Nuzlocke Challenge

Synonyms:	nuzlocke, hardcore nuzlocke, soul link
See also:	Pokemon, Modding (video games), Twitch, YouTube
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

A Nuzlocke Challenge is a type of Pokémon game challenge in which the player is bound by a certain set of rules, limiting their number of Pokémon, what Pokémon they can catch, and their ability to heal throughout the game. The goal of the challenge is to make it to the end of all the Elite Four and Champion battles while following these rules.

Beyond the difficulty increase, Nuzlockes are also seen as a way to encourage players to use Pokémon they would not typically choose to use in game and bond with them. This can eventually pay off, in either the form of heroic success, tragedy, or generally close calls. Because of this, Nuzlockes are also seen as a storytelling device for Pokémon gameplay, particularly for animators and storyboard artists.

Since a Nuzlocke Challenge is a self-imposed challenge, many players take to streaming on Twitch, in order to have an audience to hold them accountable. They can also interact with other fans in this way.

Some players find the Pokémon base games too easy even with challenge rules, so playing Pokémon romhacks designed to make the game harder in a Nuzlocke style is also quite popular within the community.

Rules

The basic rules of a Nuzlocke are:

1. Upon entering a route, city, or new location, the player can only catch the first Pokémon they encounter in the area.
2. Any Pokémon that faints in battle is considered "dead," and cannot be healed at a Pokémon Center or revived. Dead Pokémon can be released or placed in the PC box.
3. All caught Pokémon must be nicknamed, in order to strengthen the player's bond with them.

Players may add or modify rules to their liking.

• For example, many also play with a "duplicates [dupes] clause" which allows them to re-roll their encounter if they run into a Pokémon that they have caught, failed to catch on an earlier route, or is the evolutionary stage of a caught or failed encounter.
• Another common rule is that players must play in "Set" mode, not allowing the player to preview enemy Pokémon in order to switch their own.
• More difficult Nuzlocke runs also ban the use of items, such as potions, heals, or stat boosting items, during battle.

Additional rules such as wiping, level caps, and random starter picking (as starters are not technically encountered) are also incorporated. Generally, most Nuzlocke challenges prohibit cheating, trading for purposes other than evolving, or resetting.

A mulitplayer version of a Nuzlocke is occasionally called a "Soul Link" (or "a [number] player Nuzlocke"), where in addition to the rules, the souls of a player's Pokémon in one game are tied to the souls of another player's Pokémon in their own game. If a Pokémon on one player's team dies, then the Pokémon with the connected "soul" on the other player's team also dies, even if that Pokémon has not yet fainted in battle.

Origins

The concept and the name of a Nuzlocke Challenge started with the Nuzlocke Comic by Nick Franco in 2010, an illustrated and dramatized retelling of his attempt to play Pokémon Ruby with the challenge's three most basic rules. The comic was first posted to /v/ on 4chan. The following month, Franco launched a website for his comics and a forum for fans' challenge chronicles.

The term "Nuzlocke" originates from early panels of his webcomic, at the time named Pokémon: Hard Mode. Franco, who was a big fan of Lost, initially drew a panel of his Seedot (the first Pokémon he caught for this challenge) as John Locke saying a recognizable line from season two of Lost: "I believe this is all happening for a reason." Later, as an evolved Nuzleaf, the Pokémon is drawn once more as Locke, saying another recognizable line from Locke in season two of Lost: "I was wrong." The Nuzleaf then dies to a Voltorb using Explosion in Wattson's gym, similar to a scene in season two of Lost after Locke says the line.

Afterward, the Nuzleaf, usually drawn to look like Locke, continues to be a recurring ghost character as a running gag throughout the comic.

Because of this, the comic and challenge became informally—then soon formally—known as a "Nuzlocke."

Notable Runs

• Griffin McElroy's Pokémon Y Nuzlocke Challenge, in which an additional rule of Wonder Trading a member of a team after a gym leader is added
• JaidenAnimations's "I Attempted my First Pokémon Nuzlocke," which is told in animation/storyboarding format with Jaiden narrating the story. As of February 6, 2024, the video has over 90 million views, and is one of the most well-known animated Nuzlocke runs, especially on Youtube.
• Alpharad's "How I Survived My First Pokémon Nuzlocke", which is told through a mixture of animation and gameplay
  • JaidenAnimations and Alpharad partner up for a two-player Nuzlocke, in which they name their rivals after pChal, a professional Nuzlocker who has reacted to their content before. (He reacts to it here.)
  • Alpharad also did a Pokémon Fire Red Nuzlocke, named "Attempting the PERFECT Pokemon Nuzlocke," which is quickly revealed to be reaction bait for pChal. (He reacts to it here, starting a small friendly rivalry between the two Youtubers.)