Everything about Ledian has always made me so sad, I love it's design and the base concept of being a PUNCHING bug, despite it being barely able to punch at all. It's forever in the pit of "bug types I get sad when I think about how bad they are" alongside Ariados and Beedrill. Thank you for doing my guy good.
Exactly how I feel too! Especially with Ariados. IRL, I hate bugs of any- and every- kind. But in-game? Ariados looks so cool. Gen 6 did Beedrill good (barely) so not much to say on that lean, mean, stinging machine. That said... Poison Types. ... oh boy. My favorite type yet whenever I see a primary Poison type out there to catch (like Grimer and Ekans), I catch it with hopes to use it only to look up move sets to just sigh in disappointment and box them. Why do they learn so many special based poison type moves? It just doesn't seem fair.
This whole series has been INSPIRED from day one, but this one left me gobsmacked. For one thing, I had NO IDEA power trick could be baton passed, that's the most outrageously creative thing I've ever seen. The shift over time from attacker to support, to account for Ledian's stats falling off but letting her still be helpful, is also amazing. I love that you're doing this series. Every single video has surprised me with your creativity and thoroughness. Thank you so much for these videos!
NGL watching Ledian turn into a plucky trickster superhero over the course of the run was mad hype, when it finally clicked why he wanted a Guillotine user for the chuck fight it had me actually getting out of my seat
28:46 In Gen 4 and below, Wish passing heals the target Pokemon by half of *their* maximum HP. It's only beginning in Gen 5 that it heals by half of the max HP of the Wish user
It would be cool to see Dewgong get a video. It’s not a bad pokémon, but it’s just hopelessly outclassed by so many other water pokémon. Even in the water/ice world it’s outclassed by guys like Lapras/Cloyster/Walrein and it’s never had a time in the sun. It’s a shame since it’s such a cutie
I'd like to see a couple Poison Types like Ekans/Arbok. Or Grimer. They have decent-to-good Physical attack, yet they learn mostly special based poison moves? ... why? And the learnset via TM are either meager with Poison types or are near-impossible to grab until late game. Kinda makes them useless for anything else unless you're willing to sacrifice a great deal of time or use them purely as gimmick Pokémon. I'm more casual so I just sigh in disappointment and box them. It just seems/feels like it's intentional. To make you, the player, use whatever Pokémon GameFreak thinks you should be using. Kinda tired of fighting against it and struggling in normal battles with handicapped/weak Pokémon. i.e., ones that I like to use.
@@lionclan4575 I was considering whether or not it could be a water/ice type - He would be a bit like Primarina then which makes sense. If that had been the case when he was introduced then he would at least have had his own niche
As the only Water/Ice type with both Encore, Perish Song & Whirlpool, access to Ice Body, Substitute and Protect and a couple of OHKO moves it can be a surprisingly deadly in some rom-hacks. If only it had a bit more speed and bulk...
absolutely loving the characterization of both ledian in your moveset redesign philosophy as well as for the other team members in their intros and little storylines. this is my favorite series on youtube right now so please keep it going! i drop anything and everything to watch as soon as each episode releases.
Thanks :) I had fun making them lol. Not sure if I’ll do it EVERY time, because most runs don’t focus on the rest of the team as much as this one. But I’ll give it some thought!
@@ZenModeYT oh please do! it made watching the team come together so much better! Can I suggest Pachirisu? It's my favourite electric type and seeing as it became world champion, I'd like to see you buff it in Gen 4
Oh my goodness I knew I was in for a treat seeing how long this vid was going to be, love the new creative intros for each member of the "Star Squad" its so nice to see an unorthodox team being used to take advantage of a mon's supportive qualities (you've done this before but this team is far more unique imo) Just saw the Red fight as well, Starlight's power getting passed around the team to give them a fighting chance using Star's willpower itself was such a poetic and beautiful ending, 100% favorite Zen vid so far
Most players would consider these moves useless, but this video proves that if you combine them the right way, they can reach unprecedented hights. It's so refreshing to see that many underused pokemon get a place in the spotlight. Well done
They fixed ledian by create orbeetle. It's kinda hilarious that both are ladybug pokemon with alien inspiration with similar stats but orbeetle was blessed by new gen bug
This video is a Pokémon RUclips Hall of Fame candidate if there ever was one. Improved a dogshit Pokémon without even boosting stats, constructed the entire team around it (all of those being dogshit as well) and did some fun, cathartic storytelling at the same time. Didn't even notice the hour go by. Love the content, bro
My most anticipated fix by far! I'm one of the people that fell for Ledian's design, and I was super let down when I realized how disappointing it is. Great job giving it the tools to be a successful pokemon without just turning it into a super puncher. Also, the personalities and story you created for the team was a lot of fun. Thanks for the great video!
Surprised Encore wasn’t mentioned. Encore is one of Ledian’s most redeeming qualities, and it’s the fact that it’s egg-move only that holds Ledian back a bit. Notably it works well with the ground immunity (when it does have the flying type) by allowing Ledian to switch in to a Geodude’s ground move without having to worry about getting hit by a rock move afterwards. The Power Trick usage here was my favorute part overall.
