Salamence Only - Pokemon Emerald

Rules:
1. Only my starter in battle
2. No items in battle, except held items
3. No glitches, exploits, save states, or RNG manipulation
4. No evasion moves before level 100*
Rule details:
-- *In gen1, evasion boosting is allowed if the Pokemon does it through means other than learning the move by level up or TM. For example, using Mimic or Mirror Move to boost evasion is allowed. (This exception is to keep ranking consistent with my legacy videos.)
-- I am allowed to manipulate my starter
-- I play the game at 4x game speed
-- For fair comparisons all my Pokemon have perfect (or near perfect) DVs / IVs
-- I am allowed to catch HM users - I can use all field moves
-- All in-battle glitches are allowed in generation 1
-- In generation 1, I'm allowed to skip Marowak with the Poke Doll
-- Surge's trash-can-puzzle is automatically solved
-- The bike is allowed in gen1, banned in gen2, and allowed for bypassing terrain in gen3
-- Saving between league members is allowed
-- If the solo Pokemon faints and I choose to blackout it counts towards my reset counter
-- I can pause the game and timer to take breaks
-- The footage is sped up / slowed down to match the pace of my narration
-- The ability Pickup can only be used if the starter has it
Patreon: / scottsthoughts
KZbin memberships:
/ @scottsthoughtspokemon
Twitter: / psychicflying
Twitch: / scottsthoughtspokemon
Illustrations by / sarinavail
Thumbnail art by / brianlsart
STAB: bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wi...
DVs / IVs: bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wi...
Damage Calculations: bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wi...
Gen1 Stat Calculator: pycosites.com/pkmn/stat_gen1.php
Gen2 Stat Calculator: pycosites.com/pkmn/stat_gen2.php
Gen1 Crit Rates: www.smogon.com/rb/articles/cr...
Learnsets: bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wi...
Base Stats: bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wi...)

[@hhjan594]

The reason it gets Fly via level-up is more attached to its lore. Bagon is a small dragon that dreams of flying one day. So when if becomes its final form it gains the ability to Fly, which is why it directly learns it once it evolves at lv 50.

[@kingdoge69]

Yup

[@BenjaminGlatt]

Storytelling!? In *my* gameplay? Awesome.

[@seaweedstarfy]

So about Buneary, the main theory that fills the zero friendship reason is that bunnies in the wild are very timid, so of course befriending a wild bunny isn't very easy to do

[@jamiec9507]

Do you mean Bunnyray?

[@Trinthegay]

​@@jamiec9507You mean Bunnyray Cyrus?

[@reedjohnson5916]

Interestingly both buneary and it's evolution are the only pokemon to learn return and frustration by level up

[@VCV95]

So why not Bunnelby?

[@josheboythespeedrunner8491]

@@VCV95bunnelby just evolves by level so it really doesn’t matter.

[@GhoullyXX]

I think one of the overlooked things that slows Salamence down is its Intimidate ability. Every time you get into a battle, there's an extra text box saying the opposing pokemon's attack was lowered. That may add a few extra minutes to the end time.

[@Poppipower]

That’s the thing I immediately thought of. Abilities like intimidate and especially drought and drizzle can ruin times. I’m looking forward to Groudon and Kyogre

[@Cream147player]

It's not *as* bad in a 4x speed run because it still takes the same amount of time (divided by 4) as in a normal speed run whereas menuing and execution are worse at the higher speed meaning relatively speaking that text box will take up a lower chunk of the run. In this case, it seems to cost a second every fight, so probably accounts for I don't know, somewhere in the 3-5 minutes range. So yes, it is a factor for sure, but probably not enough to move it up a tier.

[@Bananazu2411]

Something that should also be noted about Buneary is that it learns Frustration via level up quite early on, which gives it absurdly strong STAB early on until it gets friendly enough that you can switch to Return.

[@rc4780]

"Bunny-Ray" is, uh, certainly one of the pronunciations of all time.

