Last time, on The Pokemon Black 2 Hardcore Nuzlocke Written Let’s Play Series Posted During The Month Of April 2026 On The Website www.genericide-blog.com...We almost died; Our Pokemon almost died; Our Pokemon actually died; The Team Plasma organization died; And none of the villains behind it died or suffered any on-screen punishment. Saturday morning cartoon consequences aside, the world was saved!...and we were immediately pushed back into our day job. After trekking to the Pokemon League a great training arc awaited me before I could face my final challenge, but fortunately there wasn’t anything in those many monotonous hours that bears repeating here.
Oh, except Fishif. Fishif died.
Rest in pescatarian.
Yeah, my bad or whatever. While scouring previous areas for every item in preparation, I stumbled into a trainer fight I’d missed before. They had a Darmanitan, who like half the Pokemon in this damn generation has a super min-maxed attack stat, so I didn’t want to risk switching in someone from my final team and them dying to a critical hit. So the humble Fishif, who I’d brought along purely for HM move traversal, got a secondary job of honorary meat shield. My cod-dolences to his fish family, for whom I will be leaving a conciliatory basket of flowers and tuna. Upon reflection, that last part may have been in bad taste. Eh, I already chucked the basket into the nearest body of water, so if and when it’s a problem I’m sure they’ll drift their lawyers upstream.
Now, it’s finally time! The Elite Four, and the final boss that lords above them, must all be defeated in one run, without any PC pit stops to replenish the party. And though this Elite Four only has four Pokemon each, the quality compensates for the quantity. Powerful parties with a plentiful array of coverage moves, which need be deftly navigated to avoid losses before their challenging champion. I’ve perfectly planned which creatures to command to stand against this final five-man band, so please stand and give our heroes a hand!
First up is Porkrop the Emboar. Our porcine pal has persevered since the prologue, while all parallel Pokemon partners have pitifully passed. Fire/Fighting is an excellent offensive typing and matches up well into the Dark-type Elite Four, as well as some of the champion’s team. Due to their middling speed and accuracy our sweltering swine will sit on the bench as backup most fights. But the Wide Lens helps fix their miss chance, and they help fill a void left when previous Fighting-type Jumpmuj jumped off this mortal coil right before the finale.
Second is Noodldoon the Tangrowth. Even before the ill-fated immolation of our first Grass-type Silklis, Noodldoon was already taking down titans with tactical tickles. Its weaker Rock/Ground moves allow it to hit anything un-resisted, but the star of the show is Giga Drain, which heals it for half the damage dealt. Combined with great bulk and respectable speed, these vines are very valuable for outlasting victims, and will see exceptional success against various partial Ground and Water types spread throughout the league.
The final member of our new Fire/Grass/Water trio and our luckiest encounter by far is Nessissen the Lapras. Their STAB Ice Beam will be a key resource for the devastating Dragon-types of the final fight, but the spectacular coverage of Surf and Thunderbolt will also let them counter a huge number of opponents. That said, we’ll want to keep them in reserve for their utility in the finale, and especially the utility of their last move. If you don’t know Perish Song...well, I’ll bring it up if it becomes relevant.
Next up is the incredible iron wall Robobor the Klinklang, who has been absolutely carrying the back half of this run. Steel is easily the best defensive type in Pokemon and even better here, where it resists four out of the final five fights in Psychic, Dark, Ghost and Dragon. This leaves Robobor ample time to stall out opponents with the Toxic/Protect/Leftovers combo we saw on Ghetsis, or to boost up its speed and attack with Shift Gear. It could effortlessly earn the spot of most valuable Pokemon, were it not for competition from…
Shadedahs the Krookodile! Good speed, great attack, amazing Ground/Dark typing and one of the best abilities in the game, Moxie. Dark resists Ghost and is completely immune to Psychic while hitting both types super-effectively in return. Combined with its ability this croc can Crunch its way through countless creatures before they have so much as a chance to chomp back. Keen-eyed readers may have noticed this leaves 3 out of our 5 team members weak to Fighting with nothing to strike back. Which is why our final addition is…
Belleb the Bronzong. After Jumpmuj’s fast Flying-type coverage fell through our fingers, this favorable final encounter gives us a fighting chance against Fighting-types. Its Steel/Psychic typing is neutral against them, but with incredible bulk, defensive moves and Psychic crack-back it should still win the day. Its type and ability also match-up great into other fights like the champion, so long as we keep the bell from tolling for it too soon.
