Highlights
- Pokemon isn't known for its difficulty, but experienced players have created challenging gameplay options online.
- New challenges like Nuzlocke, Egglocke, and Speedrun offer unique ways to make Pokemon games harder.
- From Monotype to Solo Runs, various rule sets like No Fainting and Shinylocke add complexity to gameplay.
Pokemon isn’t a franchise that’s particularly based on difficulty. Although several critics and long-time fans note a drastic change in difficulty between the release of Pokemon Black & White 2 and Pokemon X & Y, this change hasn’t been acknowledged in the games themselves.
Partially due to the change in difficulty in the core series games, but even before then, experienced players have been crafting ways to take the formula of any standard Pokemon game and make it exponentially more challenging. This phenomenon has become huge online, with players showcasing new, interesting sets of rules to make the base games harder, as well as creating strategies to overcome these self-imposed challenges. Here are the best challenges to make any Pokemon game a bit harder.
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Updated June 27, 2024, by Ben Painter: The newer entries in the Pokemon franchise are easier compared to the older generations. Enemy teams aren't as strong, better Pokemon can be found easily and mechanics such as all Pokemon receiving EXP just make the game a breeze. There are several challenges that gamers can do to make the games more difficult. The most popular is a 'nuzlocke'. But there are countless other twists that players can add to the Pokemon experience, which will add a whole new dimension. This update adds five new entries on how gamers can challenge themselves in Pokemon.
1 Nuzlocke
Pokemon With Imposed Rules
- If a Pokemon faints, it’s considered “dead” and can no longer be used in battle.
- Players can only catch the first Pokemon they encounter in an area or route. If they fail to catch it, they may not try again.
- All caught Pokemon must be nicknamed.
- Must play with the “set” battle style.
- (Optional): The player’s team must not be higher level than the next gym leader’s ace. (i.e.: Gardenia’s Roselia is level 22 in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. The player can’t come into the gym with a level 23 Monferno).
- (Optional): Healing items, such as potions and full restores, may not be used in battle.
Nuzlocke rulesets are often used as the base set of guidelines for any challenge in Pokemon. This includes rules like nicknames, catching the first encounter on every new route or area, set battle style, and dead Pokemon.
Over the years, Nuzlocke challenges have evolved to adopt even more rules, such as level caps and item restrictions, which is known as a 'Hardcore Nuzlocke'. The term Nuzlocke stems from the Pokemon Nuzleaf and the Lost character John Locke, which were merged in an online comic series. There are a lot of other rules which can be applied to this challenge, but the basic rules described here are considered the standard.
2 Complete Series Playthrough
Go Through Every Pokemon Game From Start To Finish
- Start from Pokemon Red & Blue and complete every Pokemon game up until the latest entry, Pokemon Scarlet & Violet.
- (Optional) Do not use the same Pokemon in each game.
- (Optional) Nuzlocke rules can be applied.
The difficulty in this challenge stems from the grind it takes to play through the complete franchise of 37 individual mainline games. This can be broken down into just one game of each version (i.e. just Pokemon Diamond out of Diamond, Pearl & Platinum).
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Completing every Pokemon game will take a lot of hours, and it will be insanely tedious as some versions of the games are the same, with minor tweaks to characters and Pokemon found. Playing with different Pokemon in each game will cause an issue as gamers will have to plan which Pokemon they are going to use for each different playthrough. However, this is made easier with new Pokemon introduced in each generation.
3 No Super Effective Moves
Gamers Are Not Allowed To Use Moves Which Will Deal 2x Damage
- Using moves that the opposition Pokemon are 2x weak to are banned.
- (Optional) Nuzlocke rules can be applied.
The best strategy for battles in Pokemon is to use moves to which the enemy Pokemon are weak. For example, Water-type Pokemon are weak to Grass and Electric moves like Razor Leaf and Thunderbolt, respectively.
But, in this challenge, these are banned. Gamers will have to pull out every trick in the book to get a real edge on their opponent, who will use a super-effective move if they can. Steel types will cause a big issue in this run as they have just four different types, which will cause regular damage. A tip for this one will be to use Normal-type moves as much as possible, as they can't deal super-effective damage to any type anyway.
