GROVYLE GEARS UP!
Grovyle is a Pokemon from the third Generation of Pokemon, being the middle stage of the Grass starter line of the generation. Middle stages are doomed to a life of obscurity, a fate Grovyle was likely going to have, if not for Pokemon Mystery Dungeon 2. That game gave him a crucial role, which made him much more memorable.
In PMD2, he is initially seen as the antagonist, with his evil scheme being to steal all of the time gears, stopping the flow of time and plunging the world into darkness. The amnesiac protagonist and his partner try to stop him, but failed. This is quite convenient, as it turns out he’s actually a good guy trying to stop the aforementioned apocalypse. He came back from the future to try to stop it, along with the main protagonist (who was formerly a human). Unfortunately, if the bad future is to be prevented, him and the protagonist’s very existence must cease. Of the 3 key protagonists, the only one who minds this very much is the partner, who would survive the affair. The Protagonist survives because Plot, but Grovyle doesn't. It wasn't until a sidequest in Sky that we learn his fate.
Stats
Grovyle’s rather average sized, standing at the same height as Mario (he stands slightly hunched, so his height is actually slightly taller) he’s also a rather fast character, running and dashing at about the speed of Greninja. His air speed is average, around Shulk’s. Fall speed is quite a bit slower than average, at around Luigi’s. His weight is around Little Mac’s, meaning he’s a lightweight.
Playstyle: Champion of Tricks
There are many characters in Smash that are designed so that it feels like you’re just playing their home games (Mega Man, Ryu, Belmonts, etc). Grovyle is a slight deviation on this; the opponent is the one facing a PMD-like experience. Grovyle has a boatload of projectiles, gimmicks, and ambush moves to surprise a foe, not unlike the sudden appearance of an annoying tile or a Monster House. The opponent must keep their wits to handle whatever Grovyle throws their way, like how you're supposed to survive a dungeon with no reviver seeds and a single apple.
Grovyle himself is a very fast and efficient character. Good Grovyle players will use all of his tools to make their matches end quick, not unlike how Grovyle took the time gears so efficiently in PMD. His up special in particular, while it’s very hard to learn how to use correctly, can be absolutely devastating if used correctly. It’s also pretty exciting to watch.
Neutral B: Trap Tile
Trap Tiles are a common part of the Mystery Dungeon games, messing up something or other for either you or the enemies. In smash, Grovyle places a trap by using Neutral B. They function mostly like Snake’s Landmine, remaining inactive until stepped on. It’s hitbox is much bigger, about 1.25 TMBs long. Unlike Isabelle and Snake’s traps, Grovyle can set off his own trap. The tiles themselves aren’t taken from PMD, and are a solid color to ease in remembering. They are…
Orange Tile: Decreases walk, run and air speed of the first character to step on the tile by x.75% for 10 seconds.
Green Tile: Increases knockback of the first character to step on the tile by x1.25% for 10 seconds.
Purple Tile: Decreases damage output of the first character to step on the tile by x.75% for 10 seconds.
Tiles are immediately destroyed upon being stepped on. There can only be one tile per Grovyle at a time. The tile is usually randomly selected, but if you press a taunt button at the same time it locks one in (Up Taunt - Orange, Side Taunt - Green, Down Taunt - Purple.) This attack cannot be used in the air, this includes if used with the Warp Orb. Ness is very good at dealing with this attack, due to having much experience with puzzles
Side B: Blast Seed
Grovyle’s Side B uses a common item in the Mystery Dungeon games, though used slightly differently. Instead of eating the seed to hit those in front of Grovyle, he throws it, where it explodes on impact. It’s unaffected by gravity, and moves around the same speed as K.Rool’s Crown. When compared to the Deku Seed item, it’s larger and unable to be picked up. It explodes with visuals similar to Toon Link’s bomb and hits like Limit Cross Slash, dealing 18%. It’s a kill move, capable of killing Mario from the middle of Final Destination at around 110%. The Blast Seed isn’t affected by the Warp, meaning that a skilled player can predict where the blast seed will launch a player, throw the orb, throw the seed, have the opponent fly there, and unleash a Smash Attack. It’s a risky effort and could backfire easily, but it would kill easily and look cool.
Up B: Warp Orb
For Grovyle’s Up Special, he throws a warp orb. The Warp Orb is, by default, thrown upwards, though it can be angled to be thrown in the 8 main directions. The Warp Orb goes in that direction at a speed similar to K.Rool’s Blunderbuss. If the warp orb makes contact with anything (a Fighter, the stage, a platform, etc.) Grovyle instantly moves to that space. If it’s on a ledge, Grovyle grabs it immediately. The orb CANNOT be Pocketed or reflected.
