[ROM Hack] Blaze's Pokémon Unbound: Expert Nuzlocke

Greetings, Unnatural_Flame here. I am glad to present this to all of you my nuzlocke run of Pokémon Unbound, one of my fave ROM Hacks 'cause of the enhancement of gameplay and great visuals that made it fan-favorite ROM Hack of 2022. If you don't know what this game is all about, please play it for yourself.​

This game is actually challenging due to how diverse the concepts of Gym battles and new mechanics, and I'm going to nuzlocke it, because I can.​

Here are original rules for Nuzlockes:​

Now, here are additional rules to apply to this game.​

Anyway, Let's see if this first run will rolling through victory, or it will circle around over and over with many attempts.​

Going to Route 1, and my first encounter is a Snorunt. I successfully caught her, and named her Eula. Rushing straight to Berlin Town to get bonus items, like Heal Balls and going to buy an Antidote exchange for a Dragon Gem to the old man that asked me a favor. Also, in some house, a father was concerned how they ran out of food supplies because of an Alolan Sandshrew robs in their house and runs away to Icicle Cave, but I will deal that later. But, as I enter the PokeMart, a suspicious guy blocks in my way trying to get away from something. I asked the Pokemart Clerk about the package, and by the looks of it, he regretted to give the parcel to the suspicious guy. So, I tried to trace its whereabouts and go north to the village and saw someone with all black and red cape cuts the blocked tree, and so I follow what will they do the package. I saw the team of people also dressed in black catching Articuno with the Master Ball inside the package. Pure evil I might say. Then, they go away past me and let some grunt to battle me, but I defeated her and recovered the package. Then, I went to Prof. Log's Lab to tell everything what happened, and afterwards he gave me a Town Map, a package for Raven, and missions to catch every Pokemon in existence, which is impossible due to me nuzlocking this game. Thanks, I guess.
Continuing my journey, I bought and collected the things I need, and talked to an old gentleman who has a Pokemon hatched from an egg and asked me if I want this Glameow. I accepted, and named her Leina, but she's quite of an attitude cat. Now, I will enter Icicle Cave to progress to my adventure.

What could go wrong?​

Trasversing through the cave, beating every trainers with my feral cat and ferocious lizard, collecting items, and then I stumbled upon Raven who came to me after training his Pokemon. So, I gave him the package Prof. Log prepared for him. Its a PokeDex. Raven kinda felt ungrateful about it, but just accepted it. Then, he decided to battle me for testing my team to its greatness, and that didn't go smoothly, and Larvitar deals high damage to my Pokemons. But, don't worry, none Pokemon died in this Rival fight. Hope the light at the end of this tunnel will make me feel better.

Going outside of the cave, a nice lady heals all of my Pokemon and gave me the option to skip the whole "Challenge Road" the trainers say about this route by talking to an esper. But, I think I saw Team Shadow, is that what they called because of thier outfits? Just some shady business, nothing more or less.

Oh, this is a new route, so new encounter to go. In Route 2, I walk up to pink teddybear called Stufful, and it didn't had the ability "Fluffy" to half physical damage to it as I hope it's going to be, so I'm disappointed. I still caught it and named him 'Puff-Tufff' (accidently type triple "F"s) and he joins to the team.

Now, I'm curious on how I do well in this "Challenge Road" because I am confident on my team, and then straight up gone into the first optional double battle, because you can battle then 1v1 on single battle. Foolish me thinking Leina and Eula can defeat these trainers easily.

But then it happened. The first death of the run. Leina the Glameow didn't stand a chance against Drilbur and Delibird. I guess my own curiosity killed the cat. Rest in peace, Leina.​

Now, I arrived at the Dresco Town, where the Battle Trainers' House exist to train my team. Mainly to the one trainer inside who had four(4) Audinos that gives crap tons of EXPs to everyone on my team to level up at the capacity of LV 20. Also, I try to get some new encounters on two new locations like:

1. Route 3 - Slowpoke named "Lydie"
2. Flower Paradise - Pansage named "Ackel" (He happens to have Leaf Stone held on him)

Suddenly, I remembered about the mission about the Alolan-Sandslash that keeps robbing food supplies like crazy. So, I went and confront that freezing-spiky pipsqueak with my trusty fiery cub "Ms. Sizzle". After that, the father confronts Alolan-Sandslash only to immediately realize that he robs his food to feed his young Sandshrews, because the people who are supposed to feed them has stopped feeding them. In the end, the father made the deal to sustain them regularly and made promise to the Sandslash take care of him. The father thanked me and gave me the first TM, "Hone Claws" which if it used, it boosts the Attack and its accuracy. Perfect for dealing fogs, which I'm going to explain later.

Well, the place where Alolan-Sandshrew lives is actually my next encounter, and I caught one of them, and named him "Subzero". which is going to be an awesome team member for the first Gym.

