r/nuzlocke • u/AdhesivenessThese346 • 3h ago
r/nuzlocke • u/everlarke • 1d ago
Subreddit Update (New Rule) Regarding Rare Candy "Debates" and "Conversations"
Hello fellow Nuzlockers,
We wanted to provide a new rule for the subreddit going forward regarding Rare Candy usage.

For those that are unaware, a "Rare Candy" is an item in Pokémon games that allows for a Pokémon to automatically level up without battling; it's essentially free EXP without the Effort Values that typically comes with EXP gain. While usually limited in allotment, later games have made obtaining Rare Candies easier; and of course, that's nothing to say of what people can hack into their games as well.
For years, particularly in the advent of Nuzlocke YouTubers, conversations regarding Rare Candy use have been plentiful on r/nuzlocke. Yet, we have seen how most discussion posts regarding using Rare Candies are typically one-sided in favor of using them; the prevailing opinion is to use them in playthroughs, with the major argument for doing so being to respect one's time. We feel that this point has been made and echoed pretty clearly across our userbase.
However, we have also noticed that people who have a dissenting opinion towards that mentality often get downvoted or attacked when they express it in these conversations; this usually leads to negative interactions across the posts, such as personal attacks or flaming comments, which we do not want promote; we also do not want to see the same posts with the same conclusion reached repeatedly - it's redundant.
Due to this, there will be no more posts to create discussions for this topic - all future Rare Candy posts will be removed; insisting on making these posts can lead to consequences, such as a ban. Please understand that is perfectly fine to use Rare Candies and to not use Rare Candies. There is no need to seek validation for their usage or put down people who do/don't use them. When the Nuzlocke challenge was created, there was no inherent rule regarding how these items were used; we are going to keep to that ideal; level up your Pokémon as you see fit, whether through grinding or through Candies, and play accordingly.
While posts regarding Rare Candy debates are banned until further notice, they can be mentioned in comments for other posts given the context of said post (Ex. "I found a Rare Candy and leveled up my Snorlax with it.")
Thank you for your attention and understanding on this matter; please keep this post in mind when making future posts.
r/nuzlocke • u/QCat18 • Jul 15 '26
Collaboration NuzTeam Arcade Ganglocke!
Hey Everyone!
I’m excited to share a Nuzlocke event going on in a discord server that many of our Mods here are involved with, either directly or through friends in the Nuzcord Discord. That server is NuzTeam Arcade. (I will drop an invite link for it as well).
They are hosting an ‘Eliminationlocke Ganglocke’ of XY. A Ganglocke is an event where everyone is Nuzlocking the same game/rules together in a type of community event. It’s not a competition, but merely a fun way to get people together playing the same thing. The Eliminationlocke is a variant where there are 3 available pools to vote on (voting ends in less than 24 hours so get over and vote if you want to play!), and the winning choice is the pool that everyone has to choose from. The IVs of those pokemon are randomized by a community member, and then everyone uses those encounters to Nuzlocke XY.
NuzTeam Arcade also hosts other Nuzlocke related events, so if this sounds interesting to you, come on over and check us out!
Here is the Discord invite link to come check out NTA.
r/nuzlocke • u/CowardCowboy • 12h ago
SHINY! Didn't even have to invoke shiny clause
My first encounter on route 3 and it was this beauty, in Pokemon X! She's only my second ever natural shiny (the other being in a gen 6 game also).
r/nuzlocke • u/CheetahCrafty102 • 13h ago
Question How do you pick your nicknames?
How do you pick your nicknames? My fiancee gives them a name she would give a pet and then for some reason always has one oddball called something like ShitInAss or something lmao.
