Let's Play! Nuzlocke++ Challenge Attempt - SoulSilver Edition

[SXCSoppa]

Starting my first challenge ever and I intend to go big! SoulSilver fits the challenge really well since I have't played it before but I have completed Silver. It's also, to my knowledge, considered quite hard for a challenge. My plan is to go hard or go home, the latter is more likely.
Rules:

• Pokemons that faint die and must be released. I won't do boxing.
• Pokemon that is reduced to 1hp because of poison is dead as well.
• Hardmode - If all party pokemon faint -> Game Over
• Nuzlocke catching rules apply - Only first encounter per route/town and no duplicates (evolutions included). Duplicate is a first encounter as well meaning it "kills" the zone.
• Nicknames for everyone!
• Only use pokemon that you catch (next rule also applies to this). No gifts or trades. Eevee is an exception because I want to do a vote on it's evolution and then use that.
• No legendaries or pseudo-legendaries. These also count as the first encounter for any particular area.
• No WiFi
• No DayCare, PokeWalker and no breeding.
• Only items allowed: Pokeballs (All kinds excluding Master Ball), HMs and Key Items.
• Master Ball must be thrown away when acquired.
• No held items.
• HM buddies are ok only WHEN needed. HM buddies are considered "Fainted" all the time in party. Meaning, if other pokemon in the party faint and HM buddy/buddies are left = Game Over.
• Starter is only used until capturing first pokemon.
• Battle Style is SET.
• The Big One (possibly): Start Over when I reach Kanto. I choose one pokemon to enter Kanto with and then capture a new team.
• Game is completed when Red is defeated, obviously.

I will start today and post regularly about my progress, aiming for at least once everytime I play. I will include screenshots and do part of my challenge reports story-style if I can get enough creativity mustered up. All updates start with screenshot so they are easier to see.

Starting out, I will include the first chapter here and then continue later with posts.

Part 1: On a loan only...

I woke up late, it was already 2pm. Getting out of my pyjamas and rushing downstairs I yelled to my mom: "Mom! Mom! Is my PokeGear back from repairs yet!? I'm late to meet Prof. Elm!". My mom replied that it would be coming back from the shop in a mail later in the afternoon and that I could manage without it for a one day more... Psh, how am I supposed to go out walking without listening to the radio or being able to call my friends.

Frustrated about the broken PokeGear (I dropped it in the toilet after a Pidgey scared me by flying against the bathroom window), I went outside and got tackled by a blue flash. Getting up, I noticed it was a familiar Marill - my friend Lyra's pokemon. The pokemon and Lyra were playing Hide and Seek outside and Marill was running away from Lyra. The Marill sprinted away and I saw Lyra coming out of a house and running towards it. They hugged each other and then walked away. I wish I had a pokemon of my own...

Prof. Elm had an errand for me and best of all? HE GAVE ME A POKEMON! It was only for loan for now, but he promised I would get to use it and catch one of my own later on. Totodile and I hiked all the way through Routes 29, Cherrygrove City and Route 30. We finally reached a house Prof Elm had described to belong to an old man that had some business with Prof Elm. The man gave me an peculiar egg to take back to New Bark Town, but he wasn't alone. Prof. Oak was there as well, an honored pokemon researcher from the Kanto region. He gave me his number and best of all, my very own Pokedex. I was well on my way to becoming a real trainer. On the way back I ran into a boy who challenged me to a fight. He seemed to be running away from something. He had a cute little Chikorita and Totodile quickly beat the snot out of it - his such an amazing pokemon, too bad his not mine... I managed to take a look at the boys Trainer Card, his name was Aamos. I quickly learned that Aamos had stolen Chikorita from Prof. Elm, and the officer investigating the case tried to blame it on me! Luckily Lyra happened to come by and told the thief had red hair and I even told his name to the police officer. Prof Elm was upset but still took the egg from me to study and sent me to find Lyra so she could teach me how to catch pokemon. I found her outside, just a little way down Route 29 and boy, did she teach me well. She also gave me pokeballs of my own and told me to use them and catch my first, own pokemon.

