The Charizard Paradox

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I make Pokemon videos, such as Pokemon Scarlet and Violet content, Pokemon Legends Arceus content, Pokemon playthrough challenges, Top 10 or Top 5 Pokemon videos, Pokemon Talk, Pokemon Meme Review, and lots more! If you're any level of Pokemon fan, subscribe for videos you're sure to love!
Edited by KeeLoker! / keeloker
Shorts edited by @BBelle
Mytey subscribe animation by Spoody: / @_judepayne_
#Pokemon

[@MandJTV]

Thanks to HelloFresh for sponsoring today's video. Go to strms.net/hellofresh_mandjtv, use my code MANDJTVFREE, and receive one free breakfast item per box while subscription is active.

[@Junho69]

Thanks

[@CharzzTheAnimated]

HAHA, IT IS I, GRUNTY BOY

[@hiimgamingtommmmmmmmmmmmmm4965]

Hi Mikey!

[@The_GamerBoy19]

Hi Mikey

[@DaSnickerLicker]

Ah yes I hate it when someone waves and I wave back but they were saying *HELLO* to someone else, especially when it happens with my friend *FRESH*

[@MrRage-lg1ts]

“Since mega evolution is gone.” BOY DO I HAVE SOME NEWS FOR YOU!

[@Shadow10345]

Watching this after the recent announcement really is Fate's Comedic Genius

[@gretchenknotts9638]

I thought the same thing!

[@bsg-jay7093]

To be fair, it never left the spin offs

[@jembozaba4864]

Here’s hoping they fix Charizard. I want the mega forms. Have the design, stats and ability of Y, with the typing and flame colour of X. Also put that 20 point attack increase that Y gets into speed, because no one is using that attack stat when the special stat is so high

[@jaden5676]

THERE IS NO WAY TELL ME YOUR NOT LYING IS IT ACTUALLY RETURNING

[@HaxTheCharizard]

And this is why Lance the "Dragon Tamer" uses Pokemon that aren't dragon types. A pokemon can be a dragon without being a dragon type.

[@TheTarekDude]

Omg this is such a good comment

[@ChaoticTeen16]

​@@TheTarekDude They're just reiterating what Lance himself said in Pokémon Masters.

[@arunramani1724]

For me Its Birdkeeper Lance 🤣😂

[@francishong7948]

That's true, all of lance's pokemon are dragon like at thevery least (aerodactyl kind of a a stretch but dragon and dinosaurs share the same word in Japanese)

[@andrewkatz6649]

Yep! Gyarados and Charizard are both anatomically dragons but got two other types that fit them.

[@obits3]

To make things more complicated, the latest DLC challenges the player to “Take a picture of a Pokémon in flight.” Nearly anything levitating, including Geodude, counts.

[@rokkraljkolesa9317]

what the fu

[@swizzlewarp]

0:40 "But since mega evolution is gone..." Poorly aged in the best way.

[@rawtrout3402]

What happened? Did they bring it back???

[@Mago-Soul-Gaming]

Yes it is back

[@wanderingmercurymarauder761]

@@Mago-Soul-Gaming But not in the main games. It never stopped being a thing in the spin off games.

[@numsei-9291]

@@rawtrout3402 Let's just say that... Pokémon Z-A is the GOAT

[@TaniahTudor]

Ikr

[@KittAxoIsHere]

“Haha, not all dragons are Dragon-type Pokémon!” - Lance My boy Lance backing Charizard up…I respect it

[@erikkesler1739]

And gyarados as well.

[@micahelsgames7024]

@@erikkesler1739 That only applies for students of blueberry(or have been in the past) people traveling,living in, or vacationing in alola (once again if they have)

[@erikkesler1739]

@@micahelsgames7024 No? Lance has a Gyarados in Red and Blue? as well as every team he has with three or more pokemon until Black and White. Meaning the not all Dragons are Dragon type quote directly applies to Gyarados as well?

[@MirageUchiha]

_"Conversely, not all Dragon-type Pokémon are dragons."_ - Idk, some guy... 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@alexs5814]

My Boi Lance is is a Flying type Trainer first and foremost...

[@justinn8541]

Can't wait for the Lugia Paradox. Where water type makes sense, that's what the original designer's intent, but the developers deseded to make is psychic type "to make it seem powerful" despite the nerfs psychic type got in gen 2.

[@CharzzTheAnimated]

And the Florgess paradox

[@justinn8541]

@@CharzzTheAnimated At least florgess has a type that makes sense(even though it makes complete sense for it to have the grass type too).

