First chapter of the Pokémon Sword and Shield walkthrough: from the hero’s house in Postwick to the arrival in the Wild Area. Here you choose your starter Pokémon, receive the Pokédex and the Dynamax Band, and meet the legendary Pokémon of your version for the first time.
Postwick
The adventure begins in front of the television, which is showing a match of Leon, the undefeated Champion of Galar. Hop, his younger brother and your neighbor, comes to get you. Stop by his house, northeast of the village, then follow Route 1 to Wedgehurst Station to welcome Leon. As long as you have no Pokémon, Hop stops you from venturing into the tall grass.
Back in Postwick, Leon gives you a starter Pokémon. You choose first; Hop takes the one that is at a disadvantage against yours, and Leon keeps the last one.
#0810GrookeyGrassGrass, evolves into Thwackey then Rillaboom
#0813ScorbunnyFireFire, evolves into Raboot then Cinderace
#0816SobbleWaterWater, evolves into Drizzile then Inteleon
The next day, Hop challenges you for the first time.
| Opponent | Pokémon |
|---|---|
| Hop | Wooloo Lv. 3, then the starter Pokémon at a disadvantage against yours, Lv. 5 |
Your bag already contains three Potions; your mother gives you five Poké Balls as you leave for Wedgehurst.
Route 1 and Wedgehurst
A herd of sleeping Wooloo blocks the main path: go around through the bend covered in tall grass. There you mostly meet Skwovet, Rookidee, Wooloo and, more rarely, Nickit. Pick up the Potion and the two Paralyze Heals.
In Wedgehurst, head to the Pokémon Lab, northeast of the town: Sonia, Professor Magnolia’s granddaughter, welcomes you there and gives you the Pokédex. Before leaving, search the town: a Rare Candy is hidden in a clearing to the right of the lab, and a Poké Doll in the greenery to the left of the clothing store.
Route 2: Professor Magnolia
Route 2 leads, east of Wedgehurst, to Professor Magnolia’s house. Leon is waiting for you there with twenty Poké Balls and offers a short catching lesson if you haven’t caught anything yet. The tall grass is home to Chewtle, Yamper and, rarely, Galarian Zigzagoon; among the hidden Pokémon are Seedot (Sword) or Lotad (Shield).
After meeting the professor, Hop challenges you to obtain an endorsement for the Gym Challenge.
| Opponent | Pokémon | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| Hop | Wooloo Lv. 6, Rookidee Lv. 5, his starter Pokémon Lv. 8 | 640 Poké Dollars |
Whatever the outcome of the battle, Leon gives you his endorsement. Two Wishing Stars then fall from the sky; Professor Magnolia sets them into a Dynamax Band, which lets you make your Pokémon grow in battle.
The Slumbering Weald
During this first part, a Wooloo escapes into the Slumbering Weald, west of Postwick, a place the locals have avoided since Sonia got lost there as a child. Hop and you go looking for it. In the mist, a mysterious Pokémon appears: Zacian in Sword, Zamazenta in Shield. Your attacks do nothing to it; the fog thickens and you lose consciousness. It is Leon who finds you. You will return to this forest at the end of the story.
Off to the Wild Area
Before taking the train at Wedgehurst Station, Hop gives you TM40 and your mother gives you a Camping Gear, to cook curries and play with your Pokémon. The train stops at Wild Area Station, where Sonia gives you the Pokémon Box Link.
The Path to the Station is the first area of the Wild Area. The weather is always fine there, a Watt Trader vendor sets up shop there, and someone heals your Pokémon for free. The Wild Area is huge: for now, just cross it northward to Motostoke, avoiding the high-level Pokémon roaming around. You will only be able to catch the strongest ones with more badges.
