This page walks you through the steps involved in starting a new game of Pokémon X or Y.

Choosing the Language

When you first start up Pokémon X or Y, the game will write to the SD Card. Be sure not to turn off the 3DS or remove the SD card at this time.

Afterward, the game will ask which language you want to play the game in. Please note that you cannot change the language unless you delete your saved game and start over from the beginning. After selecting the language, you can choose Begin Game to play the game in that language, or choose "Select Language" to go back to the list of languages and choose a different one.

Meet the Professor

After you have chosen a language, you will be taken to the title screen. Press start or the A button to begin the game.

You meet Augustine Sycamore, the pokémon professor of the Kalos region. He tells you a little bit about the creatures known as pokémon.

Create Your Character

Next, you will be shown a boy character and a girl character. Use the Circle Pad or directional pad to choose the gender of the character that you want to create. After selecting your character's gender, you are presented with three images of character faces, each with a different skin tone. The skin tone of your character is permanent. Later in the game, you will get opportunities to customize other aspects of your character.

Next, you will be asked to name your character. Tap the keyboard on the touchscreen to enter the name. Tap the Enter key to confirm the name. You'll see your character and will be asked to confirm that the name is correct.

After this, a Fletchling will fly around and wake you up in your room in Vaniville Town.

After you create your character, a Fletchling flies through your room and wakes you up.

Walk Around

Note: When walking around in the overworld, 3D is disabled. This is normal. Walk around using the Circle Pad or the directional pad. You can run by holding the B button while walking.

Get Acquainted with the Menu

After you wake up, you can save the game and change your options using the touchscreen. Press X to bring up the menu buttons, or just tap the buttons at the bottom of the touchscreen. The bag icon on the bottom left opens your bag, which is currently empty. To the right, there is a green icon. Tap this to see your trainer information. This is where you will see the gym badges that you earn. To the right is a blue icon of a piece of paper with a pen writing on it. Tap this button and you will be prompted to save your game. To the right is a pink button that goes to the Options screen, where you can change text speed, battle animations, and so on.

The orange area in the middle of the touchscreen shows friends, acquaintances, and passersby who are playing the game.

In the top middle of the screen, there is a button that opens the Player Search System options. To the right of this button is a blue button that will connect you to the Internet. Once you are connected to the Internet, the touchscreen will show players from around the world who are currently playing the game.

Get Dressed and Go Downstairs

Check on the mirror in your room to change out of your pyjamas. Feel free to check on items in the room such as your TV, Wii U, and computer. Then go downstairs when you are ready.

Downstairs, your Mom will ask you to go out and meet the neighbors (apparently you just moved to this town.) Outside, your next-door neighbor (Calem if you're a girl, Serena if you're a guy) and Shauna will introduce themselves. They are going to take you to meet Professor Sycamore, who has a task for five kids, including the three of you. They'll be waiting for you in the next town. They will go through the gate next to your house to go to the next town.

When you're done exploring Vaniville, go north through the gate to Vaniville Pathway Route 1, which leads to Aquacorde Town.

After the very brief walk along Route 1: Vaniville Pathway, you reach Aquacorde Town.

Meet Your New Friends

Walk north from the entrance of town and you'll hear your new friends call your name. Walk northwest to find them at a table. They ask you to join them. Your neighbor will introduce you to the others. There's Tierno, the big guy who likes to dance. Trevor is a shy but smart kid.

Get a Nickname

Tierno will make up a nickname for you, and the others will give their ideas of a nickname. Then your neighbor will ask what you want to be called. You can choose one of the nicknames your friends suggested or just pick your own. Keep in mind that your choice is permanent.

Choose Your Starter

Tierno will present you with the three pokémon you can choose from for your starter. There's the grass starter Chespin, the fire starter Fennekin, and the water starter Froakie.

After you choose your pokémon and choose whether to give it a nickname or not, Shauna will choose the starter that is weak to yours, and your neighbor will choose the starter that is strong against yours.

Trevor gives you a Pokédex. Tierno gives you a letter from Professor Sycamore for your mother. Then he and Trevor go hunting for pokémon.

You can now tap the bottom left button on the touchscreen to see the pokémon that are currently in your team, and you can tap the button to the right of that to see your Pokédex.

Battle Shauna

Go south to go toward Vaniville Town. When you do, Shauna stops you and challenges you to your first pokémon battle. Her pokémon's type is weak to your type, so be sure to use your pokémon's non-normal move (Chespin's Grass move, Fennekin's Fire move, or Froakie's Water move.) The attack will be super-effective, making the battle easy. After the battle, Shauna will heal up your pokémon.

Give Your Mother the Letter

Walk south to Vaniville Town and go back to your house. Your Mom will read the letter from Professor Sycamore and then go upstairs and pack your bags for you. She'll give you the Town Map. If you want, you can have your Mom explain how to use the Town Map. It's in your Bag in the Key Items pocket.

Go outside. Your Rhyhorn will come up and roar for good luck, and your Mom will come out and wish you luck. You can sit on Rhyhorn if you walk up to it from the side, but it will only give you a small ride around your front yard and then go back to its spot.

Walk north to Aquacorde Town again.

Explore Aquacorde

In Aquacorde, go north from the area of tables and chairs. You'll go down some stairs and then there is a blue sign to the left. Near that sign, there is someone you can talk to who will give you a free Potion.

To the left of this town square there is a building with a green awning. Walk under the awning to find the door to a PokéMart. On the right side of the town square, there is a potion shop, and just north of the potion shop there is a shop where the shopkeeper will heal your pokémon for free.

When you're done exploring town, go north to Route 2, Avance Trail.

Avance Trail is the first place in Pokémon X and Y where you will find tall grass and wild pokémon. It's north of Aquacorde Town.

Catch Some Pokémon

Go north to find Shauna and your neighbor. Your neighbor will give you a lesson on how to catch pokémon. You don't have to tap the touchscreen during this lesson. Just watch. Afterward, your neighbor will give you and Shauna some pokéballs. You receive ten pokéballs. After that, your neighbor will run off to the north, while Shauna will stay in this area to catch some pokémon.

Now you can walk and run in the tall grass to encounter wild pokémon. In this area, you can find Caterpie (Y only), Weedle (X only), Pidgey, Zigzagoon, Fletchling, Bunnelby, and Scatterbug.

Battle a Trainer

At the north end of Avance Trail, you encounter Youngster Austin, who challenges you to a pokémon battle. He has a level 5 Zigzagoon.

Go to the Forest

After you're done in Route 2/Avance Trail, just go north into Santalune Forest.