[@Pastel_Diamond_Studios]

Honestly, I could see Lugia being either Water/Flying or Water/Dragon. Water/Flying makes more scenes but Water/Dragon could help with making Lugia seem more powerful.

[@justinn8541]

Or the Gyrados Paradox. Where the flying type makes no sense, had the opportunity like magemite and mageton to change type in gen 2, but only got that change during mega evolution.

[@Uchiha_Itachi43]

and the palkia paradox

[@JerginBootwyler]

Mikey: "Mega evolution is gone" Pokemon Legends Z-A: "are you sure about that?"

[@hananaltair3563]

Lol😂

[@sylvy16]

9:00 as someone who knows about celtic mythology, hearing that “fae-adjacent creatures are kind hearted” is just so funny to me.

[@JackBond1234]

Even not knowing anything about celtic mythology, fairy type pokemon never seem presented as "kind hearted". More like mischievous and unsettling despite a saccharine demeanor.

[@theantagonist801]

@@JackBond1234 _Points to Hatenna_ Or just straight up violent.

[@DakuGamer98]

@@theantagonist801 ever heard about tinkaton?

[@theantagonist801]

@@DakuGamer98 Honestly, I think Tinkaton is the only PokéDex entry that states "yes, it purposefully attacks this Pokémon out of spite and anger at the world." (Paraphrased, of course.)

[@Garchompisthecoolestpokemon]

Gyarados is also a good example of the “Charizard Paradox”, because it is just as much of a dragon as Charizard is, if not more (just a different type of dragon.) The fact that Magikarp and Gyarados are inspired by the old Chinese story of a koi fish jumping over a waterfall and becoming a dragon is more than enough reason to make gyarados a dragon type. Not to mention the fact that gyarados can only learn one flying type move while it can learn five dragon type moves, and the fact that gyarados being dragon type doesn’t have a negative impact like charizard becoming an overpowered starter if it were to get the dragon type.

[@nanubot1342]

It makes more sense that is a flying type and not dragon. When an eastern dragon commits a "sin" (for lack of better term) it loses his "title" (or "divinity") but not his form, becoming a flying serpent. Unlike western dragons, eastern ones are usually benevolent beings, gyarados is for the most part "violent". That's also why it mega evolves into a dark type, which makes sense.

[@Garchompisthecoolestpokemon]

@@nanubot1342 That’s crazy! I didn’t know that, so thanks a bunch for telling me!

[@trekkiezero]

​@Garchompisthecoolestpokemon so you're saying Magikarp needs a branching evolution. A good evolution that's a dragon and the current one being the bad evolution? Makes sense.

[@EnbyFish]

Gyarados is already OP, no need to make it much stronger imo. I say this as it’s my fav pokemon lol

[@novashaven9132]

Because Gyarados was already very powerful in Gen1, and Dragon was the most powerful type, next to Psychic. It would've been broken making it a Dragon or Water/Dragon after evolution. You can say the same about Gengar. They gave it the Poison type just to make Psychics top tier, while still being weak to Ghost lol

[@shachargold6896]

Mickey- "Mammals are warm blooded and have live births" Platypus: *heavy breathing sounds*

[@Popanimates]

DOO BEE DOO BE DO BAH

[@Choco_paz]

"there are more intricacies to this, but you get the picture"

[@eeveequeenhanna]

Don’t forget echidnas.

[@legion4022]

A Platypus? Put's on Agent head Perry the platypus!

[@RajaniIsa]

But they also nurse.

[@marsphoenix1359]

I like the idea that Charizard is just so over joyed by the power of flight that it practically never lands and just flies *everywhere* hence it having the flying type, not dragon.

[@vaughnalexander32]

I think that is more like the Bagon line..

[@marsphoenix1359]

@@vaughnalexander32 Wing buddies

[@lawrence9806]

"But since mega evolutions are gone..." Well, that aged rather well. Maybe even as well as the milk I left sitting in the basement for four years, lol.

[@ethans9379]

Enjoy your cheese

[@justinjyeung]

I like how it feels like this video came about because Mikey was doing research on which Pokemon should be allowed in Team Sky but aren't Flying-type, and then eventually dug deeper to find the root of the discrepancy (categorization of types based on element or anatomy) XD

[@SantaClaws2009]

I remember telling my dad(who isn't into Pokemon but his favourite was Charizard) that I made a charizard in real life when I was eight. I'd put a neon light on the tail of a toy lizard.

[@azrabanokhan6792]

Aww so wholesome.