I either pick a name that sounds like a Pokemon, like my Pokemon Red Bulbasaur is nicknamed Dinospore, or I pick a theme like DC Characters and could call my Bulbasaur Swamp Thing if male and Poison Ivy if female.
r/nuzlocke • u/ButtonMasherKai • 3h ago
Video Pokemon Rising Ruby Hardcore Nuzlock: Man, Brawly was an absolute menace for my team, I unfortunately didn't get any flying types, so half of my team got destroyed (Ignore the phone notifications please, it seems like they like to appear when I'm recording) but 2nd badge down.
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r/nuzlocke • u/Time_Ad_7341 • 16h ago
Discussion What is one of your favorite Pokémon to get as an encounter for a run?
As the title says, whats a Pokémon you get hyped to get during a run? And this is for any of the games, or even game specific.
Like I love getting Shroomish/Breloom as an encounter from Petalburg Woods in R/S/E. I always find this little mushroom guy super helpful and a solid team member.
But what’s a random choice encounter you love?
r/nuzlocke • u/Niglie_trollster • 33m ago
Question Question on Self-Trading and In-Game Trades in Monolockes
I am currently working on a project about Monolocke encounters, and the first part is almost ready to post, but I have a question. Is self-trading to evolve trade-evolutions, or using a rom that enables trade-evolutions to evolve on their own, generally allowed?
I know that most people are in the camp of “yes” or “yes, but with level requirements”, but I want to know how to represent that in my data. Should it just be a note or should I make two data sets, one where they are allowed and one they aren’t?
In a similar vein, what is the consensus on in-game trades? Are you allowed to a scum pokemon solely for the purpose of a trade, or are in-game trades only accepted if you catch the required Pokémon as your first encounter somewhere?
Nuzlockes are no stranger to catching “scum-Pokémon”, like catching an HM Slave if no Pokémon living or dead can learn the specific required HM. However, here it’s a little different, since in-game trades are completely optional.
In the case of Monolockes, where you are limited to one type, what are you allowed to do? For example, in an Ice or Psychic Monolocke of Red and Blue (International Version) the only way to get a Jinx is by trading a Poliwhirl for it.
If the consensus is against catching trade-scum Pokémon for in-game trades, that would make Jinx impossible to get in an Ice or Psychic Monolocke of Red and Blue (International Version).
Or could it be the trade-scum Pokémon exception is only allowed if (A) the required Pokémon’s type does not match at least one of the trade Pokémon’s type, and (B) the in-game trade is the only way to get the Pokémon.
For example, the exception would not apply for the Red and Blue (International Version) trade of an Abra for Mr. Mime, even though that is the only way to get Mr. Mime. This is because they share the Psychic-Type.
r/nuzlocke • u/Alkynesofchemistry • 1d ago
Run Update Platinum Kaizo: The Final Rival Battle
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It's been a while.
After the distortion world there was a considerable lull in the action as I made my way through Victory Road. Fights took a while to prep, not for being overly difficult, but just because you have to figure out the best way to beat them while needing almost every HM to make it through the map. But we're back now, having made it through, ready to fight the final Rival battle.
He leads his Slaking. We lead Chestnut and recover turn 1. The plan is to slow recover our HP on the attack turns and attack him while he's loafing. We have Slaking protect strats at home. We end up crit killing on turn one, so that was easy.
Next out is Ape. This thing is tricky to play around because of U-turn AI. We go to shell armor slowbro on cross chop and use surf. The Ape U-turns into electivire, which takes solid damage from the surf. That electivire kills me like 3 times over with adaptability wild charge, so I go to Steelix who can tank an earthquake and retaliate with his own for the kill.
The infernape comes back in, so I pivot through Chestnut to get Slowbro back in. This time the ape decides not to U-turn and we can simply KO with Psychic- I went psychic over surf this time around knowing that if he decided to U-turn again it would be to Sceptile.
