Something I forgot to mention at the end: If you get out of Pallet Town without taking a starter, your rival will have Charmander/Charmeleon/Charizard in all of his battles. By default, the game apparently assumes you've chosen Bulbasaur before you've actually made a choice. Also, if you beat the champion fight, go back and finally take a starter (Charmander/Squirtle), your rival's party will change if you go back to the final battle again.

I thought it was hilarious when drowsy used disable and disabled the game

Just imagine the fight between ditto and drowzee from your opponent's perspective. The pokemon is getting attacked and not fighting back, while the trainer is panicking and playing the flute.

Crystal_ found the reason. Here's a quick summary : When FIGHT is selected, the game parses all four PP slots, and if they are all zero, uses Struggle. Normally, an empty move's PP slot is zero, but we will see that there can be an edge case... The active Pokémon is copied to a region of memory (so the game can use this instead having to constantly modify party data). For things such as HP, status, and PP, the game needs to also update the party data. There is one exception to this : when a Pokémon is under Transform, the party data must not be updated. For example, PP is not subtracted from the party data. When Mirror Move (or Metronome) is used, the game will decrement the PP of Mirror Move twice (once when it's actually used, and once when the move it represents is used). Thus, the game increments the PP of Mirror Move once, to compensate. All of these make sense -- it's how the game works. But here's the catch : the "PP increment" function doesn't check for the Transformed status ! Here's how to trigger the glitch : - Have any Pokémon with Transform (typically Ditto, but also Mew, or a Pokémon with Metronome) - Face against a Pokémon knowing Mirror Move or Metronome - Transform into the Pokémon with Mirror Move; - Use the move; - The game will decrement Mirror Move's PP (but it won't because Transform); - (If the move fails, nothing else happens); - The game will increment Mirror Move's PP (thus, it will increment the PP in the corresponding slot); - The game will decrement Mirror Move's PP (but it won't because Transform) Thus, the game increments a move's PP in the Pokémon's data. If the move is present, then it will just have incremented it, no biggie. If it's not, this creates a slot that is empty, but with non-zero PP ! Thus, the game fails to use Struggle. -- D̲i̲s̲a̲b̲l̲e̲ Disable first checks if there is a slot with non-zero PP, and if this fails, misses. With a Struggle-less Pokémon, this will always succeed, because of the glitched slot. Then, Disable will attempt to pick a slot which must have a move AND non-zero PP. Assuming Transform has 0 PP, the game will never find such a slot (since the only slot with non-zero PP has no move). Bam, infinite loop, and softlock.

I can't believe you accidentally discovered a brand new R/B/Y glitch while doing this run. Man, over 20 years people are still finding brand new ways to break this very broken game

...God, this is like the Simpsons episode where Homer becomes a championship boxer by letting his opponents beat the shit out him until they get tired and faint of their own accord

I like to imagine Giovanni pouring a potion down the hole while dugtrio is underground and laughing to himself

"Did you know Giovanni can use items on his Pokémon when they're underground? I didn't know that. I don't like that." LMAO

Everyone told Ditto to try and be like everyone else, to transform into something he's not. Ditto always struggled to truly express his true self

I love the mental image of a Ditto apathetically flailing until an Onix dies.

Anyone realize that the rival says "You still struggling along back here" during the Cerulean battle near nugget bridge? I found it funny as struggle was one of the ditto's main tactics.

Blizzard was 90% accurate in gen 1 before being nerfed to 70% in later gens, so there was only a 1% chance that blizzard would miss two times in that last fight!

Oak: So, you want the fire pokemon CHARMANDER? Red: Yes, yes please! Oak: This pokemon is really energetic! *RED received a DITTO!* Red: ...

This ditto is basically a Pidgeot at this point

It's funny how you had to struggle a lot more after losing the ability to do so.

"In Generation I, a glitch can occur making it impossible for a Pokémon to use Struggle if it has previously used Transform followed by either Metronome or Mirror Move. This renders the Pokémon completely unable to battle until its PP is restored." -Bulbapedia.

On one hand, the Forget Struggle glitch made this run much more interesting, because it really does keep it in line with the spirit of a Ditto Run. On the other, struggle might have helped reduce the luck factor required

5:42 "You're still struggling along back here?" HE KNOWS

Oak can remember you left with a hacked Ditto, but can't remember his grandson's name...

Lorelai: *sees Pikasprey come in with one pokemon* Oh no, not him again..

