Pokemon Playthrough Challenges

[Sora de Eclaune]

I'd like to make a list of challenges you can take while playing your Pokemon games (no spinoffs, however). If there's something not here that should be, just say something and include a link to the rules.

LIST OF CHALLENGES

Spoiler: Christian Playthrough

CANNOT BE ATTEMPTED ON BLACK/WHITE DUE TO RULE 5.

1. Players cannot let their Pokemon evolve
2. Players cannot catch Dark, Psychic, or Ghost Pokemon. In addition, moves of these types also cannot be used.
3. Pokemon must be at least level 22 before they breed. Two Pokemon of the same gender cannot share a day care center.
4. If a player obtains an egg, it is their duty to keep it in their party and raise it until it reaches level 18.
5. Legendaries are false idols and must be killed, never caught.
6. Players cannot use fossils and should ignore science labs whenever possible.
7. Players cannot play at Game Corners and must avoid the benefits of items like PP Up and Rare Candy.
8. Players cannot catch Snake-type Pokemon.

Spoiler: Christian Playthrough (MY VERSION)

CANNOT BE ATTEMPTED ON BLACK/WHITE DUE TO RULE 13.

1. Players cannot let their Pokemon evolve and cannot catch evolved Pokemon.
2. Players cannot catch Dark, Psychic, or Ghost Pokemon. In addition, moves of these types also cannot be used.
3. Players cannot catch snake-type or genderless Pokemon, either.
4. Players cannot use fossils and should ignore science labs whenever possible.
5. Players cannot play at Game Corners and must avoid the benefits of items like PP Up and Rare Candy.
6. Players are not allowed to battle someone with another Pokemon game unless it is the same version as their own.
7. Players are not allowed to trade Pokemon.
8. Players must have all of their Pokemon hold Everstones as soon as they are able to be obtained freely.
9. Players must catch every Pokemon they enter a battle with except another Trainer's Pokemon or genderless , Snake-type, evolved, Dark, Psychic , or Ghost Pokemon.
10. Players are not allowed to catch any Pokemon that changes its form.
11. Pokemon must be at least level 22 before they breed. Two Pokemon of the same gender cannot share a day care center.
12. If a player obtains an egg, it is their duty to keep it in their party and raise it until it reaches level 18.
13. Legendaries are false idols and must be killed, never caught.
14. Battles cannot be run from, as they started it and their blasphemy must be taken care of.
15. Pokemon are not allowed to learn moves by leveling. You are responsible for teaching them the moves they know. If the Pokemon doesn't know four moves yet, give them any HM/TM you can to fill up space so it does not automatically learn moves.

Spoiler: Nuzlocke Challenge

1. Any Pokemon that faints is considered dead and must be released.
2. The player may only catch the first Pokemon encountered in each area, and none else. If the first Pokemon encountered faints or flees, there are no second chances.

OPTIONAL RULES

• Adjusting the first encounter rule to ban duplicate captures
• Considering a black/white out to be game over, even if there are Pokemon left in the PC.
• Going to the options and changing the battle style to "set," leaving you unable to switch out.
• After the first wild Pokemon is caught, the starter Pokemon must be released.
• Banning the usage of Potions and other healing items - relying only on Pokemon Centers for healing.
• Banning the use of Pokemon Centers - relying only on Potions and other healing items for healing.
• Limiting Pokemon Center visits to a certain number per town.
• Banning the use of held items
• Limiting the number of Pokeballs to purchase per Poke Mart
• Rather than releasing the Pokemon, it can be migrated or permanently boxed should it happen to faint
• The player may not evolve captured Pokemon, but evolved Pokemon may be caught.
• No catching/using legendaries
• As a mercy rule, allowing 1-3 "second chances" or revives of fallen team members

These are only the most common optional rules, but you can customize the run to however you like it. HOWEVER, the first two rules listed above the optional rules are the only rules that must be in effect for a run to be a Nuzlocke Challenge.

Spoiler: Monotype Challenge

1. You may only use one type of Pokemon.
2. You may only use one of each Pokemon.
3. You cannot use two Pokemon from the same evolutionary line. However, if the evolutions split (i.e. Slowbro and Slowking), it's fine.
4. If your starter is not the type you chose, you may use your starter until you catch a Pokemon of your type.
5. You can use HM Slaves of any type, but they may not be used for attacking in battle.

