Simisage

A monkey with a pompadour and spikes

The body is based on a monkey, but the head is built as a mass of leaves that imitates an exaggerated pompadour. Its hair recalls American greasers and the Japanese bōsōzoku aesthetic, while the spike-covered tail turns a bodily feature into a combat tool. The design is not aiming for a delicate plant: Pokédex entries emphasise its bad temper and the bitter taste of its leaves.

The English name, Simisage, combines “simian,” relating to apes, and “sage,” which means both sage and a wise person. That second reading fits the three wise monkeys motif it shares with Simisear and Simipour. The Japanese ヤナッキー, Yanakkie, combines elements related to willow, leafy vegetables, and the English word for “monkey.”

The evolution that requires a stone

Pansage does not reach this form by levelling up. The Leaf Stone triggers an immediate evolution and changes the species’ profile: it leaves behind the look of a small monkey and adopts a more aggressive silhouette, with its leafy pompadour and spiked tail fully developed. As with its two companions in the elemental trio, the stone determines when it evolves. It is worth checking the moves you want it to learn by level beforehand, because using the stone too early can close off options available at the previous stage.

The comparison with Simisear and Simipour is direct. All three have the same base-stat distribution, but their types and associated movepools change between Grass, Fire, and Water. Simisage stands out visually through its leaf crest and a more hostile attitude than Pansage’s.

A two-sided attacker

Its 101 Speed and 98 in both Attack and Special Attack allow physical, special, or mixed sets. In practice, the mixed approach makes better use of its broad movepool: Energy Ball or Solar Beam apply pressure from the special side, while Brick Break, Knock Off, Shadow Claw, or Superpower cover targets that would withstand a Grass attack. Focus Blast adds power against opponents vulnerable to Fighting, although its imperfect accuracy introduces risk.

The Hidden Ability Overgrow rewards reaching the final stretch of a battle while injured, when Grass-type moves receive an additional boost. Gluttony has a more specific use and revolves around Berries, so it provides less immediate damage. During an adventure, Simisage can open holes against slower teams and finish off weakened enemies. It can also punish Water- and Ground-types, provided it does not have to take too many hits before attacking.

Why it fell behind

Fifth-generation competitive analyses placed it in PU and NU, while seventh-generation analyses treated it in PU and ZU. Its evaluation changed with the environment, but the problems remained: 63 Defense and 63 Special Defense are poor figures for a species that often needs to switch in to take advantage of its coverage. Its Grass typing provides useful resistances, but it also brings five common weaknesses.

Offensive Grass species with better defensive tools or a clearer role compete with it for the slot. Simisage makes up for some of that competition with its Speed and moves of several types, but it cannot afford prolonged exchanges. The most sensible use is to bring it in after an ally switches, after something has been weakened, or against an opponent that cannot threaten it immediately. At that point, Seed Bomb, Energy Ball, Focus Blast, and Knock Off force the opponent to predict which attack it will choose; if the read goes wrong, its defenses mean the opposing answer arrives quickly.