Golbat-line Solo Challenge - Pokemon FireRed

Rules:
1. Only my starter in battle
2. No items in battle, except held items
3. No glitches, exploits, or save states
4. No movepool evasion-boosting moves before level 100*
Rule details:
-- I make no attempt to have the exact same rule details between generations.
-- I am allowed to manipulate my starter
-- I play the game at 4x game speed
-- For fair comparisons my Pokemon have perfect (or near perfect) DVs / IVs
-- I am allowed to catch HM users - I can use all field moves
-- Evasion boosting is allowed if the move is not obtained from the Pokemon’s movepool. For example, using Mimic or Mirror Move to boost evasion is allowed.
-- Surge's trash-can-puzzle is automatically solved
-- The bike is allowed in gen1 & 4, banned in gen2, and allowed only to bypass terrain in gen3
-- Saving between league members is allowed
-- I can pause the game and timer to take breaks
-- Items obtained with the ability Pickup can only be used if the starter obtained them
-- The footage is sped up & slowed down to match the pace of my narration
These Rule details apply only to generation 1:
-- All battle-mechanic glitches are allowed (glitches that occur outside of battle are banned)
-- In generation 1, I'm allowed to skip Marowak with the Poke Doll
If you didn’t read these rules and left a comment. Thanks for helping with the algorithm.
Patreon: / scottsthoughts
KZbin memberships:
/ @scottsthoughtspokemon
X: / psychicflying
Thumbnail art by BrianLS: / brianlsart
Illustrations by Sarina Vail: / sarinavail
Video Editing by Shawn McMullen
STAB: bulbapedia.bul...
DVs / IVs: bulbapedia.bul...
Damage Calculation: bulbapedia.bul...
Stat and Catch Calculators: pycosites.com/...
Gen1 Crit Rates: www.smogon.com...
Growth Rates: bulbapedia.bul...
Learnsets: bulbapedia.bul...
Base Stats: bulbapedia.bul...)
If you're new around here, Venomoth is a Psychic/Flying type, you can't change my mind.

[@jrjard]

My two biggest reasons for watching your content are your script writing and the cleanliness of your editing. Your personality is great and comes through on the stream videos, but I still don't watch the live run-throughs because your edited videos are so much better in comparison (the work you do in the editing booth shows and is appreciated).

[@discgolfwes]

I find it so stupid that they kept the evolution to Crobat gated behind obtaining the National Dex in these games. THEY EVEN TROLL YOU ABOUT IT 🤬

[@salavantias1948]

My Golbat tried evolving since Erika and it pained me every level he gained until my pokedex allowed him to evolve

[@TheMoogleKing93]

Your pokemon can't evolve you have the wrong computer in your pocket

[@PraefMace]

Yeah, that really was frustrating to put up with, the fact each time it SHOWS the evolution animation to mock you...They could just NOT include that shit, but you know-gotta mock you in some way right?

[@dustindean4618]

It was that way for Eevee too

[@ave_maria323]

Yeah it's so annoying

[@lyonnaismatt]

This is really silly to say, but man, I love watching you SCREW UP BADLY and then FIGURE IT OUT BRILLIANTLY. You're the best.

[@Undrave]

Scott, just be yourself, you don't need to change the way you do your videos, the love you have for your craft shines through. Your passion and dedication is why we like your content! But if you want some particular, I really like when you come up with new strategy like the Sub+Haze combo!

[@YGO_BERRY]

My favorite part of your videos is the 2nd attempt part. It's really neat to see what strategies you come up with to lower a Pokémon's time.

[@BloodfelX]

Prof. Oak: "There are 150(+1) Pokemon in the Kanto Pokedex." Eevee: "But-" Prof.Oak: "ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY" Golbat: "What-" Prof.Oak: "IN THE KANTO POKEDEX" Many others: "About-" Prof.Oak: "UNLESS WE COUNT MEW" Ditto: "...I'm moving to Johto, I hear they have actual child support there."

[@marcnaue6510]

One of the best Pokémon related comments I've ever seen

[@roberteospeedwagon8178]

Misdreavus, Houndour, Slugma, Larvitar & more: 😂

[@philiphunt-bull5817]

Oak is a monster

[@spacedoyster7686]

Wait a second...Venomoth isn't a Rock type. It's obviously an Electric type! One of the things I appreciate is the subversion in some of the narration, like "In order to win this battle, I'll need a crit. So I clicked Wing Attack and didn't get the crit, so I lost."

[@Calemad]

1. How well produced they are while at the same time... 2. How they don't feel fake and forced. Feels more like a labor of love, and that gets through when I watch. 3. (extra) I absolutely adore the backport videos. They're by far my favorite content.

[@colinmdoyle]

What I enjoy most about your content is the effort you and your team put in, it really comes through when watching a fully produced video. The script, editing, and layout is all really impressive. As a viewer, I think it's admirable how much you strive to improve, for example the small upgrades to the layout every now and then. I also really look forward to your follow up playthroughs at the end of the video to see what new strategies you implement to try and optimize the pokemon.

[@TheDarkFiddler]

What I really like about your videos is that your tone and tempo is so consistent. A lot of other PokéTubers have wild jumps in volume as they go into a (usually not so funny) joke or a wild change in the tone of the video.

[@C_Train74]

I think the reason your videos are so good is that you approach them scientifically. Not in this series yet, but a lot of the results you have are after multiple trial runs, helping to remove overt mistakes that bias outcomes.

[@C_Train74]

And in the videos where there aren’t multiple runs, you still try to highlight these items that could be improved.

[@tsawy6]

This is definitely a big one for me

[@skeetermania3202]

@@C_Train74I think he might a bit too obsessed with that approach. Some of the forms of RNG manipulation not only tends to make the experience asynchronous with typical speedruns, but could simply be mitigated with better playing ability (like avoiding spinners).

