Pokémon Anime Nuzlocke Challenge!

The Introduction

I know that this site doesn't particularly like title pages, but for this story it is necessary. Also, it's not just a title page, there's also a prologue halfway down.

In writing this story there are certain rules and methods that I have to use in order to make it work, rules that I have to inflict not only upon myself but also upon the characters.

All of these rules are explained here. If several chapters in anyone decides to ask me what the rules are or how I made some of the decisions, they will simply be referred to this page.

This story is based on the anime, the games and the Nuzlocke Challenge. That last one I'm sure some of you may not be familiar with.

The Rules of Nuzlocke

A Nuzlocke Challenge is a method for making playing the Pokémon Games harder. For all intents and purposes, it is a self-inflicted "Hard Mode" which the Pokémon Games don't really have.

There are all sorts of rules for a Nuzlocke Challenge and by no means is anyone obliged to use them all.

However, there are a few "Main Rules" that every Nuzlocke Challenge has to comply with:

1) You may only catch the first Pokémon that you encounter in each location, and no more. For example, if upon entering the Viridian Forest you encounter a wild Caterpie, you must make every effort to catch that Caterpie. Once caught, you may not catch any other Pokémon in Viridian Forest, no matter how tempting it is to snag that wild Pikachu! In addition, if you accidentally knock out the first Pokémon you find, TOUGH LUCK. You've had your chance; you can't catch anything else there!

Note! Gift Pokémon are considered dubious. Some people will say that getting the free Eevee in Celadon City counts as your catch for that city, others will say it's a freebie and you can still fish for something in the pond near the Game Corner. For the purposes of the story, the latter option will apply – Gift Pokémon are freebies and don't count as a capture for the area!

2) If one of your Pokémon faints in battle it is considered to be "dead" and can no longer be used. Once its fainted, that's it for that Pokémon. It's off the team and can never return!

3) If your entire Team is knocked out, that's it for you. It doesn't matter if you've got a dozen other Pokémon waiting in storage, if all the Pokémon you have on hand faint before you can heal them, this is GAME OVER!

So those are the main rules. As I said, there are many other optional rules, but we won't be using them!

The Rules of the Story

So when playing a Nuzlocke Challenge there is, obviously, an element of randomness to it. Being forced to catch only the first Pokémon that you encounter in each location as well as having to stop using a Pokémon once it has "Died" often results in the side effect of making the player use a Pokémon that they wouldn't normally use. For example, that Rodent Pokémon (Rattata, Sentret etc.) that you caught at the beginning could very well end up being on your team right at the very end because everything else has died. Or that Pokémon that you would not normally catch because of how inferior you think it is to others may just become a viable option.

Now, obviously, in the games the randomness comes from the Game Mechanics themselves, mainly the random encounter rates for wild Pokémon. I don't have access to that when writing this story. So, rather than me simply choose what Pokémon to give the characters, I will be using a Random Number Generator to decide many things – what Pokémon is encountered, whether the capture is successful or not and whether or not a Pokémon "Dies."

Those factors will be out of my hands, so if something happens that makes you want to rage at me, just remember I had no choice and will probably have liked it just as little as you!

For the most part, there are three things that I have control of – plot (well some factors - it will be my choice when someone battles a Gym, for example), move sets and if a Pokémon evolves or not. That's about it. Oh, and the dialogue, of course.

And while we are on the subject of move sets, I will state here and now that there will be a limit of 8 moves on each Pokémon. I know that some of you hate to see a limit on move sets, but trust me, it can get very boring if you give them too many. Hell, Ash has enough trouble teaching his Pokémon different moves already – look at his fire types! They get 4 moves each and they all know Flamethrower! And how many birds in a row had both Quick Attack and Aerial Ace in their final move sets? (3, that's how many!) A limit just helps from a writing standpoint. I plan what each Pokémon will know, but it is very easy to come up with move sets for a team of six and then realise that you gave five of them Ice Beam! – While not exactly a bad thing in-game, writing wise that would get old fast, trust me!

Also on the issue of moves, some Pokémon may learn some that they technically should not – I'm not going to be stupid with it, like letting Pikachu use Shadow Ball, but there will be a few moves that may seem wrong. For example, it has not been possible to teach Bubble Beam to a Vaporeon since the Red, Blue and Yellow, but I will probably ignore that technicality.

So obviously this Challenge has to have a reason for occurring in the anime universe – a reason why the characters will take part in it. That will be explained in the first chapter.

