Can I Beat Pokemon Platinum with ONLY Ground Types? 🔴 Pokemon Challenges ► NO ITEMS IN BATTLE

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In this video I take you along my ridiculous Pokemon Platinum Challenge Journey through the world of Sinnoh in Generation 4 as I attempt to beat the entire game with only Ground Type Pokemon without using Items in Battle! Am I able to do it? Only one way to find out!
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#pokemon #pokémonPlatinum #pokemonchallenge

[@mimiquoi7380]

Hello I'm here for my suggestion : Pokemon Black2 or White2 with only one Maractus 🌵 😊 I hope everyone as a good day !

[@Bac0n143.]

Bless this man please

[@myflyoutdooradventures8414]

This is brilliance. Love Maractus, but it's just so dang frail and slow. In a similar boat to Rampardos.

[@Jpisop4real]

i wanna see this

[@kovoksgaming]

I really wanna see this run, keep up the persistence man I’m sure he’ll do it eventually! 😇🙏

[@freak0429]

While I agree, gen5 runs are very rare as exp gain is super nerfed in those games

[@freak0429]

Gligar being drastically different colors between games will never not be weird

[@Takermania70]

I legitimately thought he caught a shiny without realizing

[@Dayrell-sr9tj]

Same

[@TheDeadGunslinger]

Rydon learns those moves because it's a dragon, an earth dragon. Just like Gyarados, Charizard, Aerodactyl, etc. it's a dragon without having the dragon typing, which one of the designers of pokemon made a tweet confirming that not all dragons have the dragon type.

[@MrKalefe]

If he was dragon/ground in gen 1, it would be totaly busted

[@andrewjoseph2749]

aka Kaiju

[@owenblount7334]

And aggron also learns a bunch of coverage for the same reason

[@Flaming_Rok]

​@@MrKalefeah yes, instead of insta-dying to grass and water, you insta-die to ice, which is one of the best types, and you lose out on the normal resistance! not to mention you lose out on rock STAB which isn't amazing in gen 1 but it's great to smack birds around, and oh right, you also are now vulnerable to flying moves too, so you can't wall them as effectively! dragon/ground would be probably be worse in gen 1

[@valhalla8140]

thats true, Nidoking too. that poison bunny rabbit kaiju, has a massive move ocean

[@saikomonvexo4864]

MDBAMA: In black and white play throughs, why don’t you take on Cynthia or Alder? You take on Red in silver and gold play throughs and Steven in Emerald.

[@freak0429]

Gen 5 are rare runs as exp gain is super nerfed. He should use rare candies if needed tho, he's been using them for curtain runs

[@DanielPereira-ey9nt]

That is a good question I believe the answer is most likely a time issue. Gen 5 takes much longer than other gens because of how exp works in those games, so he might just not have the time to commit to those post-game bosses

[@jamesdinius7769]

Take my thrumb's up. Now that he's using rare candies, the high level shouldn't be a barrier anymore. Hopefully he sees this one.

[@Detective_L]

There's also a few rom hacks that patch the old xp system into gen 5

[@Raziel_HHL]

he answered this in a live chat once, the runs already take ages so he usually doesn't have any more time for those fights

[@WhoIsSirChasm]

No, no, it's 'cause Rhyhorn has the Lightningrod Ability! So it uses that latent electrical power to charge its Thunder attacks! And it, uh... can harness it to become fire and ice with the power of imagination 'cause Rhydon was the first Pokémon ever designed! It all adds up!

[@jasonkeith2832]

Is that factoring in the 1/1024+ chance for an electric-type move to OHKO a Lightning Rod pokemon like in the anime?

[@shikarixox1195]

The reason pokemon like Rhydon, Nidoking, Tyranitar and the like learn so many elemental attacks is because their designs are Kaiju motifs. Kaiju being godzilla-esque monsters that typically have a variety of energy/elemental blasts they use.

[@morrigankasa570]

Why didn't he mention the weirdness of Rhydon being able to learn Surf? That one strikes me as the weirdest. Thunderbolt makes some sense in a strange roundabout way, if you consider them as a "Living Mountain". Mountains can handle Lightning Strikes & can affect the weather around them, what's more quartz crystals can transmit/conduct energy & are often found within rocks/mountains, therefore in a weird way them learning Thunder/Thunderbolt works. As for Ice Beam it goes back to weather effects & how some mountains are always Cold/Icy/Snowy at the top. With Flamethrower if you consider that Rocks often either form from or erupt from Volcanic eruptions/Lava, then the various Rock Types being able to learn various Fire Moves makes sense in a way by "Tapping into that Volcanic Origins".

[@floatingf8783]

14:48 I think this is the first time Damp has ever been useful in a serious battle in the history of Pokemon.

