Vileplume has a Prussian blue-colored, bipedal body like its pre-evolutions, but has changed in that it now has a much larger "flower" on its head. This "flower" is slightly different from Gloom's flower, although it still resembles a rafflesia flower. Vileplume are said to have the largest petals in the world, and they contribute to a large percentage of their height. The size of the petals in relation to the rest of the body make Vileplume very sheltered from the sun, as the petals almost act as a sun visor. This would act as a counterpoint to the lack of large petals in its alternate evolutionary form, Bellossom.
Gender differences
A female has fewer, but bigger, spots on its petals.
Special abilities
Vileplume scatters toxic spores and releases noxious gases. Its toxic pollen sometimes triggers atrocious allergy attacks. It also has the world's largest petals that it uses to attract prey, and the larger its petals, the more pollen it scatters. The allergenic pollen is said to turn the air around Vileplume yellow, and is known to cause paralysis.
Behavior
The bud bursts into bloom with a bang. In seasons when Vileplume produces more pollen, the petals shake out heavy clouds of it with each step, turning the air around it yellow. Vileplume may also loudly flap its flower petals to scatter its pollen. The petals are used to attract prey that is then doused with toxic spores. Once the prey is immobilized, Vileplume catches and devours them. Because of the flower's huge size, Vilplume has a hard time lifting up its head.
Vileplume live in grassy plains, and can also be found in tropical areas such as jungles and swamps, where the ground is rich in nutrients. It shares its home range with Oddish and Gloom.
Vileplume's first major appearance was in Holy Matrimony. The Flower Pokémon was under the ownership of James's fiancee, Jessiebelle. Prior to the flashback when James ran away from home, it was once an Oddish. It reappeared in The Treasure Is All Mine! when Jessiebelle used it to open a blocked passageway.
A Vileplume appeared at the start of Leave It To Brocko!. It was running through the forest throughout the night after being woken with a shock when a Nuzleaf fell out of its tree, hitting the Vileplume on its head.
Vileplume is one of the Pokémon owned by Erika, its powerful Petal Dance attack being its forte. Erika has used it in a battle against Red in Chapter 020.
Vileplume's toxic pollen triggers atrocious allergy attacks. That's why it is advisable never to approach any attractive flowers in a jungle, however pretty they may be.
Vileplume has the world's largest petals. They are used to attract prey that are then doused with toxic spores. Once the prey are immobilized, this Pokémon catches and devours them.
In seasons when it produces more pollen, the air around a Vileplume turns yellow with the powder as it walks. The pollen is highly toxic and causes paralysis.
Vileplume can learn SolarBeam through leveling up, despite being associated with the moon, while its counterpart Bellossom, who is associated with the sun, cannot (in every generation past the third).
Vileplume, like Gloom, is based on the rafflesia arnoldii, a foul-smelling flower known as the world's largest single flower. This Pokémon more strongly resembles the flower than Gloom, which may represent the budding stage of the rafflesia. Vileplume's flower also looks alike to several other genus of rafflesia, notably cantleyi, keithii, pricei, panchoana and speciosa, of which the petal shape is a closest match. Female Vileplume may be based on Rafflesia hasseltii, as its petals have distinctively larger blotches than other genus of Rafflesia.
Name origin
Vileplume's name comes from a combination of vile and plume, a swelling cluster of large, showy feathers (or in this case, petals). Its Japanese name is the word rafflesia.
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.
For other sprites and images, please see Vileplume images on Bulbagarden Archives.
