#level zeo nuzlocke

[levelzeo]

Level Zeo’s Brilliant Diamond Nuzlocke - Part 1

I’m going to do a Nuzlocke of Brilliant Diamond.  I never played the gen 4 games growing up, and even now I have never finished a playthrough of one (not for lack of wanting to, it's a long story), so this is going to be semi-blind.  I also like Nuzlockes a lot as a storytelling device, so as I play I like coming up with headcanons for my Pokemon and their personalities, and I thought it would be cool to share those alongside the factual info of what happens in the run.

What are my rules?  Well, I am pretty bad at video games.  But I’m also better than the pure damage move spammer I was as a child, so I’m going somewhere in between casual and hardcore.  Rules are as follows:

Pokemon faints, Pokemon dead.

I can only catch the first Pokemon I find on each Route/Area.

Nicknames for everybody!

No duplicates!  If my first encounter is a duplicate I am forced to try again until I get something new.

Level Caps.  Nobody is allowed to level past the next Gym Leader’s Ace.

Items.  I will allow myself to use healing items in battle, but no battle items.  If I find it too easy, I might put a limit on the number of heals I can use in one fight.

I will be playing in Switch Mode.  As I said, I am bad at video games.  I’m going to be losing a lot of Pokemon to stupidity and cockiness already, so I don’t need the extra challenge of Set Mode.

Okay then.  Let’s begin.

I start up the game, pick the base female avatar, name her Zeo, and name my rival Melvin.  Entering the game world proper, Melvin drags me to Lake Verity where we steal borrow some Pokemon from a briefcase to protect ourselves from getting mauled by wild animals.  I pull a d6 from my pocket and roll it into the tall grass to decide which one I will pick, and I end up going with the middle Pokeball, Chimchar.  Do I even need to say how this fight goes?  We all know what happens here.

My new Chimchar has a Careful nature, and a characteristic of being Very Finicky.  That makes me feel as though he is a very nervous creature.  Cautious of everything, even to a fault.  Perhaps he is right to worry so much, since on the way to Sandgem Town, he gets Crit TWICE by random encounters, forcing me to go home and heal each time.  Poor fella.

I finally make it to Sandgem, and can finally give the Chimchar a nickname.  I decided to go with Simmer, since he doesn’t seem like one to turn up the heat right out the gate.  I get my Pokedex from my second favorite Professor, and the adventure can truly begin.  First things first, I buy some Pokeballs so I can get an encounter from Route 201.

I end up with a lvl 2 Starly as my first encounter on the route.  Don’t ask me why, but the Starly line has always reminded me of the seagulls I would always see on the coast.  Because of that, I name this Starly after the food those winged rats would always steal from me.  Chips.  He has a Jolly nature, and is Strongly Defiant.  These traits make me think that this virtual bird would try to steal my food just like the real ones.  A hungry and energetic little gremlin.  I imagine that he would quickly get on Simmer’s nerves.

After 201, I head north to Route 202.  There, I ended up with the encounter I knew I was going to have going into a Sinnoh game.  Bidoof.  She has a Brave nature and Likes to Thrash About.  I probably could have picked a name that goes better with those traits, but since I only get to know them after the nickname, her name is Boof.

This is where I make the stupid mistake of not going back to heal.  Because of this, I almost have a complete wipe against my very first trainer fight in the entire game.  Luckily, newcomer Boof is able to pull through and win the day with a sliver of hp remaining, and nobody dead.  A Brave soul indeed.  I hope this close call is not an omen of things to come.

Next stop is Jubilife.  Pros of Jubilife: the music.  Cons of Jubilife: the clowns.  I get the Poketech before heading north again for more encounters.  Between Route 204 and The Ravaged Path, I gain two new friends.  Doc the Zubat, who is Hasty and Finicky.  And Petard the Geodude who is Jolly and Somewhat of a Clown.  

Between the name and traits, I think of Doc as a bit of a mad scientist archetype.  Cackling maniacally as he swoops in and out of combat, scoffing at anyone who dares question his intelligence (despite not actually being as smart as he thinks he is).  Simmer and Boof definitely aren’t buying the act, but Chips is all for it.  I imagine Chips sees this as an opportunity to make a friend (and also to mooch food off of him), while Doc sees this as obtaining a new minion.  Mwahahaha.  Since they’re both flying types it saddens me that I will need to box one of them eventually, since I probably won’t need two fliers most of the time.

Being Jolly and a bit of Clown would normally make a Pokemon a bit of a prankster in my mind, but something about Petard being a Geodude wants me to go in a different direction.  I’m picturing just a very chill and laid-back kinda guy, always trying to lighten the mood and crack a joke.  Maybe even a bit of a “stoner” (cue rimshot and/or gunshot from the audience).  Him and Boof would get along great due to them both being tanky and willing to roll with the punches.  He is also willing to let Chips perch on his head, which is very cool of him.

I feel like I’m forgetting something else about my Geodude… oh right!  I named him Petard after a type of bomb.  In poor taste?  Maybe.  Does this mean I will be keeping and/or using self destruct when he learns it?

…

No comment.

Something I notice is that Simmer doesn’t really have anyone he can connect with.  Chips definitely thinks their friends, not realizing how much his antics and gremlin energy annoys the Chimchar.  Meanwhile Boof/Petard try to keep Simmer included, but his nerves and caution to most situations cause them to do so less and less.  Doc just laughs and calls him a pitiful cowardly wretch of a fire type.

Poor Simmer.  His loneliness is somewhat of his own making, but you can’t force yourself to be around people you don’t vibe with.  As the Starter he is in a “Team Leader” role by default, and he’s definitely the powerhouse of the team, but is he confident enough in his abilities to be the leader they need right now?  Probably not.

Enough characterization for now!  Let’s get back to the game.