[@owenblount7334]

Man just forgetting that going boom was an actual move used in comp before it got nerfed boom used to -2 their defense then explode

[@Flaming_Rok]

@@owenblount7334 In fairness, in most circumstances Pokemon with the Damp ability have better abilities to use, but yeah it wasn't worthless in Gen 4!

[@BrettKolb-o9n]

One thing I would help with recommend for challenges like this, where a Starter isn’t eligible but the evolution is (like this challenge with Turtwig and Grotle not being ground but Torterra being ground), is something some Nuzlockers do where you allow use of the starter until the next eligible encounter, than disabling the use of the starter until it evolves into the eligible pokemon, while Gardenia might become way harder with this example, it would be interesting to be able to see a starter in the runs

[@Zoroark73]

As silly as Wormadam is, you could have used it for Gardenia. It’s neutral to Grass and learns Confusion at level 23 to have something for Roserade.

[@sapphiredraggytheflygon8521]

However, as FlygonHG noted, Bug Bite is still the better move in that fight

[@Zoroark73]

@@sapphiredraggytheflygon8521 True, STAB is better. I didn't know he did a similar run. I'll have to check it out.

[@markhenderson9507]

I did a Platinum ground-only run about a year ago. I'll never forget fighting Cynthia's Garchomp; it was like an "Okay, you gotta watch this" moment. My Whiscash froze it with Blizzard after taking out just less than half of its health. I tried to not get it into red health, but unfortunately it did and she used a full restore... Only for Whiscash to freeze it a second time! I took it out while it was still frozen. I'm so glad that happened because I would have lost otherwise. Oh, and my whole team was in the low level 50s.

[@jinn8465]

Whiscash was like "I didn't say you could thaw." Lmao.

[@___________0Z0X]

Looks like your “Whis” came true.

[@stovetopism]

I assume why Rhyhorn, Rhydon, Nidoking, Tyranitar etc can learn moves like thunder, ice beam, flamethrower are cuz of their kaiju based origins which those can do a lot of things like that. Yeah its not an in universe reason but thats just what I always took it as. Seriously though go look at Baragon and then look at Nidoking, they are almost identical even morso after Baragon got more purple in the early 2000's.

[@BaeBunni]

to bad that argument falls apart real fast besides the ones mentioned, grimer, slowpoke, kangastkhan, chansey, jigglepuff, clefairy, snorlax also can learn them all. I think it has way more to do with age of the pokemon from conception to release. A lot of the earliest pokemon seem to learn everything like rhydon, clefairy and lapras are some of the oldest design wise and have massive movepools. The newer ones conceptualized have far more scarce of a movepool.

[@costby1105]

@@BaeBunni Normal Types in Gen seem to learn a wide variety of moves in exchange for not having super effective stab. Grimer sludge can be very combustable at least. Slowpoke line seems to be based on the sazae oni though i didn't read anything about them being able to control or use fire.

[@MasterofInterspace]

Don't say that, baragon is one of the worst kaijus and the nidos are some of the best Pokemon.

[@Shaggy9271]

Ryhorn has lightning rod

[@kinglawson1749]

I'm pretty sure its hippo-po-tas and Hip-Pow-don Correct me if im wrong

[@parzival-bo]

What a surprisingly _grounded_ run. No? Okay... Requesting Pokemon B2W2 With Only One Chinchou.

[@peachymiku6432]

Ba dum, tissh! Hehe, I love a good pun! It's really.... Groundbreaking, isn't it! Hehe, I will see myself out now!

[@parzival-bo]

@@peachymiku6432 Yeah, after those terrible jokes we should probably _go to _*_ground._*

[@peachymiku6432]

@@parzival-bo Hehe, some might say we are *digging* our own grave!

[@parzival-bo]

@@peachymiku6432 ...something about this feels wrong...I feel kinda _dirty_ about it.

[@peachymiku6432]

@@parzival-bo 😸 Maybe we should take things *underground!*

[@dripsoup6639]

I don't have an actual reason for Rhydon learning Flamethrower, Thunderbolt, and Ice Beam outside of Gen 1 gonna Gen 1, but the closest justification I can think of is because it's a Kaiju.

[@JohnaMan327]

Onix is in Oreburgh Mine. Steelix is in Iron Island. I'm not sure why you caught neither.

[@megabladechronicles962]

He also could've used Torterra, obviously, Turtwig and Grotle aren't ground types but other KZbinrs just don't use the pokemon in major battles until they evolve into whatever type they are using for the monotype challenge

[@GusterTails]

On our way through, I took the Skull Fossil. I knew if I didn’t say what I took, you’d all ask. Actually, now that I think about it, everyone asks anyway. Comments are good for the KZbin algorithm.

[@YamiChase]

6:59 Don't forget surf!

