Adriel's Nuzlocke Challenge (FireRed)

[Adriel Sorano]

Something I felt like sharing because I don't see why the hell not. As some of you are aware, I've been playing through FireRed with a Nuzlocke Challenge. For those of you who don't know, a Nuzlocke Challenge is a playthrough of a Pokemon game (any game in the main series) in which you must follow two main rules...

1) You can only catch the first Pokemon you find in each location. If that Pokemon flees or you accidentally kill it, then it sucks to be you. And yes, this includes Pokemon that you obtain from NPCs. The only exception is if catching the Pokemon in question is required to advance the plot (like, for example, Zekrom/Reshiram). Also, this rule doesn't apply until you receive your first Poke Ball(s).

2) If a Pokemon is KO'd then you treat it as though it died by releasing it, the first chance you get.

Two optional, but commonly used, rules are...

1) You must nickname all of your Pokemon

2) If your entire team is beaten, then you must start over, regardless of whether there are any Pokemon left in your PC.

So yeah. If it sound hard, that's because it is. And while it doesn't seem like it would be very fun, the challenge it presents makes it surprisingly entertaining.

In any case, because I feel like it, I'm posting a log of my current challenge. Feel free to comment and make fun of any stupid moves I may or may not make. For the record, all the nicknames are video game references. Bonus points for anyone who figures them out.

===================
Part 1 - The Beginning
-----------------------------
Pallet Town
- Playing as the female character, named Blue. My rival's name is Green
- Recieved a female Charmander (named D'Tok)
- Battle with Green!

- D'Tok scratches Squirtle a lot
- Yay! First victory!

Viridian City
- Receive package

Pallet Town
- Deliver Package
- Recieve Pokedex
- Recieve Town Map from Daisy (so much for telling her not to give me one, eh Green?)

Route 1
- Caught a male Pidgey! (named Skye)
- Grinding

Route 22
- Caught a male Mankey! (named Salsa)
- More grinding

Route 2
- Caught a Caterpie! (named Philemon)
- Yet more grinding

Viridian Forest
- Caught a male Pikachu! (ALKSHXUNVXHLJKDFHSLKJHDJSIUHDLHSLSFHLSKBCXYFDSL...named Raiden)
- Grinding and trainer battles
- Philemon evolves into Metapod!
- More grinding
- Philemon evolves into Butterfree!

Route 22
- Battle with Green!

- D'Tok slices and dices Pidgey with Metal Claw
- Salsa repeatedly Low Kicks Squirtle in the face knees
- Victory! Too bad Green.

Pewter City Gym
- Trainer Battle
- Battle with Brock!

- D'Tok rips through Geodude with Metal Claw
- Salsa gives Onix a massive headache with Karate Chop
- Alright! First Badge!

Pewter City
- Recieved Running Shoes

Route 3
- Trainer battles; there was much lesbian innuendo

- Skye was poisoned by an Ekan's Poison Sting. Though he won the battle, he succumbed to the Poison on the way to the Pokemon Center.

- Caught a female Spearow (named Aika)

Route 4 Pokemon Center
- Bought a male Magikarp! (named Leviathan)

Mount Moon
- Captured a female Zubat (Gee, what a shocker! Named Rouge)
- Trainer battles and grinding
- D'Tok evolves into Charmeleon!!

Team at this point:
- D'Tok (Charmeleon)
- Salsa (Mankey)
- Philemon (Butterfree)
- Raiden (Pikachu)
- Leviathan (Magikarp)
- Aika (Spearow)
All around Level 16-18...except Leviathan, who's level 10.

------------------------
So yeah. Leaving it off here. I got retardedly lucky with finding a Pikachu in Viridian Forest. Almost lost it in a Pokemon battle, too...opponent landed a critical hit, and it survived with 1 HP...I would've been pissed if he had died. Also kinda pissed about losing Skye. Grinding Aika to catch up with the rest of my team was annoying as hell. One thing I can say about Nuzlocke Challenges...if you didn't hate Critical Hits and poison before, you will once you start playing through one >.>

[Adriel Sorano]

========================
Part 2 - The Journey Continues
----------------------------------------

Route 4-b
- Teach Salsa how to use Mega Kick
-Grinding...didn't catch anything since I'm not entirely sure if the Route 4 on this side of Mt Moon counts as being the same as the Route 4 on the opposite side where I bought Leviathan...meh...not a huge loss either way

Cerulean City
- Battle with Green!

- Raiden zaps Pidgeotto with Thundershock
- Rattata was barbecued by D'Tok's Ember
- Salsa Dragon Mega Kick's Squirtle's ass into the Milky Way
- Abra was a sitting duck as Philemon continuously Tackled it
- Another win for me! Give it up, Green!

Route 24
- Caught a male Oddish! (named Luneth)

Route 25
- Encountered a Weedle...went ahead and killed it
- Trainer battles...Philemon is Pecked to death by a male Nidoran. Salsa avenged his death.
- Recieved S.S. Ticket from Bill
- Grinding
- Aika evolves into Fearow!
- Yet more grinding
- Leviathan evolves into Gyarados!

Cerulean City Gym
- Trainer Battles
- Battle with Misty!

- Raiden provided Staryu with quite the shocking experience via Thundershock
- Leviathan chomps down on Starmie with Bite
- Woot! Second Badge! Let's keep it up!