Always had an affinity for Ledian but when I used it in battle I was so underwhelmed I couldn’t find any satisfying use for it. This is proper redemption
4:19 I think one thing to keep in mind is that, especially before the physical/special split, not every Pokémon has to be running stab. There’s something to be said for Pokémon that focus on wider coverage rather than using any stab, and it adds a lot of diversity that otherwise wouldn’t be there if every Pokémon tried to align it’s offense with it’s type. Gengar is one of the best Pokémon in Gen 3 and it doesn’t really use stab since it’s types are both physical and it’s stats aren’t, but it has plenty of excellent special type moves. You mentioned Ledian’s low attack as negative because its the stat it uses for both it’s stabs, then immediately followed with “not that it matters” because it doesn’t learn stab to gen 4, when I think the point is that yea it doesn’t matter. It’s not designed to use stab in the first place. It’s (theoretically) probably designed to be able to make better use of the elemental punches, given how much punching ties into it’s design (and why it later gets Iron Fist). Those were all special moves pre phys/spec split, so it got a bit more power out of those coverage moves and could fill out some offensive holes you may have on your team early game. That’s probably why the gen it first gets stab is the same gen the split was introduced and it became more standard for every Pokémon to have stab. Now of course, in the case of Ledian, it’s special attack is still also too low for that to actually really matter, and it means using your TMs for those punches on Ledian instead of a better Pokémon, and it still has problems with it’s typing defensively. Obviously Ledian is a badly designed Pokémon, not arguing that at all. But I do think it’s a decent example of the different design philosophies that come into play before the phys/spec split, and how some Pokémon don’t need to be designed with stab in mind. It may be something worth considering in future videos when fixing Pokémon for the first 3 gens (obviously since this one is gen 4 it doesn’t matter anyways)
the big problem with this sorta philosophy is that it's really more theoretical than something that works out in practice sure, you have the occasional standout that complete succeeds without stab because its base offensive stat and coverage is just that good ... but, like, good stats and coverage _aren't_ actually mutually exclusive with a good stab move, even in early gens. hell, pokemon like rhydon get strong coverage by _having_ stab moves, because rock + ground are just that great of an offensive pairing. mons like starmie, meanwhile, have the solid pair of water and psychic bolstered by access to surf and ... psychic, yet _also_ get complete access to _boltbeam._ and nothing really needs to be said about the strength of normal type privilege in the early gens, considering gen 1 ou says all that needs to be said and stab really is such a huge difference. sure, a thunderbolt from gengar _hurts_ ... a little bit less than one coming from an electric type packing 87 special attack. it's scarier than starmie's thunderbolt, but its ice punch is about equivalent to the star's ice beam and it can't outdo either of its stabs without outright _blowing itself up._ sure, this all doesn't stop gengar from being an amazing pokemon, but that's the thing: gengar is an _amazing pokemon,_ so not getting to leverage stab ( + its stab types ultimately being a bit mediocre anyway ) is just a single mark against its fantastic list of strengths. less pushed pokemon don't exactly get to say the same and like, sure, there's nothing _wrong_ per se with the philosophy of overwhelming specialization vs. adaptive versatility, because it's a very real design ethos. it's just very much not one gamefreak used. sure, there's signs that they flirted with the idea in places ( normal type privilege in and of itself stems from it ), but ultimately system mechanics like the type chart and actual pokemon design make it plainly obvious that they had no real commitment to it. the proliferation of stab moves wasn't something that came about because of the physical-special split; rather, both stem from the same place of gamefreak gaining a better understanding of the systems they created back from the very beginning of the series, and making efforts to better utilize that understanding going forward
Dude I am so enamored by your videos. They're getting better and better with each one, and frankly the very first with chikorita was already awesome. Your content is a breath of fresh air, and you should be very proud of yourself. I hope your channel takes off like a rocket and you continue to have a good time makes these videos. When you have fun making these, we get to have fun with you by watching!
I have to say, this was my favorite video of yours so far. The supporting cast with their own stories helped keep me invested, and you identified some genuinely great and unexpected strategies that were hype as hell. Wonderful job!
This one was really something special. The fact that you made Ledian so useful and unique without even touching its stats is super cool, and I was so invested in the team that I ended up watching the whole playthrough.
I'm SO glad you respect the boundary of "Not every Pokemon should be able to sweep the Champion". When ROM hacks improve bad Pokemon (and this usually includes Ledian), they make every single Pokemon absolutely busted beyond what is necessary or appropriate. But you seem to think the same way I do! Ledian is an early-game catch; it just needs to be viable for a short while, not game-altering.
I love this series. It’s always interesting to see how wildly a Pokémon’s usability can swing with what seem like such minor tweaks. It’s also great that the goal is always to find a reason to use the mon, whatever that niche may be, rather than just always making a powerhouse. Not that the occasional powerhouse (luxray) isn’t fun too. Mind reader-baton pass is just soo satisfying to watch.
You know, I love this series. It's made me realize just how badly neglected Pokemon's singleplayer experience has become. Instead of Pokemon being designed around early game, midgame and lategame effectiveness (as with the Bug types you mentioned in the earlier generations), they're designed around specific sets and niches for the competitive side, and as a result most Pokemon in the later games become easily capable of steamrolling it with a little bit of prior knowledge and itemization. I know there's the argument of "oh it's a kids game" but there really is some serious power creep in the recent gens, and I do wish the complexity of the strategies used in the gyms could level up along with the immense diversity in available Pokemon and items (eg. Iono's levitating Mismagius turning into an electric-type was really cool, I wish we saw more of that type of thing).
I can’t thank you enough for showing Ledian the love and care that they deserved! Edit: On a different note, I love how you gave the entire team their own intro cards and stories. I would love to see this in future episodes, but if this doesn’t happen, I’m at least happy that it was in a video about a Pokémon that was redesigned to support other Pokémon!
