Feral Woman Obsesses Over Pokemon HGSS for 2 Hours Straight - Tama Hero 

This is not *the* HGSS video! It is just an appitizer while I work on the real one :) Here's that team planner I used: richi3f.github.io/pokemon-team-planner/ I know this is not typically what I upload, but let me know if you like it anyway. I may make more videos in this style talking through past teams or planning and executing each part of the run? Perhaps as Patreon exclusives if people are not into these? Let me know what you think!

Making a two hour appetizer video before the actual HGSS video essay is so beast

I used to watch your videos many years ago, as a kid. I still love Pokemon, but I find it harder to enjoy the games knowing what I do about EVs, IVs, and general "optimal" play. This video feels like a demonstration of how that sort of deep game knowledge doesn't have to handicap my fun. This video feels like a pat on head of myself as a child. Thank you, Tama.

my god, title wasn't joking

This is a dangerous thing you've brought upon me. I can hear the spreadsheets calling my name. It's my last semester of college and I don't have time for this, but I yearn for the silly creatures and the achievements that require 100+ hours of grinding.

A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine said that competitive Pokémon was basically competitive spreadsheets, and honestly, I think a similar thing can be said about any kind of hardcore commitment to Pokémon games. Heck, even RPGs in general.

The fact that I’ve been obsessing over watching HGSS retrospective/fact videos for the past 2 weeks. This is fueling the furnace in my heart

Hey just a heads up, the EVs listed for Pichu are specifically for Little Cup, which is a metagame where everything is set to level 5. All Pokemon in LC use weird EV intervals compared to other metagames because at level 5, you only gain a stat at like 4 or 5 intervals on the spectrum of 0-252. So you'll rarely see mons at 252 on anything in LC. Those HP EVs in Pichu won't do you a lot of good in a regular run. Realistically you'd want to copy a set from a singles Pikachu or Raichu instead, since they're a lot more similar to what Pichu would theoretically run in a max level singles metagame (there are no sets listed for it because it would be completely useless even in the lowest tier of singles lol). Another thing to keep in mind with some of the EVs and movesets of specific mons you see on Smogon sets is that sometimes they're tuned to deal with a very specific meta threat. It's not one of the mons on your list, but let's use Gliscor as an example. Gliscor is a defensive beast in singles, yet many sets run Jolly nature with a very specific amount of speed investment in some metagames. Why? Because that way it can outspeed Heatran and kill it with EQ before getting nuked by a specs set for example (since Gliscor has relatively low Sp. Def, and as likely your only ground type, is necessary to not throw away because you misread the set). There are a lot of other examples of random coverage moves certain mons will run because of a key threat in their metagame, and it gets even more confusing when the "key threat" only exists in their lower tier, like NU or PU. So you end up with situations where you might be building a lower tier mon to use in OU (people like to use their favorites even if they're underpowered in OU), and if you just copy the NU Smogon set, you're investing pointless speed EVs for speed tier cutoffs that are irrelevant in OU, when you could be investing in either more speed or some sort of bulk. The Pichu point is more relevant for what you're doing, since it'll level far past level 5 I'm assuming. But the point about other sets is moreso just to say basically choose an archetype and stick to it, there's no need for complex EV spreads in a regular playthrough against unoptimized teams. If your Pichu is 252 Timid/Jolly, it'll outspeed the most possible things it can in your playthrough, including mons that are a higher level and have higher base speed because they don't have proper IVs or EVs. In the same sense, you want to maximize your damage output, so you'd just run 252 in atk/sp.atk (whichever you lean towards). You could also run Adamant/Modest if you think you'll be overleveled at all and won't need to worry about speed. But the same goes for a defensive mon. No sense in running super specific spreads that are tailored to singles metagames. You want an all around beefy mon? 252 HP, then find an even split between defense/sp. def and choose a nature that boosts one of them. Or just max out one or the other to make it a beast in that one department. Defensive mons are a little more flexible in a regular playthrough though, and you can also get away with just investing in HP and an attacking stat if your base defenses are good enough, because realistically if you're level-tying the NPCs, maxed out HP should pull a lot of weight since they're not really balanced to be fighting against maxed out EVs/perfect IVs. Pichu used to be one of my favorites as a kid thanks to the Pichu Bros. short and then Pichu getting added to Melee, so I've done many playthroughs with one on my team through the Elite 4, as recently as Sun and Moon. And that was without optimizing anything at all, just regular level up EVs and the nature/IVs it was caught with. I also beat Pearl as a kid without ever evolving my Chimchar (again, completely unoptimized, I didn't even know what EVs were back then lol). So if you just stick to standard 252/252/4 EV spreads on otherwise perfect IVs/optimal nature mons, I don't think you'll have much to worry about. Pichu will be a champion in no time. Good luck!

