Mid-stage Pokemon like Bellsprout rarely see competitive play outside of special formats. It's a waypoint on the road to Victreebel, which is where the real potential kicks in. Known as the Flower Pokemon. Can go either physical or special depending on the set.
Bellsprout's spread isn't flashy. Attack leads, Sp. Def trails, 0 stats clear the bar. Easy to catch and worth 1 Attack EV, on a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.
It prefers hot and humid environments. It is quick at capturing prey with its vines.
Bellsprout Weakness
VulnerableFire, Ice, Flying, and Psychic-type moves hit Bellsprout for super-effective damage. It resists 4 types, giving it decent defensive coverage. 4 weaknesses is about average, nothing too hard to play around.
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
Bellsprout is the start of a three-stage chain. It evolves into Weepinbell first, then eventually reaches Victreebel. For breeding, average hatch time with a decent partner pool via one egg group. The evolved forms gain up to 190 total stats over Bellsprout.
How to Evolve
Breed Bellsprout easily with 45 breeding partners from the Plant egg group. Pass egg moves like Encore, Ingrain, Leech Life and 6 more to offspring.
Best Build
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 4.
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Without breeding, Bellsprout misses out on Encore and Ingrain. That's 9 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Solar Beam and Energy Ball, with Normal and Dark coverage rounding things out.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
decent spawn rates across 2 locations for Bellsprout in endgame routes. Scroll the sorted list below and pick whichever spot sits closest to your current route. The rate differences between locations are worth comparing.
Best Locations
Bellsprout isn't fully evolved, so it's not built for competitive play. You'll want to evolve it into Weepinbell to unlock its full potential. At 300 BST, it's a stepping stone rather than a team anchor.
Watch for Arcanine (Fire), Lapras (Ice), and Aerodactyl (Flying) when using Bellsprout. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Psychic-type attackers are also a problem. At base 40 Speed, Bellsprout won't outrun any of these threats so switching to a resist is usually the safer play.
Bellsprout evolves into Weepinbell at level 21. Bellsprout is the base form in a 3-stage evolutionary line.
Run Chlorophyll on Bellsprout. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Bellsprout also gets Gluttony, but they don't compare.
Bellsprout fills the balanced role. It's a mixed attacker — base 75 Attack and 70 Sp. Atk. Base 40 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. And it's fragile — can't afford to take many hits.
Bellsprout appears in 20 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.
Bellsprout has been part of the series since Red & Blue, appearing in 20 titles across all 9 generations. As a Gen 1 original, it's one of the most consistently available Pokemon in the franchise.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBW
Black & White - Gen VB2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen VIXY
X & Y - Gen VIORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen VIIUSUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen VIISM
Sun & Moon - Gen VIILGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen VIIISwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A