Y'all might remember of Pokémon games equally mainly for kids, which makes sense given their relatively low difficulty. But if you love the serial, yous can enjoy the odd Pokémon challenge to get more out of your favorite games.

Let's look at some self-imposed Pokémon challenges, including challenging runs, tests of strategy, completionist goals, and other challenges for those who fancy themselves as Pokémon masters.

1. The Nuzlocke Pokémon Challenge

Perhaps the most-well known type of run on this list, the Pokémon Nuzlocke challenge places a number of restrictions on your playthrough. It works in pretty much whatever Pokémon game, and allows for boosted restrictions to brand it every bit hard as you'd like.

The two principal Pokémon Nuzlocke rules are:

  1. Any Pokémon that faints in battle is considered expressionless, and y'all must release them.
  2. You tin can only catch the first Pokémon you encounter in each expanse.

These rules innovate a lot of actress strategy to the game. A Pokémon fainting goes from being a minor inconvenience to a costly permadeath. Restricting yourself to only catching one Pokémon per area also prompts you lot to utilise creatures you might commonly ignore.

If yous want a deeper challenge, you can add many actress rules onto your Nuzlocke run. For example, yous tin modify the Battle Style in Options toSet, which prevents you from switching Pokémon when an opponent'due south Pokémon faints. Y'all can base of operations your selection of starter Pokémon on your Trainer ID number, or even release your starter Pokémon and only work with wild Pokémon.

See the Nuzlocke Challenge entry on Bulbapedia for the additional rules yous can endeavor.

Note that considering most Pokémon games merely have one save file, you lot'll demand to delete your current salve to start the game over and try one of these challenges. Yous might want to look at some of the completionist challenges below and attempt those first earlier erasing all your hard work.

ii. The Monotype Run Pokémon Challenge

For something a bit less complicated than Nuzlocke, even so still more than challenging than a normal playthrough, consider a monotype challenge run.

This is just what information technology sounds like: you lot complete a Pokémon game using creatures of merely 1 type. Doing this mimics the serial' gym leaders, who each dedicate their grooming to a certain blazon of Pokémon.

The rules for this run aren't also-defined as Nuzlocke. All you need to do is pick a Pokémon blazon (like Water, Ground, Fighting, etc.) earlier you lot beginning your game. Then, as shortly as possible, gather a squad with only Pokémon of that type.

Building a team effectually one type means y'all'll have some major weaknesses---for instance, Water is weak to Electric-type moves. To offset this, you can accept advantage of Pokémon that take two types. Swampert is a Water-Footing type, so it provides critical electricity immunity to a vulnerable H2o-type team.

If you lot're interested in this, check out the Unapologetic Nerd breakdown of the monotype run. It includes a handy chart showing how difficult each game is based on the type you option.

Pokemon Monotype Run Chart

3. The Speedrunning Pokémon Claiming

Speedrunning is a hobby that involves completing a game equally quickly as possible. If yous think you know Pokémon inside and out, yous can put it to the test with a speedrun.

Yous'll take to learn how to optimize a run to complete battles quickly and minimize unnecessary time sinks. Similar a lot of video game speedruns, you'll discover both runs that rely on glitches for faster progression, also as categories that practice non allow glitches.

If y'all'd like to get started speedrunning your favorite Pokémon game, we recommend watching a speedrun or two to come across how the pros do it. From at that place, you'll probable observe a customs dedicated to your particular game, where you lot can enquire questions and improve your skills. You don't have to get for the world record to have fun---figuring out new ways to shave a few minutes off your personal best is extremely rewarding in its ain right.

Have a look at our favorite video game speedruns to familiarize yourself with the concept of speedrunning.

4. The Conquer Endgame Pokémon Challenges

Don't want to reset your save file? Pokémon games still have challenging endgame content to enjoy after you've completed the main story.