That’s the key with the whole crew, honestly. I’ve assembled an absolutely ace team. I’ve carefully cooked up counters for each combat. I’ve specified stand-ins should any strategy stumble. But you know what they say: Everyone has a plan until they get DynamicPucnched in the face. Failures can cascade, and it only takes a couple consecutive ones for the whole thing to crumble. It should be the perfect team...so long as not too much goes wrong.
Alright fine, one more for old time’s sake.
The Elite Four
Unova is the first region to set a trend that would follow for several generations: The Elite Four can be fought in any order. That means a key part of our strategy is managing risk, starting with the battles that can best be beaten without casualties. In this case, the clear winner is the Psychic-type user Caitlin. As we climb the stairs to her arena, we see another trend this gen started: Elite Four arenas that are just a teensy weensy bit more elaborate than the box-rooms of old.
“I’ve been thinking of sprucing up the furniture in here a tad.”
“Oh sure, tell me what you have in mind and we’ll get a quote from interior decorators.”
“Well first, let’s start with a platform raised several hundred feet above a cylindrical abyss...”
For various reasons, generations 5 and 6 were the peak of this practice. Such spectacular spectacle for a single room is lavishly impractical both in-universe and in terms of work for your artists...but I kind of wish they’d bring it back. Sometimes rule of cool deserves a nod, and the final battles are the best place to go a little wild.
From a crystalline chrysanthemum comes Caitlin, and her crew’s cardinal creature can be confidently crunched by our crocodile. Her Musharna has a moveset of Reflect, Yawn, Psychic, and Charge Beam, which literally can’t damage Shadedahs. The problem is how the AI will react to that. If they stay in and Reflect, it’ll increase their team’s physical defense and make everyone harder to KO. If they put us to sleep with Yawn, that’ll give their party time to come in and clean the croc where their lead could not. And with Ice Beam on Sigilyph and Energy Ball/Focus Blast on Reuiniclus, they have plenty of super-effective means to do so. In the end, I realize my many plans of setting up Shadedahs are over-complicating things.
I am simply going to click Crunch. If I don’t, and they switch out to one of their counters turn one, it could be disastrous. And if they stay in to sleep and set up, I’ll just need to stall and switch in hopes of getting the KO on the right turn. Belleb is a good backup here, with resistances to almost everything and super-effective Shadow Balls to shoot back. But I’m not going to get into more detail than that, because uh...
Beginning to think we’ll be alright.
It’s a Shadedahs sweep! Things went as well as they possibly could, with Musharna switching to Reuniclus turn one. Shadedahs superior speed struck them down, and surprised me with a repeat performance on Sigilyph. They’re naturally a bit faster, but seems I had so many speed EVs I didn’t even have to risk a critical hit. Gothitelle only had one ineffective move against me even if it hadn’t been one-shot. Which leaves Caitlin to clap-back with commentary just a little late.
Well it’s literally impossible for you to win now. So...yeah, complacent’s a word for it.
After all that hype, finishing a fight without literally a single point of damage may seem underwhelming. But that possibility is why we started with this scuffle, and the risk rises rapidly on the others. Since that was Belleb’s second-most important fight, I decide it’s time to take the first and face the Fighting-type user Marshal. I can say for sure our single-handed sweeps stop here, and reason number one is Mienshao.
