverage, Venusaur's special movepool is all but barren outside of Leaf Storm and Sludge Bomb, although Hidden Power can be used to hit specific counters if needed. Hidden Power Ground helps against Registeel and Drapion, Hidden Power Rock will OHKO Moltres and Scyther, and Hidden Power Psychic is Venusaur's best option to hit Toxicroak and specially defensive Weezing. Alternate EV spreads, which sacrifice Speed for additional bulk and power, include 164 HP / 252 SpA / 92 Spe and Modest, which allows Venusaur to outspeed positive-nature base 50s, particularly Aggron, and defensive Rotom, and 108 HP / 252 SpA / 148 Spe with Modest, which lets Venusaur also outpace positive-nature Torterra, Omastar, and Exeggutor. Registeel and specially defensive Arcanine are the most common defensive counters to this set; the former is especially problematic, as Venusaur has no chance of defeating it even after putting it to sleep. The most reliable answers to these threats are bulky Ground-types, namely Rhyperior and Donphan. Both are capable of switching into the aforementioned problem Pokemon, forcing them out by the threat of a STAB, super effective Earthquake, and setting up Stealth Rock to limit the switch-ins of the numerous Venusaur counters weak to Stealth Rock. Provided that it doesn't switch in on an attack, Dugtrio is a more immediate way of dismantling the walls that stand in Venusaur's way, with Earthquake OHKOing most Arcanine and 2HKOing most Registeel. Additionally, all three of these Ground-types can handle Poison-types such as Drapion and Muk who, while less commonly used, are troublesome because they resist both of Venusaur's STAB moves. Offensive counters to Venusaur consist primarily of UU's flurry of Flying-types, including Scyther, Swellow, and Altaria. Stealth Rock helps a lot in wearing these Pokemon down, and an excellent choice for setting it up is Registeel, who, thanks to its typing, is a dependable answer to most of the physically-based Flying-types in the tier. Fire-types such as Houndoom and Moltres are just as problematic; the best answers to these Pokemon lie in bulky Water-types, particularly Milotic and Azumarill, who not only manhandle most Fire-types, but also attract Grass- and Electric-type attacks from Pokemon such as Sceptile and Rotom, Pokemon that Venusaur can comfortably switch into. Fire-types, incidentally, also make stellar partners to Venusaur, completing the classic UU Fire-Water-Grass core. For a sturdy partner, Arcanine is a good choice; specially defensive variants wall Houndoom and Moltres, offensive variants wreck Registeel, and physically defensive variants beat Scyther. However, frailer Fire-types such as Blaziken and Houndoom also have niches, the former better equipped to deal with Clefable and Chansey, the latter better suited to take down Weezing. All of these Fire-type Pokemon will also lure in Water-types that Venusaur can take advantage of.

The given spread outruns lead Omastar and hits a jump point. These are sample sets before we work on new analyses. Stay tuned!

Due to Venusaur's plethora of resistances and fantastic Special Defense, he can be a formidable special tank that is capable of checking numerous prominent threats in the current metagame, such as Milotic, Mismagius, Sceptile, Rotom, and opposing Venusaur. With a strong physical attack in Power Whip, Venusaur has the capability to hit these threats on their generally weaker defensive stat, and thus do plenty of damage to them. Furthermore, Venusaur's access to sources of healing in Synthesis and Leech Seed is also appreciated, as they greatly increase his overall longevity and allow him to continue to check special threats throughout the battle. The choice between which move to use as healing, however, depends on what you want Venusaur to check. While Synthesis is the more reliable option, Leech Seed's healing is decent against most Pokemon and its ability to gradually weaken opposing Pokemon can be very helpful at times, especially against special threats that are bulkier and thus will not be dealt with easily by Power Whip or Sludge Bomb. Additionally, this Venusaur will be switching into weaker attacks in comparison to the Physically Defensive set, which gives him more time to spam Leech Seed. Leech Seed also gives Venusaur the ability to beat Registeel and Chansey one-on-one. However, you should know that Leech Seed will not work on opposing Grass-types; most importantly, it won't work on opposing Venusaur, which means that Venusaur will not be nearly as effective at checking them. Fortunately, Sludge Bomb helps alleviate this issue due to its ability to smack opposing Grass-types for plenty of damage, and even without investment, Venusaur's Special Attack is still