Pokemon Challenges are a fantastic way to inject some excitement into a core concept that has become all-too-familiar over the past 25 years. Players can adopt a number of rules and restrictions to their playthrough to prove to everyone that they truly are the very best like no one ever was. With the release of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, some players may be looking for a slightly more refreshing approach to these Generation 4 classics.
The most popular Pokemon Challenge out there is, without a doubt, a Nuzlocke run. This limits Trainers to catching the first Pokemon they find in an area. Once that Pokemon faints, it is considered ‘dead’ and must be released. It is a heart-wrenching challenge that adds some stakes to a child-friendly format. However, it is also one of the most overdone Challenge runs out there. Here are some Pokemon Challenges for these brand-new games that players may not have considered trying before.
Mono Pokemon Runs
Mono Pokemon runs are a great way of forcing challengers to try Pokemon and new moves they may not have thought about using before. On the other hand, players could just pick their favorite Pokemon and have a great time showering it with love and affection.
That’s right - challengers must try to defeat the Elite 4 without ever using another Pokemon. Most Mono Pokemon runs include the caveat that other Pokemon can be used for HMs because the game would not be able to be completed glitch-free if players could not use Cut or Surf. However, in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, wild Pokemon can use HM moves if the player has the relevant badge, meaning a true Mono Pokemon run is possible.
This Challenge requires a lot of strategy, as every Pokemon has different strengths and weaknesses. Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have Fairy-type moves, which puts Dragon-type Pokemon at a disadvantage in Mono Pokemon runs that didn’t exist in the original Generation 4 games.
In Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, players can finally give HM slaves the respect they deserve by completing a challenge with just one Bidoof.
Shiny Pokemon
An appropriate challenge for Pokemon games called Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, this challenge is exactly what it sounds like. Players must fill the Sinnoh (and in some hardcore cases, the National) Pokedex with the shiny forms of every available Pokemon.
In Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, there is a 1/4096 chance of finding a wild Shiny Pokemon. Whilst this is still incredibly rare, players are nearly twice as likely to come across Shinies in the remakes than they are in the original Diamond and Pearl games, which has a 1/8192 Shiny spawn rate. And yes, this does mean resetting the game every time a regular Starter is picked until it is shiny.
However, there is a way to maximize the Shiny spawn rate to be 1/99 in these new games. The original Generation 4 games introduced a method called ‘chaining’, which makes a welcome return in the remakes. Players who want to take on this massive challenge will first need to beat the Elite 4 and complete the Sinnoh Pokedex. Professor Rowan will give players the PokeRadar, which allows them to locate specific Pokemon in the wild.
Head over to Ramanas Park and talk to Professor Oak, who will install the Chain Counter app on the Poketch. This will help Trainers catch the same species of Pokemon multiple times in a row. The Pokeradar will show Trainers where Pokemon are hiding. Players can then pick a specific Pokemon to chain. As the chain increases, so do the chances of encountering a Wild Shiny Pokemon. Once the player hits 40 on their Chain Counter, the odds will drop to 1/99. Happy hunting!
Trade Only Pokemon
A ‘Trade Only' Pokemon Challenge run limits the expansive pool of Pokemon that Trainers can build a team from. They will only be able to use Pokemon that are available through trades. And before anyone thinks of any loopholes, this Challenge run limits players to in-game trades only, so no getting any mates to trade you an overpowered Legendary.
In Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, this Challenge is given an extra layer of complexity when it comes to Mindy. This ruthless NPC in Snowpoint City will ruin any plans challengers had to adopt a Gengar. She will offer to trade a Medicham for this powerful Ghost-type, which would be a great addition to a team. However, her Haunter is holding an Everstone, which prevents it from evolving. This cruel trick has led to over 16,000 Redditors joining forces and creating a Subreddit dedicated to spreading the word of Mindy's crimes against humanity.
Anime Lineup Runs
This challenge takes inspiration from the characters of the Pokemon anime and games. Players can either pick their favorite TV, movie, or game character, or leave it up to chance and use a random generator. What is important is that they then build their team based on what their chosen character uses
Keeping in the spirit of Generation 4, challengers could take inspiration from the TV series’ Sinnoh League anime. For example, if players wanted to roleplay as Ash Ketchum, they could build a team up of Pikachu, Staraptor, Torterra, Buizel, Infernape, and Gible. And yes, that does mean no Garchomp.
If players choose to take the random route, they could end up as the first Trainer they come across in the game - Youngster Tristan and his single level 5 Starly.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl released for the Nintendo Switch on November 19, 2021.