The Pokemon X & Y Nuzlocke Tech-Forums Challenge
With Pokemon X/Y releasing Oct 12th Edge and I decided we wanted to do the Nuzlocke Challenge.
Basically, the Nuzlocke is like playing Pokemon on hard mode. There are strict rules for how you play the game, capture and trade Pokemon. The point of it is to challenge yourself by making the game harder, and for you to take care of your precious Pokemon.
If you fail, you can always restart your game and give it another go.
General Rules
1.) Nickname all of your pokemon.
2.) If a pokemon faints, it's considered dead. You are never allowed to use it again and must release it ASAP, or store it in a separate box on the PC labeled, "Heaven", "R.I.P.", "Fallen Comrades" or something along those lines.
3.) The actual Nuzlocke doesn't kick into effect until you receive poke balls for the first time. For example, in the original Red/Blue versions where you had to run up and get Oak's Parcel so that he gives you 5 poke balls, anything you may encounter along the way doesn't void you from capturing during that period time.
4.) If you "white out" by all six of your pokemon fainting, you must get rid of all of them. If you have any leftovers in the box that aren't dead then you can try again using them. If not, game over.
Capturing Rules
1.) You can only capture the first pokemon that you encounter in a specific area. If you accidentally kill it or run out of poke balls, you're out of luck.
2.) No duplicate pokemon.
2a.) If you catch a Pidgey on Rt 1 and your first Rt 2 random encounter is also a Pidgey, you can safely battle it as you are not allowed to capture it. You may try again until you encounter a pokemon that you have never caught before.
2b.) The same applies for evolution. If you catch, say for example, a Metapod and evolve it to Butterfree, you can never capture or obtain another Metapod/Butterfree. However, if you happen to encounter a wild Caterpie as your first pokemon in a new area after previously catching a Metapod in a prior location, that Caterpie is your only chance at capturing a pokemon that area; the only catch is that if you capture it you cannot evolve it Metapod - it must always remain a Caterpie in your game because if it evolves it would conflict as a duplicate.
2c.) The 2b capture rule also applies in the reverse direction - if you catch a Caterpie and it dies before it evolved into Metapod you are allowed to capture a wild Metapod if it is your first pokemon in a new area.
3.) If the same route is split into two areas then they count as one. Using R/B as an example again, you enter Route 2 to go into the forest, once you come out of it you are dumped into the other side of Route 2 right in front of Pewter City. If you catch a pokemon in the "first" Route 2, you can't catch anotherone in the other half of Route 2 because despite being two separate areas, they are still technically the same route.
4.) Gift or purchased pokemon count as your one-per-area. For example, in R/B you would be able to purchase a pokemon at the Casino (only one), or you could instead choose to pick up the Eevee in the office building, or even fish/surf in the small pond; you may only do one of these. Another example is in Saffron City - if you choose either Hitmonchan or Hitmonlee in the fighting gym you cannot obtain the Lapras from the scientist in Silph and vice versa.
4a.) Your starter also counts as your pokemon in that specific area, meaning, you can't come back there and surf/fish later on.
5.) Legendaries are fair game as long as you use repels to reach them. If you run out and encounter a wild pokemon along the way, the legendary in that area becomes voided as that wild pokemon would be the only one eligible for capture.
Trading Rules
1.) Trading with NPC's in the game is allowed. However, keep in mind that all of the same capture/area rules apply. No duplicates, and this must be your first pokemon in that specific area.
2.) You are allowed one trade with each eligible player via online with another player. The only trade partners eligible are users on this forum that are participating in the Tech-Forums X & Y Nuzlocke challenge. For example, if you're Edge and the only other players doing this challenge are Rider and PP, then you could only trade once with Rider, and then once with PP.
2a.) The no duplicate rule applies here – you cannot accept a pokemon via trade that you have previously caught/owned.
2b.) This is the only instance in the game that does not apply to the area rule. For example, if I were to obtain a pokemon in a specific city then I am also allowed to use my single trade with another user at the poke center in that same city.
3.) Starters and legendary pokemon are not eligible for trade.
Miscellaneous Rules
1.) No glitching/duping items. It won't be long before someone out there finds an exploit - the Nuzlocke run applies to legitimate means only.
2.) No turning off the system, resetting, etc. You have to strictly police yourself as there is no actual option in-game to enforce these rules.
2a.) If the system happens to drop, run out of battery life, turn off by accident, etc, you are allowed one free pass to revert to your last save. If it happens a second time then your Nuzlocke run is voided and you will have to restart. Again, keeping the above rule in mind, you have to police yourself – this isn't a mulligan in case your best pokemon dies, it's for emergency purposes only in the instance that the system shuts down unexpectedly prior to saving.