formidable. Finally, Venusaur can choose between two other support options in Sleep Powder and Roar. Sleep Powder is generally the better option due to its ability to temporarily disable a Pokemon, which helps stop Venusaur from being utter setup bait. However, Roar has some use if you're using Venusaur on a stall team with plenty of entry hazard support, as Venusaur makes a fine shuffler thanks to his great overall bulk and resistances. As this Venusaur is primarily designed to take on special attacks, the EV spread is naturally focused almost completely on Venusaur's Special Defense stat. However, due to the Sassy nature that is used to keep both Power Whip and Sludge Bomb strong, Venusaur needs 16 Speed EVs to beat all variants of Rhyperior. While this set is not designed to take Rhyperior head-on like the Physically Defensive set, Venusaur still needs to outspeed Rhyperior so he can at least act as a check in desperate situations. The rest of the EVs are poured into HP and Special Defense to almost maximize Venusaur's special bulk. As Specially Defensive Venusaur tends to take on Pokemon such as Mismagius, Rotom, and Lanturn, Heal Bell support is appreciated to remove any status that he might pick up after checking these Pokemon. Clefable makes a great user of it due to her great overall bulk and immunity to residual damage thanks to Magic Guard. Additionally, Venusaur can deal with some Fighting-types who tend to target Clefable and check Ghost-types who tend to attempt to set up on her. Also, if this Venusaur is used on a more stall-based team, entry hazard users are greatly appreciated due to this Venusaur's ability to take advantage of them with Roar. Omastar and Cloyster are fantastic choices thanks to Venusaur's ability to take on the Grass-types who can otherwise quickly dismantle them with strong attacks. While Venusaur has numerous resistances, he also has a slew of weaknesses that leave him vulnerable to many threats in Fire-, Flying-, Ice-, and Psychic-type Pokemon. Therefore, Venusaur needs appropriate teammates who can deal with these threats. Milotic, Registeel, and Rhyperior are great teammates for this job, as they each resist at least two of Venusaur's weaknesses and are naturally bulky. Milotic can take Fire- and Ice-type attacks for an exceptional amount of time due to her marvelous bulk and access to Recover, and Registeel can take Flying- and Psychic-type blows from the likes of Swellow and Alakazam with ease as well. The defensive prowess of both Milotic and Registeel combined is amazing for Venusaur, as together they cover all of his weaknesses, creating a strong defensive core. While Rhyperior doesn't quite have the fantastic synergy Registeel has with Milotic and Venusaur, he still makes a great check to physical Flying-types, and he also has the advantage of being able to hit back with strong attacks, unlike Registeel, whose best form of offense is Seismic Toss. However, since this can make your team vulnerable to strong Psychic-types such as Alakazam, Spiritomb can be worthy of a team spot due to his ability to flawlessly trap and KO frail Psychic-types with Pursuit. Altaria can also be a respectable defensive teammate thanks to her important resistance to Fire, which can allow her to set up on the Fire-types that Venusaur tends to lure in.

Despite his lower Defense stat, Venusaur can make a superb check against numerous physically offensive threats. Due to his Grass typing, Venusaur can strike physically offensive behemoths such as Rhyperior for massive damage, and he's both fast and bulky enough to take a hit before dispatching them with strong, special attacks, which usually hits these threats on their weaker defensive stat. Each move on this variant of Venusaur allows him to check as many dangerous threats as he can. Grass Knot hits big, heavy threats such as Rhyperior and Aggron for plenty of damage, and it can be used multiple times against bulkier Pokemon such as Milotic and Steelix. However, Leaf Storm is a reasonable option to KO or at least severely damage frailer sweepers in one blow. Sludge Bomb nails pure Grass-types such as Leafeon, Tangrowth, and Sceptile, all of whom are easy enough for Venusaur to check. It also hits opposing Swords Dance Venusaur for decent damage, and in tandem with Sleep Powder, makes this Venusaur more than capable of checking opposing physical Venusaur. If this Venusaur is being used on a stall team, Roar is a decent option over Sleep Powder to still allow him to check Swords Dance Venusaur while gaining the ability to rack up damage from entry hazards. Synthesis is generally better than Leech Seed due to the high-powered attacks Venusaur will tend to switch in on, which make reliable recovery almost necessary. Despite this, Leech Seed can still be a decent option to whittle away at the opposing team while also providing some sort of healing for Venusaur and his teammates. Though it may seem odd to invest so many EVs into Speed, they're actually quite necessary for this Venusaur. 