Hello, and welcome...
Huh? Oh, this isn't something I usually work on, is it?
Well...hmm...how do I explain this? Let's see...ah!
I had originally thought of an idea of a crossover between Strike Witches and Pokémon that would be set in a location like Pokétopia...until I learned more about what a Nuzlocke challenge was. I have an attempt on Diamond version I still need to finish, which is a sort of easy version, but I figured that, as my Diamond run was more of a versus with someone else in my family, I would decide to embark on one by myself.
So I did...not complete yet, but...
Anyways, I will be supplying information at the end of this chapter concerning this challenge as well as updates, so please stay tuned as we begin this storylocke...I hope I used that term correctly...
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Chapter 1: A Hero's Start
Legends.
I've always been curious about how they were made.
They say that there were beings who control time, space, the weather...even a being who possibly created the entire universe.
But...are they real? Is it possible to actually meet them face-to-face? And if so...can humanity handle that sort of power?
...
Right, I should introduce myself: my name's Roland.
I'm not sure if I need to divulge a last name, so I'll spare you the details. Just know the basics: I was born in Kanto and, at the age of ten, I registered to become a Pokémon Trainer, like most kids around my age. I was really optimistic about it when I was younger, and I challenged gyms when I could. Eventually, I reached the Indigo Plateau, where the Elite Four were, and won there, even beating my rival at the time.
However, that was a long time ago...
After I turned twelve, I got tired and...well, things happened to me. Young hopefuls for my title were starting to get tiring, and it took a year after the novelty of being Champion wore thin before someone managed to beat me. Some kid named "Blue". That was about when life decided to screw with me even more: my mom decided to move us over to a new region called Unova.
A chance to start over, she said.
No idea, but I wasn't going to complain too much. I was figuring I would be getting a chance to just let the world I knew be...but sometimes it's those things that you couldn't force away. If I could, I'd never have met any of the people I did along the way, all the Pokémon I met...all the lives that became lost...
I'll start with that fateful morning...
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"So explain to me again really fast," I said as I sat on my bed, staring at two people I had gotten acquainted with about a year ago. I was wearing a pair of green pajamas.
"Professor Juniper decided to hand us a box," one of them, a boy named Cheren, told me. He wore a blue long-sleeved shirt with a white T-shirt underneath. The shirt had thick orange lines along the collar and came together into one going down his shirt. He had a pair of black slacks over his head, held by a black belt with a silver buckle, and blue loafers. His hair looked a bit weird, being normal except for a tuft of hair pointing up and curled. "They contain Pokémon."
"Pokémon?" I blinked. Why is the professor handing us a box of them? What does she have planned for us?
"Isn't that great, Roland?" the second person, a girl named Bianca, asked. She seemed to be wearing a white dress of sorts with an orange vest, yellow flats, and orange socks that seemed to extend under her skirt. On top of her blond-colored hair was a green beret with a white stripe across it horizontally. Hanging to her right side was a green handbag. "I think it is myself. I mean, we get to be Trainers!" She then looked at me. "Well, again in your case."
I sighed. I've known them for barely a year, but I did at least tell them that I had once been a Champion in Kanto. That went...well, a bit unsure there. Bianca thought it was interesting, and to be fair so did Cheren, but probably more for a competitive reason.
"I understand, Bianca," I said as I lowered my eyebrows. Time to address the biggest problem I have at the moment. "Now, if you two don't mind...get out of my room and let me get DRESSED!"
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A few minutes of getting dressed later, and I stood in front of a box that Cheren had placed on my desk. I wore a green vest with a black T-shirt under it, black cargo pants, and white tennis shoes. My black hair was combed neater, though a bit of a curl was around in the front.
"Now why exactly are we getting Pokémon today?" I asked.
"Well, the professor wanted us to help her with something," Cheren explained. "To do that, we need Pokémon."
"Isn't it exciting, though?" Bianca asked me. "We can meet our new partner!"
"I liked my Charizard better," I tried saying.
"Your Kanto license's been expired for a while, Roland, so you're going to have to handle a new Pokémon," Cheren replied. "Besides, it's not the end of the world, is it?"
"...Maybe..." I sighed. "Alright, I'll pick a new one. Can't be too hard to get back into the swing of things."
"That's the spirit!" Bianca shouted with glee. "Since Professor Juniper sent them to your house, why don't you get first pick, Roland?"
I did a double take. "Wait, me? Why not you two? I mean, I've chosen a starter before, so wouldn't it be fair for you to do so first?"
"Actually, I kinda agree with Bianca," Cheren added. "It would be fair to let us choose, but...the professor did send them to your house, so it must mean something."
I sighed and looked at the box. It was blue with a red ribbon tying it closed. Tugging at the ribbon made it give way before I pulled the top off and found three Poké Balls in there, arranged in a little triangle. They even had little nametags in front of each one.