Trudging through the grass I saw a shadow slowly walking about in the distance. It was a wild Pidgey and not even that strong looking... Still, I decided to test my skills and catch it so I sent Totodile after it. After some moments of biting, 1 Water Gun attack and some intense stares between the two pokemon, I decided it was time to throw a pokeball. I threw a ball at the Pidgey, hit him in the head and a red light coming from the now-opened Pokeball absorbed Pidgey inside. Struggling to get out, the Pidgey shook the pokeball from side to side, desperate for freedom. Unfortunately for the bird but not for me, it didn't work. I had my first ever pokemon! I took the ball in my hand clutching it, walked out of the grass. I summoned Pidgey out and it walked about a bit, streching it's legs. Then it looked at me and curiously tilted his head. I said: "Nice to meet you, I'm Soppa and I'm your trainer now. Can we be pals?". First the bird just stared at me but then flew on my shoulder and gave a short chirp. I took it as a yes and told him: "I think I will call you Hasse from now on. You and me, we're gonna see the world together!". I smiled all the way back to Prof Elm's lab. In the Lab the Professor told me to head to Violet City if I wanted to take on the Gym Leaders and aim to become a Pokemon Champion. It sounded like something I would love doing! I handed over Totodile, let Pidgey out of it's ball and walked out, the whole world ahead of me. Little did I know what Challenges were ahead...

For future reference: Black text is in-game "voice" only, magenta is me speaking to forum-users :) Please refrain from using magenta in your posts, thanks!~

 

[Hulavuta]

Great read! I hope you go on with this!

Glaceon is my favorite, but I guess that's not really an option so I voted for Espeon, my second favorite, but Umbreon is cool too. Haha.

 

[lucariomaster2]

I'd say Umbreon. It doesn't necessarily hit hard, but it never dies, and it can stall from now until the end of the universe with Toxic, Moonlight, etc.

 

[SXCSoppa]

Moving on with my playthrough/challenge:

Part 2: Tough way ahead

Standing in front of Prof Elm's lab I looked back at my Pidgey following me. He looked eager to get into a battle, to train - to learn. We walked towards Route 29 and my resolve grew. I could become something great, a Pokemon Master. With Hasse by my side I could do anything. My Pidgey and I began a tough hike towards Cherrygrove City.

Things had gone so smoothly with Prof Elm's well-trained Totodile, but now I had to work at it. Battle after battle Hasse's and my relationship grew, as did his strenght. He was already getting strong and a formidable pokemon to battle with - battling some more with him made all the difference. Towards the end of our way to Cherrygrove, we were making good progress. Thanks to Hasse's powerful Tackle attack and my resolve to succeed we blasted through all the lowly Sentrets and Rattatas.

At the end of the day we both deserved our rest at the pokemon center. I turned in Hasse inside his pokeball, something he had now grown accustomed with after a bit of a battle. The nurse took the ball from me and told me to wait. I called my mom, told her I was doing ok and changing my underwear daily - that pleased her and she was glad for me and my pokemon partner. As I hung up the phone the nurse was finished with Pidgey and I got him back. We took shelter in one of the rooms specifically prepared for pokemon trainers and their companions to rest in and slept the whole night.

As we stood outside in the shine of the rising sun I thought to myself: "Time to get a new team member" and gave sign to Hasse to jump up on my shoulder again. We walked past PokeMart and towards Route 30, the wind in our back - blowing us ahead on our journey.

I will be including the pokemon's stats from here on out. This ss has been taken before Totodile was released but at the moment he is already gone (sob). As the pokemon and my team grows, I will include newly catched pokemon in a format like Pidgey and others with their attacks shown. Thanks for the positive feedback, I will definitely work on this hard now!

 

[Wobbanaut]

Really nice read hope ^.^ you manage to finish the whole run hope to see more soon.
As for the poll I voted Jolteon cause favourite eeveelution

 

[SXCSoppa]

I'm aiming to progress further along today later :) Now to make myself some coffee and then it's time to add us a new team member!~ :)

 

[SXCSoppa]

I started playing after grabbing a cup of coffee, dedicated as ever. Then something happened...

Part 3: New team member!

Pidgey and I ran towards Route 30. I had my pokeballs ready and Hasse was ready to kick some butt! Walking in the grass we spotted something up in the tree, climbing slowly along a moss-covered branch. Hasse's keen eyes told him it was a pokemon way before I could pull out my pokedex (Not a dirty joke :P). I could see a fire burning in his eyes so I sent him out: "Hasse! Tackle that pokemon!". As the bird flew through the air, towards the poor little pokemon I saw a fear flash in it's little black, dot-eyes. Hasse hit him fast and hard and the worm fell out of the tree. Struggling to get up, it spew out sticky string towards my pokemon, afraid of more pain. Slowing down Hasse's flight it somehow managed to find the will to fight.

