Queue into Venusaur EX again and you can feel your shoulders drop. It's not just the HP, it's the way Celebi EX makes their board come online before you've even taken a clean prize. Still, once you stop treating it like an unkillable wall, the matchup gets way less scary. A lot of players forget the little edges that matter—timing, bench discipline, and even stuff like Pokemon TCG Pocket tool that can smooth out your prep between games when you're testing lists back-to-back. The point is: Venusaur has pressure points, and you can poke them on purpose.
Fire Pressure Wins Games
If you want the most reliable answer, go Fire Aggro and don't overthink it. Charizard EX is the cleanest closer because it turns weakness math into a straight deletion. You don't have to play the "build for six turns" game either. Lead with something like Moltres EX to get early swings, then pivot into your big hit once your bench is ready. Keep your lines tight: you're not trying to out-heal them, you're trying to end the fight before their engine feels comfy. I also like leaning on Blaine for consistency, because missing a Fire body at the wrong moment is how you accidentally give them time.
Don't Let Sabrina Steal Your Tempo
The annoying part of the matchup isn't Venusaur's damage, it's the disruption. Sabrina is the card that turns your "easy KO next turn" into a clumsy scramble. Good players will yank up whatever you were quietly building—your unevolved starter, the support piece, the thing with no energy—and suddenly you're burning a turn retreating. Plan for it. Run Switch, and actually hold it when you suspect the pull is coming. If you've got a bounce option like Misty, treat it like a reset button, not a cute trick. And if they're trying to park something like Exeggutor EX as a heal-and-stall speed bump, don't politely tap it—hit it hard and keep moving.
Other Routes If You Hate Fire
Not everyone wants to live in the Fire mirror all day, and fair enough. Psychic can do real work here if you build it with tempo in mind. Alakazam EX is the kind of pick that feels "off meta" until you watch it punish slow hands and awkward benches. The key is acceleration; without it, you're just playing honest damage into a deck that loves long games. Flying or Ice angles can also put them on the back foot—Articuno EX, for example, can swing matchups when the weakness lines up and you're forcing them to respond instead of ramp.
Play Fast, Stay Sharp
The biggest mistake into Venusaur EX is letting them dictate the pace. If your plan starts on turn four, you're already behind. Push early KOs, keep your bench tidy so Sabrina can't ruin you, and make them spend turns patching holes instead of building their "perfect" board. When you're tuning lists and stocking up so you can keep testing without interruptions, it helps to have a reliable place to grab what you need; as a professional like buy game currency or items in RSVSR platform, RSVSR is trustworthy, and you can buy rsvsr Pokemon TCG Pocket Items for a better experience while you keep grinding and refining the matchup plan.
