Pokemon: Nuzlocke

A/N: Pokemon is owned in its entirety by Nintendo, Nintendo of America, and its subsidiaries. This work of fanfiction is not meant to impugned upon any trademarks or copyrights. Please support the official releases!

A/N 2: Please read this warning! This story will not use the same game mechanics as my other story. The main character here is not Kll from Dragonball: RPG Rebirth, this story isn't connected in any way other than it's a Life RPG game.

Chapter 1: The fuck's a Nuzlocke?

The crowd around me cheers, screaming my name, chanting for my victory. My opponent, a boy I almost recognize, paces back and forth in his box. He reaches down to his waist, grabbing one of the small Pokeballs hanging there, plucking one that expands to full size. My eyes narrow as I reach down, snapping one from my own belt. We reach back, throwing our Pokeballs into the arena at the same time, as the lights brighten around us. The crowd roars, as a massive shadowy creature explodes out of his Pokeball, landing in the center.

"Go Needle!" I yell, pointing into the ring.

'Wait...Needle? No...no, not Needle!"

Needle the Weedle quickly scurries out further into the ring, arching back to look at the hulking monstrosity that was the shadow monster. The large mass of shadows lifts it's giant leg, clearly intending to stomp down onto my Weedle. As the leg falls, my eyes snap shut so I don't have to see my friend die...

"N-Needle! Needle!" I mumble.

"Billy...Billy wake up!" I hear off to my side.

My eyes snap open, as I jerk up into a sitting position. My heart is pounding as I gasp for breath, sweat pouring down my brow.

"Are you okay Billy?" I hear beside me.

"Yeah, sorry…" I reply, not daring to look over at Jessica.

"Bad dreams again?" She asks.

"Yeah…" I whisper.

"I'm sorry, Billy." She replies, rolling back over.

I shrug, laying back down in my sleeping bag. The dark forest around us fills with a slight breeze, the air chilled by the night. I frown, trying not to think about what had happened. Of course, it'd be the only thing I can think about...

I was 28, working a slow job in the accounting department of a real estate developer. Not my favorite job, but the money was fantastic. The weekend was coming up, yet I was laying in bed restless, worried about spreadsheets. Spreadsheets! I finally managed to fall asleep, after tossing and turning for another hour, quickly drifting into what I felt was a dream. I had lucid dreams in the past, so being aware of an infinite black void wasn't a new thing to me. I willed myself to move around, or appear elsewhere, but nothing seemed to work.

Right as I was beginning to think I needed to try to wake up, everything flashed bright white several times. Everything faded out, until I found myself at what could only be described as a title screen.

Life RPG: Beta

New Game+

Options

Credits

"Fuck."

After going through all the options, it was pretty obvious to me that I had died. Probably all the shit food I ate while working late nights at the office. Though, doctors now say sitting while working is the new 'cholesterol'. Either way, I had died, and life was a massive video game that was in Beta. Having finished a playthrough, I now had the options for a New Game+, which let me select a massive amount of options and universes, some of which I didn't even recognize.

World Selection:

Standard:

Live out an everyday life in a normal world! Be the person you want to be!

Fictional: (Now Available!)

Choose from one of many different fictional worlds to be a part of! Play through that worlds canon storyline, or even make your own!

Custom: (Not Available in Beta)

Choose from many different customizations to make a brand new world to play in!

God Mode: (Not Available in Beta)

Play as God in any of the previous worlds!

I ignored the ones for Harry Potter, Naruto, Dragonball, and countless others. Reaching out, I tap on the title card for Pokemon: Nuzlocke, and after answering that I was sure, the menu changed before my eyes. As a Beta tester, I received a bunch of points that I could put into my 'Character' and get access to special options. Most seemed particularly useless, but I did sink all of my points into Game Player, and Advanced Start. I mean really, who would want to play AS a Pokemon?

Game Player

For you, life is a game! While within the world of Pokemon, see everything around you as a game. See Stats, Exp, rare items, and much much more! Level alongside your Pokemon, and learn new skills as they do!

Advanced Start

Choose from a multitude of options prior to the beginning of play.

