Vileplume
Vileplume is a Grass/Poison-type Pokémon, the Flower Pokémon, number 45 (#0045) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 1 and comes from the Kanto region. It is 1.2 m tall and weighs 18.6 kg.
The Pokédex says Vileplume has the largest petals in the world, so large that the flower on its head is almost too heavy to carry. With every step they shake out clouds of toxic, allergenic pollen.
How to pronounce Vileplume
Vileplume is pronounced VILE-ploom. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.
Listen to Vileplume said out loud:
In Japanese it is ラフレシア (Ruffresia).
Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.
Lore
Biology
Vileplume is an indigo, two-legged plant whose head and body are one joined piece, topped by a huge red flower with five fat petals around an orange-brown middle. It is 1.2 m tall and weighs 18.6 kg. Bulbapedia says the petals are red with white spots, and a female has fewer but larger spots. The Pokédex says the bigger the petals, the more toxic the pollen.
Behaviour
Vileplume flaps or bursts its petals open with a bang to release yellow pollen, and the flapping is very loud. Bulbapedia says the pollen paralyses prey before Vileplume eats it, and one Pokédex entry advises never approaching a pretty jungle flower. Bulbapedia adds that it is often mistaken for an ordinary local flower.
Habitat
The Pokédex habitat is grassland, and Bulbapedia says it is rarely found in the wild because it comes from a stone evolution. In Scarlet and Violet it arrives by trade or in The Indigo Disk's Coastal Biome and 4-star Tera Raids, and Bulbapedia lists it as unobtainable in Legends: Z-A.
Powers
Its Ability Chlorophyll doubles its Speed in strong sunlight, and the hidden Ability Effect Spore has a 30% chance to paralyse, poison or put to sleep attackers that make contact. It uses Petal Blizzard, Petal Dance and Giga Drain, and learns Sludge Wave and Moonblast. With a base Special Attack of 110 it is the heaviest hitter of its line, though its Speed is only 50.
Name origin
Vileplume may combine 'vile' (revolting) with 'plume' or 'bloom'. The Japanese name is Ruffresia (ラフレシア), possibly from Rafflesia, the stinking corpse lily.
Design inspiration
Atsuko Nishida designed Vileplume. It appears to be based on the mandrake and on Rafflesia, especially Rafflesia arnoldii, whose bloom is the biggest of any single flower. Its habit of luring prey with its petals also recalls carnivorous plants. These are fan readings, not official statements.
Evolution notes
Gloom evolves into Vileplume when exposed to a Leaf Stone.
In the games
Vileplume can only be obtained by evolving a Gloom, as it has been since its debut in Red and Green (Red and Blue outside Japan).
In the anime
A Vileplume first showed up in the Celadon Gym in 'Pokémon Scent-sation!'. In 'Mewtwo Strikes Back', Neesha's Vileplume is among the Pokémon that get cloned.
Fun facts
- In Generation I, the Oddish line were the only known Pokémon that could learn Petal Dance.
- The symbol of the Jungle expansion in the Trading Card Game resembles Vileplume's flower.
- Vileplume, Bellossom and Bellsprout all share the same category, Flower Pokémon.
Base stats
- HP: 75
- Attack: 80
- Defense: 85
- Sp. Atk: 110
- Sp. Def: 90
- Speed: 50
Vileplume’s base stat total is 490. Its highest stat is Sp. Atk.
Type matchups
What is Vileplume weak to?
Vileplume takes extra damage from Fire (2×), Ice (2×), Flying (2×), Psychic (2×) moves.
It resists Grass (¼×), Water (½×), Electric (½×), Fighting (½×), Fairy (½×).
Evolution
What does Vileplume evolve from?
Vileplume evolves from Gloom (Leaf Stone).
Vileplume is the final stage of its evolution family.
The whole family: Oddish, Gloom, Vileplume, Bellossom.
Abilities
- Chlorophyll: Doubles Speed during strong sunlight.
- Effect Spore (hidden ability): Has a 30% chance of inflcting either paralysis, poison, or sleep on attacking Pokémon on contact.