Oh wow, a 2 hour Tama video is a dream come true; I would absolutely love a video exactly like this but for Pokémon Black/Black 2 and White/White 2!

2 hour video by my favourite RU-vid oh we are feasting like kings tonight

These are the type of videos i can just watch over and over. I love hearing how other people track their games, especially if its with spreadsheets, its always such a fun time.

Man and I thought I was bonkers when I pre-planned every team for my future playthroughs for my Pokemon marathon. My only rules were Pokemon I had never used and no overlapping types, completion was simply beating the E4 and then the "superboss" like Red in Gen 2, Steven in Emerald, Adult Red or Blue in USUM, etc. Battle Frontier I always wanted to beat but I lacked the patience to team build in Gen 3 and 4 since it takes so long and I didn't have access to every game and multiple consoles to trade between, I recall getting the Silver Symbols in a few facilities in Platinum with a Garchomp, Starmie and Lucario team, the extent of my preparation was just good natures and EV training, IV breeding I didn't figure out until XY simplified it (and your video on it also helped back in the day). Just in this video you're doing 10x more prep than I ever did haha.

I love these kinds of super long technical things video. I find them fascinating and the video format is nice to watch on days where I need to watch something that is chill and LONG in order to focus on it properly

Crazy I've been watching you for practically a decade now, and we finally get to the GOAT of pokemon games

as someone also trying to 100% each Pokémon game (with a different definition, I just go for all the trainer card improvements and battle facilities if necessary) and struggling af in the Gen 4 factory this is actually inspiring af thank you

i truly understand that team building segment god that was heart warming to watch, I like to think of every new playthrough i do of a pokemon game as their own character, or if i want to use a pokemon i like at that time i will create a character around that. I really liked seeing you even take the time to think about the NAMES as i do as well. can’t wait for the video as a whole

Came here after watching your Colosseum review. It now makes 100% sense why you were so frustrated by Colosseum

I never realized how fun it is just watching someone plan out there Pokemon playthrough when its not all about the most powerful moves/mons, and when there's an aesthetic going on. Very fun! Also your hair is soo cute, I've never seen anyone's hair like that.

the videos of the older pokemon games have really helped me rediscover my love for pokemon, the newer games havent done it for me for ages now, but rediscovering how good the older games are and how much i can still get out of them has helped me enjoy the games so much, so thanks tama :)

I’ve been watching your videos on and off for 11 years now. Thanks for existing.

I used to be a huge fan back in the day, and recently found your channel again. Your GSC video completely reshaped how I thought about my already favorite games. I just thought of it again now, came back to the channel to rewatch it, and I find a new HGSS vid! Can't wait to watch :)

This has been a joy to listen to podcast-style while filling out my National Dex in LeafGreen. Best of luck with all your complete playthroughs, it doesn't sound easy!

oh my god i loved the part where you’re planning out the core team and it’s overall aesthetic. sooo fun to watch