Since northwards is a dead end as of now, I go back to Jubilife.  Popping into the trainer’s school, I have a vague memory of losing all of my Pokémon to the two Charge Beam Abras in there the first time I tried playing this game.  Luckily Petard is immune to anything they do and he is easily able to slowly beat them into the dirt.

After that I head east onto Route 203, where I am immediately jumped by Melvin who challenges me to a Rival Battle.

It’s not a hard battle.  Petard is tanky enough to not be hurt by anything the Starly can do, though I do switch to Boof to finish them off after the bird used Growl enough times to make the fight annoyingly slow.  My decision that these two should be friends solidifies.

I have discovered in retrospect that Piplup has no water moves at this point, but at the time I didn’t know, so I sent in Chips instead of Simmer, who probably could have done it faster.  I choose to believe I was just role-playing my starter’s careful nature.  Chips is probably excited to prove himself though, and he certainly does.  It’s a close battle, but I prove that my bird is superior and win the day (probably also stealing Melvin's lunch in the process).

I thought about continuing after that fight, but decided this was enough for a first update.  If you read this far I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing in!  Again, I think Nuzlockes are a fascinating medium for storytelling, and I hope the personalities I gave my Pokémon are fun to think about.  I know that I like them.  Next time I update I hope to at least get to the first Gym.  Hope to see you then!

(PS, I am not an artist.  I am bad at art.  But for some reason I wanted to draw my Pokémon children.  They aren’t good, but here they are.  Let’s hope none of them die on me.)

[levelzeo]

Level Zeo's Brilliant Diamond Nuzlocke - Part 3

Oh hi.  I didn’t see you there.  As long as you’re here, why don’t I tell you more about my Nuzlocke, as well as my head canons about the personalities of my Pokemon.  In fact, if you would like you can go read PART 1 or PART 2 for more context, or to just read them again because it’s your new favorite thing to do.  Whatever works for you.  If you’re all caught up, prepare yourself.  We’re going over not one, but TWO important fights in this update.

Current Team

Simmer the Chimchar

Boof the Bidoof

Doc the Zubat

Orion the Shinx

Snek the Onix

Agro the Machop

Boxed Pokemon: 1

Deaths: 1

Badges: 0

I promised last time that we would jump right into the Gym in this update, but a couple of things happened while grinding to level 13-14 that I want to briefly mention.  The first, and less important, thing is that Snek learned Dragon Breath.  I had no idea that Onix learned that move this early, and I find it to be a very funny mental image.  This giant rock snake slithering around and chasing down wild Zubats, only for her to blast one out of the air with a beam attack and then look at me with a big happy smile on her face.  I love it.  And I imagine that Doc begins referring to her as a “death ray”.

The second, and more relevant, thing is that Simmer evolved!  I’m so used to my starter evolving in the 16-17 range, I had no idea they evolved at 14 in gen 4.  You learn something new every day I suppose.

On the topic of learning, I imagine that Simmer’s newfound evolution was spurned by some learning and reflection he has had to do.  His training with Agro has borne fruit, and Orion has pushed him to stand up and fight instead of trying to fade into the background.  He’s still scared of course, still cautious and careful of every little thing, but he’s willing willing to push down that fear (at least a little bit) to be the fighter the team needs

Okay, enough grinding.  With the team at acceptable levels, we head for the Gym.  I’ve already taken care of the Gym trainers during grinding, so there’s nothing left to stand between me and Roark.  First Gym battle, start!

Round 1 is against a Geodude, and I lead with Boof.  Agro is my best fighter for this gym, being pure fighting, but I want to save his health for the final round.  The Geodude sets up Stealth Rock to start, but this doesn’t have much relevance to the rest of the battle.  Boof uses Rock Smash into the Geodude over and over again.  The Geodude uses Defense Curls and gets given all of Roark’s potions, but Boof’s onslaught of attacks is endless, and the Geodude is reduced to rubble.

Round 2.  I switch to Simmer against the incoming Onix.  The two Pokémon trade blows, a Power-Up Punch and a Rock Throw respectively.  Despite its imposing size, the Onix’s attack is barely effective.  Summer is able to calm his nerves and throw out a second Power-Up Punch, getting a Critical Hit and easily winning the round.

Final Round.  Agro vs Cranidos.  Cranidos hits hard with a Headbutt, probably hoping to get a flinch.  But Agro has been training for this, to prove his strength against a worthy foe.  He snaps back with a Revenge, and the Cranidos is utterly annihilated in a single blow!  The fact that this is the same move that killed Chips makes the victory bittersweet.  But even so, it is a victory nonetheless.

Coal Badge Obtained!

One badge down, seven to go.  The team celebrates their victory, and the sheer joy of having overcome this first major obstacle causes another evolution!  Boof evolves into a Bibarel!  One of our toughest and bravest fighters has obtained a new form, ready to tackle the obstacles that our journey has yet to throw at us.  Seeing this evolution, and also seeing how hard Simmer is trying, inspires yet a third evolution!  Orion evolves into a Luxio!

Okay, so technically these two evolutions happened while fighting random wild Pokemon shortly after the gym, but where’s the fun in that?  My Pokemon have evolved, and we’re moving on.

With the Coal Badge in our hands and new evolutions on our team, we are riding high.  I like to think Chips would be proud of us.  We can also now go back into Oreburgh Gate and use Rock Smash to access a new encounter!  So I do just that, breaking through the rubble to descend into the basement of the cavern, where I fight off a seemingly endless swarm of Zubat (I already have one cackling maniac of a Zubat, I don’t need any more).  After what feels like forever, I encounter a Psyduck.

Puddle the Psyduck has a Docile nature and is Strong Willed.  I imagine that she has been meditating in this cave to hone her psychic abilities.  She may not be a psychic type, but she wishes to prove that she doesn’t need to be one to access the true power of her mind.  My team of misfits bumbling into her meditation is something she sees as a sign from the universe, and she happily joins the party.