Spoiler: Scramble Challenge

1. Other people must pick the Pokemon you use in your party, but you are allowed to pick the movesets.
2. No picking useless Pokemon (i.e. Magikarp)
3. No duplicate Pokemon
4. No unevolved Pokemon
5. One of the Pokemon used must be one of the starters.
6. Pokemon chosen cannot be from the same evolutionary line, but split evolutions are fine.
7. You are only allowed to trade for Pokemon not normally obtainable in your game, but it must be an egg or newly hatched.

Spoiler: Moveset Challenge

1. You pick your team, but others pick your movesets.
2. There must be two attacking moves per Pokemon.
3. Please do not assign useless moves (i.e. Splash)
4. You may only assign a specific TM to one Pokemon unless the person taking the challenge says otherwise, because without trading this will not be possible.
5. You may use any legal moves except for HMs until your Pokemon can configure to their required movesets.

Spoiler: Solo Challenge

1. You are allowed only one Pokemon for the entire run.
2. You are allowed HM Slaves, as long as they are not used in battles.
3. You may use another Pokemon until you get your specified Pokemon.
4. You are allowed to trade for Pokemon not normally obtainable in yor game, but it must be an egg or newly hatched.
5. You may use other Pokemon as "fodder" (i.e. switch it into a battle just for it to take hits while you heal your chosen Pokemon) but you may not use them to attack and you may not heal the fodder except in the Pokemon Center.

Spoiler: Unevolving Challenge

1. Players cannot evolve any Pokemon. HOWEVER, catching Pokemon that have already evolved is fine.
2. Players cannot place any Pokemon in their party that evolves via friendship.
3. You may trade for Pokemon not normally obtainable in your game, but it must be an egg or newly hatched.

Spoiler: Low-Stat Challenge

MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE IN CERTAIN GAMES

1. Players are not allowed to use or catch any Pokemon with total base stats over 251.
2. If you are required to catch or use any Pokemon with total base stats over 251 (i.e. the game will not progress otherwise), it is allowed to use or catch them.
3. Players are not allowed to trade for any Pokemon with total base stats over 251.
4. If the starter has stats over 251, then you are only allowed to use them until you catch a Pokemon with the correct total base stats. After that, you must release your starter.

Spoiler: Mook Challenge

1. You are only allowed to catch relatively useless Pokemon from the first two routes of the game and the resident Zubat-type thing from the first cave you can go in. You can catch them anywhere, but if they cannot be found in the first two routes or the first cave you encounter, they are NOT to be caught.
2. You may only have two of these kinds of Pokemon
3. Release your starter as soon as possible.
4. You are required to fill up your entire party.
5. Duplicate Pokemon in your party all must have the exact same movesets.
6. You must take the long route in a battle and make it last as long as possible.
7. No evolutions! Keep that Zubat or that Rattata or that Caterpie!
8. Unless the Pokemon doesn't learn moves, NO TMs OR HMs!

Spoiler: Black-Ice Challenge

1. Players are limited to catching and using Water and Ice type Pokemon.

 

[Hells Malice]

I always found just getting to the end of a pokemon game to be an immense challenge.
The whole "i'm pretty sure i've done this twice a year for the past 10 years" feeling is pretty challenging to overcome.


That Christian challenge is pretty humorous though.

 

[elgarta]

The rules on the Nuzlocke Challenge remind me of the Ironman Challenge on World of warcraft, where you cannot use any stat increasing gear, not spend talent points at all, restart if your character dies and play alone so that you cannot get help from any other people what-so-ever.

If I didn't always manage to get sucked into the whole 'catch 'em all' thing with Pokemon I'd be tempted to try this out at least once. Maybe I should put a duplicate rom on my card and try it for fun.

 

[Sora de Eclaune]

That Christian challenge is pretty humorous though.

Yeah. When I first heard of it, I was thinking it was going to have a different set of rules... Like, Christians think being a t****** is a sin, so you shouldn't be allowed to catch genderless Pokemon. Or every Pokemon you have must always hold an everstone (as soon as you're able to get as many as possible) and nothing else, as if an everstone was the equivalent of a rosary or cross necklace. Or you must catch every Pokemon you see that is available to catch, except genderless and evolved Pokemon. And you cannot link battle with any person not using the same version of the game as you. And you cannot transfer Pokemon from other games into yours.