I have been ruminating on how to make my comment. I have watched the entire video and seeing the level of effort you are putting into doing your own personal 100% of gen 4 games unlocked a core memory for me when I was younger. I used to do something similar to you when I was between 9-14 or so, before I found friends to play with and getting involved with more of the community and competitive aspect of pokemon. Lately due to unfortunate circumstances, I am back just me playing by myself. This definitely has sparked a similar kind of itch of going to boot up my past games of gen 4 before things went to hell. It is so... refreshing to see a new way that i had forgotten about on how to play these older games when there was more focus on things to do in-game rather than features revolving around being on the internet with others. I want to personally thank you Tama, for starting the process for me again to relearn how to love pokemon again. Recently I also acquired an old and used WiiU, but since I couldnt do a system transfer I am being forced to replay every wii and wiiu game i have ever owned to just feel some resemblance of being back at home. Replaying through old titles I have not touched since my childhood definitely hits different now that I am 25. Again, thank you Tama. I look forward for the HGSS video you will make!

i really loved this! spreadsheets and pokemon my favourite special interests together combined with the planning is so good! i would definitely want to watch more like this :) maybe show your gen 2 planning?

Thanks for uploading this right before I had a 2 hour drive. Been watching your content since '07 and you're still one of my favorite RU-vidrs.

A spreadsheet! Truly a Pokemon master

This is the first time I’ve seen anyone obsess over in game team building the way that I do. One of the few times I’ve felt genuine representation in the media I consume.

Best video title, ever.

This is some of my favorite content from you Tama, you always help me think about Pokémon in new ways and inspire me to play past games in a different fashion, over the years you’ve helped give me much more longevity with older Pokémon games

AHHH JUST WHAT I NEEDED!! As someone who just started a 100% run through HG(gotta complete 10 year old me’s dream) and started fully hand writing out a guide of the entire journey(I’ve gone through three notebooks already lol) this was like heaven to have on while working!!

dude i have been having a bad day but watching/listening to this has improved my mood a lot, thanks :))

"A Wild Tama Appears"

Wish a feral woman would obsess over me the way Tama-hero obsessed over HGSS 😔 That HGSS video gonna slap tho, love those 100% marathon type videos and I cant wait 😁

Your passion and enthusiasm for Pokemon is unmatched. This is an incredible amount of work tracking your progress. I took a break from my recent first-time SoulSilver playthrough but you're inspiring me to go back.

Best believe I'm using this video for reference moving forward when I do playthroughs. This is great timing too, I've been prepping for my own series re-play and it's so cool seeing what someone else's planning and notes look like!

A lot of the things you were saying in the beginning about raising different teams for different tasks are actually part of why I love scarlet and violet. I'm obsessed with the little markings you get for completing certain tasks or catching one that already comes with a mark

I'm so glad to see I'm not the only one who breaks out the spreadsheets in order to plan their pokemon teams!

This is basically what I've been doing with my Platinum file lately. I decided to do a "lifetime quest" where I play every pokemon game I have as thoroughly as possible, including tiny side jrpg type things like cafe/food court battles and growing tons of berries. In more or less order. Starting with my Platinum, with occasional side work on Black 2 and Sword. Its been a ton of fun! It really makes you realize that the way these games want you to play them truly is jrpg style, for a long time and a little bit each day, building up supplies for things you wouldn't expect you wanted until you discover them. Even the switch games play this way! It's really rewarding. A big example of this is how in Platinum, berry mechanics, contest mechanics, pokedex mechanics, friendship mechanics, the themes of the game/region, and battling all feed back into each other. I could write an essay on how lol, but basically I discovered it by doing daily berry growing all over the region and going to amity Park every day for a while.

I totally clocked the pokemon lunch box thingy during this video and didn't expect an actual showcase of it in the end hahaha

Whoa, hey, I wrote that guide for Battle Revolution Stargazer Colosseum so long ago, so cool to see someone still getting use out of it!

I’m not a huge Pokémon fan (other than colosseum) but somehow I enjoy hearing people talk about it. I love your long videos for when I’m designing and put it in the background.

1:05 that "okay" sounded like it has a backstory

damn this pokemon shit is serious

I really loved to see how excited you got by the prospect of starting a daunting task.