With Pokemon X/Y releasing Oct 12th Edge and I decided we wanted to do the Nuzlocke Challenge.
Basically, the Nuzlocke is like playing Pokemon on hard mode. There are strict rules for how you play the game, capture and trade Pokemon. The point of it is to challenge yourself by making the game harder, and for you to take care of your precious Pokemon.
If you fail, you can always restart your game and give it another go.
General Rules
1.) Nickname all of your pokemon.
2.) If a pokemon faints, it's considered dead. You are never allowed to use it again and must release it ASAP, or store it in a separate box on the PC labeled, "Heaven", "R.I.P.", "Fallen Comrades" or something along those lines.
3.) The actual Nuzlocke doesn't kick into effect until you receive poke balls for the first time. For example, in the original Red/Blue versions where you had to run up and get Oak's Parcel so that he gives you 5 poke balls, anything you may encounter along the way doesn't void you from capturing during that period time.
4.) If you "white out" by all six of your pokemon fainting, you must get rid of all of them. If you have any leftovers in the box that aren't dead then you can try again using them. If not, game over.
Capturing Rules
1.) You can only capture the first pokemon that you encounter in a specific area. If you accidentally kill it or run out of poke balls, you're out of luck.
2.) No duplicate pokemon.
2a.) If you catch a Pidgey on Rt 1 and your first Rt 2 random encounter is also a Pidgey, you can safely battle it as you are not allowed to capture it. You may try again until you encounter a pokemon that you have never caught before.
2b.) The same applies for evolution. If you catch, say for example, a Metapod and evolve it to Butterfree, you can never capture or obtain another Metapod/Butterfree. However, if you happen to encounter a wild Caterpie as your first pokemon in a new area after previously catching a Metapod in a prior location, that Caterpie is your only chance at capturing a pokemon that area; the only catch is that if you capture it you cannot evolve it Metapod - it must always remain a Caterpie in your game because if it evolves it would conflict as a duplicate.
2c.) The 2b capture rule also applies in the reverse direction - if you catch a Caterpie and it dies before it evolved into Metapod you are allowed to capture a wild Metapod if it is your first pokemon in a new area.
3.) If the same route is split into two areas then they count as one. Using R/B as an example again, you enter Route 2 to go into the forest, once you come out of it you are dumped into the other side of Route 2 right in front of Pewter City. If you catch a pokemon in the "first" Route 2, you can't catch anotherone in the other half of Route 2 because despite being two separate areas, they are still technically the same route.
4.) Gift or purchased pokemon count as your one-per-area. For example, in R/B you would be able to purchase a pokemon at the Casino (only one), or you could instead choose to pick up the Eevee in the office building, or even fish/surf in the small pond; you may only do one of these. Another example is in Saffron City - if you choose either Hitmonchan or Hitmonlee in the fighting gym you cannot obtain the Lapras from the scientist in Silph and vice versa.
4a.) Your starter also counts as your pokemon in that specific area, meaning, you can't come back there and surf/fish later on.
5.) Legendaries are fair game as long as you use repels to reach them. If you run out and encounter a wild pokemon along the way, the legendary in that area becomes voided as that wild pokemon would be the only one eligible for capture.
Trading Rules
1.) Trading with NPC's in the game is allowed. However, keep in mind that all of the same capture/area rules apply. No duplicates, and this must be your first pokemon in that specific area.
2.) You are allowed one trade with each eligible player via online with another player. The only trade partners eligible are users on this forum that are participating in the Tech-Forums X & Y Nuzlocke challenge. For example, if you're Edge and the only other players doing this challenge are Rider and PP, then you could only trade once with Rider, and then once with PP.
2a.) The no duplicate rule applies here – you cannot accept a pokemon via trade that you have previously caught/owned.
2b.) This is the only instance in the game that does not apply to the area rule. For example, if I were to obtain a pokemon in a specific city then I am also allowed to use my single trade with another user at the poke center in that same city.
3.) Starters and legendary pokemon are not eligible for trade.
Miscellaneous Rules
1.) No glitching/duping items. It won't be long before someone out there finds an exploit - the Nuzlocke run applies to legitimate means only.
2.) No turning off the system, resetting, etc. You have to strictly police yourself as there is no actual option in-game to enforce these rules.
2a.) If the system happens to drop, run out of battery life, turn off by accident, etc, you are allowed one free pass to revert to your last save. If it happens a second time then your Nuzlocke run is voided and you will have to restart. Again, keeping the above rule in mind, you have to police yourself – this isn't a mulligan in case your best pokemon dies, it's for emergency purposes only in the instance that the system shuts down unexpectedly prior to saving.
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