[@C_Train74]

@@skeetermania3202 Even the best players will have occasional hiccups. I much prefer this to the JRose approach of “F it, we ball” and doing runs for one Pokemon considerably better than another. I watch both their content, but I much prefer Scott’s approach.

[@TheColdEvoker]

I’m not sure I can accurately describe why I enjoy your content so much Scott, but I’ll do my best. I actually really enjoy your thought process when you share it. I understand your view that your videos may be repetitive, but I find that your videos that don’t explain what you’re thinking or introducing and briefly explaining mechanics for any potential new audience members feel like they’re missing out on a significant portion of the charm of your usual videos. Your voice is really soothing, but engaging enough that I rarely fall asleep when watching or rewatching your videos and streams. I often actively watch your content once, and then will put it on again as background noise to keep myself company while playing my own runs and other games. I often learn a lot of ways to optimize Pokemon from your content, and I greatly enjoy when you show the applications on different Pokemon and situations. I also like the content better for everyone I watch when I can tell you’re having fun. You do a pretty good job of expressing that you’re still having fun even when sometimes runs get a bit painful, while usually telling us when a particular challenge just becomes un-fun. I appreciate you pushing through those for your own sake, and I hope they’re as rare as they appear to be. All in all, I really appreciate you and your content, and your entire support team for keeping you going. Both the Content Crew, and your support outside of that. Including but not limited to your Wife and your pet Cats. Some of my favorite content you’ve made include your collabs, as you seem to be having even more fun in them; and also “Digging Deep soloing yellow with two stage ground-types” and “An Extensive, Exhausting, and Extreme Electric Expose’ - Electrode and Magneton” (apologies if I missed part of either title, I’m commenting from Mobile) In short, Thank you for everything Scott!

[@NevG27]

I second everything you said

[@philiphunt-bull5817]

Thirded

[@Smileyrat]

I should have just linked thia coment instead of leaving my own. Well said.

[@DarkPurpleDude]

That strategy of using Haze to cancel Intimidate was pretty ingenious. It's always fun to take these otherwise useless moves that we (or I) usually wouldn't give the time of day, and give them a chance to shine.

[@shawnstegall665]

I do genuinely hope you end up reading this Scott. I found your channel around January of 2021 and have been watching ever since. What I love about your Pokemon playthroughs in particular is the attention to detail in how each Pokemon performs. Going over their strengths and weaknesses in detail while shining a light on a large cast of under represented Pokemon. Though what I love most is your very apparent dedication to what you do. It's easy to see, hear, and feel the passion you have for your videos and Pokemon as a whole. Couple that with your personal humor (sorry but Venomoth is a steel/poison type) along side the fun dialog and it creates these great videos. Love the content Scott. I hope to continue to watch it for years to come!

[@Jsteve3230]

Goldbat to Crobat is one of the best makeovers of generation 1

[@thefaz3744]

I really enjoy the scientific thoroughness and metodology in the videos. The decision not to cut the Golbat's evolution animation for example; it really shows the dedicationg for only modding RNG out that affects all pokémon equaly, like encounter RNG, and removing this would be a buffing a few specific pokémon over others compared to the base game

[@Chugs4Serotonin]

You're calm/soft spoken with a good sense of humor, and VERY knowledgeable on the game as far as stats, movepools, etc, and the technical aspect. Makes for great watching AND background/sleeping content, especially with videos often being 30min-1hr+. These are the reasons I watch. Keep up the good work! That goes for your team too. Their work on all the logistics of content creation along with your passion/vision go a very long way. Love this channel❤

[@daddyb1100]

Two things! 1. your commentary is absolutely baller! Going into the crazy detail you do and opening my mind to all the neat little tricks you and others come up with are so much fun to watch and learn from. 2. The amount of support you give to the Pokemon community! Watching your channel grow and seeing all the ways your layout grows and the coding you do to really see everything these games have to offer AND sharing everything you do it’s quite wonderful. I may not use the tools you do but watching you share and grow everything Pokemon, it’s hard not to get swept up in your kindness.

[@TJF588]

While execution is the basis of showcases, the explanation is what I find fascinating, whatever I'm watching deep dives on. There are so many game genres I do _not_ gel with -- fighters, strategy, shooters -- but having someone impassioned and knowledgeable give me all that sweet insight which eludes my firsthand experiences, my attention is well-fed. You provide so much information and take such iterative care in its presentation, and that passion for detail shines through.

[@Radar_of_the_Stars]

the thing I love about your videos is that they are really easy listening, they are really good at occupying the back of my mind when I'm doing a mundane and repetitive task I have to focus on, like cleaning my house

[@wiseguise5960]

I've been watching you since around 20k subs and the reason I put you in my top Pokerunners is because of the dedication you put into these videos! I have seen so much tremendous change in your production and overlay. I also really like how systematic you are with your videos. You do everything with a clear explanation and really get into the numbers behind the scenes which I really appreciate! For instance when you do a battle and you mention something like "At X level I will have an X% chance to 2 hit." I love those kinds of numbers and statistics! Humans, by nature, are meant to have routine and your videos are always done in a routine that doesn't drag out content with filler "talk". That's not to say I don't enjoy those kinds of videos either, I still very much love Jrose and MDB. You 3 are the GOATS of Pokerunners!

[@mh11213]

MDB...a GOAT?

[@wiseguise5960]

@@mh11213 You don't think so?

[@mh11213]

@@wiseguise5960 nope.

[@wiseguise5960]

@@mh11213 To each their own.

[@wpeniche]

I’ve been watching since the start, but what I really like about your videos is just how in depth you go into explaining everything and how you developed the overlay so well over time.

