Pokemon Challenges That Can Make The Games Harder

Key Takeaways

• Nuzlocke challenges introduce rules like no revives and required nicknaming, making gameplay more challenging.
• Unique challenges like Ditto-only runs and Monotype runs restrict players to specific Pokemon, adding new layers of difficulty.
• Randomizer and Soul Link challenges involve game customization and cooperative play, enhancing the gameplay experience.

Pokemon isn’t a franchise that’s particularly based on difficulty. Although several critics and long-time fans note a drastic change in difficulty between the release of Pokemon Black & White 2 and Pokemon X & Y, this change hasn’t been acknowledged in the games themselves.

Partially due to the change in difficulty in the core series games, but even before then, experienced players have been crafting ways to take the formula of any standard Pokemon game and make it exponentially more challenging. This phenomenon has become huge online, with players showcasing new, interesting sets of rules to make the base games harder, as well as creating strategies to overcome these self-imposed challenges. Here are the best challenges to make any Pokemon game a bit harder.

Updated November 6, 2024 by Ben Painter: The newer entries in the Pokemon franchise are easier compared to the older generations. Enemy teams aren’t as strong, better Pokemon can be found easily and mechanics such as all Pokemon receiving EXP just make the game a breeze. There are several challenges that gamers can do to make the games more difficult. The most popular is a “nuzlocke.”

But there are countless other twists that players can add to the Pokemon experience, which will add a whole new dimension. This may also be an option for players who are anxiously awaiting the release of the latest entry in the franchise, Pokemon Legends: Z-A. This update adds five new entries on how gamers can challenge themselves in Pokemon.

1 Nuzlocke

Pokemon With Imposed Rules

• If a Pokemon faints, it’s considered “dead” and can no longer be used in battle.
• Players can only catch the first Pokemon they encounter in an area or route. If they fail to catch it, they may not try again.
• All caught Pokemon must be nicknamed.
• Must play with the “set” battle style.
• (Optional): The player’s team must not be higher level than the next gym leader’s ace. (i.e.: Gardenia’s Roselia is level 22 in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. The player can’t come into the gym with a level 23 Monferno).
• (Optional): Healing items, such as potions and full restores, may not be used in battle.

Nuzlocke rulesets are often used as the base set of guidelines for any challenge in Pokemon. This includes rules like nicknames, catching the first encounter on every new route or area, set battle style, and dead Pokemon.

Over the years, Nuzlocke challenges have evolved to adopt even more rules, such as level caps and item restrictions, which is known as a ‘Hardcore Nuzlocke’. The term Nuzlocke stems from the Pokemon Nuzleaf and the Lost character John Locke, which were merged in an online comic series. There are a lot of other rules that can be applied to this challenge, but the basic rules described here are considered the standard.

2 One Color Only

Use Pokemon That Are Mainly One Color

• Only catch and use Pokemon of one specific color (just red Pokemon, just blue Pokemon, just brown Pokemon, etc.)
• (Optional) Nuzlocke rules can be applied.

Pokemon can split up into a lot of different categories: what they’re based on, their type, what moves they learn, etc. One of these could be a Pokemon’s color. Each ‘mon is assigned a color that fits them the best, and it can be viewed from the Pokedex in certain games.

The color assigned isn’t always accurate, as Charizard is categorized as a red Pokemon even though it is orange. Using Pokemon that are only one color poses a challenge as it will limit the amount of Pokemon the trainer can use, and this can also be made even harder with the application of Nuzloke rules.

3 One Animal Only

Use Only Pokemon Based On Certain Animals

• Only catch and use Pokemon of one specific animal (just dog Pokemon, just bird Pokemon, just crocodile Pokemon, etc.)
• (Optional) Nuzlocke rules can be applied.

A Pokemon’s origins come from various things: objects, plants, and myths. Mainly, they are designed to be based on animals, so this is the theme for this challenge. Gamers could only use one Pokemon based on a certain animal; the dog is a good example of this, as there are a lot of dog-like Pokemon, such as Arcanine, Lucarion, and Lycanroc.

But there are countless ways this can be done. Rabbit Pokemon, mouse Pokemon, or cat Pokemon would work really well. This could even be changed to Pokemon based on plants, Pokemon based on objects, or Pokemon based on food. There are a few ways this style of playthrough could be achieved in any of the many Pokemon games across all nine generations.

