Challenge Are the Pokemon games just too easy? Well, I know how to make it more challenging! Just read the comment of mine below.

[Jerry the great]

So, people often say "Pokemon games these days are so/too easy!" Well, I have a challenge that will make Pokemon pretty challenging to play! Try beating it with only your starter in battle, and HM mons must be fainted. And if you want it to be REALLY challenging, make it to where you can't evolve your starter, not use healing items, or both! There! Now you can be challenged when playing!
Edit: Oh yeah, I'll follow you and praise you if you can prove you did complete this challenge. Now that's not much of a reward, but I think it'd be fun for anyone who wants a original challenge. Oh, you can prove it to me by sending an image proving you completed the challenge.

 

[LeftyGreenMario]

But isn't that pretty much what a solo runs are, but more challenging? We have threads detailing solo runs of even weaker mons in Orange Islands, why not check them out? Never heard about "don't evolve your starter" though.

 

[Jerry the great]

Well I mean, I guess you could also make it more unique as well by not evolving it.

 

[adman2]

To me, a solo is more interesting if you pick something that's weak enough to be a challenge, but still able to survive without using Battle Items in combat. (e.g. Full Restore, X Attack, etc.) You'll appreciate buffs and recovery moves much more if you abstain from Battle Items. Alola games would be exempt from this rule because you can't easily level grind, and the enemies are much tougher than in most Pokemon entries.


Try playing as solo Meganium in Crystal if you want a starter-only challenge. Expect to die frequently when you fight Bugsy and Red!

 

[Jerry the great]

To me, a solo is more interesting if you pick something that's weak enough to be a challenge, but still able to survive without using Battle Items in combat. (e.g. Full Restore, X Attack, etc.) You'll appreciate buffs and recovery moves much more if you abstain from Battle Items. Alola games would be exempt from this rule because you can't easily level grind, and the enemies are much tougher than in most Pokemon entries.


Try playing as solo Meganium in Crystal if you want a starter-only challenge. Expect to die frequently when you fight Bugsy and Red!

Well, I might as well add that idea to the optional "make it REALLY challenging" part along with no evolving your starter thing. That's another way to make it challenging. Oh and I think with grinding and a bit of luck, you can beat bugsy with the grass starter. No idea on how to beat Red in such a condition though without HP rock for Charizard, getting a crit on Snorlax with Giga Drain, and getting a critical hit on Venusaur with Hyper Beam. Fulfilling every condition in that battle will require obsurd luck. Oh also, Lance without HP Ice (and it'll be pretty much required to have HP rock to beat Red later on) would require you to be Level 100, Hyper Beam (and extreme luck if you play with both optional conditions).

Oh and I said any main series Pokemon game. That includes the Jotho games.

 

[bdt2002]

To me, a solo is more interesting if you pick something that's weak enough to be a challenge, but still able to survive without using Battle Items in combat. (e.g. Full Restore, X Attack, etc.) You'll appreciate buffs and recovery moves much more if you abstain from Battle Items. Alola games would be exempt from this rule because you can't easily level grind, and the enemies are much tougher than in most Pokemon entries.


Try playing as solo Meganium in Crystal if you want a starter-only challenge. Expect to die frequently when you fight Bugsy and Red!

How the heck are you supposed to make it Red if you can't beat Bugsy? That makes as much sense as a grilled cheese sandwich without any cheese lol

 

[Jerry the great]

How the heck are you supposed to make it Red if you can't beat Bugsy? That makes as much sense as a grilled cheese sandwich without any cheese lol

I have upgraded my comment explaining how you could beat Bugsy with the grass starter replying to him. It's possible to beat Bugsy in that kind of condition you're patient enough to grind to at least level 27 and get a crit on Scyther with Tackle. Such logic does make sense though considering how Red isn't until post game, and Bugsy is early game.

 

[bdt2002]

I have upgraded my comment explaining how you could beat Bugsy with the grass starter replying to him. It's possible to beat Bugsy in that kind of condition you're patient enough to grind to at least level 27 and get a crit on Scyther with Tackle. Such logic does make sense though considering how Red isn't until post game, and Bugsy is early game.

Yeah, I suppose. I do still like your ideas, though.

 

[Jerry the great]

Ah, thanks bdt.

 

[adman2]

How the heck are you supposed to make it Red if you can't beat Bugsy? That makes as much sense as a grilled cheese sandwich without any cheese lol

In some solos, you'll have a hard time in some early fight, then have it easier until much later.


By the time you fight Bugsy in a Meganium solo, you're a Bayleef whose only non-Grass attacking move is Tackle. You could upgrade to Cut for slightly more damage, but that can't be deleted until Blackthorn City. Grinding is also annoying in Crystal once you run out of trainer battles because everything has low levels. Scyther has high stats for this point in the game, and Fury Cutter hurts when it's both super effective and gets stronger for each consecutive hit. Eventually, you may get lucky with critical hit Tackles or Fury Cutter misses. Perhaps Poisonpowder, Synthesis, or Reflect could be used.



When you beat Bugsy, the game gets easier for a while. Bayleef can get the Return TM in Goldenrod City and pretend to be a Normal type when Razor Leaf is ineffective. Chances are you'll evolve into Meganium right before you reach Ecruteak. You'll want to hang on to Mud Slap for Morty's Gastly line and Jasmine's Magnemites.


You'll find Earthquake in Victory Road, which helps Meganium deal with Magneton, Typhlosion, Gengar, and other Pokemon it previously had trouble with. Just in time for the last Johto rival fight!


