Beginner's Tips for Pokémon X and Y

While many gamers have probably grown up with Pokémon since the series launched on the Game Boy and TV series in the mid-nineties, I’m sure more than a few of you will just be starting on your journeys with Pokémon X and Y. The new games were released last Saturday and over the past week, I’ve gathered a bunch of useful tips to help newbies on their pokémon training adventures.

[Translation: I wish someone had told me this stuff before I started three days ago.]

Levelling Up: Don’t even bother grinding up your pokémon at the start. Instead, just capture pokémon and work your way through the main story for a couple of hours. Once you battle and beat your first gym leader (Viola in Santalune, wielding pokémon at about level 12), talk to the woman standing outside the gym. She’ll give you the “EXP Share” which ensures that all pokémon in your party get XP. Much easier than swapping pokémon in and out all the time.

Easier Captures: Talk to everyone in the Pokémon Labs in Lumiose City. One of them will give you an item called TM False Swipe. You can use this to give your pokémon an attack that will never cause a pokémon to faint – instead, it leaves them with 1 HP. Perfect for capturing in your poké ball.

False Swipe is a physical move so best given to a pokémon with a high attack score.

Making Money: You’ve probably been struggling for cash in the early hours. once you reach Lumiose City, leave through the Route 5 exit and try to avoid as many trainer battles as you can by sneaking through the long grass. Carry on through Camphrier Town onto Route 7 and talk to the guys at the bridge.

Head back and just before the Camphrier Town entrance, head up and left onto Route 6. One of the rooms inside Parfum Palace holds an Amulet Coin, which doubles the prize money you get after battles, as long as you use the pokémon holding it.

Now do all the bridge plot stuff and carry on towards the second building past the bridge – the Battle Chateau. Lots of prize battles here = lots of extra cash. You should probably head back to route 5 and do all those battles you avoided as well.

I found it quite efficient to give the Amulet Coin to a starter pokémon with high defence and lots of status debuff attacks.

Be generous with your O-powers: In the PSS screen you’ll find a bunch of level 1 powers. Go online and use them on other people to level up your own powers. Most people will send you a power-up in return.

Lumiose City Pokémon Center: Okay, this might be a stupid tip but it took me ages to find the first Pokémon Center in Lumiose City when you first get there during the blackout. It’s opposite and slightly left of the lab where you meet Professor Sycamore. Across the road from the Trainer PR video place.

You have to hold the poké puffs: Yes, there is a stupid story behind this tip. In Pokémon-amie, I was pulling down the poké puffs and dropping them for my pokémon. They’d give me a dirty look, which I thought meant that I was giving them the wrong flavour. Turns out that no, I was showing them a lovely delicious poké puff and then throwing it in the dirt right there in front of them. I am a terrible trainer.

Anyway, pokémon are delicate creatures that must be hand-fed. Here’s a video from Videogamer.com to show you how it’s done.