4 No STAB Moves
Using Moves That Match The Type Of A Pokemon Are Banned
- Gamers cannot use the moves that are the same type as the Pokemon.
- (Optional) Nuzlocke rules can be applied.
STAB stands for Same Type Attack Bonus. When a Pokemon uses a move that is of the same type as itself, it gains a 50% increase in its power. However, in this challenge, it is banned. Generally, Pokemon learn moves of their typing as they level up, so this causes some issues.
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Players will need to find some clever TM's and use Pokemon, which have varied movesets such as Hitmonchan (who can learn the elemental punches, and Starmie (who can make use of Thunderbolt and Ice Beam(. There are a lot of Pokemon who can learn a lot of varied moves, so this challenge is not too hard. But having no 50% boost to attack will need to be worked around for the harder battles in the franchise.
5 Egglocke
Using Only Pokemon Which Have Hatched From An Egg
- Gamers must trade in their caught Pokemon for pre-determined eggs and only use those Pokemon.
- (Optional) Nuzlocke rules can be applied.
A common way to do an Egglocke is to get some friends to send you some eggs and place them inside the PC box. Play the game as normal but trade in any caught Pokemon for the eggs inside the PC. Some Pokemon may be powerhouses but some unkind friends may gift some awful Pokemon. Nuzlocke rules of only one Pokemon per area are commonly applied to an Egglocke to limit the amount of egg Pokemon the player can acquire.
Another way to do this challenge is to only use Pokemon hatched from in-game eggs which are given out in games, however, this challenge may be tricky to get started.
6 Pokemon Go Run
Using Only Pokemon That Have Been Caught On Pokemon Go
- Go out on a walk using Pokemon Go and only use Pokemon found on the adventure.
- (Optional) Nuzlocke rules can be applied.
Pokemon GO is a popular mobile app where players can catch Pokemon based on their real-life location using an in-game map. This challenge combines the mobile game with the mainline Pokemon games. Players can only use Pokemon they have found in the game.
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Go out on a long walk and catch as many Pokemon using Go as possible. The 'mons caught are the Pokemon that can only be used during a playthrough. There are two ways that gamers can do this: catch the same species of Pokemon throughout the run of the game or transfer the very same Pokemon into the game using Pokemon Home. This will require a newer entry into the franchise, however,
7 Catch Them All Mode
Catch Every Pokemon Available Before Each Gym Badge
- Must complete the Pokedex to complete the challenge.
- (Optional) Catch every Pokemon available before each Gym Badge.
This challenge is for fans who love to catch Pokemon. This one aims to catch every Pokemon and complete the Pokedex. The Gym Battles and Elite Four are merely obstacles in the way of the true goal to "catch 'em all."
The original tagline of the series was not implemented after Ash Ketchum failed to "catch 'em all" quite badly. He only actually caught 16 Pokemon out of the 151 in the original series. However, the objective here is to complete the Pokedex. To make this more of a challenge, gamers can catch every available Pokemon before each Gym badge and evolve them to the stages they need to be. This can cause some problems as leveling up the Pokemon will be tough using just wild Pokemon.
8 One Team Only
Chose One Pokemon Team Of Six And Stick To It
- Must only stick to a party of six Pokemon.
- If a Pokemon faints, it is considered dead and must be boxed or released.
- (Optional) Gamers can only catch the first Pokemon found in a route.
Pokemon allows for a party of six Pokemon, but with Pokemon Box storage on the PC, there is no need to only use six Pokemon. However, this challenge does not allow that. Gamers must stick to a party of six, and when one faints, it is considered dead, but unlike a nuzlocke, it cannot be replaced.
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There are a few ways that this challenge can be set up. Gamers can pre-establish a team of six Pokemon to start with, but that means that no others can be caught. Players can turn this into a nuzlocke and only catch the first Pokemon found on each route or area, but only six areas can be chosen as spots for party members.
9 Weak Pokemon Only
Only Use Very Weak Pokemon
- Gamers can only use Pokemon with a base stat total of 200 or below.
- (Optional) Magikarp only run.
There are some Pokemon in the franchise that are just very weak, with horrible base stats, terrible move pools, and just no skills in battle whatsoever. Magikarp is the perfect Pokemon for this challenge. It has a base stat total of 200 and only learns to tackle by level up at level 15.