Karen and Lance are the next big hurdles for Meganium. Karen's Umbreon knows Sand Attack and Confuse Ray to trip you up. Vileplume can use Stun Spore to slow you down, making you susceptible to Houndoom's Flamethrower. Lance has a Charizard and Dragonites with moves like Thunder Wave and Fire Blast.


Most of Kanto is a joke in Crystal solos because most of the Gym Leaders' Pokemon are lower level than Lance. (Janine is weaker than Clair, even!)


The reason Red is so hard for Meganium is that he has a level 77 Charizard. Your level advantage is mostly gone by the final battle. Even Meganium's decent defensive stats can't save you from Flamethrower, and a critical will kill you outright. My solo Meganium had to level up to 84 to have a chance to 2HKO Charizard with Return, and even then victory wasn't guaranteed.


EDIT: I should mention that Rest and Sleep Talk are your friends. Even if you're not using them for the rest of the playthrough, consider this combo for the Red fight.

 

[Jerry the great]

In some solos, you'll have a hard time in some early fight, then have it easier until much later.


By the time you fight Bugsy in a Meganium solo, you're a Bayleef whose only non-Grass attacking move is Tackle. You could upgrade to Cut for slightly more damage, but that can't be deleted until Blackthorn City. Grinding is also annoying in Crystal once you run out of trainer battles because everything has low levels. Scyther has high stats for this point in the game, and Fury Cutter hurts when it's both super effective and gets stronger for each consecutive hit. Eventually, you may get lucky with critical hit Tackles or Fury Cutter misses. Perhaps Poisonpowder, Synthesis, or Reflect could be used.



When you beat Bugsy, the game gets easier for a while. Bayleef can get the Return TM in Goldenrod City and pretend to be a Normal type when Razor Leaf is ineffective. Chances are you'll evolve into Meganium right before you reach Ecruteak. You'll want to hang on to Mud Slap for Morty's Gastly line and Jasmine's Magnemites.


You'll find Earthquake in Victory Road, which helps Meganium deal with Magneton, Typhlosion, Gengar, and other Pokemon it previously had trouble with. Just in time for the last Johto rival fight!


Karen and Lance are the next big hurdles for Meganium. Karen's Umbreon knows Sand Attack and Confuse Ray to trip you up. Vileplume can use Stun Spore to slow you down, making you susceptible to Houndoom's Flamethrower. Lance has a Charizard and Dragonites with moves like Thunder Wave and Fire Blast.


Most of Kanto is a joke in Crystal solos because most of the Gym Leaders' Pokemon are lower level than Lance. (Janine is weaker than Clair, even!)


The reason Red is so hard for Meganium is that he has a level 77 Charizard. Your level advantage is mostly gone by the final battle. Even Meganium's decent defensive stats can't save you from Flamethrower, and a critical will kill you outright. My solo Meganium had to level up to 84 to have a chance to 2HKO Charizard with Return, and even then victy wasn't guaranteed.


EDIT: I should mention that Rest and Sleep Talk are your friends. Even if you're not using them for the rest of the playthrough, consider this combo for the Red fight.

Huh. I almost forgot about return. Better than Hyper Beam. Alright then. I was wrong, you don't need to grind to crazy levels for the bosses I mentioned.

 

[adman2]

Huh. I almost forgot about return. Better than Hyper Beam. Alright then. I was wrong, you don't need to grind to crazy levels for the bosses I mentioned.

Return is a reliable move for solos with at least decent Attack. And sometimes Pokemon with bad Attack too, if they happen to get same type attack bonus. (See Noctowl, whose base Attack is one point higher than Chikorita's.)


EDIT: If you're playing Gold, Silver, or Crystal, and you plan on getting Return, be sure the ingame day is Sunday by the time you reach Goldenrod.

 

[Jerry the great]

You're right, every time I see the move return, I always remember how good it can be. Even on non normal Pokemon!

 

[adman2]

You're right, every time I see the move return, I always remember how good it can be. Even on non normal Pokemon!

My current solo Audino playthrough of White mostly involves whaling on the enemies with Return. With an occasional turn of Work Up in advance if I don't think Return or a coverage move will kill them in one hit. Not looking forward to Marshal and his Sturdy Sawk!

 

[Jerry the great]

My current solo Audino playthrough of White mostly involves whaling on the enemies with Return. With an occasional turn of Work Up in advance if I don't think Return or a coverage move will kill them in one hit. Not looking forward to Marshal and his Sturdy Sawk!

Oh dang, that's sure going to be rough without excess grinding.

 

[DHR-107]

All of this topic can be covered in other threads. Pokemon games are easy. Always have been.

If you want to make a Lets Play thread of one of the challenges discussed go right ahead, but this thread has no real discussion points. The vast majority of Pokemon challenges out there have already been done a hundred fold, so you will be hard pressed to find something which hasn't been done before.

I can point to probably a huge number of threads on this forum alone which cover everything from Nuzlockes, Solos, Wonderlockes, Chesslockes, Scrambles, Monotype runs, Randomizers, Gym Rotations, Overall Rotations, No Items Runs, No Pokemon Center Runs, speedruns and even my own Crapmons Run. We've seen people solo Crystal with Hoppip, and most speedruns are usually solos (with a HM slave or two). Excadrill, Feraligatr, Blastoise, Nidoking, Weedle, Rattata have all got solo's on Youtube.

RE: Meganium Solo; Your best bet is to breed a new Chikorita after you obtain a Hoppip and give it Leech Seed. That along with Reflect and Meganium's natural bulk should set you through a chunk of battles which are otherwise difficult.