Both players start a comparable run
You play the same version or a matching game pair in parallel. The key is not perfection, but that areas and progress remain meaningfully comparable.
Pokemon Soul Link: Rules Explained Simply for Beginners
What is a Pokemon Soul Link? This page explains the core rules, common house rules, frequent dispute points, and which decisions you actually need to settle before the first run.
Short answer: A Soul Link is a two-player Nuzlocke. Each area usually gives each player one Pokemon, both catches are linked, and if one dies, the partner in the other run is lost too. The important part is not only difficulty, but settling edge cases before the run starts.
What is a Soul Link?
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A Soul Link is a Pokemon challenge for two players built on top of Nuzlocke rules. Both play in parallel, usually catch one Pokemon per area, and link those catches together. If one dies, the other player also loses the partner Pokemon. That shared dependency is what makes a Soul Link harder, messier, and much more demanding to organize than a normal Nuzlocke.
The short version
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Not an official mode, but a community challenge.
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It is usually played with two people and builds on Nuzlocke basics.
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Pokemon from the same area are linked into a fixed pair.
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If one dies, the partner Pokemon on the other side dies too.
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You need to plan together, not just play well individually.
How a Soul Link works at its core
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Each area usually creates one pair
Like in a Nuzlocke, most groups count only one encounter per area. The two catches from the same location are then linked immediately.
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The pair remains relevant afterwards
Link pairs are not created once and then forgotten. They affect team choice, box state, backup options, and every later risk decision.
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Deaths and mistakes have double consequences
When one Pokemon falls, you do not just lose one slot. The partner side loses a Pokemon too, which instantly changes the full run plan.
A simple example
💡Example
Player A catches a Pidgey on Route 1. Player B catches a Sentret there. That pair now belongs together. If the Pidgey later dies in a gym battle, Sentret must also be removed immediately. The rule itself is simple. The difficulty comes from the fact that such losses do not only affect one battle, but the whole team structure.
Why Soul Link is harder than a normal Nuzlocke
In a normal Nuzlocke, you only carry the consequences of your own mistakes. In a Soul Link, one mistake often hits two teams immediately. That raises not only the difficulty, but especially the organizational load.
You need to apply the same rules, know the same route state, document pairs cleanly, and make strategic decisions together. That is why Soul Link is not just a co-op Nuzlocke, but a format that depends much more on structure.
The most important rules and why they matter
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Only one encounter per area
Usually only the first Pokemon you meet in an area counts. If it flees or gets knocked out, that location is normally spent.
This rule keeps the run limited and turns areas into actual decisions instead of unlimited resources.
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Fainted means permanently lost
If a Pokemon drops to 0 HP, it is considered dead and may no longer be used. Many groups track this in a dead box or graveyard.
Without that finality, the challenge loses its tension. The rule makes every decision and risk matter.
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Pokemon are linked in pairs
The catches of both players from the same area form a fixed pair. This pairing is not optional, it is one of the core mechanics of the format.
That pairing is exactly what turns two individual runs into one shared run with mutual dependency.
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Partner death applies immediately
If one Pokemon dies, the other player also loses the linked counterpart, even if that Pokemon did nothing wrong in battle.
This is the real harshness of the format. Mistakes, bad luck, or risky plays immediately affect both sides.
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Pair rules often affect team and box usage too
Many groups do not allow one partner to stay active while the other just sits somewhere in the PC. This should be decided clearly.
Without clean state rules, you get constant exceptions, misunderstandings, and debates about legal team setups.
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House rules must be settled before the run
Gift Pokemon, eggs, fossils, static encounters, blackouts, and similar edge cases are not handled the same way everywhere.
Anything decided only in the middle of a dispute almost always feels like post-hoc advantage seeking.
Common extra rules
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Duplicate clause
Duplicate Pokemon or evolution lines may be skipped to keep the run more varied and avoid repetitive pairings.
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Shiny clause
Shinies may be caught in addition or replace normal encounters. This rule is optional and handled very differently between groups.
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Type clause
Certain types may not appear twice across both teams. This makes team planning much stricter and is usually better suited to experienced groups.
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Hardcore rules
No healing items in battle, Set mode, and level caps before boss fights. This raises the difficulty sharply, but is not required for a clean Soul Link.
These house rules should truly be decided before starting
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What happens on a full blackout or whiteout?
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How do gift Pokemon, eggs, fossils, and static encounters count?
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What applies if one player misses or defeats their encounter?
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May linked Pokemon sit separately in party and box?
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How tightly do you want to synchronize story progress and new areas?
Common disputes and edge cases
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One player misses the encounter
Many groups say the other player also loses that area's encounter. The important part is not the exact choice, but having it settled before the run.
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Gift Pokemon or eggs
There is no universal answer here. They may count as normal encounters, bonuses, or be banned entirely. The real problem starts when the decision is only made once the gift is already in front of you.
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Blackout or whiteout
Some groups end the entire run, others continue with legal boxed pairs. Both versions can work as long as they were defined in advance.
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Mid-battle partner deaths
If one player loses a Pokemon while the other is still in battle, many groups finish the current battle and remove the pair immediately afterwards. This is another house-rule point.
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Death while grinding
Most groups treat grinding deaths like any other death. If you want training losses to be softer, write that into the rule sheet before the run.
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Level cap exceeded
With hardcore rules, the cleanest answer is usually: the Pokemon is locked until after the boss fight. Without a level cap, the case does not matter.
Recommendation for beginners
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For your first Soul Link, you do not need the hardest ruleset, but the clearest one. Use the base rules, settle the most important edge cases, and leave complicated extra clauses for later. A clean, understandable run teaches more than an ultra-hard run that collapses after two sessions because of organization.
Frequently asked questions
1Do both players need the same version?▾
Not strictly, but it makes pairings and comparability easier. For a first run, the same or a very similar version is usually the best choice.
2Is Soul Link harder than a normal Nuzlocke?▾
Almost always yes. Mistakes hit both players, and on top of that you constantly need to plan together instead of improvising alone.
3Do starters get linked too?▾
In most groups, yes. Starters often become the first fixed pair of the whole run and immediately set the tone for the challenge.
4Can we play with three or four players?▾
Yes, but the organizational cost rises dramatically. For beginners, a classic two-player Soul Link is almost always the better choice.
5Do we really need a tracker?▾
Once you have multiple sessions, box swaps, and edge-case rules, a tracker becomes very useful. Not because it looks nice, but because it keeps states reliably visible.
6Does a grinding death count like a boss-fight death?▾
Yes, unless your rules say otherwise. In most Soul Link runs, a grinding death is a real death and also removes the linked partner Pokemon.
7Can we keep shiny Pokemon in addition to normal encounters?▾
Only with Shiny Clause. Many groups allow shinies as bonus catches, but they are not always legal for the active team. Decide whether they are collectable only or playable too.
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Next step
If the core idea is clear now, continue with the step-by-step guide or jump straight into the tracker guide next. Rules alone are not enough; you also need a clean workflow.