KP's Nuzlocke Challenge

Chapter 4: The Lavender Town Mystery

2010-08-06T15:59:00.002+01:00

After a quick jaunt through the underground tunnel we find ourselves in Celadon City! Alas, something seems to be amiss... Team Rocket members are walking around and issuing thinly veiled threats to any who dare oppose them. Something tells us their presence here is tied in someway to the disturbance at Lavender town. Seeking answers, we go to the man who knows everything at the top of the GameFreak building. For seeking him out, he gives us an Eevee, who we dub Goateon.

Goateon - lvl 25

As we need an electric type to replace Freddie (R.I.P.) we give Goateon a thunderstone and a TM given to us by Lt. Surge, placing Quasimodo in the box instead.

What's this? Goateon is evolving?

With our newest team member in tow, we start questioning people around the city about the Rockets' presence. Quite a few mention seedy activities happening in the Game Corner, and it's there we find a grunt guarding a poster with a switch behind it. One battle later and we enter the secret basement. We battle plenty of Team Rocket members as we make our way to the heart of the building where we find the man behind it all - Giovanni.

Giovanni - Leader of Team Rocket

Impressed by our progress, he challenges us to a battle and we easily defeat him. He tells us that due to the love and compassion between our team members we could never understand his ambitions. Thinking back on all the pokémon who died because I pushed them too hard, I feel guilty but a shiny new Silph Scope takes my mind away from it easily enough.

Silph Scope get!

Heading west from Celadon we find another Snorlax blocking the way. Vimesy cuts a tree above us and in the patch of grass there we find a Doduo!

BERTnERNIE - lvl 24

We then have a nice little chat with a woman in her hidden house. In exchange for keeping her secret safe, she grants Lollipop the ability to fly. With everyone now on level 29 and 2 on level 30, we need to challenge Erika and get a new badge so that they will continue to behave in battle. Vimesy heads up the team this time round again, and a few minutes and several grass trainers later we face Erika herself.

Erika - florist and occasional battler

Reveur puts everything on her team to sleep and eats their dreams. This seems to work very well as the rainbow badge is now ours!

Rainbowbadge Get!

With a new badge allowing our pokémon to grow to level 50, we head back to Lavender town and head for the Pokémon Tower. It is here that memorials to all our fallen comrades are found, as well as Jackass who taunts us about their deaths. We beat up his pokémon for his insolence and make our way through the tower. We encounter a wild Gastly who we capture and name Caspar.

Casper - lvl 21

We defeat all the possessed channelers in the tower which seems to bring them back to their senses. Eventually we come face to face with the spirit of the deceased Marowak, who after a quick pokémon battle seems to calm down. We go up the stairs to find Jesse and James hassling Mr Fiji. We get rid of them and talk to the old man who tells us to join him at his home in the town. There, he gives us a pokéflute.

Pokéflute get!

With this flute we can wake sleeping pokémon, so we decide to head south to Fuschia City from Lavender town. We run out of pokéballs and great balls during the battle with the Snorlax so we defeat him instead and continue south. On the way we run into the fishing guru's brother who gives us a super rod. We go back to Celadon City to try it out, where we catch a Goldeen.

Jake - lvl 20

We then head back to Route 12 and continue our journey to Fuschia.

The TL;DR version:

Pokémon caught:
Goateon the Eevee
BERTnERNIE the Doduo
Casper the ~~Friendly Ghost~~ Gastly
Jake the Goldeen

Pokémon who died
None! =3

Current team:

Chapter 3: The New Day Dawns...

2010-08-04T14:20:00.003+01:00

The sun rises over Cerulean city as we get back to work, training hard to reach the lvls necessary to beat Misty. However, it seems we are not meant to have a flying type on our team right now, as GLADiS is struck down by a wild Bellsprout before she'd even levelled up once.

GLADiS - lvl 10
I thought there would be a party, and cake. It turned out to be a lie.

The rest of us train on, gaining levels easily enough and it's not long before Quasimodo reaches 16.

What's this? Quasimodo is evolving?

A few more levels each and we hit the gym. With Quasimodo OHKO-ing everything in sight, the victory is easily ours. We're on our way up!

Cascadebadge get!

What's this? Vimesy is evolving?

Elated in the aftermath of the battle, we go back to Vermillion City to catch the party on the S.S.Anne, but appears we spent too long arsing about in fields above Cerulean and missed the do. There's still plenty of restless passengers to beat anyway as we search for the Captain and his shiny HM01.

What's this? Reveur is evolving>

As it turns out Jackass beat us to him, and has nothing but contempt for the supposed Cut-Master. Reveur teaches his entire team to show respect and we visit the captain. All those summers going to masseuse camp paid off, as we give him a backrub to cure all motion sickness. Success! The secret to cutting down pesky trees is ours, and we quit the ship and head to the gym.