[@HackerDragon9999]

But that's Charmander

[@johnkiggs108]

​@@HackerDragon9999nah, charmander is a salamander.. that's weak against water

[@SantaClaws2009]

@@HackerDragon9999 I put no wings to annoy my dad because they were his favorite part of the design

[@carrotpatch5828]

The scrapped BIRD type in Gen 1 is starting to make a lot more sense…😂

[@theprinceofawesomeness]

It was scraped because Normal/Flying was perfect to describe a bird

[@dragonmasterjoe724]

“They can’t move water with their mind” Short horned lizard: allow me to introduce my blood bending

[@starbuckr5381]

"birds are warm blooded and lay eggs" *stares in platypus and echidna*

[@supersonicmario56]

Ah, The Monotremes....

[@rokkraljkolesa9317]

"Behold, a bird!" -Diogenes

[@idknicknamelol]

1:59 I could 100% see blastoise as a rock type

[@LetsTalkSports001]

I personally would have made it water/steel because of Blastoise's cannons.

[@idknicknamelol]

That’s also cool.

[@matthewkuscienko4616]

​@LetsTalkSports001 It's also worth noting that Blastoise can learn flash cannon by level up (I think it needs the move reminder for that one)

[@theantagonist801]

Grass/Poison, Fire/Dragon, Water/Rock

[@DS-tv2fi]

Yeah, like a regional form that’s based on land based turtles/tortoises or something.

[@KnuckIesTheEchldna]

0:43 "Since mega evolution is gone" pokemon presents: ackshually...

[@Pink-Lemons]

yep

[@alaricsavage7223]

"Now that mega evolution is gone" That really didn't age well 😭

[@Redwolf2495]

And there's also Golurk, who is constantly shown being capable of flight in the anime via jet boosters and in the games it can learn Fly via TM.

[@DodgyBird]

Watch this idea blow up and make Charizard Paradox a common thing

[@KingFurgo]

3:57 So a Platypus is a bird? Neat

[@mouthwaterin]

All birds are warm blooded and lay eggs, warm blooded egg laying animals are not all birds

[@macfine]

" there are more intricacies to this " yes you are very smart. There are exceptions to these generalities. Going on a tangent on all of them like monotremes wasn't the point of the video.

[@ericsevareid5072]

Saying this in a separate comment because it was the point of the other one, but Dark does not have a “darkness” aspect, it’s just the “Evil” type. All of the moves are (purely) related to mischief or sinister intentions, even Dark Pulse.

[@TheAwesomeTruthofTT]

Basically, it’s that old 3 pick 2 situation… no matter how hard you try you are gonna miss out. My grandpa used to work as a contractor and he would tell this to his clients. You can have your project done cheep fast or quality but you can only pick two Cheep and Fast = Poor Quality Cheep and Quality= Slow Fast and Quality = Expensive. But you can never have all 3…

[@shadenox8164]

Except in this case dragon was never considered, it's clearly supposed to be a winged lizard.

[@DaSnickerLicker]

NOT THE HIDEOUT CAFETERIA!!! NOW HOW IS GRUNTY BOI GONNA EAT HIS SLOWPOKE TAILS

[@Triobros1098]

He doesn’t eat at the cafeteria he eats hello fresh

[@DaSnickerLicker]

@@Triobros1098 yeah I mean like how is he gonna eat his hello fresh slowpoke tails at the cafeteria in the hideout ._.

[@ND86119]

"Uh, we don't need to mention blood-bending, this is a kids show." Mikey probably

[@amaraphoenix3542]

"But since Mega Evolution is gone..." Let's see how that ages next year.

[@chimeragenesis361]

16:10 these three have the added issue that storywise, they're spirits of previously deepsea creatures, so Water could also make sense for them.

[@ThePkmnYPerson]

Every flight Pokémon that's not a Flying Type be like - "Arceus! I don't need to be identified by something I happen to do! You don't see me saying you should be called a Video Making Type Human."

[@gamingmudkip5030]

some more I found Celebi Scizor Heracross Garchomp Lunala Buzzwole Quaxly(Should be like the rowlet line where the final evo loses the flying type) Sirfetch'd(Has wings sure it's holding a lot) Pecharunt(Can't tell if those are wings) Dunsparce/ Dudunsparce ( Don't know if those wings are big enough) Sheninja (Can't tell if those wings could move) Druddigon (Can't tell if wings move) Tapu koko (Based off a bird and has small wings, would put other tapus but they aren't based off of birds

[@TheReviewer65]

The restraint on you to not say "Team Sky" despite saying "Flying" so much, you have my respect

[@mjvdg4194]

This is somewhat tangential, but my worry with the fairy type was that it’d be fully related to physiognomy. I’m so glad that it expanded (Grimsnarl and Mimikyu being examples) since I’ve always loved all fae legends to death and am so glad they have reasonably thoughtful inclusion!