Unfortunately for the poor Weedle, I was already finishing our 1-2 punch with a thrown pokeball in the air. It hit the Weedle and absorbed the pokemon inside. Probably still feeling the hit from my Pidgey the worm couldn't do much to resist and I managed to capture it. Hasse shook off the string that had stuck on his wings and flew on my shoulder. "What do you think, will she be a good addition?". I got a cheery chirp as a reply and that's all I had to hear. Later on, I decided, I would let Weedle out of it's ball and go train it on Route 29 where the competition was not as fierce. I decided to call the small, brave worm Pincushion - befitting it's 2 spikes; one on it's head and one on it's tail. We walked back to Pokemon Center, content with our work.

A few hours later I was about to get my first REAL lesson in pokemon training. I was out on Route 29 and Pincushion was doing good against Sentret's around it's strenght. It was starting to grow in strenght and I started to trust it's abilities more and more. We came across a small mouse-pokemon - Rattata. I decided it was a good chance for Pincushion to battle and sent it out. Little did I know that this Rattata had struggled all it's life here on Route 29, living off of Green Apricorns: not the tastiest lunch. It hit my Weedle hard and fast and then hit it again. I didn't have time to react, time to act at all... Just like that, the battle was over and the rat ran away. I was left with a beaten-up worm in my hands, only a couple of hours after I had caught it. I was so sad, tears welled in my eyes and Pidgey was looking at me sad as ever. We gave Pincushion a proper burial and made a pact - we would come back here after our journey was complete and honor the memory of her. I never want to see another pokemon suffer or die, least of all because of my stupid decisions and arrogance...

A hard chapter to play and write... I leave you with Pincushion's pokemon info. It's sinking in how hard this challenge really is. I literally had like 2 battles with Pincushion before it's demise and still it was hard to understand that my mistake lead to it's death... I almost even cheated and brought it back to life, trying to tell excuses why it died. But I couldn't risk my challenge and I would've regretted it later. Route 29 and 30 are now "dead" to me and I have one pokemon at the moment - one pokemon this far and Falkner is coming up fast... I'm really scared that my challenge will end early because of the Hard Mode rule :/

 

[AOPSUser]

Flareon. I dare you.

 

[Shiruba]

Wait, your Totodile isn't dead, right? You didn't mention it, but he's not in the second screenshot...

 

[Mulan15262]

Wait, your Totodile isn't dead, right? You didn't mention it, but he's not in the second screenshot...

It was released because it was a gift pokemon, so shouldn't be used as per the rules.

 

[SXCSoppa]

Yeah, what Mulan15262 said. I didn't want "unfair advantage" starting out - starter pokemon definitely give that. Even more so have I chosen Cyndaquil as much first pokemon. My reasoning was that 1. I wanted to make this as hard as possible without going monotype or something - hence the item rules (most Nuzlocke's allow healing items outside battle, I don't - Elite Four through without items... Wonder if I will make it, if I ever make it that far.) and 2. I wanted to emulate the fresh start -aspect of becoming a trainer without the outdated starter cliche. Now I can bond with my Pidgey as my first pokemon. Not all trainers in the pokemon universe got a strong starter :)

 

[SXCSoppa]

Part 4: Progress & Pokemon. Sweeping the Sprout Tower!

Hasse and I were making quick work of Route 30 and now more determined than ever we sweeped past the trainers trying to train their pokemon there. We reached a cave entrance as the sun was setting and I decided we were both tired and needed a rest before adventuring more. We walked the last part towards Violet City, through Route 31.

On the way through the tall grass we encountered a wild Pidgey and it attacked us. I only had 1 pokemon and desperately needed more, even more so now that Pincushion had died on me... But my growing affection towards Hasse prevented me from catching a pokemon of the same species, I did not want any rivarly in my team (at least not that kind). We dealt with the Pidgey just as we had with all others opposing us - with repeatedly tacking it until it was unconscious. Now extremely tired we already saw the welcoming light of Violet Town and 2 tall buildings ahead. I figured one had to be the famous Flying-type gym on Falkner but I had no idea what the other was. It was a tower, and though I was not entirely sure because of the darkness around us, I think it was wobbling and waving slowly from side to side - back and forth. We walked to the Pokemon Center and called it a night.

