Meganium, the Herb Pokémon. Anyone who stands beside it becomes refreshed, just as if they were soaking in the soothing atmosphere of a forest. Meganium's breath holds within it the power to revive grasses and plants that have withered. The aroma that rises from its petals contains a substance that calms aggressive feelings.
Overview
While Legends Z-A did breathe new life into Meganium with a new Mega Evolution, that does not address the issues of base Meganium. Meganium is meant to be a defensive Grass type, and one can tell just by looking at its stats. Base 80 HP and 100 defenses is a respectable start for any defensive Pokémon and can become quite formidable with investment. Meganium pairs this defensive potential with the healing moves granted by it being a Grass type, using Leech Seed, Synthesis and Giga Drain to outlast opponents in the long run. Add in the good resistances of the Grass type, and Meganium finds no lack of opportunity to switch into powerful attacks that its partners cannot take.
However, taking hits is all Meganium can do and suffers all the more for it. 82/83 base offenses would be barely usable with powerful enough STABs, but Meganium does not have such a STAB it can reliably use. Meganium could attempt to boost up thanks to its bulk, but it only has Swords Dance and Curse for setup, which has Meganium miss out on the offensive healing that Giga Drain provides. Even when going all out on defense, Meganium’s tool kit is left without any means of effectively dealing with an opponent, lacking the Toxic that would place opponents on a quick timer, or the Sleep Powder that Meganium could use to pivot an ally in safely. This forces Meganium to play the long game, which despite its good defenses and resists, struggles to do. Grass, while possessing good resistances, is also saddled with a laundry list of weaknesses that make it easy for opponents to threaten Meganium and cut through its otherwise good bulk. Being a pure Grass type further drags down Meganium, depriving it of resistances that could increase its defensive profile, leaving it lacking in comparison to other bulky Grass types like Venusaur and Hydrapple. Defense cannot be all a Pokémon can do, and few Pokémon are better representative of that than Meganium.
Positives
80/100/100 defenses grants Meganium good hit taking ability, allowing it to weather a blow or two.
Between Leech Seed, Giga Drain and Synthesis, Meganium is flush with healing options, allowing it to repeatedly take attacks..
Negatives
Poor offenses and a mismatched movepool makes it difficult for Meganium to apply offensive pressure.
Pure Grass typing has numerous weaknesses which compromises Meganium’s bulk.
80 Speed comes up short against many offensive threats, forcing Meganium to take a hit before acting.
Movesets
Everlasting Lotus
-Dragon Tail
-Leech Seed
-Giga Drain
-Knock Off
Ability: Overgrow
Item: Leftovers
EVs and Nature:
252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Bold Nature
This Meganium set endeavors to push its defensive capabilities to the utmost, having Meganium steadily wear opponents down with a storm of disruption while keeping itself healthy. Dragon Tail is vital for the functioning of this set and is Meganium’s main damaging move, forcing opponents out and chipping the new switch in with damage from allies entry hazards. This also has the benefit of removing any boosts an opponent sets up to attempt to overwhelm Meganium. Once Meganium is facing an opponent that can’t meaningfully damage it, that is where Leech Seed comes in, sapping an opponent and keeping Meganium healthy. Giga Drain doubles down on this, while ensure Meganium isn’t entirely passive and can at the very least threaten damage onto specially frail Water, Rock and Ground types. Knock Off is purely for item deprivation, removing key berries before they can be used, removing the passive recovery of Leftovers so damage can stick and defanging attackers of their offensive items.
EVs and Items:
Max HP and Defense are recommended for this set as Meganium excels against the predominately Ground attackers and walls like Garchomp, Hippowdon, and Excadrill as well as physically offensive Water types like Hisuian-Samurott and Palafin, with Leftovers for even more longevity. Alternatively, one could go for Max Special Defense investment with a Calm nature. Combine this with a Kebia berry and Meganium could act as a lure for Mega Gengar, capable of breaking the trap with Dragon Tail or if running Curse and Earthquake, potentially OHKOing.
Partners:
As this set requires entry hazards to get the most out of Dragon Tail, allies that can efficiently set them are welcome. Hisuian-Samurott and Glimmora are excellent examples of hazard setters, both applying immediate pressure while setting up and having complimentary typings with Meganium. Hisuian-Samurott forming a solid Grass-Water core, while Glimmora loves Meganium’s Water and Ground resistances and handles opposing Fire, Flying, Bug and Poison attacks in turn.