This story will take place within the Kanto region, but to make things more interesting, I will be including Pokémon from other regions. The best way to think of it is Kanto as it was in HeartGold and SoulSilver – Kanto Pokémon made up the majority, Johto Pokémon were there also, and some Pokémon from Hoenn and Sinnoh are available via various means – for example, Absol, Makuhita, Bronzor and Chingling can all be found in Mt Moon with the use of the radio. For the purposes of the story, they're just found there and don't require gimmicks to encounter.

As an extra rule, the characters taking part in this story will only be allowed to use one of the Pokémon that they are known to have in the anime. This Pokémon will be considered their "starter" even if it is fully evolved. This rule is in place to avoid falling back on having Ash use Charizard, Heracross, Sceptile, Snorlax, Gliscor and Infernape to win everything – as noted above, this is about using Pokémon that you don't normally.

Obviously, Ash's starter will be Pikachu, but, hey, this is a Nuzlocke! Pikachu could be dead by the third chapter for all we know!

Anyway, dems da rules! Understand them? If yes, read on, if not go back and read them again!

NOTE: While I always appreciate people correcting spelling and grammar errors, please note that I'm from England and will therefore use "English English." I know that for most readers this should not be a problem, but there always seems to be one person who can't get their head around it when I spell words like Defence with a "C" rather than an "S" or Mum with a "U" instead of an "O".

Chapter 1: Signing Up

"Guys! I'm back!" Ash Ketchum shouted as he hopped over the fence surrounding Professor Oak's property.

In response to his call a whole bunch of Pokémon from across the site came bounding, running, walking, crawling, flying and gliding towards him.

As Ash and his trusty Pikachu greeted each Pokémon as they arrived, their friend Serena stood on the other side of the fence, watching the events unfold with a smile on her face. This was the first time that she had visited Pallet Town since that fateful Summer Camp run by Professor Oak. That was years ago and the first time that she had met Ash.

After meeting up in the far off Kalos region where Serena lived they and their friends Clemont and Bonnie had travelled the region together as Ash collected the necessary 8 Gym badges required to enter the Kalos League Tournament, which had finished a little over two months ago, with Ash claiming a spot in the Top Four, putting him back on par with his Sinnoh position several years previously.

Serena had been keen to visit Pallet Town, and not just because she had wanted to see the quaint little town again. Despite spending a little over a year travelling with him, Serena had met very few of Ash's Pokémon. There was Pikachu, of course. The little electric type was Ash's first Pokémon and went everywhere with him.

Then there were the Pokémon that Ash had caught and evolved in the Kalos region, such as Greninja (caught as a Froakie), Talonflame (caught as a Fletchling) and Hawlucha.

But this was the first time that she was seeing all the others, the Pokémon that he had caught, befriended and fought alongside throughout numerous other regions – Kanto, the Orange Islands, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova and the Decolore Islands.

It was quite a substantial collection, she had to admit, and more than a few were species of Pokémon that she had never actually seen before. However, Ash had described them more than well enough for her to identify each one – Bulbasaur, Charizard, Kingler, Muk, Snorlax, Heracross, Bayleef, Quilava, Totodile, Noctowl, Donphan, Swellow, Sceptile, Corphish, Torkoal, Glalie, Staraptor, Torterra, Infernape, Buizel, Gliscor, Gible, Unfezant, Oshawott, Pignite, Snivy, Scraggy, Leavanny, Palpitoad, Boldore, Krookodile and no fewer than thirty (count 'em thirty) Tauros!

And even then that was not all of them. There were some who had parted ways with Ash for various reasons and did not reside at the lab – Butterfree, Pidgeot, Primeape, Haunter, Lapras and Larvitar.

Serena watched as Ash greeted each of his Pokémon in turn and introduced the old hands to his newest partners. They all seemed very happy to see him and meet the newcomers.

"I thought I heard your voice, Ash."

Ash, Serena and the gathered Pokémon looked around and saw a man in his early sixties wearing a white lab coat coming towards them.

"Professor Oak," said Ash. "Sorry I didn't come by the lab first; I was just so excited to see everyone again."

"Quite understandable," chuckled the Professor. "I see that you've made some new captures during your time in the Kalos region."

"I sure did," replied Ash.

"And who is your friend?"

"My name's Serena," answered the girl in question. "It's nice to see you again, Professor."

"Oh, have we met before?" asked Oak.

