2 Grass type Pokémon are a cut behind the rest—but players might have a solution

Pokémon fans are always coming up with potential ways to buff or nerf their favorite Pokémon, and they seem to have found a nice and balanced boost for two Grass types rarely seen in competitive play.

In a June 29 Reddit thread, one player shared a new signature ability for Carnivine and Victreebel that would not only make them stronger but also make more sense when it comes to lore. According to the post, the fan-made ability “Carnivorous” would make Grass-type moves super effective against Bug-type Pokémon.

Grass types are naturally weak to Bug Pokémon, which makes sense for the most part since many Grass types are based on plants. However, Carnivine and Victreebel are spinoffs of real-life carnivorous plants—the Venus flytrap and pitcher plant, respectively. Seeing how these Pokémon are inspired by plants that kill and consume bugs, it would only make sense for them to hit Bug types for super-effective damage. This new ability gets the job done.

Related: All bug-type Pokémon weaknesses, explained

Alternatively, other players suggested giving the two Grass types a move with a similar effect rather than an ability. Instead of the Carnivorous ability, they could have a Grass-type move called “Fly Trap” that would do super-effective damage on Bug Pokémon. This move would be like Freeze-Dry, the only Ice-type move that is super-effective against Water types.

If it were a move rather than an ability, it would especially help Victreebel, who players noted already has a strong ability in Chlorophyll. Carnivine, on the other hand, wouldn’t mind replacing its Levitate ability.

And while players would be happy for Carnivine and Victreebel if they got this much-needed buff, they also sympathized with all the Bug-type Pokémon that would suffer as a result. “Bug types stay losing,” joked one fan.