The Grinding Challenge

[Eliminator Jr.]

The Grinding Challenge

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Rules:

1. You must maintain a team of six different Pokémon throughout this challenge. (At the start of the game, you may carry less than six Pokémon up until you've caught the first five different catchable Pokémon you encounter).
2. Before you can enter the next town on your journey, all of the Pokémon in your party must be at a certain level. This level increases by a certain value for every town that you visit. (See Specifics below for the specifications for each game.)
3. You can switch the Pokémon that make up your team whenever you like, but in order to progress further in the game you will need to level up any new Pokémon to the required level to enter the town. (Pokémon in the PC do not have to be levelled up.)
4. Optional. Pokémon in the PC do need to be levelled up. (This means the more Pokémon you catch the more grinding you'll have to do.)
5. Insane Mode. You must capture every unique Pokémon you come across and train them to the required level before entering each town.
6. Only Slightly Insane Mode. You must capture every unique Pokémon you are capable of catching. Your party must reach the required level before entering each town. All other Pokémon must meet the level requirement of three towns ago in Kanto, Johto and Unova or the level requirement of four towns ago in Hoenn and Sinnoh. (For example, if you wanted to enter Saffron City your PC Pokémon would all have to be level 35 instead of 61.)

Specifics:
Kanto:

Spoiler:

Pallet Town: level 5
Viridian City: level 12
Pewter City: level 19
Cerulean City: level 26
Vermillion City: level 33
Lavender Town: level 40
Celadon City: level 47
Fuschia City: level 54
Saffron City: level 61
Cinnabar Island: level 68
Pokémon League: level 75​

Johto:

Spoiler:

Newbark Town: level 5
Cherrygrove City: level 12
Violet City: level 19
Azalea Town: level 27
Goldenrod City: level 33
Ecruteak City: level 40
Olivine City: level 47
Cianwood City: level 54
Mahogany Town: level 61
Blackthorn City: level 68
Pokémon League: level 75​

Hoenn:

Spoiler:

Littleroot Town: level 5
Oldale Town: level 10
Petalburg City: level 15
Rustboro City: level 20
Dewford Town: level 25
Slateport City: level 30
Mauville City: level 35
Verdanturf Town: level 40
Fallarbor Town: level 45
Lavaridge Town: level 50
Fortree City: level 55
Lilycove City: level 60
Mossdeep City: level 65
Sootopolis City: level 70
Pokémon League: level 75​

Sinnoh:

Spoiler:

Twinleaf Town: level 5
Sandgem Town: level 10
Jubilife City: level 15
Oreburgh City: level 20
Floaroma Town: level 25
Eterna City: level 30
Heathrome City: level 35
Solaceon Town: level 40
Veilstone City: level 45
Pastoria City: level 50
Celestic Town: level 55
Canalave City: level 60
Snowpoint City: level 65
Sunyshore City: level 70
Pokémon League: level 75​

Unova:

Spoiler:

Nuvema Town: level 5
Accumula Town: level 12
Striaton City: level 19
Nacrene City: level 26
Castelia City: level 33
Nimbasa City: level 40
Driftveil City: level 47
Mistralton City: level 54
Icirrus City: level 61
Opelucid City: level 68
Pokémon League: level 75
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Userbars

Retro Gamer'93 sent me some custom userbars for this challenge, so a big thanks to him. Userbars are not showing up right now, I'll keep you posted as to when the images display properly.

Other:

• Yes, this challenge includes any travelling you may have to do before you can actually catch Pokémon (for example, in Silver version you would have to level up your starter to level 12 before entering Cherrygrove for the first time). Once you can catch Pokémon, you must go back to before the second town in order to train them all to the second town's entry level.
• All challenges end after defeating the game's Elite Four (in Unova, the challenge ends after beating the Elite Four the first time around).
• You may add your own rules to your challenge, just mention it in the thread. (I've added "easy mode" for those who wish to do the challenge without a full party of six.)
• I haven't played Black or White yet, so please let me know if I got the order for the cities wrong (I'm going off what I read on the Bulbapedia page for Unova).

Challengers:

• Eliminator Jr. with Emerald Version (only slightly insane mode)
• Serebiish with Gold Version (easy mode)
• Gimic with Emerald Version
• mamoswineftw with Blaze Black Version (only slightly insane mode)
• Retro Gamer'93 with FireRed Version and Black Version
• sazandora11 with FireRed Version and Diamond Version (easy mode)
• Suicune™ with Emerald Version
• dragonomega with Emerald Version (easy mode)

Hall of Fame:

 

[Serebiish]

Sounds fun,I'm on in Gold ^_^
GSC levelling will make this so easy :D

EDIT:


EDIT; CUrrently on Cherrrygrove grtinding to Lvl 19

Aracne - Spinarak -12 F
Typhoon - Cyndaquil - 13 M
Athen - Hoothoot - 13 F

Will update later ^_^

 

[Haru]

lvl 75?! MADDNESS. xD

i dont think i've ever trained that much lol.