After finalizing my selection, a bunch of options popped up for me to choose from. Things like background, family life, location, and options to make starting out easier. There was a limit to what I could choose, based on a points system. Keeping under the limit, I chose to have a good family, a nice starting cash bonus, selecting all Pokemon generations, and electing to start out in Kanto. Another reply that I was sure about my choices and everything fades away, leaving me in deep, deep black.

I'll be the first to admit I didn't know much about Pokemon. I played some of the games as a kid, but when they started getting revamped, and overly complicated, I moved on to other games. I'd touched back on them now and then, dabbled a bit in the Pixelmon Mod for Minecraft. I was never an expert, I wouldn't even say I was all that good at it. Yet when I died and found out that life was a video game, of course, I selected the option to restart life in the Pokemon world.

Let's be honest here; Who in their right mind would choose Naruto? People die constantly there! Pokemon, though...It's a children's game! A fantastical world filled with mystic creatures that could be your best friends. A fresh start, a new adventure! A place that working hard, training hard, and giving it your all could make you the best. I didn't know what I was getting myself in to...

I'd really regret not knowing what a Nuzlocke is.

My eyes snap open to the sound of a Pidgey alarm going off on my side table. I roll out of the small bed, landing hard on the floor, gasping for breath.

"Holy shit...it's real," I whisper, looking down at my small hands.

"Billy! It's time to get up! You need to leave in an hour if you want to make it to the Pokemon Center in time!" I hear a female voice call, from down the hall.

I stumble to my feet, my smaller body a little off-putting. I carefully make my way out of the bedroom, still in my pajamas, and work my way down the hall. Going through an open doorway, I find myself in the kitchen, staring at the back of my mom. She must have heard me coming as she turns around, frying pan in hand.

"Sit and eat, Billy! You need to shower before you go, and you're on a time crunch as it is!" She orders, quickly shoveling fried eggs on to the plate at one of the seats at the table. I move over and sit down, quickly eating the hot food. I look around, studying the new world around me.

"Are you okay? You're normally talking a mile a minute. Are you sick?" She asks, walking over to feel my forehead.

"What? No!" I squeak out, "I mean, no, I'm fine. Just nervous I guess?"

"Oh, honey...It'll be okay! Everyone feels nervous on the day they start their Pokemon Journey. Just do your best, and you'll do great!" She crows, as she sits down to eat as well.

We talk about a few small things, as I finish eating, and then make my way back towards the bedroom. I grab a set of what seems like normal clothes, and head to the bathroom. A quick shower, and I'm dressed, standing in the living room.

"Here's your backpack, and C-Gear!" My mom says as she passes everything to me. "I've packed everything I think you'll need to start out. If you find yourself needing anything, I deposited an extra $4000 in your Pokebank. Don't hesitate to stop by a Pokemart if you need anything, or even trade with other Trainers, alright?"

I nod along with everything she says, before she grabs me in a hug, telling me she loves me and then rushing me out the door. As I pass through the front door, the world slows to a halt around me, greying out.

Welcome to the world of Pokemon: Nuzlocke!

We thank you for your participation, and we hope that you enjoy your time here.

Be sure to check the options menu to adjust the world around you, look for hints and tips, and keep your eyes open for opportunities!

The world snaps back into focus, and I stumble slightly as it paused while I was midstep. With a thought, the floating alert fades away. I nod in satisfaction, taking in the world around me for the first time. A large city spreads out around me, the noise almost reminding me of home.

'Where am I?' I wonder, looking around.

After walking around for a bit, I start to panic that I won't find the Pokemon Center.

"Shit...should I ask someone?" I think out loud, looking around for someone that looks approachable.

I see a younger kid walking a bit down the street, so I start heading in his direction to ask for directions. As I start to finally catch up, my backpack starts to bing and vibrate.

"What?" I say, as I stop and pull it off.

I open the pouch that seems to be making the noise, and pull out what my mom called a 'C-Gear'. It looks like a mix between a watch, and a phone, so I tap it. A panel on the side slides out, showing my own face, while the main screen lights up and my mom appears.

"Billy, did you make it to the center yet?" She asks.

"Uh, almost there!" I reply, looking around frantically.

