Ledyba Guide

About
Latest Posts

Ben is a certified Pokémon pro who has played from a early days on the GBC right up to the modern outings on the switch. When he isn't training his Pokémon party, he's usually taking on harder games like anything FromSoft makes, or playing a vast, open-world RPG.

My Bottom Line Up Front:

Ledyba is an underused and relatively obscure Generation 2 Bug-type Pokemon that is easily scared; it only feels confident in a group. It has a limited movepool and is even more limited in competitive battles as it can only be used effectively in the Little Cup format.

General Info & Locations

General Info

National Dex Number: 165

Local Pokedex Numbers:

030 (Pokemon Gold/Pokemon Silver/Pokemon Crystal)
030 (Pokemon Heartgold/Pokemon Soulsilver)
074 (Pokemon X/ Pokemon Y)
020 (Pokemon Sun/Pokemon Moon)
020 (Pokemon Ultra Sun/Pokemon Ultra Moon)

Type: Bug/Flying

Weight: 10.8kg (23.8Ibs)

Height: 1.0m (3″03″)

Entering the franchise in Generation II, Ledyba is known as the ‘Five Star Pokemon’, most likely about the five dots on its back. This cute little ladybug is known to be highly timid unless it is in a group of other Ledyba, in which case it will be very active.

These Pokemon sleep in groups of four and emit a fluid from their legs to convey their emotions to others; Ledyba sleeps in groups of four and creates their nests in temperate forests and jungles.

As you’ve probably already noticed, Ledyba resembles a ladybug. Its elytra is a bright red, and the five spots on top are black. The actual wings of this Pokemon are entirely transparent. Ledyba’s belly and lower jaw are yellow, whilst the rest of its head shares the same color as its elytra. It has large eyes with black pupils and antennae of the same color. Finally, Ledbya has six short, stubby legs, which are blue. At the end of each leg, it has large white hands that somewhat resemble boxing gloves.

Only Ledyba’s elytra turns a lighter shade of red/orange in its Shiny Form. Nothing else changes.

Ledyba’s English name is made up of the following word:

Ladybird: A species of insect

This Pokemon also goes by different names depending on what language you select in-game:

English, Spanish, Italian & German: Ledyba
French: Coxy
Japanese: Rediba

Locations

As you’ve no doubt noticed, Ledyba has appeared in many mainline Pokemon titles over the years. Luckily, it only inhabits forests and early-game areas, so it is too hard to stumble across one. Note that whilst Ledbya is available in most mainline titles, you may have to migrate from another game or breed it evolved from, Lebian, to obtain it.

Here I’ve listed the titles where you can catch Ledyba:

Pokemon Silver: Route 2, Route 30, Route 31, Route 37.
Pokemon Crystal: Route 2, Route 29, Route 30, Route 31, Route 34, Route 35, Route 36, Route 37, Route 38, Route 39, The National Park.
Pokemon FireRed: Pattern Bush.
Pokemon LeafGreen: Pattern Bush.
Pokemon Emerald: Safari Zone.
Pokemon SoulSilver: Route 1, Route 2, Route 12, Route 13, Route 14, Route 15, Route 18, Route 21, Route 22, Route 26, Route 27, Route 29, Route 30, Route 31, Route 34, Route 35, Route 36, Route 37, Route 38, Route 39, Route 47, Route 48, Cherrygrove City, Ecruteak City, Fuchsia City, The National Park, New Bark Town, Pallet Town, Safari Zone Gate, Viridian City & Viridian Forest.
Pokemon X & Pokemon Y: Route 4 & Route 7.
Pokemon Sun & Pokemon Moon: Route 1
Pokemon Ultra Sun & Pokemon Ultra Moon: Route 1

Moves, Stats & Useful Movesets

Moves Learned Via Levelling Up

Tackle (Learned at Level 1)
Supersonic (Learned at Level 5)
Swift (Learned at Level 8)
Reflect (Learned at Level 12)
Light Screen (Learned at Level 12)
Safeguard (Learned at Level 12)
Mach Punch (Learned at Level 15)
Roost (Learned at Level 19)
Struggle Bug (Learned at Level 22)
Baton Pass (Learned at Level 26)
Agility (Learned at Level 29)
Bug Buzz (Learned at Level 33)
Air Slash (Learned at Level 36)
Double Edge (Learned at Level 40)

Moves Learned Via Egg Moves

Counter
Encore
Bug Bite
Knock Off
Psybeam
Tailwind
Screech.

