Physiology
Ivysaur, like its pre-evolved form, Bulbasaur, resembles a toad or a quadruped dinosaur, though the patches in its skin cause it to resemble a dinosaur more closely. After evolving from Bulbasaur, Ivysaur grows small fangs and has visible ear insides and pupils. Ivysaur's skin is also a little bit bluer than Bulbasaur's. The most notable difference in Ivysaur's appearance, however, is that its bulb has changed into a pink flower bud with leaves extending. This flower bud is heavy, thus making its back legs grow strong and sturdy to support it, causing it to be unable to rise on its hind legs. In Sugimori artworks and game sprites, Ivysaur's eyes are red. In the anime, Dream World, and Pokémon Trozei!, its eyes are purple. Again, it has three toes or claws growing out of its legs.
Gender differences
None.
Special abilities
Much like its previous form, most of Ivysaur's abilities originate from the plant on its back. Naturally, these attacks are stronger than Bulbasaur's.
Its abilities focus on the manipulation of petals, powders, and scents more than vines and leaves, most likely because of the larger flower on its back.
In the anime, Ivysaur are shown to manipulate nature.
Behavior
Being much more commonly found in captivity than in the wild, Ivysaur's natural behavior is largely unknown, but it can be theorized that they are more aggressive than Bulbasaur, although it is still very loyal to its Trainer. When its plant is ready to bloom, it gives off a distinct, strong sweet-smelling aroma and starts swelling. Ivysaur will also start spending more time in sunlight in preparation for its upcoming evolution. Like its plant, exposure to sunlight adds to Ivysaur's strength.
Habitat
Ivysaur's natural habitat seems to consist of plains with access to large amounts of sunshine and fresh water but can be found in forests and jungles. However, they are rare, as many are in captivity. They are normally native to Kanto.
Diet
- Main article: Pokémon food
Like its pre-evolved form Bulbasaur, Ivysaur can last many days without eating, because it can absorb the sun's energy through the flower on its back.
Ivysaur is a playable Pokémon used by the Pokémon Trainer. It can use the moves Bullet Seed as a rapid aerial striking move and Vine Whip as a recovery move where the vine is shot out to latch onto edges of a stage and pulled back up again. It also uses the projectile attack Razor Leaf. Ivysaur is a Middleweight and uses mostly physical Grass-type attacks. It uses SolarBeam in Red's Final Smash, Triple Finish.
Trophy Information
"A Seed Pokémon that is the evolved form of Bulbasaur. It has a flower bulb on its back, the weight of which has made it develop strong legs and hips. If the blossom gets too big, it can't stand on two legs alone. At a certain level, it evolves into Venusaur. When this happens, the bulb absorbs nutrients and blossoms into a large-petaled flower."
- Ivysaur is the first evolved Pokémon in National Pokédex order.
- In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Ivysaur is the only Pokémon that Pokémon Trainer uses that doesn't use an HM move. Squirtle uses Waterfall, while Charizard uses Rock Smash and Fly.
- Additionally, Ivysaur is the only playable quadrupedal character in the Super Smash Bros. series (although both Pikachu and Pichu will be on four legs when running).
- Ivysaur's numbers in the National Pokédex and the Fiore Browser are the same: 002.
- Ivysaur is the only second stage Grass/Poison Pokémon that does not require an evolution stone to reach its final form.
- Ivysaur is the only second stage form of the Kanto starter Pokémon to not be directly seen under the ownership of a main character in the anime. May owns a Venusaur that she evolved from a Bulbasaur, but it was never seen onscreen as an Ivysaur.
- Ivysaur is the only second stage dual-type Grass-type starter Pokémon.
- Ivysaur is the only Generation I Pokémon whose name begins with I.
- Ivysaur is the only second stage form of Generation I starter Pokémon that evolves at level 32. Charmeleon and Wartortle evolve at level 36.
- Starting at level 15, Ivysaur learns moves alternatively every 3 and 5 levels, until level 44.
- Due to the censor that prevents Pokémon with offensive nicknames being traded on the GTS, an English language Ivysaur cannot be traded on the GTS without a nickname in Pokémon Black and White.
Origin
Ivysaur appears to be based primarily on some form of reptile, specifically mammal-like reptiles known as Dicynodonts from the Permian period. Along with visible ears and no genuine metamorphosis stage (evolution aside), Ivysaur appears to have more in common with mammals than amphibians like frogs and toads, which metamorphose from one definite creature into another as they mature as opposed to just growing into a larger adult version of itself the way that Bulbasaur does.
The bulb on its back now resembles the bud of a species of parasitic flowering plants known as Rafflesia.
Name origin
Ivysaur is a combination of the words ivy (woody climbing or trailing plant genus) and the Greek saur (lizard).
Fushigisou can be taken to mean "it seems strange" or 不思議 草 fushigi sou (strange grass).