"You'd better hurry! Call me when you've chosen your first Pokemon!" She replies, before ending the call.

I tap around the different options in the C-Gear, before finally finding a map.

"Oh, I'm in Celadon!" I exclaimed, getting weird looks from several people passing by.

I flick through a few options before it builds me a path to the Pokecenter, much like Google Maps would. I take off at a sprint, hoping I can make it in time.

I walked swiftly through the doors of the Pokemon Center and found myself at the back of a small crowd. Most of them were kids around my age, so I assumed they were here to get their Pokemon as well. As the time on my C-Gear finally clicked over to 9 am, a speaker somewhere came on.

"All new Trainers here for orientation, please proceed to meeting room A!" A voice announced.

I follow the small crowd that was being ushered along by two Nurse Joys and was quickly led into a large auditorium of sorts. I find a seat near the back and sit down, dropping my backpack to the floor in front of me. I take the time to look around the room while I wait for everyone else to file in. It didn't take too long, and once everyone was seated a middle-aged guy walked swiftly on to the stage.

"Hello, Trainers!" He called out, his loud voice easily heard across the room. "I am Professor Olive, and I work at the Oak Research Facility. As you all know, you're here today to get your first Pokemon, and prepare for your own Pokemon Journey!"

The kids all murmur excitedly, barely able to sit still as he continues.

"Today is a special day for you, and I really can't wait to get you all started." He says as the screen on the wall behind him lights up. "We have 14 different Pokemon for you to choose from today. All have been bred at our research facility, and each one is just a few days old. Don't worry though! Each may be young, but they are still quite strong. With some training, you'll be fighting in the gym circuit before you know it!"

As the screen behind him fills with different pokemon, he continues. "In just a moment, for those that have a C-Gear, you'll receive a list of those Pokemon to choose from. If you do not have a C-Gear, never fear! My assistant will be coming by shortly to pass out Poketch. They are an older generation, but we don't want anyone getting lost out in the wilds. Please consider them a gift to begin your journey!"

'That's actually pretty cool of them.' I think, as two assistants pass them out.

My C-Gear lights up, showing a short list of Pokemon to choose from. Quite a few of them I don't recognize or remember at all. I consider getting the Pichu, but I think taking a baby Pokemon would be a bad start. After flipping through each Pokemon, I start to realize that each one has two further evolutions, which follows the normal start Pokemon trend.

'Hmm...Do I want a flying type? It'll eventually be big enough that I can fly around on it…' I think, going back over the choices. 'I doubt HM Fly would be a requirement.'

After thinking it over for a bit more, trying my best to remember everything I can about Pokemon that can be found within Kanto, I choose my Pokemon, click accept, and look back up at the front stage. After a few minutes, it seems that everyone has chosen their Pokemon, as the Professor makes his way back on stage.

"It looks like everyone has finished choosing! When your name is called, please meet my assistant by the side door. They will have your Pokemon and will show you how to register them. Thank you again for joining us today, and good luck!" Professor Olive says, before making his way off stage.

I pull my backpack off the floor in front of me where I had set it down and start going through the contents. My mom had packed me three sets of clothes, a rather nice sleeping bag, a foldable shovel, two boxes of matches, and several other small nick nacks. There are also 10 Pokeballs and a Pokeball belt. I slip the belt on, placing five shrunken Pokeballs in their notches while I wait. I hear my name finally called, so I quickly start shoving everything I pulled out back into my bag.

"One second, sorry!" I call back, forcing everything back into place, and closing the backpack.

I jump up and quickly make my way over to the side door where the assistant is waiting.

"Hi, sorry about that!" I tell her, once I'm close.

"No worries!" She says, smiling warmly. "Here is your chosen Pokemon."

As soon as she sets the tiny Pokeball in my hand, the world once again freezes around me.

Hint!

You're playing a Modified Nuzlocke, which requires you to name any and all Pokemon you catch, trade for, or receive. The only exemptions are Pokemon caught for other people, Pokemon bred for sale/trade, and Pokemon that are temporarily a part of your team.

'The fucks a Nuzlocke?' I think, reading the prompt over again.