[@krisrainbow2350]

I have always loved Charizard. Its the first pokemon I ever got to Level 100 without a gameshark. I felt so accomplished.

[@DanielMWJ]

Dodrio: "Not even going to mention me? Even though I can Fly without visible wings? Alright, fine."

[@shimusume1486]

I imagine the best reason Pokemon could give in lore due to types is: A pokemon's assigned type is given based on what seems effective and not effective against the pokemon. This would imply researchers could have spent a lot of time just having pokemon hit others with various attacks and writing down the results. However... that would be a little grim for the pokemon universe even if that is what we often do in games to learn (without looking up some type chart)

[@NotHydrex_]

15:55 whyd Mikey sound like he's doing the pokerap 😂

[@dattromboneguy]

"Since Mega evolution is gone"... if he had just waited 4 days more, this statement would be true"

[@Tsukisuthe1]

True as soon as the video was released for Pokemon legends z my friend spammed me with excitement

[@Lilith_owo]

I know that irl the way Pokémon’s get their typing is based on a mix between gameplay, and design (appearance, story, powers). But I feel like within the logic of the Pokemon universe what has always made sense to me is that typing is a classification based on powers, abilities, elemental control, and egg groups is a classification more similar to irl taxonomy or phylogeny based on genetic relationships and anatomy.

[@jaschabull2365]

Yeah, I figured the same. We might ask what makes one fire-breathing felid apparently normal while another fire-breathing felid doesn't qualify as normal, but likely to a pokémon professor, it's simply a matter of "litleo is better at pouncing and roaring violently than litten is, while litten is susceptible to ghost-type attacks, unlike litleo, so litleo, unlike litten, is normal-type". Still doesn't quite explain why before it's used a specific move, magnemite takes a quadruple damage from earthquake, despite its constantly floating in the air.

[@Davanthall]

"Mega evolution is gone" Four days dude. Four days.

[@IDKovers]

Petition to have all pokemon listed at 15:48 to be allowed in Team Sky

[@thenoobygamer9000]

11:36 There was actually going to be a typing for birds, specifically in Gen 1, but was ultimately changed and put with the flying type since there wasn't that many bird pokemon then. However, if you take that into consideration for his analysis on the flying type, it makes it make a lot more sense. You can see what they just threw in with the flying type at this point as well.

[@MDoorpsy]

This is very odd reasoning, since at the time there was also only 1 ghost line (Gengar) and 1 dragon line (Dragonite), yet many more bird Pokemon, even some that it wouldn't make sense to be flying, like Dodrio, leading to the meme of it flying by flapping its heads. In fact, there are more 'bird' Pokemon lines in gen 1 (7 total) than there are bug lines (6, though Kabutops and Omastar could arguably count if they weren't fossils).

[@thenoobygamer9000]

@@MDoorpsy I honestly agree with that, but space was also limited for those games, and it uses as much as it can while cutting anything unessesary. So, making a category for birds and flying pokemon could be seen as unessary and take up data that can be used for other things(especially with type advantages and potential extra moves because of it being an official part of it). They should have brought back the idea in the games they made afterward since the device could handle the extra data, and there were even more bird like pokemon added. That is an amazing meme with Doduo though 🤣

[@MDoorpsy]

@@thenoobygamer9000 The more likely reason is just that they realized some of their cool dragon designs would be too broken if they were dragon type, and so created the flying type specifically so they could give it to Charizard and Gyarodos instead of dragon.

[@thenoobygamer9000]

@MDoorpsy saying that they made the flying type specifically for Gyarodos and Charizard is a lot less likely since that game actually needed a few more dragon types. I would think they gave Charizard flying instead of dragon since it is a starter pokemon, and none have been dragon type(unless they introduced it in scarlet/violet). Especially when there is a lot of "flying" pokemon and "bird" pokemon that are the same, so they would be a "flying bird" pokemon, which is redundant if you have flying, which is more versatile as well(until they introduced levitate and severly underutilized the flying aspect that it can give).

[@MDoorpsy]

@@thenoobygamer9000 Dragon was originally intended to be the strongest type in the game, so Charizard as a starter would have been broken if it had it. Gyarados couldn't be dragon because they didn't want the player to have a dragon type with good stats at level 20, and grinding a Magikarp to level 50 like Dragonite would have been too much to ask of players.

