"YOLO Skarmory" Innovated Competitive Gen 3 Pokemon. Here's How. 

The scene starts with a Skarmory, preparing to return to his Poke Ball after a hard day of laying Spikes and walling physical attackers, when all of a sudden, a Magneton switches in. Viewing him as an easy target, Magneton approaches with a retractable Magnet Pull. Magneton then threatens Skarm. "Hey old man. Give me everything." What is Skarmory to do? This Magneton is very content on removing all of Skarmory's health, so its physically offensive teammates can plow through the rest of the bird's team. Fortunately, our avian friend has a trick up his wings. Skarmory hunches over and begins to caw out in pain. Is it... poisoned? How is such a thing even possible? The immunity to Toxic, not to mention sandstorm and Spikes, is one of Skarmory's many incredible defensive traits. "Aaaaugh! Call a Blissey! Call a Blissey!", Skarmory bellows out, causing Magneton to lower its guard. "But not for me!" Skarmory reveals his ace in the hole, a fancy Hidden Power Ground he carries with him. Magenton does not take the HP Ground. Suddenly we cut to another scene, where Skarmory looks directly at the camera. "I'm YOLOSkarm, with the Steely Series: Self-Defense for Steel Birds. And I'm inviting you to come train with us!" The screen cuts to black, with a message saying "FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL (227) MAG-BGON" All is right in the world

I've really been enjoying your "Here's Why/How" videos. It's gotten me back into showdown as a whole and I've been enjoying it a lot more again. Also a huge fan of your climbing randbats series. Keep up the good work!

You might see that Magneton and Skarmory both have base 70 speed, and wonder why the Magneton can’t run max speed as well to force a tie. Magneton often runs Hidden Power Fire. Hidden Power’s type is determined by which IVs are even and odd, and Hidden Power Fire requires their speed IV to be even, which can’t be the maximum. Hidden Power Ground can be done with odd speed IV, which can be maximum.

I did not expect the Viper cameo 😭

Sometimes this kind of thing just happens in competitive games. A very specific hard-counter will be popular for a strategy, so the strategy will change to do nothing but counter the counter. It's always very silly to see, lol.

The money got different

when heatah fajita becomes meta

It amazes me that despite being counterparts and having identical numbers for stats, Skarmory is much more powerful than Mantine. I guess being Steel Flying instead of Water Flying made all of the difference huh

You should totally collab with Big Yellow

Viper the Rapper’s favorite Mag set

I actually would love if you made a video on why Lando-T ISN’T banned. As a casual spectator who always sees Lando-T at the top of OU usage in every game it’s in, I’m curious as to why it has never been banned for any reason.

I heard about this from Big Yellow's recent video :)) Maybe you should collab with him!

The video summed up: So magneton counters skarmoury??? Well yes but actually no .

Honestly, I love to find little niches myself. Recently; I made a team with Lickilicky as a weather wall and even a Koko wall. Wish, Heal Bell, Body Slam and Knock Off make so Pelipper and Koko have nothing to do; Ninetales can't set Aurora Veil with Cloud Nine active, Licky walls Zard Y completely; and it can even wall Greninja with a more than decent Special Defense. It's like a worse version of Blissey/Chansey combined with a worse version of Clefable. It does a mix of what they can do; but with a little bit of his own magic. He good and thicc boi.

I’m not locked in here with you. You’re locked in here with me! -Skarmory

The money got different Because of what I'm spending The money got different Because of what I'm spending Its magneton! KOd by one hit! It scattered spikes!

Dude, i really love your videos. I dont really play that much the smogon tiers or VGC, but seeing these videos is really fun, makes me undestand strange and curious things about past generations formats and helps me with some modern formats gimmicks and strats You are such a cool guy!

THE MONEY GOT DIFFERENT

TLDR: This set works because Magneton* needs 30 Speed IVs because of HP Fire While Skarm can have max Speed IVs while using HP Ground *EDIT: it's Magneton, my bad

THA MONEY GOT DIFFERENT

Neat analysis video! Thanks for uploading!

I immediately thought of that Viper song while watching this, I'm glad to see the shout-out to it at the end!

Skarm really should get like, stomping tantrum or something at this point. Or just straight up Earthquake because it's not like they give it to baby plant pokemon or anything

Wasn't expecting the viper shoutout but I'm not complaining

Found out about this recently from Big Yellow’s video. Really a crazy strat.

I like how you are one of the few RU-vidrs who discuss showdown history also your videos give me false swipe vibes tbh

freezai, your content is phenomenal 🔥

That money really do get different ngl.

THA MONEY GOT DIFFERENT CAUSE OF WHAT IM SPENDIN

blissey+skarmory has always been strong but i didn't realize it went all the way back to gen 3... geez

It even inspired what now?

the titles just get spicier and spicier with every video

"Ya'll Cowards Don't Even HP Ground" - Viper, probably.

The takeaway I got: YOLO. It's time for a Skarm Rap Battle!

Oh its Magneton.

Interesting how both of these Pokémon later benefitted greatly from the gen 5 upgrade to Sturdy.