"Tepig...Snivy...and Oshawott," I read. "Well, I get first pick apparently, so..." I picked up Tepig's ball first and looked at it. "Well, I'd think it's a great idea to go with a type I know, but...maybe I should try something different..." I put it back and picked up Snivy's next. "But then again I don't even know what they look like...so..." I put the current ball down as well and stared at Oshawott's. "Welp, I'll choose you." I grabbed it and held it in my right hand, showing I had made my choice.
"Oshawott?" Bianca asked as she grabbed one of them and stuck it in her bag. "I'll take Tepig's then! Here, Cheren, this one's yours!" She then grabbed Snivy's ball and showed it to Cheren, who fixed his glasses.
"I'm supposed to choose, Bianca," the boy said before sighing. "Oh well, I was going to choose Snivy anyways." He took the ball and stuck it into one of his shirt pockets.
"So everyone's got a Pokémon now!" She then stared at the ceiling for a bit before she got an idea. "So that's that! How about we have a Pokémon battle right now?"
"Uh, are you sure?" I asked as I gulped. "We're in my room right now, so..." I wasn't going to like where this was going...
"Oh don't be a worrywart about it! These little guys are weak, so we have to let them battle before they make a mess. So it's settled. Roland, get ready to battle!"
"Wait, what?" I asked.
I then watched as Bianca reached into her bag...and struggled to pull out the Poké Ball she had shoved in there not even a few minutes ago before getting it out. She then threw it into the air before it opened and revealed...a sort of pig.
...Don't ask how I know what a "pig" is, but it's one. You want a closer description, it'd be a Spoink or something, I don't know. I only heard about it, not seen one!
The pig was orange with a black stripe around it and a curly tail with an orange ball at the end.
"Okay, here we go then..." I said uncertainly as I tossed mine up and watched it open to reveal a blue creature with a white head, kind of furry all over. It looked a bit like a Bidoof on two legs, and it was holding a shell of some kind in its hand.
...I know from experience that these starters are color-coded to represent an element: Tepig seemed to be Fire-type while Oshawott was Water-type. They're also only able to attack with a Tackle or Scratch command.
Well, this is going to take a while...
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A few minutes later (and a battle with Cheren added to the bill), and I was busy staring in shock at the state of my room.
Apparently, after Bianca's battle, it turned into a pigsty (something she was surprised at when Cheren asked her to look around). Luckily, Cheren kept it from getting worse, though he and Bianca were now downstairs in order to apologize to my mom for making the mess in the first place. Which left me and my new partner.
I sighed and, looking at Oshawott, said, "I better go down and make sure Cheren and Bianca are alright." I went over to the stairs leading down into the living room before stopping and turning around to address Oshawott. "Well, we're in this together, so ready?"
Oshawott nodded its head and followed me downstairs, where I found Cheren and Bianca talking to my mom.
"...clean it up later," she told them (I must have popped in towards the end of the conversation). "Shouldn't you three be on your way to meet Professor Juniper?"
"Yes, thank you!" Cheren told her politely. "Please excuse us. Come, let's go thank the professor." He started to leave before he turned and looked at me. "I'll be waiting in front of the Pokémon Research Lab."
Bianca must have remembered something before she exclaimed, "Wait, I need to go home first!" To Mom, she added, "Thanks so much for having us over!" She and Cheren then left the house.
Soon, Mom came up to me.
"Oh my, Roland," she greeted me. She seemed to be wearing a gray sweater and gray skirt with a sort of hair band on top of her head. "Pokémon battles sure are lively, aren't they?"
"Mom, I've been a Trainer before," I replied simply. "This was the first time I actually had one in my room, that's all."
"Right, I know, sweetie. But your Pokémon do need to rest after a battle like that. Take a little break before you go off to the lab and pack up really quick. I'll keep an eye on your new partner." She then looked down at Oshawott. "Hmm...are you going to give him a name?"
"I don't know what Oshawott is right now. I'll have a name ready by the time I leave town, though."
Mom chuckled. "Alright, then. Don't forget to take your 'cross-transceiver' with you."
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It took a few minutes to pack up some essentials, including change of clothes, a toothbrush, some pencils, and a few notepads, but I was soon heading off to the lab with Oshawott safely in its Poké Ball.
Closing the door behind me, I strapped my saddle bag on tighter before seeing Bianca straight ahead. I was about to ask her why she was standing there when she started walking away. Curious, I followed her to a house. I guess it was her house because she stepped inside.
Walking over to the door, I saw that it was open a crack. Now, I wasn't usually an eavesdropping sort of person, but I started hearing some voices.
"No, no, a thousand times no!" I heard a male voice shout first. That sounded like her dad.