At some point I was worried that you didn’t FIX Ledian, but BROKE it. But rather than that, I would like to say that what you showcased proved something else. You exposed with Ledian the hidden depths of Pokemon’s ocean-deep battle mechanics. This run was like a work of art. And not some cheap “modern art” garbage, though that may have been its initial appearance (given Ledian’s history). No, this was true art. A showcase of skill and an understanding of the craft that befits an artist. Something that inspires, and inspired awe. Well DONE.
This is the first video I've seen from this series, I've been instantly charmed by your way of building and telling stories by doing little fixes, I adore your creative visions, please never stop.
What a fun Pokémon fix video. I love the story of each team member as misfit superheroes. I had a healthy amount of stupid grins. 🤩 This is your best video so far. Also, my best guess on the next fix is a twofer so I have a double chance to be wrong: Lickilicky or Gallade.
Absolutely loved this channel after discovering it through the paras video, the way you make so many mediocre or downright bad Pokémon worth using without even changing their stats is incredible, it feels like actual improvements instead of slapping on some busted stat buffs, or at least make them fun to use, your videos fill a unique niche in the Pokémon community and a really entertaining one, can’t wait for the next video!
I adored the characters and personality you gave to each team member plus the introduction to each one, the story telling was very engaging, definitely a must-stay addition to the series! Also I think the next Pokémon is Lickitung
Really nice seeing Ledian gets the -starlight- spotlight. Jokes aside, this was a great video, and using ledian to make work of power trick of all things was spectacular
I usually am a silent viewer on RUclips but i had to write a comment here. I already really liked your channel, especially your philosophy of sticking to the core design of a mon while fixing it. It just shows that these Pokemon could have been fixed in the canonical games as well while the idea of the Pokemon stays roughly the same. But I really enjoyed this new storytelling even more, with you giving each team member a little back story to show the idea that it is the team that is important for Ledian as it is the helper that lets its buddies shine. I just wanted to thank you for over an hour of entertainment in this video alone. I am not an active Pokemon player, after playing a few other monster tamers, the whole randomness just doesnt catch me at the moment but I still enjoy well done content about Pokemon just like your channel because it was the first game i was ever obsessed with and for that it will always have a place in my heart, especially the first 3 generations.
As soon as you baton passed the mind reader to X against the double teaming Primeape I was absolutely gooped. The killer intro makes so much more sense now 🤣🤣🤣
Maybe a good subject for a future buff video is ponyta in FRLG. It’s not irredeemably bad, but it could use some shinx style buffs to take it from disappointingly underwhelming to strong pick
I like that this playthrough not only made ledian better, but made the entire team better through unique baton pass strategies. Though I know if i had this power i’d be using guillotine kingler every opportunity I get, regardless of if it’s a good idea
Loved this one. Running Ledian at point to facilitate a team of mediocre Pokemon designed specifically to sweep the E4 is what this channel is all about.
I'm curious how long the writing process on this was cause that felt like listening to a radio drama compared to previous episodes, especially with every pokemon having fleshed out backstories and the rivalry between Radar and Silver. Like, this could have been a Pokemon themed street level cape story in its own right. Ledian really earned that heroic stat screen pose today. I also want to imagine X is just this super friendly dude who politely asks for permission before beheading people.
The "unsalvageable gen 2 Pokemon" is usually considered to be Sunflora. The only thing Ledian needs is rotating it's stats. Make it's physical attack it's special defense, make it's special attack it's physical attack, and it's special defense it's special attack.
The jump in quality in this episode is noticeable and yet you’ve managed to stay true to the essence of this series. To be blunt, most content creators fail in this department, at least early on. Keep staying true to yourself, Jack. It shines through in every video. I think that’s why so many people can’t wait for your uploads. I know I can’t! Keep up the great work :)
Been here since the Chikorita vid was at 5k views, super stoked to see this series taking off as quickly as it has. Poor ledian is so dookie in every game that isnt Eternal X, you sure have a lot of ground to cover to get him even tolerable. Very interested to hear this one out.
Ledian is definitely the most forgettable of the early game bugs, so I'm glad to see it getting some love. I never knew it was an homage to a previous game, so leaning into its superhero design for its update is brilliant. 1:19 A friend and I are going through a randomized LeafGreen Nuzlocke, and Sunflora (nicknamed Twinkie) carried us through the first few gyms; we joked that we were punished for putting her away after getting another grass type by losing two 'mons shortly after.
This is easily my favorite nuzlocke I’ve ever watched! I love Ledian so much, and I love that you made a run to show this lil bug some shine. The team complimented Ledian so well, and I love your tactics using Pokémon like Onix, Umbreon, and Cloyster to show some amazing strategies with support. Amazing video, and this was so hype!
I'd just like to give some input- in case you were uneasy about this addition to the gameplay section of your videos, I LOVE your style of storytelling surrounding the Pokemon in your party. It's awesome, and only adds to your uniqueness on this platform. I hope to see that bit of flavor stick around in the future! And assuming it already was, I look forward to it!
Now THIS was an awesome video. As a huge Ledian fan and defender, I was THRILLED this whole way. I wish there was a rom hack to just to play with these fixed mons and finally giving Ledian the spotlight. Amazing work Zen!!! 🎉
I had fun using Ledian in XD Gale of Darkness as a screen setter. In a game where its all double battles it actually had a bit of a niche. He helped me never need to grind due to the team defense, and beat the end boss way underleveled due to it.