Marshal’s strongest soldier is stupidly swift and strong, and bears the 130 base power move High Jump Kick. Jumpmuj’s literal namesake back when I thought I could be kicker rather than kickee, there’s no situation I can craft where a High Jump Kick critical wouldn’t one-shot. If we can survive that, we still have to contend with Conkuldurr, the powerhouse who killed my kicker, and Sawk, whose Sturdy ability ensures they’ll get their kicks in. Before all that is lead Pokemon Throh, who seems like a great opportunity for Belleb to set up bulk-boosting Iron Defenses. The one problem is Throh knows Storm Throw (shocker), a move which always critically hits.
Critical hits ignore defense boosts.
Ultimately I still decide it’s worth a boost before I blast them, but just one. No one on Marshal’s team has a super-effective move against Belleb, so Sawk should come in next and I’ll have an easier time setting up on them with a boost already under the belt. I repeat, Sawk should come in after I KO Throh. The AI should go in team order if they don’t have a super-effective move. As far as I know, there’s absolutely no way that the second opponent out should be-
I’m gonna commit High Jump Kick.
Skipping straight to armageddon then! Ultimately, this is just moving up the schedule. For all my time in the lab, we always had to risk a crit here. This just means it will be especially brutal if we get unlucky, as we’ll need to scramble for a solution to the other half of Marshal’s team. Resigned to roll the odds, I lock in Psychic and…
I roll a Q and an overflow error.
I’ve never been so baffled by Bounce. It’s a two-turn Flying-type move that I’d say would tickle Belleb, but that would be an insult to Noodlodoon’s powerful signature technique. High Jump Kick was by far their most damaging move, and Bounce was by far their lowest.
I don’t understand the AI in these games, man.
The bell tolls for Mienshao and out comes Conkeldurr. Here we can employ the strategies I intended to use while setting up on Sawk: Chesto Rest-o. Rest is a move which fully restores your Pokemon’s HP but forces you to fall asleep for two turns. Chesto Berry is a held item that automatically cures you of sleep. With their powers combined, you have one free full heal a fight, even in a hardcore nuzlocke that forbids consumables. And thanks to the doubled defense on my already bulky bell, it’s a simple matter to outlast and blast Conkeldurr into clown-nosed chunks. Though not before Marshal pops in to drop some keen insight.
I just have this mysterious, inexplicable feeling when I’m getting the shit kicked out of me that my opponent might be strong. Who knows why!
Sturdy Sawk is the last leg of the fight to overcome, but Belleb is bruised from its battle thus far. Not wanting to risk a crit when things are otherwise in the bag, I switch to Noodldoon. Though it doesn’t have any advantageous moves, it’s relative bulk and HP-sapping Giga Drain should leave it to finish things off without much risk. How did that strategy work out? Well…
We better be careful, I can only do this 46 more times.
With Marshal mashed into mulch, we’re halfway through the Elite Four. My next target is the Dark-type Grimsley, whose lead Liepard likes to lure foes in with Attract, making damage a dice roll for any of the opposite gender. Luckily gears are genderless, so our non-binary king-klang Robobor can employ good old Toxic to trump any toxic relationships. The question is, can they outlast Liepard’s highest damage move???
We better be careful, I can only do this 8 more...oh wait, I have Protect and Leftovers.
Protecting and healing enough that I literally return to full HP before each hit, there’s no universe where this leopard spots victory. They even burn their healing while we stall the day away, and give me time to set up for the next opponent who I think is going to be Scrafty. But the AI defies team-order yet again and sends out their very own Krookodile. There’s no reason to risk Robobor when I have a cleaner counter to this croc, so Noodldoon hits the field. Its Ground resistance and super-effective Giga Drain make it ideal for wrecking this reptile. Of course, if it gets critically hit…
...we’ll still be fine!
Unlike Ghetsis, my heartbeat was not matching the pace of the hyper-active percussion. I knew our noodle had oodles of defense, and if anything was surprised how even a critical barely slowed them down. So much in fact, that I decided to leave them in as Scrafty hit the field. Sure they had a super-effective Poison Jab, and sure they’d take a few more tires to topple, but it’s nothing our great grass giant can’t take. How close could it be?
