Ash's Bulbasaur: Difference between revisions

gender=Unknown|

It was raised in the [[Hidden Village]] by [[Melanie]], who cared for sick, injured, and abandoned Pokémon. Bulbasaur acted as the village's bodyguard, but after Ash helped defend the Hidden Village from an attack by [[Team Rocket]], Melanie encouraged it to join Ash, explaining that its growth was being stunted by staying too long in the village. Although Bulbasaur initially appeared to distrust Ash, it agreed to join him. In ''[[EP017|Island of Giant Pokémon]]'', it alone assumed that Ash had abandoned him and the others. Its views on Trainers were presumably colored by all the abandoned Pokémon in the Hidden Village. Over time Bulbasaur grew to trust its new Trainer.

Bulbasaur is extremely stubborn, surly, and eager to battle. It had the opportunity to [[Evolution|evolve]] after battling a powerful {{p|Rhyhorn}} with a very strong {{m|Take Down}} attack in ''[[EP051|Bulbasaur's Mysterious Garden]]'', but refused to do so despite facing a mass of {{p|Ivysaur}} as well as a {{p|Venusaur}} who were angry at him for ruining the Bulbasaur evolutionary festival. This allowed it to learn the powerful {{m|SolarBeam}} technique earlier than if it had evolved. It has the heart of a fighter and it never gives up in a battle. It has the determination to keep fighting even if the odds are against him, defeating such varied opponents as an {{p|Exeggutor}}, a {{p|Venonat}}, a {{p|Beedrill}} and a {{p|Scyther}} despite the type disadvantages. On one occasion Bulbasaur, along with {{AP|Pikachu}}, was briefly lent to {{an|Misty}} to allow her to compete in the [[Princess Day]] Festival with a more balanced team, Bulbasaur single-handedly winning her first match by defeating a {{p|Kingler}}, {{p|Pinsir}}, {{p|Cubone}} and {{p|Raticate}} on his own. During a visit to a garden full of exotic plants run by [[Florinda Showers]], Bulbasaur developed a certain affection for her {{p|Gloom}}, but nothing apparently came of it.

In ''[[PK04|Kanga Games]]'', Bulbasaur was seen chasing after {{AP|Squirtle}} around the room as it had stolen its biscuit and was also seen using {{AP|Squirtle}} as a sled. Bulbasaur was seen again in ''[[SS004|Showdown at the Oak Corral]]'', and was one of the first Pokémon to realize there was something wrong. It later defeated [[Butch's Hitmontop]] and used a SolarBeam on the whole group.

Bulbasaur is the only member of Ash's original team, save for {{AP|Pikachu}}, to remain in his care. It stayed with him until midway in the [[Johto]] adventures, when it was sent back to [[Professor Oak]]'s to keep the Pokémon there from quarreling with each other. Bulbasaur later returned in ''[[AG074|Hokey Poké Balls!]]'' to meet [[May's Venusaur|May's Bulbasaur]], and again alongside {{AP|Charizard}} and {{AP|Squirtle}} to battle {{FB|Pyramid King|Brandon}} at the {{DL|Battle Frontier (Generation III)|Battle Pyramid}}, where it defeated Brandon's {{p|Dusclops}} and {{p|Solrock}} (defeating Dusclops after its impressive defeat of Charizard, and taking Solrock down with it after a dual SolarBeam).

Bulbasaur is frequently viewed as the responsible leader of Ash's Pokémon, especially due to its actions at Professor Oak's lab. It is also a Pokémon Ash values more than most of his other Pokémon, possibly because it always wanted to catch one, as explained in ''[[EP010|Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village]].'' It also formed a bond with {{AP|Pikachu}} and {{AP|Squirtle}} while they fought together while part of Ash's team.

It reappears in ''[[DP182|An Old Family Blend!]]'' at [[Professor Oak's Laboratory]], where {{AP|Heracross}} is sucking sap from his bulb, much to Bulbasaur's annoyance. It used {{m|Vine Whip}} to shove Heracross away.

When on a walk with {{AP|Pikachu}} in ''[[ET09|I'm Your Venusaur]]'', Bulbasaur meets many other Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, and Venusaur. It learns of a local legend stating that a tree in the town was made from the guardian spirit of a 300-year-old Venusaur. Disbelieving the legend, Bulbasaur, Pikachu and a wild Ivysaur climb the tree and search for it.

* His gender was hinted at in the Japanese version of ''[[EP017|Island of the Giant Pokémon]]''. In the subtitles, it refers to itself as おれ ''{{wp|Japanese pronouns|ore}}'', which is a pronoun normally used by males, which is also used by characters such as {{Ash}}, {{an|Brock}} and [[James]] in the Japanese version.

** In the dub of ''[[EP010|Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village]]'', it was implied by Ash that Bulbasaur is male. When Melanie asked Ash if Bulbasaur would make a good addition to his team, Ash said "Would ''he'' ever," implying that it is male.

* Bulbasaur was Ash's first {{type2|Poison}} Pokémon. It was also his first {{type2|Grass}} Pokémon.

** This also makes it the only Pokémon Ash owns that he actually transported to Hoenn from Professor Oak's.