New Bark Town

Wake to the west wind

New Bark's sign calls it "The Town Where the Winds of a New Beginning Blow," and the whole place feels built for departure. Your house, Elm's Lab, Elm's home, and the neighbor's house fit into a few bright steps, with open water on the edge of town and the road to Route 29 waiting to the west.

Start upstairs if you want the hometown flavor. The radio catches Professor Oak's show before the trip begins, the PC manages your room, and Mom's clean little kitchen downstairs makes New Bark feel like a real home base. When you come down, Mom sends you toward Elm and gives you the Pokégear, setting the day, the clock, and your first phone contact.

• Take the Pokégear before you leave home.
• Come back after Elm checks the Mystery Egg if you want Mom to save money.
• Come home later if you want to adjust Daylight Saving Time or manage Mom's savings.

Answer Elm's call

Elm's Lab is the bright room pulling the whole town into motion. Pick Cyndaquil, Totodile, or Chikorita. Each starter is level 5 and holds a Berry. Elm asks you to visit Mr. Pokémon's House, adds his number to your Pokégear, and sends you west through Route 29 toward Cherrygrove City.

• Want to compare them? Open Chikorita, Cyndaquil, or Totodile.
• Elm adds his phone number after you pick a starter.
• Elm's aide gives you a Potion before you leave.
• After you bring the Mystery Egg back, the aide gives you 5 Poké Balls so catching can begin.

Take a lap before the grass

New Bark is small enough to sweep in a minute, but it is worth reading before you rush into the grass. The teacher near the west edge turns you back if you try to leave without a Pokémon. The fisher by the lower path talks about Elm's discovery. The red-haired visitor stands outside the lab, silent and sharp-edged, and shoves you away if you stare too long.

• There are no trainer battles inside town; the first rival fight waits after the trip through Cherrygrove.
• Read the signs for New Bark, your house, Elm's Lab, and Elm's house.
• Go west to Route 29 when Elm sends you out.
• The eastern waterline leads to Route 27, but that road belongs to a much later part of the adventure.

Bring the Mystery Egg home

The first errand brings New Bark back into the story almost immediately. After you meet Mr. Pokémon and receive the Mystery Egg, return through Cherrygrove. By the time you get home, Elm's lab has been shaken by the theft, the officer wants to hear about the red-haired boy, and Elm has new questions about the Egg.

• Give the Mystery Egg to Elm before you set out again.
• Talk to Mom afterward if you want her to save money while you travel.
• Leave west again when you are ready for catching, Route 30, and the road toward Violet City.

Keep New Bark in your pocket

New Bark keeps calling you back long after the first morning. Elm's research, Mom's savings, and the quiet eastern sea all turn the hometown into a place you return to between bigger chapters.

• After you reach Violet City, Elm's aide gives you the Egg there.
• Show Elm Togepi or Togetic to get an Everstone.
• After the Rising Badge, get the Master Ball from Elm.
• After the Elite Four, get the S.S. Ticket from Elm.
• When you can finally leave by sea, surf east into Route 27 for the long road toward Kanto.