Mid-stage Pokemon like Roselia rarely see competitive play outside of special formats. It's a waypoint on the road to Roserade, which is where the real potential kicks in. The stat spread leans into special offense. A competitive option since Gen 3.
Roselia's built around special offense. Sp. Atk leads the charge, Defense pays for it. Common in the wild, worth 2 Sp. Atk EVs. Follows a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.
Though beautiful, it has highly poisonous thorns. There is an old tradition in my homeland wherein one would send these thorns to an opponent to challenge them to a duel.
Roselia Weakness
VulnerableRoselia's Grass/Poison typing leaves it vulnerable to Fire, Ice, Flying, and Psychic moves. It resists 5 types, giving it decent defensive coverage. Roselia's special bulk (base 80 Sp.Def) helps absorb special-type weaknesses, though physical moves exploit the lower Defense.
Roselia is partway through a three-stage line between Budew and Roserade. The chain involves an evolution item, so it's not a straightforward grind. So far, Sp.Atk got the biggest boost (+50 from Budew). The final form adds another 115 stats on top.
How to Evolve
Breed with Roselia to get Budew eggs easily from the Fairy and Plant egg groups.
Spikes is the priority every time Roselia comes in. Gentle nature and max HP and Sp. Def EVs keep it alive long enough to get layers down, while Eviolite provides a bulk boost that only works before full evolution. Poison Point rounds it out.
Best Build
Best Roselia Moveset
- Sludge Bomb
- Aromatherapy
- Spikes
- Sleep Powder
Roselia develops a solid moveset just through leveling. Leaf Storm and Energy Ball show up naturally, and the progression handles both STAB and utility without leaning on TMs for the core attacks.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
No wild encounters for Roselia in Legends: Z-A. Bring Budew over from Diamond, Platinum, or Sword, then level through the stages. Each step in the chain is laid out below.
Roselia isn't fully evolved, so it's not built for competitive play. You'll want to evolve it into Roserade to unlock its full potential. At 400 BST, it's a stepping stone rather than a team anchor.
Run Natural Cure on Roselia. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Roselia also gets Poison Point and Leaf Guard, but they don't compare.
Roselia fills the attacker role. It's leaning toward the special side (base 100 Sp. Atk). At base 65 Speed, it won't be moving first often.
Roselia appears in 16 games, including Ruby & Sapphire, FireRed & LeafGreen, and Emerald.
Roselia has been available in 16 games since Ruby & Sapphire, though obtaining it requires an item-based evolution. This extra step makes it less common than Pokemon found through standard wild encounters.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRB
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRSDebut
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