[@inderdeepsingh5498]

I don't watch your videos super often (just don't have much time to watch youtube anymore) but I used to watch all the time when I was younger. This style of video is definitely super interesting and I really liked this video! I agree with people saying it feels kinda like a Pokemon Professor explaining things, and its really good!

[@AceFaz]

It can BE a Dragon, Without having the Dragon Type.

[@pixelatedsethtube1271]

Literally it can not

[@AceFaz]

@@pixelatedsethtube1271 The Typing generally refers to the Energy that the Pokemon can harness, Like fire pokemon, can harness Fire. Dragon Pokemon, can harness Dragon Energy. Not Everything that LOOKS Like a dragon, can harness Dragon Energy. Therefore, it can be a dragon without being a Dragon Type.

[@pixelatedsethtube1271]

@@AceFaz ah fair enough and good point 👍

[@arcticbanana66]

@@pixelatedsethtube1271 During the "Pokémon Masters EX" New Years 2021 event you could find Lance wearing a Gyarados kimono, and one of his random dialogue lines is: "This outfit shows off Gyarados's power as a dragon! What's that, you say? Gyarados isn't a Dragon-type Pokémon? Haha, not all dragons are Dragon-type Pokémon!"

[@shadenox8164]

Personally I think charizard is easy to explain, it's a winged lizard. Not a dragon.

[@Oceane1803]

11:43 And a Bird type. *cough cough*

[@ericsevareid5072]

Where does Dark actually have “control over “darkness””? Dark Void is really the only one like that and it just induces sleep. Dark Pulse is “bad thoughts” not “darkness.”

[@ErikaCartet]

yeah, this is a bit of a translation issue. it’s called あく(悪/aku）type in japanese, which basically means evil or wicked. dark type isn’t actual darkness/absence of light, but more a symbolic darkness of its nature. like someone committing a crime at night not because they’re elementally attuned to shadows, but because they get up to no good under the cover of darkness. it’s all about dirty tactics, intimidation, obfuscation, retribution, and tormenting the opponent. there’s maybe a little overlap with literal darkness with a few very specific moves, which would make sense - literal darkness being used to symbolize evil etc etc, but it’s definitely more a nature/fighting style thing more than an elemental energy thing. which it sounds like you already know, but just providing some extra context for anyone else scrolling the comments.

[@FrostFire425]

Umbreon is the most obvious example. It represents the night

[@GoatlyGoat]

I feel like I learned something and nothing all at the same time and enjoyed every second of it

[@dhayes5143]

About half way through this vid, delving into the problem of Flying type, and I have to say this a great analysis. Clear, robust, and not just doing whatever you feel like with an arbitrary classification but really trying to drill down into what this all really means. Great stuff.

[@maygirl1595]

I love the way Mikey thinks, this new video style is AWESOME! It scratched an itch in my brain that I didn’t know was itchy! 😅🤣💙💙

[@ianvandijk840]

Mikey, it's a good video with clear explanations, but I think the reason why Charizard is a fire/flying type is much simpler. If Charizard had become a dragon type in Gen 1, it would mean that it would be mega overpowered. In Gen 1, dragon types had only two weaknesses, ice and other dragon types. Since the Dratini line are the only dragon types in Gen 1, you would need a Dragonite to stand a chance against Charizard. However, if Charizard were also a dragon type, it would mean it could also take out that Dragonite before you do that with Charizard. Then you have the ice types, the problem with them is the fact that they are weak against fire types. With this, they would also have little chance against Charizard, the only Pokémon that might have a chance could be Dewgong but for the rest very few. The reason Charizard is a fire/flying type is simply to maintain balance in the games. With Charizard as a fire/flying type, you have access to multiple Pokémon that can take on Charizard. That's I think the main reason Charizard didn't become a fire/dragon type. PS, you forgot Garchomp as a Pokémon with wings but without the levitate ability.

[@charizardpropaganda]

In gen 1, fire/dragon Charizard would be weak to ice type because fire didn't resist ice back then. And Blastoise can learn ice type moves so it wouldn't be an issue in gen 1. It's a different story in gen 1 remakes though.

[@rokkraljkolesa9317]

Garchomp is an especially weird one, because while they are used as wings, it makes more sense for them to simply be find, as the Gible line are sand _sharks_

[@jeffreygao3956]

And that’s why Fire should resist Ice!

