Appendix:Platinum walkthrough/Section 1

Starting the game

The player's room

Professor Rowan

Like many other games, the game begins with the mascot of the game being shown in the title screen; just press "Start" and start a new game and you are ready to go. You will be greeted by Professor Rowan, who can give you some advice about the game. The player can choose not to read this advice and just go on.

You will be asked to pick your gender, note that you can not change your gender later in the game. You will then be asked to enter your name, which too can't be changed later on, so be sure that you have the name you want. After that, you'll be asked to enter the name of your rival.

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!

You will start watching the TV screen showing a comment left by Professor Rowan. As you try to move, you will be greeted by your rival, and will also be distracted by your PC. Follow him downstairs, where the player and your mom will have a short conversation. Just before you leave the door, your mom will tell you to stay away from tall grass.

Twinleaf Town has become colder, with snow patches all around. 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. Exit the house again and head north. Soon, you'll find yourself at Route 201.

Route 201

Route 201

Your first route, which brings you a big surprise. Lake Verity is to the west, while Sandgem Town is to the east. You can't go farther until later though, but you will see your rival standing, approach him and he will call you slow. He will ask you to go to Sandgem Town with him but you remembered to not go in tall grass, your rival provided a way for not any Pokémon to appear, but just as soon as he tries to enter the tall grass, a weird man appears.

The man is Professor Rowan, and he is not happy, he tells you two not to go to tall grass, eventually, Dawn/Lucas will appear, and then 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 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.

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 which is similar to Blue in the Kanto-region games. Just remember this is a battle you don't have to win. But 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

Lake Verity (First Visit)

After arriving back on Route 201, you'll meet up with Barry again. Even though both of you are going 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 first.

Once at Lake Verity you will see Cyrus, the leader of Team Galactic, who calls out that he will one day take control of Time and Space to the legendary Pokémon of the lake before he leaves. When Barry is ready to press forward you will hear the legendary Pokémon, and 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.

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 in 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

Sandgem Town

Sandgem Town

Once you arrive Lucas/Dawn are waiting to take you inside the building, just as Barry comes out, commenting that Rowan is not as scary as he appears to be before leaving. 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 met in Sinnoh.

Items
Item Location Games

Outside the lab Rowan gives you TM27 (Return), then Lucas/Dawn shows you around town then suggests to talk with your mom. You could leave Sandgem Town and then use the ledges to return to Twinleaf Town, but you should grab an 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, if you know how, but if you don't, don't worry, you won't really miss anything that will affect your gameplay. Catching a Bidoof will help in the early part of the games, it is very versatile, and you will know what this means later on. A Starly will help too, but it is not really 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. That's when Barry's mother shows up, looking for Barry, and gives you the Parcel, and believes that Barry should be at Jubilife City right now. Now return to Sandgem Town.

Items
Item Location Games

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.