[@christopherholladay1015]

Normally Idgaf about pokemon pronunciations but this one cracked me up 😂

[@SnowyTotodile]

13:20 - Burn seems to have dropped Slaking's attack twice here according to your overlay! Also, yeah, the whole reason Salamence gets Fly at level 50 is because that's when Shelgon becomes a Salamence, and something that Bagon always aspired to do was be able to Fly. It's such a cool little lore thing~

[@psyxypher3881]

If you read the PokeNav Match Call entry for Norman it actually implies he walks to and from home every day. You should read those once in a while. They're really interesting bits of trivia on characters.

[@IsuKen]

There’s actually a surprisingly depressing official Pokemon novel based on the events of the anime that discussed what the job of Gym Leader is like. It is regulated by the League so I imagine it would be akin to a Government job in the real world, but according to the novel its a very stressful job and Gym Leaders have been known to pay off challengers to lose because they can be fired if they lose too many battles in a row. Apparently both Brock’s father and Misty’s parents abandoned their families and ran away because they couldn’t handle the pressure.

[@Andrew-ke3qh]

I’m so curious to see how Pokémon natures play into the optimized runs. I didn’t expect it, but seeing where Salamence had issues, I could see a +SpDef nature helping certain Pokémon with the 4x ice weakness or who just barely struggle through Tate and Liza. And I know these videos were planned out thoroughly ahead of time, but I still feel like I have to comment on how impressive this non-stop December has been. Thanks, Scott!

[@lamiaprincess6371]

This was a really fun video but I can't help but feel a little bit melancholic. Salamence being a D-tier Pokemon really doesn't sit right to my brain, it really should have everything it needs and a huge chunk of time was spent against Steven. Something I want to suggest here is having two separate tier lists, one for post-league and one for Steven. I think this might actually be necessary for a lot of Pokemon, because Salamence basically doesn't struggle in the League at all. It just struggles versus Steven, and I can't help but feel like Steven isn't really comparable to Red in Crystal. Crystal has the benefit of having Curse, which while I'm sure people find a little boring, really is a great equalizer for Red. A lot of the Pokemon that struggle versus Red mainly struggle against the Pikachu or have low base stats. Meanwhile the Pokemon that struggle versus Steven are...any Pokemon without a set-up move, any Pokemon without a ton of different coverage moves, having any common weakness, having mediocre base stats... I just think the contrast is really important. I don't believe Steven gives you credits either, so it's not like it's a natural end point regardless, and I think Steven is a lot more directly punishing than Red is in Crystal.

[@robertbacon3812]

Against Steven, relearning rage from the move reminder might be worth considering; it's not a great setup move, but Skarmory isn't all that threatening if you have rest for toxic, so you could still probably get to +6 consistently.

[@brettwilliamson7129]

Amulet coin theort. You get the amulet coin after facing Norman because Norman, being your dad, couldn't give it to you as a gym leader. So he gives it to your mom to give to you. He's so proud.

[@MasterofInterspace]

15:10 Gym Leader has to be a salaried position. Norman is the family bread winner. Besides that, the gym trainers are probably paid, and the gym has its own bills and general upkeep due to pokemon battles.

[@buddyfree1321]

Bunnyrae is my new favorite normal type.

[@daniel6678]

that was painful to listen to lol

[@patonosequecosa]

I was thinking of a versus video but this still fantastic, lets just apreciate how much effort Scott puts into this videos

[@TheMoogleKing93]

These videos are pure comfort food and I'm loving the daily vids.

[@Dolph1nRacer]

Hey Scott! I noticed at 15:53 that you went into that double battle. Did you know you can skip that battle? You can push the downward-facing bar to the left instead of pushing the left side of the longer bar up. Then you can go down, right, and up. Apologies if you already know that and were just going for more experience. Love your content. :)

[@pjanderson4876]

You know your spoiled by Daily December when Scott’s late for posting by 2 hours and you’re wondering if he died. We love you Scott, and we’re glad to see you’re not in a ditch somewhere. (No hate for the late post, just always itching for new content)

[@Skywardflare758]

Egg moves are an interesting consideration. On the one hand, the Pokemon are already heavily customized with IVs and nature being manually selected, so Egg Moves aren’t pushing much past that and show a best case scenario. On the other hand, they aren’t obtainable as the first version of that mon that you get, plus plenty mons start fully evolved for these challenges, so it is a bit awkward. For Gen 3, one major swing with Egg Moves would be making Roxanne and the early dark type trainers less hard walls for certain Pokemon. But then it also introduces the issue of TM moves through breeding. For Gen 4, that’s where things get more interesting as you no longer have badge boosts. Since you’re stat wise closer to the opponents and the AI and tough battles tend to be more nuanced, not to mention a lot of Pokemon being in an awkward spot from the early physical special split, Egg Moves might be more worthwhile to allow.