 

[Gimic]

I usually gain lvl 60-65 before PKMN League... I am on in Emerald :)

 

[Eliminator Jr.]

EDIT; CUrrently on Cherrrygrove grtinding to Lvl 19

Aracne - Spinarak -12 F
Typhoon - Cyndaquil - 13 M
Athen - Hoothoot - 13 F

Awesome man! Technically you're meant to have a team of six but feel free to complete the challenge any way you want.

lvl 75?! MADDNESS. xD

i dont think i've ever trained that much lol.

That's why it's called The Grinding Challenge hahaha. I've only done it once, and that was on a solo run through Platinum. Doing it with a team of six will prove difficult!

I usually gain lvl 60-65 before PKMN League... I am on in Emerald :)

Awesome man - watch out, the first part of Emerald is really hard - to make up a team of six level 15s before you enter Petalburg, one of your party members will have to be either Ralts or Seedot (as there are seven unique Pokémon before Petalburg). Ralts doesn't have an offensive attack when you first catch it and then when it learns Confusion it can't attack Poochyena (which is hell annoying), and Seedot only knows Bide, meaning you have to constantly run to the Pokémon Center and heal him between battles to level him up. I'm almost at Rustboro now though, it gets easier.

* * *​

As for my progress, the start of the challenge was extremely difficult. Having to get everyone to level 15 by battling level 3 wild Pokémon was challenging - what was even worse is that Ralts didn't have an attack when I first caught it, and after training it to learn Confusion it still couldn't attack Poochyena, which made it that much more challenging. Once I get all my party members up to level 20 (and my PC Pokémon up to level 5 as detailed in Only Slightly Insane Mode) I'll head into Rustboro and take on the gym.

Location: Route 104
Team:

lv 20 Kirlia

lv 19 Dustox

lv 19 Mightyena

lv 18 Marshtomp

lv 17 Zigzagoon

lv 16 Lombre
PC:
lv 7 Seedot
lv 5 Silcoon
lv 5 Shroomish
lv 5 Marill
lv 5 Slakoth
lv 4 Taillow
lv 4 Wingull

 

[mamoswineftw]

I'm actually really stoked to do this, and will be doing so on the hack, Pokemon Blaze Black. In case you don't know, this has all 649 pokemon available, and has a much higher level of difficulty compared to teh actual games, so I think it should work out pretty well.

Name: mamoswineftw
Game: Blaze Black
Not sure if I will take INSANE mode, will try it out and then see.

Team: Snivy level 7, Contrary, Nuvema Town

EDIT: It's only going to be slightly insane. I will catch every pokemon, but will remain in PC 3 town requirements behind.

 

[Serebiish]

WHat to do if you get isled?
A Pokémon you were grinding don't have the level to come back/go to the town,and your other pokemon that have the level have fainted from switch-grinding,hence you're stuck on that route.I fainted(as in whited out) a few times and went to back to the PC as it is mandatory,whatcha say about it

 

[Eliminator Jr.]

I'm actually really stoked to do this, and will be doing so on the hack, Pokemon Blaze Black. In case you don't know, this has all 649 pokemon available, and has a much higher level of difficulty compared to teh actual games, so I think it should work out pretty well.

Awesome man, I'll add you to the original post!

WHat to do if you get isled?
A Pokémon you were grinding don't have the level to come back/go to the town,and your other pokemon that have the level have fainted from switch-grinding,hence you're stuck on that route.I fainted(as in whited out) a few times and went to back to the PC as it is mandatory,whatcha say about it

If that's the case, you can backtrack to the last town and go back and forth between that town and the route you caught the Pokémon in until that Pokémon is up to the same level as the rest of the party. If you go back past that town, you cannot re-enter that town until all the Pokémon in your party are that town's requirement level. That sounds a little confusing so I'll give you an example:

You're in Mt. Moon in Kanto and run into a wild level 8 Zubat. All of your current party Pokémon are level 19 (which was the entry requirement for Pewter City). Now, you are not trapped in between Pewter and Cerulean - you can go back to Pewter City and then back to Mt. Moon if you need to. However, if you go back to Viridian Forest, you will need to train your Zubat up to level 19 in order to re-enter Pewter City. If that doesn't make sense just let me know.