Lt. Surge

The Lieutnenant obviously has become bitter since his army days, and has us rooting around in trash cans for 20 minutes to find the switches to his door. Once we see him face to face, Vimesy digs beneath the ground and with one hit defeats his Raichu. Victory!

Thunderbadge get!

On leaving the gym, we run into Officer Jenny who gives us an unruly Squirtle. Inspired by the legends of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Squirtles, he is dubbed Leonardo and joins our team, making 5.

Leonardo - lvl 10

We then go talk to the president of the pokémon fan club, who seems a little bit too enthralled by his Rapidash. Disturbed and confused, we grab a bike voucher and run for Cerulean to cash it in. After training up Leonardo to match the others on lvl 25 in the Diglett cave, we head towards the Rock Tunnel.

What's this? Leonardo is evolving?

On the way we discover 2 new routes, 8 and 9. On route 9 we accidentally slay the wild magnemite who would have been a useful addition to the team. On route 8 we don't find any new pokémon. We clear the two routes of trainers, heal up in the pokécentre before the Rock Tunnel and enter. With no-one to learn Flash, we navigate in the dark. The first 3 encounters are Zubats, so we defeat them and look for a new pokémon. A wild geodude appears, but self-destructs in a kamikaze fit of rage rather than be captured. Luckily Vimesy has amazing defence stats and absorbed the hit nicely. Plenty of hikers and Pokémaniacs battle us as we navigate the tunnel, including one who tries to get us to join a pokémon cosplaying group. Avoiding all but vague answers, we emerge at the other end in Lavender town, safe and sound.

What's this? Pig Tyson is evolving?

FUCK YEAH!

After we heal up at the Pokémon centre, we talk to a few of the locals, but all is not as it seems. We head west and encounter a wild Pidgeotto. As we still don't have one, it counts as a new pokémon so we catch it and name it in tribute of the fallen Popsicle.

Lollipop - lvl24

We continue heading west to Celadon city, to find the Silph Scope and, hopefully, some answers.

The TL;DR version:

Pokémon caught:
Leondardo the Squirtle
Lollipop the Pidgeotto

Pokémon who died:
GLADiS the Spearow

Current team

Chapter 2 - To Mt Moon and Beyond!

2010-08-03T21:50:00.007+01:00

Apologies in advance, this is a much longer chapter than the last.

So the 4 of us head east to Mt Moon, battling trainers along the way until we find a new area to hunt for our next team member. Guess who pops up?

GLADiS - lvl 10

Do we need 2 bird pokémon on our team? No. Boxed. Onwards and upwards to the last pokémon centre before Cerulean city. One quick rest, a cosy box for GLADiS the Spearow and a brand new member for our team later and we hit the mountain!

Everybody, meet

Rojo - lvl 5

Since Mt Moon is considered another new area the search begins again for the next pokémon to join us on our quest. Perhaps a Geodude, or a Paras or even a Clefairy? All would be valuable additions to our current team.

Akkarin - lvl 8 - GODDAMNIT!

We decide to cut Akkarin some slack and he fills the last vacant spot in the party as we make our way through Mt. Moon. Soon we are approached by a dodgy character weilding a whip who tells us that Team Rocket are pokémon gangsters. For his trouble we leave a geodude-sized hole in his pokémon and continue onwards, battling some of his equally talented friends *cough*. Soon we find a Super Nerd who wishes to hoard some shiny fossils for himself. One battle later and a Dome Fossil is ours.

Dome Fossil Get!

We're almost at the other side of the mountain when we're challenged to a ~~duel~~ Pokémon battle!

Prepare for trouble!
Make it double!
To protect the world from devastation!
To unite all peoples within our nation!
To denounce the evils of truth and love!
To extend our reach to the stars above!
JESSE!
JAMES!
Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!
Surrender now, or prepare to fight!
MEOWTH! That's right!

After a rather underwhelming battle, we emerge from the cave and make our way to the pokémon centre. As soon as everyone's healed up we go back to Route 4 to try to catch our next new pokémon.

Vimesy - lvl 8 - YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! I love Sandshrew!

Unfortunately we don't really need Vimesy on our team right now, so we ship him off to stay with Stewie and GLADiS for a while, and we continue our training.

What's this? Rodric IV is evolving?

Once everyone is on level 17 we head for Nugget Bridge where we meet Jackass, who has added a Rattata and a Sandshrew to his own team. We easily defeat him and the others on Nugget bridge, and are rewarded with... a nugget! And a very tempting offer to join Team Rocket. With our skills, we could take over the corporation, weed out the stupid grunts and.. what? Stupid game won't let me accept the invite *grumble grumble*

Yay! 2 new areas for us to catch pokémon in - Route 24 and 25. In route 24 we find a lvl 17 Pidgeotto - a pokémon we technically don't have yet as Popsicle hasn't reached lvl 18. Damn. We defeat it in disgust and move to the patch of grass on route 25. This time a pidgey pops up, who we defeat when a bellsprout emerges to replace it.