[@thewerdna]

16:37 known trait of gen 4 AI. They are obsessed with getting a speed drops, so unless they see a KO with another move, they will go for the speed drop instead

[@heinzdoofenshmirtz8643]

Yep. The CPU opponents, if they have moves that lower speed (such as Rock Tomb), they'll prioritize that.

[@sokumotanaka9271]

I WAS TODAY YEARS OLD WHEN I LEARNED RYHORN CAN LEARN THUNDERBOLT< FLAMETHROWER AND ICE BEAM!!!??? What in the world!?

[@jo3d1rt391]

Wait until you learn it can learn surf in every generation. The only game it can’t learn surf is legends arceus. Legit serious about that

[@TheOrderEnforcer]

That’s Generation 1 for you.

[@deathclawplum]

​@@jo3d1rt391 i mean... it can swim, yeah? so no reason it can't learn surf.

[@odinslosti2135]

Challenge Suggestion: Oblivion with only Bow and Arrows. They will drive a hole in your pocket early game, and not deal enough damage late game. A perfectly brutal challenge.

[@austinbyrn5661]

Not sure if it is possible but a run with only multistrike moves would be sweet! Later gens would likely be easier with a larger move pool! Moves like double kick, twin needle, bonemerang, double hit, gear grind, arm thrust, barrage, bone rush, bullet seed, comet punch, double slap, fury attack, fury swipes, icicle spear, pin missle, rock blast, scale shot, and water shuriken to name a few would be neat if its possible to pull off.

[@benfrancis7745]

You should've taken turtwig, used it until you caught a ground type, then brought it back when it evolves to torterra.

[@heinzdoofenshmirtz8643]

Yeah, he should have picked Turtwig and used it until he caught Geodude.

[@sandart8508]

In the future if you have a similar dilemma as if you could use turtwig, I propose that you can take the unmodified starter so long as you don’t make use of stab until you have the necessary type. It doesn’t account for the difference in weaknesses but I think that’s fine, weakness aren’t usually that pressing early game.

[@Nestmind]

i am SO HAPPY that the dentist is not a nightmare for you. When i was...like 7, i had a bad teeth, a milk one, and the dentist insisted to devitalize it...and she was doing it WITHOUT ANESTESIA. I was screaming like a pig, and she was calling me names for it! my mom STORMED IN like a fury, told her off, and took me to another dentist, that simply removed the teeth, that would have fallen off anyway. From that moment i have a...not phobia, but i rerally dislike dentists, so much that when a couple yeras back i needed another teeth devitalized, i had a small panic attack. you can't understand how lucky you are...

[@Almighty_S]

10:09 that’s the BEST nature lmaoo

[@realperson69]

I was confused for a second because I saw a ground type run of Platinum just a few days ago. Turns out it was a FlygonHG hardcore nuzlocke, and he used Sandy Cloak Wormadam against Gardenia.

[@heinzdoofenshmirtz8643]

Yeah, that was FlygonHG. His naming theme was characters in The Office, by the way.

[@dmcmahondm]

I'm thinking it would be cool to do starter only runs, like Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle in red/blue. Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile in gold/silver. no evolving, just the juniors 🫡

[@Dragonstorm1234]

1:07 Not quite, it's Hippo-Poh-tas

[@SlvrStryker]

...I find it very amusing that you opted to focus on Rhyhorn learning Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, and Flamethrower... ...while completely ignoring the fact that its evolution, Rhydon, can learn *_Surf._*

[@hannahdavis4256]

I love these videos so much. Can't wait to see the water gym. I had a fairly fine team in my platinum run, but I remember absolutely struggling with the water gym. Crasher Wake is my least favorite gym leader because of it. Had flashbacks just hearing about the water gym lol. But I love fun challenges like these. Hippopotas is so cute too.

[@spearghost225]

1:20 I think it'd be fine to use starters that evolve to gain a second type you're planning to use in a run personally, but since you're unsure, you could maybe try waiting until a reasonable time to evolve it fully and start holding it in a PC until then after you get other options. I think other KZbinrs who do challenge runs like mono runs did this, so it's not particularly unprecedented

[@Religion0]

I think it's weirder that Rhydon can learn Surf.

[@heyitsgabe1093]

I've always thought about doing an all dog pokemon or all cat pokemon run. Might be a fun challenge run.

[@Caleb_XIII]

man, I waited at 12:00 for something like "wait. does that mean that Rhyperior is superior?"

[@t.j.helming5534]

Mah-Dry-Bread says that a Gible with a Jolly nature isn't gonna matter too much, then Cynthis's champion ace pokemon Garchomp comes out... you should have left it in. You outspeed because of jolly even with the -7 level gap! (I did the ruff calculations before "running my mouth", so I know what I'm talking about.)