[@astlance]

I love your content because: 1: I love having all the move info and effective powers and the like being shown. Watching your videos has actually really helped me understand mechanically how to determine what move will do the most damage, as before I really didn't understand things like STAB and special/physical moves. 2: I really love how all pokemon seem to be given a fair chance in your videos and rankings. The fact that you care about giving them multiple playthroughs, max IVs, and changing your strategy when necessary makes me feel like all my favorites (and I'm sure everyone else's) are on an equal playthrough, and are given everything possible to help make them shine.

[@ScottsThoughtsPokemon]

I do try to give them all a fair shot! I’m learning that I struggle with certain Pokémon more than others. For example, I tend to play quite badly when using Fire-types. I’ll be examining why this happens in the hope that I can give fire-types better results like the other Pokémon that I have better intuitive grasp of.

[@tylorvezina9793]

My planting season is done and I can finally catch up on your videos! The big reasons I watch your videos are 1. We share a love of Pokemon, but gen 1 especially, very relatable, and gives me an alternative way to enjoy the games I love, and not just burn out. 2. YOU HAVE FUN, I'm sure it's not always a blast to do these runs, but you go out of your way to show that despite being tough sometimes, these games are fun. 3. Your overlay is top-notch. Easy to read, pleasing to the eyes, and all info needed and more is available. 4. You interact with viewers more than most, and really have built up a great community for us Pokemon nerds. 5. Maybe most importantly, I always love getting glimpses of Churro. I'm a cat person.

[@Emperor_Toxatine]

What I like about your videos most is the 1st playthrough you go in with minimal prep and organically find where a mon struggles. The 2nd+ playthroughs where you perfect a route for it is very satisfying to watch. Especially the versus videos when it's a good match up. I also would point out your scripts have such great information it keeps me watching or listening depending on what I'm doing.

[@charlessegale6493]

To give a quick summary on why I've been following you since very nearly the very beginning, not only have your uploads been consistent, but it is also very clear that you are passionate about what you do. That passion, coupled with your analysis, anecdotes, presentation and an excellent team keeps me coming back every week. Also, glad to see Crobat toward the end there. Excellent job once again, Scott and Team!

[@FarmerTome1]

The best thing about your videos honestly is your commitment. The whole "which Pokemon can beat the game the fastest" thing is inherently interesting, and the fact that you do every one and re-do them later eventually makes it compelling to follow along. Also you got a lot better at the games than at the beginning so congrats

[@ZerglingOne1]

I watch your content to see the evolution of your skill, the growth of your channel, the progress you're making on your overlay, the expansion of the community, and of course because you upload very long-form content with numbers, analysis, and a damn good narrating voice. You pretty much make the me-premium content. It's exactly what I want to watch. Long, engaging, technical gameplay of games I will always love.

[@mikescully6546]

adding a comment because lord Scott demands it! what i really enjoy is how high quality each of your videos are. the overlay is bar none the best out there and its obvious you put a tremendous amount of effort into script, timing, editing, and graphics. Your videos are head and shoulders above anyone else in the Pokémon youtube community. Please keep doing what your doing because you have a lifelong viewer in me!

[@nbonasoro]

Loved the jump cut from Sabrina's gym to the pokemon mansion! In regards to why I love your content, all your discussion is about the game, except for interesting stuff about your life. Most other streamers just talk to chat who is just asking the same stuff over and over like what the rules are etc...and it's really boring. Your overlays are amazing, the excitement in your voice is palpable and you just seem like a good fun person with a calming voice. Edit: My guess for the next pokemon is golduck

[@Lurichans]

Honestly, you bring insight into Pokemon and the games that other Poketubers don’t do. I love the way you describe the different growth rates, especially. Also, you don’t speed through things or try to make jokes/skits that may or may not be funny 😂 I always learn something new when I watch these! You have good energy, good vibes, and good volume!

[@tylerseeloff2212]

Things that are important to me in your videos: 1. Talks about Churro 2. Pictures of Churro But seriously! I love your videos. I love learning about the back end of these games...like stuff in the coding. And I will forever love the Venomoth jokes

[@robertstrommer2778]

The detail Scott. The absolute amazing to the max extreme beautiful amazing detail. Im a sucker for statistics and you deliver and only ever improve. That’s why I love your videos!

[@snowyarticuno]

I really appreciate your editing style on both video footage and commentary. Everything is very consistent, snappy and engaging without relying on things I see other channels do like constantly having a sound effect or stock footage to go with what you're talking about or having stuff you insert be floating around (Wolfy.....). You have a good use of cadence and volume on everything you say and since they're post-commentary you edit around any gaps or mistakes or what have you. I think you're also good about rerecording on errors unless they're very minor. Meanwhile you're good about cutting all the cruft and getting straight to the relevant bits on repeat playthroughs. It makes everything, even the longer videos, keep a good pace without losing steam Oh and of course your overlays are very useful, I like them a lot. They're nice, clean and provide a nice way to recenter myself if I looked away or forgot about a quirk. I don't mind live commentary or anything ( I watch plenty of those as-is), but honestly it is why I don't tend to watch your streams for ranking. I like seeing everything after it's done and you craft a video to show it at its best. I might have mentioned it in another video, but I really appreciate the recent "summary" videos of rerankings summarized from the streams because of this. Personally speaking I didn't enjoy your mini-series of the ground types where you had live commentary over the final recorded run as much, either. Not that it wasn't still a quality set of videos (I watched all 3 regardless) but it did feel like a step down and not necessarily something that added to the well-edited-if-very-long 3-way video you put together (to be clear, I don't think these would have added anything to the video even if they were as edited as this video was either). ...I guess I'll say sometimes you do go overboard on trying to prove a given strategy (see also: the ground types), but that's something you've commented on before. Tunnel vision and an intense desire to show something at its best and so on. You've said that doing those is because you like doing it, but you also often say how it can be difficult to fit in on your schedule and it does seem like something has to give there you know? Every time the topic comes up and how it affects your production you sound mroe and more weary and tired, you know?