Answer: A LIIITTLE closer than I’d like!
Upon review, that last hit from Scrafty was just a few points off of a critical hit KO...in the negative direction, Noodldoon would’ve died. As the kids say, never punished. Last in the line-up is bladed battle ranger Bisharp, who bears brutal coverage and a Dark/Steel typing that’s hard to take down. He doesn’t have anything to stop our Steel types, but they also don’t have anything to topple the Toxic-immune trooper. Which is why I know the perfect thing to secure victory: A bad vocal performance!
I like to think we’re playing this.
Nessissen’s Perish Song is a tricky track perfect for playing to just such an audience. The move automatically KOs anyone who hears it in 3 turns. The AI is smart enough to switch out before their eardrums betray them, but with no backup on the bench Bisharp can’t bounce from this battle. It’s a simple matter for Robobor to stall out the song until the crowd collapses. In lieu of an encore, Grimsley leaves us with some sage wisdom.
Very good Grimsley! Next week we’ll try learning shapes and colors!
There’s a reason I left the Ghost-type Shauntal for last, and its name is Chandelure. This lethal lighting fixture comes equipped with a move-set of Fire Blast, Energy Ball, Psychic and Shadow Ball. Saying these four moves are super-effective against my whole team isn’t quite accurate, because it only needs the first three. And with a supernaturally spectacular special attack of 145, we’re left in a similar situation to Mienshao: A critical hit kills anyone. Since this demonic decoration is also hard to handle in one hit, the obvious answer is Shadedahs building up super-effective Moxie stacks. But the wrench in that plan is her lead, Cofagrigus.
Much like Ghetsis, Shauntal leads with a spooky sarcophagus whose status stuffs set-up strats. But this time the pestilence isn’t poison, but burn, which halves the target’s attack. The only solution is to go in Raw...st Berries. Rawst Berries automatically cure burn, so I toss one on Robobor and Shadedahs. The gears set up Toxic and stall a turn, because the humongous health of this coffin keep it from falling to any move in one blow. Shadedahs switches in, beats a burn, crunches Cofagrigus, and...I mark my mistake.
Mum’s the word, but I think I’m an idiot.
Cofagrigus’ ability Mummy triggers on contact, replacing the opponent’s ability with Mummy. This would be particularly useful for, to pick an entirely random and surely irrelevant example...stopping Moxie. I’m sweating now. Golurk has a super-effective fist waiting for me so it’s likely up next, and I no longer one-shot it. I’ll have to swap to something else, which means that I may have to sacrifice someone when it’s time to face…
...or we could face it now.
In yet another case of the AI confusing me, the chilling chandelier chooses now to hit the field. I suppose it does have a super-effective move, it does deal more damage than Golurk, and it does survive a Crunch from non-Moxie Shadedahs. But that’s the trick: Shadedahs is a Dark and Ground type. Chandelure is a Ghost and Fire type, which means my more powerful Earthquake is also super-effective. So, is the quake qualified to tackle this tacky tinder tub?
I don’t know, is the HP bar SUPPOSED to be gray?
From here we should be in the clear. The Ghost/Ground Golurk is great for gobbling with Giga Drain, so it’s a good thing I’m not paying Noodldoon per appearance. Or at all! But let’s skip the talk of Pokemon liberation, I’m not N-tertaining that while there’s an Elite Four to eliminate! As her closing combatant Driflbim drifts in, Shauntal shuffles on-screen for a quick quip.
“By losing!”
It’s not over until the baleful blimp bursts, but I’m not particularly bothered. Drifblim has Acrobatics, a Flying-type move that doubles in power if you aren’t holding an item. Fun fact: 99% of enemy trainers don’t hold items. You may remember a certain eel using this to ruin my day with a critical hit. But since Steel types scarcely shake at the move, it’s a simple manner to swap in Belleb to finish the-
What.