[@066kshitizvsingh4]

MDB, plays "like a casual" for most of the part so I don't think he actually looks up speed stats/damage calcs

[@AJUniverse]

6:44 The sound of a charging rhino is like the sound of thunder.

[@Zarren_Redacted]

Rhyhorn can learn those moves because he's a cool guy that doesn't afraid of anything. Except drops of water.

[@wildtofurkey1013]

Damn, MahDry got some really good natures in this run, Adamant Geodude and Rhyhorn, Jolly Gible, Naughty Hippopotas

[@asham868]

I did a ground type-only run for Sword/Shield. It was probably the most fun ive had in a run.

[@mathewbrewington2679]

Who did u use I been wanting to do one

[@asham868]

@@mathewbrewington2679 I don't remember all of them, but I know I used Rhyperior, Gastrodon, Hippowdon, and Krookodile

[@knate44]

"Fun type run" should be a channel meme that's so good

[@darththeo]

There are a lot of things you could have done to make your run easier. If you got a Wormadam Ground Clock, the Gardenia fight would have been easier. Hippowdon gets the Elemental Fangs moves via Move relearner which includes Thunder Fang. Which would have made dealing with Gyarados easier.

[@DeadFanDeadFan]

Jolly is probably the second best Garchomp nature. What a find!

[@zidarose]

I love the thought of Explosion being clutch

[@floatingf8783]

I made the world's saddest peanut butter sandwich while watching this. I have no bread or jam, it's just a bunch of peanut butter between two tortilla shells.

[@sfish6]

Go out and get some bread bro

[@floatingf8783]

​@sfish6 meh, it would have taken too long and I was hungry as fuck at the time.

[@thomaswawrzyniak118]

I wanted to make a turkey and swiss, but I ran out of turkey. I just had swiss cheese and bread After typing that out, cheese and bread can be quite fancy, guess I should be grateful

[@omniunown]

Ground/Rock makes some sense with thunderbolt, ice beam and flame thrower from a physics perspective, but certainly not from a lore one. Thunderbolt: Electricity wants to hit the ground by the most efficient path possible. If a ground type could create a really good looking spot of ground to hit, it could be used to set up targets for electrical potential. Initiating the thunderbolt itself doesn't necessarily make sense though, unless you also buy into the flamethrower explanation below. Short version: differences in temperature between atmosphere and ground increase electrical potential. Flamethrower: Tectonic movement could generate enough heat within the body to ignite something. It could also just contain traces of flint and metal to generate a spark. Finely powdered sand could have similar ignition potential to coffee creamer in the pokemon universe, so it could be igniting really finely ground sand to act as a flame medium. Best I've got without researching and seems pretty flimsy. Ice beam: Same tectonic forces as for Flamethrower, but used differently. Have you ever visited a permanent ice cave near a volcano? They're pretty cool (Hahaha). You're welcome, I accepted your engagement bait in good faith.

[@shikarixox1195]

The reason pokemon like Rhydon, Nidoking, Tyranitar and the like learn so many elemental attacks is because their designs are Kaiju motifs. Kaiju being godzilla-esque monsters that typically have a variety of energy/elemental blasts they use.

[@rage6247]

Hip-pow-don there is a w in the name

[@MasterofInterspace]

It's funny, i just saw a ground nuzlocke of platinum. What the guy did was keep turtwig until he could reach the cave and catch a geodude, then box the turtwig until he could evolve it outside of any major battles. That would have been an okay way to do it.

[@066kshitizvsingh4]

FlygonHG's video right? A nice coincidence that both did a challenge based on the same type. It's fun seeing 2 completely different playstyles of the game

[@heinzdoofenshmirtz8643]

Was it FlygonHG?

[@SakatoHanaturo]

aaah It's Hippo-Poe-Tahs XD Love your videos, but hearing one of my fave pokemon said wrong was nagging at my 'um actually' brain cells XD

[@ZeloepOlleh]

My guess on the Rhydon situation: Rhydon was Mewtwo's last line of defense. Even in the movie, he used Rhydon to fight against Ash. In Pokemon Yellow, which seems to fit more into the "pokemon canon", he also is used on the second floor of the Cerulean Cave. My guess it's due to Mewtwo giving him strength and granting him additional defense and offense abilities. Example from a Pokedex entry in one of the Anime Episodes: Rhyhorn, the Spiked Pokémon. Rhyhorn is known for its physical power and its considerable offensive and defensive battle skills. Considering that it is known for its offensive and defensive battle skills, Mewtwo had that in mind and gave him abilities beyond any Rhydon. Rhydon also has the ability Lightningrod which gives more lore to his background on the thunderbolt part. I'll defend ice beam with the Mewtwo theory. Another example of Mewtwo's defenses is Marowak. Also can learn ice punch thunderbolt, fire punch. Etc. Graveler is the only one without ice abilities. But can learn thunderpunch and fire punch.