[@britishpalmtree9268]

Hi Scott, long time follower, just responding to your question of why we watch your vids. But of a long one 😂 I started watching solo videos on a lark, with some of the other names like jrose etc. Pokemon is very nostalgic for me and I like challenge vids in general. I exhausted those vids and moved onto yours and honestly you completely hooked me, even when you were not at the place you wanted to be with overlays etc. What I love is how real you are. You talk about your regular life, give credit to everyone who helps you, and never shy away from it. Your commentary is so real, and I feel the highs and lows of your playthrough. Over Xmas, I was having a major mental health crisis, very bad depression and anxiety, came out of nowhere and forced me back onto meds for the first time in years. However you were posting content nearly every day, and being able to look forward to that, and focus on it, for me through some very tough times. I was able to push the negative thoughts away and focus on something else and I will always be very grateful for that. My family were also very supportive, but they couldn't be there all the time and I had so many moments when it was just myself and your vids helped. Will always be fan. Thank you for being you. Talking about your family, your ADHD, and many other things gives a lot of hope and makes me and I'm sure others, not feel so alone. Things like the overlay felt so inconsequential at first, but I love being able to pause a video and check stats or moves and all the little things you add. Makes a huge difference. Keep going, following you to the top

[@MrGrisine]

Why I love your content (and ditched other Poketubers): - You constantly try and often achieve to improve the viewer experience. Those are things as having nicely edited vidoes, stat screen, community post asking for phrases you use too much. You came a very long way since the early days and it's nice to see you further improve! - You seem to have a good personality which is reflected in your videos. Short anecdotes and your humor breathes a fresh wind in each of your videos.

[@LitPasta]

I watch because I really enjoy the deeper analysis of game balance. I love Pokemon and always have and I feel like there’s a massive lack of actual interesting discussion around the single player aspect of the game. There are a plethora of challenge runs on KZbin but besides just presenting the same old question of “can you beat game by only using x?” They are of no great consequence. It’s no secret Pokemon is easy, often times just beating the game comes down to mashing A on strongest attack. Obviously, you realized that too which is why we aren’t asking “can you beat x by only using y?” Even just pivoting away from that angle and optimizing runs is a breath of fresh air. Secondly I think your passion really shines through. I can tell by your writing, the overlay, the general attention to detail. That you actually care. So so so many larger channels are going through the motions. Not to say they’re bad or anything, honestly I enjoy them too. But your work shines out to me, because I’ve played these games to death and I’m so rarely surprised by anything about them. I’m glad to say that your “fine tooth comb” approach has taught so much and has repeatedly reignited my own creativity and imagination. I’m hobbyist game dev so the insights I gleam from your videos are fascinating. Hope this answers your questions. You’re like my favorite KZbinr right you are so underrated.

[@stopstopp]

I believe what sets this channel apart is multifaceted. The work you put into the presentation and software shows and the dry humor works so well. The fact that you tell a story and are not afraid to go into deep detail with strong emphasis on clear wording fits greatly. Finally I think playing the older games helps too. The first 2 gens especially are weird and janky with bizarre choices that lead to varied bottlenecks. I grew up with Pokémon Ruby and I prefer the weirdness of the older games in your videos because the newer generations are just too polished in way that Gen 1 especially wasn’t.

[@drchops_4242]

Hi Scott This is in response to your request around 19 1/2 minutes I listen to these videos in the background a lot whenever I’m either delivery driving as a sort of podcast or whenever I’m eating and I have to say I always enjoy the little jokes and when you narrate in intense fight really well because it gives me the feeling of being able to watch the battle without having to look at the screen. Other than that, I love all of your special trainer and your conversations about them such as Sandy and the Hypno sandwich. I’ve left the comment on some of your videos before, but this wasn’t ask. I figured I would leave one and just say again that I really enjoy and appreciate your content. Can’t wait for your next video.

[@theSato]

what matters for me personally: video length. more is better for me. i welcome side tangents, multiple playthroughs, etc. even if its just padding its a win to me. the recent versus videos are my hero. if i could make a change, itd be for less of the game to get skipped. id love a longer video that mentions more of the trainers and story beats of the game, but i recognize i'm a particular kind of viewer and that isnt what's best for you or everyone else. just know that when the video reaches the 1 hour mark, im happy. if it reaches 2 hours, its a good day. if it becomes a 3 hour versus extravaganza, im sleeping good for an entire half a month. keep making what you and/or the majority want, ill be supporting you! (though i still hope they dont get too much shorter haha)

[@kingbeerz7978]

Hey Scott, you were asking what we like in your videos, so here’s my two pokédollars on the matter. First, your consistency, it seems like every few days there’s a new video and I’m blown away by how much effort and love you put into them. Second, the tone. This is hard to define but you stand out amongst challenge runners for how… non sensationalist you are. For you it’s never “oh wow, can I possible beat Pokémon with only one paras? This Pokémon is so trash with three four times weaknesses but I’m so cool I’ll win it.” It becomes more a matter of “hey let’s give everything we fairly can to parasect and see just how much we can optimise. It’s never a question of “is this possible?” But rather “just how do we go about best doing this?”. That’s refreshing. Third: you’re very relaxing, I know you’ve heard this a lot, but you’re great to listen to when cooking, cleaning or doing other chores. Fourth: silly guy, Venomoth is fairy/fire type.