 

[sazandora11]

I am in. I'm in on Fire red, and will not be doing the six pokemon.

And to make it epicer, I'm doing it in hand held Diamand. For when I'm not at home, AND when I'm in bed.

 

[bwburke94]

It should be noted that all hacks made by Drayano (including BlazeBlack/VoltWhite) alter the leveling curve by changing wild Pokémon levels, which makes grinding easier but means the battles aren't basically auto-wins later in the game.

 

[3DThinker]

... Count me in,I'll do Yellow
Brock will be nightmare,but will figure this out.

EDIT:

- Named myself CD,rival Douche
- Got Bolt the Pikachu
- It's GRINDAN Time! / Got Potion from Clerk / Plotters gonna plot
- Got Feathers the Pidgey and Whiskers the Rattata / Grindan once more
- Got Queen the NidoranF
- Grindan

Saved and stopped for a while

Bolt - Pikachu - 12
Feathers - Pidgey - 12
Whiskers - Rattata - 15
Queen - NidoranF - 4

 

[Retro Gamer'93]

Hmm, I'll probably do Emerald after I finish my current playthrough, right now I'm in Lilycove so I really don't want to just restart the game, oh well. Maybe later though!

Edit: Nevermind I'll just do Firered, Wallace's Gyarados is pissing me off.

Saved and stopped at: Viridian Forest
Current Pokemon and Place: Viridian Forest
Wartortle - Level 16
Rattata - Level 12
Pidgey - Level 12
Weedle - Level 6
Butterfree - Level 12
Mankey - Level 6

I usually gain lvl 60-65 before PKMN League... I am on in Emerald :)

My starter is a lvl 67 Blaziken with all my other pokemon at 40-45, I can completely wipe through all the elite 4 but Wallace's Gyarados is kicking my butt.

 

[3DThinker]

Sorry,withdrawing. This one takes a lot of time,that I won't be able to give.

 

[blue]

Fun, fun fun!

Sign me up for... EMERALD.

 

[Perriechu]

Sign me up for Emerald too. :3c Sounds like fun. Thank god for No$gba's godly speed.

 

[Retro Gamer'93]

Sign me up for Emerald too. :3c Sounds like fun. Thank god for No$gba's godly speed.

How did you get No$gba to work? I can't figure out how and DeSume is slow as hell.

 

[Perriechu]

Finally got passed the first gym. ): This challenge is so time consuming. ;-;

Name: Casey.

Version: Emerald
Badges: 1/8
Target Level: 25
Currently Saved: Petalburg Woods.

Sydian / Combusken / Careful
Level 23
Peck / Ember / Double Kick / Rock Tomb

David / Lombre / Sassy
Level 21
Absorb / Nature Power / Fake Out / Astonish

Harry / Shedinja / Serious (So hard to get omg)
Level 20
Cut / Leech Life / Fury Swipes / Mind Reader

Boxed: Ninjask Level 20 (harry)

 

[Retro Gamer'93]

Hey sign me up for Pokemon Black too, finally got NO$GBA working. It'll be my first time playing it so it should make the game more fun.

Edit: Here's Update #2 for Firered and #1 for Black, I didn't really get in a lot done today, had to do some college stuff.

Firered Update:

Spoiler:

Saved and stopped at: Viridian Forest
Wartortle - Level 19
Pidgeotto - Level 19
Butterfree - Level 17
Rattata - Level 12
Rai the Pikachu - Level 12
Mankey - Level 12

Screenies!:

<---Butterfree Awesomeness XD

Black Update:

Spoiler:

Saved and stopped at: Route 1
Tepig - Level 12
Patrat - Level 11
Lily the lillipup - Level 3

Now for screenies!:

Well that's all for now!

 

[Eliminator Jr.]

Updates:

• Retro Gamer'93 has made some custom user bars for the challenge (which you can see in the first post), so if you like the look of them you can put them in your signature!
• Due to a number of people disregarding the "you must have six Pokémon" rule, I've put in an "easy mode" into the original post, so you can do this challenge without having to have six Pokémon for the whole game. Best of luck!

* * *​

Fun, fun fun!

... looking forward to the weekend! *shot*

Consider yourself added to the OP :)

Sign me up for Emerald too. :3c Sounds like fun. Thank god for No$gba's godly speed.

Done! Good luck!

Hey sign me up for Pokemon Black too, finally got NO$GBA working. It'll be my first time playing it so it should make the game more fun.

I'll add it to the first post!

 

[blooster23]

I wanna try, but I'm not sure I have enough time :S
Anywho I'll stay tuned with this thread