[@austinmccormick8952]

Grunty Boi acting like not everyone knows about the hideout is amazing

[@KawiiDino]

"Mega evolution is gone" *four days later*

[@madnessarcade7447]

Lance: you don’t have to be dragon type to be a dragon just need to have the heart of one 0:21

[@calheaven]

Great video again! I've been watching for a few years now and your video quality just gets better and better, I had literal chills when you brought it a back around to say just like Charizard at the end!

[@kingillager]

“Empoleon with fly would make sense” lmao

[@dracoberry]

Meanwhile, there's Iron moth and that jellyfish thing (Niheligo?), which are capable of levitating but have a double weakness to ground and can't have levitate due to their group's abilities. Conclusion: Iron moth is a non-iron moth which can't moth. (Why poison? I get that the materials for solar panels/ the ways to get them can be dangerous, but still, why not flying?) Niheligo isn't often used for a reason, and it's not because of its stats. (You could tell anyone, who doesn't know wth is this, that it is a water and electric/poison, even a Flying type pokemon and they could believe you, But rock poison just seems absurd)

[@rokkraljkolesa9317]

I found one explanation for Iron Moth but I'm not too happy with it: solar radiation

[@dracoberry]

@@rokkraljkolesa9317 possibly? Idk

[@deadlyraptor3585]

Great analysis! I think the poison type could reasonably fit under the middle-ground category since in addition to its elemental property, as you said many animals are venomous which I think could count as an anatomical property

[@moonnicachiu5131]

more videos like this please!! this was so enjoyable and made so much sense. it makes pokemon deeper and more appreciative

[@sammyabalos9628]

I had a similar theory but had a different approach. I tried extending the physical/ special split to types. Dragon being physical fire and flame being special fire, Warrior being physical fighting and poison being special fightingl, bird/ air, ghost/dark, fairy/psychic, fish/water, beast/ ground, bug/grass, construct/ electric. This was an attempt to homebrew a TCG where there are only 9 energy colors but there are also physical/ special energies. You can only run 4 of each card so if you wanted to make a water only deck you'd run 4 basic fish energies and 4 basic water energies. There would be no colorless cost but instead physical or special of any color.

[@SPYROSTSABOURIS]

3:01 What on earth?! I just finished binging a video series about Avatar

[@ameenkhanzada526]

Who all here thought that he is giving charizard a paradox form😅😅😅

[@RaptorBrain]

I genuinely love this video. It feels so similar to your older videos but with the flair you’ve developed as your channel has grown. Your channel has inspired me to start thinking about making my own videos about Pokémon (and other stuff) but this video pushed me enough to actually start.

[@silvertepig5185]

Found this interesting! I always think of Dhelmise when I consider a mon that fits multiple types. Not only can it manipulate water and is quite literally an anchor (steel), it was given the grass ghost type instead of those. So if no type limit existed it would easily have 4.

[@typeduck9992]

16:25 I think buzzwole would also fit in!

[@MirageUchiha]

Whatchu mean? Rock could work for Blastoise. Lol It's shell is hard like a rock. 😂

[@shadenox8164]

Its a normal turtle shell, not made of rock.

[@modenoatr]

It is interesting that some abilities are used as basically half an extra type. Levitate is the obvious one here, giving Flying's most important defensive property to a slew of non-Flying Pokémon, but there are a bunch of other abilities that alter a Pokémon's defensive matchups. Offensively too, as Dhelmise and Bombirdier's signature abilities essentially give them STAB in a third type, Steel (anatomy) and Rock (control) respectively.

[@oger5200]

Kingdra may be able to use its body to create high pressure systems, its dex states "yawning of this Pokémon creates spiraling ocean currents." and Suicune represents the north wind, kinda make sense to control as well. As for Whimsicott, not sure best i got is they are little airbenders, in on dex it says They appear along with whirlwinds, maybe their making them?

[@TSLstudio2010]

16:20 *Garchomp*

[@kvmehaus]

Plot twist- it’s back 1:02

[@FriskTemmieGoogle]

I have never seen you before this video and I'm not really a pokemon fan but I gotta say: great video. It was really well structured, the pace was not too fast, but not too slow and you went from point A to B with the required stops so people that don't understand a lot about pokemon could enjoy the video. Thanks, really.

[@altermann1991]

I'd argue one could still split the anatomical category even further. Fighting, Dark, Flying (and even Ground) are (mostly) related to what physical activity a mon does, wheras Normal, Bug, Dragon and Steel are usually more about the physical body of the mon.

[@V.B.T.G]

So about Mega Evolutions being gone….

