Appendix:Platinum walkthrough/Section 1

Starting the game

The player's room

Professor Rowan

The game loads with the mascot of the game being shown in the title screen; press Start, A, or tap the screen, then start a new game and you are ready to go. You will be greeted by Professor Rowan, who can optionally give you some advice about the game.

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 heach 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 with you watching the TV, which is showing the end of a programme featuring Professor Rowan. As you try to move, you will be greeted by your rival, who will be distracted by your PC, before he tells you to meet him outside before 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 at Route 201.

Route 201

Route 201

Lake Verity is to the west, while Sandgem Town is to the east. As you go north, your rival yalks to you again. He suggests 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 suggests running through the tall grass so fast that wild Pokémon have no chance to jump out at you (ironically, running through tall grass actually increases the chance that you'll be attacked by a wild Pokémon). Just he makes his run up, 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, and 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

Available Pokémon

Pokémon Games Location Levels Rate Gift Pokémon Turtwig D P Pt Starter Pokémon 5 Only one Chimchar D P Pt Starter Pokémon 5 Only one Piplup D P Pt Starter Pokémon 5 Only one Grass Pokémon Starly D P Pt Grass 2-3 50% 50% 40% Bidoof D P Pt Grass 2-3 40% 50% 50% Kricketot D P Pt Grass 3 10% 0% 10% Special Pokémon Doduo D P Pt Swarm 2 40% Nidoran♀ D P Pt Poké Radar 2-3 11% Nidoran♂ D P Pt Poké Radar 2-3 11% Growlithe D P Pt Dual-slot FireRed 2 8% A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.

Turtwig has high HP, defense, and attack, and its final evolution gains Ground as a secondary type, meaning that there not many moves which are Super Effective or Not Very Effective. Its Grass/Ground typing will be effective in more Gyms than Piplup, but in fewer than Chimchar.

Chimchar has high attack and speed. Its second evolution gains the Fighting type - a combination that means its attacks will be very effective against the most Gyms out of the three choices, not to mention the Pokémon League. However its very low defense and special defense mean it will be vulnerable even to types it resists.

Piplup has high defensive stats and high special attack, and its final form gains Steel as secondary type, meaning it will resist many different types, however it will lose its resistance to Fire-type moves. Piplup's attacks will be effective against the fewest gyms out of the three choices, but its wide range of resistances combined with its high defense mean that it should be able to take quite a pounding.

Once you made your choice, like any Rival, 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. While you don't have to win this battle, it is worth the Experience points.

If the player chose Turtwig:	If the player chose Chimchar:	If the player chose Piplup:
Pokémon Trainer Barry Route 201 Platinum Reward: $500 Type: Fire Unknown Ability: Blaze Held item: None Chimchar♂ Lv.5 Scratch Normal Physical   --       Leer Normal Status   --       Curse Unknown Status   --       Curse Unknown Status   --	Pokémon Trainer Barry Route 201 Platinum Reward: $500 Type: Water Unknown Ability: Torrent Held item: None Piplup♂ Lv.5 Pound Normal Physical   --       Growl Normal Status   --       Curse Unknown Status   --       Curse Unknown Status   --	Pokémon Trainer Barry Route 201 Platinum Reward: $500 Type: Grass Unknown Ability: Overgrow Held item: None Turtwig♂ Lv.5 Tackle Normal Physical   --       Withdraw Water Status   --       Curse Unknown Status   --       Curse Unknown Status   --

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 Running Shoes.

Items
Item Location Games Running Shoes Obtained from player's mother at the start of the game  Pt

Lake Verity (First Visit)

After arriving back on Route 201, you'll meet up with Barry again. Even though you're both planning to go to Sandgem Town, he suggests that both of you should head to Lake Verity first to find and catch the legendary Pokémon to show to Professor Rowan.

Once at Lake Verity you will see Cyrus, the leader of Team Galactic, who calls out to the legendary Pokémon of the lake that he will one day take control of Time and Space before he leaves. When Barry is ready to press forward you will hear the 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 and so Barry decides to ask for some Poké Balls and immediately departs for Sandgem Town. With nothing more to do here, follow him south and then east along Route 201.

Available Pokémon

Pokémon Games Location Levels Rate Starly D P Pt Grass 2-4 50% 50% 40% Bidoof D P Pt Grass 2-4 50% 50% 60% Surfing and Fishing Psyduck D P Pt Surfing 20-30 90% Golduck D P Pt Surfing 20-40 10% Magikarp D P Pt Fishing Old Rod 3-15 100% Magikarp D P Pt Fishing Good Rod 10-25 65% Goldeen D P Pt Fishing Good Rod 15-20 30% Seaking D P Pt Fishing Good Rod 25-35 5% Gyarados D P Pt Fishing Super Rod 30-55 65% Seaking D P Pt Fishing Super Rod 30-55 35% Special Pokémon Wobbuffet D P Pt Poké Radar 3-4 22% Lunatone D P Pt Dual-slot Sapphire 4 8% Solrock D P Pt Dual-slot Ruby 4 8% A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.

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 that is located at northern point near the exit to Sandgem Town to receive a free Potion. Head east to reach Sandgem Town.

Items
Item Location Games Potion Given by Poké Mart employee  Pt  TinyMushroom On the higher ledge north of the first patch of tall grass (Hidden)  Pt

Sandgem Town

Sandgem Town

Once you arrive Lucas/Dawn are waiting to take you inside the building. 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 (again). Once inside, the Professor takes a look at your Pokémon and agrees to let you have it. Seeing the growing bond between you and your Pokémon, the Professor gives you a Pokédex to record data on the Pokémon you meet in Sinnoh.

Items

Item Location Games TM27 (Return) Obtained from Professor Rowan after leaving his Research Lab  Pt  Pokédex Obtained from Professor Rowan in the Pokémon Research Lab  Pt  National Pokédex Pokédex upgraded by Professor Oak in the Pokémon Reasearch Lab after the player defeats the Elite Four, Champion, and sees all Pokémon in the Sinnoh Region.  Pt  Poké Radar Obtained from Professor Rowan after Oak gives you the National Pokédex  Pt

Outside the lab Rowan gives you TM27 (Return), then Lucas/Dawn shows you around town then suggests to tell your mom what you've agreed to do. Leave Sandgem Town and use the ledges to return to Twinleaf Town, but grab the Antidote on Route 219 just south of town first.

Take Lucas/Dawn's advice and heal up your Pokémon in the Pokémon Center. You can also buy Poké Balls in the Poké Mart by speaking to the cashier, but if you don't, don't worry, you won't really miss anything at this stage - Bidoof are very versatile, and later on can learn 6 out of 8 of the Hidden Machines that are necessary for navigating Sinnoh, while Starly are a solid addition to any team, but will not be very useful in the first Gym.

Twinleaf Town

Once back, your mom gives you permission to go and gives you the Journal, encouraging you to have fun on your adventure. Barry's mother shows up, looking for Barry, and asks you to give him the Parcel, believing that Barry should be in Jubilife City. Now return to Sandgem Town.

Items
Item Location Games Journal Obtained from player's mother after returning from Sandgem Town.  Pt  Parcel Obtained from rival's mother in player's house, to deliver to rival.  Pt

Platinum walkthrough

Sandgem Town 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.