It seems that when catching Pokémon there is always a trade-off between the ease with which a Pokémon can be caught, and the strength of that Pokémon in battle. This list will examine all the Grass-type Pokémon in the series to determine which Grass-types are powerful, yet still have a reasonably high catch rate. Catch rates for Pokémon range from 0 to 255 – a higher the catch rate number translates to a higher catch rate percentage.
A Pokémon at full hit points with a 255 catch rate gives the players a 33.3% chance of catching that Pokémon with a standard Pokéball. All catch rates listed below assume the player is attempting to catch the Pokémon at full hit points with a standard Pokéball; using better Pokéballs, weakening the Pokémon, and inflicting status ailments increases a player’s chances.
10 Celebi
With a catch rate of 45 (5.9%), Celebi is not the easiest Pokémon to catch. There are two things players must keep in mind though. One, Celebi is possibly the best non-Mega and non-Gigantimax Pokémon in the series. Two, there are Pokémon with much lower catch rates (like Tangrowth). Celebi is a tough little Grass/Psychic-type Pokémon that has some extremely good stats - probably the best overall stats of any non-legendary Grass-type. Its Natural Cure ability heals any status ailments when a player switches Celebi out of battle. This Pokémon doesn’t have the biggest list of available moves, but the list does include some powerful attacks like Future Sight and Leaf Storm.
9 Lurantis
Lurantis has an admittedly below average catch rate of 75 (9.8%), but in terms of combat effectiveness this Pokémon rates very high. The only category in which Lurantis is lacking is Speed; which is low but not prohibitively low. Lurantis’ Attack, Defense, and Special Defense are all great – and its Special Attack and maximum hit points are still above average. Its two abilities, Leaf Guard and Contrary, prevent primary status ailments (like Paralyze) and reverse the effects of stat-changing moves used by opponents. Lurantis gets some great attack moves to go with its high Attack rating - like Solar Blade and Leaf Blade.
8 Roserade
Roserade is a Grass/Poison-type Pokémon with a catch rate of 75(9.8%). This flowery Pokémon is an absolute terror on the battlefield. It has an extremely good Special Attack that’s on par with many of the legendary Pokémon in the series. Roserade’s Speed and Special Defense are also way above what most other Grass-type Pokémon possess. Natural Cure and Poison Point are its two primary abilities; Poison Point has a chance of poisoning an opponent that uses a physical attack. Toxic, Petal dance, Petal Blizzard, and Synthesis are among the best moves Roserade can learn.
7 Simisage
Simisage is known as the Thorn Monkey Pokémon and has a catch rate of 75(9.8%). This Grass-type Pokémon is built for attacking; it has very high Attack, Special Attack, and Speed ratings. Most Pokémon with attack stats like Simisage’s have low defensive stats as a trade-off. Simisage doesn’t suffer from this though – it actually has decent defensive stats.
One thing to be aware of is that most of Simisage’s best moves, like Crunch and Bite, must be learned before evolving from a Pansage. Gluttony and Overgrow are its two abilities. Gluttony isn’t that useful, but Overgrow increases the power of Grass-type moves by 50% when Simisage’s hit points drop below 33%.
6 Lilligant
Lilligant is a powerful Grass-type with a catch rate of 75(9.8%). It doesn’t look it, but Lilligant can easily boost its Speed rating (which is already high) beyond that of nearly any opponent. Most of Lilligant’s stats are pretty good – not great, but good. Its Chlorophyll ability doubles its Speed when under bright sunlight. Lilligant has access to the move Sunny Day; which causes bright sunshine. Some other powerful moves Lilligant can learn are; Petal Dance, Sleep Powder, Giga Drain, Leaf Storm, and Synthesis (which is also better under bright sunshine).
5 Maractus
Maractus is a cactus Pokémon with the maximum catch rate of 255(33.3%). Despite having such a high catch rate Maractus is surprisingly capable in battle. This is especially true against Water-type Pokémon – even more so than other Grass-types. This is due to how its abilities complement each other. The Storm Drain ability forces Water-type moves to target Maractus, and the Water Absorb ability causes Water-type moves to heal it rather than cause damage. Maractus has some decent stats, as well as many moves which greatly increase its stats in battle. Petal Dance and Solar Beam are Maractus’ best attack moves.
4 Abomasnow
This huge yeti Pokémon is unique among Pokémon (excepting its lower evolved form Snover) for being the only Grass/Ice-type in the game. As expected, that combo has proven to be particularly effective. It also doesn’t hurt that Abomasnow comes with battle-ready stats; which includes a very high Attack, Special Attack, and maximum hit points. Abomasnow’s Snow Warning ability starts a hailstorm at the start of battle. Hailstorms damage the opponent and boost certain Ice-type moves. During a hailstorm is the only time Abomasnow’s move Aurora Veil can be used. Aurora Veil reduces the damage the user takes for five turns by half.
3 Ferrothorn
Ferrothorn is a Pokémon that resembles a ball of thorny vines, and has a catch rate of 90(11.8%). Ferrothorn has incredibly high Attack, Defense, and Special Defense ratings. Its Speed rating is quite low, but this can actually work in Ferrothorn’s favor.
It has the Iron Barbs and Anticipation abilities; Iron Barbs causes attackers to suffer damage and Anticipation causes Ferrothorn to “shake” when appearing in battle. Ferrothorn is one of the few Pokémon that can learn the Gyro Ball attack. This attack causes more damage when the gap in Speed ratings between attacker and defender is larger- in Ferrothorn’s case this usually equates to a lot of damage being dealt.
2 Carnivine
Carnivine is a Venus Flytrap Pokémon that has a high catch rate of 200(26.1%). In Carnivine’s case the high catch rate is not an indicator of its effectiveness in battle (or lack thereof). Carnivine’s only stat that isn’t above average is its Speed, and its Levitate ability protects it from ground-based moves. This Pokémon can learn a wide variety of powerful moves that work well with its high Attack and Special Attack. Some of Carnivine’s best moves are; Power Whip, Wring Out, Leaf Tornado, and Crunch. Not bad for a catch rate of 200!
1 Tropius
When factoring in catch rate vs. battle effectiveness Tropius might be the best Grass-type in the game. Of course, there are stronger Pokémon in the series. However, when compared to the other Pokémon with a 200(26.1%) catch rate Tropius is a Gyarados among Magikarp. Tropius has a lot of hit points and some fairly high stats – except Speed. Tropius’ toughness and high hit point total helps offset this low speed. The TM Sunny Day (TM 11 or 34 depending on the game) should be taught to Tropius so it can make the most of its abilities Chlorophyll and Solar Power, as well as the move Synthesis. The HM Fly is also a good addition to Tropius’ move-set.