You know, I was gonna troll. But nah, you make REALLY good fucking content, man. Like these videos are concise and informative. Keep it up

Skarmory: Call a Nurse Joy!!! ... BUT NOT FOR ME!

The money got different... Cause of what I'm spending

Funny enough I saw a mention of HP Ground skarmory in another vid a few hours ago

Magneton: haha! I have you now! Yoloskarm: I'm not locked in here with you. YOU'RE LOCKED IN HERE WITH ME!!!

That name is amazing

There's little more satisfying than using "unviable" troll lure sets to obliterate would-be counters on switch-in. The moment your opponent pauses to take in what the hell just happened is priceless. Even better is when they join you in laughing at the incredulous situation.

of course there would be a viper song about it

THE VIPERTHARAPPER REFERENCE, I hope your pillow never gets warm.

I've been wondering if Hidden Power Ground would work against Magneton. Thank you.

The Money Got Different

Tha money got diffrent…

nice description

Hey I've seen this one before, classic.

1:37 gd reference!

Before watching: I actually have no clue what this is actually referring to but judging from the thumbnail, I’m guessing magneton plays a similar role to how it’s evolution would play in future generations: Steel trapper. With magnet pull, steel types like skarmory are trapped with Magneton until it switches or one side faints. With steel being arguably the best defensive typing in the game to date, being able to remove any steel type in the match with little problem allows for sweepers that can’t handle steel types like skarmory to shine. So pokemon like skarmory are basically free for a magneton to come in and KO it. What I’m guessing YOLO skarmory is is either a skarmory that can get up spikes quickly and then die in a suicide lead fashion or more likely from the thumbnail an offensive anti-magneton lure. Skarmory most likely carries hp ground as it would be x4 super effective and physical (since skarmory has a pathetic special atk stat) so that when magneton switches in on skarmory, it gets hit for a lot of damage, maybe a 2HKO or OHKO depending on how the EV spread lines up. Magneton and skarmory are in the same speed tier so it would have to run max speed to speedtie timid magneton if it’s running no bulk. Idk how much atk it would need to OHKO Magneton but skarmory atk isn’t terrible and magneton has a x4 weakness to ground so jolly max atk is within reason to KO magneton.

Ok the video aside can we talk about "bkc 8:30 am" the Metagross LMAO

Even in gen 4 I’ve seen natural gift apicot berry skarm. It’s quite a funny set, but it makes the skarm less useful for general purposes much more so than the gen 3 HP ground set Also question: the screenshot in video shows adamant skarm, is that a mistake? Because then max speed magneton can always our speed?

Beautiful presentation. No longer than it needed to be.

Tha money got different. Cuz of what im spendin.

You didn't happen to see this in Big Yellow's creative strategies video he uploaded a couple days ago did you? I thought I had deja vu when this popped up in my feed but it was just covered twice lol

I did a similar thing with heatran in gen 7, ran scarf with hp ice to outspeed and take out lando

I would love to see the double fake with levitate magneton

Nice

Given that Skarm is a steel type, you could say it inspired Suicide Silence's You Only Live Once

It would be really great if you post why/how posts twice a day or more

you should talk about the time PDC z-stealth rocked to live bisharp sucker....that was insane

I saw the thumbnail… I knew it’s the offensive HP ground set… i really hate that using/facing that set… personally i prefer using sp.def skarm but goddamn that offensive hp ground set whenever i face it

Big Yellow brough this up the other day

This was the start of suicide hazard setters

Shed Shell goes brrrr

Idk how you got into by recommendation but im not complaining

Oh hell nah not Viper!!! Lmaooooo 💀💀💀💀

I lost my shit when 8:30 BKC came out

Kevin Garrett's still alive?!

What about baiting yolo skarmory with levitate magneton as a counter? Most people would assume magnet pull and wouldn't try to switch out their normal skarmory either.

the money got different, cuz of what I'm spendin

bkc 8:30 am

I consider a Pokémon a counter when the Pokémon it counters is forced to run a set that makes it worse at its job, just to stand a fighting chance against it. So yeah, Magneton counters Skarmory by forcing it to run a set that deliberately avoids optimizing its bulk so it can fight back.

Can Magneton just run timid? Like why does standard offensive Skarm runs Adamant? They risk the whole thing of luring Magneton by not being Jolly. If Magneton is Timid hp Fire you will always outspeed with jolly. It seems weird that the smogon set is Adamant

Well SOMEBODY watched big yellow's last video here

A song huh.

Do magneton players scout for the hp ground?

no link to the song? 😢

Didn't you already make this video?

Hidden Power was actually a bad thing for me, it makes so much cover for weaknesses that the game tends to lack variety

So, did you just watch Big Yellow's most recent video and just decide to just make your own video about offensive Skarmory?

So run Timid Mag. He either lives a hit from standard and gets more spikes or a whirlwind for death fodder or you EASILY kill YOLO. Either way you dont die unless it's on the switch in which case feels bad man

Gen 3 is the best

200 attack EV and Adamant nature still kills standard trapper magneton

Isn't it a speed tie with Magneton?

That rap was god awful. Thank you lol

This is a beautiful strat lol

Why can't magneton have a timid nature

Do YOLO mean YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE ?

What yolo means?