[@someguywithacoconut9895]

Ryhorn learns Thunderbolt, Ice Beam and Flamethrower because Godzilla.

[@zeldapadawan5634]

Personally, I think Rhyhorn can learn thunderbolt because it has the ability lightning rod (if I recall correctly) and instead of the typical thunderbolt, it just stands next to the opponent and they both just get shocked by lightning, only rhyhorn doesn't take damage as its a ground type. The other theory I have is that its a reference to the infamous "aim for the horn Pikachu" scene

[@michaelnobbs9147]

First time I've seen the ability and description for "oblivious" Examples of things like this show the devs have some sense of humour, always love seeing how it leaks out

[@sirjdog21]

I always think female Hippowdon is shiny when I encounter one lol

[@YamiChase]

Same

[@TheSandFoxx]

Your nature luck on this run was absolutely insane!

[@gavinlastname8216]

onix is so bad that you forgot you could use it or chose to not even acknowledge its existence as an option. awesome

[@StarshadowMelody]

"Now explain why it can also learn Ice Beam and Flamethrower." oh. oh I see why it can learn thunderbolt now.

[@anisb6980]

Hippodown going beast mode in this run

[@peachymiku6432]

You had a few hiccups but it could have been a lot worse! I think my doctors are just as grateful because I am like, yeah let's do this! I really want to know what is going on with me. I got someone in the comments of another video trying to diagnose me. Some video about the worst pain I have ever felt. I mentioned my fibromyalgia and said I was diagnosed with that... And was told it wasn't a disease. Even if that is the case, my doctors say that's what I have right now so I am sticking to that. And why try and diagnose a stranger that you literally know nothing about aside from symptoms? So yeah, been feeling your pain on others diagnosing you. Glad you figured out what the problem was with your throat and stuff! I would do as you picked also.

[@alexfloyd6766]

Rhyhorn, the Rhyhorn line, as well as other lines such as the Nidoran line, learn moves such as thunderbolt and ice beam due to them learning those moves in Generation 1. If you look through the movesets of various pokemon introduced in Generation 1, particularly normal types, you will find other such cases where there is little explanation of why they learn those moves, such as tauros learning thunder, blizzard, and fire blast.

[@novawarrior1558]

Hey MDB, Just so you know, vitamins won't max out your EVs in the older pokemon games. I believe once a pokemon has hit 100 EVs (out of the 255 possible in one stat) you can't use them anymore. Love these challenges!

[@TallDarknGruesome]

6:00 y know, speaking of odd type coverage.. lets talk about a mon that doesn't technically exist anymore. Can you beat pokemon crystal as a puncha-kazam? (abra leveled to alakazam, tm trained to have fire punch, ice punch and thunder punch which were special attacks in G2 and could be learned by kadabra/alakazam in that gen only.

[@Glyx]

*sad Quagsire noises* Not that there's anything wrong with Whiscash, of course! But Quagsire does offer more utility by having Water Absorb, which would've helped a lot with the battle against Crasher Wake and Cynthia's Milotic.

[@mr_dnd]

In diamond that exact fight with perugly is a fight with a skuntank, so absolutely makes sense

[@nintendoswitchbrit4201]

I think people asking when this or that will be coming is a good thing in a way because it shows that people still want and are excited for you to play those games but I can understand if getting annoying if the comment section is just flooded with them

[@enricobreveglieri397]

