2nd Gen Any GSC-specific Challenges?

[sonofzeal]

I'm looking to replay a GSC-era game. I've posted a few times already about having been rather underwhelmed by them back in the day, always wishing I had the Gen1 equivalents for everybody. So, I want to replay it and try to get the "proper" experience this time. Thing is, I find these games way too easy to slaughter at, and need a special restriction of some sort to make it interesting. Single-Pokemon Challenge interests me a LOT, but I'd miss out on most of the new stuff offered. Single-Type might be okay (Single-type Normal, maybe?). Scramble might also be enough, assuming the team was interesting.

So - can you Gen2 lovers recommend a challenge that showcases the awesomeness of Gen2, and provides a somewhat significant challenge?

Or, if you have the time, could you suggest a "fun" 6-pokemon-team, hopefully one that covers all the key HMs and whatnot, and that are at least somewhat playable? Bonus points if you put a "theme" into the party, like only canines or all-purple, or all share a subtype, or all monotype, whever. You design the challenge, I play, as long as it's playable. I may even log it, if you guys like that.

 

[King!]

I don't know.....hmmm....maybe, for each upcoming gym leader, none of you Pokemon can be strong against that type, and you have to have at least 2-3 pokemon that are weak to it? And you must use all of them? I don't know......

 

[sonofzeal]

How about a "Scramble" challenge? You guys pick a team, preferably all GSC-era pokemon, and preferably one that should be challenging without being unplayable, and I'll play it.

 

[syphilis]

you could do a challenge where you have to catch and use the first 5 pokemon you see in the wild (along with your starter) for the entire game.

although, then it sort of turns into a normal monotype challenge with a fire/water/grass pokemon thrown in since the first 5 you see are likely normal. and brown.

 

[King!]

OKay! I think the "Scramble" thing'll work.

BRB, okay? I'm gonna go look for a couple (or one) to tell you!


Unless....you aren't doping it?

Anyway, Serebii's fun.

 

[sonofzeal]

"Doping it"?

First five pokemon... wouldn't that be a bunch of normal or normal/flying, in most games? Could be problems, against Ghost or Steel types.

 

[sonofzeal]

Here's a team of non-evolving pokemon, that are all in Crystal:

Heracross - Bug/Fighting
Stantler - Normal
Mr. Mime - Psychic
Shuckle - Bug/Rock
Skarmory - Steel/Flying
Lapras - Water/Ice


...and yes I know that Mime and Lapras are Gen1, but I couldn't really find a good Gen2 alternative to either. Here's some more Crystal pokemon that don't evolve (at least within that generation), if you want to suggest some alternatives to get this to an all-Gen2 team. I skipped a few that I thought were useless, but if I missed anything worthwhile then let me know!

Dunsparce - Normal
Sudowoodo - Rock
Delibird - Ice/Flying
Sneasel - Dark/Ice
Misdreavus - Ghost
Gligar - Ground/Flying
Qwilfish - Water/Poison
Girafarig - Normal/Psychic

 

[crobatdeluxe]

Here is one pretty tough challenge I've thought of, but haven't got the guts to try it. Only one rule:

Only use the 5 pokeballs given by the Professor.

 

[~*!*~Tatsujin Gosuto~*!*~]

Don't evolve your Pokemon at all, thats a good one


:t354:TG

 

[BUG♥CATCHER★BREEZE]

Here is one pretty tough challenge I've thought of, but haven't got the guts to try it. Only one rule:

Only use the 5 pokeballs given by the Professor.

=D Sounds fun! You could only use your starter and a HM slave (you'd have to use Totodile to get anywhere, Chiko and Cyda don't learn any half-desent HMS). You could use the move deleter after completing Johto... (getting to Red may be a problem though)
The problem leads only into catching legendaries...
It's a great idea!

 

[white lancer]

Here's a team of non-evolving pokemon, that are all in Crystal:

Heracross - Bug/Fighting
Stantler - Normal
Mr. Mime - Psychic
Shuckle - Bug/Rock
Skarmory - Steel/Flying
Lapras - Water/Ice


...and yes I know that Mime and Lapras are Gen1, but I couldn't really find a good Gen2 alternative to either. Here's some more Crystal pokemon that don't evolve (at least within that generation), if you want to suggest some alternatives to get this to an all-Gen2 team. I skipped a few that I thought were useless, but if I missed anything worthwhile then let me know!

Dunsparce - Normal
Sudowoodo - Rock
Delibird - Ice/Flying
Sneasel - Dark/Ice
Misdreavus - Ghost
Gligar - Ground/Flying
Qwilfish - Water/Poison
Girafarig - Normal/Psychic

How about Unown? XD If you really wanted a challenge, I suppose you could try it with 6 Unown (maybe have them spell something out or something like that), but that's probably not really the sort of challenge you're looking for. Off that list, I don't think Girafarig or Sneasel are too bad...Misdreavus would be cool but you can't get that until Mt. Silver. Still, Lapras and Mr. Mime are better options than those two. I'm assuming you have another cartridge to trade Pokémon over? If I recall correctly, you can't get Mr. Mime until Kanto, so trading would be your best bet.

