Pokémon Challenges

{{Short description|German streamer and YouTuber (born 1995)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}

{{Infobox Twitch streamer

| name = pChal

| image =

| caption =

| birth_name = Jan Krüger

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1995|05|16|df=y}}

| birth_place =

| nationality = German

| occupation = {{flatlist|

}}

| pseudonym = {{flatlist|

  • pChalTV, Pokémon Challenges

}}

| channel_name = pChal

| years_active = 2016–present

| genre = Gaming

| games = Pokémon

| followers = 315,000

| associated_acts = {{flatlist|

}}

| module = {{Infobox YouTube personality

| subbox = yes

| channel_id = UCvjsnl6wNtVIm0i1sCpN9Uw

| channel_display_name = pChal

| subscribers = 907,000

| views = 189.5 million

| stats_update = 14 April 2025

| network =

| silver_button = yes

| silver_year = 2020{{Cite instagram|postid=CH1gttblFp3|user=pchaltv|title=Craziest two months of my life. Fuck dude, thank you all for 100k on YouTube.|date=21 November 2020|author=PokemonChallenges}}

| gold_button =

| gold_year =

}}

}}

Jan Krüger{{Cite Instagram |postid=C_GBBNDsffN |user=mozilla_deutschland |title=Dass Magie entsteht, wenn Menschen mit den gleichen nischigen Interessen im Internet zueinanderfinden, hat Streamer Jan Krüger alias @pchaltv am eigenen Lebenslauf erfahren. |author=MOZILLA DEUTSCHLAND |date=25 August 2024 |language=de}} ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|j|ɑː|n}} {{Respell|YAHN}}; born 16 May 1995),{{Cite instagram|postid=CAQ41Ooleqh|user=pchaltv|title=Had an amazing birthday BBQ today 😊 I think I'll be using this account for more food pics in the future? 👀|date=16 May 2020|author=PokemonChallenges}} better known as Pokémon Challenges or pChal, is a German Twitch streamer and YouTuber, known for his live streams broadcasting Pokémon content, most notably Nuzlocke Challenges.

Career

Krüger is known for completing so-called "hardcore" Nuzlocke Challenges on Twitch, which are self-imposed challenges of Pokémon games aimed at increasing the difficulty of the game.{{Cite web |last=Sturgeon |first=Samuel |date=16 June 2021 |title=10 Best YouTubers For Pokémon Fans To Watch |url=https://screenrant.com/best-pokemon-youtube-channels/ |access-date=23 September 2022 |website=Screen Rant}}{{Cite web |last=McGill |first=Matt |date=16 October 2021 |title=Join Us: With a Terrible Fate Interviews Pokémon Challenges This Monday |url=https://withaterriblefate.com/2021/10/16/join-us-with-a-terrible-fate-interviews-pokemon-challenges-this-monday/ |url-status=dead |access-date=11 January 2022 |website=With A Terrible Fate |language=en-US |archive-date=7 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107220821/https://withaterriblefate.com/2021/10/16/join-us-with-a-terrible-fate-interviews-pokemon-challenges-this-monday/ }} His Nuzlocke challenges include further restrictions compared to the traditional ruleset, such as level caps and no items in battle.{{Cite web|last=van der Velde|first=Issy|date=7 January 2022|title='There Was No One Who Was Doing This' — Pokemon Challenges On Nuzlocking Emerald Kaizo|url=https://www.thegamer.com/pokemon-challenges-emerald-kaizo-nuzlocke-interview/|access-date=11 January 2022|website=TheGamer}} In 2016, Krüger completed a permadeath solo run of Pokémon FireRed using only a Rattata, one of the game's weakest characters.{{Cite web|last=Hernandez|first=Patricia|date=29 August 2016|title=Guy Pulls Off Pokémon Permadeath Run Only Using A Rattata|url=https://kotaku.com/guy-pulls-off-pokemon-permadeath-run-only-using-a-ratta-1785792656|access-date=11 January 2022|website=Kotaku}}

Krüger's YouTube and Twitch channels significantly gained traction in 2020, following a reaction video to a Nuzlocke attempt by Jaiden Animations. During the same period, Krüger was attempting the Nuzlocke challenge of Pokémon Emerald Kaizo, a ROM hack of Pokémon Emerald, which he beat in 2021.{{Cite web|last=Shirey|first=J. Brodey|date=18 July 2021|title=Pro Pokémon Player Beats Hardest Challenge In Exactly 151 Attempts|url=https://screenrant.com/pokemon-challenge-pro-beat-151-attempts/|access-date=11 January 2022|website=Screen Rant}} Coincidentally, he completed the challenge in 151 attempts, the exact number of generation I Pokémon. In 2024, he completed a Nuzlocke of Pokémon Run & Bun, another ROM hack which many players consider the hardest ROM hack to nuzlocke.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzD9Uc7bRK0 |title=Only 56 People Have Beaten This Pokemon Game |date=2025-03-30 |last=pChal |access-date=2025-04-06 |via=YouTube}}

References