Zephyr Badge - Game Start-Up and New Bark Town

Learn how to start your Pokémon Crystal journey, choose your starter, and navigate New Bark Town. Get your PokéGear and first Potion!

As you start up the game, you will be able to load a previous file (if applicable), start a new game, or use the configuration options. After messing with the latter if you so choose, when you start a new game the first thing you'll be confronted with is being asked the time of day. It's probably a good idea to answer with respect to your current time in the real world: it'll make it easier to keep track of in-game events and such that rely on the clock without being forced to check your clock every time. Thereafter, you'll be introduced to the world of Pokémon by Professor Oak, and soon gain control of your character in the Johto region's New Bark Town.

When you gain control of your character, you'll be on the second floor of your house in New Bark Town. Go down the stairs and you'll speak with your mom. She'll tell you that Professor Elm, who is in his lab next door, wants to see you, then she'll give you your PokéGear, an item with the main function of being able to call NPCs in the game, though more functions can be unlocked throughout the course of the game such as a radio and a map. You'll have to confirm your day of the week and your Daylight Savings Time setting now as well before you leave.

Once you've left the house, go into the building to the west, Professor Elm's lab. Inside, go north and speak to Elm; he'll tell you that you need to meet his acquaintance, Mr. Pokémon, and that you'll be given a Pokémon on the journey. The three Pokémon you can choose from are on the table. You can only pick one, and you'll pick from these Pokémon:

• Cyndaquil (on the left): Cyndaquil is a Fire-type Pokémon and will thus afford you a decent advantage in the early game since the second Gym is a Bug-type Gym, and later on there's also a Steel-type Gym he'll fare well at. Cyndaquil and his evolutions are relatively fast Special-attacking Pokémon, and they have a decent moveset to back it up with Fire, though comparatively paltry for other moves of other types so Typhlosion will likely be running a more mixed set of moves than not. Overall though Cyndaquil is probably the easiest of the three Pokémon to contend with as a starter.
• Totodile (in the middle): Totodile is a Water-type Pokémon. He doesn't afford you any significant advantage in terms of Gym progression (the Fire, Rock, and Ground Gyms are all in Kanto, way late in the game), though Water is one of the few types that can hit neutrally against Steel (which resists practically everything). Totodile's family of Pokémon are predominately Physical-attacking. Though not quite as strong as Typhlosion - although the difference is marginal - nor quite as fast, Totodile does boast superior bulk. Totodile's family is only weak to two types of attacks as well, instead of Cyndaquil's three or Chikorita's five, which makes Totodile a decent option as well for a slightly more difficult game or for those that prefer a slightly more defensive game.
• Chikorita (on the right): Chikorita is a Grass-type Pokémon. He is probably the hardest Pokémon for a player to use: the first two Gyms use Pokémon that can easily deal supereffective damage to Chikorita with it being unable to deal reliable damage back. Throw in the Steel-type Gym plus three other types (altogether: Fire, Ice, Flying, Bug, Poison) that can deal super-effective damage to it - all of which have a Gym in this game at some point, 3 in Johto and 2 in Kanto - and Chikorita isn't going to have a fun time at the Gyms. Further, Chikorita is a more defensive, bulky Pokémon: its stats, while suited for a mixed-attacker build, aren't very reliable for dealing direct damage, and Meganium is better off for bulk. Players opting for Chikorita will probably experience the hardest gameplay.

Here's a quick evaluation of their base stats and types as they evolve as well: they do so at Levels 14, 18, and 16, respectively, and 36, 30, and 32, respectively. This means that Totodile is the quickest to reach his final stage and Cyndaquil the lowest. If you don't know what a base stat is, suffice it to say that it simply means the higher the Pokémon is in that stat the stronger it'll get.

Once you've chosen your Pokémon, Professor Elm will tell you that you should be able to find Mr. Pokémon north of Cherrygrove City, and that you can use the machine in the northwest corner of his lab to heal your Pokémon if you want. As you leave the lab you'll also receive a Potion.