[@lmr4403]

I want to say the opposite: very good choice to lower speed of salamence. It will outspeed most things anyway and leads to better powercoverage.

[@TheOriginalJphyper]

He really pronounced it "Bunny-ray". That is hilarious and I can't unhear it.

[@plk917]

0:56 so talking about HMs pokemon can learn by level up. If you mean just the move Fly, you are 100% correct. If you mean in general, the Seaking line gets Waterfall by level up, just not sure what level. Not to nit pick or anything, Scott your videos are awesome, and I enjoy watching you speedrun, and your commentary on how you break down your logic is very easy to understand, even for someone who doesn't speed run pokemon with solo challenges. Keep up the good work man!

[@allianceorc]

been waiting all year for this thank you scott :D

[@Submissive-Soul]

you have been pumping these videos out thank you :3

[@AD34534]

These Gen 3 playthroughs are great. Thanks Scott!

[@andrewhughes3982]

Your videos have been crushing it. Keep up the good work.

[@bakingguy4200]

Gym leaders HAVE to be a salaried position as there’s no way in hell that Brock is supporting a family of like 7 while volunteering

[@Themanhimself395]

Salamance was my favourite Pokémon when I was a kid, great run Scott!😊

[@joshuagonzalez3395]

Scott I'm so happy to watch this ep! Can't wait for tomorrow for my favorite pseudo!!!

[@andreapareti324]

14:55 even from her dialogue, it seems like she also wants to (jokingly) match dad by also giving you a "badge" of her own, and the Amulet Coin is indeed really useful, so good going mom!!

[@cmrobles]

BUNNY-RAY??? You mean… bun… EAR…y? I’m listening to the video and if I didn’t know the fun fact about the friendship I genuinely would have had no idea what Pokémon you were talking about. I have genuinely never heard it pronounced like that before. Innovative honestly

[@gloweye]

Buneary/Lopunny is a Tsundere. It is the only pokemon to learn Frustration by level-up. Then it friendship-evolves, and Lopunny is the only pokemon to learn Return through level-up. (and has shared highest base friendship). So basically, your pokemon starts out very Tsun, and then over time grows to be more of a Dere.

[@dragonknight1560]

Also love the Premier Ball. I do wish it has a higher catch rate though, makes me upset. Anyway... DRAGON POWER! I think giving up Bite before the 7th Gym was a big mistake. Just getting the Flinches and avoiding Steel Wing's accuracy misses would have done a better job. Still, good run though! Yea... Dragon Dance would solve everything.

[@lazyhippie6139]

I love Salamence. At one point, it was my favorite Pokemon. So this run is a treat! (Spoilers for the results) I think it makes sense that Salamence breezed through the early game, then struggled here and there in late game. Slow growth rate and lack of Dragon Dance means it loses its dominance a bit, especially when the opponent's stats creep closer to its base. I do wish they'd just give it Dragon Dance by level up. It just fits it so well. For some reason, they gave it to Dragonite in gen 4, but Sally still doesn't learn it naturally. Very silly. Getting it via training is a pain in gen 3... you have to train a male Gyarados to level 50 (!) and breed it with a female from the Bagon line. To be honest, breeding and hatching eggs is one of my least favorite aspects of the Pokemon games (I think it should stay, it just bores me personally), so yeah, it's a pain.

[@AzureFlute]

Worth the wait! Salamence is a beast!!

[@JustAnderw]

I'm used to the physical special not being split at this point but you have to admit it's wierd that biting a bunch of rocks is an effective solution to their toughness

[@danielwatson7386]

I've had a dog shit day at work today, so thank you Scott for this video. Can't wait to see how Salamence does.