"Yes, but it was quite a few years ago. My mother sent me here to attend your Pokémon Summer Camp. That's when I first met Ash, actually."

Professor Oak thought on this for a moment before asking "Aren't you the one who went missing and got hurt by a Poliwag?"

"Yes, sir, But Ash found me."

"That's right, he did. And it's a good thing too. You were missing for over an hour. Myself and the other organisers of the camp were so worried. I take it you got over the slight phobia of Pokémon you developed as a result?"

"I did."

"Marvellous. Well, Ash, your return could not be better timed. I was beginning to wonder if you would make it at all."

"For what?" asked Ash.

"Why don't you and Serena head inside and we can discuss it there?"

"Ok. See you later guys. Pikachu, you behave alright?"

They parted ways with the Pokémon and headed into the lab building.

"So it's a new way of training Pokémon?" asked Ash, flicking through the brochure that the Professor had given him.

"That's quite correct. It is designed to make the training process a lot more intense and force both trainer and Pokémon to be the best that they can be."

"How does it work?" asked Serena.

"Well, all the rules are in that brochure," replied Oak. "But in essence the goal is exactly the same as that of many trainers – travel through a region and collect eight gym badges. The intensity comes from the extra rules in that brochure."

Ash had paused on a page and read aloud "If a Pokémon is knocked out of a battle it is for all intents and purposes considered to be dead and can no longer be used for the remainder of the challenge."#

"Wait, go if my Braixen faints in battle, I won't be able to use it anymore?" questioned Serena.

"Not until the challenge is over," said Oak. "And there are two ways for that to happen – the first is to be knocked out of the competition, which is what would happen by having all six of the Pokémon that you have on hand lose in the same battle."

"And the other way?"

"Win the challenge."

"By defeating eight of Kanto's Gym Leaders?" said Ash.

"Not just any eight," replied Oak. "The main eight. That means the gym leaders in Pewter City, Cerulean City, Vermillion City, Celadon City, Saffron City, Fuchsia City, Cinnabar Island and Viridian City."

"What happens after that?" asked Ash.

"Well, there are numerous people who will be taking part in this event so in the event of more than one trainer defeating all eight gyms there will be a small tournament battle to determine the final winner. Of course, if there is only one person who manages to defeat all eight gyms then that person will automatically be declared the winner."

"And if no one wins?" asked Serena.

"Then the person deemed to have done the best will be declared the winner. Why don't you take that brochure home with you and you can tell me tomorrow whether you want to give it a go?"

"No need," said Ash "I'm in."

"Me too," agreed Serena.

"Excellent," said Oak. "May and Dawn will be most pleased."

Ash blinked before asking "May and Dawn are going to enter?"

"They were among the first to sign up. In fact everyone competing so far is someone that you know. Seeing as this is the first time that this challenge is being held we didn't want to take too many chances with it. I got into contact with May and Dawn and convinced them to take part. Then they contacted a few other trainers that they knew – their rivals on the contest circuit and a few of your friends and rivals from Hoenn and Sinnoh. Then, naturally, Misty and Iris had a few suggestions…"

"Misty and Iris are going to be in this too?" asked Ash.

"Yes, but they are not contestants. Misty will be fulfilling her role as the Cerulean City Gym Leader, while Iris… well, I guess you'll just have to see for yourself."

Ash nodded thoughtfully before the Professor added "Oh, and by the way, we were hoping for a total of twenty four trainers to take part. With the two of you involved we now have twenty one. I don't suppose you know three others who would like to join."

After a moment of thought Serena turned to Ash and said "Let's see if Shauna, Tierno and Trevor want to take part."

"Great idea," said Ash. "I'm sure that they'll want to give it a shot."

"Excellent," said the Professor. "Oh, and one more thing: you may only use one of the Pokémon that you already possess in this. Any other Pokémon that you have for the duration of the challenge will have to be caught during the challenge. I suggest that you think carefully about who you intend to start with."

Ash and Serena shared an anxious look.

So there it i: the prologue. Good to get that out of the way. Next chapter will see Ash and Serena meeting all of the other contestants (some of whom may surprise you, or leave you scratching your head as you try to remember them) as well as the start of the Challenge.

As a side note, the Gym Leaders will be using full teams of six for the Challenge, so expect to see the challengers struggle against Forrest, Misty, Surge, Erika, Sabrina, Janine, Blaine and… well, you'll have to wait and see who the last Gym Leader is, won't you?

Also, I'm not abandoning my other Pokemon story, but this one is not connected to it either.