I often go back and watch these fixing videos to pass the time as well as inspire similar changes for a ROM hack project I'm working on in my spare time, and this one is probably still my favorite, though the Sunflora one is certainly growing on me (heh). The design philosophy really shines here, and the storytelling for the entire party is immaculate. Seeing that ragtag group take on the Johto region and even Red with the help of a literal Gen 2 early bug was truly glorious. My only real note for Ledian itself would be that even though you said no to the elemental punches, I still think that you could at least add Thunder Punch as a Level 1 reminder move after evolving. It would act as a little nod to the Pulseman inspiration, plus it would provide a coverage move for its new 4x weakness to Flying, even with the more support-oriented design you took with the latter half of the learnset. I am also still so curious about what mon you originally were planning to cover next before ultimately choosing to cover Banette instead. There's definitely quite a few Gen 4 cross-evolutions that were less than stellar, and I'd love to see your method applied to some of them like Lickilicky, Electivire (add a Fighting subtype and give it Iron Fist maybe?), and Magmortar.
In another game I've played, Disgaea, there's a fist weapon that uses the characters Special Defense (called Resistance but is the same idea.) Since they gave Ledian Iron Fist with it's abyssmal physical attack stat, I always thought it would be neat if it had a punching move that did the same thing, so Ledian stays as a decently fast special tank while having a good offensive option. Or, even cooler, if it had an ability that made all punching moves based on it's Special Defense, giving it a base 110 stat to use offensively and defensively.
The backstories that were given to each pokemon and how it was weaved into the story you crafted, brought up several times at just the right moment, and better yet you found a way to bring in pokemon that not many people probably bring into late game. Very well done.
I had an idea of giving Ledian an Evo that becomes Bug/Electric to lean into its Pulseman inspirations. It’d get a huge buff to its Atk and smaller buffs to its defenses and speed. Now it’d actually be usable
Those changes are sick, but I missed something. A VERY late move I’d have added as Ledian’s true bread and butter as a Baton Pass support would’ve been Cosmic Power, for star-thematic as well as being a totally unique role, since I don’t think a single Pokémon can learn both Cosmic Power and Baton Pass
The Mind Reader + Guillotine combo with X the Kingler was absolutely amazing to see in action. I love how you also incorporated some other otherwise underrated Pokémon in the team as well, like Precious and Hitman. The final Knock Off was crucial. Honestly the entire team synergy was super fun to watch in practice. I wouldn't be surprised if you ever make a video about original Kanto Farfetch'd in the future, lil guy deserves a shot at redemption. Other Pokémon that come to mind are the Hoenn fireflies Illumise and Volbeat, maybe Seviper too. Can't wait to see your next video. 😁😁😁
Been watching since the first upload. This video has blown all of the others out of the water. I'm so happy for how far you've come and can't wait to see more
So happy to finally see my boy Ledian putting some work. There are so many pokemon that I've always wanted to use but are just awful, and this series is the perfect "what if" that I needed. Great job! And now, I'll patiently wait for Spinda to get the spotlight.
Aerialate would be a really neat ability for ledian imo. Gives it the option to almost have flying stab, and increases it's power offensively while leaving it's current bug/fighting defense alone
![Tee Grizzley - Blow for Blow (feat. J. Cole) [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wNLN5xsx5dc/mqdefault.jpg)
Everything about Ledian has always made me so sad, I love it's design and the base concept of being a PUNCHING bug, despite it being barely able to punch at all. It's forever in the pit of "bug types I get sad when I think about how bad they are" alongside Ariados and Beedrill. Thank you for doing my guy good.
@@ausiidndThey did my boy a good one, finally
Exactly how I feel too! Especially with Ariados. IRL, I hate bugs of any- and every- kind. But in-game? Ariados looks so cool. Gen 6 did Beedrill good (barely) so not much to say on that lean, mean, stinging machine.
That said... Poison Types. ... oh boy. My favorite type yet whenever I see a primary Poison type out there to catch (like Grimer and Ekans), I catch it with hopes to use it only to look up move sets to just sigh in disappointment and box them. Why do they learn so many special based poison type moves? It just doesn't seem fair.
oh hey i know you!
@@ausiidndAerilate is such a no-brainer for Ledian, the more I think about it. Even more so seeing its learn set, lol.
I think that perhaps Wobbuffet was not the only punching bag design in this generation.
Ledian was just slightly more subtle about it
This whole series has been INSPIRED from day one, but this one left me gobsmacked. For one thing, I had NO IDEA power trick could be baton passed, that's the most outrageously creative thing I've ever seen. The shift over time from attacker to support, to account for Ledian's stats falling off but letting her still be helpful, is also amazing. I love that you're doing this series. Every single video has surprised me with your creativity and thoroughness. Thank you so much for these videos!
NGL watching Ledian turn into a plucky trickster superhero over the course of the run was mad hype, when it finally clicked why he wanted a Guillotine user for the chuck fight it had me actually getting out of my seat
bro said gobsmacked
you turned a rebalancing video into an anime about the power of teamwork. i'm in awe
28:46 In Gen 4 and below, Wish passing heals the target Pokemon by half of *their* maximum HP. It's only beginning in Gen 5 that it heals by half of the max HP of the Wish user
It would be cool to see Dewgong get a video. It’s not a bad pokémon, but it’s just hopelessly outclassed by so many other water pokémon. Even in the water/ice world it’s outclassed by guys like Lapras/Cloyster/Walrein and it’s never had a time in the sun. It’s a shame since it’s such a cutie
He's my favorite Ice Pokemon
I'd like to see a couple Poison Types like Ekans/Arbok. Or Grimer. They have decent-to-good Physical attack, yet they learn mostly special based poison moves? ... why? And the learnset via TM are either meager with Poison types or are near-impossible to grab until late game. Kinda makes them useless for anything else unless you're willing to sacrifice a great deal of time or use them purely as gimmick Pokémon. I'm more casual so I just sigh in disappointment and box them. It just seems/feels like it's intentional. To make you, the player, use whatever Pokémon GameFreak thinks you should be using. Kinda tired of fighting against it and struggling in normal battles with handicapped/weak Pokémon. i.e., ones that I like to use.
ngl id probably make dewgong either straight up water or straight up ice typing to make it more unique. probably just ice lol.