[@Maliktheslowking]

Hope your day is better after this video

[@lazypaladin]

I feel ya boss. Scott's my goto _feel shit, need good._ hope he do good for you too 👌

[@stevefranke9393]

The reason why it learns fly via lvl up is, that the prio evolutions wanted to fly so its lore based. It evolves on lvl 50 and achived its goal to have wings and be able to fly

[@rockvent918]

fire blast at the end with some pp ups( cant remember how many of those are in hoenn) could have saved maybe 3 levels in the final fight)thank you for the video❤

[@DanteTheIguana]

I've been using a Lopunny in my current Alola playthrough. Caught Buneary on Route 1, used Friendship Cafes in Festival Plaza to hypercharge its happiness and evolve it before the first trial. It has Klutz, but that doesn't affect Z moves, so I use Normalium Z on Splash of all things, which gives +3 Attack, along with STAB Return. Yeah, it's actually super fun!

[@sladevalen2120]

Good to find another premier ball fan. It is severely underrated!

[@cameronneveu7277]

I think the friendship thing for Buneary is based on the childrens song "Little Bunny Foo Foo" where the Rabbit is a troublesome scamp that Beats ups Field mice. Also It can learn Frustration as a Levelup move, so its max power in the wild, so it will wreck you in a nuzlocke...

[@ace94d]

Thought for future Tate and Liza runs: Should you make sure your 2nd Pokemon is a flying type when you fight them and your main Pokemon is a flying type? Since I think the reason she uses Earthquake is seeing it will kill your 2nd Pokemon, and if you used a Flying type it would use Psychic instead.

[@thenerdbeast7375]

I would have gone for a Rash/Quiet nature instead, despite the attack stat being higher Salamence's special moves are a higher priority especially that amazing dragon/fire near perfect coverage.

[@ShiningJudgment666]

Dragon/Fire is actually perfect neutral coverage in Gen 3. No Heatran to wall you with Flash Fire. No Fairy dual types that also resist Fire. Mence can do a lot and do it well.

[@RoninCatholic]

Buneary's Happiness is low because it's the tsundere archetype; it sorta likes you but is frustrated and doesn't know how to express this properly so it lashes out in Frustration. As it grows close, it softens up and learns Return Affection and evolves. Wild Lopunnies have already gone through their emotional arcs on their own.

[@kevinsips3658]

Gym leaders are just the strongest person at the gym (in my headcanon). It’s not salaried or even a volunteer position, just some guy who really likes to battle Pokémon and if anyone tells him he battles too much, he abstractly says it’s for his mental health.

[@daman8492]

I would love to see a brief, alt Salamence run where it has Dragon Dance. I think it'd be cool to see how much of a difference the move makes, and it's justified as a fun little extra because it is a move Salamence can get through legal means.

[@alexsmith6724]

As a casual observation half way through the video, you seemed to be playing really well for this video.

[@fortello7219]

Cases like the access to dragon dance being locked behind an egg move always make me wonder what these old games would be like with the Gen 8/9 mechanics. Where you could just catch a Pokemon that knows the egg move you want, and then put your two Pokemon in the day care and pull them out with the move transferred. (Or a simpler method tbh) It would add strategy too, but maybe not consistency if the Pokemon you need has to be caught from wild encounters. Still, it would be a small side quest with potentially large pay off

[@thebigbean8783]

Bunny ray? Cmon Scott. Anywho, Salamance is doing so good. I'm not surprised, it's a complete maniac, but still. It think it's not gonna be able to be stopped. This thing is wild

[@naurmael]

I think Larry in Gen nine is all the evidence we need that gym leader is an under paying job position

[@dragonslayerz2220]

At least, it is in Paldea.

[@joel2628]

Oooh.. the Gen 3 Pseudolegendary race I've been asking about for some months is upon us.

[@briansilva3344]

Agreed about the Premier ball, I have a Latias in Gen 3 in a Premier Ball and it’s awesome.

[@unboundsoul3582]

Bunny ray, and reading the same line twice "the player has access to advantages the AI does not" makes me wonder if Jan 1st we're getting a missingno run haha

[@Witzwo1]

Bunary and Lopunny have another fun friendshipinteraction. Bunary learns Frustration at Level 13, corrsponding to the low Friendhip while Lopunny learns Return at the same level.