I did mention at the very beginning that the gym battle concepts are diverse. Some of the gym challenges will deplete Pokemon's health bit by bit if you don't have the right pokemon to play, and some will hinder your speed and mess up type coverages.
For example, the first gym leader, Mirskle, was told that he's only a "Grass-type Leader", yet he has coverage on Fairy type Pokemon too. Not only that, he blasts out fog in the whole Gym room to decrease all Pokemon's accuracy.
Basically, you need to plan for every single Gym battle as possible.

After training my team to beat the first gym, changing movesets, and planning ahead, we'll take on Mirskle, a "Grass-type" gym leader whose head is high above the clouds.

Leading with "Subzero" and "Dyson", while "Subzero" charges up by honing its claws, "Dyson" always falls asleep by Gloom's Sleep Powder. Why "Subzero" wasn't targeted by it, cause he wears cool shades of Safety Goggles gave by our rival Raven, Yeah, thanks Raven.
Because of synergy of it, "Subzero" obliterates opponents down to freezing temperature, with the help of "Ms. Sizzle" too.

That's the first gym badge of the run.​

Attempt #1-Part 4​

"Meltdown"​

I decided to enter the house in and then I saw an old person. I made conversation with him asking who I am and he told he's name is Grandpa Arthur. I was asked if I know something about Borrius' history, which if you haven't played this game, pls play it to understand what's happening here.
Jax, Grandpa Arthur's grandson, suddenly storms in the house, and tells us that Team Shadow is going to kidnap the Moltres above the Cinder Volcano and tried to contact Prof. Log. Making things short, Prof. Log assign me to stop Team Shadow for their "wrong-doings".
Then, as usual, buying important supplies on Pokemart, and go straight to Cinder Volcano to continue this heroic story.

But first, I collected some encounters in these new routes and locations:

1. Grim Woods - Caterpie that I named him 'Midra'
2. Route 4 - Lillipup that I named her 'Chicory' (She's quite of a happy dog.)
3. Cinder Volcano - Magby that I named him 'Ekraust' (Saw him just bathing in lava for no reason.)

I setback for a bit to prepare my Pokemon to the next Major Battle of this run, the Shadow Admin Marlon, yes the one with the black and red outfit. It's a forced double battle. While Marlon and a Shadow Grunt on the opposing side, Me and Jax battle against them to stop them for kidnapping Moltres. These two will stall you with super-bulky ghosts that Will-O-Wisps you, dangerous plants that's trying to beat you up, and heart-shaped nose bat. In my past runs, I can't proceed to game unless one(1) Pokemon will die from them. But, I think can do it without a single one die to them. Right?

I started to trasverse into the volcano, going up above to the peak, beating trainers in my path, and when I'm at the peak, looks like I'm too late. Team Shadow already got the Moltres.

Yeah, jax. Stop arguing with them, we will beat up the red guy later on.

I decided to join forces with Jax and go down following the tracks of Team Shadow. He gone straight first to the ground floor, and I stayed planning my three Pokemon to use for the fight:

1. Dyson the Crobat (Lead)
2. Cervoughn the Gabite
3. Subzero the Alolan-Sandshrew

I'll be honest with you, I didn't remember what exactly happened in this fight cause it's in the past moments I played the game, but I'll try.

Beginning of the fight, I let Dyson use Quick Guard to block Fake Out, and Jax's Staravia lowers Attack of Marlon's Duskull. Next turn, Grunt's Sableye maliciously Will-o-Wisps my Crobat. Remembering that, I shouldn't have made him leading the fight for he's going to sweep Shiftry and Cacnea. Nonetheless, I switched to Cervoughn to tank hits to heal Dyson with Burn Heal and Potion, and swipes the face out of Sableye while keeping the health up with Super Potion. Then, Grunt sends out the mischievous tree, Shiftry.
I need to tank hits from this tree and don't waste healing items at its maximum use in battle. So, I send out Subzero to tank hits from it while also keeping up his health with a Lemonade, but Shiftry deal high amount of damage to this blue pipsqueak. Thankfully, Jax's Magnemite uses both Reflect and Light Screen to half the damage from both physical and special attacks.

But, something happened. Marlon switch his Duskull and let out his Cacnea. Together with the Shiftry, their dark branches and thunderous punches decimate Subzero down to zero HP.

That was so freaking sad. Thought after this fight I can evolve him into a huge spiky boi, because of how great he is on the first Gym battle, but I guess the heat from the volcano and from the intense battle melted his own existence out.

That made a great a sacrifice to switch in Dyson to viciously destroy the evil plants in pure anger. With the forces of Jax's Golett, we finally won. (But at what cost...)

