Locked Potential Run

[SilverJakler]

I think I've come up with a new special run for Pokemon games, this time with limiting twist.

Here are the basic rules and guidelines:

1. Once you pick your Starter, you can only use that Starter until you beat a Gym. You can't catch or use anything else.

2. Once you beat a Gym, you can add ONE Pokemon on that Gym Leader's favored type (ie Roxanne = Rock, Jasmine = Steel, etc). Note, you may only add ONE Pokemon on that type, and it has to be the PRIMARY type of that Pokemon, and it has to be the first one of that type you encounter.

3. Elite Four members can also count in the unlocking of a type, but only if you lose the Elite Four challenge and want to add other members to your team. Only the Elite Four members' types you beat before losing can be used.

4. Nuzlocke rules are also optional, but not required. If a party member dies, you can opt to replace them with a different species of that type, or abandon that type altogether, your choice.

5. Your Starter's type is NOT unlocked until you beat the Gym Leader or Elite Four Member of said type. The Starter is the only exception to the rules.

6. For evolutions that completely change the primary type of the Pokemon (i.e. Eevee, Azurill), you must have the type of badge of their current form to catch and use them. And if you want to evolve it into a different type, you must have that evolution's type badge to proceed with the evolution.

*NEW* 7. HM Slaves are allowed, but ONLY for travelling usage, they aren't allowed to battle. In the event you run into a trainer and are down to your HM Slave, either Soft Reset or wait till they eventually K.O. you. So make sure to save often.

Say I choose Charmander in a Kanto game. That means I can only use that Charmander until I beat Brock, and when I do beat him, I can now add a Rock Type Pokemon to my team, whenever I run into one. Then once I beat the next Gym Leader, Misty, I can add a Water Type to my team.

So, tell me what you think. Any questions? If this has been made before, feel free to tell me so.

Edited April 13, 2015 by SilverJakler

[Tomas Elliot]

Cool, but playing through Kanto with Charmander as starter under these rules is kinda a suicide lol. That aside, there is also the fact that many Gym leaders whose types that are not immediately available in their area, which can limit your possibilities quite a bit. And then of course there is the obvious question about Eevee: can you add it to your party and evolve it into, say, Vaporeon, if you have the Water badge but not the Normal one? And what if you have the Normal one but not the Water one?

[Hypa]

as a concept you are gonna make it impossible considering if you chose charmander your gonna catch a rock type such as onix then your gonna face a water type gym ? you are gonna get both pokemon killed game over xD

[SilverJakler]

I just chose the Charmander as the example. Free choice over what starter you use is a must for this run... unless you ARE suicidal and want an impossible challenge like that. As for the terms of Eevee and other such evolutions, that totally skipped my mind. So, for evolutions that completely change the Pokemon's type you'll need the badge of the current form they're in to use them, and to evolve them you need the badge that corresponds to your desired evolution's type.

So you'll need a Normal badge to catch the Eevee and the Water badge to evolve it into Vaporeon, and it can only stay as an Eevee until you have that Water badge.

Edited April 13, 2015 by SilverJakler

[Tomas Elliot]

What about Mega Charizard Ok I get it, thanks

This is actually pretty interesting, I wonder how it would work for Reborn?

[SilverJakler]

What about Mega Charizard Ok I get it, thanks

This is actually pretty interesting, I wonder how it would work for Reborn?

I actually had Reborn in mind when making this up, since the player has the potential to unlock ALL of the types. Though it would be even more challenging due to limited party options.

[Hypa]

and to clarify some pokemon playthroughs don't have gyms specialising in some types such as ghost and dragon

[AuthorReborn]

I feel how it'd fare in Reborn would entirely depend on the skill of the challenger and the starter chosen. You'd be able obtain Electrike/Emolga/Pachu/Pichu after the first gym. Of course it'd be rather difficult with the level cap, so you'd always be over leveled and that would complicate things further. Fire seems like the best type to try it on, tho, as you'd need to beat PULSE Tangrowth (the first one) with only your starter and an electric type... so that seems "fun."

