Bulbasaur is based on a {{wp|frog}}.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20101230153442/http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/interview/irbj/sp/index4.html Interview with Jun'ichi Masuda and Ken Sugimori about ''Pokémon Black and White Versions'' (archived - Japanese text)]</ref><ref>[https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/creator-profile-the-creators-of-pikachu/ Creator Profile: The Creators of Pikachu]</ref> According to [[Ken Sugimori]] and [[Atsuko Nishida]], the latter designed Bulbasaur working backward from Venusaur, meaning Bulbasaur was the last of its evolutionary family to have been designed and was also directly based on Venusaur.<ref>[https://www.pokemon.co.jp/corporate/en/pikachu/ The Origin Story of Pikachu]</ref> Its design incorporates elements of various other animals, such as its {{wp|cat}}-like ears and fangs and its {{wp|reptile}}-like claws.
Bulbasaur is based on a {{wp|frog}}.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20101230153442/http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/interview/irbj/sp/index4.html Interview with Jun'ichi Masuda and Ken Sugimori about ''Pokémon Black and White Versions'' (archived - Japanese text)]</ref><ref>[https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/creator-profile-the-creators-of-pikachu/ Creator Profile: The Creators of Pikachu]</ref> According to [[Ken Sugimori]] and [[Atsuko Nishida]], the latter designed Bulbasaur working backward from Venusaur, meaning Bulbasaur was the last of its evolutionary family to have been designed and was also directly based on Venusaur.<ref>[https://www.pokemon.co.jp/corporate/en/pikachu/ The Origin Story of Pikachu]</ref>
The bulb on its back resembles a {{wp|Lilium|lily}} or {{wp|onion}}.
The bulb on its back resembles a {{wp|Lilium|lily}} or {{wp|onion}}.
Bulbasaur is a small, quadruped Pokémon that has blue-green skin with darker patches. It has red eyes with white pupils, pointed, ear-like structures on top of its head, and a short, blunt snout with a wide mouth. A pair of small, pointed teeth are visible in the upper jaw when its mouth is open. Each of its thick legs ends with three sharp claws. On its back is a green plant bulb, which is grown from a seed planted there at birth. The bulb provides it with energy through photosynthesis as well as from the nutrient-rich seeds contained within.
As mentioned in the anime, starter Pokémon are raised by Breeders to be distributed to new Trainers. Having been domesticated from birth, Bulbasaur is regarded as both a rare and well-behaved Pokémon. It is known to be extremely loyal, even after long-term abandonment. Bulbasaur has also shown itself to be an excellent caretaker, even having a special technique called the "Bulba-by." To perform this technique, Bulbasaur uses its vines to pick up a young Pokémon and soothingly rocks it in the air.
It is found in grasslands and forests throughout the Kanto region. However, due to Bulbasaur's status as starter Pokémon, it is hard to come by in the wild and generally found under the ownership of a Trainer. It has been observed that a Bulbasaur's bulb will flash blue when it is ready to evolve. If it does not want to evolve, it struggles to resist the transformation. Many Bulbasaur gather every year in a hidden garden in Kanto to evolve into Ivysaur in a ceremony led by a Venusaur. Bulbasaur and its evolved forms are the only known Pokémon capable of learning Vine Whip in Pokémon Sword and Shield.
Ash's Bulbasaur debuted in Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village as one of the Pokémon in the Hidden Village, thus also marking the species' physical debut. Though initially wary of Ash, the two eventually warmed up to one another, and Bulbasaur challenged him to a battle. Using Pikachu, Ash won the battle, and Bulbasaur was caught. Unlike Charmander and Squirtle, which were caught in the two episodes following that of Bulbasaur, Bulbasaur remained in Ash's party for most of his journey through Johto until Bulbasaur... the Ambassador!, when Ash sent him to Professor Oak's lab to work as an ambassador between otherwise argumentative groups of Pokémon.
Much later on, while Ash was traveling in the Hoennregion, May caught her own Bulbasaur after being separated from the group in Grass Hysteria!. She remained with her throughout the rest of her journey in Hoenn, helping her to win the PurikaContest and place Top 8 in the regionalGrand Festival. When she traveled to Kanto to continue her journey with Ash in The Right Place and the Right Mime, May, too, left her Bulbasaur at Professor Oak's Laboratory to learn from Ash's while she, Ash, Max, and Brock traveled throughout the Kanto region. May retrieved her during her travels in Johto, where she evolved all the way into a Venusaur.