"But, I'm..." Bianca tried. "I'm a good Trainer who got a Pokémon and everything! I can totally go on an adventure!" I then watched as the door opened, and I could see Bianca standing there, her face looking...distressed. "Oh...hey, Roland..."
"Everything fine?" I tried. "I mean, you were standing in front of my house still when..."
"It's okay. It's fine. I'll be waiting for you in front of the lab, okay?" She then bowed politely and moved past me.
Hmm...from what I recalled about her family, her father didn't really seem to like the idea of his daughter being a Trainer or traveling. Something about not knowing anything about the world. Her mom was more understanding of the situation, simply passing it off as him being "overprotective".
Me? Might make that a bit of a jerk, personally.
"Boy, why are you standing there for?" Bianca's dad asked me. "Don't you have some adventure to go on with my daughter?"
I blinked. "Uh, yeah. Sorry, just..."
"Just what?"
"...I should go..." I closed the door and hastily walked to the lab, hoping to catch up to my friends.
I should ask Bianca about the situation more...
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"What took so long?" Cheren asked me as I arrived at the lab, out of breath. "You look like you ran a mile."
"You know how hard it is to power-walk?" I retorted. "Anyways, let's head inside and see the professor."
"Alright."
We stepped inside and soon found Professor Juniper standing there. I remembered reading an article about some of her work (have to remember which one...), so I was a little familiar with who she was.
"Hello, I've been waiting for you three," she told us kindly. "Let me reintroduce myself again..."
"Could we please not?" I asked. "I mean, we know you're Professor Juniper, so..."
"Come, come, Roland!" I think she looked a little pouty. Just a smidgen. "This isn't a time to take things lightly. Today's a day to remember, so it's best to behave with some formality."
"Roland's done this before..." Bianca tried.
"I know, Bianca. Champion of Kanto at the age of ten, retired. His license did expire, though, so until he gets there to renew it, I'll assume he's a newcomer. Anyways, I am Professor Juniper and I am researching when and how the creature we know as Pokémon came into existence." She looked at each of us and looked surprised. "Oh, that's strange! You three already had a few battles. Maybe that's why...I guess your Pokémon have already begun to trust you. Speaking of, have you thought of some names for your Pokémon?"
"Yeah," Cheren told her.
"Same here," Bianca added.
"...I'm not sure..." I admitted. "I've been trying to think of one, but...I don't know if mine's a male or female..."
"Hmm...let me see your Oshawott," Professor Juniper told me. I handed her Oshawott's ball and watched as she called it out into the open. She then knelt down and looked at it carefully. She then looked at me and said, "I'm not sure, but let me try something..." To Oshawott, she added, "Okay, Oshawott, I want you to wave your right arm if you're a boy or your left if you're a girl."
"What is that supposed to..." I watched as Oshawott waved her left arm.
"You're a girl?" Oshawott nodded her head. "Well, there's your answer."
...That was so simple...why didn't I think of that?!
The professor recalled Oshawott back into her Poké Ball and handed it back to me before saying, "Now that that's settled, I gave you all Pokémon for..."
"The PokéDex, right?" Cheren tried.
"PokéDex?" Bianca asked, confused.
"I'm astonished you knew that, Cheren!" Professor Juniper said. "Good job! You've already studied Pokémon extensively, haven't you? Still let me explain everything from the beginning for everyone else's...well, Bianca's sake." I guess she knew that I got my Charmander from Professor Oak and as such must have already known what she was talking about.
Because I already knew this, I chose to tune out the professor's speech and tried thinking of a good name for Oshawott.
I don't know too many good female names, strangely enough. And I usually don't give my teammates nicknames, but...it does help if I encounter a Trainer using a Pokémon I already had...
I think the professor said something because I could hear Cherena nd Bianca telling her "Yes."
"Same here," I said absent-mindedly.
"Thanks so much," Professor Juniper told us as I refocused on her. "You gave the best possible answer. Now, let's see..." She looked around and found some PokéDexes for us, handing us each one. I took a quick look and noted that it looked a bit like a thin brick...or something.
She then asked us to meet her at Route 1 before leaving. Something about catching Pokémon.
"S-since the professor asked us, it's okay to go on an adventure, right?" Bianca asked us timidly. "I can explore and maybe find what I want to do in life. I think I'd like that."
"Of course," Cheren replied. "We can travel however we like while we complete the PokéDex."
"Well, I'm going to head over to Route One and see what the professor wanted," I told them. "I'll meet you there."
Stepping outside, I heard my friends following behind me as I looked at my mom, who was standing just outside.
"Oh, there you are!" she said. "So...what did the professor have to say?"
"She asked us to complete the PokéDex," I replied.
"She did?! I can't believe it!"
...She doesn't really seem to remember what I did as a Trainer a lot, does she? "Uh, yeah, same here..."