A new Tama hero vid and it's nearly 2 HOURS???? Oh man my day just got WAY better

The QUEEN has fed her people well! 😍😍 seriously, you're one of the nerdiest people I know of in the best way possible. Only tama could make a 1 & 1/2 hour video about pokemon spreadsheets; I love hearing about your mindset with this series 💜💜 even more excited about the HGSS video now

btw, this is the first time ive ever seen anyone even come close to resembling how i myself play pokemon games and i appreciate it!

Hey Tama, long time subscriber and fan of your work (for about 10 years now actually now that I think about it). It’s crazy how similar we are when it comes to constructing playthrough teams and even teams we use for the battle facilities of Pokemon games. Although admittedly my amount of planning pales in comparison to yours. Also, I wanted to let you know, there is a way for some of the Pokémon you plan on using to have egg moves without breeding them. Have you by chance heard of the Rage/Mimic Glitch? It’s a method that can enable you to teach any of your Pokémon any possible move. In this particular instance, you can use it to teach some of the Pokemon you plan on using their egg moves without having to breed them. The catch though is that it only works on Pokemon you’ll have transferred from Gen. 3 and you’ll have needed to teach each of them the tutor move Mimic.

Wow this is amazing! I haven't checked up on your channel in a while, so I wasn't aware you were planning something like this. But I am doing something eerily similar myself. It started off with the goal of using every single pokemon to beat a game from start to finish, so I split every pokemon into teams according to in-game availability and played each pokemon main series game at least 5 times over the last 2 or 3 years. But going through the games so many times meant I got to know them pretty well and I got more and more curious of the things each game had to offer. Hey, as long as I'm using all of the pokedex, why not use all of the game as well... And that got me started on my current project of exploring every nook and cranny, find every hidden item, beat every battle facility, complete living dexes in every generation, collect every doll and decor, battle bingo, braggart's stickers, gen 5 medals and so on. I also love to watch videos about hidden easter eggs in pokemon just so I learn a bit more about the lore and secrets hidden in the games. I'm very happy to learn I'm not alone in this crazy endeavor 😅. Best of luck and keep posting updates, I'll be sure to follow so I don't miss any.

When I was little I tried to pick up a feral cat and it scratched me.

i have been using this team planner since i first watched this video, and i like to plan my teams and their movesets out before each playthrough. you really inspired me!

Wow Tama, you have no idea how much I enjoyed this video: For starters your planning process was super satisfying. From which Pokemon to how to get them, how to equip them and the celestial body research for names Dx so so so satisfying. Then there is the whole notepad to spreadsheet pipeline. It is so wholesome and beautiful to see how the more robust technology is adopted out of necessity. It is natural for a personalized system to be adopted with little optimization. It is once the system is adopted and used that the optimization can occur. This is going to be so meta but like you COULD have planned for optimizing the spreadsheet system if only you planned for this video with the same intensity as you planned for your Gen 4 playthroughs. XD This of course would have been a lot harder because I am sure your knowledge of spreadsheets pales in comparison to your knowledge of Pokemon. I LOVED THIS VIDEO. It's made me super hyped to stay on top of your playthrough updates for all your 30 beautiful Pokemon

I see what you did with that old-school pink Sailor Moon style filter at the start 👀 The more I see that aesthetic, the more I'm loving it.

HOLY CRAP I was looking for your channel the other day and just came across this, I used to watch your videos when I was much younger and used to play Pokémon all the time, thank you for sharing your love of the game with the rest of us, I’m very glad to see you doing well!

We’re very similar in age, and I’ve also really appreciated going back and playing old games from childhood/teen, sometimes using cheats for content completion. It gives so much joy that newer stuff (mostly because of DLC, micro transactions, and the way those change design are just emotionally exhausting) Thank you so much for sharing!

When she busted out the spreadsheet, I realized that I was about to bear witness to what happens when an individual's passion is tempered by wisdom and intelligence.

someone is more obsessive than me with my team building?! HATS! OFF! Loved the video!