Antonio - lvl 12

We decide to leave our current team as it is, and Antonio goes off to his cushy 9-5 job in a box. We battle the trainers along route 25 on our way to visit Bill, when we meet a Youngster. Just one pokémon eh? Easy peasy! Except the slowpoke decides to spam Confusion, and both Akkarin and Popsicle fall to their knees. Rodric takes the slowpoke out as the rest of us gather up the bodies of two brave warriors.

Popsicle - lvl 3-17
You were destined for greatness and I let you down.

Akkarin - lvl 8-17
You sacrificed yourself so that others may live on.

Furious with this turn of events, Rodric IV takes a moon stone from my bag.

What? Rodric IV is evolving?

The newly crowned Nidoking Rodric IV vows to prevent any more bloodshed. Touched by this gesture, we head back to Cerulean to heal up. On our way we spot a dejected trainer. Declaring himself to be inadequate to raise his pokémon, he gifts us his charmander!

Zoe - lvl 10

We grab Zoe and run before he finds a therapist or some pills. She may never fill the void left by Akkarin and Popsicle but damnit if she won't try! We also welcome Antonio the Bellsprout to join our party and once everyone's healed up and raring to go, we begin training again. With Zoe and Antonio on lvl 16, and the others on 18 we decide to beat some Rocket ass and return the stolen TM to its owner. We recover DIG, but at a heavy price - Zoe.

Zoe - lvl 10-17
Cut down in your prime. R.I.P.

Pausing to mourn the fall of our newest comrade, we talk to a woman who nurses injured pokémon. Believing us to be a suitable candidate, she gives us a new Bulbasaur.

Quasimodo - lvl 10

Boxing Quasimodom, we head south to train some more before hitting Cerulean Gym. On Route 5 the first pokémon we encounter is an Abra! We fling a pokéball at it's face but alas it Teleports away. :( Frustrated, we go through the underground tunnel and emerge on route 6 where we find another abra! This time the capture is a success and the 6th slot in our party is once again filled.

Lemmy - lvl 9

Feeling over-confident, we beat the 2 trainers blocking our way to Vermilion City and heal up there. We decide to check out Route 11 and the Diglett cave for more pokémon before heading back to beat Misty. On Route 11, a Drowsee jumps out and attempts to sedate us, but 2 pokéballs later it joins us instead (well, it's box companions anyway).

Reveur - lvl 17

With Reveur stowed away, we enter the cave, confident in our ability to capture a 'mon. What we didn't expect was for our first encounter to be a lvl 31 Dugtrio! With nowhere to run we have no choice but to fight. Rodric IV, determined that no others should die in our quest tried to hold his own. Alas, the Dig-spamming Dugtrio was having none of it, and Rodric was OHKO-d. Freddie, Antonio, Rojo and Lemme quickly followed. Last out was Pig Tyson who miraculously killed the murderous Dugtrio with 2 well-timed Seismic Tosses. Escaping with only 5 HP, we left the cave, cursing the idiocy we showed entering it.

Rodric IV - lvl 6 - 19
Determined to protect those who mattered - I failed you.

Lemme - lvl 9-16
Newly come into your powers - struck down before your time.

Rojo - lvl 5-18
So close to inheriting your legacy. You're in a better place now.

Freddie - lvl 5-18
I never thought this day would come. Good-bye dear friend.

Antonio - lvl 12-17
Though you were with us only briefly, we will remember you always.

Dejected and exhausted, Pig Tyson and I return to the pokémon centre to heal and allow some of the others to join the party. We return to Cerulean city as the bleak day dies, and prepare for the morrow and the looming battle with Misty.

The TL;DR version:

Pokemon caught:
GLADiS the Spearow
Akkarin the Zubat
Vimesy the Sandshrew
Antonio the Bellsprout
Zoe the Charmander
Quasimodo the Bulbasaur
Lemmy the Abra
Reveur the Drowsee

Pokémon fallen - NEVER FORGET:
Popsicle the Pidgey
Akkarin the Zubat
Zoe the Charmander
Antonio the Bellsprout
Freddie the Pikachu
Lemmy the Kadabra
Rodric IV the Nidoking
Rojo the Magikarp

Current team:

Chapter One - The Adventure Begins

2010-08-01T16:01:00.011+01:00

Welcome, one and all to KP's Nuzlocke Challenge!

To begin my Nuzlocke Challenge on Pokémon Yellow, I was given a brand new PIKACHU (only because JACKASS took my EEVEE...) who is now called Freddie.

