Introduced in the original generation one, with the Pokemon Red, Blue, and Green games, Victreebel is a dual type grass and poison Pokemon. It is the final evolution of Bellsprout and will evolve from Weepinbell after a Leaf Stone is used. Victreebel is classified by the Pokedex as the “Flycatcher Pokemon” which may be a nod to its general design as a pitcher plant. This guide will showcase Victreebel’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Victreebel.
About Victreebel
As one of the original 151 Pokemon of generation one, Victreebel first appeared in the original series with the episode Here’s Lookin’ at You, Elekid. It evolved under the ownership of Team Rocket member James and was subsequently released as it had found a happy life with other Victreebel. Victreebel is the final evolution of Bellsprout, and will evolve from Weepinbell once a Leaf Stone is used. The Pokedex mentions how Victreebel will attract prey with a vine that waves around the entrance to its mouth.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Original Series: Here’s Lookin’ at You, Elekid |
| First appearance in game | Red/Green (Japan) Red/Blue (International) |
| Region | Kanto |
| Evolution | Final evolution of Bellsprout, evolves from Weepinbell |
| 1st Evo level | 21 |
| 2nd Evo level | Evolves when a Leaf Stone is used |
| Pokedex Entry | Victreebel has a long vine that extends from its head. This vine is waved and flicked about as if it were an animal to attract prey. When an unsuspecting prey draws near, this Pokémon swallows it whole. |
Victreebel Base Stats
(Generations 1-5)
| HP | 80 |
| ATTACK | 105 |
| DEFENCE | 65 |
| SP. ATTACK | 100 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 60 |
| SPEED | 70 |
| TOTAL | 480 |
(Generations 6+)
| HP | 80 |
| ATTACK | 105 |
| DEFENCE | 65 |
| SP. ATTACK | 100 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 70 |
| SPEED | 70 |
| TOTAL | 490 |
Appearance
Victreebel is a large, plant-like Pokemon with a large green leaf and a bell-shaped body. Most of its body is yellow while its leafy arms and vines are green. The large leaf that hangs over its mouth is meant to draw prey near its mouth and the edges of its mouth have pointed fangs. Besides its leafy arms, Victreebel does not appear to have any extra appendages and relies on fooling its opponent into a trap. Victreebel is rather large for a Pokemon at 5 feet and 7 inches, or 1.7 meters, tall.
Behavior
Throughout the anime, Victreebel is shown to be a social Pokemon, often gathering in large groups. When James’s Victreebel evolved, it was much happier in the company of another Victreebel than traveling with James, and so, James released the Victreebel into the wild. As Victreebel resembles pitcher plants in real life, it uses the vine covering its mouth to lure in prey and eventually swallow them whole. The Pokedex mentions that within Victreebel’s body is a dissolving fluid that will digest its prey.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Victreebel has an offensive statline, but it lacks a sufficient speed stat to capitalize on this fully. While its defensive stats are not abysmal, it simply suffers from a split in its distribution of base stats. Its special attack and physical attack are decent, but typically you do not need to make use of both. As a dual type grass and poison Pokemon, Victreebel takes 2x damage from flying, fire, psychic, and ice type moves. It has no immunities but is resistant to fighting, water, grass, electric, and fairy type moves.
Best Moveset
While Victreebel does not have the strongest presence as an offensive Pokemon, it can function well with some support. With the Chlorophyll, as an ability, it can compete against some of the fastest offensive Pokemon in competitive play. A Life Orb held item can also help make its attacks hit harder. Consider running Solar Beam, Sludge Bomb, Weather Ball, and Sleep Powder. Solar Beam and Sludge Bomb both benefit from STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus), Weather Ball is used with sunny weather in mind, and Sleep Powder functions as a powerful disabling effect.
| Solar Beam | Sludge Bomb |
| Weather Ball | Sleep Powder |
How to Catch Victreebel in Pokemon Go
If you would like to obtain a Victreebel in Pokemon Go, the easiest way to do so would be to first obtain a Bellsprout. Like most final evolution Pokemon, the base evolution is a more common spawn to encounter in the wild. Thus Bellsprout will spawn in the wild at a boosted spawn rate near gardens, parks, farmlands, and other grassy areas. You can also hatch a Bellsprout from 2 and 5 km eggs. While Bellsprout has not appeared as a raid boss, you can find Victreebel as a tier four raid boss at Pokemon Gyms. You will need 25 candies to evolve Bellsprout into Weepinbell, and another 100 to evolve into Victreebel.
Trivia
- While Victreebel can learn the move Leech Life through breeding, it is not able to learn it through TM 28 in generation seven.
- The inspiration for Victreebel’s design is likely based on carnivorous pitcher plants.
- The name Victreebel is a combination of the words victory and bell.
Explainer Video
FAQ
What does Victreebel evolve into?
Victreebel is the final evolution of its line and does not evolve further. It will evolve from Weepinbell once a Leaf Stone is used. To obtain a Weepinbell, you will want to find a Bellsprout and raise it to level 21. There is no level requirement for Weepinbell to evolve into Victreebel and you can start the evolution as soon as you obtain a Leaf Stone.
Is Victreebel a good Pokemon?
Victreebel suffers from a split in its base stat distributions as it has a strong physical and special attack. Unfortunately, it is not common to run both special and physical attacking moves, so many of these points end up being wasted. While it can function as a strong attacker in casual play, it can struggle in the competitive environment.
Is there a Mega Victreebel?
There is no mega evolution for Victreebel in the official mainline Pokemon games. It is not likely to receive a mega evolution in the future either as the developers have been moving away from mega evolutions entirely. It would be beneficial for fans of Victreebel to see a mega evolution, but it is not likely to happen.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Flycatcher Pokemon”. While Victreebel has not had the biggest impact on competitive play, it is remarkable as one of the original 151 Pokemon of generation one. Victreebel is by no means a weak Pokemon, it just cannot be optimized as well as other offensive Pokemon. Reserve a slot on your team for Victreebel for an offensive grass and poison type Pokemon.
