• The closing ceremony for TBT's Farewell to New Leaf event has been posted! View the winning entries and other closing announcements here. Thanks for joining in on the fun and nostalgia. We'll see you this Friday night for the start of our annual Easter Egg Hunt!

Pokémon Larvesta and Volcarona

moonford

moon boi
Peach 🍑
Coconut 🥥
Joined
Jul 15, 2015
Posts
10,517
Bells
31
MEOW Coupons
0
StreetPass Silver
0
Ruby
White Cosmos
White Cosmos
White Cosmos
White Cosmos
Leif
Two of the most beautiful Pok?mon in the game, in my opinion, are two of the most unfair Pok?mon.

Let's look at their stats!

Larvesta

HP: 55
Attack: 85
Defense: 55
Sp.Atk: 50
Sp.Def: 55
Speed: 60

Total: 360


Stats with the Eviolite

HP: 55
Attack: 85
Defense: 82.5
Special Attack: 50
Special Defense: 82.5
Speed:60

Total: 415 (pretty good tbh)

Volcarona

HP: 85
Attack: 60
Defense: 65
Sp.Atk: 135
Sp.Def: 105
Speed: 100

Total: 550

They are reasonable stats for a pre-evolution but when you consider that Larvesta evolves into Volcarona at an astonishing level of 59, then you will realize that there is a major problem even if the end product is amazing with a 190 base stat difference.

Larvesta and Volcarona have the unique typing of Bug/Fire which is a pretty great type with only three weaknesses (which is average) and six resistances (which is pretty good and not very common); they have no immunities which isn't a bad thing but it is usually a nice thing to have.

Their weaknesses are: Flying, Water and Rock. Water being the most common, Rock being fairly common and Flying being fairly common but less common than Water or Rock. This kind of sucks and sucks even more in the event that the move "Stealth Rock" is used because it is a very dangerous move to both Bug and Fire types (along with ice and flying types), which Larvesta and Volcarona both are...oh dear.

They have six resistances and they are: Fighting, Bug, Steel, Grass, Ice and Fairy. Fighting , Grass, Ice and Fairy are very common offensive moves so having a resistance to all of those types makes Larvesta and Volcarona (more so Volcarona) beautiful beasts with a real presence in battle (in-game/online/competitive). Steel and Bug aren't too common compared to the other types offensively however, but having a resistance to uncommon offensive types is also a good thing because they might surprise you.

Their unique typing grants them the ability to get rid of these types with ease in battle: Psychic, Ice, Dark, Steel, Grass and Bug. Psychic, Dark and Steel being pretty common defensive types, while Grass, Ice and Bug are some of the worst defensive types in the game; so they are less common but having an advantage over them is still a good thing.

They have a fairly wide coverage range of moves with moves such as Hurricane, Psychic and Giga Drain being available to them and some good support moves such as Defog and Tailwind (particularly good for the slower Pok?mon on your team which is very prominent in Alola). Volcarona becomes an actual God when it sets up with Quiver Dance...so it's a great move to have as well.

Larvesta and Volcarona have the Bug element boost ability called Swarm as it's Hidden Ability, which is mediocre and outclassed by abilities like Levitate and Drought which should be available to them but sadly aren't. And then their natural ability Flame body which is decent for a form of defense as their defences are fairly low.

Overall, they are good Pok?mon but their abilities and evolution method is terrible for them. So how would I change them?

Let's start with Larvesta.



I would reduce it's stats, which would end up looking like this:

HP: 55
Attack: 60
Defense: 45
Special Attack: 60
Special Defense: 45
Speed: 60

Total: 325 (original was 360)

It is more balanced this way and a problem with Larvesta is that it is a physical attacker while Volcarona is a special attacker, so when it evolves with it's physical moves and pro-physical attacker nature a problem will occur. The problem with Volcarona after it has evolved would be that it's potential is damaged because of it's predecessor's differences and requirements for it to be used properly differ from it's own.

If I worked at Game Freak I would give the Evolution Line a second form. It's stats would look like this:

HP: 60
Attack: 75
Defense: 55
Special Attack: 75
Special Defense: 65
Speed: 55

Total: 395

Seeing as it's a cocoon, I gave it more defense, lower speed and higher offense as it's final form is an offensive monster.

And last but not least, Volcarona.

HP: 80
Attack: 60
Defense: 75
Special Attack: 130
Special Defense: 110
Speed: 100

Total: 555 (original 550)

I think that Volcarona would appreciate having Levitate or Flame Body as it's natural abilities or Drought as it's Hidden Ability. Larvesta (and it's mid evo) should have Swarm and Shield Dust with Flame body as it's Hidden Ability.


As for Evolution method I think this would be good.

Larvesta > Level 35 Mid Evo > Sun Stone for Volcarona or Larvesta > Level 40 Volcarona with Sunny Day set up.




What are your opinions on Larvesta and Volcarona? What would you change, what would you keep?
 
This is hypothetical obviously and I don't expect changes this drastic occurring.
 
Back
Top