Pokemon Platinum - 0 Exp Run Part 1: Rival

Channel:

MoogleBoss

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Published on April 8, 2014 1:59:38 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAMavQ4tel4

Game:

Pokémon Platinum (2008)

Duration: 4:26

2,817 views

35

Challenge playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbSv8zSDR9c2Ou_dZZ5hjDdZH4wlLX0gV

Right, it's time for another one of these.

If you've been aware of this channel for a sufficient amount of time, you know what a 0 exp run in Pokemon is - sort of the closest equivalent to a low level challenge available in the series, achievable by quickly modifying the game to prevent Pokemon from levelling up.

The disadvantage (advantage for the challenger? let's just say 'feature') of such a run is that the Pokemon you catch end up obsolete shortly afterwards (more or less; the Dugtrios caught in Yellow's 0 exp functioned perfectly for like half the game while Red Gyarados remained highly competitive in SoulSilver's 0 exp, to cite some exceptions to the 'rule') and you have to keep looking for appropriate replacements to adequately prepare yourself for the next challenges. A level disadvantage between the player and the AI is very common.

Some other, by now already usual (for me), additional rules or guidelines include:
- species clause
Simply put, not using more than one of the same Pokemon in the party. This promotes more careful team building at various points of the game.
- no legendaries
Giratina, Azelf, Uxie, Mesprit. They're a bit too good. I've been upholding this rule without much trouble in all the 0 exp runs I've done (except for the Touhoumon hack, but the specifics of legendary bases are different there).
- no item usage during battle.
More of a guideline than a rule. If a battle can be reliably done without using items (held items are fine), then that's the best way to go about it most of the time. It's best to avoid both the extremities - one being running foes out of PP and employing strategies based around stalling with revives and recovery items, the other one - being forced to pull off a luck-reliant strat, usually of the cripple-set up-sweep variety, because you're prohibited from using a potion or two in a couple places. To preserve a more entertaining experience, I will not hesitate to use a potion in such an instance.

And I think that's about it? Don't think I'm forgetting anything.

This run was done 3 years ago by Bananamatic, witnessed by me at the same time, and he also asked me to do the same challenge a few times, which I procrastinated on doing because I wasn't nearly as fond of or well-acquainted with the generation 4 in-game stuff as I am now. Right now I feel I can improve upon many of the strats he made use of, and also really enjoy the run since I know DPPt much better after several runthroughs in the last few years and am just generally better at 0 exp games now. My approach is more meticulous I guess (as I'm even planning to catch Ralts of Adamant and Modest natures with Synchronise to continuously capture the Pokemon of desired natures to have an upper hand in battles), while his is lazier/more efficient.

I restarted the game a few times until the trainer code ended on an odd number. This will enable me to resurrect Cranidos later on. I didn't bother restarting until the trainer code granted me early access to a Munchlax tree - honestly not worth the trouble even though you'd definitely see Munchlax in a video or two just for the hell of it.

Overall, I plan to employ a lot of gimmicky, OCD and out-of-the-way (as well as some familiar) strats in this run, so it's gonna be fun.

For my starter, I picked Chimchar, since an early Leer is unique at this point, because nearly everyone else is a growler (iirc this is also slang for 'vagina' so I wish there was another way of expressing the same idea). Piplup is also best dealt with by Budew in the battle shown in this video.

The early game is nothing unusual - Starly is one of the best damage dealers with Quick Attack and high atk, Chimchar is very handy because of Leer, and Shinx can Intimidate foes when switching in, which is nice when you can't take their attacks via combat actions. Among the OCD practices is the farming for a Metronome item off Kricketunes (10% common during morning/night, held 10% of the time), but really, the item's not worth it since it doesn't make a big enough difference quickly enough, even with the repeated use of, say, Absorb or Rock Smash in some of the early strats.

The rival's Starly is hard to attack due to its Growl, so Chimchar helps with his Leer, while Piplup lacks a STAB and his damage is easily drained back by using Absorb with Budew.

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