@@lionclan4575 I was considering whether or not it could be a water/ice type - He would be a bit like Primarina then which makes sense. If that had been the case when he was introduced then he would at least have had his own niche
As the only Water/Ice type with both Encore, Perish Song & Whirlpool, access to Ice Body, Substitute and Protect and a couple of OHKO moves it can be a surprisingly deadly in some rom-hacks.
If only it had a bit more speed and bulk...
absolutely loving the characterization of both ledian in your moveset redesign philosophy as well as for the other team members in their intros and little storylines. this is my favorite series on youtube right now so please keep it going! i drop anything and everything to watch as soon as each episode releases.
You’re not the only one !
I've been so invested into the narrative, I rooted so hard for all of them! Please continue with these little stories within your playthroughs!
Thanks :) I had fun making them lol. Not sure if I’ll do it EVERY time, because most runs don’t focus on the rest of the team as much as this one. But I’ll give it some thought!
@@ZenModeYT oh please do! it made watching the team come together so much better!
Can I suggest Pachirisu? It's my favourite electric type and seeing as it became world champion, I'd like to see you buff it in Gen 4
Oh my goodness I knew I was in for a treat seeing how long this vid was going to be, love the new creative intros for each member of the "Star Squad" its so nice to see an unorthodox team being used to take advantage of a mon's supportive qualities (you've done this before but this team is far more unique imo)
Just saw the Red fight as well, Starlight's power getting passed around the team to give them a fighting chance using Star's willpower itself was such a poetic and beautiful ending, 100% favorite Zen vid so far
Most players would consider these moves useless, but this video proves that if you combine them the right way, they can reach unprecedented hights. It's so refreshing to see that many underused pokemon get a place in the spotlight. Well done
Ledian’s later game support era was really awesome!
They fixed ledian by create orbeetle. It's kinda hilarious that both are ladybug pokemon with alien inspiration with similar stats but orbeetle was blessed by new gen bug
This video is a Pokémon RUclips Hall of Fame candidate if there ever was one. Improved a dogshit Pokémon without even boosting stats, constructed the entire team around it (all of those being dogshit as well) and did some fun, cathartic storytelling at the same time. Didn't even notice the hour go by. Love the content, bro
Not finished the video yet, but I love the Pokémon profiles for each party member! It’s a neat way to add more personality to each playthrough
We're fast so we go first!! ...and then what?
70 more minutes of cutting edge, iron-fist boosted (1.2x!!!) analysis, great video!!
Thanks so much Cheese, that means a lot! :)
My most anticipated fix by far!
I'm one of the people that fell for Ledian's design, and I was super let down when I realized how disappointing it is. Great job giving it the tools to be a successful pokemon without just turning it into a super puncher.
Also, the personalities and story you created for the team was a lot of fun. Thanks for the great video!
Surprised Encore wasn’t mentioned.
Encore is one of Ledian’s most redeeming qualities, and it’s the fact that it’s egg-move only that holds Ledian back a bit.
Notably it works well with the ground immunity (when it does have the flying type) by allowing Ledian to switch in to a Geodude’s ground move without having to worry about getting hit by a rock move afterwards.
The Power Trick usage here was my favorute part overall.
Always had an affinity for Ledian but when I used it in battle I was so underwhelmed I couldn’t find any satisfying use for it. This is proper redemption
I like the idea that the only way to save ledian requires 75 minutes to explain
This is astounding. I thought this was a 10 minute video at first with just some theories, but no it’s an amazing showcase of skill and mechanics.
4:19 I think one thing to keep in mind is that, especially before the physical/special split, not every Pokémon has to be running stab. There’s something to be said for Pokémon that focus on wider coverage rather than using any stab, and it adds a lot of diversity that otherwise wouldn’t be there if every Pokémon tried to align it’s offense with it’s type. Gengar is one of the best Pokémon in Gen 3 and it doesn’t really use stab since it’s types are both physical and it’s stats aren’t, but it has plenty of excellent special type moves.
You mentioned Ledian’s low attack as negative because its the stat it uses for both it’s stabs, then immediately followed with “not that it matters” because it doesn’t learn stab to gen 4, when I think the point is that yea it doesn’t matter. It’s not designed to use stab in the first place. It’s (theoretically) probably designed to be able to make better use of the elemental punches, given how much punching ties into it’s design (and why it later gets Iron Fist). Those were all special moves pre phys/spec split, so it got a bit more power out of those coverage moves and could fill out some offensive holes you may have on your team early game. That’s probably why the gen it first gets stab is the same gen the split was introduced and it became more standard for every Pokémon to have stab.
Now of course, in the case of Ledian, it’s special attack is still also too low for that to actually really matter, and it means using your TMs for those punches on Ledian instead of a better Pokémon, and it still has problems with it’s typing defensively.