Completing a full run of a Pokemon game with just a Magikarp would be a very hard task and require a lot of luck. Some Pokemon may be added to make this run easier; Caterpie, Azurill, Weedle, and Feebas are all viable options.
10 Use Only Pokemon Of One Category
Choose A Category Of Pokemon And Only Use That
- Choose a category and only use Pokemon of that category.
- (Optional) Nuzlocke rules of only one Pokemon in each area, and if they faint, they cannot be used, may also be applied.
Pokemon Categories can mean a lot of things: Fossil Pokemon (Kabuto, Tyrunt, Aerodactyl), Early-Route Birds (Pidgey, Starly, Fletchling), Regional Variants (Alolan Grimer, Paldean Wooper, Galarian Meowth), or even Legendary Pokemon. This does not mean the Pokemon's type, as this is a separate challenge.
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This limits the available Pokemon massively, as fossils, for example, are sometimes only available in certain games. There are many ways this challenge could go, like using Pokemon based on a certain animal (frogs, bears, cats). The possibilities are endless.
11 Speedrun
Try To Complete The Game As Fast As Possible
- Attempt to beat the fastest time possible.
The aim of this game is speed. A "speedrun" of a game is done by completing the game in the fastest time possible, and in Pokemon, with all the text, it may cause some problems.
However, it can be done by avoiding any optional trainers or quests, limiting the number of Pokemon required, and ultimately, just being quick in every aspect of the game. There are two ways to look at a speedrun: one using glitches and one without. With some of the older entries of the game, there are coding errors that allow aspects of the game to be skipped. For example, using glitches, the fastest time for beating Pokemon Blue is around 11 minutes.
12 Time Limit Challenge
Gamers Only Have A Limited Time To Get Each Gym Badge
- Gamers have a time limit required to collect each gym badge.
- (Optional) Nuzlocke rules of only one Pokemon in each area, and if they faint, they cannot be used, may also be applied.
This challenge is similar to a speed run in that it is time-based, but it is not as intense, as the game is broken up into sectors. Gamers will have a time limit to complete each Gym badge. A reasonable time to allow is 20 minutes. However, this can be adjusted based on skill level.
Gamers will still need to pull out all of the tricks to speed up gameplay, avoid optional trainers, limit the amount of Pokemon required, and avoid using set-up moves in battle.
13 Roleplay
Pick A Character To Play As
- Pick a character from the Pokemon franchise and only use the Pokemon they use.
If gamers want to not only make the game harder but also have a nostalgic experience, then they could do a roleplay run. Trainers can choose any character from the Pokemon franchise and only use the Pokemon that they use.
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An example of this could be Ash Ketchum using Pikachu, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle in the Generation 1 games. But this is not limited to the anime. Gamers could use a Gym Leader, Elite Four member, or even a character from the Pokemon manga. Another variation of this challenge is the Team Rocket Run, using 'mons that only the evil team uses such as Raticate, Weezing, and Hypno. Limiting the number of Pokemon, and sometimes what form and evolutions, will make crafting a team to beat the various trainers a hard task indeed.
14 Generation Only Run
Only Use Pokemon From The Given Generation
- Players must only catch the Pokemon introduced in the generation they are playing.
This type of run isn't the most difficult, as with every generation, there are hundreds of Pokemon added with a variety of types, so there will be plenty to choose from.
Nonetheless, there is still a limit to what Pokemon can be used in a given run. If players were to do a Generation Run of Pokemon Gold & Silver, for example, then there are only 100 Pokemon out of 251 to use. If players want to be even stricter, then this number decreases to 81 when taking into account Pokemon that evolve from or into Pokemon introduced in Generation 1.
15 Gift Pokemon Only
No Catching, Only Use Pokemon Given As Gifts
- Catching Pokemon is forbidden.
- Players can only use Pokemon given away as in-game gifts.
- (Optional) Nuzlocke rules of only one gift Pokemon in each area, and if they faint, they cannot be used, may also be applied.
Gamers may as well get rid of any Pokeballs given or found in this run, as they will not be allowed to use them. To complete a "gift Pokemon only" run, players will only use Pokemon given to the trainer.