Moves
Moves Vileplume learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet
| Level | Move | Type | Category | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evo | Petal Blizzard | Grass | Physical | 90 |
| 1 | Acid | Poison | Special | 40 |
| 1 | Absorb | Grass | Special | 20 |
| 1 | Mega Drain | Grass | Special | 40 |
| 1 | Growth | Normal | Status | — |
| 1 | Poison Powder | Poison | Status | — |
| 1 | Stun Spore | Grass | Status | — |
| 1 | Sleep Powder | Grass | Status | — |
| 1 | Petal Dance | Grass | Special | 120 |
| 1 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — |
| 1 | Giga Drain | Grass | Special | 75 |
| 1 | Sweet Scent | Normal | Status | — |
| 1 | Moonlight | Fairy | Status | — |
| 1 | Grassy Terrain | Grass | Status | — |
| 1 | Moonblast | Fairy | Special | 95 |
“Evo” means Vileplume learns the move the moment it evolves: Petal Blizzard.
TM moves (36)
Vileplume can learn 36 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Charm, Protect, Acid Spray, Trailblaze, Facade, Magical Leaf, Fling, Venoshock, Endure, Sunny Day, Bullet Seed, Body Slam, Sleep Talk, Seed Bomb, Dazzling Gleam, Grass Knot, Rest, Swords Dance, Substitute, Giga Drain, Energy Ball, Helping Hand, Pollen Puff, Grassy Terrain, Sludge Bomb, Giga Impact, Leaf Storm, Hyper Beam, Solar Beam, Tera Blast, Toxic, Solar Blade, Weather Ball, Grassy Glide, Petal Blizzard, Sludge Wave.
Egg moves (9):After You, Flail, Ingrain, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Strength Sap, Synthesis, Teeter Dance, Tickle.
Breeding & training
- Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
- Egg groups: Grass.
- Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
- Catch rate: 45 out of 255.
- Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
- Growth rate: Medium Slow (1,059,860 experience points to reach level 100).
- Defeating it gives 3 Sp. Atk effort values.
- Base experience yield: 221.
Pokédex entries
The larger its petals, the more toxic pollen it contains. Its big head is heavy and hard to hold up. (Red, Blue, LeafGreen, X, Shield)
It has the world's largest petals. With every step, the petals shake out heavy clouds of toxic pollen. (Gold, HeartGold, Y, Sword)
Flaps its broad flower petals to scatter its poisonous pollen. The flapping sound is very loud. (Yellow, Let’s Go, Pikachu!, Let’s Go, Eevee!)
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. (Sapphire, Alpha Sapphire)
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. (Ruby, Omega Ruby)
Its petals are the largest in the world. As it walks, it scatters extremely allergenic pollen. (Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Black, White, Black 2, White 2)
Names around the world
| Japanese | ラフレシア |
|---|---|
| Romaji | Ruffresia |
| French | Rafflesia |
| German | Giflor |
| Spanish | Vileplume |
| Italian | Vileplume |
| Korean | 라플레시아 |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 霸王花 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 霸王花 |
Trivia
- Taller than 58% of all Pokémon (1.2 m).
- Heavier than 40% of all Pokémon (18.6 kg).
- Base stat total 490, ranked #338 of 1,025.
- One of 14 Pokémon that are both Grass and Poison.
- One of 97 red Pokémon.
- Number 45 of 151 Pokémon introduced in Generation 1 (Kanto).
- Part of an evolution family of 4 Pokémon.
- Can learn 56 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
- Catch rate 45: about 5.9% per Poké Ball at full health.
- Appears in 10 distinct Pokédex entries.
Sources and fact-checking
- Stats, types, abilities, moves, evolutions, forms and Pokédex entries: PokéAPI open game data.
- Lore: written by pokee.si in our own words, researched from Bulbapedia: Vileplume (Pokémon), Serebii: Vileplume (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
- Pronunciation (VILE-ploom): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.
Last checked: . Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.
Explore
Grass-type Pokémon · Poison-type Pokémon · Grass/Poison weaknesses and matchups · Vileplume vs Bellossom · Kanto region guide · Chlorophyll ability · Effect Spore ability · Compare Vileplume · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves
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Gen 1 Grass-type Pokémon · Gen 1 Poison-type Pokémon · Gen 1 Pokémon list · Red Pokémon list · Grass egg group · Pokémon that start with V · What does the Leaf Stone evolve?