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.
After you learn to catch pokémon in Avance Trail, go north into Santalune Forest.
Explore the Forest
When you first enter the forest, Shauna will come up and decide to follow you. Talk to her any time and she will heal your pokémon for you.
In the tall grass of Santalune Forest you can find Caterpie, Metapod (Y only), Weedle, Kakuna (X only), Pikachu, Pansage, Pansear, Panpour, Fletchling, and Scatterbug.
To the right of the entrance, there is an item on the ground. Check on it. It's a potion. Go to the left and you will find a kid who mentions that this is a dead end. Go left from the kid to find an Antidote past some tall grass. Go north from the kid and a little to the left to get a Potion just past the grass.
To the east, you find your neighbor, Trevor, and Tierno looking around for pokémon in the tall grass. Just north of Tierno, walk into the grass and Shauna will find a Paralyze Heal hidden in the grass.
North of there, you find Youngster Joey, who challenges you to a battle. He has a level 3 Scatterbug and a level 3 Fletchling.
Go west from Youngster Joey, then south. Follow the path and you eventually reach your neighbor. Talk to your neighbor to receive a pokéball.
After you go past your neighbor, you encounter Lass Anna. She has a level 5 Pikachu.
South of her, you find Lass Lise, who has a level level 2 Weedle and level 4 Bunnelby. You get 96 Pokédollars for winning.
Go east from her to find a Poké Ball. Go west from her to find a Potion in the grass.
Go north from there. Your neighbor will come up to you and recognize your potential. Then the rest of your friends will arrive. Go north to Route 3 Ouvert Way.
After you make your way through Santalune Forest, you and your friends arrive in Route 3, Ouvert Way.
Split Up
After your friends discuss their plans, your neighbor will give you a copy of the Adventure Rules, which are ten tips to help you have a good adventure. Your neighbor will go north to Santalune City to battle the gym leader there, and your other friends will hang out near the entrance.
Battle and Catch
In the tall grass in this area, you can catch Pidgey, Pikachu, Dunsparce, Azurill, Bidoof, Burmy, Fletchling, and Bunnelby.
North of your friends, you will find Preschooler Oliver. He has a level 3 Caterpie and a level 4 Azurill.
North of there, you find Preschooler Ella. She has a level 5 Pichu.
Go north and down the stairs. A rollerblader will skate past you. There is a prickly tree to the north of the stairs, so you can't go east from there.
If you go west from the stairs, then north, you find Santalune City. You can go there now to heal up at the pokémon center if you wish. But be sure to explore the rest of Ouvert Way afterward.
Just south of the stairs is Schoolgirl Bridget. She has a level 6 Bidoof.
Go south of the schoolgirl to get a Super Potion. From there, you have to go north. Schoolboy Brighton will challenge you to a battle. He has a level 3 Pansage, level 3 Pansear, and level 3 Panpour.
Go north from the schoolboy. The girl just south of Santalune City doesn't challenge you to a battle.
Go north to enter Santalune City.
After you go through Santalune Forest and Ouvert Way, you reach Santalune City, where you can find the first pokémon Gym in Kalos.
Heal Up
The Pokémon Center is just north of where you enter Santalune City. Go inside. Tierno tells you what you can do at the Pokémon Center. Talk to the nurse to get your pokémon healed up.
Switch Pokémon
You can use the computer to the right of the nurse's desk to access the PC. This is where the pokémon that you catch are sent if your party is full. You can use PCs to change the pokémon that are in your active party.
Change Clothes
Behind the nurse's desk to the left, there is a fitting room. Here you can change clothes. You don't have very many different clothing items to choose from yet, but you can come back later when you get more clothes.
Buy Things
Behind the nurse's desk to the right, there is a Poké Mart. Be sure to buy Poké Balls and healing items if you need them.
Buy Clothes
Outside of the Pokémon Center and to the right, there is a clothing store. They sell a selection of hats and accessories.
Explore Town
To the west of the Pokémon Center, a girl in one of the houses will tell you how your relationship is with the lead pokémon in your party.
North of the Pokémon Center, east of the fountain, a boy in a house will give you a Great Ball, which has a higher chance of catching a wild pokémon than a Poké Ball.
West of the fountain, a Hiker in a house will give you a Farfetch'd (nickname: Quacklin') in exchange for a Bunnelby. The PC will open, so you can do the trade even if you have a Bunnelby that is not in your party right now.
North of the fountain, there is the Trainers' School. Talk to the white-haired guy near the entrance to get three X Attacks and three X Defenses.
To the west of the Trainers' School, you find the sister of the Santalune City Gym leader. West of her, go up some stairs and check on the flowers in front of the house. You will find a hidden Super Potion.
Battle in Front of the Gym
To the east of the Trainers' School, there is the Santalune City Gym. Go there to meet a roller skater. She challenges you to a pokémon battle, and if you win, she'll give you your very own pair of Roller Skates.
Roller Skater Rinka has a level a level 7 Zigzagoon.
After the battle, Rinka gives you a pair of Roller Skates. When you move around using the Circle Pad, the Roller Skates will automatically snap onto your shoes and you will skate around. To walk around, use the +Pad.
Challenge the Gym Leader
After battling Rinka and getting your Roller Skates, go into the Santalune City Gym.
After you get Roller Skates from Rinka, you can go into the Santalune City Gym, where the Bug trainer Viola awaits.
Introduction
Inside the Gym, you find a gallery of Viola's photography.
Talk to the guy just inside the gym to learn that the trainers in this gym use Bug-type pokémon. Just so you know, Bug-type pokémon are weak to Fire, Rock, and Flying type moves. The type of moves that don't work well on Bug-type pokémon are Fighting, Ground, and Grass.
Battle Trainers
The guy says to use the pole to reach the lower floor, where Viola awaits. The lower flower has a large spider web that you bounce on when you land. You can only walk along the thing white/blue strands, so if you find your path blocked, look for a thicker strand to walk on.
Go southeast from where you landed and you find Youngster David, who challenges you with a level 10 Ledyba.
After defeating Youngster David, continue going southwest, then go west on the bottom of the spiderweb. When you can, go north, then northwest to find Youngster Zachary. He has a level 10 Spewpa.
Go southeast from Zachary, then slightly south, turning west when you can. Follow the path to the northwest side of the web, then go to the middle of the north part of the web. Lass Charlotte challenges you. She has a level 7 Kakuna and a level 9 Combee.
Go north after defeating Lass Charolotte and you will meet Gym Leader Viola.