Pokemon Review will put Victreebel to the test.

Victreebel is constantly absent from decks with trainers proclaiming
its weak nature. Is it as weak as everyone makes it to be?

Jungle Set Victreebel Card Statistics
* Grass Pokemon
* Stage 2 of the Bellsprout evolution line
* 80 HP
* G Lure If your opponent has any Benched Pokemon, choose 1 of them
  and switch it with his or her Active Pokemon
* GG Acid 20 Flip a coin. If heads, the Defending Pokemon can't
  retreat during your opponent's next turn.
* Weakness to Fire Pokemon
* No Resistance
* Retreat Cost CC

Many consider Victreebel to be astoundingly weak  for a stage 2 pokemon.
Hence this has placed Victreebel in the least used category.
Victreebel as a grass pokemon is not all that bad, in fact it has a very
unique ability not found in any other pokemon.

Like many stage 2 pokemon, Victreebel has 80 HP. This is not at all bad but
it could be better. 80 HP for Victreebel may sound minimal but it is quite a
lot when challenging weaker pokemon. Don't implement power house attacks
into HP, it's not as if your opponent has haymakers all the time to wipe out
all the HP.

Victreebel is used to bring out those benched pokemon who have outrageous
retreat costs and not enough energy attached to them for attack. For a cheap
grass energy, Victreebel is able to do this. When that benched pokemon is
now active, your opponent will be in a bad situation provided you chose
wisely. Immediately you will have the advantage.

To emphasise Victreebel's lure technique, acid is its other weapon. Two
grass energies enables Victreebel to use acid which removes 20 HP from the
defending pokemon. Furthermore, a unique effect which prevents the defending
pokemon from cowering away will cause considerable damage, especially if
there's an energy drought in your opponent's deck.

There's lots of room for improvement for Victreebel in the defence area.
This is probably its downfall from becoming a popular pokemon to use.
Weakness to fire and no resistance is devastating. Fortunately its retreat
cost is okay for a stage 2 pokemon.

Assessment Process
* 80 HP is reasonable for a stage 2 pokemon > 80 points
* G Lure is cheap and 100% strategy > 60 points
* GG Acid 20 50% Prevents Retreat > 70 points
* Weakness to Fire Pokemon > 20 points
* No resistance > 0 points
* CC Retreat Cost > 40 points
* Victreebel as a pokemon > 270 points out of 520 points
                          > 50% worth of use

Considering the above, Victreebel is only useful to trainers who like to win
with wits and style. I agree it is a difficult pokemon to use but the best
of trainers could win with it. So it isn't as weak as everyone makes it to
be, maybe they're the ones who are weak.

Questions, hate mail or requests are all welcome. If you would like my
criteria for assessment which outlines how I score pokemon, e-mail me at
pokemon_review@hotmail.com

PR Man
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