# Nuzlocke Rules

## Core rules

1. If Pokemon faints, it's considered dead and needs to be released.
2. Every Pokemon has to be nicknamed. Pick a theme for nicknames.
3. Only first eglible encounter in any single area (by save screen area name) can result in caught Pokemon. Failing to catch a Pokemon means no other Pokemon can be caught.
4. Game is over when player has no more usable Pokemon.
5. Game is won after finishing Episode RR and defeating either Red or Blue in Battle Tree.
6. Key battle clause: blackout during battle against Lusamine, champion battle against Hau, battle against any of Team Rainbow Rocket bosses or against Red/Blue equals game over.

## Items clauses

1. In trainer battles no menu items can be used. Held items are free to use, outside further limitations.
2. In wild Pokemon battles only Adrenaline Orb and Pokeballs (any type) can be used.
3. EV grind exception: if SOS chaining for EV training (active pokemon has matching `Power ???` item equipped and wild Pokemon is at least 5 levels lower), healing items can be used.
4. Z-move restriction: no Z-moves can be used before obtaining Groundium Z.
5. Endgame Z-move restriction: after obtaining Groundium Z, status (`Z-<movename>`) Z-moves and signature Z-moves are allowed to be used. Limit to one Z crystal held by party at any time.
6. Unique item clause: two Pokemon can't have same held item. Exception is EV training items for time of EV grinding and items obtained by Thief/Switcheroo, until end of the battle.
7. Using Mega stones is allowed.
8. No items can be transferred from outside save. This includes out-of-game gift Pokemon and item trades.
9. Using Mantine Surf to gring BP is allowed, the minigame is awful enough to be a punishment on its own.
10. Ability capsules are allowed.

## Pokemon catching clauses

1. For purposes of determining Pokemon species, Alola Dex number indicates species. Evolution family indicates species and every species that shares Pokemon in same evolution line.
2. Duplicates clause does not apply. First encounter is eglible for catching regardless if it's a duplicate or not.
3. In case of SOS battle in first encounter, first Pokemon of any appearing species is eglible for catching. It is allowed to SOS chain first encounter to obtain SOS-only Pokemon, but only first occurence (by moment of appearing) of a given species during encounter is eglible to be caught.
4. Pokemon that can't be caught due to game restrictions (during trial etc.) do not count as encounter for catching purposes.
5. Army of Gumshoos: if a player obtains 6 Pokemon of said species, it's allowed to form a party out of those Pokemon and use them to catch first encounter in same area this species or evolution family shows in. Same evolution family as the one used to find said Pokemon can be freely skipped while. All 6 Pokemon are to be released afterwards.
6. Shiny clause: choice variant. When finding shiny Pokemon, it can be caught and replace previous encounter in same area - previous encounter for this area needs to be released.
7. Special areas: in Ultra Space player can catch one Pokemon appearing in Alola Dex and one without Alola Dex number. Other encounter rules still apply. All Ultra Space is considered single area.
8. Egg hatch rule: area of origin for Pokemon hatched from egg is area the egg hatched in. If egg is hatched in area where encounter was already used, egg is to be released.
9. Gift Pokemon rule: same rules apply as for egg hatch, with encounter area being area where Pokemon was received. For Poipole purposes, Ultramegalopolis is considered Ultra Space.
10. Static encounter rule: before entering area player may declare known static encounter as ineglible for catching. Such declaration can't be changed afterwards.
11. Not again: before game starts, player can declare up to **5 species** of Pokemon as ignored for catching purposes. Those Pokemon can never be caught, and are considered not eglible encounter at any point in game. This includes shiny Pokemon and gift Pokemon (any gift Pokemon of said species needs to be relased).
12. Species clause: with the exception of #5 or temporary time between catching/evolving Pokemon and reaching PC, two Pokemon of same species can't be part of active team at the same time.
13. Ingame trades are allowed assuming they follow all other rules. Encounter area for received Pokemon is considered encounter area for Pokemon sent in trade.
14. Legendary Pokemon, Tapu, Solgaleo etc. are eglible for catching and using. Active team is limited to maximum of two legendary Pokemon at a time. Legendary is any Pokemon in Undiscovered Egg group that can't further evolve and doesn't have Beast Boost ability.

## Levels, evolutions and trade exceptions

1. Soft level limit - average team level can't be more than 1 above higest level of next key story fight highest Pokemon level, with highest individual Pokemon level not being more than 2 above average limit.
2. In case of next fight having lower level limit than any previous fight, use higher of two values.
3. All methods of evolving, including trade evolutions and item trade evolutions are allowed.
4. Signature move clause: if Pokemon signature move (a move that is available only to one evolution family among Alola Dex) would be available only by using Move Relearner, it is allowed to trade the Pokemon with a Heart Scale to get the move learned if highest level requirements for the move by Bulbapedia are met (so if move is learned at level 1 and 50, Pokemon needs to be at level 50) to have the move learned. This restriction does not apply for using Move Relearner directly in game. Example of signature moves are: Shadow Bone (Alolan Marowak), First Impression (Golisopod). Held Heart Scale needs to be used to learn the move.
5. Clock clause: if evolution requires specific time of day, it is allowed to trade Pokemon to second version of the game while holding Rare Candy to evolve it immediately using held Rare Candy.
6. Version exclusive clause: before the run starts, player might appoint any game exclusive evolution lines that will be swapped with second version of the game. This swap is unreversable. When player catches game exclusive to be swapped, new egg should be bred using random first catch ditto from Mount Hokulani and any non-hidden ability parent from second version, and then traded for caught Pokemon. Encounter location for this egg is considered as encounter location for originally traded Pokemon regardless of where it hatches.

## Various clauses

1. Pokemon Refresh is disallowed with the only exception of obtaining Sylveon - by either manually gaining two stages of affection or using single rainbow PokeBean.
2. EXP share is to be disabled during trainer battles and totem challenges. EXP share is allowed for wild Pokemon EV/EXP grinding.
3. Breaking the rules (by accident or intentionally) means all affected Pokemon are to be released after offending fight. Usually this means releasing entire active party. Intentional rulebreaking (like to obtain rewards for showing damaging Z-moves) are fine, given consequences are met.
4. No BS clauses. Not planning around getting multiple crits/flinches etc. in a row is taking a risk, no mercy if RNG ends up being hostile. Deaths during grind are considered deaths. Game should be saved as soon as possible after every catch eglible encounter and death - reset to prior state due to any circumstances (including accidents) is to be treated like a rulebreaking.