 

[sonofzeal]

How about Unown? XD If you really wanted a challenge, I suppose you could try it with 6 Unown (maybe have them spell something out or something like that), but that's probably not really the sort of challenge you're looking for. Off that list, I don't think Girafarig or Sneasel are too bad...Misdreavus would be cool but you can't get that until Mt. Silver. Still, Lapras and Mr. Mime are better options than those two. I'm assuming you have another cartridge to trade Pokémon over? If I recall correctly, you can't get Mr. Mime until Kanto, so trading would be your best bet.

A team of all Unowns is probably a bit TOO hardcore. =P And you're right about Mime. Unfortunately, Girafarig isn't in Crystal according to bulbapedia. Sneasel, then?

 

[white lancer]

A team of all Unowns is probably a bit TOO hardcore. =P And you're right about Mime. Unfortunately, Girafarig isn't in Crystal according to bulbapedia. Sneasel, then?

Actually, I would suggest Miltank. I think it's one of the better Normal-types in GSC. Sneasel would work, though.

 

[sonofzeal]

Actually, I would suggest Miltank. I think it's one of the better Normal-types in GSC. Sneasel would work, though.

Miltank looks good! That puts me very heavily on the "physical" side of the spectrum though, and with two pokemon of exactly the same type, something I generally avoid. Would you recommend Miltank over Statler? And is there anything else that could round out the "special" side of things?

 

[white lancer]

Miltank looks good! That puts me very heavily on the "physical" side of the spectrum though, and with two pokemon of exactly the same type, something I generally avoid. Would you recommend Miltank over Statler? And is there anything else that could round out the "special" side of things?

I'd definitely recommend Miltank over Stantler as a Normal-type. As for another special-attacker, though...that's a little tougher. Sneasel's more of a physical attacker, and Delibird and Qwilfish are terrible. Corsola's an option, I suppose, but it's not especially good. Unless you can trade over a Misdreavus from another game, you might be out of luck for another non-evolving Special attacker from G2...you might have to go to G1 for that one. I guess you could keep Stantler instead of Miltank, since Stantler's actually an okay Special attacker, but I don't think it really learns much in the way of special attacks.

It doesn't really help with that problem, but if you want to try to avoid G1 Pokémon as much as possible, you could always replace Lapras with Mantine. It doesn't have quite as good of stats as Lapras, but it's got decent Sp. Attack and great Sp. Defense, if you can put up with the x4 weakness to Electric. Overall Lapras is probably the better option unless you're looking to minimize the number of G1 Pokémon on your team; Mantine's definitely one of the better non-evolving Pokémon of G2, though.

 

[Alexithymia~]

Get a team of like metapod and kakuna.
Kakuna used Harden!
Kakuna used Harden!
Kakuna used Harden!
Kakuna used Harden!
*faints*
Or just a load of un-evolved weak pokemon. Like.. Kakuna at level 8 or something xD
I've always liked one type challenges, so maybe go for one of those. A less popular type like.. steel. You don't find many of those pokemon on the first few routes.

 

[JinAndTonic]

What I do is NEVER evolve your pokemon so I usually end up with a team like this at the Elite Four:

Jigglypuff, Togepi, Chikorita, Dratini, Mankey/Machop depending if I trade, and Growlithe

and let me tell you, it makes the game challenging

 

[sonofzeal]

What I do is NEVER evolve your pokemon so I usually end up with a team like this at the Elite Four:

Jigglypuff, Togepi, Chikorita, Dratini, Mankey/Machop depending if I trade, and Growlithe

and let me tell you, it makes the game challenging

That might actually be fun! Any suggestions for getting more Gen2 on that list?

 

[Wings Don't Cry]

Don't bother doing a single Pokemon challenge, since I've already done it and it's actually easier since your starter is like lvl 65 at E4, without long periods of training.

A good challenge would be a no medicine challenge, so nothing like a full heal or revive or potion etc. Berries could be use since they don't count.

 

[white lancer]

That might actually be fun! Any suggestions for getting more Gen2 on that list?

Let's see...

Chikorita/Totodile/Cyndaquil (whichever you want, although Water-types are common so Totodile wouldn't be the best option)
Water types (If not Totodile): Marill or Chinchou
Fire types (If not Cyndaquil): Well...not much of a choice here except for Slugma...Growlithe if you're open to having at least one G1.
Grass types (If not Chikorita): Hoppip is your best bet...although even it's not that great.
Psychic: Natu
Ground: Phanpy or Swinub
Ice: Swinub
Normal: Snubbull or Teddiursa
Poison: Spinarak

The tough part about this is that G2 introduced fewer new Pokémon than any other generations, and a large percentage of those were baby Pokémon or new evolutions for Kanto Pokémon (as it was the first generation to introduce those). Also, one of the best 1st-stage Pokémon in the game, Houndour, was inexplicably placed in Kanto, while another of the best, Larvitar, can only be caught in Mt. Silver. If you want a team like that that's all G2, I'd suggest Cyndaquil (or Chikorita), Chinchou, Natu, Phanpy, Teddiursa, and Spinarak. I suppose Hoppip and Slugma could be switched in for any of the above, though, if you feel the need to have both a Fire-type and a Grass-type on your team.