Moves Learned Via TMs

Light Screen
Reflect
Double Team
Drain Punch
Sunny Day
Protect
Focus Punch
Giga Drain
Solarbeam
Dig
Safeguard
Aerial Ace
Rest
Attract
Facade
Thief
Roost
Fling
Endure
Bug Buzz
Swords Dance
Flash
Swagger
Sleep Talk
Substitute
U-turn

Like many other Pokemon, Ledyba has three abilities. Two regular abilities can be commonly obtained by breeding the Pokemon or catching them in the wild. The third ability is known as a Hidden Ability, which the Pokemon has to be specially bred for.

Ledyba’s Abilities

Swarm: Doubles the power of the Pokemon’s Bug-type moves when it is at low health.
Early Bird: This allows the Pokemon to awaken from sleep earlier.
Rattled: Activates whenever the Pokemon is hit by a Bug, Ghost or Dark-type attack; its Speed stat is boosted by one stage.

Since Ledyba is a Bug/Flying-type, it has a fair amount of type weaknesses:

Fire (Deals super-effective damage)
Rock (Deals double super-effective damage)
Flying (Deals super-effective damage)
Electric (Deals super-effective damage)
Ice (Deals super-effective damage)

But it does resist a couple of other types:

Grass (Deals non-effective damage)
Bug (Deals non-effective damage)
Fighting (Deals non-effective damage

Statwise, Ledyba’s attributes are less than mediocre, aside from its Special Defense stat, making it a tricky Pokemon to work with. Typically, I’d just invest into its defensive stats and HP to create a Toxic Staller build, but since the Five Star Pokemon’s HP base HP stat is naturally low, this isn’t much of an option.

Since Ledyba is a pre-evolved Pokemon, it can only be utilized correctly in the Little Cup format, where players can only use pre-evolved Pokemon at Level 5.

There is only currently one proper Ledyba moveset that LC players use:

Lebdya (Swords Dance Sweeper)

Base Stats: Mostly Attack, Defense & Speed. Also, a little HP.

Nature: Rattled

Ability: Jolly (Boosts the Pokemon’s Speed stat whilst lowering its Special Attack stat)

Held Item: Berry Juice (A consumable item that restores 20 HP upon use)

Moves: Swords Dance, Drain Punch, Acrobatics & Knock Off.

This set is a typical Swords Dance Sweeper build with the titular move used to set up on the opposing Pokemon to defeat them all in one hit. Knock Off is a handy technique as it deals decent damage and removes the target’s Held Item, which can totally undo some strategies. Drain Punch is also helpful if Ledyba takes any damage because this move also restores the HP of the user and deals good damage. Finally, Acrobatics is a powerful attack that doubles in power if the user is no longer holding an item, so I recommend utilising this attack once Ledyba has used up its Berry Juice.

Anime, TGC & Appearances In Other Games

Anime

Regarding Ledyba’s appearances in the anime, it makes mainly minor appearances in multiple episodes across the different series; but it has been known to star in a few episodes over the years.

Pikachu’s Rescue Adventure (Aired during 1999-2000)

One notable appearance was in the 1999 short Pikachu’s Rescue Adventure. In this episode, Ledyba debuted for the first time alongside other Generation 2 Pokemon like Bellosom, Hoothoot and Elekid.

The short revolves around Pikachu and his fellow friends searching for the baby Pokemon, Togepi, who unintentionally manages to get lost in a forest in the middle of the night. Throughout the short, Pikachu runs into numerous Pokemon who ultimately send the gang on the right path to finding Togepi, although unintentionally.

A group of Ledyba appears at the very beginning of the short, waking up Togepi and setting the events of the short into action. It then appears again, saving Pikachu and his friends from falling out of a tree stump and down a dangerous-looking cliff.

Episode 128-The Whistle Stop! (2000)

In this episode, Ash and his friends are introduced to a trainer named Arielle as they are trying to cross a river using a broken bridge. Arielle can tame and control a group of six Ledyba with a unique whistle, who help the gang across one by one. Afterwards, she explains how the Ledyba helps her do her job: picking apples and pollinating them.