Mega Gengar and its Shadow Tag is an excellent partner for any prospective stall core, trapping in troublesome Pokémon that Meganium and its partner can’t handle and eliminating them with either Perish Song or Destiny Bond. Curse Mimikyu also performs decently at this role, though lacks the trapping power of Mega Gengar.
Other Options:
Synthesis can be used for direct on the spot healing, but with several weather setting Mega Evolutions running around on top of staples like Tyranitar, Alolan-Ninetails and Hippowdon, it can be inconsistent.
Light Screen and Reflect further spike Meganium’s defensive prowess as well as that of its teammates.
Counter can be used as a surprise tool to take out an opponent’s physical attacker.
A physical boosting set with Curse
Countering Meganium
While Meganium may boast an impressive defensive profile, this is marred by its passivity and common weaknesses.
Meganium’s biggest forms of disruption are Leech Seed and Dragon Tail, so Pokémon that can pivot into such attacks are preferred. For Leech Seed, that means Grass types. Venusaur is easily the best Grass type switch in, absorbing a potential Toxic Spikes and able to directly threaten Meganium with its own STAB Sludge Bombs that will overwhelm Meganium thanks to their high Poison chance. Roserade, while a bit physically frail, is more immediately threatening with the sheer strength of its Sludge Bombs. While Abomasnow and Scovillain lack the Toxic Spikes immunity of the former two, they both boast high powered super effective STABs that will reliably 2HKO Meganium.
However, Grass types are not immune to being forced out with Dragon Tail upon pivoting in, so Fairy types may be preferred though they need even more offensive power to not get overwhelmed by Leech Seed. Hatterene and Mega Clefable are exceptions to this, their Magic Bounce meaning that Meganium cannot even Leech Seed them. Hatterene can further put pressure on Meganium with Psychic Noise, preventing Meganium from healing as Hatterene attacks, while Mega Clefable is more direct in its threat with Air Slash. Curse Mimikyu, while not found of Leech Seed, can force Meganium out, while Tricking a Choice Scarf or Taunting Meganium all but ruins Meganium’s game plan. The ability to block Leech Seed with Substitute is also a viable option.
When it comes down to taking Meganium out directly, special attackers are generally preferred due to Meganium being able to boost its Defense with Curse or get a surprise knockout with Counter. Mega Gengar is absolutely nightmarish for Mega Meganium, threatening an 1-2HKO with Sludge Bomb with Meganium unable to KO back unless running Earthquake or Earth Power which is still a 2HKO at best unless Meganium had boosted up with Curse on the switch in. Other more conventional answers include Mega Charizard Y, Mega Delphox, Mega Frosslass, Mega Dragonite, Volcarona, Mega Floette, Mega Gardevoir, all of whom are able to 1 to 3 hit KO depending on whether their STAB is super effective and whether Meganium invested in Defense or Special Defense.
Ironically Meganium is vulnerable to its own stalling tactics if faced with Toxic/Toxic Spikes where its general passivity means it struggles to reciprocate before the damage becomes too much.
Mega Meganium, the Herb Pokémon. This Pokémon can fire a tremendously powerful Solar Beam from its four flowers. Another name for this is Mega Sol Cannon..
Overview
Mega Meganium is just the revamp the long maligned Johto Grass starter needed to burst onto the scene. The newly buffed base 115 defenses along with the new Fairy subtyping greatly increases Meganium’s defensive profile, allowing it to pivot into a wide variety of attacks with ease. Adding this to the plethora of healing options that Meganium has always boasted makes its Mega Evolution quite the sticky threat. Mega Meganium isn’t just sitting around doing nothing either. A jump to base 143 Special Attack makes Mega Meganium an instant and overwhelming threat especially with the added Fairy STAB and valuable coverage from Earth Power. What pushes Mega Meganium over the edge though is its new ability Mega Sol. With its attacks always being treated as in harsh Sunlight, regardless of the actual weather on the field, Mega Meganium reaps nearly all the benefits of Sun with none of the downsides. Chargeless Solar Beams is a massive boost to power that other Grass types are hard pressed to match, and always having access to Fire Weather Ball grants Meganium superb coverage especially against opposing Grass and Bug types it may otherwise struggle against. The always boosted Synthesis makes Mega Meganium able to recover an absurd amount of HP at a moment’s notice and that much more difficult to overwhelm.