Since I want to have Puddle’s water and psychic moves on the team, I make the executive decision to sadly put Agro in the box.  With the first gym defeated, Simmer should be able to take over as the team’s fighting type for now.  Agro gives a bow to his fighting student, and makes the others promise they will continue training hard in his absence.  They all agree, though Orion’s is more of a “sure, whatever”.  

I also decide to swap Snek out and put Petard back on the team.  As much fun as we all have watching her blast things with Dragon Breath, we all know that in terms of both stats and personality, she is not made for the world of battling.  The team will miss her joyful presence, and Doc will miss his death ray.

With our reorganized team, I head back to Jubilife, where I run into Professor Rowan, who forces me to battle some Galactic grunts.  Puddle is easily able to break the psyche of their Zubat, and also able to throw water at their Wurmple until it faints.

Moving swiftly along, we travel up Route 204, using Rock Smash to make it through the Ravaged Path.  Before I know it, we’re in Floaroma town.  It’s a very pleasant place, and I’m sure it’s a place many of my Pokémon would enjoy relaxing in, but not all is well.  Some girl’s father has been kidnapped!  Oh no!

Heading over the Valley Windworks, we beat up the Galactic grunt outside, then run all the way back to Floaroma to go to their Meadow and beat up even more grunts.  These guys really suck, and most of the team greatly enjoys beating them up.  Though Puddle warns that we should not become complacent, something that probably doesn’t help Simmer’s nerves.

In the Meadow we pick up the key to the Windworks, and also slather some honey on a nearby tree.  We run all the way back to the Valley Windworks, and while we are there I decide to find a new encounter outside.  I encounter a Buizel who is both Calm and Likes to Fight.  I name her Bonny, after a famous pirate.  She’s a seafaring scallywag who enjoys both a good book and a good brawl.  But for now, the only sea she will be menacing will be the one in the box.

Entering the Windworks, Petard begins throwing rocks around to take out Team Galactic’s flying and bug types.  I’m sure he is using a lot of rock puns as he does so.  (You’re gonna have to be boulder than that if you want to beat us!  Looks like our victory is only a stone's throw away!)

It seems as though the grunts of this evil organization have no idea why they are here or what their group is doing.  I’m serious, they all talk about how they have no idea what the plan is.  Doc takes great offense at an evil organization being planned so poorly, and Poison Fangs all of the enemies that Petard couldn’t one-shot with rocks.

Eventually we find the one in charge of this particular operation, Mars.  I’m not oblivious.  I know that Mars is a dangerous opponent (at least in the originals, I don’t know if she has the same run-ending potential here in the remake).  So I’m cautious going into this fight, but I’m confident in my team’s abilities.

As Mars leads with her Zubat, Orion steps up to protect his friends from this winged foe.  The Luxio unleashes a Thunder Shock, and the Zubat is almost defeated.  But it isn’t enough, and the enemy is able to get in a counter-attack; U-Turn.  After hitting Orion for not-insignificant damage, the Purugly comes out to play.

I switch to Petard, who shrugs off a Fake Out before the two combatants begin trading blows.  Petard is practically juggling loose stones with the number of Rock Throws he uses, while Purugly hits over and over again with Thief.  Petard’s blows are able to wear down the cat enough that it is forced to use its berry, but Petard is too weak to continue.

Frightened by the possibility of anyone dying to this fearsome opponent, Simmer steps into the fray, taking an attack that would have probably killed Petard if it had been a crit.  Purugly slashes hard into the Monferno, but Simmer hits back with a Power-Up Punch, knocking the cat out of the fight.

Mars sends her Zubat back out, but we all know who the victor is already.  Puddle unleashes a single Confusion, and the Galactic Commander is finally defeated.  Despite losing, she seems to have enjoyed the battle, and happily packs up her minions and leaves.  The Windworks is saved, the little girl’s dad is freed, and the Grunts who were blocking the way forward are gone.  Our journey can continue.

Well.  That was a long update, huh?  A Gym Leader fight, three evolutions, AND the first Galactic Commander battle?  I think I deserve a break.  Next time we will be checking in on the honey we slathered in Floaroma Meadow (and also some honey I did on the tree on Route 205), and making our way to the next gym.  For now though, I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed playing and writing.  See you next time!

[levelzeo]

Level Zeo's Brilliant Diamond Nuzlocke - Part 4

It’s Nuzlocke time again baby.  I took a break for a few days and had a great time with my loved ones, but now I’m back and better than ever!  If you are just joining me for my journey, where I talk about what happens in my Nuzlocke while also telling you about what personalities I think my Pokemon have, then you need to go catch up on the other parts.  You can read parts 1-3 HERE, HERE, and HERE.  It’s okay, I’ll wait for you to come back.  If you’re all caught up, then let’s get into things.

Current Team

Simmer the Monferno

Boof the Bibarel

Doc the Zubat

Petard the Geodude

Orion the Luxio

Puddle the Psyduck

Boxed Pokemon: 3

Deaths: 1

Badges: 1

When I last updated, I mentioned that I spread honey on a couple of trees.  Doing so means that it's time to get my encounters for Floaroma Meadow and Route 205.  Checking on the trees, I ended up with Dex the Aipom from Floaroma, and Silk the Wurmple from 205.

Dex has a Relaxed nature and is Somewhat Stubborn.  She’s a dextrous little monkey who doesn’t take anything seriously.  She sees battling as nothing more than a weird complicated game, even as others like Simmer or Puddle try to tell her otherwise.  It seems like putting her on the team at this moment wouldn’t be a good idea, so it is off to the box she goes.

Silk has a Quiet nature and Likes to Relax.  She’s a sleepy little Wurmple.  Unless something goes very wrong, or I desperately need her specific move coverage, she will probably stay in the box, which is perfectly okay with her.  While others in the box run around and play (Snek, Bonny, and Dex), she just takes naps.  Before I let her sleep though, I leave her on the team for a couple of wild encounters just to see what she will evolve into.  Orion keeps a watchful eye while Doc drains the life from some wild Buizel.  After gaining one level, Silk becomes a Silcoon.  And then she gets put in the box to nap.

