Meganium Needs a Buff

[Envoy]

Meganium. Objectively the worst Starter Pokemon in the franchise, bar none (unless you wanna include Pikachu or Eevee or something.) She also happens to be one of my favorite Pokemon of all time. However, it seems as though the developers at Game Freak have a hate-on for her.

In HGSS, when Feraligatr was getting Aqua Jet, Typhlosion was getting Extrassensory, Venusaur was getting Power Whip, and Blastoise was getting Water Spout, Meganium got....Body Slam. Which is a move she already learned by level up.

In Gen V, when Feraligatr was getting Sheer Force and Typhlosion was getting Flash Fire (not to mention Speed Boost Blaziken and Contrary Serperior,) Meganium got...Leaf Guard.

This, combined with her pitifully shallow movepool that has not received a serious update since early Gen IV, leads me to believe that when Game Freak isn't neglecting Meganium, they're outright screwing her over.

Now, I don't know why GF seems to hate Meganium, but I'd like to see her get a buff. Partly because I love her and partly because I feel like all Starters should at least attempt to be around the same ballpark in terms of usefulness.

So how would you realistically buff Meganium? She's not gonna suddenly sprout a second type or have a massive stat change (barring a Mega or something,) but there are still ways to improve her so that she's at least not the worst Starter ever. (That title should belong to Incineroar anyway #sorrynotsorry) What are some ideas you guys have?

 

[Silktree]

The fragrance of Meganium's flower soothes and calms emotions. In battle, this Pokémon gives off more of its becalming scent to blunt the foe's fighting spirit.

This would justify an ability that would make the foe immobile (not even switchable?) for the first turn Meganium is out. If that's too much:

Anyone who stands beside it becomes refreshed, just as if they were relaxing in a sunny forest.

An auto-Aromatherapy ability for allies in double battles. It also makes Solarbeam and Synthesis act like under Sunny Day.

 

[IncineROAR]

I don't think Meganium is the worst starter of all the generations, just for Gen 2, and I would only say that because of her move set. But she's also geared toward a more defensive strategy.

 

[Zeb]

Flower Veil

 

[Silktree]

@Zeb Is Flower Veil that good? Not only is it limited to double battles, but it requires a Grass-type partner. That might work for Florges and Comfey, but who's going to use two Grass types? It might work with Tapu Bulu, but that's too specific.

 

[Zeb]

@Zeb Is Flower Veil that good? Not only is it limited to double battles, but it requires a Grass-type partner. That might work for Florges and Comfey, but who's going to use two Grass types? It might work with Tapu Bulu, but that's too specific.

I haven't tested it myself, but Bulbapedia says the ability also protects the user if it's a Grass-type. I've suggested it a few times over the years for Meganium (and its potential Mega) because I've always thought it would work in single battles like a Magic Guard + White Smoke combination, but I just went off Bulbapedia's wording.

If it does work that way, considering Meganium's usual role (bulky Grass supporter), it would be pretty useful for it, I think.

 

[Silktree]

In terms of moves, Baton Pass, Growth, Stockpile and Floral Healing come to mind. The latter is similar to Heal Pulse, which Meganium already has, but it's boosted by Grassy Terrain.

 

[ocelotlrama jaguar]

Meganium is actually pretty good if used correctly. Grassy Terrain/Sunny Day (or Drought) with Leaf Guard and beefed up defenses can make it a pain to take down. You'd have a tank rather than a simple wall. If you have a Fire-type foe to take advantage of that sunny weather, use it as bait and bring out a Fire-type with Flash Fire.

Meganium isn't the greatest, sure, but I personally think it's fine. It's best as a Defensive Pokemon and a potential tank. The only thing that hinders it is its typing. Should it receive a Mega Evolution, they need to give it an extra type that will really make it more userful.

 

[colours]

Agreeing with this ^ poster here. Meganium was always better off utlized as a more defensive Pokemon than anything else. Although one could argue that there are other Pokemon that fill that role better like Venusaur, I don't know if I'd still go as far as to say that Meganium was left out in the dust intentionally by Game Freak.

I think, before we even touch Meganium's moveset, we need to focus on its stat spread first. At first, glance, it doesn't look bad! But that's the thing; it looks like a jack of all trades, medicore-at-them-all. If Game Freak really wanted Meganium to excel at being a tank, why not just take like idk, 20 points off base speed (Megnium doesn't need it anyway; 80 is kind of a weird speed tier I think) and put 10 each into its defenses? 110 base defense and 110 base Sp.Def would make it better defensively (I believe?) than non-mega Venusaur, at the very least.

And then I don't like how its offenses are split in such a way that it could be either or, but at the same time suck at both. With some tweaks to its moveset (I believe teaching it Growth would help) and its ability (Chlorophyll would probably be best here), I think Meganium would be a lot better off. Maybe taking a few points off from base attack and putting into base Sp.Attack would help so it would get to like, 90 or 95 or something.

Then again, I could be talking madness here. It's been a good while since I've been into competitive 'mons after all, but I think this is one of the better ways to go about with this.

 

[Silktree]

It's already better defensively than non-Mega Venusaur, due to its Defense. It's suffered from having Venusaur's stats with just Defense and Special Attack switched.

I don't see them lowering any of its stats or raising its BST, so I think it's stuck with those numbers outside of some form.

 

[colours]

I don't see them lowering any of its stats or raising its BST, so I think it's stuck with those numbers outside of some form.

Unfortunately yeah; it was just a fun little thought experiment that I thought of and nothing else. Likely that Game Freak won't really mess with its stats outside of a possible mega evolution.

 

[Envoy]

It's already better defensively than non-Mega Venusaur, due to its Defense. It's suffered from having Venusaur's stats with just Defense and Special Attack switched.

Actually, Venusaur has better typing than Meganium and access to Sleep Powder and Sludge Bomb, which makes it a better defensive Pokemon than Meganium even when non-Mega. The Poison sub-type gives it fewer weaknesses and Sludge Bomb threatens Grass Types that could otherwise come in on Leech Seed or (as of Gen VI,) Sleep Powder. Meganium has Aromatherapy and Screens, but Venusaur's typing and Sleep Powder tend to be more desirable. It's why --alongside the Eviolite-- Roselia is seen as a better defensive Pokemon than Meganium nowadays. Same for Vileplume.

Meganium's physical defense may be stronger, but being weak to Poison and Bug Type moves (which lean Physical) severely hinder her staying power. Combine that with the fact that, though bulky, Meganium can't really do much once its out in the field, and you'll find a ton of people gravitating towards Venusaur instead, even physically.