Alright, let’s talk about common Pokemon for a sec. You know the ones I mean – the Rattatas, the Pidgeys, the Zubats you bump into every five steps in a cave. Most folks just see ’em as annoying obstacles or quick XP, barely worth a Poke Ball.
I used to be like that. Totally dismissive. Just wanted the cool, rare ones, right? Didn’t really pay much attention to the common guys. But I got taught a lesson once, a hard one, playing through one of the older games. I decided to try one of those Nuzlocke challenges. You know the rules: one catch per route, and if a Pokemon faints, it’s gone. Gone for good. Makes things intense.
My Big Mistake
So, I’m cruising along, feeling pretty good about my team. Nothing super fancy, but they were getting the job done. I’d been careful, trained them up okay. Then I run into this random trainer on a route. Didn’t look like much. He throws out his first Pokemon. It’s a Rattata. A freakin’ Rattata.
I literally scoffed. “Easy win,” I thought. I sent out my starter, the Pokemon I’d had from the very beginning, my main guy. Didn’t even bother checking levels or thinking about strategy. It’s just a Rattata, what’s it gonna do?
Well, this Rattata used Quick Attack, okay, fine. Then it used Hyper Fang. Critical hit. And just like that, my starter’s health bar went straight to zero. Fainted. Which in Nuzlocke means… dead. Gone. Boxed forever.
Man, I just sat there, staring at the screen. I couldn’t believe it. Taken out by a common Rattata I didn’t even respect enough to pay attention to. That was a gut punch. Seriously messed up my whole run. I had to basically rebuild my whole strategy around what I had left.
What I Learned
It really changed how I looked at the game, and honestly, lots of things. You can’t just dismiss the ‘common’ stuff. Sometimes they pack a bigger punch than you expect, especially if you get cocky or careless. That little digital rat taught me to respect every challenge, no matter how small it looks.
Ever since then, I pay a bit more attention to those common Pokemon. They might be everywhere, but they’re part of the world, part of the grind. And yeah, sometimes, they can absolutely wreck your day if you’re not careful. Lesson learned.