Before I make my way further down Route 205, I decide to circle back to Jubilife.  I want to get more apps for my watch and stop at the TV center to do the lottery.  While there, I make the mistake of talking to a random clown, who pulls out a Mr Mime to attack me without mercy.  Orion sees the danger and stands between the team and the murderous mime.  He does what he can, but gets beaten down hard by the clown’s attacks.  Boof jumps in to take an attack that would have probably killed Orion, and hits Headbutt after Headbutt into the Mr Mime.  Eventually, both combatants are in the red.  Despite the fears of both myself and Simmer, the Monferno enters battle to hopefully end this before we lose anyone.  Luckily, the mime only uses Pound, and Simmer can land a Mach Punch on the next turn to win.

That was terrifying.  What is it with this city and clowns?  If I was even a little less lucky, Orion, Boof, or even Simmer could have died.  Somehow we survived though, and it will take a lot to make me come back to Jubilife.  I run all the way back to Route 205, and continue with my Pokemon journey.

The team fights the many trainers on Route 205.  Puddle is more and more becoming an excellent member of the team, easily destroying the rock and fighting types being thrown against us, proving her psychic abilities.  And if she can’t handle it, then Boof and Petard are always more than happy to get in there and fight together.

We eventually make it to Eterna Forest, where we both meet and agree to chaperone Cheryl.  Her ability to keep all of my pokemon healthy is highly valuable, and I make good use of it in order to train the team in preparation for the next Gym.

While we bumble about in the forest, I encounter a Murkrow who I name Corva.  She is Rash and Quick Tempered.  An ex-mob boss who was deposed by her former second-in-command, Corva is the kind of Pokemon who would plot someone’s death for even a perceived slight.  She is looking to form a new criminal empire and to use it to exact her revenge.  I send her to the box, hoping she doesn’t turn any of the other Pokemon in there to a life of crime.

Knowing that the next Gym is going to be grass type, I focus on training Doc and Simmer, probably my two Pokemon who would get along the least.  They are both very particular and like things being done in a certain way, so their wants and needs often clash.  Simmer finds Doc to be a dangerous, evil, selfish little bat.  On the other side, Doc sees Simmer as a cowardly fool, and still somewhat blames the Monferno for our Nuzlocke’s first death.  In fact, his desire to show up my starter causes Doc to train himself to evolution, evolving into a Golbat!

With our training done, we say goodbye to Cheryl and leave Eterna Forest.  Orion fights off some fishermen who try to bother us, and we enter Eterna City.  Apparently Team Galactic has been kidnapping Pokemon and bike salesmen, but we have no time to focus on that, we have a Gym to defeat!  The Gym trainers are easily defeated, so let’s skip right to the main event, the fight against Gardenia.  Second Gym battle, start!

Round 1 is against Cherubi.  Doc looms large about the grass type in his now evolved form, and he easily defeats them with a single Poison Fang.  Round 2 brings out a Turtwig, and Doc stays in, confident that his superior intellect and abilities will allow him to defeat this Gym by himself.

Unfortunately, Doc is a little too confident.  His Poison Fang is not enough to kill this time, and the Turtwig is able to set up a Reflect.  Doc knows that brute strength won’t be enough now, so as Turtwig gets healed with a potion, Doc is able to confuse it with Supersonic.  With his foe debilitated by confusion, Doc goes back on the offensive with Poison Fang, dealing a little less than half as Turtwig uses Work Up.  That Reflect will make this somewhat more difficult.  Fortunately for us, Doc’s attack also inflicts poison, dealing a little more damage.  Another attack from Doc puts the Turtwig into the red, but the grass type breaks out of its confusion and lands a Critical Razor Leaf before succumbing to poison damage.  Doc’s ego must take a blow here.  He is not stupid enough to risk himself against Gardenia’s ace after that Razor Leaf.  With a sigh and a sneer, he switches out for Simmer.

Final Round.  Simmer vs Roserade.  The grass type begins with a Stun Spore, an attack that could potentially cripple us and lose us this battle, but Simmer is able to dodge effortlessly and hit a Flame Wheel, leaving the Roserade with a nasty burn.  The opponent eats their berry, but the extra health will not be enough to save them, especially as the Reflect that had been set up finally runs out.  Grass Knot does about a quarter of Simmer’s health, while my Monferno hits with a Critical Flame Wheel, knocking out the Roserade for good, and winning us our Second Gym Badge!

Forest Badge Obtained!

Two Badges down, and no new losses!  The team is riding high despite Doc’s distaste at not being the one to bring down the final opponent.  We gain access to Cut, which will allow us to finally take care of this city’s pesky Galactic problem.  A problem I will take care of next time.  Also on my list of things to do next time is to enter the Grand Underground.  I think I will probably give myself one encounter for each Zone, giving me a total of six encounters from the underground.  Something to look forward to as the journey continues.

[levelzeo]

Level Zeo’s Brilliant Diamond Nuzlocke - Part 2

Hello again.  Welcome back to my Nuzlocke, where I share both my notes about what has happened in the run, as well as my head canons about the personalities of my Pokemon.  If you haven’t seen Part 1, or you need a refresher on the rules/premise/characters, or you just want to read it again because you love me, you can do so HERE.  For everyone else, let’s get into things, shall we?

Current Team:

Simmer the Chimchar

Chips the Starly

Boof the Bidoof

Doc the Zubat

Petard the Geodude

Boxed Pokemon: 0

Deaths: 0

Badges: 0

In part 1, I had just defeated my rival, Melvin.  But I realize that I never went and caught anything on Route 203 after that.  So I do just that.  I sprint around in the grass for a bizarrely long time before running into my first encounter of the update, Orion the Shinx.  He has a Quiet nature and is Alert to Sounds.