4 Version Exclusives Only

Use Pokemon That Exclusive To The Version That Is Being Played

• Only catch and use Pokemon that are exclusive to that specific version
• (Optional) Nuzlocke rules can be applied.

To the dismay of some fans, each Pokemon game has two versions, and there are version-exclusive Pokemon that can only be obtained in either version. This makes completing the Pokedex a pain, as gamers will need both copies to catch every creature.

However, this challenge aims to only use those Pokemon that will only appear in one version. Using Pokemon Ruby as an example, there are only four non-Legendary Pokemon that are solely available in Hoenn. Using so few Pokemon throughout a playthrough is set to be a real challenge, and this can even be boosted with Nuzlocke rules.

5 Ditto Only

Use Only The Transforming Ditto

• Only use Ditto throughout the playthrough
• (Optional) Nuzlocke rules can be applied.

Ditto is a very interesting Pokemon as the only move it can learn is Transform, which does what it says on the tin and transforms into the enemy Pokemon. It also learns the moves that the Pokemon knows but limits this to 5 PP, and the change is not permanent as, after the battle, it becomes a Ditto once again.

This challenge takes this unique Pokemon and makes it the main character. A Ditto-only run will pose a serious challenge, as gamers will have to use all of their Pokemon knowledge to work out ways to use Ditto and its one move. Gamers can use just one Ditto or a team of six to make it a little less difficult.

6 Smeargle Only

Use Only This Unique Pokemon In The Playthrough

• Only use Smeargle throughout the playthrough
• (Optional) Nuzlocke rules can be applied.

In a similar vein to the Ditto-only challenge, this version uses Smeargle, another unique Pokemon in the franchise. The Painter Pokemon is the only ‘mon that can learn the move Sketch, which is what this challenge is all about.

Sketch lets the user permanently learn the last move used by the opponent, which means that Smeargle can essentially learn every move in the game (except for a few). Gamers will have to strategically plan their run with a team of six Smeargle and look for Pokemon that will have useful moves that will aid in progressing through the story and the end goal of defeating the Elite Four & Champion.

7 Complete Series Playthrough

Go Through Every Pokemon Game From Start To Finish

• Start from Pokemon Red & Blue and complete every Pokemon game up until the latest entry, Pokemon Scarlet & Violet.
• (Optional) Do not use the same Pokemon in each game.
• (Optional) Nuzlocke rules can be applied.

The difficulty in this challenge stems from the grind it takes to play through the complete franchise of 37 individual mainline games. This can be broken down into just one game of each version (i.e. just Pokemon Diamond out of Diamond, Pearl & Platinum).

Completing every Pokemon game will take a lot of hours, and it will be insanely tedious as some versions of the games are the same, with minor tweaks to characters and Pokemon found. Playing with different Pokemon in each game will cause an issue as gamers will have to plan which Pokemon they are going to use for each different playthrough. However, this is made easier with new Pokemon introduced in each generation.

8 No Super Effective Moves

Gamers Are Not Allowed To Use Moves Which Will Deal 2x Damage

• Using moves that the opposition Pokemon are 2x weak to are banned.
• (Optional) Nuzlocke rules can be applied.

The best strategy for battles in Pokemon is to use moves to which the enemy Pokemon are weak. For example, Water-type Pokemon are weak to Grass and Electric moves like Razor Leaf and Thunderbolt, respectively.

But, in this challenge, these are banned. Gamers will have to pull out every trick in the book to get a real edge on their opponent, who will use a super-effective move if they can. Steel types will cause a big issue in this run as they have just four different types, which will cause regular damage. A tip for this one will be to use Normal-type moves as much as possible, as they can’t deal super-effective damage to any type anyway.

9 No STAB Moves

Using Moves That Match The Type Of A Pokemon Are Banned

• Gamers cannot use the moves that are the same type as the Pokemon.
• (Optional) Nuzlocke rules can be applied.

STAB stands for Same Type Attack Bonus. When a Pokemon uses a move that is of the same type as itself, it gains a 50% increase in its power. However, in this challenge, it is banned. Generally, Pokemon learn moves of their typing as they level up, so this causes some issues.