I love how at the second rival fight he says "You're still struggling back here"

"Even his powerful Machamp can't do anything to-" *screams internally*

The reason the glitch that you couldn't use struggle happened is do to a bug with transform where if the pokemon you transform into knows mirror move or metronome, using it will cause the ACTUAL move that is in that slot (in this case transform) to decrease by 1. This caused it to become -1, meaning that you have no PP but you the game only checks for 0 PP and not a negative value, meaning that you cannot use struggle. The only way to fix this glitch is to use the metronome or mirror move 256 times so it overflows back to 0.

I don't think people really understand how much this was the game changing video for Pokemon Challenges, especially solo runs

*my Ditto forgot how to use struggle*

*_Finally, we're asking the real questions._*

That Drowzee be like "Okay, let's disable his only viable method of combat, for the rest of his life"

Anyone else re-watching this after seeing the JRose11 run

13:17 The way you say that line is makes me think you're about to go into the gym with a lead pipe and break Koga's kneecaps.

Ditto just looks so chill all the time like if you killed his family he would just be like whatever

Seems like that playthrough was a bit of a Struggle.

Jrose has sacrificed his sanity for this challenge.

Do you ever find something so great, that even months later you find yourself grateful that it exists and that you found it? That's how I feel about this channel. I never knew my life needed videos about softlocking Pokemon games and beating Pokemon games with gimmick Pokemon. Your dedication to these ridiculous and time-consuming setups, and your creativity in solving them, is insane and impressive and much appreciated.

"Using ONLY a Ditto and not using items in battle because it's lame." No, no, the term you are looking for is called masochism.

Imagine you run into a Pokemon with self-destruct as the only move. There are no winners when you run into a suicide bomber.

This video started an Entire trend of single Pokemon challange Runs that only talk about Important battles. And i think that that's Amazing!

Years and years of playing The Sims 3 as a kid taught to always save every time something important happens in a game that doesn't auto-save. Lol

I bet this would have been a *struggle* to finish.

1, 2, and... Poof! DITTO forgot STRUGGLE. And... DITTO learned - ! *softlock ensues*

Pikasprey did these "Can you beat Pokemon [...] with only a [...]?" videos before everyone and their mother started milking them.

Actually, your rival missing two blizzards is actually insane. Since in gen 1, Blizzard has 90% accuracy instead of 70%

So would you say your Ditto struggled to remember struggle?

16:00 "One-hit KO!" "It's not very effective..." *I beg to differ*

9:50 "Apparently I just soft-locked the game... I wasn't even trying to this time!" -Pikasprey Yellow, Pokemon Red/Blue - Feb 13, 2018

Imagine being the trainer of that hypno. “Uh… they’re not doing anything other than playing that flute… hypno, use disable?” “Hypno” *freezes time and space*

Something funny to note here with the Gary fight. Although Blizzard was changed in later generations to be more in line with Fire Blast and Thunder with higher power but lower accuracy than the normal perfect accuracy moves of those types, in Gen 1 Blizzard actually has 90 accuracy. You got exceptionally lucky against that Blastoise getting two misses in a row, as that only has a 1% for you to survive.

Text Box - Enemy Drowzee Used Disable Game - *Confused Screaming* Crashes

“I softlocked the game and I wasn’t even trying *this time*

So is this video the reason why there are now so many "Can you beat Pokemon with xxx" videos now? Because this channel still has the best take on it.

This is the high level content that I subscribed for and get notifications for.

Blue's Pidgeot is basically yours now

19:39 My heart stopped pumping for a moment there lol.

you absolute mad man

Hey, someone pointed me to this. The reason you couldn't use Struggle seems to be because you had in moveslot 2-4 an empty move but a non-0 PP value. This explains why Struggle wasn't automatically used and also why Disable froze in the next turn; you had a move with non-0 PP so it didn't miss, but you didn't have a non-00 move with non-0 PP, so it entered an infinite loop. This most likely occurred because the PPs after transform were saved to the party data during a battle, when you had moves beyond the first slot. My first guess is that something caused the transformed flag to reset (a trasformed pokemon doesn't update the battle PPs to the party data), or maybe some weird interaction with Disable or another move. Can't tell you much more without knowing the battle(s) right before you experienced the effect though. Edit: Explanation video here for anyone interested: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/lclnp7ScuN_eZ3k.html An obscure interaction with Mirror Move / Metronome that causes an unintended PP increase is the cause.

anyone ever noticed that Agatha is actually a poison type trainer and not a ghost type trainer? well, at least in gen 1

"I didn't know that, I don't like that" 16:28😂

You had a 1/100 chance to avoid both Blizzards at the end.

