Ledybulk

**Ledybulk (Japanese: レディバル / Ledibal)** is a dual-type Bug/Fighting Pokémon, and is one of the original Fakemon created for Pokémon Vega, Procyon, and Deneb.

It evolves from Ledian starting at level 38. It is the final form of Ledyba.

## Overview

Even as of Scarlet and Violet, Ledian did not get any sort of treatment, unlike the others of the Johto roster, such as Corsola, Donphan, and Stantler in recent games. Ledian has effectively 5 bad stats. HP, Attack, Defense, Special Attack, and even Special Defense are pointless when it deals next to no damage at all and takes so much damage thanks to its typing filled with so many exploitable weaknesses left and right. The only good stat is really has to use effectively is Speed, which is ok and fast by support standards, but its typing and wonky stat distribution really held it back. Luckily for Ledian, even before Procyon and Deneb, Vega gave it new life in form of Ledybulk.

Ledybulk lost 5 Speed and 20 Special Defense upon evolving, but its Attack stat went up drastically up to 120 and its bulk is now decent enough to take a hit. Speaking of taking a hit, Ledybulk sheds its Flying type for the Fighting type, losing the Rock, Ice, and Electric weaknesses at the exchange of a 4x Flying weakness and a Psychic weakness. Overall, Ledybulk was basically a weaker Heracross with less Speed, less Attack, and less overall bulk. Unlike Heracross, it has access to the Elemental Punches, High Jump Kick, Raid for reliable Bug STAB, and support options with Dual Screens.

In Procyon and Deneb, there are a couple of changes for it negatively. For one, Fairy type exists, walling both STABs unless if Ledybulk runs either Flying Gem Acrobatics or Double-Edge to blitz past Fairies. Second, it lost Raid in the game shift, forcing to use either Attack Order or Probe Punch. The former has a high Crit chance while the latter has a 20% chance of lowering Defense by 1 stage. And, to add insult to injury, Ledybulk does not get Iron Fist. Even if it did, it does not have access to the Elemental Punches, and the only Punching moves it can boost are Focus Punch, Power-Up Punch, Drain Punch, Mach Punch, Probe Punch, and middling Normal Punch moves, like Comet and Mega Punches.

However, in return, Ledybulk has access to U-turn. U-turn is one of the best moves it could have ever asked for. Especially when it gets STAB for U-turn. 120 Attack with STAB U-turn is not too shabby. It does less than Scizor, Kleavor, Genesect with an Attack boost from Download, and Slither Wing, but it does more than Scyther and even something as powerful as Mega Rayquaza. It is the strongest U-turn user you can find in Procyon and Deneb. The second strongest U-turn user is Cocrogue, who does have distinct advantages, such as Psychic immunity and a Ghost resistance and better set of Abilities to choose from. Outside of that, Toxroach is the fastest U-turn user in all of Signet.

With U-turn, Ledybulk is able to pivot safely out of bad matchups and let its teammates get into the field safely. Thus, Choice Scarf and especially Choice Band are no big brainers for the strongest U-turn user in Procyon and Deneb. Since it does not have Swords Dance and Bulk Up other than the slow ramp of Power-Up Punch, U-turn is a better move overall to chip opponents throughout a battle. However, U-turn is not the only aspect it can do. It can run Refresh to shrug off Burn and Poison status. Heal Order or Roost to recover off damage from taking Spikes damage while abusing U-turn. Fighting STAB to smash Steel types on the switch. Knock Off to remove items throughout a course of a battle. Having 5 resistances in form of Grass, Dark, Fighting, Bug, and especially Ground lets Ledybulk capitalize U-turn very effectively on Choice locked moves or slower targets.

Overall, Ledybulk may seem to have more negatives than the one positive, but the one big gain in form of U-turn might be worthwhile, despite having below average Speed when everyone else has at least 90 Speed.

## Base Stats

 * Minimum stats are calculated with 0 EVs, IVs of 0, and a hindering nature, if applicable.
* Maximum stats are calculated with 252 EVs, IVs of 31, and a helpful nature, if applicable.

## Trivia

### Design Origin

Like Ledyba and Ledian, Ledybulk is based on a ladybug. Due to its new Fighting type, appearance, and stance, Ledybulk also seems to draw major inspirations from both *Kamen Rider* and *bare-fisted monks*.

### Name Origin

Ledybulk is a portmanteau of a corruption of *ladybug* and *bulk,* referring to its' Fighting type.