[@jesterbravo3317]

I found Jrose randomly and after watching his catalogue of videos, I searched for (or was suggested) more solo runs, and found you, Mah-Dry-Bread, Eggsceptional, VanMan, Gym Leader Matt, and Andrew Davis. Jrose has a special place in my heart for being the first one I found, but your videos are some of my favorites. Your voice is easy to listen to, your descriptions work well enough that I can listen through headphones at work without needing to stare at the screen, your commentary is great, and I relate to your ADHD. My wife and I watch your videos while we play video games together on weekends. What I look for most in your videos is a good play-by-play. I don't need to hear that you skipped a Rocket Hideout description because it wasn't interesting; it's interesting to me! But I haven't enjoyed the live videos as much because it feels like there's too much dead air, or I'm not hearing enough about the battles after getting used to your produced videos. So I like a quick and constant commentary on the battles, the struggles, and the victories! I enjoy the versus videos A LOT, but unfortunately my wife likes just the solo runs better. Oh, I love evolution videos too, rather than a pokemon at just its base stage. And I much prefer watching a strong pokemon dominate instead of like a baby pokemon struggling. But my favorite, by far, is your Nuzlocke video! If you did randomized Nuzlockes of Pokemon Yellow, and released the different seeded randomized runs every week, I would watch every single one, possibly more than once ha ha.

[@GroundThing]

What I like about these videos is largely just how comprehensive the overlay is, as well as the way the voiceover seems very polished. Not to name any names, but some other solo challenge channels feel like the voiceover is first-take off-the-cuff recordings that only line up with what's happening on screen because it's essentially reacting in real time, leading to very shallow analysis.

[@darkessinzero]

My reason for loving your content is this I got introduced to the solo Pokemon challange by Mah Dry Bread and was instantly hooked since this is a kind of challange I would be able to do since Nuzlocks are great to watch but not for me to do. Then I stumbled over Jrose11 and liked his way of doing these challanges a bit more, since he was doing the tier list and had more info about these games I did not have, like the Badge Boost Glitch. And a while after that I found your channel and it was everything I was looking for. You made that whole thing scientific as humanly possible, you gave more insight on the game like the damage rounding threshhold, your videos are long form, you are as detailed as possible while still remaining entertaining. So absolutely my cup of tea. Also I still watch MDB and Jrose11 I just prefere your content over theirs Oh and you are staying vigilante. MDB is not doing a lot of these challanges anymore, Jrose11 also is doing them inconsistantly but by what ever deity you believe in, you pump these videos out like your life depends on it, so it has way more of a "I come back from school and watch my favorite Anime" vibe for me

[@vlbonnie]

The things I like about your videos are your voice--you just sound really nice--and the bits of trivia you drop. The gym leader intro animations are also a highlight

[@jiwonyun2115]

Hi Scott. I'm an old viewer of your channel - started watching from the days of your Pokemon Yellow Butterfree solo run. I wanted to leave a comment to answer your question. I think there are three reasons why I enjoy watching your videos more so than others. First, I really appreciate how you try to give every Pokemon the best chance it has to complete each game. Yes, you do have your favorites and biases, but I can tell that you try really hard not to let them affect the Pokemon's performance. Second, I like how calm and mature your narration is. I think many KZbinrs (to no fault of theirs but the way KZbin algorithm promotes videos) feel the pressure to overdramatize to make their videos more engaging. While you also show your emotions, you express them in such a calm way that your channel feels like a spring of fresh water in the KZbin ocean of overdramatic content. Lastly, I am really impressed by your work ethic, producing videos at a steady pace, taking a break when you need, and coming back when you promised you would return. In short, you create great content consistently in a non-inflammatory way, and I think that's why so many of us stay loyal to you. Thank you for your excellent content! 😊

[@coolnath99]

scott, i like your videos because you are a chill dude. your tone is relaxing to listen to. the videos are always down to earth and you are just having fun playing the game the way you like to. even though this channel has grown a lot i appreciate that you still make the effort to interact with the comments. i find the production is very good and has developed over the years but the videos still retain the same character. the community races are very enjoyable to watch. i like the versus videos, but this ground types one is taking me a few sessions to get through due to the length.

[@willforbes5995]

I think you have an excellent balance between professional analysis and personal humor. But first and foremost my favorite thing about your Channel is the straightforward balanced Fair analysis. Watching your channel literally helps people level up their own Pokemon game. Also I really feel you do every Pokemon you cover Justice.

[@Smileyrat]

I find your writting and humor entertaining. I particularly like when you exsplain mechanics, especially when you repeat them so I can remember, and go into depth on what you are doing. I am bad at picking up on what others are doing, so the verbal exsplanation make all the difference. Also, I almost exclusivly listen and don't watch, so the naration is vital to my enjoyment.

[@WillowEpp]

"I only add modifications in cases where I wanna control for RNG that is not related to the Pokemon I'm playing with..." ...except for Gen1 Miss. Things I love? The way you show equal cleverness and humility in the optimisation phase. Your understated humour. The general level of polish. Churro.

[@S0oo]

The calming voice is perfect for late night final videos. The knowledge and data is also interesting for someone who only played R/B/Y/STADIUM and now Yellow Legacy

[@heatedshenaniganspodcast4225]

Love how relaxing these videos are. I watch them while I work on stuff for my own channel. You do phenomenal work on all these videos.

[@maebemaebenot]

What I really like about your videos is seeing which pokemon perform best! It's always a surprise to me to see the final time and placement, and there are so many unlikely successes or unfortunate failures so even with all the in depth analysis I'm still on the edge of my seat until placement. Seeing which pokemon feel best to use or perform best (not every pokemon feels good to use, even if they get a good time! And not every pokemon that feels good to use gets a good time, they might be easy to pilot but slow for some reason) and why or where they fall short is my favorite part. I also like seeing what the "break points" in the run are. The different splits are obvious, but I also mean all the notorious random trainers who earn sprites because they are often sources of resets like the wrapping lass. It's just so interesting to see what fights are recurring problems or where a single fight might cause one pokemon issues while another can breeze by. I think that's kind of the most interesting part of the VS videos. In the triple ground VS video you just put out, it was so interesting to compare each one of the mono grounds, who are on paper pretty similar pokemon, but their specific quirks and tools gave each one an edge in a few fights. I'm rambling, but ya that's what I like about the videos. They're really great. I always clear time to watch one when they come out :)

[@blockchords5197]

I'm not a new viewer, but i like that your videos are detailed, thorough, and lengthy. I like to play a Pokemon game (usually a romhack or non-romhack fan game) while watching.

