Pokemon Infinite Fusions Ruleset? (2024)

I've been internally debating for a while on if I should do a documented nuzlocke run of Pokemon Infinite Fusions. I've played through the game a few times before so I know what to expect, but I'm still locked in debate on what to do with the fusion mechanic in a nuzlocke sense. For reference, fusing in this game gives you "averaged" stats of both pokemon, as well as moves from both and, thanks to a quirk with reversers, most abilities from both sides. My possible rules for this are as follows:

1. Free Fusions: 1 catch per area, but mons can be fused and unfused with one another as long as you have the splicers to do so. Has the most variety in terms of seeing custom fusions, but can end up getting into a Theseus' paradox issue with the mons themselves. If a mon dies while fused, BOTH mons are considered dead and boxed as such.
2. Fixed fusions, egglocke: one catch per route, and that mon has a randomized partner that they fuse with. Only fusions with custom sprites are allowed, and they can not be unfused unless neither side of the final evolution of the fusion has a custom. Reversers can be freely used as long as both sides of the pair have a custom fusion. Otherwise reversers are only allowed to choose abilities and natures. (long story, if I make the thread I'll explain why.) Wild fusions are caught and used as-is for all rules moving forwards, unless they also don't have any customs on final evolutions.
3. Fixed fusions, same-route: Same thing as above, but instead of randomizing any pokemon, I catch two pokemon on the route and fuse them together. Again, I can only unfuse if the final evolutions have no custom sprites. The starter specifically is fused with the first gift pokemon I acquire. (Probably either Pyukumuku or Pineco, depending on which one I accept first)
4. Pure egglocke: Every encounter is swapped with a randomized two-fusion, following the same rules as above. (can only unfuse when neither side has a custom)
5. Fixed Fusions, same-route Randomlocke: Same as #3 except I use the in-game randomizer instead of a pre-built box of 215 mons.

I will be playing "vanilla" mode, for reference, which means that if I go with normal catches with no randomization then my team will be pretty kanto-heavy (though not exclusively kanto, there are quite a few non-kanto mons spread throughout)
Overall #1 and #4 will probably show off the most unique content of the mod, but carry issues of making the run feel too erratic. (#4 would also involve a lot of magikarp spam since my actual catches would not matter as long as I caught something.) #2 is what I'm currently testing and feels like a nice hybrid of vanilla and random while still making my actual catches feel meaningful. #5 might require me to tweak settings a bit since I haven't tried out the actual randomizer yet. I'm not a huge fan of #3 myself but I included it anyway to see how other people feel on it. #1, #3, and #5 are the easiest for new readers to pick up and play along, since setting up NG+ for an egglocke requires a save file with all 215 mon lines caught beforehand. (which goes deep into the postgame, even if the only mons exclusive to there are legendaries) There are a few other rules that I'm still using (complocke, my 560 BST rule) but I'll go over those if I make the thread itself. I'm personally preferring option 2 myself, but I want to hear some opinions on the matter before I fully commit to the thread.

In my first Infinite Fusion randomizer, I made it that random regular mons and random fusions appeared in the wild, but originally, I had a rule that I had to choose only one side of the fusion, if I wanted to defuse them, and I can't use the other side. I think I did remove that rule 7 badges in, but I don't remember it coming in handy or anything.

In my second playthrough, I made it that only fusions can be randomized and I can use both mons in the fusion to encourage creativity.