As a Pokémon expert and enthusiast, I've closely followed the evolution of Ash's Bulbasaur throughout the Pokémon series. Ash's Bulbasaur, named Bulbasaur, is one of the first Pokémon Ash received in his journey. It's known for its unique ability to evolve into Ivysaur and then into Venusaur, which are both significantly stronger than its initial form.

However, in the original series, Bulbasaur did not evolve during Ash's journey. The primary reason for this is that the creators of the show wanted to emphasize the bond between Ash and his Pokémon, regardless of their level or evolution. They wanted to show that a Pokémon's strength is not solely determined by its evolution but also by the trainer's skill and the relationship between the trainer and the Pokémon.

In the anime, Bulbasaur was shown to be quite content in its current form and did not show a strong desire to evolve, which is often depicted as a Pokémon's choice. Additionally, Bulbasaur's role in the team was well-established, and its compatibility with Ash's strategy did not necessitate an evolution.

However, in the Pokémon Adventures manga, which is a separate storyline from the anime, Bulbasaur does evolve into Ivysaur and later into Venusaur. This evolution occurs during a critical moment in the story when the team needs more power to overcome a challenge. The evolution in the manga serves to highlight the growth and development of the characters and their Pokémon, and it's a narrative choice that fits the more action-oriented and dramatic tone of the manga.

In summary, the decision for Bulbasaur not to evolve in the anime was a creative choice to focus on the trainer-Pokémon bond and the strategic use of Pokémon in battles, while in the manga, the evolution was a plot device to showcase character development and the dynamic growth of the team.

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Bulbasaur is the second Pok��mon Ash owns that chose not to evolve, the first being Pikachu, but he is the first Pok��mon that Ash caught that chose not to evolve because Bulbasaur was not ready to evolve yet. Pikachu wants to prove that he can defeat stronger Pok��mon without evolving.read more >>