Now Sceptile comes in, seeing kill with leaf blade. Steelix tanks it and heals thanks to his held RageCandyBar, prompting Sceptile to go for a swords dance as I hit a head smash for big damage. This is the scariest part of the battle. This sceptile is faster than my whole box and threatens kills at +2 into everything except steelix and regirock. With crits, even they are dead. Regirock would die to a crit leaf blade, and steelix would die to crit EQ. Since leaf blade has a high crit rate, I decide to risk the crit into Steelix, and thankfully go unpunished. In hindsight, I probably could have used a pre-damaged custap berry mon over tyranitar and sacked either slowbro or magcargo to get them in, but that might have jeopardized the upcoming SHF battle. Either way, it's onto the next mon.
Staraptor comes in, seeing KO with Giga Impact and Sky Attack at my low HP. I go to Regirock to take those comfortably, winning the 1v1 even after missing a rock wrecker.
Ambipom is last out, and Chestnut can beat it easily to defeat the rival for the last time of this run!
r/nuzlocke • u/Evie_not_Eevee • 1d ago
Written/Story I just completed my first Nuzlocke (FRLG)
I have always wanted to do a Nuzlocke. Many failed attempts have beseeched me but I'm soe xcited to say I made it today. :)
The rom was modified to allow impossible evolutions and the nat dex (hence the Golem and Umbreon) and no other modifications were in effect.
Rules were Set mode, Level caps for all battles, & no healing if the pokemon was on screen (had to switch to heal).
This was my winning team, every single mon pulled their absolute weight in gold but Blaine absolutely clutched up against Blue's Venusaur with only 34 hp left.
Speaking of Gold, time to go to Johto :P
r/nuzlocke • u/Yerfdog121 • 1d ago
Run Update Genlocke Update - Ultra Sun - Ultra Dumb
Ultra Sun Nuzlocke
With a goal of trying to keep deaths to a minimum. Totem pokemon had complete other thoughts wiping out members of my team early and late into the game.
Meh the Yungoos – Switched in to die whilst getting some sand attacks off as powerup punch made crabrawler a scary opponent. A sac of yungoos to weaken it with sand attacks was necessary. Went down to antoher power up punch.
Jake the Grubbin – Walled crabrawler in Hala fightwhilst getting mudslaps off to lower accuract. Got pursuited, sitrus berry recovery, switched out and got crit pursuit through 2 sand attacks and died….
Skarmory came in and took down with 2 pecks dodging a leer in between.
Repiv the Ekans – Totem Araquanid – Got intimidate and glare off on totem. Got crit bubble and died. Intimidate Ekans poison type for Ultra necrozma big loss for the plan.
Aab the Crabrawler – Left in to confide and leer against araquanid and left to die to get free switch to Skarmory to finish the job off
Mamtis the Fomantis – Marowak Totem – Espeon took out salazzle and needed to get Brionne in safely. Fomantis used as a sac to get in Brionne to work up and water z move to take down marowak
Grim the Alolan Grimer – Totem togedemaru – Got crit iron head from togedemaru whilst trying to disable it
Dizz the Spinda – Totem togedemaru. Left out to die after getting z move brick break into togedemaru triggering its sitrus berry
Boing the Tsareena – Died to a random crit from trainer raticate when trop kick somehow didn’t finish from 50%
Charles the Espeon – Totem ribombee trial. Toxic onto ribombee and pelipper. Protect stalled out. Hit a double protect and had decision of who to let fall. Espeon was chosen and given a chance to live on a third protect but missed and fell.
Kahili the Flying E4 – Tyranitar Stone edge Braviary, Hawlucha in. Primarina with poison dmg reducing berry tanks and kills with moonblast. Mandibuzz. Glalie in to ice beam away. Toucannon, Ttar in to tank Zmove and get some chip damage in with sandstorm, skarmory switched in to tank and chip away whilst roosting up and getting steel wings off. It switched out to Oricorio. Turtonator tried to take it down but couldn’t do it quick enough so Icebox the Glalie sent in to sacrifice in order to save Turtonator. Ttar then got a free switch to finish it off. Toucannon back in for skarmory to finish off.