I think I'll try this on HGSS.

Oh, also, I'd like to bring up the topic of HM slaves. It is possible that you will end up not having a proper pokemon to be able to use key moves. Example: Surf.

Also I'll bring up the first gym of Gen V, where the leader has a different type depending on your starter type. I assmue you'd only be able to use the opposite type, although those seeking a somewhat more casual challenge could justify unlocking all three core types (Fire, Water, Grass).

[SilverJakler]

HM Slaves are allowed, but ONLY for travelling usage, they aren't allowed to battle. In the event you run into a trainer and are down to your HM Slave, either Soft Reset or wait till they eventually K.O. you. Basically, save often.

As for the first gym in Black and White, you're allowed to take the Elemental Monkey gift from the Dreamyard and add it to your team. You will only unlock the specific Gym Leader you fight's Type upon victory, but you'll be allowed to keep the monkey on your team.

So, you've probably realized by now that this won't work with EVERY game, only the ones with Gyms of a specific type. So games like XD and Insurgence are out of the picture. Keep that in mind if you attempt to take this challenge on.

[Reno]

Good luck on doing this with Reborn. Going against Julia is like playing poker with RNJesus. One Selfdestruct and it might be Game Over.
Needless to say, you aren't going to be able to overlevel the Gym and you'd have to resort to massive EV training.

Marshtomp with Damp is probably the best, Grass Pokemon with Mega Drains probably do a good job too.

Charmeleon has Dragon Rage. Quilava can spam Defense Curl and Totodile can Flail to victory.
After that, your best bet would probably be Monferno with Nasty Plot sweeps if you can get Common Candy or Rollouts from Pignite.

[AuthorReborn]

Good luck on doing this with Reborn. Going against Julia is like playing poker with RNJesus. One Selfdestruct and it might be Game Over.

Needless to say, you aren't going to be able to overlevel the Gym and you'd have to resort to massive EV training.

Marshtomp with Damp is probably the best, Grass Pokemon with Mega Drains probably do a good job too.

Charmeleon has Dragon Rage. Quilava can spam Defense Curl and Totodile can Flail to victory.

After that, your best bet would probably be Monferno with Nasty Plot sweeps if you can get Common Candy or Rollouts from Pignite.

The main problem with Marshtomp, and why I didn't mention it, is because of the early game gyms and the terrible type match up it would face. Yeah, it'd wreck Julia. But then you'd have to take out PULSE Tangrowth and Florina with only Marshtomp and an Electric type. Not to mention the later Tangrowths to beat.

[Vinny]

Seems like a fun run!

Will try on Vietnamese Crystal :]

[PsychoticPudu]

This seems like a pretty good idea, but what happens in the case of any region not having any specialist(s) of any given type? Can we use them right from the start or we can't use them at all?

Examples: Grass types in Hoenn, Dark types in Kalos, Normal types in Kanto, etc.

[SilverJakler]

This seems like a pretty good idea, but what happens in the case of any region not having any specialist(s) of any given type? Can we use them right from the start or we can't use them at all?

Examples: Grass types in Hoenn, Dark types in Kalos, Normal types in Kanto, etc.

You can't use them at all. You can only use your Starter(s) and the Gym types you unlock.

[Helia]

How about Dual types? Say you have defeated Norman and want a Swellow. Do you have to wait to beat Winona first before you can have it?

[SilverJakler]

Only the Pokemon's primary type is counted in unlocking it. Say you beat the bug Gym Leader, that means if you see a Pokemon like Heracross, who's Bug/Fighting, then you can catch it, as Heracross' primary type is Bug while its secondary type is Fighting. You don't have to have both unlocked to catch a dual type.

[Omega_Ra1der]

Here is an interesting mode called: Heavy Limited mode where you only use your starter type and dual types are allowed when their secondary type is unlocked. Suppose I were to pick an Oshawott, I am only using his type until a dual type who secondary type is unlocked is accessible.