Starting the Game
When you start the game, Professor Birch will give you the customary introduction to the Pokémon world. He'll also ask for your gender and name.

Make sure you talk to everybody in town before you leave, especially your rival, who is in Birch's house. Then head north to Route 101, where Professor Birch is being chased by a wild Poochyena. Run over to his bag and select a Pokémon to use in battle against the Poochyena. You will get to keep this Pokémon, so make sure you choose carefully. Once you've defeated the wild Poochyena, you'll return to Birch's lab. Here is where your Pokémon journey begins...

Oldale Town
From Littleroot Town, travel north along Route 101. It won't be long until you reach Oldale Town. The path to the west is blocked, so continue heading north onto Route 103. At the end of Route 103, you will encounter your rival in battle for the first time. Your rival's Pokémon will have a type advantage over yours, so it'll be hard to beat. (If you lose the battle, your rival will still be waiting for you.) After you've beaten your rival, take a detour back to Littleroot Town and into Professor Birch's lab, where you'll receive a Pokédex, and where your rival gives you 5 Pokeballs. Your mom will also give you running shoes. Press B to run! Go back to Oldale Town. You'll be able to head west along Route 102 now. Several trainers will challenge you on Route 102, but you will eventually get to Petalburg City.

Petalburg City
Petalburg City has a Gym, although you can't battle the gym leader at this stage of the game. Instead, somebody will give you a demonstration of how to catch Pokémon. Petalburg City's not too exciting, so just keep going west along Route 104 until you reach Petalburg Woods. Make your way north, and along the way you will encounter a member of Team Aqua! He only has one Pokémon, Poochyena, so he shouldn't be too hard to beat. You will encounter several other trainers in Petalburg Woods. Find your way out of there and back onto Route 104.

As you continue along Route 104, you'll come across a house. The people in there will all give you items, so it's probably a good idea to go in and talk to them. When you've done that, continue heading east along Route 104. When you go along the bridge, you'll come across two girls. If you have two Pokémon (and by this point, you probably should), then talk to them and you'll enter your first two-on-two Pokémon battle!

Continue to Part 2