Azure and Rose walkthrough/Section 1

## Intro

After selecting your language and selecting *New Game* a strange voice - whose source is revealed later, but for now can simply be ignored - introduces the game to the player, rather than a Pokémon Professor like in the main series. You are then asked to choose your character's gender and name. This cannot be changed after selecting, so double-check that you have what you want. Additionally, you can select any of the in-game Challenge Runs that you would like to apply. These cannot be started later, so if you wish to do one, then ensure you select *Yes* when prompted and enable any rules you wish to apply (the game will guide you through that process). Once ready, the *Legend of Azure* cutscene will play, and then you will appear in your room in Alipigra City.

## Alipigra City

Your journey begins in Alipigra City, roughly central in the region of Verela. The Gym is located just north of your house, but it's currently closed, due to its Gym Leader, Aria, being busy, so your challenge will have to wait.

### Home

When you first start the game, your character gets up out of bed - implying the intro sequence was just a dream - and not long after, receives a phone call. You must pick up the Rotom Phone from the desk to answer, at which point your friend Natsuki will call you, directing you to visit her house so she, your other friend Mona, and you can all head to the Pokémon Lab together. First though, you must head downstairs, and either talk to Mom or try to leave (at which point she'll talk to you anyway), and she'll direct you to pick up the Running Shoes located next to the door. You don't actually have to grab them to continue, but unless you want to be stuck walking everywhere, you probably should. From here on out, when on the overworld and not talking to an NPC, simply press X (or the equivalent binding) to open the Rotom Phone (pause) menu, hold Z (or the equivalent binding) while moving to run, and press D (or the equivalent binding) to open the Ready Menu.

Outside, you must head to Natsuki's house (that is, her mom's house), which is directly south of the player's house and partially visible from the entrance. Once inside, you simply have to talk to either Natsuki or Mona, at which point they and your character have some banter and then they head toward the Pokémon Lab. Follow them outside and to the lab.

### Pokémon Lab

Once here, the Professor of the region, Professor Razilwood, greets you and your friends, giving a short spiel about their role before asking you to choose one of the game's starter Pokémon:

* The Grass/Psychic-type Angeal has by far the most weaknesses of the trio, with eight: Flying-, Poison-, Bug-, Ghost-, Fire-, Ice-, Dark-, and Glitch-type attacks, with Bug being doubly super effective. It's a defensive Pokémon though, with the highest base Special Defense of the Verelan starters. It's probably the weakest of the Verelan starters, due to only learning good moves of its own types by level-up, while the others both have strong coverage moves in their level-up learnsets. However, its TM and TR movepool makes up for that.
* The Fire/Dark-type Radioso is middling on the defensive side - it's tied for the best base Defense of the Verelan starters, but the worst base Special Defense. It's got the best base Attack of the starters, further exacerbated by specializing in slashing moves that tend to get critical hits often, so it could be considered a physical tank. It has only four weaknesses - Fighting, Ground, Rock, and Water. Overall, it's probably average compared to the other two starters.
* The Water/Fairy-type Tempixie is probably the strongest Verelan starter. It's a special sweeper, with the highest base Special Attack and Speed of the Verelan starters (though its base Speed still only tops out at 93). However, it's still got some decent bulk, with a base Defense equal to Radioso's and middling Special Defense, as well as the least weaknesses of the Verelan starters: only Poison-, Grass-, and Electric-type attacks hit for super effective damage.

After choosing a Pokémon, Professor Razilwood asks if you would like to give it a nickname, and then Natsuki selects whatever starter is weak to yours, while Mona selects whatever starter is strong against yours. After that, they hand you your very own Pokédex! Before you leave, your starter forces itself out of your Ball, which the professor comments on.

After leaving the Lab, you and your friends decide to head over to the local Gym, only to find out that it's locked. The Gym Guy tells you all that Aria's currently not there, as she's supposed to be teaching a class in Maracaleza Town, though knowing her, she's probably slacking off. Natsuki decides the best course of action is to locate her, by first checking the Pokémon Center.

### Pokémon Center

Upon entering, Natsuki notes your apparent confused expression and gives you a tour of the Pokémon Center. These hospitals restore your Pokémon to full health each time you visit them, completely for free. She also indicates the Poké Mart on the first floor, which is similar to a convenience store for Pokémon Trainers. Finally, she points out the waiting areas, before noting how Aria's probably at the pub nextdoor and running outside.

Sidequests - especially in-game trades - often are initiated by NPCs in the waiting areas, so whenever you visit a new town, it's a good idea to go to the Pokémon Center and talk to every NPC in the waiting areas. Alipigra City itself has such a quest - an in-game trade, where you'll give a Youngster a Panhali for his Unovan Woobat - which isn't naturally found in Verela!. Seeing as you don't have a Panhali yet, talking to this NPC simply will register the trade in your Rotom Phone's Quest Log. Still do that, so that you can remember that it's there for later, and then head to the pub, which is directly to the west (not that the game will let you miss it).

### São Andres Pub

Aria is sitting at the bar here, watching the Pokémon World Championship in Wyndon, between Leon and Gloria while drinking a Cheri-Sitrus soda (at least it's not alcoholic). A short piece of this battle plays, demonstrating Dynamax (though it isn't introduced to the player much later, as it isn't one of the two main battle gimmicks). Your character reminds her that she's supposed to be in Maracaleza Town, and she facepalms, saying she hadn't planned any part of her lecture yet, before asking the player to help. After you agree, she runs out, and it's off to Route 5!

## Route 5

Route 5 is a somewhat hilly route in east-central Verela, that links together Alipigra City and Maracaleza Town. It also crosses through Route 4 partway through the route. However, a Pokémon Ranger blocks access to Route 4 for now, so you can't access it yet.

When you first set out onto Route 5, Natsuki will meet up with you near the end of the trees lining the entrance path, and will challenge you to your first Pokémon battle.

There is very little strategy to this battle. Regardless of which two Pokémon battle, they each have a similar moveset and stats at this point in the game, so neither has an advantage. The fight will be over in about four turns, barring a critical hit or stalling tactics (e.g. Angeal's Defense Curl). If you win, you earn 500 and your Pokémon gains enough experience to reach level 6. If you lose, it's not the end of the world at all and nothing bad happens, other than you missing out on the money and experience. Don't feel bad if you do lose, though. After this, Natsuki either bikes off to the Pokémon Center (if you won) or down Route 5 (if you lost). Note that she'll only heal your starter if you lose, so it might be good to heal up before continuing if you win.

You'll have to cross this route twice, but there are two paths across the route: taking the bridges and going under the bridges. You can also take the stairs or simply go across when reaching a certain part of the route. However, the bridges are only accessible from the north or south-east, so this first time, just take the bridge-less path; take the stairs if you wish to avoid the School Kid, though the next section will assume you've done a little training. You may want to get Poké Balls from either Alipigra City or Maracaleza Town's Pokémon Center and catch a Pokémon on this route, as one of the next mandatory battles is a Double Battle, though you can challenge it with only your starter if you so choose.