Obviously Ledian is a badly designed Pokémon, not arguing that at all. But I do think it’s a decent example of the different design philosophies that come into play before the phys/spec split, and how some Pokémon don’t need to be designed with stab in mind. It may be something worth considering in future videos when fixing Pokémon for the first 3 gens (obviously since this one is gen 4 it doesn’t matter anyways)
the big problem with this sorta philosophy is that it's really more theoretical than something that works out in practice
sure, you have the occasional standout that complete succeeds without stab because its base offensive stat and coverage is just that good ... but, like, good stats and coverage _aren't_ actually mutually exclusive with a good stab move, even in early gens. hell, pokemon like rhydon get strong coverage by _having_ stab moves, because rock + ground are just that great of an offensive pairing. mons like starmie, meanwhile, have the solid pair of water and psychic bolstered by access to surf and ... psychic, yet _also_ get complete access to _boltbeam._ and nothing really needs to be said about the strength of normal type privilege in the early gens, considering gen 1 ou says all that needs to be said
and stab really is such a huge difference. sure, a thunderbolt from gengar _hurts_ ... a little bit less than one coming from an electric type packing 87 special attack. it's scarier than starmie's thunderbolt, but its ice punch is about equivalent to the star's ice beam and it can't outdo either of its stabs without outright _blowing itself up._ sure, this all doesn't stop gengar from being an amazing pokemon, but that's the thing: gengar is an _amazing pokemon,_ so not getting to leverage stab ( + its stab types ultimately being a bit mediocre anyway ) is just a single mark against its fantastic list of strengths. less pushed pokemon don't exactly get to say the same
and like, sure, there's nothing _wrong_ per se with the philosophy of overwhelming specialization vs. adaptive versatility, because it's a very real design ethos. it's just very much not one gamefreak used. sure, there's signs that they flirted with the idea in places ( normal type privilege in and of itself stems from it ), but ultimately system mechanics like the type chart and actual pokemon design make it plainly obvious that they had no real commitment to it. the proliferation of stab moves wasn't something that came about because of the physical-special split; rather, both stem from the same place of gamefreak gaining a better understanding of the systems they created back from the very beginning of the series, and making efforts to better utilize that understanding going forward
I always love how you don't just make the pokemon more useful, but find creative niches for them.
Dude I am so enamored by your videos. They're getting better and better with each one, and frankly the very first with chikorita was already awesome. Your content is a breath of fresh air, and you should be very proud of yourself. I hope your channel takes off like a rocket and you continue to have a good time makes these videos. When you have fun making these, we get to have fun with you by watching!
I have to say, this was my favorite video of yours so far. The supporting cast with their own stories helped keep me invested, and you identified some genuinely great and unexpected strategies that were hype as hell. Wonderful job!
This series is evolving FAST. Awesome content
Focus Energy + Comet Punch seems like a neat combo for Ledyba, but yeah Sonic Boom is pretty strong early game.
This one was really something special. The fact that you made Ledian so useful and unique without even touching its stats is super cool, and I was so invested in the team that I ended up watching the whole playthrough.
Love the storyline in Onix vs Steelix!
Been here since Chikorita, still my favorite series on youtube. Stay inspired my man!
I'm SO glad you respect the boundary of "Not every Pokemon should be able to sweep the Champion". When ROM hacks improve bad Pokemon (and this usually includes Ledian), they make every single Pokemon absolutely busted beyond what is necessary or appropriate. But you seem to think the same way I do! Ledian is an early-game catch; it just needs to be viable for a short while, not game-altering.
That Red fight was extremely creative, this video should be called, the baton pass that could
I love this series. It’s always interesting to see how wildly a Pokémon’s usability can swing with what seem like such minor tweaks.
It’s also great that the goal is always to find a reason to use the mon, whatever that niche may be, rather than just always making a powerhouse. Not that the occasional powerhouse (luxray) isn’t fun too.
Mind reader-baton pass is just soo satisfying to watch.
That entire koga fight was hilarious xD
And the imported cheese reference is cute
This was definitely the best video youve done so far, really outdone yourself, super entertaining and fun
You know, I love this series. It's made me realize just how badly neglected Pokemon's singleplayer experience has become.
Instead of Pokemon being designed around early game, midgame and lategame effectiveness (as with the Bug types you mentioned in the earlier generations), they're designed around specific sets and niches for the competitive side, and as a result most Pokemon in the later games become easily capable of steamrolling it with a little bit of prior knowledge and itemization. I know there's the argument of "oh it's a kids game" but there really is some serious power creep in the recent gens, and I do wish the complexity of the strategies used in the gyms could level up along with the immense diversity in available Pokemon and items (eg. Iono's levitating Mismagius turning into an electric-type was really cool, I wish we saw more of that type of thing).
I can’t thank you enough for showing Ledian the love and care that they deserved!
Edit: On a different note, I love how you gave the entire team their own intro cards and stories. I would love to see this in future episodes, but if this doesn’t happen, I’m at least happy that it was in a video about a Pokémon that was redesigned to support other Pokémon!
At some point I was worried that you didn’t FIX Ledian, but BROKE it.
But rather than that, I would like to say that what you showcased proved something else. You exposed with Ledian the hidden depths of Pokemon’s ocean-deep battle mechanics.
This run was like a work of art. And not some cheap “modern art” garbage, though that may have been its initial appearance (given Ledian’s history).
No, this was true art. A showcase of skill and an understanding of the craft that befits an artist. Something that inspires, and inspired awe.
Well DONE.
Loving the characterization of this whole team! I will follow Starlight to the end of the Earth
Yeah right
The fun little narrative style for the playtest was really engrossing - lovely video!