"Well, I already knew she would. That's why I came over to give you three Town Maps." She handed each of us a map, and I stored it in my backpack for now. "Oh, and don't worry about your room...or what's left of it. I'll tidy everything up. You three be safe and have fun on your adventure. I'll be sure to let your parents know."
Parents? As in Cheren's and Bianca's as well? "Okay..."
As we watched Mom leave, I glanced at each of them and asked, "So...Route One now?"
"Yeah," Cheren replied.
"Let's go, let's go!" Bianca said as she started walking to the route, Cheren behind her. I followed behind closely until they came to a stop.
"Why'd you stop, Bianca?" Cheren and I asked her.
"Well...I was thinking..." Bianca looked at us. "I wanted us to take our first steps on this adventure together! And what better place than right here on Route One?"
"...Your house?" I tried.
Bianca gave off a sort of whine. "Roland, I don't mean that!"
"Alright, alright." I held my hands in front of me to calm her down. "I'll do it if Cheren's willing to as well."
"Sure," Cheren replied. "Shall we?"
We stood together, side by side, as Bianca started counting.
"One!" she said.
"Two!" I thought about the sort of things I might see and the Pokémon I might be able to capture.
"Three!" We started walking onto Route 1, heading towards Professor Juniper. "Oh, this is so exciting! I wonder what'll happen! Don't you two agree?"
"Sure does feel like that!" Cheren replied.
"Feels awkward a bit..." I admitted. "Still, it's better than starting off on my own. Thanks, Bianca."
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And there goes the first steps into my solo Nuzlocke adventure. Not quite perfect, but it does seem manageable at the very least...
Now, first off I better start with an update schedule: I can't guarantee having a consistent update time at the moment seeing as I have my two series to work on along with some other stories that are behind them in priority, but I will be sure to ensure that I avoid leaving no updating for around...three months or so? Let's just say around a month each, two max if I forget or get swamped.
Next, the rules: these are non-negotiable...except for one of them, which you'll see. Here they are:
Nuzlocke Rules (Black)
Main Rules
1) If a Pokémon faints, it is out for good. (This is obvious, for those who are veterans of Nuzlockes or are performing one.)
2) I may only catch the first encounter in each new area. If I KO it or it runs away, I lose the ability to catch any other Pokémon in the area. As far as trades and gifts are concerned, they will count for an encounter, so the Pansear/Pansage/Panpour you're given for Cilan/Cress/Chili counts for the encounter for the Dreamyard.
2.5) Nicknames must be given to all Pokémon except for trades, seeing as you can't rename traded Pokémon from my last memory of playing a Pokémon game.
Additional Rules
3) Species/Dupes Clause: If a Pokémon I have already captured is encountered, it does not count as an encounter. This only applies if I have the Pokémon in question alive still; if not, then I am free to capture it as it is one I don't have anymore. An example is that I may not catch a Patrat if I have one already, but I may catch a Watchog provided that Patrat I caught hasn't evolved.
4) Rules are not officially enforced until I have acquired Poké Balls.
5) Battle style will be set to "set".
6) Defeated Pokémon will be permanently placed into the PC Box as a sort of graveyard. The boxes used will be separate from the ones used to house any extras caught. Also, I will be sorting them based on their cause of death (KIA for anyone who dies from an attack; Burned for those who are wiped by the Burnstatus effect; Poisoned for those killed by poison damage; and Guardians, for those who died taking a hit for a teammate).
7) For the story's sake, there will be three "revives" to act as "second chances". However, I will not use it unless I feel that the Pokémon that fell is still needed (or in the event that you guys want me to keep it around). Revived Pokémon will be marked with a star and are ineligible for revivals afterwards (meaning that if it goes down again #1 in Main Rules will be in effect for it and it is gone for good). This is the rule I'd like to see what your opinion on the matter is; I understand wholeheartedly that Nuzlockes are meant to have anyone die at any time, but for a story I think it'd be nice to see if a fan favorite should pull through. I will figure out a system if no one objects to this rule, but the addendum of only one revive each is so I can't have a Pidove get killed three times, for instance. Well, four if I use the three revives on it and then let it get killed once more.
So those are the rules. I will make this story a SWxPokémon, but any mentions of Witches will not be made until later in the story. There will also be a Witch coming into the story before I take on the Striaton City Gym, so please take some guesses on who you'd think will be the first one introduced.
Anyways, let me know what you think of this chapter as well as any advice you've got going into this adventure. As of right now, I have four Pokémon that you'll be meeting before I beat the Striaton City Gym, including my starter, so hang in there. Once the story catches up to my game progress, I will resume it and be able to utilize advice from you guys, so for now let me know about anything you think I should be aware of without completely spoiling game events.
Thanks, and let the tales of the Wizard of Unova commence!
Current stats:
My Party:
1) "[REDACTED]" - Oshawott (F)
Badges: 0/8
Deaths/Total Pokémon Owned: 0/1