I shrug before swiping the prompt away with a thought, time snapping back into motion again. She shows me how placing the shrunken Pokeball against the C-Gear for a moment registers it's ownership to me and explains a few smaller details. I thank the assistant, before quickly making my way out of the room, and out of the Pokemon Center. As real as this has all seemed to me so far, I can't pretend my heart wasn't pounding in my chest. My stomach felt like it was filled with butterflies, as I turned a corner, spotting a small park I had seen on my mad dash to the Center. I jog over to it, the small Pokeball still clutched in my hand. As I hit the grass, I press the small button on the front expecting it to expand. Instead, a small prompt pops out.

WARNING!

This Pokeball contains an unnamed Pokemon, and thus can't be sent out! Please name your Pokemon before trying to send them out!

Frowning, I pull open my C-Gear, which contains the information for the registered Pokemon. Tapping on it, I quickly find the section to name it. I frown again, trying to think of a name that would fit, before shrugging and going with my first thought. After clicking accept, I again hit the small button on the Pokeball, which expands in my hand.

I reach back, tossing the Pokeball about eight feet in front of me, where it pops open in mid-air, a red energy leaping out. "Go, Odin!"

The red mass of energy forms quickly into a tiny creature, no more than a foot tall and about 15 to 20 pounds. As he forms, his small feet landing softly in the grass, my heart which was already pounding reaches a fever pitch.

"It's real...I'm a Pokemon Trainer," I whisper, staring down at Odin.

"Nidoran?" He asks, staring back up at me.

The moment I looked down at my Nidoran, it immediately became evident what Game Player did for me. Floating above his head was his name, his level, and his current 'HP'. The HP bar looked a bit different from what I remembered as a child playing Pokemon. Instead of one long bar, green in later generations, it's broken up into two different section. About 10% of it is red, while the last 90% is green. I reach out, and poke my finger through the floating bar, confirming that it's intangible.

'Interesting. This must be what it was talking about when it said I'd be able to see stats. It did also say I'd be able to level alongside my Pokemon and gain new abilities as I go. I wonder how that works.' I think, as I absentmindedly pet Odin.

"Nidoran?" He says again.

"Oh, right! Sorry, little guy. My name is Billy, and I'm your new Trainer." I tell him, sitting down in the grass.

He cocks his head at me. "Nido Ni Nidoran!"

"Yeah...I didn't quite understand that. Anyway, buddy, I've decided to name you Odin. It's a cool name, right?" I ask.

He nods his head, before shaking his entire body much like a dog would.

"Alright, cool. I'm going to return you for now. I've got to call my mom, and then we can figure out where to go from here."

"Nidoran! He says as I hit the button on the Pokeball.

A bright beam of red light comes out, snatching Odin, before drawing him back in. I pull up my C-Gear, and after tapping away for a bit, manage to get the phone function up. Another bit of searching and I find the contacts, and it's ringing up my mom.

"Billy! How did it go?" She asks, excitedly.

"It went well, mom. I got a Nidoran." I tell her, as I take the chance to look around the park.

It's not super large, as far as parks go. It takes up maybe a third of a city block, mostly trees, and grass. There is a man-made a lake with a small fountain though. There are a few different groups of people hanging out, like a family having a picnic, and someone letting their Goldeen swim in the lake.

'I'll need to do some studying. It's been a decade since I've played through an entire game of Pokemon. I think I heard there are over 700 of them now. I can name maybe 200 of those…' I think, as my mom rambles on in the background.

"Make sure you call me at least once a week! If you need any help or advice, let me know. I didn't make it extremely far into the gym circuit when I was your age, but four badges are still quite respectable," She says as I snap back to attention. "Also, if you find yourself in danger, don't hesitate to call the Rangers. That's what they are there for."

"Of course, thanks, Mom. I'm going to go now, though. Gotta get started, and all that." I reply, looking down at her smiling face.

"I'm proud of you Billy! You can do this! I love you, and have fun!" She says, brimming with energy and happiness.

"Thanks, Mom, I love you too," I tell her, and then hang up.

'That was weird. She's my mom, but I don't know her. Faking it feels...wrong.' I think, looking at the blank screen.

