Release Year: 2013
Reading Year: SPR2023
Currently Reading: Volume 9

Thoughts: Could not be higher expectations given this is made by the creator of Fullmetal Alchemist. Art style is incredibly nostalgic.

I feel at this point I have a solid handle on the pacing, characters, and overarching story. The art style, character design, and world are all excellent. It is too easy to forget the amazing scaffolding each of these do. However, the story is almost too big. Or, perhaps, the writing caters to how large of a world and conflict there is, rather than building up these characters more thoroughly. The characters are why we put up with a ton of dialogue and info-dumping about the complexities of war. Not the other way around. So, for me, this series goes up and down. The ups when there is less pressure and the characters are allowed to shine for themselves and have personality. Like when Alfarhid joins the group. I find myself bouncing around too much and not having enough motivation to follow through. This may be because I have more of an affinity for writing and characters than I do for incredible battle scenes.

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I have played Pokémon since the beginning. I chose Blue version and a 20+ year journey of picking color, gemstones, letters, and more began. I have completed every generation (except Black & White), finished numerous poke dexs, and caught many shinies. However, in all that time I have never attempted a Nuzlocke run.

Also, checkout my two other posts on Pokémon: Battling Basics and Nuzlocke Tips and Tricks.

Early Game

Let’s start right off the bat with what you are already asking “what starter did she pick??” \

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Prey is exactly the kind of game I hate. It’s a game with too many systems and too little guidance. It is too easy to feel stupid or lost in a game meant to “fit any play-style.” Prey is also difficult. Especially in the early game. You are meant to feel powerless and carefully plan your enemy engagements – which usually amounts to finding any way to not engage. However, you aren’t told this. Instead you will be stonewalled by a Voltaic Phantom or die one too many times to a household object. In either case, it can feel unforgiving, unfair, and directionless. If you end up finishing, you may feel that you didn’t play “correctly” and still don’t understand why people love this game so much.

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Everything you need to know… to know your Pokémon!

If you, like me, have spent the majority of your Pokémon game time playing as intended, then once you reached adolescence, the games became pretty easy (not necessarily less fun!). So, you probably didn’t learn how the game mechanics for battling actually work. And, let me tell you, when you impose these hard mode rules, all of these mechanics become so clear! It’s such a fantastic moment and makes me appreciate the game designers so much more. So, let’s go over the basics of how to assess your Pokémon and get better at battling.

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Now that my first Pokémon Nuzlocke is completed (Shining Pearl, the generation IV remake), I thought it would be helpful to make a document outlining everything I found helpful in completing my run. Also checkout my post on Pokémon Battling Basics!

If you already know the basics of a Nuzlocke, feel free to skip below.

What is a Nuzlocke?

The term Nuzlocke is a portmanteau Nuzleaf (the evolution of Seedot) and the Lost T.V. show character John Locke. Apparently, a 4Chan user by the name of Nuzlocke created an online comic series titled Ruby: Hard Mode where a Nuzleaf is caught with a likeness to John Locke. And there the name was born.

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