[@user-uu3ec9zp2k]

Flutter mane two 16:31

[@couplemonkeys1429]

Really enjoy this type of video, man. Hope you keep them coming!

[@Fr0st2190]

But that’s just a theory a poke theory

[@marinagaleotti]

0:16 Well designed is a stretch

[@Didyouknowthatiexist]

Agreed

[@infinityguyyt]

*adored* this video, kinda feels like the mandjtv videos I fell in love with all those years ago, absolutely do more if you feel like you'll have fun with it!

[@Windwolvesfly]

It also falls under the "it's a dragon, so it needs the dragon type," but Garchomp is also flight-capable without having levitate. Super weird example overall because depending on context it often doesn't showcase that ability, but in much of the TCG artwork and of course the static spawn on the rim of Area Zero in scarlet and violet, it's shown flying. Like Dragapult, another funky jet-dragon.

[@hgalactic5185]

MandJTV I suggest to change the title to the Charizard Conundrum, instead of paradox. I hope you see this message

[@solidsilver7014]

Really enjoyed this one. I was expecting a video on charizard but really ended up watching an in depth analysis of the philosophy of Pokémon type categorizations. Talk about an undersell

[@alexs5814]

this was amazing! I love this type of deep lore examination and cathegorisation.

[@XeroShifter]

Dragon is definitely a hybrid type. Draco Meteor and such special dragon moves pull it into the elemental types (some can be excused as things dragons do physically like dragon breath, but not all, and Draco Meteor definitely not), while pokemon like Kecleon, Kookodile, Seviper, Arbok, Salazzle, Heleoptile keep it from being purely a Lizard/reptile physical descriptor type, plus things like Tatsugiri, and Alolan Exeggutor keep it from being a pure anatomical type from the other side. Otherwise great video, I think its a useful distinction to divide the types like this, and helps explain why certain type combinations have taken so long to appear.

[@oscarpenman9387]

What's more funny is that these senarios definitely happen in the anime,non flying type pokemon can dodge ground moves when in the air and even pokemon flying type or non flying type pokemon can still be attacked by ground moves while they are in the sky.Example being Alan's Mega Charizard X is attack by Primal Groudon Preciples Blade while X is in the air.

[@UsedToBeRonin]

I enjoyed that this feels like those old videos you used to do of Pokemon Physics. I miss those.

[@justingrosso1032]

These are also translations done by several different people over the years. Some moves have different meanings in Japanese which does make some of the ambiguous sounding moves make sense, especially the flying type.

[@jaschabull2365]

Pretty interesting concept for a video! I definitely enjoyed this exploration of type criteria. Pretty insightful thoughts about the difficulties the choices of what constitutes as a type creates in terms of assigning types. Definitely thought-provoking, to the point that I've got a ton to say about it, so have fun either clicking "read more" or don't. One detail that wasn't touched on is that the water type also has a few moves similar to flying which don't necessarily involve the manipulation of water itself, but do involve anatomy exhibited by aquatic animals. Clamp, razor shell and crabhammer all come to mind - water isn't necessarily involved in these moves, but bivalves and crustaceans live in the water, so these moves are water type by association, similar to how peck and roost are flying type by association due to birds often flying. That and the fact that there are water type pokémon that just live in the water and can't use attacks that involve it (magikarp being an outstanding example) does lead people to often think some pokémon like eelektross and grapploct should be water type purely by virtue of being aquatic. Speaking of water, I was kind of surprised dhelmise wasn't mentioned in this video. It's a haunted remains of a shipwreck coated with algae. That's 4 possible types it would qualify for, water and steel as well as the ghost and grass it did get. It's kind of interesting that it actually was given an ability to make it sort of a de facto steel type, similar to flygon and the latis getting levitate to patch up the lack of room for flying on their typing. As for the birds, I've never really thought it odd that blaziken and especially empoleon weren't flying type. The only pokémon that's flying type purely by virtue of being avian is dodrio (delibird may be based on a flightless species, but it's pretty clearly capable of being airborne by some sort of Santa's-reindeer-style magic or something, so I wouldn't count it). It only really gets weird when a pokémon that can physically fly somehow isn't flying type, like decidueye. I remember telling this one guy online that if charizard were a dragon type it wouldn't fly. He totally lost it and said I was being ridiculous. It took quite a bit of back and forth before it turned out this guy had apparently given the first games a miss and didn't realize that while in gen 3 on, charizard might still be able to "fly" as a dragon type if it got levitate like flygon or the latis, that wasn't a feasible solution in gen 1, where charizard debuted, because abilities hadn't been invented yet. I guess after they've been around for 2 decades or so, some take them for granted. I've actually heard some say that similarly to how contact was made into its own attribute rather than being treated as synonymous with physical moves, being airborne should be treated as its own attribute separate from type or ability, so the dilemma of having to use up a type or ability slot just to reflect a pokémon's mode of self-transportation would be eliminated. It's kind of an interesting idea, though it would make the levitate ability pretty redundant. Might be an interesting chance to buff some of the levitating 'mons with some new abilities though. I think if it did happen, it probably ought to only create immunities to specific moves rather than all moves that are ground type; it's bugged me for ages that slinging bones or mud through the air will never hit an airborne target, but bowling over them is a particularly effective strategy, even though you'd think rolling along the ground would be a less likely way to hurt something in the air than literal projectiles.

