A Soul Link — also called a Soullocke — is a Nuzlocke for two or more players. Everyone plays their own copy of the same game, and the Pokémon you catch in the same area become partners bound by fate. They join the team together, rest in the box together and, when one of them falls, the other falls too.
It is the most social way to play a Nuzlocke, and one of the most dramatic: a single critical hit in your friend’s game can cost you your best Pokémon.
The Soul Link rules
1. All Nuzlocke rules still apply
Fainted Pokémon are gone, only the first encounter in each area counts, and nicknames are encouraged. If you are new to the format, start with the Nuzlocke rules.
2. Encounters in the same area are linked
Each player catches the first Pokémon of an area. Together, those Pokémon form one link. If one player’s encounter fails — it flees, faints or breaks free — the whole link is lost, and nobody may use the Pokémon from that area.
3. Linked Pokémon share their fate
When a Pokémon faints, its partners in every other game are lost as well: release them or move them to the graveyard. This is the heart of the challenge. You are never only responsible for your own team.
4. Linked Pokémon move together
If one Pokémon of a link is in the party, its partners must be in their players’ parties too. Put one in the box, and the others go to the box as well. Your teams always mirror each other.
5. Primary types may not repeat
The most common extra rule: no two Pokémon in a party may share a primary type. It stops everyone from stacking the same strong type and forces real team building. Some groups go further and forbid a primary type from appearing in any player’s active team twice.
Optional: the gender clause
For two-player runs, many pairs play with the gender clause: the two Pokémon of a link must be of different genders. It is purely thematic — soulmates, after all — but it makes some links impossible and adds tension to every encounter.
Playing with three or four trainers
With more players, each link contains three or four Pokémon and every loss hits more teams. A few adjustments help:
- Agree on the type rule early. With four teams of six, a strict “no repeated primary types across all teams” rule is very hard. Most groups apply it per player.
- Agree on house rules for disputes. Losses in a big group are emotional; decide how you handle edge cases before the first route.
- Stay in sync. Pick a stopping point — the next gym, for example — and wait until everyone has reached it.
Handling tricky situations
Duplicate species. Apply the dupes clause per player: if your encounter is a species you already have, you may keep looking in that area until you find a new one. The link forms once everyone has a valid Pokémon.
Shiny and gift Pokémon. Treat them as extra encounters, just like in a regular Nuzlocke. They usually have no partners — decide whether they may join the team at all.
One player blacks out. In most groups, a blackout ends the run for everyone. It is harsh, but it keeps the stakes shared.
Different versions. Many pairs play counterpart versions, such as Sword and Shield. Keep in mind that version-exclusive encounters and bosses can make links uneven.
Tips for a successful Soul Link
- Talk before every encounter. Voice chat makes every catch a shared moment — and avoids accidentally fainting a Pokémon you both needed.
- Build as a pair, not alone. Your teams mirror each other. A link that is great for you but useless for your partner may not be worth a party slot.
- Respect the caps together. The level caps apply to everyone, and one over-levelled team makes the other player’s fights feel unfair.
- Scout the bosses together. Every game guide lists each boss team with levels — plan who handles the ace.
- Keep a shared record. Arguing about which Pokémon belonged to which route is the fastest way to end a friendship. A tracker settles it.
Track your Soul Link with PokéRuns
The SoulLink tracker was built for exactly this format:
- two to four trainers per run, with live sync between players,
- linked encounters that move between team, box and graveyard together,
- automatic checks for duplicates, repeated primary types, the gender clause and level caps,
- friends, invitations and guest links,
- and an OBS overlay that shows every linked team on stream.
Want a fresh world for everyone? Generate one with the Pokémon Randomizer and share the seed — the same ROM, settings and seed produce the same world for every player.
Frequently asked questions
Do both players need the same game?
Most groups play the same game or counterpart versions of the same generation. The PokéRuns SoulLink tracker links runs on a single game profile, so everyone shares the same caps and milestones.
What happens if one of us fails to catch a Pokémon?
The whole link for that area is lost. None of the players may use their Pokémon from that area.
Can we trade linked Pokémon?
Most rulesets don’t allow it: each player keeps their own half of every link.