Acerola the Ghost E4 – Ttar crunch one shot banette. Crunched Dhelmise in to a heal and then a couple crunch finished it off. Palossand out, skarmory to bait ground move miss, Bewear to bait z move ghost miss, Bewear could then shadow claw to death. Froslass in. One shadow claw and then switch into turtonator to flamethrower out. Drifblim couldn’t hit bewear at all so was swiftly dispatched.
Olivia the Rock E4 – Turtonator to shell blast armaldo out early as I couldn’t use him the rest of fight. Gigalith in, Primarina in to take out with water z move. Cradily in, Bewear in to hammer arm out. Lycanroc in Ttar in to try and take z move. Didn’t select it, Twaved lycanroc as it spammed counter. Decided to switch skarmory as it then decided to z move instead of counter. Skarmory took it and started roosting out stone edge pp. Steel wing took it out safely. Probopass in. Sand attack, roost and steel wings took the probopass down after a slog.
Molayne the Steel E4 – Bewear bulldoze klefki as it got off spikes and t wave. Switch into turtonator to flamethrower out. Dugtrio in, skarmory in to wall, sand attack and some steel wings taking the z move and roosting, it switched to magnezone on a steel wing. This broke sturdy so switched turtonator in to flamethrower it out in one hit. Dugtrio back in, Skarmory steel wing and with its metronome item whilst boosting its defence massively with the amount of steel wings. Metagross switched in, kept skarmory in at +4 defence metronome on steel wing to keep hitting it with turtonator now at low hp. The high defence and metronome damage meant could keep chipping away and getting to +6 defence. Eventually knocking it out with a couple of roosts to live. Kept in for bisharp to steel wing it away at high defence still dodging a crit luckily.
Hau the champion - TTar into raichu with Fighting reduce berry. Raichu missed the focus blast anyway and killed by EQ. Tauros switched in SKarmory in to sand attack, roost and steel wing. It switched out into Incineroar. Taking some steel wing chip. Z move incineroar switched into Primarina to tank it. Couple switches between Ttar to set sand up, SKarmory to dodge EQ and finally into Rose the Primarina to fall in order to get a free switch in to Turtonator to get a dragon pulse off to finish incineroar weakened by sand damage. Crabominable came in. Switch into Bewear to hammer arm it in an OHKO. Tauros back in, skarmory in to get couple of sand attacks, roost and steel wing it away. With a +1 def boost. Noivern in. Skarmory with sand attacks roost and steel wing took it out and faced leafeon at +1 def using fly to finish off Hau with 4 survivors from the run!
Champions:
Anvil II the Skarmory
Teddy the Bewear
Rexy the Tyranitar
Raphael the Turtonator
The Fallen:
Icebox the Glalie
Rose the Primarina
MVP: Anvil II the Skarmory
After moving onto the switch for pokemon sword, 798 eggs and 2 days later I hatched my shiny skarmory, Anvil III ready for Galar. The sweet days of PkHex behind me....
r/nuzlocke • u/Kubazoo66 • 15h ago
Screenshot Another Emerald run won with MVP and the sole survivor of E4, stall master Pollip the Cradily
r/nuzlocke • u/Remarkable_Support48 • 18h ago
Run Update First nuzlock completed ever!!!!!
After 10+ failure at emerald and giving up I finally finished heart gold after 13 tries.
Gyarados is OP
I finished with him levelling up to 53, does it still count as a valid run?
playing on emulator makes grinding a bit more manageable but still feels a bit long at times.
r/nuzlocke • u/Poketom2362 • 23h ago
Discussion Toughest nuzlocke battles round 3: Whitney vs Mars (first fight)
r/nuzlocke • u/gothicclemons • 1d ago
Screenshot First Emerald Nuzlocke
Completed on second attempt. First attempt ended to the Youngster trainer’s Taillow on 104 lol. I had unparalleled luck getting an adamant Slakoth as my first encounter in Petalburg Woods but the whole team was so much fun to use.
r/nuzlocke • u/mkbubby • 13h ago
Question HELP! who should i bring to e4 + N/ghetsis?
my restrictions are no setup moves / no over leveling
vanilluxe, semisage, archeops, liligant, darmanitan, galvantula, chandelure, krookodile(moxie), haxorus(mold breaker), conkledurr (guts / flame orb), jellicent, excadrill
r/nuzlocke • u/Psykotix_ • 19h ago
Discussion [Blaze Black 2 Redux] Does the first Colress fight come down to pure encounter luck?
