Razor Leaf

[Asrialys]

Where do those leaves come from? For Bulbasaur and its evolutions, the leaves just fly out from the base of the bulb or plant on their backs. Then there's Chikorita and its evolutions, which just send out leaves with a wave of the giant leaf on their heads. The only other Pokemon I can remember using Razor Leaf is Brock's Lombre and James' Victreebel, which seem to throw the leaves like throwing a frisbee with their arms. Pokemon that can use Razor Leaf seem to be able to generate their own leaves inside their body or something and seem to just throw an infinite amount out of nowhere.

I wonder, if Pokemon were real, would the Grass types really be able to do an attack like Razor Leaf? Those leaves also would have to be made up of something different than normal leaves froma tree because Razor Leaves can fly and cut. For Pokemon like Bulbasaur and its evolutions, it at least makes sense that the leaves could be hidden in the bulb or plant on their backs.

I think that real Pokemon would not be able to use Razor Leaf. Thinking of the games, I think the move was created just so that Grass types could have something stronger than Vine Whip. But in the show, a move's strength depends on the Pokemon, not the move itself.

 

[Barb]

Generating leaves out of one's body falls into the 'magic/supernatural' abilities that all Pokémon have. In the real world, you could hurl leaves at someone, but unless you're using sawgrass or something similar, the other person would only be mildly annoyed.

 

[Argy]

Real leaves also don't have the wind resistance to cut through air as Razor Leaves do.

 

[fruitsmoothierevenge]

Perhaps the leaves that Pokemon throw have far more of a waxy substance on the outside of the leaves, so they cut things and fly farther.

 

[Pokemon Fan]

A few notes about odd things plants can do:

I recall once seeing a film of a plant that spreads its seeds by actually firing them out like pellets.

The famous venus flytrap's trap mechanism doesn't operate by anything resembling a muscle. It actually "grows" shut, the cells at the base of the trap multiplying extremely quickly when a prey item triggers the trap, causing it to close.

With that in mind the following explanation is pseudo science based on the poke world's reality. :idea:

Razor Leaf attacks are generated by being grown on a certain part of the Pokemon's body. Once leaving the body they harden and the force of their ejection allows them to cut through the air and objects with ease. The ejecting mechanism is variable but tends to operate a bit like a rapid fire sling shot, which allows the Pokemon to fire many leaves without unduly stressing its muscles, much like how real grasshoppers and fleas use such mechanisms to jump without fatigue.

Chicorita's kind grows the leaves on its head leaf. Their Razor Leaves consist of thin shavings from the large head leaf that seperate or rather snap off from the main leaf when the Pokemon desires to launch the attack. A Pokemon does not have a infinite supply of Razor Leaves but they always have some prepared at the start of battle and grow more very quickly, the growth mechanism triggered by the emptying of whatever space the Pokemon uses to store the leaves. In Meganium the leaves are grown within the necklace of foliage it possesses.

Lombre's kind can fire leaf shavings from their "head cup" leaf in a similar fashion. As does Bellsprout and its evolutions, who fling shavings from their arm leaves.