How do you make the games feel harder?

[Monster Guy]

Competitive battling, or The Battle tower/Maison/Subway/Fronteir. Those are enough of a challenge for me. I don't care to be pulling my hair out in frustration when I'm playing the main story. :/

 

[PsiPwnage11]

Competitive battling, or The Battle tower/Maison/Subway/Fronteir. Those are enough of a challenge for me. I don't care to be pulling my hair out in frustration when I'm playing the main story. :/

Personally the Battle Maison was not very hard at all. At least they didn't have unpredictable pokemon like the Frontier has (Factory Brain Noland anyone)

 

[Artnerd]

Currently doing a Nuzlocke Badge Quest. Basically, it's a Badge Quest (get 1 shiny before each Gym) with the general rules of a Nuzlocke, the only exception is that I won't release any fainted Pokémon, I'll just box them in a box labeled 'fainted'.

So far I've spend 6 hours soft resetting for a shiny starter..

 

[Joth]

Use only ONE type of Pokémon: Fire, Water, or Grass. Also, you can only use monotype Pokémon of that type, meaning if you chose Froakie, you could not evolve it into a Greninja. Also, you could limit yourself to three Pokémon on your team.

 

[Primeguy]

I usually change the options to set instead of shift, then ill capture a team of six pokemon that I really like(even if theyre hard to use) really early and limit my grinding.

 

[LunarBug]

I turn off Exp. Share
Set my battle mode to, well, Set.
Though not much of a difficulty upper in my current playthru I've limited myself to only Kalos pokemon. It was tricky at first.

 

[Rsr57]

Shift->Set.

Not using items in battle.

Limit my number of pokemon with gym leaders and bosses.

Not using legendaries in-game.

Using "not typical" Pokemon(the ones considered "weaker")

Turn off Exp-Share when i receive it.

 

[EonMon]

Well... I haven't done much myself. I've tryed a Nuzlocke or two... I mainly just use what pokemon I want to, even if they're bad. I also refuse to use legendaries. Ever. And I also only use Pokéballs. I really like these ideas people have come up with, however. I think I may just do a monotype run, or an all Eeveelutions one. And I'm setting my game to Set right now. Never used it. If only the games had multiple save files... I would love to do some of these in my copy of Y, but I have WAY too much done in it to reset the thing.

 

[MidnightGengar]

No grinding, use a full team of six Pokemon, and never use any items during battle.

 

[AnyRandomName]

I don't hardcore train

 

[disposable_heroes]

Something that JWittz did with the Pokémon Y playthrough: Not letting any of your Pokémon surpass the highest level of the next Gym Leader's Pokémon.

This means you'll inevitably have to swap Pokémon at some point. But I like it; it adds variety to teams.

 

[The Benmeister]

In the past, I've limited Pokemon evolution to add challenge. My usual ruleset is evolving at double the usual evolution level, or if it gets a K.O. on a Gym Leader's final Pokemon.

Of course with that second rule, it has to be earned and fought for. Evolution needs to be an achievement.

 

[fairytrainer]

I don't use items on my pokemon.
I try not to spend my money just to have a lot of money left.
I only catch/use pokemon with pokeballs.

 

[ven?]

I did this once and it took me forever to beat the game but its quite simple. No legendries, if even 1 of you're pokemon gets K.O.ed ever you restart the game and try over from the start.

 

[Shayminslicker]

I use just my starter through the whole game (and hm slaves). I know your pokemon will over level but hey you only get one chance to sweep.

 

[TheEmeraldKnight]

I like to put my battle mode one set so I have to switch my Pokémon and I don't know what they are sending out. I wish they kept the easy and hard mode but not make them something you unlock after the game.

 

[Xeric Heart]

use bug type pokemon (mothim butterfree beedrill etc)

 

[PokemonLeagueChamp]

Other than trying to go the whole game with a team of Magikarp? Use all the hold items that hurt your Pokemon, like Flame Orb, Toxic Orb, and the like.

 

[ebevan91]

I don't use Exp. Share or lucky egg unless I'm leveling up a Pokemon that's way underleveled. Sometimes I don't use super-effective moves even if I have them. I won't heal sometimes.

 

[Sohryu]

use bug type pokemon (mothim butterfree beedrill etc)

Butterfree? Never played Yellow? That thing was a boss!!! Able to induce Sleep, Poison and Paralisis? Plus access to Psychic? It's pretty good for a in-game team! You can even waste one of the powders to giver her Mega Drain, so she'll be able to recover some health, hehe.