[@Chronoflation]

That pronunciation of Buneary as "Bunnyray" just cost me an S rank on a Sonic level. Like 3 times in a row. Just... I was so confused I had to pause to see what in the world you were talking about. I thought they made a unique growth rate for Bunneary that also caused it to have a 0 friendship, but then I realized it was just a very mispronounced Buneary. That was hilarious

[@shangerdanger]

not sure what rules this would follow, but giving bagon it's egg move dragon rage makes the first 3 badges so cheesy

[@skyninegaming]

I think that breaks the spirit of the challenge. Egg moves can only be unlocked through specific breeding, and well, to breed bagon you would need a bagon, which would require 7 gyms anyways.

[@supercereal1]

@@skyninegamingI mean I know Scott doesn’t want to level up a bagon because he would only get to use salamence for like the last few badges but couldn’t you also say this about him using a straight up salamence? He can’t get it until much later in the game but he still chooses to do that

[@rooislangwtf]

​​@@skyninegamingI mean he's using a hacked in starter, with set a set nature, ivs and hidden power. It's not like any of these is obtainable in a normal playthrough, is using egg moves really going against the spirit of the challenge?

[@ShiningJudgment666]

@@skyninegaming Don't you need Waterfall to get to the specific area Bagon is in? That means 8 badges.

[@SinNun-tx5jp]

In older games, TMs are also inhereted to the offspring. If egg moves are allowed, then level 5 TMs would also be allowed

[@TheModdedwarfare3]

I really think at level 70 you should have swapped leftovers out for charcoal. The leftovers were really not doing anything for you because of rest on claydoll and outspeeds.

[@riverrun7061]

I think you should allow yourself to have egg moves but you have to keep them from the beginning of the playthrough this would be equivalent to trading a mon in and I think it's perfectly in keeping with the game.

[@Run2127]

Who’s ready for the Butterfree playthrough when it first gets Quiver Dance with the moveset of QD Sleep Powder Air Slash and Giga Drain or Bug Buzz? lol

[@poketrainerjames7246]

Ah so you’re a premier ball fan, it’s always nice to see a fellow intellectual

[@nathant6655]

remember that one spot in Sun and Moon where Bagon can call in a lvl 10 Salamence for help? that was really fun lol

[@ru213]

Never noticed that numel had his eyes closed. Nice touch❤

[@darkhydrat9096]

Love the thumbnail art on this one

[@lazypaladin]

A Christmas Miracle. _Juan is _*_actually_*_ a threat._

[@jimmixstunna]

This should be interesting one of my favorite dragons

[@Randroth]

I learned the fact that Salamence does not learn Dragon Dance without breeding the hard way. I used one in the Gen VII Alola games, because you can get a Bagon early. I only found out it does not learn Dragon Dance halfway through the game. I was stunned, as I never expected Salamence to not learn it via level up, especially in such a late generation. But fun fact, he STILL does not learn it via level up. In Gens VIII and IX it is a bit better since he can learn it via a TR/TM (so at least you do not have to breed anymore), but I still don't understand why he doesn't learn it normally. It really seems like he should. Thanks to this, the best pokemon in my Alola team ended up being my starter Incineroar. He swept through some difficult lategame battles, thanks to the fact that he DOES have setup moves, unlike Salamence. The Salamence that was a pain in the ass to raise throuout the game ended up being just "good", which was quite disappointing to me.

[@MeesterMichelM]

Bunny Ray?!?!? 😂 Nonetheless, great video, Scott. 🎉

[@Starsoulklr]

Ditto is indeed quite a father. Oh I got too good of a laugh from that.

[@jaketno]

Ahh yes. My favorite Pokémon! Let's go! 😁

[@MrEnte3000]

Buneary also starts out with Frustration.

[@scrubplaceholder6216]

Finally a brave nature. Fast pokemon should always have a speed slowering nature. Thanks for the daily uploads scott!!

[@bobjoe3492]

Fast Pokémon shouldn't ALWAYS have a speed lowering nature, just in solo playthroughs (🤓

[@ShiningJudgment666]

@@bobjoe3492 Case by case really. If a Pokemon isn't outspeeding anything anyway, not cutting into bulk is better if you're intending to use both its attacking stats but if a Pokemon is naturally super fast, it can afford it in solo runs. Understanding of speed benchmarks is important to optimize Pokemon runs.