In the morning as I was enjoying a breakfast outside, and Hasse was eating what crumbs dropped from my sandwich as I ate it on a bench, I saw an old man slowly walking by. I stopped him, saying: "Hey mister, what's the tall tower there across the lake?". "My boy, that's the Sprout Tower. It's the home for training and known world-over for the monks that train their Bellsprout there.", he said with a weak voice - hunched over a cane. "I should probably go there before taking on Falkner then?", I thought out loud. The old man responded: "My of course! You're still a young one and probably inexperienced in the ways of pokemon training. Falkner has years of battling behind him, you'll need all the help and training you can get". I decided breakfast was over, whistled at Hasse and he flew onto my shoulder once again. We walked past the gym. It gave me shivers, I knew I had to climb Sprout Tower first if I wanted to defeat Falkner and not risk my friend in the process. I walked across 2 bridges connecting the island that the tower stood on to the rest of the Violet City. A monk opened the door to the tower for me. "Welcome, young one. Come and learn with us." he said as I entered.

Inside was a dimly-lit room: wooden floors, walls - everything. Some stone statues depicting Bellsprouts stood on both sides of the corridor and some people were battling inside. Others just watched or meditated. I saw stairs to the upper floor and made my way towards them. A monk stopped me as I put my leg on the first step of the ladder. "Are you sure you wish to take on the tower?". "If you have unworthy heart and soul the tower will find out and you will not be continuing your journey". I ignored him, I had no doubt that I wouldn't make it. Climbing the ladders I realized my heart was starting to beat faster.

The second floor was darker than the first. Ahead was a monk with a pokeball in his hand. Our eyes met and silently he summoned a Bellsprout from the ball. Hasse jumped on my wrist and I gave my trusty Pidgey a speed-boost as I flung into the fray. The battle was over in seconds: Hasse's Gust attack decimated the grass-type pokemon. As we climbed the tower the monks gave in one after another. Hasse and I were a perfect combination, a true counter versus the grass-type obsessed monks. Only a 15 minutes later we were at the final ladder, ladder that would lead us to the top floor and the final challenge. Little did we know our true challenge was about to hit us in the face like a cold, wet Magicarp doing a Splash. We walked towards the ladder and from the shadows, a new opponent emerged.

A purple flash. Next thing I heard was the cry of my Pidgey. A wild Rattata surprised us and hit Hasse hard. It nearly knocked him unconscious on the first strike, a critical hit. Our resolve would not be broken so easily! Hasse flew like mad, dodging the tackles and extremely quick attacks coming from Rattata. Finally he hit the rat with a mighty blow and our way was clear. Even though we only had a little bit more left, I knew we might not make it through. Hasse was in a bad shape; tired from the battles and the hits from Rattata. I chose to take care of my friend and we headed back outside and to the Pokemon Center. I thought the challenge was failed because we left before we could reach the leader of the Monks. Even still, we headed back. We made our way to the top floor again. Once there I saw a familiar boy. A set of red hair and a black shirt. It was the pokemon thief from before! He had beaten the old monk and passed the test of the tower. Before I could get to him, he spun around a couple of times and escaped with a rope... Damn. As I approached the old monk I knew I had to beat him too. I could not lose to someone like him, the red haired boy. Hasse had grown strong and we beat the monk with no trouble. He gave me a Technical Machine for Flash, something I knew I would not need much... Even still, the tower and the old monk had taught me an important lesson: keep your friends safe no matter the cost. The monk said to me: "Son, had you come here straight away and not caring about your Pidgey, you would've not made it. For it takes true wisdom and courage to admit when you have to give up & fight another day. Don't ever give in to arrogance and stubbornness like that other kid. It was a miracle he made it this far let alone beat me."

The next day Hasse and I prepared for the gym by catching 2 new members for our team. Cyanide, a small Ekans, was found on Route 32. It was not something I would've liked to train but I figured I should be open-minded. I also caught a strong Geodude in the cave we passed before - Dark Cave. I named him Hard Harry, because he was... well, hard. And looked like a Harry. After a little bit of training, we could take on Falkner...

Sorry for the long post, I had some material saved up and then played some more before I got to writing it all here. I will post a screenshot of my team before I go up against Falkner so you can see how much Hasse has grown and what my 2 new team members are like :) Are you guys enjoying this type of writing? I will keep going like this if it's something you like to read, otherwise I will just try to summarize it more and give less details - it's more taxing on my part to come up with a story to surround my journey. Ofc it will be worth it in the end, I reckon.