Honest Locke

[_MONSTER_]

It's been a while since the first Nuzlocke. It's become quite iconic in the Pokemon community, trying to beat a Pokemon game permanently losing a Pokemon if they die and losing the whole game if everyone dies in one battle. They're quite hard, especially in some of the harder games, like Emerald or B/W. Some exceptional stories have come out of these journeys, not least Landwalker's Yellow play through, in which he famously made Jessie and James Blue's parents. Very original.

I have not beaten a Nuzlocke, but I've gotten quite far in some and made some concessions at the end because I wanted to have the Pokemon either for competitive or the Pokedex. However, I have constructed a new set of guidelines for your quest that are a little lighter in some ways and in other ways more restrictive. I call it an "Honestlocke." It is so called because you are supposedly "honestly" playing a Pokemon game. The rules are as follows:

• You may catch as many Pokemon in each route.
• Once a Pokemon dies, it is dead for good.
• You may not use Pokemon centers to heal.
• When a Pokemon is deposited, it may not be withdrawn again.
• Although a fainted Pokemon is dead, you may use Revives.
• You may use up to four items in battle. However, you may not revive Pokemon in battle.
• If you heal at a Pokemon Center, you lose 1 point. 1 point is 1 continue.
• When everyone faints, it is game over. You have 4 continues when you start the game

The logic of the Honestlocke is that Pokemon Centers are in fact owned by Team Rocket. As such, when they heal your Pokemon if they are too hurt they will discard the bodies and replace them with clones. Revives are a purer way of reviving the original soul of the Pokemon. Also, Bill is connected to dishonest groups like Team Rocket, as well as Bebe and so on, so depositing Pokemon in the PC will degrade their essence and they die. Ones that come out of the PC are either infected or replaced with clones by the center.

I am aware that modern Pokemon games are harder to play with these rules, as PP will run out and you cannot simply teach TMs and so on to Pokemon to continue to have attacks. However, you may plant Leppa Berries for PP restoration or do the drawing for PP Ups or PP Maxes. However, the older ones are a lot of fun. I've managed to beat Blue with losing only two points or so. I almost beat Emerald but the Elite Four was too powerful.

I hope you get a chance to try this fun rule set on one of your files of Pokemon.