Strong Pokémon. Weak Pokémon. That is only the selfish perception of people. Truly skilled trainers should try to win with a party that has a cohesive color scheme

This was fun to watch! I’m looking forward to catching up to the rest of the series!

A 2 hour video involving Pokémon and spreadsheets? This is literally my jam.

I deeply admire the commitment to not only do this ludicrous amount of planning, but to actually follow through to completion. I start planning stuff and then give up after like 30 minutes and never go back to it again except in like 2-minute bursts every few months!

Dawg, Tama, the Johto team building was absolute fucking madness. This is a new tier of based you've reached please keep making these 2 hour unhinged obsession videos!

oh tama i’m so happy i’ve been working on and off on my natdex hgss file since 2019 and i love your videos so much this gives me so much motivation to keep going yay 💚💚💚 love your stuff!!!

this is my favorite typa content, great to watch, put on in the background while playin games, etc. Also gives me drive to do my own 100% lol

This was so satisfying to watch. I love vids like this!

"everyone wants hard pokemon games but no one wants to do the hard part of pokemon games" pretty much sums up a lot of the fandom lol. I honestly think part of the problem is the fact that a lot of the people who complain also don't want to play older games and just want to consume new games.

I'm so glad someone else cares this much about the aesthetics of their Pokemon team, I've felt so alone in this for so long

Honestly this seems like such a fun way to approach older Pokemon games. Also, absolutely love that team builder 💖

I started Pokémon with Pearl - when I learned about the time before the physical special split I thought it was so illogical. What do you think looking back at the time before the physical special split? Dosent it constantly get in the way of designing teams? You can’t just use logical moves on each mon you have to remember the arbitrary classification on each type. So gengar cannot use ghost moves like shadow ball for some god forsaken reason

Honestly, it's good to know other people also keep spreadsheets/notepad documents related to their hobbies LOL

My personal 100%: Talk to Every NPC & Every NPC after battles, & Do Everything an NPC makes you do, make sense?

I’ve been wanting to replay older Pokémon games, and you’ve inspired me to make my own goal list for each game + draw a portrait of my team at the end 💖 thank you!

You were one of my first poketubers I watched back in the early 2010s, it makes me happy that you are still making content :)

It's nice to see all the thought that goes into this; sometimes it feels good to be reminded that other people spend a lot of time thinking about and working on these things.

For anyone unfamiliar with spreadsheet fiending, this is _exactly_ what it's like. The average viewer may think it's boring at first, but seeing those empty cells is like a fresh canvas, albeit with some much-needed restrictions to keep the artist in line (hehe). When you input some basic info, you start to feel like this space is empty, or this part could use a bit of work, and you type more information in. Keeping in line with Pokémon, let's say you've got your team names, species, and moves listed. Maybe you've put some team synergies on display, like what weaknesses/resistances are covered by which teammate. Why not add in natures, important IVs, and EVs? That's still only about twenty columns or rows, and this dang spreadsheet is borderline _infinite!_ How about some concept movesets or alternative stats? You'll also end up with an egg move in there somewhere, so be sure to list the necessary parent to breed it on. While you're at it, why not save future you some time and mention where to get said egg move donor, and which game would be optimal for doing so? Oh, and you could also list the optimal breeding setup to combine IVs, nature, and egg moves all at once! Did you know that Breloom can access Focus Punch in BW/2 through transfer only? If you were to teach a male Clefairy Focus Punch via TM in gen 4, however, you can transfer it up and breed those two, and voila! A Shroomish with Focus Punch, at your service! And then, and then, and then... Spreadsheets are beautiful things, in that they allow someone to get the information out of their head and into words. Words are great to write down, because human brains tend to forget them until they need to be pulled out of the esoteric æther, where inaccuracies and memory rot can take hold. Sure, I can say that Deino has a 20% encounter rate in Black 1's Victory Road, but I couldn't tell you if it was 2F, 4F, or B1F. I know Arbok or Gyarados can be taught Dark Pulse in HGSS, transferred up to Unova, and bred with the Deino line for Dark Pulse, but where do you even get Dark Pulse as a TM in gen 4? That's more spaces to fill on the spreadsheet, more gaps in memory saved by a virtual piece of paper that can be stored locally and accessed freely. It goes on, and on, and ON, and suddenly you've spent _hours_ just typing everything you can think. Spreadsheet fiending is ridiculously fun, and I highly encourage people get into it. Seeing Tama so entrenched in it has been two hours of pure catharsis. I'm so glad it's not just me in the Excel rabbit hole, bahahaha!! But this gen 4 slander will NOT be tolerated!!

