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.