Or something. I was really getting off track there.

Edit) To avoid getting off track, I've made up my own Christian playthrough for rule of funny.

 

[Zekrom_cool]

These are some freaky rules.

1. Any Pokemon that faints is considered dead and must be released.
2. The player may only catch the first Pokemon encountered in each area, and none else. If the first Pokemon encountered faints or flees, there are no second chances.

1. Especially these ones.

 

[Sora de Eclaune]

Added new challenges I found on various sites. Hope they're okay.

 

[deathking]

Youngster Joey chalange
Only use Rattata and Ratacates

 

[Sora de Eclaune]

Youngster Joey chalange
Only use Rattata and Ratacates

That wouldn't be plausible in a game where you could only get Rattata and Raticates through trading. However, I shall try to come up with a challenge as close to that as possible.

 

[Black-Ice]

Black-Ice Challenge
Only use water and Ice type pokemon

 

[Sora de Eclaune]

Black-Ice Challenge
Only use water and Ice type pokemon

We could also call it the Misty Challenge. LOL

This challenge is very similar to the Monotype challenge, by the way.

 

[Black-Ice]

Black-Ice Challenge
Only use water and Ice type pokemon

We could also call it the Misty Challenge. LOL

This challenge is very similar to the Monotype challenge, by the way.

True, but because im awesome and Ice types are hard to come by.
This should have its own name

 

[MelodieOctavia]

Good lord, the Mook Challenge is so stupid it makes my brain cry.

 

[Sora de Eclaune]

Good lord, the Mook Challenge is so stupid it makes my brain cry.

That's what I think about the mook trainers that are on like route 512 but only have 6 level 10 Rattata with the exact same movesets on every one of them.

 

[Hells Malice]

The solo challenge is easy.

That's pretty much exactly how I play every pokemon game.

 

[UselessPokemonsOnly]

So the challenge I chose to undertake is known by myself, at least, as the Youngster Joey Challenge.

Here are the rules as I'm following them:

1. Your name must be Joey.
2. You must have a Rattata throughout the whole game. No other Pokémon can be used (except for use of HMs).
3. You are not allowed to evolve Rattata.
4. You may teach Rattata any applicable TMs.
5. You cannot use cheats of any kind.
6. You may attempt this challenge on any Pokémon version/game.
7. You may only have your Rattata with you while challenging the Elite Four.

Think of it as a mix of "Character Challenge" and "Single Challenge." I'm basing myself off of Youngster Joey, the trainer particularly infamous from the second generation. Therefore, I'm using a Rattata and only a Rattata (aside from my HM needs, for which I'm catching whatever Pokémon and just never using them in battle, even for revives). However, I'm not evolving Rattata; he will stay his scrappy self throughout the entire playthrough.

 

[kevinvalke1]

I want to start a Scramble challenge, Please suggest some Pokemon for me!

 

[Reapersquirrel]

There is an actual Joey Challenge doable on any game .

The only main rule is that you can only use the ratatta equivalents from each gen (Ratatta, Sentret, Zigzagoon, Bidoof, Patrat, and Bunnleby) and their evolutions.

Additional rules you can add are:
- No evolutions
-Only one species of Pokemon
- No TMs

This is an extremely fun challenge and my personal favorite. I will post more later

 

[Flame]

the Flame Challenge

you can only be the fire type starter and only use that pokemon.

......

....

..

.


wait thats my normal play Playthrough since 1999

 

[Dopemon]

What about a rivallocke where you have to:
1) Use the same pokemon as your rival in each of his battle except his starter = your starter.
2) Your pokemon can't be evolved versions of his.
3) Between the rival battles you may only use the pokemon from the next battle when fighting.
4) You can use HM slaves but not in battle ever.
5) If the rival changes pokemon on the team you do as well and cannot use the old one anymore
Main rivals in games:
Kanto - Blue
Johto - Silver
Hoenn - Brendan/May
Sinnoh - Barry
Unova - Cheren
Unova 2 - Hugh
Kalos - Serena/Calem
Alola - Hau

 

[Deleted member 377734]

Oh god I would pay to see someone nuzlocke pokemon reborn a fan made game by amethsyt