Players will need to find some clever TM’s and use Pokemon, which have varied movesets such as Hitmonchan (who can learn the elemental punches, and Starmie (who can make use of Thunderbolt and Ice Beam(. There are a lot of Pokemon who can learn a lot of varied moves, so this challenge is not too hard. But having no 50% boost to attack will need to be worked around for the harder battles in the franchise.

10 Egglocke

Using Only Pokemon Which Have Hatched From An Egg

• Gamers must trade in their caught Pokemon for pre-determined eggs and only use those Pokemon.
• (Optional) Nuzlocke rules can be applied.

A common way to do an Egglocke is to get some friends to send you some eggs and place them inside the PC box. Play the game as normal but trade in any caught Pokemon for the eggs inside the PC. Some Pokemon may be powerhouses, but some unkind chums may gift some awful Pokemon. Nuzlocke rules of only one Pokemon per area are commonly applied to an Egglocke to limit the amount of egg Pokemon the player can acquire.

Another way to do this challenge is to only use Pokemon hatched from in-game eggs which are given out in games. However, this challenge may be tricky to get started.

11 Pokemon Go Run

Using Only Pokemon That Have Been Caught On Pokemon Go

• Go out on a walk using Pokemon Go and only use Pokemon found on the adventure.
• (Optional) Nuzlocke rules can be applied.

Pokemon GO is a popular mobile app where players can catch Pokemon based on their real-life location using an in-game map. This challenge combines the mobile game with the mainline Pokemon games. Players can only use Pokemon they have found in the game.

Go out on a long walk and catch as many Pokemon using Go as possible. The ‘mons caught are the Pokemon that can only be used during a playthrough. There are two ways that gamers can do this: catch the same species of Pokemon throughout the run of the game or transfer the very same Pokemon into the game using Pokemon Home. This will require a newer entry into the franchise, however,

12 Catch Them All Mode

Catch Every Pokemon Available Before Each Gym Badge

• Must complete the Pokedex to complete the challenge.
• (Optional) Catch every Pokemon available before each Gym Badge.

This challenge is for fans who love to catch Pokemon. This one aims to catch every Pokemon and complete the Pokedex. The Gym Battles and Elite Four are merely obstacles in the way of the true goal to “catch ’em all.”

The original tagline of the series was not implemented after Ash Ketchum failed to “catch ’em all” quite badly. He only actually caught 16 Pokemon out of the 151 in the original series. However, the objective here is to complete the Pokedex. To make this more of a challenge, gamers can catch every available Pokemon before each Gym badge and evolve them to the stages they need to be. This can cause some problems as leveling up the Pokemon will be tough using just wild Pokemon.

13 One Team Only

Chose One Pokemon Team Of Six And Stick To It

• Must only stick to a party of six Pokemon.
• If a Pokemon faints, it is considered dead and must be boxed or released.
• (Optional) Gamers can only catch the first Pokemon found in a route.

Pokemon allows for a party of six Pokemon, but with Pokemon Box storage on the PC, there is no need to only use six Pokemon. However, this challenge does not allow that. Gamers must stick to a party of six, and when one faints, it is considered dead, but unlike a nuzlocke, it cannot be replaced.

There are a few ways that this challenge can be set up. Gamers can pre-establish a team of six Pokemon to start with, but that means that no others can be caught. Players can turn this into a nuzlocke and only catch the first Pokemon found on each route or area, but only six areas can be chosen as spots for party members.

14 Weak Pokemon Only

Only Use Very Weak Pokemon

• Gamers can only use Pokemon with a base stat total of 200 or below.
• (Optional) Magikarp only run.

There are some Pokemon in the franchise that are just very weak, with horrible base stats, terrible move pools, and just no skills in battle whatsoever. Magikarp is the perfect Pokemon for this challenge. It has a base stat total of 200 and only learns to tackle by level up at level 15.

Completing a full run of a Pokemon game with just a Magikarp would be a very hard task and require a lot of luck. Some Pokemon may be added to make this run easier; Caterpie, Azurill, Weedle, and Feebas are all viable options.

15 Use Only Pokemon Of One Category

Choose A Category Of Pokemon And Only Use That

• Choose a category and only use Pokemon of that category.
• (Optional) Nuzlocke rules of only one Pokemon in each area, and if they faint, they cannot be used, may also be applied.