[@powerofanime1]

Even with Illumise and Volbeat breaking the pattern, I've always felt there are way too many Bug/Flying types. Loved the video! I hope you make more like it!

[@DenjiGamerBussing]

"Since Mega Evolution is gone-" Pokemon Legends ZA: "I guess you wonder where I've been"

[@eduardosguilarohara333]

"Since megas are gone, so is Dragon Charizard" Pokémon Legends Z-A:

[@cantfindaname69]

"since mega evolution is gone" seems we spoke to soon lol

[@erycknovaes1420]

0:39 Just want to let you know that MEGA EVOLUTIONS ARE BACK BABY LETS GOOOOO

[@jasco.88]

"But since Mega Evolution is gone..." Boy did that age poorly hahaha

[@samnieuwenhuis5555]

7:45 Small and inconsequential objection here: You're forgetting about Steel Beam and Magnet Bomb. Both are ranged Steel-type moves that involve the manipulation of actual metal. Steel Beam literally says that the user uses metal from their own body to fire it, and while Magnet Bomb is technically a physical move, the animations from Sun and Moon onward show metal balls being thrown at the enemy before being magnetized.

[@SondaroSasuke]

11:28 you gotta love how in this situation Gyarados makes absolutely no sense other than "it flies because Chineese mythos". It can't fly canonically (not counting the flying Gyarados in Legends:Arceus), it can't learn Fly, it can't manipulate wind other than specifically learning Hurricane (and I still can't wrap around my head over how that works) and it's DEFINITELY not a bird. You call this the Charizard Paradox, but I'm gonna go with the Gyarados Dilemma 😂

[@felipeluz5035]

I was talking with a friend about this a few days ago! (Mainly the "Flying" part.) The thing is: "Flying" is too broad of a theme. - Oh, I got a new idea for a Pokemon: It's a cool Dragon that controls electricity and can attack with moves of thousands of volts! - Hm... And are those wings? - Yeah! Cool, right? We can make it soar through the skies creating lightning bolts wherever it goes! - Well, it's gotta be Electric and Flying, then. - Erh... I mean... Yeah... We could return with the idea of a Bird Type, and give some Pokemon the "Flying" ability! :D

[@shadenox8164]

Except Charizard is a winged lizard. It should be flying. And clearly the presence of wings doesn't automatically force flying type, see hydreigon for example.

[@kucingapi7671]

"Ghost are physically ghost", mikey just created another paradox on its own 🤣🤣

[@dansattah]

Tradititionally? Yes. In Pokemon Type history? NO! Originally, most Ghost Type moves were status moves, but it had one more Physical attack than Special ones, so Ghost stayed a Physical type until Gen 4.

[@definitivamenteno-malo7919]

Evolution (not ingame that is basically metamorphosis, but actual evolution), could be the answer: Charizard is a recently evolved reptile that hasn't adapted enough to have a different type than Fire, and can't get rid of Flying type to have its wings functional. The other option, is thst maybe it was Fire-Dragon like Turtonator, but given the evolutionary circumstances, the growing of wings and the capacity of air control that gives Flying type, was better suited for their recently developed wings. And still haven't even started video haha

[@joeydk]

You could see it as the pokemon types not representing what powers a pokemon CAN use, but more what powers a pokemon PREFERS to use. Regular charizard could be mostly relying on its fire power combined with aerial combat styles, while mega charizard X taps into the inherent draconic powers that charizard possesses. It would also explain why a pokemon can learn moves from types it doesn't have, while getting STAB for moves of the same type as it is more experienced in using these types of moves.

[@RykonDragonix]

This video made me want a legends-esque regional form of the charmander family that's ghost-dragon.