Why?
I’m getting eel flashbacks in more way than one. Not only did Drifblim ignore the move that did way more damage, it instead chose the move that would be worst for my switch-in, and critically hit on top! The good news is, if you couldn’t tell by my tone, this is far less fatal than our Ghetsis goof. Unless more crits come our way, we still have ample avenues to help this hidenburg to the hereafter.
Looks like they didn’t stand a GHOST...of a chance!
And with that, we have a perfect track record. Every Elite Four member defeated and not a single party member lost. It took tenacious team-building, prudent planning and, let’s be honest, a lot of luck. Not just in avoiding key criticals but in the AI making sub-optimal moves. But I don’t expect that record to stay spotless for long, because the final boss of Pokemon Black 2 is rough. Remember the Hydreigon who was Ghetsis’ strongest soldier? And remember the Haxorus at the end of gym 7 which we planned around and it still killed someone? The champion has both of those.
Only better.
The Champion
Strategies and suspense swirling through my head, I take the trek to the final trial. Unlike the Elite Four, this arena is not suspended above a bottomless pit. You could say that it’s a more humble arena, more laid-back, less flashy and ostentatious.
You’d be lying, but you could say that.
“Well, another 9 to 5 sitting on my 50-foot throne in a stadium-sized planetarium temple carved at the top of the world’s tallest mountain.
...I should’ve brought my Switch.”
It is here that the identity of the champion is finally revealed. The mysterious leader of the Unova Pokemon League. The hidden boss lurking behind the scenes this whole time. One of the most powerful trainers in all the world, and the climactic final battle that caps off this brutally difficult hardcore nuzlocke is…
...Iris!
Oh wow it’s Iris I can’t believe it’s Iris!
...who’s Iris?
Alright, to be fair #1: Iris did appear earlier in the game. In Castelia City we came across some Team Plasma grunts in the sewers, an event I didn’t bother covering because it contributed nothing to the plot. Iris...did not help there, Hugh battled alongside us instead. But she did tell us they were in the sewers so...that’s something?
To be fair #2: Iris also appeared in the original Pokemon Black/White as a gym leader. Well...she appeared as a gym leader in White. In Black she was a minor NPC who was just kinda there.
To be fair #3: Iris appears to have been a major character in the anime, traveling with Ash for most of the Black/White era of the show. The anime hasn’t ever informed the game stories outside of some cameos in Pokemon Yellow, but it is a reason she’s not just a random NPC.
Balance achieved, let’s be unfair: This twist sucks.
The best part of Black/White’s story is the fact that the villain plot resolves at the very end. It’s a climax where everyone returns to push for an over-the-top finale which, after resolving, immediately smash cuts to credits. It rules, but then the sequel is already back to the boring status quo of an apocalyptic B-plot. But if we ignore that, as I did since I’ve known Iris was champion for some time, then this is still underwhelming even compared to other Pokemon champions! Iris’ role in the plot was literally that of a movie extra going “They went that-a-way!”
It’s not like there weren’t places she could appear! Plenty of gym leaders have scenes outside their gyms; Bianca, Cheren and Hugh appear dozens of times between them; there are even important backstory scenes handled by unnamed NPCs like the old woman in Lacunosa. I don’t think this is a nitpick! This is the climax of the story, and our final antagonist doesn’t even flex on some minor villains or leave cryptic hints about their power. Instead the gameplay and visuals carry all the weight, and the writing feels like it’s just spinning its wheels until credits.
Ahhh...was nice to get one more cathartic rant in before we all die.
Iris’ Hydreigon is a special attacker with incredible coverage, similar to Ghetsis’ ace in the original Black/White. It’s yet another case where a crit will kill basically anyone, so although Nessissen is our designated dragon slayer I decide to save them for future threats. Instead, for the first time this Elite Four, it’s finally time to pull a performance from our last member: Porkrop. Our starter can survive a super-effective Surf and crack-back with a hellish Hammer Arm to one-hit KO. All we need is to dodge one critical hit, and one 1% miss chance. It would be extremely, statistically, incredibly unlikely for things to fall apart from this first move. So I click Hammer Arm, and…
I did not lie!
