Pokémon: How to do a Nuzlocke challenge

Have you ever felt the urge to replay your favorite Pokémon classics but never had a good enough reason to do so? Do it with a Nuzlocke challenge.

If you’ve ever felt that the Pokémon installments from older consoles like Gameboy, Gameboy Advance, and Nintendo DS are unappealing because you can always just go to the Pokémon Center and have all your fainted Pokémon revived, a Nuzlocke is for you.

READ MORE: POKEMON GO ZORUA DEBUT FAILED AS IT IS REMOVED FROM THE GAME

“The Nuzlocke Challenge (commonly shortened to just “Nuzlocke“) is a set of rules intended to create a higher level of difficulty while playing the Pokémon games. Many challengers feel that the rules also serve the purpose of encouraging the use of Pokémon the player would not normally choose and promoting closer bonds with the player’s Pokémon. The rules are not an in-game function, but are self-imposed on the part of the player, and thus subject to variation.”

Bulbapedia

Nuzlocke challenge basic rules

Although there are many added variations to the rules of a Nuzlocke, there will always be three rules that are always imposed on the trainer:

• Fainting is permadeath. Any Pokémon that faints either inside or outside a battle should not be revived and used again in a battle.
• A trainer is only allowed to catch the FIRST wild encounter in each area of the map. Any first encounter of a trainer with a wild Pokémon that ends with either the Pokémon fainting or fleeing is counted. If the wild encounter turns out to be a double battle, the trainer can choose either of the two wild Pokémon. The trainer should only catch one of them.
• Let’s face it, we’ve all seen the black screen before. The moment when all your Pokémon faint in a battle, and you end up in the last Pokémon Center you visited. Admit it, you’ve probably either reset the game or turned it off and turned it back on as if nothing happened. In a Nuzlocke challenge, it’s not just getting half your money sliced that would be a penalty for blacking out, it’s a game over.

Some of the additional rules imposed by players are either related to item usage, putting a level cap to maintain a sense of challenge when dealing with a gym leader, or even assigning a nickname to your Pokémon. It is up to the player if you prefer to use the other rules. However, they do add a more stringent challenge to players, especially those that believe the game is too easy.

READ MORE: POKEMON GO TEDDIURSA COMMUNITY DAY NOVEMBER 2022 FEATURING AN EXCITING POKEMON DEBUT!

Nuzlocke challenge additional rules

Aside from the three mandates, there are other rules that you can impose before your run to make it a memorable one. It is almost universally required for trainers to give a nickname to all their Pokémon. This is to ensure that you build an unwavering bond with that Pokémon. Of course, it also makes the permadeath of the Pokémon all the more searing to your heart.

The use of any cheats is not allowed when doing this challenge. This includes GameShark codes, trading Pokémon with other players (or with yourself), or the use of the Mystery Gift. Some argue that you can still trade in-game with NPCs, but there has not been any consensus on how to resolve that. There is also the scenario of an NPC giving you a Pokémon. If that happens, others believe that this Pokémon is technically your catch for that area.

For those looking for a darker challenge, some prefer to put a level cap on their Pokémon before going through a battle with the gym leader. Some players will either put the level cap on either the highest level of the Pokémon of the gym leader or the lowest. Some also put a requirement where a successful run means you never had to use an item aside from Pokéballs. You will have to wait until the match is over, and you can visit nurse Joy to heal your Pokémon. ***cue Pokemon Center background music***

READ MORE: POKEMON GO: HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY BEAT GIOVANNI NOVEMBER 2022 – BEST COUNTERS AND MOVESETS

Nuzlocke challenge tips before starting

Doing a Nuzlocke challenge has been so popular that there is a string of threads on Reddit and other social media platforms dedicated to this challenge. The list of tips includes anticipating the first moves of your opponent, doing a switch for a “smurf” Pokémon to take a fatal hit, and using a well-balanced team.

Unless you plan on taking the challenge blindly, you are allowed to use the internet to check details of the gym leader’s Pokemon to get an idea of their level. Needless to say, you are not allowed to check the Pokémon of the other trainers that will ask you for a battle.

You can always come up with your own rules if you prefer. However, make sure that you write it down or take note of all the requisites that you imposed on yourself. It might cause conflicts in other scenarios in the future.