That isn’t to say that Mega Meganium is unstoppable. Base 80 Speed is very underwhelming for an offensive Pokémon, especially in a Mega Evolution meta where Base 100 is the gold standard for many prominent threats. While Mega Meganium certainly has the bulk to make up for the unimpressive speed, that bulk is marred by numerous weaknesses. Weaknesses to Fire, Ice, Steel and Flying are unfortunate given how each type has at least one Mega Evolution more than capable of outspeeding and annihilating Mega Meganium. To say nothing of its extreme Poison weakness that Mega Genger is more than happy to trap Mega Meganium in and eliminate. Four moveslot syndrome is also a serious issue for Mega Meganium, unable to fit Solar Beam, Dazzling Gleam, Earth Power, Weather Ball and Synthesis on a single set, invariably leaving holes in coverage or power. Even if running full coverage, inability to hit ungrounded Fire types, namely Mega Charizard Y outside of Ancient Power is a tough pill to swallow. Furthermore, with base Meganium being so poor, most opponents will easily see Mega Meganium coming in team preview. All of this does not change the fact that the sum of changes is a massive improvement for Mega Meganium as our leafy friend final has all their days in the Sun.
Positives
Base 143 Special Attack is phenomenal and Mega Meganium boasts wide STABs and coverage to make the most of it.
80/115/115 defenses is phenomenal and with the Grass-Fairy typing Mega Meganium can comfortably absorb many blows.
Mega Sol is an absurd ability, giving Mega Meganium chargeless Solar Beams, guaranteed Fire Weather Ball and boosted Synthesis with no drawbacks.
Negatives
80 Speed comes up short against many offensive threats, forcing Mega Meganium to take a hit before acting.
Good defenses marred by numerous weaknesses making it common for Pokémon to carry coverage for it.
Cannot fit all coverage and Synthesis on a single set, leaving exploitable gaps..
Movesets
Solar House
-Solar Beam
-Dazzling Gleam
-Earth Power
-Reflect/Light Screen
Ability: Mega Sol
Item: Meganiumite
EVs and Nature:
252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Modest Nature
A mostly standard Mega Meganium attacker set, leveraging its great power and coverage while squeezing in some defensive utility. Solar Beam is going to be the go to standard on every Mega Meganium set. A drawbackless base 120 power STAB attack is too good to pass up and allows Meganium to destroy not just Grass weak targets but outright maim Grass neutral targets. Dazzling Gleam is Fairy STAB and an excellent one to have at that, given the wide coverage of Fairy into many prominent threats including not only many Mega Evolutions like Mega Gyarados, Mega Hawlucha, Mega Feraligator, and Mega Crabominable as well as prominent Pseudolengs like Garchomp, Hydreigon, and Dragapult. Earth Power is coverage for the Fire, Steel and Poison types that resist both of Mega Meganium’s STABs and prevents Mega Gengar from coming in for free. Reflect and Light Screen round out the set, allowing Mega Meganium to punish predicted pivots into its STABs for an easier time eliminating them or pivoting to an ally that can handle the check to Mega Meganium.
EVs and Items:
Max HP and Special Attack are recommended to accentuate Mega Meganium’s role as a bulky attacker. Special Attack investment is generally recommended given how Meganium has no other means of boosting its Special Attack otherwise and needs every point to threaten serious damage. While Speed investment can be good most offensive Pokémon massively outspeed Meganium to begin with and generally run max Speed to not be outstripped by other faster threats leaving no room for Mega Meganium to make up the difference. For the few relevant threats in Meganium’s Speed tier, 52 Speed EVs outruns an uninvested Rotom appliance, and 100 Speed EVs will outrun fully invested neutral base 60 targets like Primarina. On the upper end of Speed investment, 244 Speed with a neutral nature is enough to outrun more supportive Excadrill with 176 Speed EVs invested. As Meganium is wholly underwhelming without Mega Evolving, this set’s item is locked to the Meganiumite.