Freddie - lvl 5

As soon as I finished up all the intro crap, I bought myself some pokéballs and headed back to Route 1 to catch my very first team-mate. We met a lvl 3 pidgey, and miraculously enough, Freddie's thundershock left it with 2 HP. 1 pokéball later and the pidgey is ours!

Popsicle - lvl 3

Dubbing him Popsicle, we set off again, towards Route 22 to catch our second friend, who turns out to be a lvl 3 Mankey that we call Pig Tyson (I never claimed I named Pokémon well).

Pig Tyson - lvl 3

Heading north to Route 2, we encounter another pidgey, but since I'm using rules that exclude catching duplicate pokémon we defeat him and wait for our next team member... a lvl 6 Nidoran called Rodric IV!

Rodric IV - lvl 6

After a few minutes grinding, we go back to Route 22 to battle our rival, Jackass, who now is the proud owner of a Spearow and an Eevee (a different set up to the Red game I see) who we take down with ease. With everyone happy as Larry on lvl 8, we take the plunge and go into the forest to meet our next new friend, who turns out to be a lvl 4 Metapod. Thinking ahead, I decide to call him Papillo!

Papillo - lvl 4

Some Magikarp-style grinding is required to level him up as his sole move is Harden, but we get him up to lvl 7, and the others up to 9. Only 3 more lvls til he evolves into a butterfree if I remember correctly! :) At this point, everyone needs a trip back to the pokémon centre for some healing. On the way, we run into a Pidgey. Even though we try to run away, the wild pidgey is relentless in its persuit, and with a mighty gust of wind takes down Papillo. At this point it allows the rest of us to flee, mocking us with its laughter.

R.I.P. Papillo. Lvl 4-7.
We Hardly Knew You.

Back at the Pokémon centre we shed a tear for our fallen comrade and vow to avenge him by becoming the best team in all of Kanto! Battling our way through Viridian Forest, we emerge in Pewter City with everyone at lvl 10. There we hunt for a new potential team-mate to mend the rift left by Papillo. We encounter a lvl 4 Rattata, and with a bit of luck we capture him and name him Stewie.

Stewie - lvl 4

His current destiny is to live in a box as I have no desire to raise a Rattata right now [on a side note, why is the sprite for Rattata a bull?]. With him safely stored away, we quickly grind our current team members to level 12 and take on our very first gym in this challenge, which apparently Jackass has already defeated. A very unhelpful man in the gym merely tells us this gym will be tough for Pikachu, and leaves us to our own devices.

We battle the Gym Lacky first, and Popsicle easily OHKOs his Diglett. Sandshrew is a bit tougher for the pidgey, but we win anyway and the battle is ours. After quickly healing up again, we face Brock - leader of Pewter City Gym.

Brock - Anyone ever wonder how he got to be a Gym Leader with two very low level pokémon?

With Pig Tyson heading up the team, we easily destroy his Geodude and then his Onix with a few well placed Low Kicks. For our trouble we got a pretty boulderbadge and a TM34.

Boulderbadge!

That concludes this chapter. Until next time!

TL;DR version

Pokémon caught:
Freddie the Pikachu
Popsicle the Pidgey
Pig Tyson the Mankey
Rodric IV the Nidoran
Papillo the Metapod
Stewie the Rattata

Pokémon killed:
Papillo the Metapod

Current Team

Freddie - lvl 12 Popsicle - lvl 13 Pig Tyson - lvl 13 Rodric IV - lvl 12

The Nuzlocke Challenge!

2010-08-01T15:43:00.002+01:00

Hey all!

Since I haven't been using my blog for anything, I've decided I shall record my Nuzlocke adventures on it. :P For those of you who don't know, the Nuzlocke Challenge (inspired by the comics of Nuzlocke originally posted on /v/ in 4chan) is a set of self-imposed rules to make Pokémon games that bit more challenging for the player. The original rules are:

> You may only catch the first pokémon you encounter in each area. If you kill it/make it faint/it runs away then that's too bad for you. No pokémon for that area.

> Once a pokémon faints, it is considered dead and must be released to the wild/put in a "graveyard" box in the pc (never to be used again). As soon as you have no pokémon left, or none that can learn the moves you need to advance in the game it's GAME OVER.

Some people put extra limitations on themselves, such as the exclusion of items inside/outside of battle, only allowing the purchase of 1 pokéball per mart, restricting use of the pokémon centre to a certain amaount per town etc etc, but I won't be using any of those extra rules myself (at least not for my first Nuzlocke game). Also, the first encounter rule I will only impose once I can purchase pokéballs (all that running back and forth at the start of the game won't count in other words). After that it is in place for the duration of the game.

I have found a free online version of Pokémon Yellow at Playr which I will be using for the challenge, as I don't have access to a DS at the moment and Lauren has borrowed my copy of Pokémon Red. I've never actually played Yellow so hopefully this will be good fun. :P

Until next time!