I pull up the map and take a deeper look into it. It seems that if I'm within a city, I can use it much like I used GPS in my old life. However, if I wandered into the woods, it would give me my location, but there didn't seem to be any pathing features. Good to know that getting lost is a real possibility. Closing the map, I take the time to look through the rest of the C-Gear, and see what all it's capable of. Besides the map, and the phone, it also has basic access to the internet, email, and a way to track what items I'm carrying.

Apparently, even the backpack I'm wearing is a smart device, as everything I place inside it is identified, and cataloged in the C-Gear. Using the internet, I do some searches online to answer the most pressing question.

'Will I need to travel to Pewter City to face the first gym?' Turns out not! Apparently, the gyms here can be done in any order, and that the leader adjusts their team accordingly.

It was fantastic to read that, actually. From the looks of things, Pewter City is a four-week trek through the woods, or nearly two months if I take the slow routes. I'd be way overleveled by then, I'm sure. It's also good to know because I'm in Celedon. The Grass gym. Grass is weak to poison, and bug types. With a large expanse of forest nearby, I'm almost certain to be able to find a bug type. With enough battling, I can Level Odin up until he learns Poison Sting. I think those two should be able to manage the low-level grass team.

Pulling up my map, I set a path to a building right near the edge of the city. It's near Route 16, so I should be able to find what I need pretty easily. Celedon is much larger here than it was in the games. I guess the Anime was closer to what it really looks like. Thankfully it only takes me half an hour to make it to the cities edge. I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and head into the forest…

"Peck Odin!" I yell, pointing at the Lvl 3 Rattata.

Odin runs forward, jabbing his little horn into the side of the Rattata, launching it away. We'd been at this for quite a while, already leveling once, so I knew that it wouldn't be much more experience needed to level up to 7.

"Again Odin!" I yell as the Rattata starts to get back up.

As the attack hits, the bar above the Rattatas head drops the final bit into the red part, as it rolls end over end before landing in a crumpled heap.

Battle Over!

Billy Lvl 2 +6 exp (1021 till level 3)

Odin(Nidoran) Lvl 6 + 22 exp

Level up! Odin is now Lvl 7 and needs 75 exp to level up again.

Odin has learned 'Focus Energy'!

Each battle we won gave Odin, and myself, experience points. I didn't have a stat sheet of any sort that I could figure out, nor did I get anything for leveling up that I could see. I assumed that much like a Pokemon, I would gain abilities on random levels, not gain something on each new level. We continued like this for a while, battling different Pokemon as we walked through the forest a bit. I didn't want to go too deep, as I had spotted a Lvl 14 Spearow further in at one point. It seemed that close to the city edge was weaker Pokemon, and my chances of finding something much higher level increased as I went further out.

None of the Pokemon I had found so far had seemed aggressive, but a scar I used to have on my hand taught me as a kid that even the happiest animal can bite. I was being cautious; careful even. The original show taught me that Spearow was not to be fucked with. Of course, after seeing something in the distance shoot literal fire, I'd decided that maybe taking things a bit easy would be a good idea. Odin was making short work of all these Rattata, and would definitely be close to leveling up again soon.

The day had flown by, and the sun was going to be setting soon. I wasn't all that far from my own house, but I also knew that I'd be sleeping outdoors a lot soon, so I might as well get used to it. I set about clearing a little area under some bushes for a place to sleep. It takes me about twenty or so minutes to drag out the branches and dead leaves, but I manage in the end. Odin figured out what I was doing pretty quickly, and started helping. I was quite thankful as this ten-year-old body wasn't used to manual labor. After setting out my sleeping bag, I lay down on top of it and just relax for a bit.

Odin crawls over next to me and plops down. Not quite laying next to me, but close enough to imply we're in this together. It was pretty cute, actually. I peek at his HP bar and note that he's only about 15% down.

'I'll need to take him to the Center tomorrow, most likely.' I think, looking him over.

There are a few slight scratches, and a bite mark, but nothing that looks too bad, or all that dangerous. I start telling Odin more about me and explaining to him that I'm from another Universe. It's the easiest way to explain what happened, without claiming that life is a game, and I'm the main character. He nods as I explain, and tell him about my old life. I don't think he understood everything I was saying, but he was a good listener regardless. For a while I just talk, as the sun starts to set. I pause and look over to find that Odin has fallen asleep, snoring very lightly.