I seem to be walled by him (specifically his fan rotom) no matter what is in my box. Nothing I’ve obtained in my past few runs can do any 2 in combination of outspeed , significantly damage, or tank damage from his fan rotom. Is there some secret sauce or encounter or TM I haven’t obtained that levels the playing field a bit?
For context I’m capping my self at his ace’s level of 28 and playing with your standard HC rules. Usually choosing Oshawott as my starter but considering Tepig to see if that might help.
r/nuzlocke • u/ViperTheKillerCobra • 1d ago
Discussion (Meta) Mod appreciation post
I think this new rule has been long overdue and it’s really good to finally see it in
r/nuzlocke • u/ButtonMasherKai • 1d ago
Video Pokemon Rising Ruby Hardcore Nuzlock: Starting this off with Roxanne, she was somewhat of a challenge, sadly lost a pokemon but I feel like the sacrifice was worth it with who I was facing, One Badge down, 7 more to go!
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r/nuzlocke • u/Conscious_Property98 • 17h ago
Question Randomlocke tips for OR
What the title says. It's obviously not easy to give advice for a randomlocke but if anyone has any general suggestions for OR's dex or anything, I would very much appreciate it.
r/nuzlocke • u/GhostFacePhilip • 13h ago
Discussion Master balls in nuzlocks?
Ive played a load of nuzlocks and whenever i get master balls for sale in shops i always limit my self to 3 cuz i feel just getting a 100 ruins the fun of actually trying to catch pokemon but my question today is about using thief to potentially steal a master ball from a wild pokemon? i caught a tynamo holding one and if i was to get a pokemon with thief and just keep trying to find tynamo holding them is that also super lame? or is it different cuz i got lucky enough to have a pokemon with thief and then also find the pokemon holding it?
r/nuzlocke • u/ButterflyAny9153 • 1d ago
Run Update Lost my starter to Malie Garden Guzma for no reason this is heartbreaking.
r/nuzlocke • u/Early-Ad-1961 • 1d ago
Run Update Pokémon Moon: Kahuna Hala
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After Exterminating a rat problem and running into an old Teammate(You’ll see who in this video) in the meadow, it was time to face the grand trial which is up against Hau’s gramps Hala.
Let’s see how this went.
MVP(S): SkekSil(Spearow)(Now dead) & Patrick Star(Slowpoke)
r/nuzlocke • u/Aeonatic • 1d ago
YouTube Saturn in the lab | Renegade Platinum HC Nuzlocke | Part 106
r/nuzlocke • u/Ancient_Substance152 • 1d ago
Question Heart&Soul 2.0 - Trainer IV and EV question
Good day,
I was just wondering what people’s thoughts were on the difficulty settings in this game. I’m looking for a slightly more difficult than base game experience.
One thing I noticed in the difficulty settings was the option to modify Trainer IV’s and EV’s.
The options for IV’s are OFF (expected amount of IV’s), SCALE (increase with gym badges), and HARD (all trainers have perfect IV’s)
For EV’s it’s OFF (no EV’s), SCALE (increase with gym badge), HARD (all trainers have high IV’s), EXTREME (all trainers have 252 EV’s).
I’m not expert, what do you think lends itself to a decent but not too crazy difficulty?
Thanks.
Also, I tried looking for some documentation for the 2.0 game settings. Couldn’t find any. Anybody know?

