Martin
A monoid in the category of endofunctors
Hi, I've got a playthrough challenge that I'm currently in the planning stages for doing in Pokemon HeartGold version, so I thought I might as well post it because it seems like it could pose a unique challenge:
Mandatory rules:
The main draw of this challenge is that it is a deterrent to over-levelling and it allows a player to both use+evolve a wide range of Pokemon on their run that they may not consider using otherwise, which is useful if you want to go on and complete the dex post-run. It also forces the player to be as conservative as possible with their choices of Pokemon within each gym, meaning that they don't continuously have a large party for the entire run.
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If anyone's interested in what my run will likely look like, I've put the ruleset I'll be using+my WIP plan in hide brackets below.
Mandatory rules:
- After each gym, you must dump your entire team into a box, never to be used again
- Any other Pokemon you use to reach that gym, including HM slaves (Fly included) or Pokemon which were otherwise removed from your party for any reason at all are also lost for the remainder of the run.
- This includes starter Pokemon if you opt to fight the first gym without using them, Pokemon you trade away to gain access to other Pokemon, and HM users that were necessary for access to non-mandatory areas, such as Rock Smash to access items, Surf/Rock Smash/Strength to access an exploration-only area of a cave etc.
- The exception is that you may hold onto one Pokemon until you can obtain a replacement; this Pokémon may not be used in battle versus any other Pokémon, and it must be boxed immediately upon obtaining its replacement.
- Duplicate Clause applies (you may not capture any Pokémon which is already listed as caught in your Pokédex)
- Set Battle Style
- Evolutionary Duplicate Clause—Duplicate Clause is extended to cover a Pokémon's entire evolutionary line (e.g. if you defeat Bugsy and Geodude was one of the Pokémon you used to get to that point, the use of Geodude, Graveler, and Golem will be disallowed for the remainder of the run).
- Shiny Exception—shiny Pokémon may be caught without activating duplicate clause; however, they must be boxed immediately unless you intend to use them in the next gym, in which case duplicate clause will apply to regular variants of the Pokemon in question.
- Daycare Exception—allows you to catch a Pokémon at an earlier stage in the game than the point at which you will use it provided that you box it immediately and head to the daycare to deposit it there straight afterwards. This reduces need for grinding, particularly for early-game Pokemon which are useful late on in the run, but is still restricted due to both monetary reasons and the 2-Pokémon depositing limit.
- Legendary Clause—use of legendary Pokémon is prohibited
- Death Clause—if a Pokemon faints at any point, they are considered dead and must be boxed or released.
- Game Over Clause—If your entire party faints, the run is over.
- ID-Based Starter Clause—your choice of starter depends on the first or last character of your trainer ID.
- Itemless Clause—you may not use any potions, status healers, hold items etc. aside from those held by a Pokemon when they are obtained (e.g. Ratatta's Chilan Berry) and those which are obtained through Thief/Covet/Trick/Switcheroo/Bestow)
- Honourable—Play the game honourably
The main draw of this challenge is that it is a deterrent to over-levelling and it allows a player to both use+evolve a wide range of Pokemon on their run that they may not consider using otherwise, which is useful if you want to go on and complete the dex post-run. It also forces the player to be as conservative as possible with their choices of Pokemon within each gym, meaning that they don't continuously have a large party for the entire run.
======================
If anyone's interested in what my run will likely look like, I've put the ruleset I'll be using+my WIP plan in hide brackets below.
I'm going to be using the following additional rules:
Anyway, this is the planning that I have done so far:
- Set Battle Style
- Shiny Exception
- Daycare Exception
- Evolutionary Duplicate Clause
- Game Over Clause
- Honourable
Anyway, this is the planning that I have done so far:
Gym challenge order:
- Falkner
- Bugsy
- Whitney
- Morty
- Jasmine
- Pryce
- Chuck
- Claire
- Elite 4
- Falkner:
- Cyndaquil (--> Quilava)—solos Sprout Tower, non-losing matchup vs. Falkner's gym, meaning that no additional Pokemon need to be caught to take on either dungeon; efficient use of EXP from trainers); main drawback though is it gives Silver Totodile
- Bugsy:
- Geodude—solos Bugsy, great vs Team Rocket, good vs 2/3 of Silver's Pokemon, access to Rock Smash allows it to access blocked items)
- Oddish (--> Gloom maybe)—shuts down Silver's Croconaw
- Whitney:
- Paras—throwaway Cut user
- Drowzee—trades for Machop in Goldenrod Mall
- Machop—solos Whitney
- Morty:
- Wooper --> Quagsire—requires heavy grinding, but has a good matchup vs Sudowoodo, bones Silver's Croconaw, and doesn't lose to the various mandatory Nido fights before Girafarig can be caught; it's not like Quagsire does anything else in this game anyway.
- Sudowoodo—good matchup vs the forced double battle against Beauty Callie and Beauty Kassandra, no opportunities to use it meaningfully in Kanto.
- Girafarig—solos Morty (<-- there's not much you can say that about) and solos Silver barring Croconaw; learns Strength+Rock Smash+Flash for easy exploration of Dark Cave and Mt. Mortar's ground floor, although I'll likely offload at least one of those onto Quagsire or Sudowoodo.
- Jasmine:
- Magnemite --> Magneton—good matchup vs Olivine Tower and swimmers
- Krabby, prevent evolution—learns Surf, basically useless in the game beyond that (burns shitty Surf slaves), can be traded for Voltorb immediately after Jasmine fight
- Magmar—solos Jasmine, can be helped by Krabby vs Steelix if desparate.
- Pryce:
- Voltorb --> Electrode: good matchup vs Pryce and the red Gyarados, decent matchup vs. Team Rocket
- Goldeen: useless Surf Pokemon to obtain the good Surf Pokémon
- Lake of Rage Gyarados: access to Surf, which is useful for exploring+grinding in Union Cave, good matchup vs Pryce's Piloswine if Electrode's Self Destruct isn't enough to secure the KO.
- I'll probably need another Pokémon to help vs the Team Rocket admins; not sure what else to bring though.
- Chuck:
- Gastly --> Haunter --> Gengar—solos Chuck
- Sentret --> Furret—throwaway Surf user that doesn't need Surf to be caught; access to Strength/Cut/Rock Smash too in case there are still leftover caves that I need to explore.
- Fearow—backup vs. Black Belts in Cianwood gym
- I need something that'll let me win a double battle en route to catching Fearow; depending on what I settle on this may end up invalidating it.
- Claire:
- I've not planned this far yet.
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