92 Speed EVs allow Venusaur to reach a Speed stat of 219, which outpaces all unboosted variants of Aggron, enabling Venusaur to switch into a strong, physical attack before outspeeding and retaliating. The rest of the EVs are dumped into Venusaur's HP and Defense stats to make him as physically bulky as possible. Due to all the weaknesses that Venusaur possesses, he desperately needs Pokemon who can cover his shortcomings. Milotic and Registeel are fine choices; the former being capable of taking Fire- and Ice-type attacks for quite a while, and the latter resisting Psychic-, Flying-, and Ice-type attacks that might come from the likes of Alakazam, Swellow, and Cloyster, respectively. Since both of these Pokemon also tend to be specially defensive, they can cover Venusaur's uninvested side well. Rhyperior is another option to deal with Flying-types, and though he can't quite cover as many Pokemon as Registeel can, he has the advantage of being able to dish out respectable damage with his STAB attacks, which Registeel cannot boast. In particular, both Milotic and Rhyperior appreciate Venusaur's ability to take on the opposing Grass-types who threaten them, such as Leafeon, Tangrowth, and Sceptile. Entry hazards are useful to this Venusaur, as he can take advantage of them due to Roar, and the residual damage from the hazards helps Venusaur in checking numerous threats as they can allow Venusaur to obtain some OHKOs and 2HKOs. Omastar is great at setting up entry hazards thanks to his great bulk and decent synergy with Venusaur. Spiritomb is also worth considering due to his ability to trap and KO frail threats such as Alakazam, and he's a fantastic spinblocker if you use this Venusaur on a stall team with plenty of entry hazard support. He can also stop Ghost-types with Substitute from setting up on this set, which is greatly appreciated.

Sleep Powder allows Venusaur to keep a Pokemon out of play for up to the entirety of the game. Combined with Venusaur's Speed, you should be able to find an opportunity to land sleep in most games. Razor Leaf is Venusaur's best STAB option, landing a critical hit 99.6% of the time. Razor Leaf's primary target will be Water-types such as Starmie and Slowbro in addition to Rhydon. However, Razor Leaf also notably can 2HKO Tauros after just a little chip damage, while Tauros is unable to 2HKO Venusaur back. Swords Dance allows Venusaur to wallbreak and sweep when paired with Hyper Beam. Venusaur primarily uses sleep from itself or a teammate to set up Swords Dance. One of the best times to set up is immediately after sleeping a Pokemon, which gives a free turn whether it switches or stays in. Another good time is when an opposing Pokemon such as Snorlax or Slowbro is about to use Rest; you can also use Razor Leaf instead to deal damage to a switch-in or force Snorlax into a Rest loop. Before setting up, you also should deal with key threats that outspeed Venusaur and threaten it with high damage or paralysis—especially Gengar, which hard walls it—and avoid any damage or status unless Venusaur absolutely has to take it. After one Swords Dance, Venusaur has a 74.4% chance to OHKO Alakazam and OHKOes Chansey with a bit of initial damage; after a second Swords Dance, it has an 84.6% to KO Starmie with a single Hyper Beam. At +6 Attack, a majority of Pokemon that do not resist Hyper Beam will be OHKOed. Even if Venusaur fails to sweep an entire team, you likely got sleep off and took out at least one fast Pokemon on the opponent's team, possibly Tauros. This lets Venusaur enable Rhydon due to Tauros being one of the main obstacles for Rhydon. Rhydon also pairs nicely with Venusaur because it handles threats such as Zapdos and Pin Missile Jolteon that threaten Venusaur. When using Venusaur, you should not put it in the lead spot. Its Speed does not allow it to do well against any of the common leads, and leading off puts Venusaur in the face of danger early, which can weaken its offensive potential. Waiting to deploy Venusaur lets it get sleep off without risking any Speed ties with Exeggutor. If you paralyze the common leads—Starmie, Alakazam, and Jynx—before getting sleep, they often cannot switch in comfortably anyway. Starmie will be threatened by Razor Leaf, and Alakazam and Jynx will usually fall to a +2 Hyper Beam. Body Slam may look enticing for its paralysis chance and lack of recharging, but it is not strong enough to make as much use out of Swords Dance as Hyper Beam.