Every main Pokémon game has an loonshit with additional battle scenarios to have on. In older games, this was called the Battle Tower, only information technology'due south also been known as the Battle Subway and Battle Tree, among other names. When taking these on, you'll need to defeat as many trainers in a row as you can.

These arenas are more challenging because they scale all Pokémon downwards to the aforementioned level. This ways y'all have to rely more on skill and team limerick instead of brute force.

If you're looking to play a Pokémon game specifically for these arenas, nosotros recommend either Pokémon Emerald or Platinum. Instead of a single Boxing Belfry, they comprise a Battle Frontier with several facilities that each offer a unique challenge.

Beyond the battle arenas, well-nigh Pokémon games let you access new areas later you lot get the champion. Keep an eye out for any areas you couldn't reach during the main game. You might also find that the gym leaders (or even the Elite Four) volition rematch you lot.

v. The Gotta Take hold of 'Em All Pokémon Challenge

The first generation of Pokémon games contained 151 monsters. Fifty-fifty then, communicable them all was quite an achievement. Over two decades later, the Pokédex now contains more 800 creatures, meaning that catching everything is a task only for the hardcore.

If you want to be the ultimate Pokémon trainer, challenge yourself to catch them all. This isn't always an attainable goal, withal. Not all Pokémon are obtainable in each championship, so yous'll have to resort to trading and even promotional events to notice some of them.

Earnest collectors should look into the Pokémon Bank service. This is a $5/year utility that allows you lot to store Pokémon you've defenseless in the various games bachelor on the 3DS. Its companion service, the Poké Transporter, even lets you lot transfer Pokémon across games.

If collecting every single Pokémon sounds overwhelming to you lot, try collecting just the Pokémon from a specific game's region. This won't require as much trading or connecting to older titles.

For a different blazon of claiming, which is groovy if you love rare Pokémon, try your manus at collecting shiny Pokémon. These are color-varied versions of about every monster that have an extremely low appearance rate. Each game has special methods yous tin can employ to increase the likelihood of finding or breeding a shiny, just it still takes a lot of time.

Having merely one or ii shinies is nonetheless quite a feat, and the thrill of catching your get-go is super heady. See Bulbapedia'due south entry on shiny Pokémon for more info.

6. The Ribbon Collecting Pokémon Challenge

If y'all find that the in a higher place trials aren't enough for you lot, and desire a challenge that spans multiple games and consoles, endeavor collecting ribbons.

Ribbons have been in the Pokémon games since Cherry-red and Sapphire released on the Game Male child Accelerate. Gear up a goal to load upwardly a single Pokémon with every bit many of these ribbons as possible.

You lot'll want to first with an before game and trade forward to a newer generation once yous've obtained as many ribbons equally possible. In some cases, trading forward can lock out the power to merchandise back to previous games once more, so brand sure you have all the possible ribbons before you motility on.

This chore volition have yous becoming the champion in multiple regions, winning contests of beauty and intelligence, and even shelling out a ridiculous amount of in-game money to buy expensive ribbons.

Some ribbons are commemorative rewards from real-world Pokémon tournaments that have long since passed, so you won't be able to get every unmarried one short of hacking. Withal, a Pokémon busy with ribbons tin can serve as a great achievement full of fond memories.

The Serebii.net ribbon page tin can help y'all program your strategy for collecting these.

Pokémon Challenges Provide Endless Fun

With these Pokémon challenges, y'all should never once more go bored with a Pokémon game. Whether you want to replay the journeying with self-imposed restrictions, consummate all of the endgame content a game has to offer, or fill your Pokédex, you lot have something to work towards.

If you're not sure what to play side by side, take a look at our mega-list of all official Pokémon games yous can play today.

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Virtually The Author

Ben Stegner (1808 Articles Published)

Ben is the Editor in Chief at MakeUseOf. He left his IT task to write full-time in 2016 and has never looked dorsum. He's been covering tech tutorials, video game recommendations, and more than as a professional person writer for over eight years.

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