With Pokémon Scarlet & Violet coming in November of 2022, there are plenty of players excited to go through their Pokémon journey yet again, with plenty of fantastic new creatures to collect.
However, there are some that will want to try a different type of journey that isn't normally provided by the games. Whatever their journey may be, or whatever adjustments they make, there are dozens of ways for people to enjoy Pokémon.
Randomizers
Randomizers are a feature that allows players to have completely random encounters. Randomizers exist for old GBA Pokémon game emulators as well as fanmade hacks.
One of the most interesting parts about playing a randomizer is starter selection. Choosing between three completely randomized starters adds an interesting aspect of skill to the game. To find the perfect starter among random options can be obvious, but sometimes players will have to look carefully at the learn sets and evolution levels of their choices.
Speedruns
For some players, beating a game as quickly as possible will be part of the enjoyment. Scarlet & Violet will almost assuredly have a sub-community competing for the fastest completion time.
There are a few aspects of Pokémon speedruns distinctly different from other game's speedruns. Starter selections, emphasis on repels, how many Pokémon need to be caught and trained, and many other factors go into a Pokémon speedrun. Even more interesting is a speedrun with a level limit, so that one over-leveled starter can't steamroll.
Monotype Challenges
There are powerful monotype Pokémon for each type, but these challenges aren't about Pokémon with just a single type. Monotype challenges are where a player is only permitted to use Pokémon that share a single type.
The most common type choices for a monotype challenge include Bug, the three starter types, and flying. However, if a player tries hard enough it's possible to complete a monotype challenge with any type in the game. Usually, to keep the run legitimate regardless of starter options, the challenge starts when the first Pokémon of that type is encountered.
Pokémon Showdown
For players looking to play Pokémon at a high competitive level, the popular browser simulator Pokémon Showdown is a fantastic way to do it.
Pokémon Showdown lets players choose from dozens of different tiers that let each Pokémon shine at a reasonable power level of competition, meaning nearly every player's Pokémon is viable depending on the format (there are even tiers for not fully evolved Pokémon to see play. )
VGC
VGC is the main form of competitive Pokémon gameplay. It's a doubles format with monetary tournament prize and varying rules based on the season.
VGC has many windows for players to express their skills. Any combination of interesting doubles partners can be created thanks to any combination of symbiotic types, move sets, or abilities. Teambuilding aside, VGC has many opportunities for skill expression in the gameplay itself. Predicting moves and switches is a huge part of VGC gameplay.
ROMhacks
For players looking for a completely different story experience or a new take on an older game, ROMhacks are likely the direction to go.
Whether it's a completely original story with new Pokémon like Pokémon Insurgence or a nearly exact story copy with changed encounters and amped difficulty like Emerald Kaizo, there are all sorts of fantastic ROMhacks to choose from that all give a unique experience.
Nuzlockes
If fans are looking to play the main series games with amped difficulty, the Nuzlocke challenge is the perfect thing to go for to spice up a playthrough.
Nuzlokes come with all sorts of rules and clauses, but there are only two primary rules: players can only take the first encounter of each route, and Pokémon must be released or boxed permanently if they faint. If the player runs out of routes and usable Pokémon, they fail the challenge and must start over.
Egglocke
Egglockes are a twist on the traditional Nuzlocke, but instead of random encounters, the player is given a set of random eggs from various friends.
A huge part of egglockes is the mystery. Players can end up with 100 different Pikachu knockoffs or an amazing set of strong Pokémon. They can also be played without Nuzlocke rules if the player just wants the randomness of a full team of assorted eggs. Either way, it's a fun and challenging way to play.
Soul Links
A Soul Link is a type of Nuzlocke with an enhanced level of difficulty: the game is played by a pair of friends and every route's encounter is spiritually bonded.
The main rules of a soul link are pretty simple: if one of either player's Pokémon goes down, its spiritual partner becomes unusable in the other friend's playthrough as well. This makes it twice as hard as an original Nuzlocke and puts even more pressure on both friends to be more careful with their gameplay.
Draft Leagues
A draft league is a competitive Pokémon league where players draft Pokémon teams like a fantasy football team, with different parameters depending on the league.
After teams have been drafted, usually the competitors have weekly matches with the drafted teams. Draft leagues are an opportunity for players to improve rapidly and experiment with Pokémon at various power levels. They're also possibly the most challenging way to play the game.
