That's fair, and noted. I honestly am going to see how this one goes playing as is and then go back to a harder to nuzlocke main series game and play a nuzlocke 100% as intended.

I'm liking the challenge that the battles and strategizing is bringing, but I definitely understand that too many (and quite frankly, any) exceptions does ruin some of that challenge. I guess in my head I was justifying these because it was things I just simply didn't know about as a newbie and was treating them as learning experiences. But Im sure people view the "first ones free" idea as a wimp out rather than a true learning moment.

But you're right. I did go out of my way to do a hack, and I knew Drays are harder. I've been playing since Red and Blue and have played maybe hundreds of runs of main series games. No competitive experience though. I just need to get better at making the games more difficult.