Orion’s Thunder Shock makes him very useful against the flying types being used by trainers on this route.  Because of his traits, I see him as a bit of a lazy soul.  Always sleeping, lounging around, coming up with excuses to make myself or Petard carry him around.  But then.  It happens.  A rustle in the grass, a crunch of a twig that no one else notices.  Suddenly Orion is leaping into the fray, blasting whoever dares threaten his new family.

I think that Simmer finally has someone he can connect with.  Him and Orion both enjoy sitting in silence and watching the world around them.  While the others are running about, cracking jokes and itching for a fight, these two sit in the shade and watch.  Only stepping in when the time is right.  Of course, Orion has a lot more courage than Simmer does, and is more likely to jump into battle when necessary.  He’s also more than willing to push his new friend to believe in himself more, and maybe as time goes on it will be something Simmer will take to heart.

With Orion by our side, and with Petard and Boof learning how to use Rollout together, we are able to steamroll through Route 203 and into Oreburgh Gate.  Unfortunately, we won’t be getting any encounters here today, since I already have a Geodude and a Zubat.  Maybe once we can use Rock Smash we can come back and go down a floor, where I can apparently get a Psyduck.

Speaking of Rock Smash, I teach my battle-hardened Boof the move using the TMs I’m given.  I know that the first Gym is rock type, and currently I have three Pokemon who are weak to rock, and two who are weak to ground (which I assume at least one of Roark’s Pokemon has).  This means that currently, Boof is the only Pokemon I have who will (hopefully) be safe, so a fighting move will serve her well.

Upon leaving Oreburgh Gate, I enter the city itself, where I am informed that the Gym Leader is down in the mines.  Entering the worksite with no safety equipment, almost certainly risking injury or black lung, I descend into the depths of the Oreburgh Mine.  After only taking a step or two, I find an Onix as my very first encounter.  I catch her with ease, and obtain Snek, my seventh Pokemon.

I am well aware of the fact that Onix is a bad Pokemon, and I know that she will probably be boxed sooner rather than later, so I decide to let Snek have some time to shine.  Petard is briefly put into the box for a short vacation.  Snek has a Docile nature, and Likes to Run.  Between those and the fact that she jumped out at me immediately upon my entering the area, I see her having the personality of an excitable and loyal dog.  She slithers about the mine as we travel, letting the others ride on her back and even chasing Chips about so they can both get their energy out.

While searching for the Gym Leader, we encounter some miners who are itching for a battle.  The first one pulls out a Machop.  Snek, eager to prove herself, is out first.  Seeing the danger, I switch her out for the equally excitable Chips, who takes a little bit of damage from a Low Kick.  Chips hits the Machop with a Wing Attack for most of its health… and it hits back with a Revenge.

This is what I meant when I said I wouldn’t need set mode for me to lose Pokemon.

Simmer comes in and takes out the Machop, winning us the battle.  But it doesn’t feel like a victory.  I leave the mine with my tail between my legs and go back to the Pokemon Center, sending Chips off to the great PC box in the sky.

I imagine that Simmer takes this very hard.  Chips tried to be Simmer’s friend.  But Simmer just did his best to ignore what he saw as an annoyance.  He and Chips were the first two members of the team, and Simmer never took the time to even get to know him.  And now he was gone.

Petard and Boof are strong souls, they work to keep the team in high spirits.  Even so, Snek is distraught over losing a friend so soon after getting them, and as much as Doc denies it, he loved his little food-stealing minion.  Now there’s only one flier on the team I suppose…

But we don’t have too much time to dwell on this.  At the urging of Orion, I imagine that Simmer would begin devoting himself towards the training of both himself and the team.  He has now seen his fears realized, the result of the dangers of this journey.  So now he can begin working to prevent it from happening again.  He’s still scared, but he has to try, doesn’t he?  The others are all for it, except for Doc.  The Zubat’s words are barbed, making it obvious he blames the Chimchar for the death of Chips.  He’s the starter, he should be the strongest, he should have done something.

Heading north, we enter Route 207.  There, we find an ally who might just help us make it through the upcoming Gym.  Agro the Machop has a Quiet nature and is Very Finicky.  I see him as a stoic warrior, devoted to training, and looking for a group of fellow warriors to join.  The team is willing to oblige, bringing him onto the team (leaving Petard in the box still).

Under Agro’s training, the team begins grinding on Route 207 and in the Oreburgh mine.  Despite his weakness to them, Doc is able to Absorb rock types in the mine.  I probably won’t use him in the Gym, but it's a useful tool to have in my back pocket in case the worst happens.  Since Simmer will be evolving into a fighting type, I picture Agro acting like a mentor to him.  The kind from movies who run their protegee through drill after drill, smacking them with a stick and shouting “AGAIN!”  You know, that sort of thing.  Snek is also able to deal some acceptable damage at this point in the game, and her bulk is nothing to sneeze at.  Hopefully all I will need for the Gym is Agro and maybe Boof, but I will use the rest of my team if I need to, and I need them to be ready.

During this team training, we go back into the mine and find the Gym Leader, who finally goes back to the Gym.  While rushing right in is tempting, I decide that now might be a good time to take a break.  The team definitely needs it before our first Gym Fight.

I’m going to do some grinding to get the team up to around Lvl 14 before continuing.  So next time we will jump straight into the battle with Roark!  I hope you all enjoyed this update.  The first loss in a Nuzlocke is always rough, but I think both gameplay-wise and character-wise, this is something we will be able to move forward from.  Thank you for reading, and I will see you in the next update!

[levelzeo]

Level Zeo's Brilliant Diamond Nuzlocke - Part 6

Greetings and salutations.  This is where I talk about my Nuzlocke of Brilliant Diamond, and also talk about my thoughts on the personalities I have developed for my Pokemon team.  If that’s not up your alley, then feel free to leave.  I won’t judge you.  That much.  If that IS what you want, then come inside!  There’s room for everyone.  If you want to catch up on what’s happened so far, I have links to all of the parts right HERE.  If you’ve caught up already, then let’s get into the action!