Call ‘em Heracles, because the Hydra is slain! Before our burning boar can bask in the victory, Iris sends out Aggron. Though this Rock/Steel behemoth is quadruple weak to Hammer Arm, I’m not sure if I go first after the previous punch lowered my speed. Once again, no reason to risk it when I’ve got a cleaner counter in the wings, so out comes Noodldoon to easily eat an Earthquake. As we Giga Drain the dense dino dry, Iris stops by to comment.
Then you might want to pop a Tylenol!
Of all members of Iris’ team, Aggron worries me the least. Noodldoon’s got this, but my armored adversary still has an array of strong coverage moves that could leave a dent before it passes. Instead of any of those, it uses Automize, which...makes it weigh less.
Good...good for you man.
But we get back to brutality with the next opponent Druddigon. This dragon may be slow, but boosts its already formidable attack with the power-house combo of Sheer Force + Life Orb. Sheer Force is an ability which causes any moves with secondary effects to no longer trigger in exchange for making them 30% stronger. You may recognize it as the thing that killed Jumpmuj. Life Orb is an item that makes every move 30% stronger in exchange for losing 10% of your own HP each hit. Fun fact about Sheer Force, one of the secondary effects it prevents...is the downside of Life Orb. And only the downside. It’s a combo strange and powerful enough you’d almost think it’s a bug, were it not for the very designers using it in a series that, historically, doesn’t give enemies held items at all.
The bottom line is, someone needs to take a heavy hit. And even if any of my party were lucky enough not to see the dreaded critical, none of them wants to face off against our other foes damaged. The truth is, I’ve always known what the play was here. It’s tragic to say, but there’s one advantage to the last fight in a nuzlocke: You can lose every Pokemon but your last one. There’s an ally who’s weak against every remaining enemy. A Pokemon who’s slow and already damaged. A Pokemon who is the last surviving member of our original three musketeers. In this, the last battle in the game…
We’re sacrificing our starter.
There’s just one, last, tiny glimmer of hope. Porkrop switches in and shrugs off a Flamethrower. The two strongest moves against it are Rock Slide and Focus Blast. Rock Slide has a 10% chance to miss, and Focus Blast has a 30% chance to miss. I lock in one final Hammer Arm…
...and we say bye-bye to the boar.
I salute the swine’s sacrifice and give it a moment of silence...metaphorically, because Iris’ theme isn’t exactly uh, appropriate mourning music. I now have a free switch into any party member, and I know exactly who to choose. It’s time...for one final Moxie sweep.
Shadedahs comes out, and a quick quake defeats the dreadful Druddigon. Shadedahs’ attack goes up. In an ideal world, Haxorus would come out next while we still have the resources to deal with it. But this is not an ideal world, so I don’t even have to look to know Lapras is coming instead. Even at +1 attack, there’s no way I can take this anti-Nessissen down in one hit. But I likewise have juuuust enough bulk to survive their super-effective attacks in return. A critical hit will kill us, but we are past the point of preserving party members. We press the advantage while we have it, and if Shadedahs dies, they die. And so…
…
...we see a critical hit.
BUT NOT IN THE DIRECTION I WAS EXPECTING!
Lapras goes down. Shadedahs’ attack goes up. And just like that, our position went from terrifying to incredible. But even an incredible position could be squandered with what comes next. Iris finally deigns to send out her ace, Haxorus. Just like with Drayden, this deeply deadly dinosaur can Dragon Dance to drive its speed and attack to the stratosphere, allowing it to sweep our team before we can even strike back. It also has a more threatening move-set than before, and more importantly, a Focus Sash. This item allows the wearer to survive any hit at one HP, similar to the Sturdy ability that failed us in our last Haxorus encounter. Combined with Dragon Dance, this allows Haxorus to survive anything and always use that turn to boost itself to beyond legendary levels of power. And right now…
...that’s exactly what we want it to do.