If it goes for 2 seconds and nothing touches it, Grovyle moves to wherever the orb ended up after those 2 seconds. A central mechanic to this is that Grovyle continues doing whatever it was doing before upon being teleported, even if it was an input usually unavailable in the air (grabs, Smash attacks, etc). Grovyle can only use this attack once in the air before going into freefall. Going from the ground to the air will not put him in freefall.
Down B: Dig
Unlike all the other Special Moves, which were various items in PMD, dig is just a move Grovyle has in PMD2. However, using some gargantuan stretching, it can also be seen as an abstract reference to Monster Houses, where the player gets ambushed by a large amount of enemies.
Upon doing this attack,Grovyle dives into the stage. If on a hard platform the transition is instant, but if on a soft platform or in the air, he dives down until he hits a hard platform, going into the bury state immediately upon landing. It’s a powerful Meteor suicide attack if used this way, but Grovyle always dies first. If Grovyle is teleported via Warp Orb while in the ground, he also dives downwards. A skilled player could cheat the suicide part of air Down B, by throwing a Warp Orb, meteoring an opponent, and making it safely on stage via being teleported. This requires strict timing and can easily backfire, so it’s another one of Grovyle’s “Risky but really cool” options.
Anyways, while in the ground, Grovyle can freely move around left or right, slightly slower than Greninja’s Shadow Sneak, but without the risk of getting hit. Upon pressing B again, Grovyle burts out of the ground directly above wherever he came from, dealing 18%. He does this automatically after 5 seconds. If you rise up from the ground under one of Grovyle’s tiles, it destroys it without providing any effects.
Forward Smash: Leaf Blade
Grovyle’s Side Smash uses Leaf Blade. It’s one of the moves he knows in PMD2, the line’s signature move in Gen 3, and the move Grovyle uses in Pokemon Conquest, another DS Spinoff. Leaf Blade is very similar to it’s appearance in Conquest/the Gen 5 games, where 3 floating swords resembling leaves slash at the opponent. This attack does 22% uncharged.
If Grovyle is teleported from Warp Orb while charging this move, he simply continues charging it, as per usual. If he is using this attack while teleporting, however many blades that are where he started stay there, where all new blades spawn where Grovyle is currently. Damage is unaffected, but if released in the air Grovyle enters freefall. This applies to all Smashes
Up Smash: Absorb
Absorb is another move Grovyle has in PMD2, and it’s also Treecko's Conquest move. Grovyle reaches upward, with Green energy appearing in his hand (think Mewtwo’s Up Smash). This attack does very little compared to most Smash attacks (14=5%) , but also heals a little bit (6% on first use, 3% on repeated uses).
Down Smash: Leaf Storm
Down Smash… isn’t actually one of Grovyle’s moves in PMD, but it is Sceptile’s Conquest move, and I wanted to complete that trilogy. A swarm of leaves start circling at Grovyle’s feet, going about .75 of a TMB in both directions. The sweet spot, which is close to Grovyle, deals 19%, and the farther hitboxes deal 16.7%
Grab/Pummel: Celebi
For Grovyle’s Grab, the Shiny Celebi from PMD2 appears from a time wormhole. Celebi is Grovyle’s ally from the destroyed future. She spawns slightly in front of Grovyle, giving the attack good range. Celebi herself is the same size as Luma. The grab animation is Celebi immobilizing the foe via psychic energy. The pummel is Grovyle swiping forward, similar to Roy/Chrom’s jab. It deals 1.3%.
Grovyle’s grab system is actually fairly unique when used in tandem with Up-Special. If Grovyle has an opponent grabbed while he teleports, all three of them are teleported. Grovyle starts falling, as per usual. Celebi and the grabbed foe, however, stay there. As Grovyle is not there, you can’t pummel in midair. This also weakens throws, because Grovyle isn’t there to assist. Does this matter when they’re way closer to the blast zone? It’s up to the player to decide.
Forward Throw: Magical Leaf
Grovyle throws the foe forward, and Celebi throws leaves in their direction. The initial throw deals 5.2%, and the leaves are a multi hit attack that adds up to 7.3%. Like Mewtwo F-Throw, the leaves can hit other fighters and be pocketed.