That means, another death was occurred. Rest well too, Subzero.​

Now, I headed up inside Frost Mountain to climb my way up to the peak. Outside of the mountain, the cold winds and hailstorms greeted me to introduce to the new path, Route 8. My new encounter here is a Cubchoo, that I named him Icefoot.

After crossing along within blizzards and snowfalls, I reached into Blizzard City. A place where people live above Frost Mountain and where snows fall gently like soft cotton.

Here also exist the third gym leader of the run, Alice.
You might think that she is an Ice-type Gym Leader, but nope she's actually a Flying-type specialist.

Her team consists of 'stealth-rock' ninja Minior, bulky ace Gliscor, poison-hindering Crobat, flightless bird Dodrio, and she has now the first mega Pokemon, Mega Pinsir. A difficult team with pure bulk and hindrance.
Not only that, she breezes out tailwinds to outspeed your Pokemons, unless you have Flying-types than can surpass that tailwind.

In the past, I lost to so many runs to this Gym Leader. Pure chances are needed to win this fight.

So, I did bought some new TMs at their PokeMart, collect new items, and do some side missions.

One of which is that one trainer which her Alolan Ninetales was kidnapped by a robber. After searching the robber's whereabouts, I suddenly noticed him going east to the Frozen Forest, which can be discovered if you take the mission.

This new location I met a new encounter that is Snover, that I named her Minty Zaki.

Tracing the path of that kidnapper, I saw him outside at the other side of the forest. He tries to battle me with his stolen Ninetales and Mightyena, but we swept them and cornered him.

But then, there are huge thuds that can be heard inside the forest.

As it stomps out of the forest, it reveals itself as The Crabonimable Snowman. It scared the crap out of the robber, and then faints itself.

So, I decided to tame the beast and catch it, and named her Heartsmash.

After that, the robber decided to bring back the stolen Ninetales back to its owner, and the trainer thanked me for what I've done and gave me an Egg, which contains an Alolan-Vulpix, that I named her Melinda.

Now, it's time to battle Alice. Here's the team I heavily prepared for one of the hardest Gym fights in the game:
- Freida the Dunsparce. She's in charge of paralyzing enemies and bulk
- Gerson the Clefable. He holds a Lagging Tail to Bestow to any opposing Pokemon to drastically lower their speed even when Tailwind is up.
- Jupple the Gigalith. Another bulky tank and counter to her Mega-Pinsir.
- Melinda the Alolan-Ninetales. She would be a back-up attacker if defenses are down to my team.
- Ekraust the Magmar. I invested the Max Defense EVs to take hits and make enemies burn by his Flame Body; and
- Heartsmash the Crabominable. I also invested Max Def EVs to tank hits and hit hard like a truck.

Let's see how it goes.

I lead with Freida and Alice leads with Minior.

Starting off, I let Freida use Glare against Minior. Bad Idea, cause Minior's shield due to their ability, Shields Down, resists paralysis on Freida. So, Minior initiaes to Stealth Rock on our side.

And then, Freida uses Ancient Power once, and it gave her omniboost, meaning all of her stats are boosted.

Next turn, Alice switches to her Gliscor, and knocks off Freida's healing berry, and also use Acrobatics which is boosted thanks to Gliscor's held Flying Gem, yet Freida tanks the hit enormously.

After healing Freida with a Hyper Potion that Hop Stewie picked up, Freida starts to bring out her frightening glare and body-slams
to defeat Gliscor to oblivion.

And then, she sends out her Mega-Pinsir. I send out to Jupple and started to toughen her defenses and launches boulders to smack down that Pinsir into a dead cockroach.

Next up is her Dodrio. Jupple now has low health, so I switch into Ekraust, and took some damage to Stealth Rocks and Dodrio also knocks off its held Eviolite.

Then, she switches to her Minior and I also switched to Gerson. Minior then tries to confuse Gerson, and when Gerson tries to attack, he hit himself.
And then, she switches again to her Crobat. Crobat venoshocks Gerson and dealt more than 1/2 HP to him. I'm super glad Gerson surpassed through confusion, and then he Bestows his held Lagging Tail to the Crobat to never experience riding the wind again.

But this is the time to sacrifice someone, because I need to have a safe switch to Heartsmash.
So, Ekraust takes one for the team, and took the toxic bullets from the four-winged bat like a champ.

Then, I unleashed the ultimate beast with the frozen heart, Heartsmash.
She outspeeds and obliterates Crobat, because Crobat's holding Lagging Tail from Gerson.
Then, her Minior then tries to chip damage Heartsmash, but she ain't forgiving to destroy that floating meteor even if it has shields up.
Lastly, her Dodrio. I doubted that Heartsmash won't take damage from the Dodrio due to her HP is down to crit range and due to a Dodrio have its Max Attack EVs.

But, I decided to stay in.


And Heartsmash LIVES at 4 HP!

She counters back with her cold punches to win to us this stressful Gym Battle.​