Pokémon Moon Nuzlocke Challenge: Chapter 1
By Neal Chandran

I don't think I need to reiterate the lengthy prologue featuring Lando, his mom, and their pet Meowth teleconferencing with Professor Kukui during their move from Kanto to Alola, nor do I need to recap the cutscene of a young blonde girl (Lillie, who is about Lando's age) rescuing a rare and powerful pokémon (a Cosmog she named Nebby) from some sort of research lab facility.

Pokemon Moon Nuzlocke Challenge - Professor Kukui

Lando's first day out in Alola involves a chance encounter with Lillie, who we find out has been working as Professor Kukui's assistant since escaping from the research facility 3 months ago. Lando daringly rescues her Nebby from a flock of Spearows in the wilds outside Iki Town (more like a village), which gains him favor with Tapu Koko, the patron deity of Melemele Island, one of four main islands in the Alola archipelago, which is based on and inspired by Hawaii.

Being a dashing hero is one thing, but Lando is not 100% motivated by altruism and would like some form of compensation as a reward for his heroics. Fortunately, Hala, the Kahuna of Melemele island, has deemed Lando worthy of selecting a starter pokémon. A suitable reward, for sure. Because owls are my favorite birds, I did my playthrough of Sun with a sassy female Rowlet I named Hedwig. I couldn't wait to see what starter my Nuzlocke Optional Rule #1 would net Lando. Would it be Rowlet again, or would it be Litten or Popplio? I only got Lando's Trainer ID number after selecting a starter, so I had to select one at random, then soft-reset in order to follow my Optional Rule #1.

Lando's Trainer ID, as found in the passport section of the menu screen before I soft-reset, reads 299884. Because the final digit is 4, Lando's starter is a timid male Litten with the Blaze ability. He is given the name Bam Bigelow after the 1980s professional wrestler Bam Bam Bigelow— a remarkably agile "big man" who wore a characteristic black outfit emblazoned with flames. Considering Litten's final form, it seems fitting. (I'm looking forward to playing with Litten, because I lacked fire types during my Sun playthrough and sorely missed having a good fire type on hand.)

Pokemon Moon Nuzlocke Challenge - Litten

Once Lando chooses his starter and his starter ceremoniously chooses him, his rival Hau (Kahuna Hala's grandson) issues the first battle challenge. He chose Rowlet, whose typing is weak to Litten's, so he's clearly a friendly rival who seems pleasant enough to have coffee and malasadas (Hawaiian doughnuts) with.

After an unskippable lecture on how to capture pokémon, Prof. Kukui gives Lando some pokéballs and potions so he can finally get this show on the road. The first pokémon Lando encounters on Route 1 is... Pikipek! Every Pokémon game seems to have its own take on the "early bird" (e.g. Pidgey, Starly, Fletchling), and Pikipek is super cool. When Lando hears that name, he thinks of the "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers" tongue twister, so this impish male Pikipek with the Keen Eye ability is named Pepper. Lando certainly takes a shine to the little rascal as he trots over to the Iki Town festival.

At the festival, Kahuna Hala tasks Hau and Lando to fight a ceremonial battle. Normally, this would be a frivolous event, but once Hau launches his Pichu into battle against Pepper, the gravity of the Nuzlocke is realized. As an electric type, Pichu could potentially kill Lando's new buddy for good due to a type advantage, and Pepper is too cool to die before his first evolution! Lando swaps out for Bam Bigelow, who takes out Pichu with little drama. Hau then launches Rowlet, which Bam Bigelow hits with an Ember, halving its HP. Lando then switches to Pepper, whose Peck is super effective against Rowlet's Grass typing. Aww yeah, this little birdie's going to be a beast!

After the Iki Town festival, Lando and his mom head home tired yet exuberant. Just as he's about to brush his teeth and go to bed, who should knock on the door but Lillie? As Lillie shyly asks Lando to accompany her to Kukui's lab, mom comes charging out and embarrasses him. Ugh, why do moms always have to do that? Even the impossibly cool Lando is not immune to the kryptonite that is "mom embarrassing you in front of your peers."

Pokemon Moon Nuzlocke Challenge - Mom

Lillie giggles at mom's antics, but Lando sure isn't laughing. He can't ditch mom fast enough to escort Lillie through the Hau' oli Outskirts to Professor Kukui's beachside lab. The first pokémon Lando sees is a docile male Wingull with Keen Eye. Wingulls are as annoying as earthly seagulls, ergo, Lando names his Wingull Bennie in honor of the pejorative Jersey Shore slang terms for annoying tourists: "Benny" and "Shoobie." Talk to any Jersey Shore local during the height of summer and they'll probably grumble, "Benny, go home!"

Whoa! Hold that thought. Bennie the Wingull just might have to go home!

Here is where the Nuzlocke Rules get a little fuzzy in Sun and Moon. See, the "Green Wave" that fills up the bottom portion of the top screen to indicate a new area classifies this area as Hau' oli Outskirts. However, the summary of Bennie indicates that he was caught on Route 1. Hmm... Will Lando have to give up his precious new pokémon, or will the grace of Tapu Koko enlighten him with an Alolan loophole to exploit?

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