Back Throw: Ancient Power
Grovyle throws the foe backwards, dealing 5.2%. Meanwhile, Celebi throws a large rock backwards, dealing 11%. This is an attack in two phases (like Fox’s Bair) and a projectile, meaning that it can be pocketed. It’s Grovyle’s best kill throw.
Up Throw: Headbutt Up
Grovyle throws the foe upward, and Celebi tackles them, sending them further up. Grovyle’s throw yet again deals 5.2%, and the tackle does another 3.4%. It’s more of a combo throw than anything.
Down Throw: Time Trickery
From below the ground the foe stands, another Celebi appears. This sends the foe slightly upwards and does 6.7%. The “original” Celebi then goes into another time wormhole, with the implication that she’s going to go perform down throw in the past.
Jab Combo:
Grovyle’s basic Jab is lifted from Sceptile’s basic Dual Phase jab attack in Pokken Tournament. The first attack is a quick swipe, dealing 3%. The second attack is a Kick that deals 2%. The third attack has Grovyle materialize a large scythe and swipe forward, dealing a relatively impressive 8%.
Dash Attack: Quick Attack
Quick Attack is one of Grovyle’s Moves in PMD2. In it, Grovyle lunges forward about 3 TMBs, dealing 9%. This is an unusually high priority attack, Grovyle can overrule almost any attack or projectile for this attack.
Forward Tilt: Standard Attack
Grovyle meekly tackles forward, then dashes forward. This is a reference to the standard attacks in the older PMD games, weak attacks for if you don’t want to use up PP. It deals 5%, the same amount of damage it’s done from Gates to Infinity onwards.
Up Tilt: Stairs
Grovyle Jumps diagonally, dealing 8% to everyone above him. This is meant to be a reference to climbing up stairs, an essential part of PMD. This functions similar to other juggling up tilts, but with the added effect of moving the players involved forwards.
Down Tilt: Gravelrock
Grovyle kicks the ground beneath him. A pebble appears, being flinged forward about 3 TMBs. If it connects it deals 8%. It’s a projectile capable of being pocketed or reflected, but it’s quite weak so there’s little point.
Neutral Air: Plant Spin
Grovyle’s neutral Air is a spin, like Ivysaur and Pirahna Plant’s, but with arms instead of Leaves. It’s a vague reference to Pokemon Ranger, with all of the circles that must be made in that game. It deals about 13.2%
Forward Air: Leaf Blade
In Grovyle’s Forward Air, a singular Leaf Blade slashes forward. It's a fair bit weaker than the smash attack, dealing 14%, but it's still a fairly good kill move.
Up Air: Vine
Grovyle briefly hangs onto a vine, a reference to something Sceptile can do in Pokken., the vine goes about 3 TMBs up, directly above Grovyle. The top of the vine does 17%, and all the other parts of it deal 13.5%. It can be used as a tether. On the whole, it’s very similar to Simon/Richter’s up air
Down Air: Sleep Charm
Grovyle’s Down Air is a reference to the species' main skill in Pokemon Shuffle. Grovyle does a powerful stomp downwards. This attack deals 18% sweet spotted, 7% sourspotted. The sweet spot meteors any opponents in the air, but it briefly puts grounded opponents to sleep. At 100%, they get put to sleep for about three-quarters of a second.
Back Air: Quirky++
Grovyle’s back air is a reference to one of the rare abilities Grovyle has in Pokemon Shuffle, a puzzle game spinoff released on the 3DS. Grovyle kicks backward, similar to the Samuses' back air. This attack does a surprising amount of damage, almost being a reverse Falcon Knee. The sourspot does a meager 2.4%, but the sweet spot deals 26.9%. The reason this attack deals so much is that Quirky was a skill that gave a slim chance of deleting a few other tiles when matched. This is a hard to hit attack that can obliterate foes, so it’s as close an interpretation as it gets.
Final Smash: Monster House
Once Grovyle obtains the ability to do a Final Smash, the flow of time gets unstable. Upon activating it, Dusknoir appears from a time rift, grabbing forward. If Dusknoir grabs any foes, he drags them back into the rift (like in PMD2). The range of this attack is pretty similar to the Belmont’s Grand Cross. Foes that are caught end up in the destroyed future, where Dusknoir and multiple Sableye attack them. It ends with a lightning bolt and a roar, revealing the silhouette of Primal Dialga. This attack deals 52% with the Smash Ball. It’s a final Smash, it kills. Unlike most of Grovyle’s attacks, this is completely unaffected by Warp Orb Mechanics
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