Appendix:Platinum walkthrough/Section 1

Starting the game

 
The player's room
 
Professor Rowan

The game loads with Giratina being shown on the bottom title screen. Press Start, A, or tap the screen to go to the main menu, then start a new game. You will be greeted by Professor Rowan, who will ask if you need advice about playing the game.

Afterward, Rowan will ask you about yourself. Here, choose your gender, name, and the name of your rival. None of these can be changed later on, so be sure you're happy with each choice before continuing to the next one.

After choosing your rival's name, you will be brought to your house in Twinleaf Town.

Twinleaf Town

 
Twinleaf Town

Twinleaf Town
Fresh and Free!

The game starts in front of the TV at your house in Twinleaf Town. You are watching the tail end of a show featuring Professor Rowan. As you try to move, you will be greeted by your rival, who will briefly be distracted by your PC, and will then tell you to meet him outside as he dashes off. Follow him downstairs, where you'll have a short conversation with your mom. Just before you leave, your mom will tell you to stay away from the tall grass.

Twinleaf Town is cold, with patches of snow on the ground. As you explore the town, be sure to visit the house in the north-west corner of the town. Here, your rival will bump into you as you try to enter. He'll head back in immediately, however, because he forgot something. Head upstairs and your rival will ask you to meet him at Route 201. Leave his house and head north. Soon, you'll find yourself on Route 201.

Route 201

 
Route 201

Lake Verity is to the west of Route 201, while Sandgem Town is to the east. As you go north, you meet up with your rival for a chat. He suggests that the two of you go to Sandgem Town to get Pokémon from Professor Rowan. When you point out you shouldn't go into the tall grass, he naively suggests running through the tall grass so fast that wild Pokémon have no chance to jump out at you (running through tall grass actually increases the chance that you'll be attacked by a wild Pokémon). Just as he's about to enter the grass, an old man shouts at him to halt.

The man is Professor Rowan, and he is not happy! He tells you two not to go to tall grass, then quizzes you about your love for Pokémon; eventually Dawn/Lucas will appear, and the professor will ask you to pick your very first Pokémon.

 
Turtwig
 
Chimchar
 
Piplup
Grass Fire Water
  Grotle   Monferno   Prinplup
Grass Fire Fighting Water
  Torterra   Infernape   Empoleon
Grass Ground Fire Fighting Water Steel

Turtwig has high HP, Attack, and Defense, and its final evolution gains Ground as a secondary type; few moves are super effective or not very effective against this combination. Its Grass/Ground typing will be effective in more Gyms than Piplup, but in fewer than Chimchar.

Chimchar has high Attack, Special Attack, and Speed. Its second evolution gains the Fighting type, a combination that is very effective against the most Gyms out of the three choices, not to mention the Pokémon League. It can also learn the powerful Fire Blast and Focus Blast relatively early, while the other two are still relying on weaker moves like Razor Leaf and Bubblebeam. However, its very low Defense and Special Defense mean it will be vulnerable even to types it resists.

Piplup is similar to Turtwig; it has high Defense and Special Attack, and its final form gains Steel as the secondary type. This combination will resist many different move types, though it gains a Ground weakness. Piplup's moves are neutrally effective against more Gyms, but its wide range of resistances combined with its high Defense allow it to take quite the pounding.

Once you made your choice, in true Rival fashion, Barry will pick the one that has the type advantage over your choice. Rowan will point out that these Pokémon are inexperienced with the world and need you to help them grow before he and Lucas/Dawn return to Sandgem Town. Barry will then challenge you to an immediate battle. You don't have to win this battle, but winning awards Experience points for your new first partner Pokémon, as well as a small amount of spending money.

  If the player chose Turtwig:   If the player chose Chimchar:   If the player chose Piplup:






After the battle you will immediately go home.

Twinleaf Town

Back at home, your mom is happy that you and Barry met Professor Rowan, since he stopped you from being attacked by wild Pokémon. She then asks for you to thank him properly in Sandgem Town and gives you the ever-useful Running Shoes.

Route 201

After arriving back on Route 201, you'll meet up with Barry again. He reveals that he's also planning to go to Sandgem Town, and he asks you to come with him to Lake Verity first to find and catch the rumored legendary Pokémon to show to Professor Rowan.

Lake Verity (first visit)

Once at Lake Verity you will see Cyrus, the leader of Team Galactic. He boasts to the legendary Pokémon of the lake that he will one day take control of Time and Space, then leaves the scene. When Barry is ready to press forward, you will hear this legendary Pokémon, and he is ready to catch it only to realize that neither of you have any Poké Balls to catch it with. Barry then recalls that Professor Rowan said to come to him if they needed anything, so Barry then departs for Sandgem Town. With nothing more to do here, follow him south and then east along Route 201.

Route 201

Once past Verity Lakefront, you are free to explore the tall grass, though you can't catch any wild Pokémon yet. Talk to the Poké Mart employee near the entrance to Sandgem Town to receive a free Potion, then head west to pick up an item or east to reach the town.

Verity Lakefront (optional)

There isn't much to do at Verity Lakefront right now, except collecting a hidden TinyMushroom. It is accessible from Route 201.

Sandgem Town

 
Sandgem Town

Once you arrive at Sandgem Town, Lucas/Dawn are waiting to escort you inside Rowan's laboratory. Just as you're about to enter, Barry comes rushing out, commenting that Rowan is not as scary as he appears to be, before he dashes off. Once inside, the Professor takes a look at your Pokémon and approvingly allows you to keep it. Seeing the growing bond between you and your Pokémon, the Professor gives you a Pokédex and requests that you travel across Sinnoh and record data on the various Pokémon you meet.

Outside the lab, Rowan gives you TM27 (Return). Lucas/Dawn will show you around town, then suggest that you talk with your mom about what you've so quickly agreed to do. Before you go, you may want to head south of Sandgem to Route 219 and grab the Antidote waiting there, heal up your Pokémon in the Pokémon Center, and maybe even buy some Poké Balls in the Poké Mart by speaking to the cashier.

Finally, head west out of Sandgem and use the ledges to return to Twinleaf.

Twinleaf Town

Enter your house, where your mom agrees that you should go on this adventure, and gives you a Journal to record it. Barry's mother shows up looking for her son, and asks you to give him a Parcel, suggesting that Barry is likely in Jubilife City by now.

Now, return to Sandgem.

Platinum
walkthrough
Route 202 to Jubilife City Part 2 →
  This article is part of Project Walkthroughs, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive step-by-step guides on each Pokémon game.