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.
It has the world’s largest petals. With every step, the petals shake out heavy clouds of toxic pollen.
The bud bursts into bloom with a bang. It then starts scattering allergenic, poisonous pollen.
Vileplume Weakness
VulnerableFire, Ice, Flying, and Psychic-type moves hit Vileplume 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)
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 using 45 partners from the Plant egg group. Notable egg moves include Charm, Flail, Ingrain and 5 more.
Vileplume doesn't rely on pure speed. Leftovers gives it passive recovery each turn to stay healthy, and Modest nature still pushes offense. Sludge Bomb and the remaining moves keep the pressure on while max Sp. Atk and Speed EVs balance power and survivability.
Best Build
Best Vileplume Moveset
- Sludge Bomb
- Sleep Powder
- Solar Beam
- Hidden Power Ice
Recommended Teammates
Without breeding, Vileplume misses out on Charm and Flail. That's 8 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Petal Dance and Solar Beam, with Normal and Fighting coverage rounding things out.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
Transfer Moves
You're catching Oddish first, not Vileplume. Oddish appears at solid rates in the encounters below. The step cards map the full 3-stage chain with evolution methods between each stage.
How to Obtain Vileplume in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Oddish is your first catch on the way to Vileplume. You'll find walking encounters from Lv. 5-32 across 16 total spots in the chain.
Step 1Catch OddishEFFORTLESSIlex ForestSoulSilverGrassLv.5-6CommonEarlyForestNightEFFORTLESSIlex ForestHeartGoldGrassLv.5-6CommonEarlyForestNightEFFORTLESSRoute 24HeartGoldGrassLv.10CommonEarlyRouteNightEFFORTLESSRoute 24SoulSilverGrassLv.10CommonEarlyRouteNightEFFORTLESSRoute 25HeartGoldGrassLv.10CommonEarlyRouteNightEFFORTLESSRoute 25SoulSilverGrassLv.10CommonEarlyRouteNightEFFORTLESSRoute 5SoulSilverGrassLv.13CommonEarlyRouteNightEFFORTLESSRoute 5HeartGoldGrassLv.13CommonEarlyRouteNightEFFORTLESSRoute 6SoulSilverGrassLv.13CommonEarlyRouteNightEFFORTLESSRoute 6HeartGoldGrassLv.13CommonEarlyRouteNight
Step 2Catch or Evolve GloomEASYRoute 5HeartGoldGrassLv.15UncommonEarlyRouteNightEASYRoute 5SoulSilverGrassLv.15UncommonEarlyRouteNightEASYRoute 48SoulSilverGrassLv.22-24UncommonMidRouteEASYRoute 48HeartGoldGrassLv.22-24UncommonMidRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 47HeartGoldGrassLv.32RareLateRouteCHALLENGINGRoute 47SoulSilverGrassLv.32RareLateRouteor 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