[@gonzoxp]

Hey Scott!! The biggest thing that matters to me is watching these videos and listening to your stories growing up playing pokemon. Really bring back nostalgia of my childhood. Hope you and the wife are doing well, and keep up the great work!

[@sjoerdglaser2794]

Two things why I watch your videos compared to other solo runners: style and content A) style wise: you have a pleasant voice to listen to, your story telling is good, editing is done with incredible detail, and all information I would ever want is on screen (although I only look the moves and their power). The only point of critique here is that you're a bit long-winded sometimes. B) content. I just love the attention to detail you have, your willingness to learn, and the very systematic (multiple play throughs), almost stat like approach to the game. Watching your content for a few years makes me feel like how jrose feit to me in the beginning. With him, it felt like we were together learning our first pokemon concepts: the badge boost glitch, 'good' AI, etc With your content, we're continuingthat journey. We (you and the viewer) learned about experience yields, black out training, how overhyped vitamins are, how important growth rates are, etc etc

[@TheIrishlad2010]

I love these videos because it allows me to live vicariously through you. I wish I had the time to play through these games but I just don’t. But I love watching and listening to your commentary on the play throughs. Your videos hit like a hot cup of coffee on a cool morning. Keep it up man.

[@perkypenguin1663]

By far my favorite part of your videos is the redo portion. It's satisfying to see you get a better grasp of what tools each Pokemon has for soloing the game and utilizing them more effectively to get more accurate results. Regarding the Pokemon with a similar naming scheme to Golbat....Golbat has gol- in the beginning of its name, so surely Goldeen is next :)

[@midge2946]

Little late to this one, getting through the backlog... and probably will end up repeating a lot of what other people said, but it bears saying regardless. As someone who has been way more into Pokemon than is really necessary for basically all my life, I appreciate just how much you're into doing this. I like things like the Haze moment in this video. Pokemon has SO many moves, SO many items and abilities and seeing creative solutions to problems is a joy. I like seeing tiny little details that very few people know about become potential pieces of a puzzle. The Swagger move tutor in Emerald, for instance, I basically never gave much of a thought to when playing because it hardly seems like a necessary move in a normal playthrough. But in a solo challenge, it can suddenly be extremely valuable for Watson. There's just something satisfying about, in a series with as many options as Pokemon, seeing all of those things so thoroughly explored and watching someone squeeze every little bit of value out of the game they can. You come across as pretty genuine overall, and as having for lack of a more pithy word choice, "good vibes". You've got a great voice for this kind of thing, very even and soothing. A lot of Poketubers I've had experience with in the past can get a little... overenthusiastic, and can pass over the grating threshold very easily. But it never feels that way with you, even when you do get excited over stuff it's very measured and rather than feeling disconnected or put off, I'm right there with you. I also really enjoy hearing your nostalgic stories, too - by the time I got REALLY into Pokemon as a kid, most of my school had moved on from it and considered it pretty lame. So when I was young, I didn't have too many friends to play it with. Hearing other people's childhood tales kinda fills in those experiences a little more for me. Very much looking forward to Aerodactyl. So I hope you never feel too much of that impostor syndrome creeping up on you. You put a LOT of work into this stuff, and you've got a great team around you which also deserves plenty of props. I've always loved Pokemon but for one reason or another I've never really stuck on with any Poketubers until you came along. You're a fun guy, a hard worker, and my go-to when it comes to Pokemon.

[@ScottsThoughtsPokemon]

Thanks for sharing such an in depth answer. Sometimes I get self conscious about my voice sound too monotone. Not enthusiastic enough. This comments helps me remember that people like to relax to these videos; I don’t need to be extremely high energy.

[@letsmakeit110]

The little animations, cuts, background music etc... are all very high quality, but what stands out for me is how thorough all the strategy discussion is. I'm almost never left wondering why you didn't try X, and I think those nitpicky comments you sometimes get are the exception to a sea of people who just have nothing to add. I'm confident by the end of the 2nd playthrough that your final time is an accurate judgment of the subject pokemon based on the parameters you've set. I remember posting a comment on your first playthrough of these games that I thought FRLG were the hardest, simply because of all the intimidate spam in the late game. I, and frankly most other poketubers, would have never thought to try substitute, and that trivializes a lot of the difficulty I had with my own challenge runs. That's an example of what sets this channel apart. The only quibble I have with these videos is that sometimes you're doing 10-20 attempts for better rng, and at some point the final time is no longer "representative" in a sense. But if seeing number go down makes you happy then fair enough.

[@JustinnePunsalang]

I love how detailed you are in playing Pokemon. It's like listening to a scientific podcast but Pokemon. I like using your videos as white noise 😅

[@Zorgdub]

The league re-match was the perfect chance for Crobat to make an appearance! I was really disappointed when you used Golbat until the end. And then, surprise twist!

[@Great_Olaf5]

I love how you describe what's going on and exoskeleton relevant background information, and the stuff that's going on under the hood. The vast majority of the time, I'm listening to videos in the background while I'm doing something else, and your commentary style facilitates that. I also ragout spiciest the passion behind what you do, even with our very doortrekt) different playstyles and philosophies

[@vulpescana1779]

Hi Scott, Thank you for your videos! The most important part of your videos for me is you having fun. What Pokemon or what strategy you are using are secondary to listen to your (happy/chill) voice.

[@JWStevens]

The detail man. I have ADHD your ability to talk about stats has helped me greatly playing these games with new Pokémon and learning what works and what just doesn’t. Made me a better trainer I will admit that!