Why It Makes Absolute Sense That Rhydon, a Ground and Rock Type Pokémon, Can Learn Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, and Flamethrower - An essay that I wrote all by myself without using AI The Pokémon universe, governed by rules of strategy, lore, and gameplay mechanics, is often full of surprises. Among these is the fact that certain Pokémon, including Rhydon, can learn moves that seem contrary to their elemental types. As a Ground and Rock-type Pokémon, Rhydon’s ability to learn moves like Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, and Flamethrower may seem baffling at first. These moves are respectively Electric, Ice, and Fire-type attacks-types that Rhydon, by its nature, seems unlikely to master. However, upon closer inspection, Rhydon’s capacity to learn these moves makes perfect sense when you consider game balance, Pokémon lore, and even real-world scientific analogies. 1. Game Balance and Versatility The most immediate and fundamental reason why Rhydon can learn Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, and Flamethrower is rooted in **game balance**. Pokémon games thrive on offering a wide array of tactical options for players, and this variety is crucial to keeping the gameplay engaging and balanced. If Rhydon were restricted to only Ground- and Rock-type moves, it would become easily countered by a significant number of Pokémon, most notably Water and Grass-types. Water Pokémon, in particular, pose a major threat to Rhydon because of its 4x weakness to Water-type moves. By giving Rhydon access to moves like Thunderbolt and Ice Beam, the developers are providing it with the tools to counteract these natural disadvantages. Thunderbolt allows Rhydon to hit Water-types hard, while Ice Beam gives it a powerful tool against Grass-type Pokémon. Flamethrower, meanwhile, gives Rhydon an additional option for dealing with Steel, Ice, and Grass-types, adding further depth to its strategy. This movepool expansion is not unique to Rhydon. Many other Pokémon in the series have been given moves that are seemingly outside their elemental type to increase their versatility in battle. Rhydon’s case is part of a broader design philosophy where Pokémon can master a range of moves to prevent them from being overly pigeonholed into certain roles. This design decision ensures that battles remain unpredictable, allowing for a greater variety of tactics and strategies. 2. Rhydon’s Biology and Lore Beyond game balance, Pokémon lore and biology can also explain why Rhydon is capable of learning Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, and Flamethrower. As a Ground and Rock-type Pokémon, Rhydon has a strong association with the earth, resilience, and physical strength. Its Pokédex entries describe it as being incredibly durable, with skin tough enough to withstand magma and shockwaves. This durability and connection to the environment could offer a plausible explanation for why Rhydon can harness such a diverse array of elemental forces. Thunderbolt Rhydon’s **Thunderbolt** access can be explained by its rock-like physiology. Rocks in the real world often contain minerals that conduct electricity, and as a creature made of stone and earth, Rhydon could potentially have conductive elements in its biology. Its horn, often depicted as a sharp drill, might act as a natural conductor for electrical energy. This would allow it to safely channel and direct electrical attacks like Thunderbolt, even if it is otherwise immune to Electric-type moves in the wild. This biological adaptability is reflected in other Pokémon as well-Ground-type Pokémon like Garchomp and Nidoking can also learn Thunderbolt, suggesting that Rhydon’s ability to use Electric-type moves fits within the broader context of Pokémon physiology. Ice Beam Rhydon’s ability to learn Ice Beam can also be supported by its resilient biology. In real-world terms, many rocks and minerals are resistant to cold temperatures, and ice has been used historically in many cultures for construction due to its hard, durable nature. Rhydon’s thick, rock-like hide could be interpreted as making it immune to extreme cold, allowing it to channel ice-based energy without difficulty. In the Pokémon universe, Ice Beam is often learned by non-Ice-type Pokémon to give them coverage against types that would otherwise counter them. Rhydon’s access to Ice Beam serves to protect it against Grass-types, one of its natural weaknesses. Since Ice-type moves are super effective against Grass, Ice Beam becomes a key weapon in Rhydon’s arsenal, helping it deal with opponents that might otherwise dominate it. Flamethrower Rhydon’s access to **Flamethrower** might seem the most unusual at first, given that it is a Ground and Rock-type. However, if we consider its lore and biology, this move makes more sense. Rhydon’s Pokédex entries frequently mention its ability to survive in magma and volcanic environments, which indicates that it has a natural affinity for extreme heat. Its skin is described as tough enough to endure both heat and pressure, which means that Rhydon could theoretically withstand and channel fire-based energy without injury. Flamethrower fits perfectly within Rhydon’s lore as a powerful, destructive Pokémon capable of enduring and inflicting massive damage. Fire, like lightning, represents raw, elemental power, something that aligns with Rhydon’s natural abilities. Flamethrower allows Rhydon to combat **Steel-types** (which Ground-type moves already counter), Grass-types, and ice-types, giving it a well-rounded toolkit that complements its already impressive strength. 3. Precedents in the Pokémon Series Rhydon is not alone in its ability to learn moves outside its type. Many Pokémon have access to moves that don’t seem to align with their primary elemental affinities. For instance, Gyarados, a Water and Flying-type, can learn both Thunderbolt and Flamethrower. Charizard, a Fire and Flying-type, can learn SolarBeam, a Grass-type move. These exceptions are part of a larger tradition in the Pokémon games where Pokémon are given diverse movepools to **expand their strategic options**. Rhydon’s access to Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, and Flamethrower should be viewed in this context. These moves provide coverage against its weaknesses and open up new tactical possibilities. Allowing Pokémon to learn moves outside their type not only adds to the unpredictability of battles but also helps prevent the game from becoming too rigid or formulaic. 4. Real-World Scientific Parallels Scientific principles also help justify Rhydon’s ability to learn Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, and Flamethrower. Many minerals and rocks in the real world have properties that allow them to conduct electricity or withstand extreme temperatures, which could explain why Rhydon can learn moves like Thunderbolt and Flamethrower. Additionally, ice has long been used in construction and tools, symbolizing hardness and durability, traits that Rhydon exemplifies. Moreover, animals in the real world-like electric eels or certain reptiles-can harness energy or endure extreme temperatures, providing a natural analogy for how Rhydon could wield Electric-, Ice-, and Fire-type moves. While Rhydon itself may not biologically produce these elements, it could be harnessing them through its unique physiology in much the same way some animals manipulate their environments. 5. Thematic and Symbolic Considerations Finally, Rhydon’s ability to learn these moves enhances its thematic image as a powerful, multi-faceted Pokémon. Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, and Flamethrower are all moves that symbolize destruction and elemental force, concepts that align with Rhydon’s depiction as a physically overwhelming Pokémon. By giving it access to such moves, the designers reinforce Rhydon’s status as a versatile and formidable creature in battle, capable of surprising opponents with unexpected elemental attacks. Conclusion While Rhydon’s ability to learn Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, and Flamethrower might seem odd at first glance, it makes perfect sense when considering factors such as game balance, lore, biology, and scientific parallels. These moves provide Rhydon with strategic options that help balance its weaknesses, expand its role in battle, and enhance its overall versatility. Additionally, Rhydon’s resilience and affinity with the elements, as depicted in its lore, offer a plausible explanation for why it can master such diverse moves. Whether viewed from a gameplay, thematic, or scientific standpoint, Rhydon’s ability to wield Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, and Flamethrower fits perfectly within the logic of the Pokémon universe.