Partners:
Pivots into the targets Mega Meganium can’t handle are a must. With the given set, opposing Grass and ungrounded Steel types are a serious issue so Fire types are recommended to make up the difference. Skeledirge is an excellent option over even other Fire types thanks to its ability to pivot into Poison attacks thanks to its Ghost subtyping while Unaware ignores any opponent trying to use Mega Meganium’s pivoting out as setup. Volcarona pairs exceptionally well with Reflect variants shoring up its poor defense and enabling Volcarona to setup far more safely, while Arcanine loves Light Screen variants pairing well with its own Intimidate for easy pivoting. Rotom Heat, while only packing Overheat for Fire STAB is still a fantastic enabler for Mega Meganium thanks to its access to Thunder Wave, defanging many faster threats as well as directly handling Flying types that can give Meganium trouble. In return all these Pokémon love Mega Meganium obliterating opposing Water, Ground and Rock types, forming a solid Grass-Fire core.
Ungrounded Fire types like Mega Delphox, Mega Charizard Y and Rotom Heat are always a problem for Mega Meganium and Fire types in general can become an issue if Mega Meganium is running Weather Ball over Earth Power, so reliable answers to such threats are recommended. Tyranitar stands out thanks to its massive bulk taking full advantage of the Screen variant of Mega Meganium and for overwriting Mega Charizard Y’s Drought with its Sand Stream. Its ability to threaten Mega Gengar thanks to resisting anything that isn’t Focus Blast is also welcome. Mega Meganium returns the favor resisting the Ground, Fighting and Water attacks that threaten Mega Tyranitar so. Water types also tend to do well, resisting the key Fire, Steel and Ice attacks that allied Fire types are valued for. Rotom-Wash works just as well as Rotom-Heat in this regard, especially given its Electric STAB better deals with Mega Charizard Y than other Water types, while Gyarados can use Mega Meganium’s Screens to easily setup its own Dragon Dances.
Other Options:
Weather Ball is a powerful option given for Mega Meganium it is always a Sun Boosted Fire Weather Ball, excellent for opposing Grass types as well as ungrounded Steel types like Skarmory and Corviknight.
Synthesis is notable for the sheer healing it provides, allowing Mega Meganium to soak up attacks repeatedly.
Ancient Power is very underwhelming but is Mega Meganium’s best option into Mega Charizard Y and Rotom-Heat.
Doubles and VGC Options
As strong as Mega Meganium is in singles, it is far more threatening in doubles. Thanks to having an ally, Meganium isn’t forced into the restrictive four move syndrome that plagues it in singles, with its allies able to actively cover gaps in its coverage. More plentiful speed control options in Doubles means that Mega Meganium’s unimpressive, if not awkward speed tier means less when its allies can make up the difference. Mega Meganium’s impressive bulk and resistances also shine in Doubles absorbing common spread moves like Earthquake and Water Spout with ease while walling out top threats like Garchomp, Rotom-Wash, Kommo-o, Tyranitar, and Conkeldurr. Mega Meganium being able to outright ignore weather disruption is invaluable in the current Champions Doubles format where weather setters are everywhere, making Mega Meganium incredibly reliable in such conditions and a unique support piece for such teams looking to get around said disruption. However, Mega Meganium’s many weaknesses do hold it back; for every threat it walls, there is another staple that completely destroys it, making Mega Meganium somewhat volatile for an otherwise incredible juggernaut..
Unyielding Bloom
-Solar Beam
-Earth Power
-Dazzling Gleam
-Protect
Ability: Mega Sol
Item: Meganiumite
EVs and Nature:
148 HP / 252 SAtk / 108 Spe
Modest Nature
Mega Meganium looks to be a great staple for Rain teams thanks to its ability to handle otherwise difficult threats to Rain archetypes. Solar Beam is amazing, handling opposing Water types like Primarina, Rotom-Wash, and Mega Blastoise that can otherwise wall out Mega Meganium’s Rain abusing teammates. Even more valuable than that is how it answers Tyranitar and its Sandstream that can otherwise disrupt your own game plan. Earth Power is valuable into opposing Archaludon whose resistances can be rough for Rain teams. Dazzling Gleam is secondary STAB and a spread move at that, but Fairy is an excellent offensive type and is good for piling on damage on the opposing team. Its ability to blast down Water resistant Dragon types is also a nice plus. Protect rounds out the set remaining the most important move in Doubles. Being able to block Fake Out, punish double up attempts, scout for attacks, stall for allied setup, stall out unfavorable field conditions and more is just too valuable to pass up.