[@xela12345]

Honestly I watch your content because your voice is really relaxing, plus I get to learn new things about some of my favorite games at the same time :)

[@LuKo3x5066]

My favourite part is the feeling that you are having fun. I hate rushing through games but when I watch you doing so it invokes the same feeling as playing Pokemon myself - enjoying the game in a way best suited for the person actually playing. The second thing I enjoy is you not using glitches (in FR you are even keeping the game logic sane by not skipping the first fight with Giovanni!)

[@LordThanathos]

I follow your content because I like you as a person, and listening to someone you like talking about things you like is great. Of course your content is top notch and that's important too.

[@banditrests]

Haze! Welcome to VGC regulation a lol. Also good choice on the black glasses, there aren’t a lot of good held items in frlg so that’s actually helpful if you have a dark move. As to what I enjoy about the content, I think solo running ask a really interesting fundamental question, sort of similar to speed running: how does x Pokémon match up into y game? And in answering that question, you learn a lot about that Pokémon, the game, and potentially yourself while doing the runs. It’s also really nice to see the community that has sprung up around solo running and collectively improved the runs for everyone, especially your work and influence. Not everyone takes as much feedback and improves or gives back as much.

[@StrangeKitten513]

I love your content because I struggle a lot with mental health. Pokemon content is incredibly helpful with feeling better. Your videos in particular have a relaxing and analytical approach that calms my brain incredibly well >^-^

[@METALmurdererOG]

Something about seeing a new Scott's Thoughts video just brightens my day.

[@hYRo144]

One of the big reasons I watch your videos is because it feels honest - you are honestly excited etc.

[@claudiomonteverdi847]

I love the sick strategies that sometimes show up. The fact that a run is more or less very similar between all pokemon except for some certain key moments makes it feel I'm watching a monster of the week show which i find very comfy

[@heresjohnny3720]

I really like your calm style and the effort you put in the Animations around the gameplay. So many details! You are an amzing person, thank you so much for your videos.

[@beejaytea5964]

the videos are great and i love your overlay tech, but i'm mainly here for the tier list at the end! especially for the yellow runs, it's really nice how everything compares and how subtle differences can play out

[@milkdud8993]

One of the things you do well is welcome feedback from your audience 😛 The results driven approach has its own appeal, and you are very thorough with it. Something you do really well that’s engaging is explaining mechanics and strategy with enthusiasm and detail.

[@dshmaytser]

I love your attention to details, and the effort you put even in the smallest things. The analysis backed up by their graphs and data is very interesting

[@redreoicy6698]

i enjoy videos because I like to see solutions to difficult problems. Especially when they're unexpected.

[@AllThingsWrestling]

i love the video because you break down the details very well plus there's passion in them which shows.

[@ScottsThoughtsPokemon]

Length is important! Got it.

[@TheGreatSpanishBaldwin]

I loved how you integrated haze into the play through. It’s very cool to get a chance see some more niche moves shine, even if but for a moment

[@darakir]

For the question you ask to why i watch you, it probably begun when i was watching other poketuber video that was doing solo runs, i stumble on your channel and really loved the idea of making tier list of solo runner, you have a good voice to listen to and the overlay is really nice to look at. You really have a nice channel i've been watching you for over 2 years , i mainly watch Yellow content and really liked the platinum content as well. Continue the good work :)

[@natezuniga-qd7pe]

Only 200 away from the only milestone that matters, Scot. So proud of you!

[@Zachpi]

Ooh, the Blaine fight is so cool! It's not often some of the more niche moves like that see use, awesome to see you come up with the strategy on the fly like that!

[@hhjan594]

One thing I really like about your content is the Venomoth joke in every playthrough video where it shows up. This makes me really want that in Hoenn or Sinnoh runs you can have some other Pokemon with confusing types to do the same joke, to me it's part of your brand now and I hope you could expand it to at least one Pokemon in every game.

[@Loranto]

I really love that you always put a fast and subtle “nice” next to any number that shows up with 69. Hilarious and im always looking for it! Semi upset that at @33:12 in vid, you missed doing it against lances dragonite after your leftovers recover. 😉 Keep up all the great work, i love your content!! Was super happy that you decided to evolve to crobat as well!! 😀

[@Guilegui]

Finally found more videos! Had forgot the channel name.. I love the way you do the videos and the way you talk! Helps me practicing my english listening (the hardest skill to master for me)

[@monopolyrubix1875]

I like how I can get the whole story just by listening, I don't have to watch. I also like that your voice stays mostly monotone. No screaming.

[@Juddear]

Hey Scott - bit late to this but I'll chip in with my 2 cents. The first thing I really enjoy about you and your content is that you are so earnest. Right from your first videos it was very apparent how much you genuinely adore these games and have such a strong connection with Pokemon as a whole. Your Celebi Q&A video is probably my favourite of all time because of all the stories you could tell from your childhood and it really shines through in a landscape saturated with yt'ers that are more focussed on chasing the yt bag. I like how you've refined your approach over time, and the current format of ADHD brain blind playthrough into the laser focussed optimised run is a nice balance (I prefer the former but nice/necessary to have both). You have a great knack for condensing all the in depth mechanical info of the games into a more approachable explanation. Honestly I've personally never been that fussed about the overlay and production aspects of the videos, but it's clear you enjoy tinkering/refining and that enthusiasm is great to see too. You recently asked about feedback on your voiceover style and if I could say one thing it would just be not to overthink it. I would hate for your natural, personality driven style to be replaced with a more robotic and formulaic script. I'm sure you'll make great content regardless, just my opinion. I'll sign off by just saying: keep being you. You've built this whole channel and your whole catalogue of content because of the personality you bring. You're clearly chasing perfection which is obviously admirable, I'm just really hoping it doesn't come at the expense of what makes this channel unique. Best of luck and thanks for all the years of content!