[@bobosmith101]

"Ditto exists" I fucking spat out my drink, haha

[@bobjoe3492]

Oh thank great Scott!!

[@ShoutButterfly]

Bunnyray? It's a bun with a cannon!

[@javelin4646]

would definitely love two tier lists in emerald, one for champion and one for steven

[@kalasrey1670]

So first off, good to see how you're steadily getting more comfy in this game. Secondly, it's pronounced Bun-Ear-E. No idea how you got "Bunnyray" from that XD

[@SmashMath151]

Surprised this one struggled as much as it did, but that shows how important setup is. At least it's finish level for Steven was relatively low considering the lack of setup!

[@d007ization]

So many special moves that got pokemon to red health, the potential of a quiet Mence was screaming at me.

[@marlysalt]

Bunnyray is imbued with the hated of the gods.

[@banditrests]

Bunny Ray sounds like a dragon ball Z attack. But I get not knowing every Pokémon, it’s like the riddle of the sphinx meme lol

[@connor-3455]

i wonder if it'd be possible to patch out needing 2 pokemon to start double battles? would that even be something Scotts interested in doing tho is another question

[@zachfranklin6359]

Premier ball is my favorite too, I always catch my Gardevoir in one

[@karotconcarne3325]

Chad Scott galaxy brain play lowering speed exactly so that Nosepass lowers his pokemon's speed with just one attack avoiding that early game reset from double crit Rock Tomb.

[@CoffeeFlavoredMilk]

Looking forward to the Metagross playthrough, outside of Magneton and Claydol I don't know what'll stop it significantly. On a side note, I think Walrein could actually do quite well. Its essentially Lapras (statistically the two are extremely similar) with a Medium-Slow growth rate as compared to a purely Slow one, and Water/Ice is a nice STAB combo. Main issue is that its stuck with Water Gun for Water moves until after Norman, and being slow could be an issue.

[@ShiningJudgment666]

Magneton's gonna be annoying for sure with nothing to really hit it with at that point in the game. Claydol you'd be able to damage but it has EQ.

[@jo3d1rt391]

Wouldn’t a minus defense nature be more preferred since you have intimidate? Plus the main weaknesses doing special damage?

[@ulrichbrodowsky5016]

I think Rage is set-up. It will increase the attack by one stage when you are hit after using it. Considering that Salamence already has enough speed, it's almost the same as dragon dance. That would make Sidney much easier

[@amandamimic2725]

I hope, when you get that far, that you nickname Buneary to Bunny-ray now

[@angelotirado3542]

The move pool made this run crazy

[@elladrinn4318]

im surprised you dont pick up potion from the second town talking to the mart person by 1st house when you first visit town. is it because of text? or just not needed?

[@johnnyestes980]

Watching pokemon with egg moves would be interesting they can be really strong but i dont think you can relearn egg moves if you forget them so youd have 1 spot taken forever

[@rdpnd5384]

The GOAT single Pokémon challenge KZbinr love your stuff Scott!

[@WorkInProgressX]

Intimidate here is such a double edged sword, it can be useful to set up on the first pokemon of a trainer but also bleeds so much time for the animations. Metagross’ clear body will definitely be the more useful ability of the two

[@glennvandierendonck3771]

Damn, i thought you forgot the upload, i was getting to used at the timing

[@claytonroberts1622]

Scott I love your vids but if I hear bunny ray over bun ear ee again I’m gonna have an aneurism

[@devinbuettgenbach2941]

Ah yes my second favourite dragon, beaten only by Dragonair. This gon be gud

[@ferrugemj18]

an OG 1 HP?!?!?! God that is SO satisfying!

[@PerilousParadigm]

I was listening to the video while navigating nyc subway people traffic and i looked back at the video during Watson and the loudest goddamn left my body 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨 what tremendous stats at that point of the game

[@danielfernandes957]

Are you thinking about a Salamence Dragon Dance playthrough to get a idea of how much better it is?

[@JaCaBrA144]

Salamence is one of my favorite Pokémon so I hope it does well. Hopefully the slow growth rate doesn’t slow it down too much