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Using Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen as an example, there are the chosen starter Pokemon, Magikarp, the fossil Pokemon, Hitmonlee or Hitmonchan, Eevee, and Lapras to choose from. This makes the run harder, as there are only a few Pokemon to use, which will make battles in the game hard. The Pokemon Let's Go games are great for doing a gift Pokemon-only run as they have all of these Pokemon but also all three Kanto starters, a Persian or Arcanine, and a Porygon to use in battle.
16 No Fainting
If A Pokemon Faints, The Game Must Be Reset
- When any Pokemon faints players must restart the game again.
A Nuzlocke run still allows players to continue the game if one Pokemon faints, but in a "No Fainting" run, this is forbidden when a Pokemon runs out of HP. It is game over, and players must restart the game from the very beginning.
To make this challenge harder, it may be combined with Hardcore Nuzlocke rules of catching the first Pokemon found in each route and only leveling up to the same level as the strongest Pokemon of the next Gym Leader or Elite Four member. This type of run will be very difficult for even experienced players. Keeping Pokemon alive is harder than it may seem. A critical hit from an enemy may take players back to the start without a moment's notice.
17 No Evolutions
Pokemon Aren't Allowed To Evolve
- Gamers are not allowed to evolve their Pokemon.
Most of the Pokemon in the franchise evolve into stronger forms, but in a "No Evolutions" run, the B button to cancel the evolution will be tapped multiple times. Un-evolved Pokemon are usually weaker and will pose a challenge, especially when facing trainers who have been allowed to evolve their Pokemon.
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Over the years, Pokemon have expanded their inspiration from common animals to prehistorical creatures to create these dinosaur-inspired Pokemon.
They are slower, and with lower defenses, expect to be wiped out and forced to come up with unique strategies while using set-up moves instead of going all out with attacks. This run will force players to think outside the box and perhaps hone their Pokemon skills even further.
18 Randomizer
Pokemon Are Randomized In The Game
- All Pokemon are randomized. This includes starters, wild encounters, and trainer battles.
- (Optional): All field items, Pokemon typings, evolutions, and move sets are random.
Debatably, one of the most interesting types of challenges to watch is a Pokemon Randomizer. This challenge is often done with a homebrewed console or an emulator, as the base games don’t have this mechanism as a built-in option.
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Randomizers require a bit more effort to be put into setting up the challenge, as opposed to booting up any old copy of the core series games and going through with a self-imposed set of rules. All that said, randomly encountering Lugia on the second route of the game will make players feel like they’re ten again, blindly playing through their first Pokemon game.
19 Wedlocke
Pokemon Are Paired Up As Partners
- Players can only catch the first Pokemon they encounter in an area or route. If they fail to catch it, they may not try again.
- All caught Pokemon must be nicknamed.
- All Pokemon must be randomly assigned a sexual orientation once they’re caught and paired with a compatible partner.
- In battle, Pokemon can only be switched out to their partner.
- If a Pokemon faints, it’s considered “dead” and can no longer be used in battle. If one member of a pair faints in battle, the remaining Pokemon can be repaired with another compatible partner.
Romance is in the air with this particular challenge. Limiting the amount of Pokemon that can be used in a fight, as well as restricting the way each pair is made by adding sexual orientations to each new catch is a clever, unique way of going about any of the core series Pokemon games. It may make for some tragic love stories, but it will also make for a challenging run.
20 Wonderlocke
Only Use Pokemon Received In A Wonder Trade
- Players can only catch the first Pokemon they encounter in an area or route. If they fail to catch it, they may not try again.
- After catching a new encounter, players must use the surprise or wonder trade feature to trade off that Pokemon.
- If a Pokemon faints, it’s considered “dead” and can no longer be used in battle.
- (Optional): Players may re-trade the Pokemon they received in their surprise or wonder trade if it’s level 100 or advertising websites to hack in Pokemon.
The surprise/wonder trade feature was one of the many now-recurring features added in Generation 6. The surprise/wonder trades brought a whole new way of playing the core series Pokemon games, as it was now possible to essentially swap out the mundane route encounters with a random Pokemon being traded away across the ether.
Doing a Wonderlocke with any of the core series games from Generation 6 onward is the closest to a randomizer that players without access to the materials to emulate a Randomizer.