You forgot to remove "snake" from the description you copy-pasted from the Onix video. 😅 Just sayin'.
This is the first video I've seen from this series, I've been instantly charmed by your way of building and telling stories by doing little fixes, I adore your creative visions, please never stop.
What a fun Pokémon fix video. I love the story of each team member as misfit superheroes. I had a healthy amount of stupid grins. 🤩
This is your best video so far.
Also, my best guess on the next fix is a twofer so I have a double chance to be wrong: Lickilicky or Gallade.
13:09 Fire Emblem reference is appreciated ❤ Arthur and Percy are fun characters
Absolutely loved this channel after discovering it through the paras video, the way you make so many mediocre or downright bad Pokémon worth using without even changing their stats is incredible, it feels like actual improvements instead of slapping on some busted stat buffs, or at least make them fun to use, your videos fill a unique niche in the Pokémon community and a really entertaining one, can’t wait for the next video!
I adored the characters and personality you gave to each team member plus the introduction to each one, the story telling was very engaging, definitely a must-stay addition to the series!
Also I think the next Pokémon is Lickitung
Love this series, glad you’re still posting!
Really nice seeing Ledian gets the -starlight- spotlight. Jokes aside, this was a great video, and using ledian to make work of power trick of all things was spectacular
Would absolutely love to play HG/SS with this Ledian!
Same I wish he would share the rom with the changes to the Pokémon he fixes
I usually am a silent viewer on RUclips but i had to write a comment here.
I already really liked your channel, especially your philosophy of sticking to the core design of a mon while fixing it. It just shows that these Pokemon could have been fixed in the canonical games as well while the idea of the Pokemon stays roughly the same.
But I really enjoyed this new storytelling even more, with you giving each team member a little back story to show the idea that it is the team that is important for Ledian as it is the helper that lets its buddies shine.
I just wanted to thank you for over an hour of entertainment in this video alone. I am not an active Pokemon player, after playing a few other monster tamers, the whole randomness just doesnt catch me at the moment but I still enjoy well done content about Pokemon just like your channel because it was the first game i was ever obsessed with and for that it will always have a place in my heart, especially the first 3 generations.
New zen mode video, woohoo!
Can you do carnivine next?
This is the best take on Ledyba and Ledian ive ever seen
I´m voting Tangela for the next one! Loving these series so much, as always it's totally worth the wait
As soon as you baton passed the mind reader to X against the double teaming Primeape I was absolutely gooped. The killer intro makes so much more sense now 🤣🤣🤣
Maybe a good subject for a future buff video is ponyta in FRLG. It’s not irredeemably bad, but it could use some shinx style buffs to take it from disappointingly underwhelming to strong pick
Yes, please! I love the Ponyta line, but it's so meh.
Absolutely LOVE the party characterizations.
I like that this playthrough not only made ledian better, but made the entire team better through unique baton pass strategies. Though I know if i had this power i’d be using guillotine kingler every opportunity I get, regardless of if it’s a good idea
While I understand not giving it all the elemental punches, I feel like its Pulseman inspiration justifies Thunder Punch.
Loved this one. Running Ledian at point to facilitate a team of mediocre Pokemon designed specifically to sweep the E4 is what this channel is all about.
Seeing you go through the game design process is so cool
I'm curious how long the writing process on this was cause that felt like listening to a radio drama compared to previous episodes, especially with every pokemon having fleshed out backstories and the rivalry between Radar and Silver. Like, this could have been a Pokemon themed street level cape story in its own right. Ledian really earned that heroic stat screen pose today. I also want to imagine X is just this super friendly dude who politely asks for permission before beheading people.
The "unsalvageable gen 2 Pokemon" is usually considered to be Sunflora.
The only thing Ledian needs is rotating it's stats.
Make it's physical attack it's special defense,
make it's special attack it's physical attack,
and it's special defense it's special attack.
The jump in quality in this episode is noticeable and yet you’ve managed to stay true to the essence of this series. To be blunt, most content creators fail in this department, at least early on. Keep staying true to yourself, Jack. It shines through in every video. I think that’s why so many people can’t wait for your uploads. I know I can’t! Keep up the great work :)
Been here since the Chikorita vid was at 5k views, super stoked to see this series taking off as quickly as it has. Poor ledian is so dookie in every game that isnt Eternal X, you sure have a lot of ground to cover to get him even tolerable. Very interested to hear this one out.
i love how you gave the other team members backstories i thought that was super cool
Like Don Cheadle in Hotel Rwanda, Ledian has to make the most of a bad situation.
Ledian is definitely the most forgettable of the early game bugs, so I'm glad to see it getting some love. I never knew it was an homage to a previous game, so leaning into its superhero design for its update is brilliant.
1:19 A friend and I are going through a randomized LeafGreen Nuzlocke, and Sunflora (nicknamed Twinkie) carried us through the first few gyms; we joked that we were punished for putting her away after getting another grass type by losing two 'mons shortly after.
The fact that you watch Imported Cheese automatically turned your channel from an A+ to a an A+++. Love it.
Claire be like "No way I'm gving that Ledian-Kingler guy a badge"
This is easily my favorite nuzlocke I’ve ever watched! I love Ledian so much, and I love that you made a run to show this lil bug some shine. The team complimented Ledian so well, and I love your tactics using Pokémon like Onix, Umbreon, and Cloyster to show some amazing strategies with support.
Amazing video, and this was so hype!
What you've created is buzzwoles sidekick and I'm holding that headcanon forever
I LOVED the heist/assemble team trope that you did with Pokémon that are often forgotten. Ledian was also such a cool Mon this run.