[@kuyaboben5300]

I do appreciate the full team videos more than single mon runs

[@isupposeiexist]

Man, the Blow Ass part of this video was hilarious.

[@adambouaddaine9064]

@mahdrybread dude this is the best team I’ve ever seen you assemble since I started watching you 5 years ago!! Viva la Ground Types! ❤

[@sebbyeh]

my answer for why pokemon can learn moves they seemingly shouldn't is, well, why not?

[@dariusdrake7515]

Two challenge suggestions: 1. Gen 2 with only grass types 2. Any Red/Blue with only Dratini

[@lozangekitten-gamer7626]

you know what could be an interesting challenge? Pokemon X/Y with a team of flying types (I would love seeing you battle Sky trainers)

[@kotyrollins]

The rhyhorn and Nidos learning moves like flamethrower and ice Beam are probably based off the fact that those guys look like Kaiju. Lightning for rhyhorn also gets retroactive cred since rhyhorn got Lightning rod as an ability.

[@GSamus14]

I just did a Ground type monolocke in Platinum, so I know how annoying the early game can be (unless you grab a Wormadam)

[@animeakumaakuma5236]

Rhydon was apparently the first created Pokémon so as the favored child it is allowed all the benefits that it could be given

[@mattypanella8027]

Man, I just watched a Nuzlocke of Platinum with only Ground types last week, so I know that this is possible

[@bloodalchemy]

@Mah-Dry-Bread you mentioned buying vitamins while grinding for the E4 and that reminded me of a suggestion i wanted to make. You go through the game maxing out effort values naturally, which means they end up very scattered. I say that once they are maxed and you are using spawned in rare candles to power through a wall, go ahead and spawn in vitamins to clean up the effort values to what is actually useful to that pokemon.

[@kevinkpurnomo]

7:37 Sandstorm give 50% Sp. Def boost to Rock type starting from Gen VII, isn't it ?

[@faerylnhiikira1053]

No, no, he had it right. This feature of sandstorm began in gen IV.

[@masterofchaos7282]

Oh hey, I did a challenge like this years ago. Can’t to see how much better you probably did.

[@TheLetterJ0]

Okay, you got me. I also didn't know that Purugly isn't a dark type.

[@Piggly8w8]

Despite Ice Beam’s higher power, and the beneficial nature, Mamoswine’s significantly higher attack stat makes Ice Fang the stronger move. Hope that info helps save you in a future run where you’d use it

[@logandaley1544]

6:44 my guess would be some minerals in Ryhorn’s horn act like a lightning rod so that’s why it learns thunderbolt. Edit: You got me with the pause but I hope this doesn’t count as an essay. lol.

[@RealSlendyBoi]

I know this would probably be pretty tedious to do, but I think this idea could be a potentially fun run: Pokémon X(not the actual game, just whichever game you want), but with only your next opponents team. Meaning every important battle(Rivals, story fights against evil teams, gyms etc), you can ONLY use their team against them.

[@crimsonbloodmoon8826]

The only reason that makes sense to me as to why Rhydon can learn Thunderbolt is because of its ability Lightning Rod. But I’m pretty sure that itself has a few problems. Anyway, my suggestion: Pokemon Platinum with Fantina’s team and moves.

[@jonathanhead9009]

Tons of dark types on team Plasma, PLUS I remember it using Faint Attack often. Thought it was dark at first, too.