In Mewtwo Strikes Back, a Bulbasaur was cloned from Ash's own Bulbasaur. It then participated in the battle between the original Pokémon and the cloned Pokémon. Bulbasaur reappeared in Mewtwo Returns.
In The Mystery Menace, a Bulbasaur was abandoned by the Mayor of Trovitopolis during his childhood when it wouldn't evolve into Ivysaur. Since then, it grew to a very large size in the sewers. Aided by Misty and Tracey, Ash found the abandoned Bulbasaur while searching for his own, which had been taken by the giant Bulbasaur. After defeating the arrogant mayor and his personal SWAT team, Ash and his friends left the Bulbasaur with Nurse Joy.
In Journey to the Starting Line!, Gilbert was supposed to start his journey as a Pokémon Trainer with one of the three Kanto starter Pokémon, but they were scared off by Ash's Tauros, forcing Gilbert to set out to find them with Professor Oak, Tracey, and Delia. Bulbasaur was the last one to be found, having been stuck in a tree that was surrounded by a group of Primeape. In the end, Bulbasaur was chosen by Gilbert as his starter Pokémon.
In Ivysaur's Mysterious Tower!, an outbreak of Bulbasaur and Ivysaur traveled to a Gym that was under construction in Vermilion City. Ash and Goh, who were investigating the outbreak, followed them to the Gym and realized the horde had gone there so the Bulbasaur could absorb the sunlight necessary to evolve into new Ivysaur.
Bulbasaur. It bears the seed of a plant on its back from birth. The seed slowly develops. Researchers are unsure whether to classify Bulbasaur as a plant or animal. Bulbasaur are extremely tough and very difficult to capture in the wild.
Ash's Bulbasaur debuts in You Gotta Have Friends. Bulbasaur's capture is not shown; it is simply stated when it first appears from its Poké Ball that "Ash has been busy since the last comic".
In I'm Your Venusaur, Ash and Misty travel to a town inhabited by many Bulbasaur, Ivysaur and Venusaur. There is a local legend that a giant Venusaur saved the townsfolk in battle.
In Bulbasaur, Come Home!, Red receives a Bulbasaur from Professor Oak after helping capture all of the Pokémon he accidentally set free. Bulbasaur, now nicknamed Saur, has since evolved into Ivysaur, and then into Venusaur. It has also been shown in the manga that Bulbasaur has the ability to suck in large amounts of air through his bulb, as seen in That Awful Arbok!, where he sucked up the mist in Pokémon Tower, as well as the Gastly that made it.
"Bulbasaur is a cute Pokémon born with a large seed firmly affixed to its back; the seed grows in size as the Pokémon does. Along with Squirtle and Charmander, Bulbasaur is one of the three Pokémon available at the beginning of Pokémon Red and Blue. It evolves into Ivysaur."
Brawl trophy information
"A Seed Pokémon. From birth, Bulbasaur carries a large plant seed on its back. It uses the nutrients from the seed to grow bigger and bigger. Extended exposure to the sun will cause its body and seed to grow in size. Some say that once, when the seed was much lighter, Bulbasaur was able to get around on two legs. Bulbasaur evolves into Ivysaur."
Niue released a one-dollar coin featuring Bulbasaur as part of a commemorative promotion for the Pokémon franchise, with Bulbasaur on one side and the nation's coat of arms on the other.
Bulbasaur's evolution family is the only starter Pokémon evolution family to have each member appear at least once in the Super Smash Bros. series.
Bulbasaur shares its category with its evolved forms and Sunkern. They are all known as the Seed Pokémon.
Due to the censor that prevents Pokémon with offensive nicknames being traded on the GTS, a Bulbasaur with an English name couldn't be traded on the GTS without a nickname in Pokémon Black and White.
Bulbasaur is based on a frog.[2][3] According to Ken Sugimori and Atsuko Nishida, the latter designed Bulbasaur working backward from Venusaur, meaning Bulbasaur was the last of its evolutionary family to have been designed and was also directly based on Venusaur.[4]
Bulbasaur may be a combination of bulb (a rounded underground storage organ present in some plants, notably those of the lily family) and σαῦρος saur (Ancient Greek for lizard), commonly used for the names of lizards and dinosaurs.
Fushigidane may be a combination of 不思議 fushigi (mysterious) and 種 dane (seed). It literally means "isn't it strange?" (fushigi, da ne?).
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.
Venusaurite (100%)
For other sprites and images, please see Bulbasaur images on the Bulbagarden Archives.