Current Team

Simmer the Monferno

Doc the Crobat

Orion the Luxio

Puddle the Psyduck

Vex the Duskull

Egg

Boxed Pokemon: 12

Deaths: 1

Badges: 2

Something you may notice right away is that the team is different than you might expect, as it is missing a certain Bibarel.  Yes, unfortunately I decided it would be best to send Boof to the box temporarily to hang out with her friend Petard.  The next Gym is a fighting type Gym, and I think bringing a normal type into it would be too dangerous.  Boof definitely insists that she can do it.  She’s brave enough and strong enough.  But the others convince her this is for the best.  Doc tells her not to be stupid, and Puddle concurs, saying that bravery and foolishness are different things.  What I imagine convinces her fully though is Simmer, the worrywart, saying everything will be okay.  So, Boof, one of my oldest team members, takes a vacation.  At least for now…

As you can probably see from my team list, Boof’s spot on the team has been filled by a newer capture, Vex the Duskull from a Dazzling Cave in the Grand Underground.  He arrives from the box, straightening his tie, and shakes hands (or wings or paws) with the team with a formal greeting for each of them.  He tells them he looks forward to working with them with a monotone voice and then immediately begins ignoring them unless spoken to.

Orion takes the newcomer with a shrug.  Everyone does their own thing, so who is he to judge?  Puddle is also unperturbed by Vex.  She sees that he is confident in his abilities, and he is willing to help, so there is no need to press him further.  Surprisingly, I feel that Doc and Simmer would both be in agreement that the Duskull rubs them the wrong way.  Doc thinks of him as a boring and stuck-up jerk, and while Simmer doesn’t agree with the “boring” part, the rest of the sentiments they share.  Simmer has been working more and more on opening up to the team and connecting to them, something Vex just shrugs off.  As far as Vex is concerned, he is only here to help with the upcoming types, so there’s no need for anything more than a business relationship.

At least no one can argue that the ghost type is capable.  On Route 209 I face a trainer with a Staravia who spams Double Team, a tactic that I might not have been able to beat if it weren’t for Vex.  With a sigh and a wave of his hand (cloak?), he uses Will-o-Wisp and burns the Staravia at the start of the battle.  The rest of the battle is just him weathering attacks with his bulk, occasionally using Pain Split, and not caring that he misses his other attack.  Eventually the burn finally beats the bird.  I picture Vex reading the paper the entire time.

The team continues down Route 209, passing through the ruins as we do.  We enter the Lost Tower, and encounter a Gastly named Smog.  He’s Gentle and Likes to Relax.  He’s not really into that scaring and spooking and killing stuff the Gastly line usually do, and he’s looking for a change of pace.  He’s more than willing to be caught, and I imagine that him and Petard hit it off in the box due to *cough* *cough* similar hobbies *cough* *cough*.

Right next to the tower is Solaceon Town and the Solaceon Ruins, where we find an Unown.  It has a Bashful nature and Likes to Eat.  Due to its shape, I name it “8”.  It does not communicate with us, only following us and trying to make it obvious it wants our food until I catch the little creature.  It happily settles down in the box where it can have plenty of food and company.

Is it just me, or are there a frankly ridiculous number of Routes between the second and third Gyms in this game?  I start trying to avoid trainers, because I’m afraid of overleveling, especially since Gym 4 has the same level cap as Gym 3.  I don’t actually catch anything on Route 210, the Route just north of Solaceon.  There are definitely unique Pokemon on this Route, but none that I run into on this visit.  Maybe next time.

On the rainy Route 215, I encounter an Abra that I quickly chuck a Quick Ball at.  His name is Raz, and he has a Serious nature and a Sturdy Body.  He aspires to be a hero.  Despite his weaknesses, he strives to be someone strong and powerful enough to take the hits meant for others and to save the day.  Perhaps one day he will get his chance.

Finally, after what feels like forever, I practically drag myself into Veilstone City.  Just like in the last city with a Gym, it seems like there’s some Team Galactic business going on, but I don’t have time for any of that.  I run to the Pokemon Center so that everybody can rest up.  While there, I imagine that Vex clears his throat and addresses the group, stating that we need an actionable strategy for the upcoming Gym.  While he puts it in a very boring way, he is right.  I have had bad experiences with losing to fighting types in past games.  And due to the level caps, anyone I get to level 30 for this Gym might overlevel for the next, but if I don’t they might be too underleveled for the fight.  We need to think carefully.

After much consideration, I decided on a team.  Puddle and Doc would be on the team for their Psychic and Flying moves, and I would keep them around the 28-29 range in case I want to use them for the upcoming water Gym.  Simmer is also on the team, and gets brought to level 30, since he is one of my strongest fighters.  Vex is also brought to 30, as immunity to fighting will be very useful.  Orion and the Egg are placed into the box, and to fill those spots I bring out Silk the Silcoon, and newcomer Raz the Abra.

Silk would very much rather sleep right now, and is annoyed at being disturbed (though she would never say so since that would be rude).  Raz, meanwhile, is determined to prove himself.  The two of them are trained up, and they evolve into a Beautifly and a Kadabra!  I keep Silk around level 28 so that she won’t overleveled if I want to use her in the grass Gym, but Raz gets to go up to level 29.

The team is ready.  We enter the Gym, spend a couple minutes pushing around the walls, and then we stand before our third Gym Leader, Maylene.  We’re nervous, but it’s now or never.  Third Gym Battle, Start!

Round 1.  Doc vs Meditite.  This Gym Battle starts off strong, as Doc is easily able to use an Air Cutter to defeat the Meditite in a single, perfectly calculated, blow.  Mwahahaha.