I'd just like to give some input- in case you were uneasy about this addition to the gameplay section of your videos, I LOVE your style of storytelling surrounding the Pokemon in your party. It's awesome, and only adds to your uniqueness on this platform. I hope to see that bit of flavor stick around in the future! And assuming it already was, I look forward to it!
Now THIS was an awesome video. As a huge Ledian fan and defender, I was THRILLED this whole way. I wish there was a rom hack to just to play with these fixed mons and finally giving Ledian the spotlight. Amazing work Zen!!! 🎉
You perfectly encapsulated how duped I was playing Silver for the first time. I really thought Ledyba was a worthwhile investment just by looks alone
I had fun using Ledian in XD Gale of Darkness as a screen setter. In a game where its all double battles it actually had a bit of a niche. He helped me never need to grind due to the team defense, and beat the end boss way underleveled due to it.
Crawdaunt is such an underutilized pokemon he deserves love
it's crazy how a few changes made ledian way better and gave it a chance to really shine
"But they were no match for Ledian"
Truly, never has such a sentence ever been spoken in earnest before in the history of Pokemon
I often go back and watch these fixing videos to pass the time as well as inspire similar changes for a ROM hack project I'm working on in my spare time, and this one is probably still my favorite, though the Sunflora one is certainly growing on me (heh). The design philosophy really shines here, and the storytelling for the entire party is immaculate. Seeing that ragtag group take on the Johto region and even Red with the help of a literal Gen 2 early bug was truly glorious. My only real note for Ledian itself would be that even though you said no to the elemental punches, I still think that you could at least add Thunder Punch as a Level 1 reminder move after evolving. It would act as a little nod to the Pulseman inspiration, plus it would provide a coverage move for its new 4x weakness to Flying, even with the more support-oriented design you took with the latter half of the learnset. I am also still so curious about what mon you originally were planning to cover next before ultimately choosing to cover Banette instead. There's definitely quite a few Gen 4 cross-evolutions that were less than stellar, and I'd love to see your method applied to some of them like Lickilicky, Electivire (add a Fighting subtype and give it Iron Fist maybe?), and Magmortar.
your audio sounds so good!! I've been watching since Chikorita and it's great to have seen the improvement in the vids since then. :)
In another game I've played, Disgaea, there's a fist weapon that uses the characters Special Defense (called Resistance but is the same idea.) Since they gave Ledian Iron Fist with it's abyssmal physical attack stat, I always thought it would be neat if it had a punching move that did the same thing, so Ledian stays as a decently fast special tank while having a good offensive option. Or, even cooler, if it had an ability that made all punching moves based on it's Special Defense, giving it a base 110 stat to use offensively and defensively.
This was the coolest use of a Pokémon ive seen. Well f-ing done
I not only love the concept but the stories you craft for your whole team. It makes these all the more enjoyable!!!!
The lore behind the party members was peak entertainment. Perhaps Precious will find an Eviolite to keep up with those younger Steelix
The backstories that were given to each pokemon and how it was weaved into the story you crafted, brought up several times at just the right moment, and better yet you found a way to bring in pokemon that not many people probably bring into late game.
Very well done.
9:15 missed opportunity of using trash cloak Wormadam
This is by far the coolest team you've developed thusfar and your parasect vid was basically my dream vid
Fortress and Shuckle, definiteily.
Never realized how powerful Power Trick was.
Dude
Giving every member of the team a character is fucking golden
I had an idea of giving Ledian an Evo that becomes Bug/Electric to lean into its Pulseman inspirations. It’d get a huge buff to its Atk and smaller buffs to its defenses and speed. Now it’d actually be usable
cannot explain how hard i laughed during krabbys introduction
Those changes are sick, but I missed something. A VERY late move I’d have added as Ledian’s true bread and butter as a Baton Pass support would’ve been Cosmic Power, for star-thematic as well as being a totally unique role, since I don’t think a single Pokémon can learn both Cosmic Power and Baton Pass
The Mind Reader + Guillotine combo with X the Kingler was absolutely amazing to see in action. I love how you also incorporated some other otherwise underrated Pokémon in the team as well, like Precious and Hitman. The final Knock Off was crucial. Honestly the entire team synergy was super fun to watch in practice.
I wouldn't be surprised if you ever make a video about original Kanto Farfetch'd in the future, lil guy deserves a shot at redemption. Other Pokémon that come to mind are the Hoenn fireflies Illumise and Volbeat, maybe Seviper too.
Can't wait to see your next video. 😁😁😁
I love the added story bits it’s got me so invested
My morning just a got a whole lot better now that there’s new a Zen Mode video in my notifications!!!
Been watching since the first upload. This video has blown all of the others out of the water. I'm so happy for how far you've come and can't wait to see more
I love these videos so much. Bless you, sir.
This Krabby dossier! Holy smokes! amazing
YOOOOOO Timid Nature and Alert to Sounds is an insane pull! Alert to Sounds tells us that she either has 30 or 31 IVs in her Speed Stat! ZOOM ZOOOM
I love the characterization of team members lol, my fav part tbh. Keep the series up :)
So happy to finally see my boy Ledian putting some work. There are so many pokemon that I've always wanted to use but are just awful, and this series is the perfect "what if" that I needed. Great job!
And now, I'll patiently wait for Spinda to get the spotlight.
Aerialate would be a really neat ability for ledian imo. Gives it the option to almost have flying stab, and increases it's power offensively while leaving it's current bug/fighting defense alone