It’s faster than us, stronger than us, and at max HP. We’ve got them right where we want them!
Did you catch it? Haxorus Dragon Dances on the same turn we strike with a double-damage Earthquake. This lets it live on one HP, which prompts the AI to heal it back up to where it started. But there’s one key difference from the rehearsal run of this turn:
It’s already used up its Focus Sash.
And Mold Breaker won’t save it from breaking.
Had we gotten spooked and switched, we would’ve likely lost everything. But since we set up +2 attack beforehand and could one-shot the raptor from full HP, the AI healing becomes a fatal mistake. We have only one Pokemon left standing between us and total victory: Archeops. Strong and absurdly fast, this terror of a pterodactyl can hit hard with STAB Acrobatics. With Moxie making our moves monstrously mighty, we’ll one-shot the ancient aerial enemy if we can just dodge one. More. Critical.
From the move that critically hit Shadedahs at Ghetsis, causing two deaths.
No pressure.
I command my commendable comrade crocodile to commence its conclusive Crunch...and…
We out-speed and kill without risking anything. Um. Congrats?
I was NOT expecting that one. Krookodile has 92 base speed, and Archeops 110. I put my exact speed into a battle calculator for this and determined that even with all the EVs I’d earned throughout my journey I was just a few points slower. Which means that something in Archeops nature or random IVs actually slowed it down just enough for me to beat the bird to the punch. For all the mishaps along the way, in the end, luck was on my side.
And in a way, it feels a bit anti-climactic. But in another, it was the most poetic way it could’ve gone. My two longest-living Pokemon teamed up to take down the champion’s two greatest threats. And the oldest sacrificed everything to give the other the opening for one final, perfect offensive. With that, it’s over. I’ve beaten a hardcore nuzlocke of Pokemon Black 2.
The ending ceremony is about as “understated” as the rest.
Our Pokemon are entered into the hall of fame, get a round of fireworks, and nod goodbye to the people who’s asses we just kicked. Credits roll and it does the trope where they show pictures of all the places you’ve visited on your adventure. It’s a cliché I’m always a sucker for, and this one has both a good song and a fun twist that you’re stopping to party with all the gym leaders on your trip back home. A genuinely good ending sequence that helps an otherwise kind of average story go out on a high note.
...although I did find it funny to see that we only now unlock difficulty options.
Alright, you’ve played at least a couple dozen hours now, we’ll allow you the OPTION to select Easy or Hard.
...and we do mean OR. Gotta gate that behind two games.
Speaking of difficulty options may make you wonder, what next? Will I try the plentiful post-game content? Move on to another Pokemon game to nuzlocke? Start the whole thing over on challenge mode like an insane person?
I did briefly try to continue the nuzlocke into post-game on my own, but not only is the remaining content challenging, the time sink of leveling up a new Pokemon when one dies became excruciating. Maybe one day I’ll return to the post-game, but it won’t be as a nuzlocke. I’ll definitely do more challenge runs of other Pokemon games, but I’ll tell you this: I’m not writing about it!
At least not for a long while. This impromptu series had me publishing more words in a month than I had in the previous five years. On one hand, it was nice to get back into writing for a bit, and do so in a way that actually gets released rather than some draft or design doc that withers away in the corner of my hard drive. On the other hand, my entire life for the past month has basically been this, work, and Slay the Spire 2. I need some time to remember how to interact with other humans. Or play more Slay the Spire 2.
If you’re desperate to hear more of my inane ramblings, a reminder that I did release a free video game with the word count of a lengthy novel. Otherwise, I’ll probably pop back in next April. To conclude, I’d like to leave you with a witty turn of phrase.
I’d like to. I don’t have one.
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