Round 2.  Puddle vs Machoke.  Puddle uses Confusion.  This is what she has trained herself for, to use her Psychic powers in service of this team.  But it’s not enough.  The Confusion only does a little less than half of Machoke’s health.  The hulking lizard creature strikes Puddle with a Low Sweep that sends her reeling with far more than half of her health missing.  Fear tightens in the hearts of myself as well as Simmer and Doc.  Vex sees this as nothing more than an unfortunate miscalculation.

Before anything more can happen to Puddle though, Raz steps up and takes her place.  He gets hit with a Low Sweep meant for her, and is able to shrug it off reasonably well.  But this is risky of him.  I know for a fact that this Machoke knows Knock Off and holds an Expert Belt.  It’s an attack that will definitely kill Raz if it connects.  But that doesn’t matter.  It’s his time to be a hero.

Raz unleashes a Confusion.  Despite his good special attack and STAB bonus, it’s an attack that would not be able to defeat this Machoke under normal circumstances.  But luckily, Puddle’s attack from earlier was just enough to weaken it.  Raz outspeeds Machoke, and Maylene’s second Pokemon is defeated.  In the real world, I do a small fist pump and mutter “yes!” under my breath.  Good job Raz.  You did it.  But there’s still more to be done.

Final Round.  Lucario comes out, and I start with Vex.  The Lucario Bulks Up, growing stronger.  But Vex is ready for them.  He stares at his opponent with a bored expression as he burns Lucario with a Will-o-Wisp.  Now the fight may as well be over.  The burn will slowly kill them no matter what, and the attack drop isn’t half-bad either.  Now we just need to survive.

Lucario unleashes a Screech at Vex, but he easily steps out of the way of it to hit a Night Shade.  He’s not so lucky on the next turn though, as a second Screech tears through his spectral form, lowering his defenses.  He’s able to hit back with a Night Shade again, but even with the burn damage, we only brought Lucario to the red.  It’s too dangerous for Vex to stay in, so I switch to Silk as Maylene uses a Hyper Potion.

Lucario Bulks Up again.  Even if the attack boosts don’t matter because of the burn, the defense boosts worry us.  I had thought about using Simmer for his Flame Wheel during this fight, but I don’t think that would be enough now.  Better stick to special attacks.  Silk yawns as she uses an Air Cutter, which deals a fair amount.  The next turn has another Air Cutter, but Silk also takes a nasty Metal Claw.  She’s done enough, she is tired and would like to go home please.  So she tags back out for Vex again as Lucario drinks a second Hyper Potion.

Vex makes an executive decision.  This switching around business is not going to help with the job, which is to win.  He decided he will stay in and continue to use Night Shade.  If he is able to win this way, good.  If not… it’s some damage and a free switch.

Vex avoids a Screech.  Night Shade.  Metal Claw rips into Vex’s spectral form, though his defenses are able to make it hurt a lot less it should.  Night Shade.  Another Screech, and this one hits, lowering his defenses and making it clear he will not be surviving another attack.  Night Shade.  Lucario readies their claws.  Vex straightens his tie.  Lucario falls to the ground, defeated.  That last Night Shade was the final bit of damage needed.  The battle is won.

Cobble Badge Obtained!

That was a somewhat frightening battle, but we won!  Despite his detached and business-like approach, Vex was able to pull through and do a lot in that battle.  Not to mention the contributions of Raz and Silk.  With the hurdle of that Gym cleared, I can breathe a sigh of relief.  Three Badges down.

After the Gym, I move around the Pokemon.  We have a little ways to go before Pastoria City, and I need to make sure the Pokemon who would be weak or overleveled go into the box.  For the upcoming journey I know I want Orion and Silk, as their Electric and Grass moves will be invaluable, and they will probably need a couple of levels.  I also bring along Doc and Puddle, since they will probably be backups for the gym.  Despite the fact that he is already at level 31 and won't be brought into the Gym, I bring Vex as insurance against any dangerous trainers on the Routes.  I also bring the Egg along, since it still hasn’t hatched yet.  It feels weird to leave Simmer, my starter, in the box.  But he understands.  This next Gym is not the place for him.  Better safe than sorry.  I’ll see you soon buddy.  For now though, we set off Southward to Pastoria!

[levelzeo]

Level Zeo's Brilliant Diamond Nuzlocke - Part 5

Hello there my friends. Glad you could join me again for my Nuzlocke updates, where I talk about both the details of my Nuzlocke and the personalities and relationships I come up with for my Pokemon. If for some reason this is the first one of these you're seeing, or maybe you missed a part, you can check out parts 1, 2, 3, or 4, and then come back here. Go on. I'll wait. Just for you. Once you're ready, let's get into things!

Current Team

Simmer the Monferno

Boof the Bibarel

Doc the Golbat

Petard the Geodude

Orion the Luxio

Puddle the Psyduck

Boxed Pokemon: 6

Deaths: 1

Badges: 2

With our second badge obtained, I am able to cut my way through the trees blocking the Galactic Building.  My team would definitely all be in agreement that the stolen Pokémon must be returned to their friends and families.  With resolve in their hearts, we enter this den of evil.

For a den of evil, they kind of just let us walk in.  Sure there are Grunts who attack us, but they aren’t really a threat, and at least half of the Grunts just stand there and talk to us.  Between this and the Grunts in the Windworks not knowing what the plan is, Galactic seems like a poorly run organization.

While we fight our way through the building, Boof has apparently developed enough Friendship that messages begin appearing during combat.  I find it telling that the first one is “Boof seems worried about battling well”.  Boof has been an invaluable member of the team thus far, but she knows that Bibarel have never been known for being the strongest Pokemon out there.  The time may soon come where she needs to be replaced.  Whether that means just going to the box, or something else…

I’m more pleasant news, Doc has also grown in friendship!  While he is still not fond of Simmer, he has taken great joy in traveling and fighting with the team, and taking out the incompetent Galactic Grunts makes him happy enough to evolve into a Crobat!

