Summary
APokemonNuzlockeis a way to play the main series games in a way that makes the experience more challenging and random. The rules for a Nuzlocke are simple. Players can only catch the first Pokemon that they find on each route, and if a Pokemon faints in battle, then it is not allowed to be used again. Plus, nicknaming all these Pokemon is a must, as it allows players to grow more attached to their team. Some players add a rule of only leveling their Pokemon to match the highest-level Pokemon of the next gym leader, butthis is quite challenginginPokemon Scarlet and Violet,as the gyms in the Paldea region can be challenged in any order.
SincePokemon Scarlet and Violetare unlike any of the main series games that have come before, playing a Nuzlocke in this generation can be quite difficult. Fortunately, there are some ways to make the challenge a breeze.
5Pick The Right Starter
A Player’s First Pokemon Can Be Crucial In Succeeding
As is tradition now,Pokemon Scarlet and Violetstarts by asking players to choose betweena grass-type starter, a water-type starter, and a fire-type starter. While all three of these Pokemon have their own merits and drawbacks, there is a good reason to pick the grass Pokemon, Sprigatito, for a Nuzlocke in this region.
Fuecoco is a reliable fire-type Pokemon to have from the start, but players can easily find another decent fire-type Pokemon in the early routes of the game. The first route on a player’s adventure in these games is the Poco Path, where Fletchling appears. As such, it is likely that the first encounter in these games will be with another fire-type. The water-type, Quaxly, has a similar issue. There are plenty of water-types in the rivers and coasts of Paldea, so there will be plenty of opportunities to grab one in a Nuzlocke. There are far fewer grass-types in the region, which means Sprigatito can fill that gap nicely.
4Know How To Choose Wild Pokemon
Over-World Sprites Make First Encounters Difficult
Over-world sprites for wild Pokemon have been a great feature in the franchise since Generation 8. However, this innovation can make playing through a Nuzlocke quite tricky.
Part of the fun of having Pokemonhidden in the grassin previous generations was that players were never sure of what Pokemon would appear, so it was impossible to choose a good team member for a Nuzlocke. Now that these games have over-world sprites, this randomness is gone. That is why players will need to establish a method of randomly encountering new wild Pokemon in aPokemon: Scarlet and Violet Nuzlocke. They can enter a new route and walk in a straight line until a new Pokemon interrupts their path or stand in one spot and wait for a Pokemon to interact. Either way, it is best to establish this method before starting.
3Pick The Gym Order Carefully
One of the new features introduced inPokemon: Scarlet and Violetis that the entire region is open to the player as soon as they start the game. This means that all the gyms in Paldea can be challenged in any order.Some gyms are easier than othersand are designed to be challenged in a specific order. However, this order may not be ideal during a Nuzlocke.
For instance, the ice-type leader, Grusha, is supposed to be the hardest gym battle in the game. However, a player who has accrued a few strong fire-types during their Nuzlocke may find it easier to challenge this gym earlier than normal. This strategy can apply to all the gyms, of course, so it may be a good idea to learn the types used by each gym leader and what level they are before deciding which ones to challenge. It may sound limiting, but a Nuzlocke challenge does offer a great deal of freedom when approached in a certain way.
2Learn Types Of Team Star And Pokemon Titans
These New Objectives Can Impede A Nuzlocke
Alongside the regular gym challenge,Pokemon Scarlet and Violetalso includes two new questlines to complete in the Paldea region. One of these involves taking out the five leaders ofthe region’s evil team, Team Star, and the other requires players to take out five powerful Titan Pokemon in the region. Both of these objectives take on a different format to the gyms, and neither one rewards the player’s Pokemon with experience for winning.
The Team Star fights involve a raid of over-world fights between two Pokemon before battling against a solo type leader. The Titan Pokemon are first fought alone, but then the fight turns into a double battle with an ally. As a result, these new formats aren’t always compatible with a Nuzlocke, but the fights are necessary to progress in the game. The only thing a Nuzlocke player can do to avoid too many casualties during these battles is learn what the upcoming fight includes. Also, it helps to include a rule that states that Pokemon who faint in the over-world do not count as dead. This happens a lot during Team Star raids.
1Understand That Paldea Is Huge
The Region Has A Lot Of Safety Nets
The only way to fail a Nuzlocke is to run out of Pokemon to use during a battle. This includes the regular team of six and every Pokemon stored on the PC. The PC normally fills up with replacement team members during a Nuzlocke.
Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities to add new Pokemon to a team inPokemon Scarlet and Violet, as there are tons of possible new encounters in the Paldea region. Plus, new team members will level up quickly due to the experience share feature. As a result, players can relax and know that some of the more challenging aspects of a Nuzlocke in Generation Nine are more than made up for by the size of the region.