[@ScottsThoughtsPokemon]

I especially appreciate the comment about not overthinking the voice over!

[@Zorgdub]

The thing that is most important to me is that you do your best to find out what's the best those pokemon can do and you clearly explain your reasoning. You do multiple playthrough, continue until you have mostly eliminated player errors, carefully consider rules to level the playing field, give the exact values you base your strategy choice on... All that good stuff.

[@bettyunicorn6132]

Golbat is sure a ……..Pokémon. Golbat sucks hard before it could learn fly. The best thing about Crobat in the early games is that it could actually fly.

[@juanca2648]

Reasons for watching? A lot of the, most of them have already been mentioned.. Scientific approach, overlay, the love you put to the videos, your voice, the great editing, detail oriented... What i wanted to say is that you should not overthink little changes, because we will keep watching even if one of them is not a good idea. Just try whatever you feel it can improve the videos and we are here to tell you if we share your same view (ask us). In KZbin and Twitch, people follow the person even more than pure the content To remark something different I like, I would say your pre-analysis at the start of the video. They're so cool and It's key to the storytelling

[@pdwarnes]

I love seeing how your setup has evolved over time, and how you talk about it.

[@luizfelipevieira1158]

What I love about your content is (disclaiming: I'm autistic, so, what I'm gonna say isn't offensive in any way, shape or form) absurd autistic level of hyper focused obsession with details, which I identify to easily. You are obviously as passionate about pokémon as I am. Pokémon is too my obsession since I knew the series a long 27 years ago, and I spend 99% of my free time playing It non-stop and watching mostly content about pokémon (other than science, math, Formula 1 and cars). There isn't any poketuber capable of describing each and every little detail and aspect of things the way you do. You, sir, are a beautifuly insane person! Nobody can produce content that brings my brain as much nerdiness satisfaction as you!

[@brettbarcellos5984]

I love the videos. Not sure why 15 years later I’m on a huge Pokémon kick but here we are, more gen 3 please!!!

[@Pikminavenger]

What I liked about your videos originally was how you had stories to go with certain pomemon or other experiences. Naturally you can't have them for every single pokemon or run, but it is an interesting flare. You also tend to approach these run as fairly as possible, minus the human element which is unavoidable, many others, while entertaining, don't. It's fun to see. Keep up the good work.

[@TastyMeerkat]

Venomoth Fact #24: Despite being what mortals would consider as perfect, Venomoth is not perfect and would be the first to admit it, with Golbat being one of their favorite examples. Venomoth did quickly realize that Golbat being 50-80% mouth depending on who's drawing it was a little much. Rather than erase this mistake, Venomoth instead fixed this with a perfect evolution.

[@lenafischer404]

I like your videos because I always like to put on a Pokémon video while relaxing. I always like the scripts and the videos are easy to follow along with even if I am not watching all the time.

[@DisplayName317]

1' tall Route 1 bird: can learn Fly. Horrifyingly large bat: cannot learn Fly until Gen IV. Sounds about right to me. So, I do watch quite a lot of challenge videos, for Pokemon and otherwise, and as far as what I like about your videos in particular, the speedrunning aspect is a major factor. Usually when I've watched videos about "Can you solo X with Y?" with no other constraints besides just beating the game, a lot of times it tends to boil down to the player massively overleveling to steamroll over whatever challenge is at hand, which isn't particularly interesting to me. But because these videos are oriented around speedrunning a specific Pokemon, it introduces a strategic element that requires the player to really dig into the depths of each individual Pokemon in order to get the most out of them, which leads into my other favorite aspect of the channel: the depth of game knowledge you've developed over these past few years. As a point of comparison, back when video Nuzlockes got really popular around 2020-2022 I was watching a lot of those on a regular basis and then I got burnt out on them because in a Nuzlocke there's really only two routes that you can take: playing up the emotional aspect (which becomes significantly less effective when a channel is releasing a video every week) or the player optimizing their team so thoroughly that there's no actual risk whatsoever, which in turn leads to an increasing reliance on gimmicks to keep engagement up (shinies only, only Pokemon that start with the letter A, only Pokemon under X BST, ultrahard romhacks, etc.). Even though you're functionally doing the same challenge every week, it doesn't feel repetitive because each Pokemon has its little quirks and nuances that interact with the nuances of each individual game in unique ways, which comes to paint a bigger picture of how how each game functions. To put it another way: Zubat is Zubat, but Gen I Zubat and Gen IV Zubat are not the same. To me, a successful challenge video is one that can expand both the player's and the audience's understanding of a specific mechanic or element within a game and I think yours do that very well.

[@justsomejojo]

Other people hate the Zubat line because it's spammed in every cave. I hate the Zubat line because I genuinely like Golbat's and Crobat's designs, but early game Zubat makes me want to die inside every time. It's *the* slowest and most excruciating to train mon I can think of. Bonus points if you're doing it in one of the slower games (yes, I've tried in Diamond). As for why I enjoy your videos: They are easy to watch or listen to Pokemon content. I don't need that always (I've been watching the channel on and off) but when I do, I always know these videos are going to be good. Plus, I think it's admirable how much work you put into the technical aspects of it. I dabbled into editing and scripting videos and that alone was a lot of work (fun though) but you're doing programming and a TON of graphics to boot.

[@SkywalkerAni]

So I only found your channel in the last few months, but to answer your question, I think what I like with you is what I also like with Jrose and Mah-Dry-Bread: I grew up with Pokémon, with Red Version being one of my first games. I had no clue what I was doing, but I have nostalgic feelings about all these games. Over the years I came to understand the mechanics but I still have a nostalgic wonder for the older games. Which leads me to what I like about you and the others: It's clear y'all have a love for these games, and seeing what you're able to get out of each Pokémon is pretty darn cool.