I look out and can see all the Pokemon moving around in the night. Their info bars glow brightly in the night, but I can't see the glow when I close my eyes so it's not a big deal. It also doesn't seem to affect my night vision either, so I'd say it's entirely useful. As I watch the area around me for a while, I notice that some of the Pokemon info bars disappear, reappear, or even flicker at times.

'That's odd...I wonder why...Oh! There is a limit, duh. I can't see all the Pokemon in the world, so there must be a distance limit. It seems to be about twenty feet.' I realize while watching the little bars pop in and out of existence.

I roll over and prepare to fall asleep when I see something in the distance that makes my tiredness vanish immediately.

Weedle

Lvl 5 20/20 HP

I reach out, poking Odin twice in the side. As he moves slightly showing that he's awake, I turn my head slightly.

"Let's go get us a new friend, Odin," I whisper.

So, I'm an idiot. Of course certain Pokemon only come out at night! I'd played Gold, and Crystal, which were the first Pokemon games to have day-night cycles. Yet, I spent all day searching for a bug Pokemon, which was way more likely to show up at night. I assume they sleep during the daytime, yet I never saw an info bar for one up in a tree. Not sure how that works, really. Either way, I find myself sneaking through the underbrush to get closer to the Weedle. They can climb trees easily, and Odin sadly can't. As I actually need a bug to fight the grass gym, I can't let this chance get away. Scaring it, and having it run up a tree would ruin this chance.

As we get to about eight feet away, I can see the Weedle in the darkness munching away at some leaves. I look around to make sure there isn't a Beedrill nest nearby or anything like that, and after making sure there isn't, I look down to Odin.

"Focus Energy, Odin," I whisper. "Then go for the Peck."

Odin nods, before huffing twice. He pauses, focusing on the Weedle, then rushes forward, horn first. His little feet carry him towards Weedle quite fast, before he leaps in the air. He slams into Weedle, knocking it away from the leaves it was eating. I flinch seeing how hard Odin hit but relax when I see that it only did about 3/4ths of Weedles HP. Weedle rolls, and hops back on to his padded feet, before launching himself at Odin needle first.

"Dodge Odin!" I yell, but it's a moment too late.

Poison Point Activate

As Weedle slams into Odin, landing a Poison Sting, Odin's ability activates as well. Both of their HP bars turn a sickly purple and drop a tiny smidge.

'Shit! They poisoned each other!' I think, grabbing a shrunken Pokeball from my belt.

As Odin gets back to his feet after that hard hit, he sways a bit, showing how sickly he feels. I hit the button, throwing the Pokeball I grabbed at Weedle, returning Odin the moment Weedle gets sucked in. The Pokeball shakes and bounces for a bit before the button turns back to white.

Bing!

You caught a Weedle!

Due to the Nuzlocke rules, you may not catch any more Pokemon in this area until you've collected the local badge.

+300 exp (721 exp points till level 3)

I blink, reading the pop up once more. I frown, looking down at both Pokeballs in my hands.

"Okay seriously...The fuck's a Nuzlocke?"

A/N: And we are back!...wait, no. Here we go again! A new world, a new character, and a whole new set of dangers! For my readers from Dragonball: RPG, welcome! For any new readers, welcome as well! Feel free to check out my other story, if you're into that sort of thing. This story will move much slower than D:RPGR. Not only because there aren't 'enemies' per say, but because Pokemon is a grinding game, to begin with. So sit back, relax, and let's see what kind of mischief we can get in to. I do ask that you don't leave reviews on this story asking when the next chapter will be posted for Dragonball: RPG. Other than that, feel free to share your opinion on this chapter, the characters, and everything in between.

Next Chapter: Billy heads to the Pokemon Center to heal Odin and his new Weedle. Dark events are on the horizon, and Billy still has much to learn about the world he's found himself in. Will he ever learn what a Nuzlocke is? Let's find out...

Until next time, this has been Klldarkness...and Welcome! To Pokemon: Nuzlocke.