Challenge Runs: How to Make the Game Harder

For players who would like more of a challenge, there are many ways to increase the difficulty of your Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (SV) run. Read on to learn more about all of the challenge runs including Nuzlockes, single type play throughs, no item play throughs and more!

Nuzlocke Challenge

Retire a Pokemon After It Faints

If a Pokemon faints in battle, you must release it or put the Pokemon in a box immediately. You can not use the fainted Pokemon for the rest of the playthrough.

Only the First Pokemon Per Area

You can only catch the first Pokemon you encounter in each area (route, cave, body of water, etc.) you enter for the first time. If the wild Pokemon faints or if you do not have any Poke Balls when first encountering a Pokemon in an area, you may not catch any Pokemon in that area. As Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are Open World, each area may be more difficult to define, however the map should let you know the name of the area you are currently in.

Paldea Region Map and Locations

Challenge Lost if All Pokemon Faint

If all your party Pokemon faint, but you still have usable Pokemon in the PC, you can continue with those. If you run out of usable Pokemon entirely, you must restart the game.

Nicknames Are Required

You must nickname each Pokemon that you catch. Try not to get too attached now!
Advanced Nuzlocke Rules:
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Mono Type (Gym Leader) Run

Standard Rules: One Tera Type Per Team

In a mono-type run, you may only use a single Type of Pokemon for your team, just like a Gym Leader would. Thanks to Terastallization, there are more options available for this kind of run than previously, however you may only use one different typed Pokemon and only while it is Terastallized into the same type as your theme team.

Extreme Rules: No Tera Types and Only Same Type Moves

In an extreme mono type run, you may not take advantage of the Terastal Phenomenon to include a more diverse team. You also may not use any moves that are a different type to your Pokemon.

No Training Challenge

Standard Rules: Only Auto Battles and Necessary Story Battles

In a no EXP or no training run, you must leave your Pokemon as under-leveled as possible. This means any avoidable trainer battles and wild Pokemon battles must be averted. The goal is to get all 8 Gym Badges and pass the Champion test with as low a level team as possible.

Extreme Rules: Level Limit (Optional)

One way of doing this challenge is to decide the maximum level a Pokemon may reach, then when a battle concludes, any Pokemon that passes that level is released. This way you are still able to enjoy trainer battles and catching wild Pokemon, however you will need to change your team regularly.

One Faint Game Over Challenge

Standard Rules

As the title suggests, if any of your Pokemon faint at any stage during the playthrough, you must reset the entire game! This challenge requires lots of preparation and careful team-building, as well as a little old RNG luck.

Extreme Rules: No Damage

A no damage run means if any of your Pokemon take any damage from an opponents attack, recoil damage, status conditions, weather, entry hazards or any other method, the run is over and you must reset the game. Very few players have been able to complete a no damage run and it remains to be seen whether it is even possible in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

Speed Run

Standard Rules: 3 Story Modes Completion

In a speed run, you try to complete the game as fast as possible. In Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's case, that means completing all 3 main story lines. This is a popular challenge, with many players competing to achieve the fastest possible completion time.

Extreme Rules: 100% Pokedex Completion

You must try to complete the Pokedex as well as clearing the 3 story modes as fast as possible. As completing the Pokedex often includes many tedious evolution methods and rare encounters, careful planning, in-depth knowledge of evolution methods and Pokemon locations, as well as RNG all play large factors in the success of a 100% speed run.
Play Time: How Long is Pokemon Scarlet and Violet?

No Items Run

Standard Rules: TMs and Pokeballs Allowed

In a no item run, you may not use any held items, berries, healing items, ev or iv manipulating items or temporary stat boosting items. This means you must rely on your Pokemon's attacks, stats and abilities alone to clear the game.

Extreme Rules: No TMs or Pokeballs

In an extreme no item challenge, you may not use any items at all, severely limiting your Pokemon's moveset as well as the Pokemon you may use. In this challenge you can only use your Starter Pokemon, gift Pokemon, traded Pokemon, or any Pokemon imported from Pokemon HOME (as long as you didn't use any items to affect those Pokemon).

Single Pokemon Run

Standard Rules: Favorite Pokemon Or Starter Pokemon

There are two ways you can go about this challenge. The first is to pick any Pokemon you like and have that Pokemon be the only Pokemon you use for the entire game (from when you get access to it). The second way is to only use your starter Pokemon and not catch any other Pokemon for the rest of the game.

Extreme Rules: Weak Pokemon Run

The way to make this challenge even harder is by picking one of the weakest Pokemon in the game, for example Magikarp. You would then attempt to beat the entire game with just that one Pokemon in its base form, without ever evolving it or catching any other Pokemon.

Randomizer Run

Standard Rules: 6 Random Pokemon

Using surprise trades or by stopping on the Pokedex at random points, you randomly select a team of 6 Pokemon to try to beat the game with. You are allowed to evolve them, heal them, use items, etc, however you may only use those 6 Pokemon for your entire run.

Extreme Rules: Combined Randomizer

By combining one of the other challenge modes, such as the Nuzlocke mode with a randomizer run, it makes a much more challenging experience. The top suggestions to combine with a randomizer run are: Nuzlocke, One Faint Game Over Run and Single Pokemon Run.

Shiny Team Challenge

Standard Rules: 6 Shiny Pokemon

A shiny team challenge is the most time consuming of all of these challenges. In a shiny team challenge you can use whatever Pokemon you like, however it must be shiny. Once you have acquired a full team of 6 shiny Pokemon you may then complete the final champion test/Titan Pokemon/ Team Star Boss and complete the game.

Extreme Rules: A New Shiny Pokemon at Every Step

In the extreme version of a shiny team challenge, you must acquire a new shiny Pokemon either before each important checkpoint (Gym, Titan Pokemon, Team Star Base) or at every new area! This includes your Starter Pokemon in cases where the Starter Pokemon is not shiny locked.

Mono Ball Challenge

Use Only One Type of Poke Ball

In this challenge, you are only allowed to use a standard Poke Ball to catch a Pokemon for the entire game. Even if you unlock other Poke Balls with higher catch rates and added modifiers, you are not allowed to use them.

This challenge aims to raise the difficulty of acquiring high-level Pokemon found in other parts of Paldea, as a regular Poke Ball will be less effective when used on a Pokemon with a higher level.

Extreme Rules: Only Use Premier Balls

You can also up the ante of this challenge by limiting yourself in only using Premier Balls, which will be more expensive in the long run and requires you to manage your money properly, as you can only get a Premier Ball once you purchase 10 of any type of Poke Ball. Premier Balls also have the same capture rate as regular Poke Balls, so the standard rules of this challenge still applies!

For reference, the cheapest Poke Ball type you can buy is a standard Poke Ball, which costs ₽200. This means that each Premier Ball and capture attempt will cost you ₽2000!

Optional Rule: Release Knocked Out Pokemon

Push the stakes even higher by adding an additional challenge: you must release your Pokemon if it faints! This puts more value on your team, especially to those that you caught after multiple attempts.

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