Pokemon Categories can mean a lot of things: Fossil Pokemon (Kabuto, Tyrunt, Aerodactyl), Early-Route Birds (Pidgey, Starly, Fletchling), Regional Variants (Alolan Grimer, Paldean Wooper, Galarian Meowth), or even Legendary Pokemon. This does not mean the Pokemon’s type, as this is a separate challenge.

This limits the available Pokemon massively, as fossils, for example, are sometimes only available in certain games. There are many ways this challenge could go, like using Pokemon based on a certain animal (frogs, bears, cats). The possibilities are endless.

16 Speedrun

Try To Complete The Game As Fast As Possible

• Attempt to beat the fastest time possible.

The aim of this game is speed. A “speedrun” of a game is done by completing the game in the fastest time possible, and in Pokemon, with all the text, it may cause some problems.

However, it can be done by avoiding any optional trainers or quests, limiting the number of Pokemon required, and ultimately, just being quick in every aspect of the game. There are two ways to look at a speedrun: one using glitches and one without. With some of the older entries of the game, there are coding errors that allow aspects of the game to be skipped. For example, using glitches, the fastest time for beating Pokemon Blue is around 11 minutes.

17 Time Limit Challenge

Gamers Only Have A Limited Time To Get Each Gym Badge

• Gamers have a time limit required to collect each gym badge.
• (Optional) Nuzlocke rules of only one Pokemon in each area, and if they faint, they cannot be used, may also be applied.

This challenge is similar to a speed run in that it is time-based, but it is not as intense, as the game is broken up into sectors. Gamers will have a time limit to complete each Gym badge. A reasonable time to allow is 20 minutes. However, this can be adjusted based on skill level.

Gamers will still need to pull out all of the tricks to speed up gameplay, avoid optional trainers, limit the amount of Pokemon required, and avoid using set-up moves in battle.

18 Roleplay

Pick A Character To Play As

• Pick a character from the Pokemon franchise and only use the Pokemon they use.

If gamers want to not only make the game harder but also have a nostalgic experience, then they could do a roleplay run. Trainers can choose any character from the Pokemon franchise and only use the Pokemon that they use.

An example of this could be Ash Ketchum using Pikachu, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle in the Generation 1 games. But this is not limited to the anime. Gamers could use a Gym Leader, Elite Four member, or even a character from the Pokemon manga. Another variation of this challenge is the Team Rocket Run, using ‘mons that only the evil team uses, such as Raticate, Weezing, and Hypno. Limiting the number of Pokemon, and sometimes what form and evolutions, will make crafting a team to beat the various trainers a hard task indeed.

19 Generation Only Run

Only Use Pokemon From The Given Generation

• Players must only catch the Pokemon introduced in the generation they are playing.

This type of run isn’t the most difficult, as with every generation, there are hundreds of Pokemon added with a variety of types, so there will be plenty to choose from.

Nonetheless, there is still a limit to what Pokemon can be used in a given run. If players were to do a Generation Run of Pokemon Gold & Silver, for example, then there are only 100 Pokemon out of 251 to use. If players want to be even stricter, then this number decreases to 81 when taking into account Pokemon that evolve from or into Pokemon introduced in Generation 1.

20 Gift Pokemon Only

No Catching, Only Use Pokemon Given As Gifts

• Catching Pokemon is forbidden.
• Players can only use Pokemon given away as in-game gifts.
• (Optional) Nuzlocke rules of only one gift Pokemon in each area, and if they faint, they cannot be used, may also be applied.

Gamers may as well get rid of any Pokeballs given or found in this run, as they will not be allowed to use them. To complete a “gift Pokemon only” run, players will only use Pokemon given to the trainer.

Using Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen as an example, there are the chosen starter Pokemon, Magikarp, the fossil Pokemon, Hitmonlee or Hitmonchan, Eevee, and Lapras to choose from. This makes the run harder, as there are only a few Pokemon to use, which will make battles in the game hard. The Pokemon Let’s Go games are great for doing a gift Pokemon-only run as they have all of these Pokemon but also all three Kanto starters, a Persian or Arcanine, and a Porygon to use in battle.