With the newly evolved Doc, we make it to the top of the Galactic building where we find the city’s bike salesman failing to confront another Galactic Commander.  We have no choice but to take them on ourselves!

Against Commander Jupiter, the first enemy is a Zubat.  Boof is easily able to take this one.  A first Rollout brings Zubat into the yellow, and a Poison Fang barely does anything in return.  The second Rollout is more than enough to win.

Second up is Skuntank, and Simmer steps up to the plate for this one.  He begins with his usual move, a Power Up Punch.  It does less than anticipated, and Skuntank is able to land a Poison Gas.  Summer feels his nerves creeping up on him.  This won’t be as easy as his last few fights.  A second punch does more thanks to the attack boost, but a held berry means that Skuntank still won’t fall to the next attack.  Snarl from the skunk does a small amount.  The next turn features a third punch and a Flamethrower from the Skuntank.  No single attack has dealt much to Simmer, but alongside the poison damage, the Monferno is beginning to sweat nervously.  One final punch takes out the opponent.  And then Aftermath kicks in.

It’s a close call.  If Simmer had been a level lower, or a single one of the Skuntank’s attacks had dealt a little bit more, my starter would have been done for.  We got lucky this time.  Simmer is able to survive the Aftermath damage, and the battle against Commander Jupiter is won.  The Monferno is definitely deeply shaken by the experience.  Petard tries to calm him with some light jokes, but I think Puddle’s more meditative approach works better. Even so, it is not an experience he will be able to get over easily.

With Jupiter defeated, the Galactic building is completely evacuated, and the bike salesman is saved!  We leave the abandoned facility and get ourselves a bike, as well as an Exploration Kit, giving us access to the Grand Underground!  I would do more with it, but upon entering my first cave, I run into a Bidoof that's a few levels higher than my team, so I decide it would be safer to leave and level up more before finding a my unique encounter.

With a bike in our pocket, we travel south down the cycling road, fighting off the cyclists who try to get in our way.  Before moving on, I make a quick stop on Route 206 to find an encounter.  I end up with Sundancer the Ponyta.  She has a Sassy nature and Likes to Thrash About.  She’s a wild child, enjoying nothing more than showing off her speed and power.  She’s also one of the few fire types I can get in this game if I understand correctly.  I put her in the box, hoping I will not need to make use of a replacement fire type…

Continuing the journey, we enter Mount Coronet.  Shortly after making my way into the mountain, I run into a strange man named Cyrus, who I’m sure is not important at all and will never come up again.  He muses about the creation of the world and the concept of strife for a bit before moving on.  I don’t know what he is on about, but he’s certainly right about this being a special place.  Being in these tunnels, within such an ancient mountain, it awakens something within my earthen party member.  Petard evolves into a Graveler!

Also, while we walk through Mount Coronet, I get another new encounter.  Ziz the Meditite has a Careful nature and is Somewhat Vain.  Similar to Puddle, she has been spending her time meditating to hone her abilities.  But they are not the same.  Ziz believes her physical and psychic abilities are meant to exceed those of all others, that she is a chosen one.  I imagine that she acts very calm about being put into the box, but inside she is filled with outrage over this injustice.

Exiting Mount Coronet onto Route 208, I discover that I have already caught all of the evolutionary lines that can be caught in the grass here, so I look up where I can get a Good Rod to fish instead.  It looks like I’m lucky, because there should be a fisherman right after the next city, Hearthome, who will be giving out fishing poles.

I enter Hearthome city, a place I will probably want to explore more later, but for now I just make a quick visit to the contest hall so that the path to Route 209 will open up.  However, on my way to the Route, I am ambushed by Melvin, my rival.  I completely forgot to heal after arriving here in Hearthome, so I am terrified.

Turns out I had nothing to worry about.  My rival is a chump.  Puddle beats Starly with one Water Pulse.  Simmer beats Roselia with one Flame Wheel.  Orion beats Prinplup with one Spark.  And Petard beats Ponyta with one Bulldoze.

With Melvin put squarely back into his place, I am able to go to Route 209.  There, I pick up my Good Rod, and I decide to get an encounter in the grass before going back to 208.  I end up finding Soleil the Mime Jr.  She has a Sassy nature and is Strongly Defiant.  She is a performer, a purveyor of entertainment, and one who demands to be the center of attention.  If I made her a member of the team, I believe she would demand to be the primary fighter in every fight, type advantage or not.  Into the box she goes.

Over on Route 208, I go fishing and end up with a Barboach.  Her name is Wiggle, and she has a Relaxed nature and a Sturdy Body.  I picture her as the silent type, conveying her thoughts solely through facial expression and the way she wriggles about.  There is a mad scramble to get her in the ball as she brushes off blows from the team, but once she is caught she goes to the box without any objection.

But those two aren’t the only Pokemon I catch!  I go back down into the Grand Underground now that I have a few more levels under my belt, and after wandering around for a while seeing Pokemon I’ve already caught, I encounter a cave of glittering gemstones, and drifting between them is a single Duskull.  I catch him, and name him Vex.  He has a Serious nature and is Capable of Taking Hits.  An older gentleman, Vex treats the trainer-pokemon-team dynamic as one would treat getting hired at a new company.  He’s all business about the whole operation, no time for games or relaxation.  I send him to the box, but I feel I might need his typing on the team soon, despite his abrasive personality.

One last thing before I end this update.  I pick up an egg being given for free in Hearthome.  I don’t know what it contains, but I temporarily swap out Petard so I can carry it until it hatches.  It sucks to put Petard in the box, but I don’t think he will be much help in the next two gyms anyway.  Speaking of which, my hope is to make it to Veilstone and challenge the Gym in the next update, so look forward to it!

[levelzeo]

Level Zeo Nuzlocke Archive

A post to store links to all of my Nuzlocke updates.

Brilliant Diamond Nuzlocke

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6