[@SeanORaigh]

These type team runs are always great. I've had the idea of doing a B2W2 run with a dark only team, due to the sheer number of diverse dark types in the second unova dex

[@SophieFox947]

Oh shut up that's literally what I am doing already! I was like "Huh, gen 4 got some good ground types, I guess I'll challenge myself a moderate amount by using just them" what a coincidence

[@lukeleslie9648]

Rhydon's ability is lightning rod. That's enough of an explanation.

[@BioniclesaurKing4t2]

Abilities came 2 gens after it got the moves.

[@indiamcdermott5028]

Hello MDB - here's my suggestion for a challenge: Platinum with only first form fire types. As usual, love watching your videos, always makes me smile when I see a new one drop!

[@danielbutler8103]

I have an idea for a fun challenge, One that means you could even use Drowzee. Can you beat Pokemon Black (Or any game from gen's 5 ,6 or 7) with only the move Assist? Purrloin learns Assist at level 6 so it'd be the starter, Then if you get a male Purrloin you can breed it with other's to get more Pokemon. I think this would be a great wacky challenge since the more Pokemon on your team the more random the move is. For any that don't know Assist uses a random move known by any of the user's party Pokémon, With some exceptions. So even Pokemon that can't use Assist would still be useful if they have good moves that Assist can use. Drowzee is in the Human-Like Egg Group so If you want one with Assist you'd need a Spinda since they're in the Field and Human-Like Egg Groups so can breed with Purrloin and Drowzee. You could also use a Chimchar as a starter if you give it Assist as an Egg Move, They're also in the Field and Human-Like Egg Groups so a male one can breed the move into any Pokemon with Assist.

[@CoachMalix]

i was thinking why not start with whooper as a starter and having your rival with turtwig would make the rival fight even more interesting

[@thisimagelooksslightlybett1020]

RE: weird moves in a Pokémon’s moveset When a Pokemon has moves that are weird for its type, I usually take into consideration its breeding group and then whatever inspired its design (in that order) A lot of Pokemon in the Monster breeding group have very wide move pools. So do Pokemon in the Field breeding group. And yes, it’s also a thing of generation of release.

[@DarthVincentiusOfficial]

This is a weird suggestion, so bear with me. You can of course alter it to make it more restrictive/more entertaining? You must learn all new moves. If your pokemon goes to learn a move, you must learn it, deleting a prior move. No move tutor. No TMs. Max Team of 3 pokemon. Any gen. Not exactly difficult, but it might be interesting because youll have to balance when you need to level up or when you may not want to depending on what fights come up and what moves you have/need to learn/need to keep. *edit* forgot to add, HM buddies ok. Standard HM buddy rules apply.

[@MistaShadowman]

Nicely done as per usual. I'd like to see a Pokemon Sword/Shield run with only Zigzagoon (preferably one of each variant)

[@spongesomeone]

Ryhorn learn the moves because he's a very special guy, okay?

[@Brunoxid0]

I respect mdb choice of not doing nuzlockes, as someone who also finds it really tedious. But for team runs I think there should be at least SOME level cap. Otherwise it's just over levelling instead of outsmarting the game.

[@luukvankrugten7253]

Rhydon learns thunderbolt because his horn spins so quickly like a dynamo. 😅

[@Crasheschick]

I find it ironic that 2 of the poketubers I watch actually released this same video. Flygonhg recently just did a ground type platinum nuzlocke and now MDB is doin g a normal ground type only one. I love this

[@heinzdoofenshmirtz8643]

Same.

[@docsigma]

My browser crashed! Browser crashes are good for the youtube algorithm!

[@ShinjiIkari1]

Pokémon Yellow with first form versions of Ash Ketchums team Pokémon any Gen with the first 6 Pokémon you find in any route, but you can’t evolve them. You can swap out after gym leaders. Pokémon Any Gen but only using RNG moves (Psywave, Magnitude, etc) Pokémon Any Gen but you can only use standard poke balls Pokémon BW2 with only Ns Pokémon Pokémon HGSS with only headbutt tree and sweet scent Pokémon Or moves with random # of attacks like Double Kick, Double Slap, Fury Cutter, etc Fallout NV with thrown melee weapons only Fallout NV with only Nuka Cola (Nuka breaker and Nuka grenades) Fallout 4 with only Thirst Zapper Fallout 4 with only Power Armror and Cryolator Fallout NV with only the dart gun Fallout 4 with only Zeta Wave Gamma Gun Fallout 4 with only Shem Drowne Sword Fallout NV with only a nailed board/baseball bat Fallout NV with only Bladed Gauntlets

[@drchops_4242]

Pro tip for that battle on mt Coronet w the rival; knock out his munchlax as soon as you can because it is as you have said so many times extremely incompetent. Using a move like earthquake the first turn to get that out of the way probably would’ve been a smarter move and trying to attack the bronzor