Route 6
- Trainer battles

Vermillion City
- Received VS Seeker
- Received Old Rod
- Received Bike Voucher

Diglett Cave
- Caught a male Diglett! (Big surprise, right? Named it Dig Dug)

Route 11
- Trainer Battles
- Caught a male Ekans! (named Plisskin)

S.S. Anne
- Battle with Green

- D'Tok prepared her specialty...Ember-roasted Pidgeotto
- Wartorte got electrocuted by Raiden's Thundershock
- Leviathan took a Bite out of Kadabra
- Salsa used Brick Break to break Raticate's brick...and, by "brick", I mean "face".
- Seriously Green. Just give up.

- Recieved HM01 (Cut) from a seasick old man...dude better have washed his hands...

Route 2 (via Diglett Cave)
- Recieve HM05 (Flash)!

Vermillion City Gym
- Battle with Lt Surge!

- Voltorb gets used as a soccer ball by Salsa
- D'Tok strikes Pikachu from below with Dig
- Dig Dug shakes Raichu's world with Magnitude
- Yes! Third Badge!

Route 9
- Trainer battles
- Caught a female Rattata (named Topo)
- Grinding

Route 10
- Caught a Voltorb! (named Bob-omb)
- Trainer battle
- a bit of grinding
- Dig Dug evolves into Dugtrio!

Rock Tunnel
- Caught a Female Geodude! (named Argilla)
- Grinding and trainer battles
- Salsa evolved into Primeape!
- More Trainer Battles

Route 10-b
- Trainer battles

Pokemon Tower
- Battle with Green!

- Pidgeotto was the first to receive Salsa's Mega Kick as a Primeape
- D'Tok set Exeggcute ablaze with Ember
- Kadabra was blasted into the ground by Leviathan's Water Pulse
- Wartortle took Raiden's Thunderbolt head-on...probably wishes he didn't
- Dig Dug's Magitude made short work of Growlithe
- The score is now 4 to 0. Seriously, Green. Just stop trying.

Team at this point
--------------------------
D'Tok (Charmeleon)
Salsa (Primeape)
Raiden (Pikachu
Aika (Fearow)
Leviathan (Gyarados)
Dig Dug (Dugtrio)
They're around level 26, while Salsa is at 28

So yeah...doing relatively awesome...of course, this is usually the point of the game where I start getting some major casualties...so this ought to be fun. Leveling up Leviathan from level 10 to 20 was mind-numbingly tedious, even after he reached level 15 and learned Tackle. It was well worth it, though. And, while losing Philemon kinda sucked, I had planned on replacing him anyways...so yeah.

[Adriel Sorano]

=================
Part 3 - Rough Losses
-----------------------------
Route 8
- Trainer battles
- Grinding

Celadon City
- Received Tea
- Received Coin Case
- Buy a Thunderstone to save for later

Rocket Hideout
- kicked lots of Rocket asses
- Battle with Giovanni!

- Leviathan blasted Onix with Water Pulse
- Rhyhorn is shaken by Dig Dug's Magnitude
- Kangaskhan
- Ha! Some leader of an evil organization you are! You just got beaten by a ten-year-old girl!

Recieve Silph Scope!

Celadon Game Corner
- YAY FOR GAMBLING IN A KIDS GAME

Celadon City Gym
- Trainer battles. Once again, there was lesbian innuendo
- Battle with Erika!

- Aika takes to the air with Fly and destroys Victrebell
- Then flies circles around Tangela with Aerial Ace
- D'Tok torches Vileplume with Flamethrower
- Awesome! Fourth Badge!

Pokemon Tower
- Caught a Gastly! (Whoo...huge surprise! Named Pamela)
- Fought through a lot of Gastly
- Calmed the angry spirit of a Marowak...however, Salsa was dealt a fatal blow from its Bomerang.
- Battled Team Rocket and saved Mr Fuji

Lavender Town
- Received PokeFlute

Route 12
- Trainer battles
- Used a PokeFlute to wake up the sleeping Snorlax, and caught him! (male; named Fatman)...Raiden, however, was crush by the Snorlax' Headbutt
- More trainer battles
- Recieved Super Rod
- More trainer battles
- Pamela evolves into Haunter!
- Caught a female Venonat (...couldn't think of a decent video game name, so I just named her Mothy...why are moths so unloved?)

Route 13
- Trainer battles
- D'Tok evoles into Charizard!
- More trainer battles

Route 14
- Trainer Battles
- Caught a female Gloom! (named Refia)
- grinding, plus more trainer battles

Route 15
- Trainer battles

Saffari Zone
- Went fishing...caught a male Seaking (FUCK YEAH!...sorry, I had to. Named Gyorg)
- Obtained Gold Teeth (ewww...)
- Obtained HM03 (Surf)

Fuschia City
- Gave teeth to the Warden and received HM04 (Strength)

Team at this point
------------------------
D'Tok (Charizard)
Aika (Fearow)
Dig Dug (Dugtrio)
Leviathan (Gyarados)
Fatman (Snorlax)
Pamela (Haunter)
Each around level 36-37

---------------------
I am so bitter about losing Salsa and Raiden it's not even funny. Salsa went down because Bonemerang landed a critical. Looking back, I probably should've used Leviathan, but Salsa needed the EXP, and this was officially the first time Mega Kick didn't one-hit KO something. Raiden...was partly my fault. The Snorlax used Rest, so I thought I'd get in some free hits with Brick Break...what I failed to notice was that it was holding whatever Berry it is that auto-lifts Sleep. One Headbutt was all it took. Also, I officially love Curse. Pamela was able to take down and Nidoran and Nidorino that were ten levels higher than her thanks to it and Night Shade...made for some great grinding...seriously...why isn't the VS Seeker in any of of the other games? It's the best item ever for grinding.