You ran out of PP for Struggle... Only in Gen 1

"Wasn't the opponent using an item always supposed to have priority?" Guess what, it does not in Gen 1! The AI makes its decision after the player, so it can do stuff like using Full Restores before the end of a turn (unless its PKMN outspeeds) and using a super effective move on your switch. Blaine using Super Potions at full health is just a quirk of his AI specifically, but the other trainers don't do this.

5:42 BLUE: Yo! Asprey! You're still *struggling* along back there? I saw that and it got a genuine chuckle out of me.

Asprey: Help! my struggle won't work. pokemon support: have you tried turning it off and on again?

Wow, color me impressed. I’m surprised you were able to beat the Elite Four that way. Sucks you had struggle taken away.

Still one of the most iconic videos on youtube. Basically started the whole Pokemon challenge idea that literally everyone does now. Or atleast made it as popular as it is and set the standard for how the videos are typically done

Never thought it would be soo satisfying and entertaining to watch someone "struggle". 😂 I'm loving these awesome videos!

Damn that challenge must’ve been a real... _struggle._

This video was super well made! I especially loved the interface and the music. Kept me engaged the entire way though!

I've always wished that the first pokemon sent out was random and not fixed. I think it would add a lot of replay value and would make key fights more varied and interesting

I love that there's no negative comments. I scrolled all the way down and it seems everybody believes you whole-heartedly... I enjoyed your commentary :)

Pikasprey in one word "Masochist"

Defeating every trainer in gen 1 with their own pokemon I always knew that pokemon games basically beat themselves

This ended up being far more emotionally engaging than I had expected.

Red: **Leaves Pallet Town with no Pokemon** Prof. Oak: You've grown so much since you first left with _[bass boosted vine boom sf]_

Pikasprey... Oh, poor Pikasprey... I do hope you realize your subscribers are going to force you through this for Every Single Generation Ever Made Hopefully including all the remakes.

When your Ditto is lvl 100 but forgets how to use struggle and he forgets how to use transform, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

10/10 idea, 11/10 execution

Looks like Ditto is literally a gimmick not intended for long uses...its obvious that the developers decided that very few trainers have actual decent moves

From what I can guess maybe Struggle is programed with PP and when you used it so much from Lavender town to fuchsia city you ended up underflowing it to 0 that's why it ended up saying no moves left there was none for transform or struggle. Maybe just a programming error that nobody in a normal play session would end up triggering/doing.

It's so weird watching a properly edited video after months of watching only the blue channel. Pikasprey is too calm, lmao, I need the salt

0:17 Pikasprey: "Just kiding were doing something stupid in Pokemon again" 0:18 Name of the pokemon: "Nani"

Your videos are so much fun. There’s something about your take on everything I find so enjoyable haha

In gen 1 blizzard actually had 90% accuracy before it was nerfed. That blastoise missing blizzard twice in a row is actually quite impressive. You say it has poor accuracy, but, getting that 10% chance twice is much luckier than you seem to credit it.

Pikasprey is so good at soft-locking the game he does it on accident.

"So when it finally came time for her Lapras, I've used the last of my PP by healing; meaning that I could finish it off with Struggle without worrying about any recoil." This whole extended sentence can easily have sounded dirty. If it was intentional, major props to the uploader.

I absolutely love this. Your effort and dedication to your own challenges definitely shows through. I'd love it if you make more videos like this, where you do bizarre challenges like this.

One might say that, "The Struggle is real" in this playthrough

This explains why we haven't seen Smeargle run lately. Too busy beating Pokemon with a Ditto.

That is actually really cool!! I can't wait to see if it is possible in other games. Great work! Very fun to watch!

Here because JRose11 shouted out this video in his ditto attempt.

Incredible feat.

*Nice.*

This was seriously inspiring, the drive this dude has is second to none.

"Apparently I just soft-locked the game. I wasnt even trying to this time" 🤣🤣🤣

If Struggle works against Ghost pokemon, sure. Edit: Never mind, Struggle apparently doesn't work well with Ditto. God damn at Blizzard missing. It had a 90% accuracy in Gen I.

This is sincerely one of the most entertaining videos I’ve ever watched

Amazingly you did this 5 years ago, and now jrose is doing his torture session.

As always, awesome video!!! Thanks for this channel.

10:20 who else thought that their sound went out?

That ditto struggled so much, the resulting brain damage caused it to develop amnesia for the cause.

Ash: I can beat Pokémon Red and Blue! Ditto: Hold my POKEBALL.

This is amazing it makes me appreciate pokemon even more than I already did.