However, as they often do, Team Rocket arrives and steals the whistle as a gift for their boss, Giovanni. As they announce their premature victory, Jesse attempts to use the whistle, but the Ledyba do not respond to her, so she orders her Lickitung to attack them instead.

In true Team Rocket fashion, they jump into their Meowth balloon for a quick getaway after a bit of back and forth with the trainers, but they are soon blasted away by a Thunderbolt from Pikachu. However, even after being blasted into oblivion, the Ledyba still follow Jesse as she is still holding the whistle.

Jesse dismisses the whistle as junk and tosses it away since she cannot control the Ledyba with it, but Meowth insists that she’s misusing it and proves this by controlling their Arbok with it.

Finally, however, the group decides to just capture the Bug-type Pokemon typically and throw a net over the six Ledyba, who instantly try to fly away. Team Rocket attempts to pin them down but is promptly dealt with by a collective Stun Spore attack from the Five Star Pokemon.

Eventually, Ash and the gang find Team Rocket and the Ledyba, and a battle begins. Arielle is worried that the Ledyba won’t obey her without the whistle, but she can easily command them during the brawl. After being freed from the net by a Razor Leaf from Ash’s Bulbasaur, Arielle tells all six of the Ledyba to use Tackle on Team Rocket all at once, which sends them flying into the distance.

After emerging victorious, Arielle thanks Ash and his friends and wishes them luck as the gang head toward Violet City.

As for minor appearances, Ledyba made several appearances over the years; here are just a few:

For example:

Many Ledyba fly out of a large tree at the beginning of the Generation 3 movie: Lucario & The Mystery Of Mew.
An unnamed trainer’s Ledyba appears in the episode: To Train Or Not To Train, Pokemon Journeys: The Series.
Another different unknown trainer’s Ledyba, appeared in the episode: Z-Move Showdown, Pokemon Sun & Moon: The Series.

TGC

Ledyba is also quite common in the Pokemon Trading Card Game, as it has appeared in several worldwide expansions. Being a Grass-energy card, it is fragile against Fire-energy cards. They are a standard rarity card and not very powerful as far as battling goes.

English Expansions

Neo Genesis
Southern Islands
Neo Destiny
Skyridge
EX Team Rocket Returns
EX Dragon Frontiers
Heartgold & SoulSilver
Legends Awaken
XY
Burning Shadows
Chilling Reign

Japanese Expansions

Gold, Silver, To a New World…
Southern Islands
Darkness, and to Light
Split Earth
Rocket Gang Strikes Back
Offence and Defense of the Furthest Ends
Cry from the Mysterious
SoulSilver Collection
Collection Y
Facing a New Trial
GX Starter Decks
Jet-Black Spirit

Appearances In Other Games

Ledyba makes appearances in a small number of Pokemon side games, including the popular Pokemon Ranger: Guardian Signs to Pokemon Trozei:

Pokemon Channel
Pokemon Trozei
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon (Red, Blue, Time, Darkness & Sky)
Pokemon Shuffle
Pokemon Rumble

FAQs

Question: Is Ledyba worth putting on my team?

Answer: Personally, I’d say no. Although it has access to some decent supporting moves at an early level, it gets outclassed by other Pokemon and has too many weaknesses to be very useful.

Question: It is possible to build a Toxic Staller Ledyba build?

Answer: Yes, but while it is technically possible to do this, I doubt it would have much success since Ledyba’s HP and defensive stats are pretty low, allowing it to be trounced.

Question: Which ability is the best for Ledyba?

Answer: Either Rattled or Swarm, as they are helpful in basically every situation. However, Early Bird only has a use when Ledyba has been put to sleep, so I’d recommend avoiding it at all costs.

Ledyba Guide: Pokemon Go

Ledyba is a reasonably common Bug/Flying-type encounter in Pokemon GO. It can be found in Raids, hatched from 2km Eggs and found randomly in the wild. Ledyba tends to appear anywhere with trees or lots of greenery, such as a park or garden. It is possible to obtain a shiny Ledyba, but the chances are slim; there currently isn’t an opportunity to catch lots of Ledyba at once, like during a Community day.

It can be used offensively with Bug Bite & Aerial Ace attacks. Or defensively with the moves: Sliver Wind & Bug Bite.