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 with you at the TV, watching the tail end of a show 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 on Route 201.

Route 201

Route 201

Lake Verity is to the west, 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

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, 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 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 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 Fire-type moves will become normally effective. Piplup will have a harder time with 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 starter, as well as a small amount of spending money.

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 ever-useful 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. 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.

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.

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 near the entrance to Sandgem Town to receive a free Potion, then head east to reach the 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 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.

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 Research 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). Lucas/Dawn will show you around town, that you tell your mom what you've 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. As far as Pokémon to catch, Bidoof are very versatile and can learn 6 out of 8 of the Hidden Machines that are necessary for navigating the whole of Sinnoh, while Starly are a solid addition to any team (though they will not be very useful in the first Gym).

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

Twinleaf Town

Enter your house, where your mom gives her approval of your journey and gives you a Journal. 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.

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.