EVs are to maximize Special Attack for damage with most of the remainder going into bulk. The 108 Speed points are for outspeeding opposing Scarf users in Tailwing like Basculegion, Rotom-Frost, Rotom-Heat, and Chandelure.
Preferred Partners & Other Options:
This Meganium set is meant to work with Rain teams whose weather lessens the impact of Fire attacks and such Pokémon being well equipped to handle Meganium’s Fire weakness, while Mega Sol ensures that Meganium’s own moves aren’t impacted. As such Pelipper and Politoed make for natural partners for Mega Meganium along with standard rain attackers like Basculegion and Kingdra.
Speed control is vitally important for Meganium so it can exercise its full offensive potential without getting blown out by naturally faster attackers. As such Tailwind setters like Pelipper, and Talonflame are natural partners. Talonflame deserves mention for its access to Quick Guard protecting Mega Meganium from opposing Fake Outs, allowing it to attack unimpeded.
Weather Ball is a potent option that is fantastic for dealing with opposing Grass types that Rain teams may struggle with as well as threaten Snow setting Pokémon like Mega Abomasnow, Alolan-Ninetails and Mega Froslass. However, Mega Meganium only outruns Abomasnow and is threatened by the Ice STAB of the other two making it a more risky affair.
Countering Mega Meganium
Mega Meganium is an overwhelming threat with impressive power, coverage and bulk carrying it through many foes, though none of these attributes are without flaw.
Ungrounded Fire types are Mega Meganium’s worst nightmare, being immune to Earth Power while resisting Mega Meganium’s STABs. Mega Charizard Y and Mega Delphox are key examples of this at work, their good Special Defense allowing them to switch in freely and high Speed and immense power incinerating Mega Meganium. Rotom-Heat also does well in this regard and a fully offensive one is capable of OHKOing with Overheat.
Other checks are more move dependent. If lacking Earth Power, even grounded Fire types become an issue for Mega Meganium, with Volcarona and Skeledirge easily walling Mega Meganium and using it as setup fodder. If lacking Weather Ball, ungrounded Steel types like Mega Chimeco, Skarmory and Corviknight can handle Mega Meganium, while Scizor is only 3HKOd by Earth Power and easily 2HKOs with Bullet Punch. If lacking Dazzling Gleam for whatever reason, Ungrounded Dragon types like Dragonite and Hydreigon soak any attack and threaten back with STABs or coverage.
While Mega Meganium’s defensive profile is impressive, it has a worrying matchup against several prominent Mega Evolutions. Mega Gengar is an absolute nightmare, easily outspeeding and OHKOing Mega Meganium who cannot even switch out, though it cannot come in freely due to fear of Earth Power and Weather Ball. Mega Glimmora is similarly ruinous though it fears Earth Power and to a lesser extent Solar Beam. Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Lucario, Mega Froslass and Mega Hawlucha are all examples of Mega Evolutions that naturally outspeed and annihilate Mega Meganium from the word go.
Even without exploiting its weaknesses, Mega Meganium’s unimpressive speed holds it back, often forcing it to take damage from foes it otherwise can beat and push it into a range where it can be easily revenge KO’d despite its fantastic bulk.
Locations in Games
Red/Blue/Yellow:
Not in game
Gold/Silver/Crystal:
Evolve Bayleef
Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald:
Evolve Bayleef (Emerald)
FireRed/LeafGreen:
Trade from Emerald/Colosseum/XD
Colosseum/XD:
Evolve Bayleef
Diamond/Pearl/Platinum:
Trade from HeartGold/SoulSilver
HeartGold/SoulSilver:
Evolve Bayleef
Black/White:
Trade or Transfer
Black 2/White 2:
Trade or Transfer
X/Y:
Trade from Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire:
Evolve Bayleef
Sun/Moon:
Evolve Bayleef
Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon:
Trade from Sun/Moon
Let's Go, Pikachu!/Let's Go, Eevee!:
Not in game
Sword/Shield:
Not in game
Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl:
Evolve Bayleef
Legends: Arceus:
Not in game
Scarlet/Violet:
Evolve Bayleef
Legends: Z-A:
Evolve Bayleef
Anime Appearences