oh my god you are much more of a nerd on pokemon than ive realized!! your videos do not do you justice!!!

just discovered this channel, and omg this looks like more work than competitive showdown even lmao

This is extremely interesting to me, because I do a similar level of planning, just without all the spreadsheets. My brain is a mess of stats and numbers for every playthrough.

Very good video to listen to while I use my own pokemon spreadsheets to track my progress on my HGSS natdex. I long for this level of patience lmao this is incredible

Tbh glad I’m not the only one who does this now… and I’m not even a completionist. Like I just do items that I often forget 😅 Slightly unrelated but if anyone likes how this sounds but doesn’t wanna *do everything* I suggest taking the route Tama mentioned earlier of only using 3 mons. It’s kinda just how I’ve replayed all of them since X and Y. I also like to have one three stage, one two stage and one single stage evolution just to make it more varied. Doing this I’ve found some of my favorite new mons who I honestly wouldn’t have normally given the time of day. Big ups to you Tama for doing all of this! Can’t wait to see the main video if this is just the planning.

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who thinks that hard about team arsthetics! One of my biggest pain points in competitive is when I feel like I am forced to use an ugly team because it's just the best option.

"I hope people understand what I'm doing or else I just look like a crazy person" Oh Tama, I've never felt so seen as watching you do the team-building section of this video.

This is Runescape levels of dedication and I kinda love that

52:48 Tama being as savage as Ash in OG season. 😼👏

And then I learned that i was having just a fraction of the fun that i could've been having while playing pokemon. This made me happy

I love the way you ended the video! It reminded that when I was a young child, I was the only person I knew who played Pokemon so I would have to save up my allowance to be able to trade Pokemon with myself… ah how the world of Pokemon has changed

An oddly satisfying video, seriously, all these planning and talk about pokemon was extremely relaxing

27:37 "I try to not always use the same pokemon, but it gets really difficult because I like the pokemon I like" -> me every time I star a new playthrough.

It's crazy how deep these simple looking games can be

My god i thought it was overkill when i started collecting the japanese titles. Having 5 copies of Emerald is wild to see let alone 11 copies of Sapphire. Asides from that, fun challenge you have going for yourself.

You're like every person that has planned out a modded skyrim/minecraft run. Except you actually follow through. Kudos

Just a heads up btw, the gen 4 Battle Factory is brutal, much harder than the gen 3 one. Expect it to take as long as the rest of the facilities combined, since a large part of it is basically a gamble.

I apologize if this was already said, but one additional thing to consider could be the secret base decorations in DPP as well as Platinum's post game resort villa. I believe you will have to interact with the Underground/secret bases regardless for the trainer card.

This is such a weird vid, and the fact I’m going to watch the whole thing, probably multiple times, says more about me than it does anyone else 😅😅

This is so amazing. When I went back to play Get 1 I kind of did this because Pokemon Stadium required level planning for pausing during the play through but it was nothing compared to this. Very inspiring

35:48 I’m not sure if you allow yourself event pokemon, but there’s the Spikey Ear pichu that can be fun to add to your main story team!

That treasure trove at the end... Holy moley, Tama. :O

I love how unhinged the title is, can tell you had fun with that one

As a long time viewer, I've never really gone into actually playing through pokemon games with a completion sort of mindset. This video has got me wanting to play both emerald and soul silver (maybe platinum, too) to the same sort of completion, though I'll probably be doing a few less berries than 100. I'm hoping to make a long collection of new memories with some of my old favorites.