Between Chlorophyll and Grass/Poison typing, Vileplume carves out a strong competitive niche. It doubles its Speed in sun, which gives it an edge most Pokemon in its stat range don't have. The stat spread leans into special offense.
Vileplume's spread isn't flashy. Sp. Atk leads, Speed trails, 4 stats clear the bar. Tough to catch and worth 3 Sp. Atk EVs, on a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.
Its petals are the largest in the world. As it walks, it scatters extremely allergenic pollen.
Vileplume Weakness
VulnerableFire, Ice, Flying, and Psychic-type moves hit Vileplume for super-effective damage. It resists 5 types, giving it decent defensive coverage. 4 weaknesses is about average, nothing too hard to play around.
You get Vileplume from Gloom using a Leaf Stone. It's one of 2 possible evolutions in this branching family, each requiring its own method. Breed through Oddish to get eggs. Both Vileplume and Bellossom hit 490 total stats from Oddish. The difference is how those stats are split.
How to Evolve
Breed with Vileplume to get Oddish eggs easily from the Plant egg group. Notable egg moves include After You, Charm, Flail and 8 more.
Start with max HP and Defense EVs. Bold nature gives Vileplume the right physical wall lean, Black Sludge adds Poison-type passive recovery, and Effect Spore works in the background. Sludge Bomb is the main damage option.
Best Build
Best Vileplume Moveset
- Sludge Bomb
- Giga Drain
- Strength Sap
- Corrosive Gas
Recommended Teammates
Without breeding, Vileplume misses out on After You and Charm. That's 11 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Petal Dance and Solar Beam, with Fairy and Normal coverage and more rounding things out.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Can't catch Vileplume directly. Start with Oddish at moderate rates from the locations below, then evolve through a special method. The 3-stage chain from Oddish to Vileplume is where the leveling time goes.
How to Obtain Vileplume in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
To get Vileplume, start by catching Oddish through walking encounters at Lv. 18-63. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch OddishMODERATERoute 230Brilliant DiamondGrassLv.18-2311%MidRouteMODERATERoute 230Shining PearlGrassLv.18-2311%MidRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 229Brilliant DiamondGrassLv.20-225%MidRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 229Shining PearlGrassLv.20-225%MidRouteBogsunk CavernBrilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostSwampPost-gameBogsunk CavernShining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostSwampPost-gameGrassland CaveBrilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameGrassland CaveShining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameRiverbank CaveShining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameRiverbank CaveBrilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameSpacious CaveBrilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameSpacious CaveShining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameStill-Water CavernBrilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameStill-Water CavernShining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameSunlit CavernBrilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameSunlit CavernShining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameSwampy CaveBrilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostSwampPost-gameSwampy CaveShining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostSwampPost-game
Step 2Catch or Evolve GloomEFFORTLESSRoute 229Shining PearlGrassLv.51-5230%PostRouteDayEFFORTLESSRoute 229Brilliant DiamondGrassLv.51-5230%PostRouteDayEASYRoute 230Shining PearlGrassLv.5020%PostRouteEASYRoute 230Brilliant DiamondGrassLv.5020%PostRouteEASYRoute 229Shining PearlGrassLv.5120%PostRouteMorning/nightEASYRoute 229Brilliant DiamondGrassLv.5120%PostRouteMorning/nightBogsunk CavernShining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostSwampPost-gameBogsunk CavernBrilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostSwampPost-gameGrassland CaveBrilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameGrassland CaveShining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameRiverbank CaveShining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameRiverbank CaveBrilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameSpacious CaveShining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameSpacious CaveBrilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameStill-Water CavernShining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameStill-Water CavernBrilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameSunlit CavernShining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameSunlit CavernBrilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameSwampy CaveShining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostSwampPost-gameSwampy CaveBrilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostSwampPost-gameCHALLENGINGRoute 224Shining PearlGrassLv.535%PostRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 224Brilliant DiamondGrassLv.535%PostRouteor evolve from Oddish (Step 1)
Step 3Vileplume ✓
Don't let Vileplume's 490 base stat total fool you. Chlorophyll is what makes it tick — it punches way above its weight class. We rate it B-Tier as an attacker.
Watch for Arcanine (Fire), Lapras (Ice), and Aerodactyl (Flying) when using Vileplume. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Psychic-type attackers are also a problem.
Run Chlorophyll on Vileplume. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Vileplume also gets Effect Spore, but they don't compare.
Vileplume fills the attacker role. It's leaning toward the special side (base 110 Sp. Atk). Base 50 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. And it's enough bulk to take a hit or two.
Vileplume appears in 20 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.
Vileplume 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