You begin your journey in a small village called Bristlebulb Town. Being new to the town, your mother urges you and your twin to go out and explore the surrounding area. When you head South enough, you will find a group of trainers huddled in a circle. Upon closer inspection they are trying to care for an injured Pokémon that they had found helpless and alone. They have no items to heal it and ask if you could bring it to the professor to take care of. You agree, and head North past your house and to the professor’s lab. Grateful that you have saved this Pokémon, the professor offers you and your twin a Pokémon and Pokédex each. He sees your love for Pokémon and trusts you to help him with his work. He also gives a welcome speech to the two of you, urging you to compete in the Gym Challenge. Your sibling takes the Pokémon with a type advantage against yours.

With that, the world gets a lot bigger. You can now wade through the tall grass with a Pokémon by your side. Eventually after learning how to catch a Pokémon and having your first ever battle with your rival, you reach Lumberdown Ranch where there is panic among the workers. Their orchard has been almost completely cut down overnight and there are fears the business could go under. As you investigate the lines and lines of tree stumps, two people in Yellow Flannel Shirts and big sunglasses turn up and announce themselves to be Team Chop, and that this farm is now under their control. Your twin and yourself stand up to these grunts and challenge them to a battle. They use Sorquils and Trashchiks and you are able to overcome them. Shocked at the loss, they retreat away and the owner of Lumberdown thanks you. He heals your party and gives directions to the next town over, Altoria Town.

Here is where you have your first Gym Battle against the Flying Type user, Cliff. He has a Flutterbage and a Ostretch. Winning your first badge leads him to tell you that he recognises the descriptions of Team Chop, and mentions that they were spotted going to the Lake. You go there as quickly as you can, but you are unable to see any Team Chop members. Although there is no one here, it is clear that a lot of waste has been dumped into the water. You are attacked by both a Grimer and a Trubbish, who have been attracted to the mess. After this event Professor Acacia calls you and tells you to be vigilant of Team Chop. He seems to be hiding some information from you however, as he sounds slightly off.

When leaving the lake, you find yourself face to face with a pale, skinny boy and a group of other people who seem to be tailing him. He is dressed up in fancy clothing but his face is blank. He mentions watching you fend off the Grimer and Trubbish and remarks that he would never be seen going near the filthy Pokémon. With his fan group cheering him on, his ego gets the better of him, and he challenges you to a battle. He uses a Rocklin and the Pokémon with type weakness to yours, Pokémon that aren't common in this part of the region. He gloats, saying his father is a member of the Elite Four, and that he is simply the best there is. You beat him, causing him to become infuriated. Vowing revenge he runs away.

Now you must continue onto the next gym. To do this you must head West along the routes to the next town, Midborough City. On arrival you find the Gym empty, and with further investigation you discover the Grass type Gym Leader has travelled to a place known as the Plateau to take part in a festival to celebrate the food harvest. To get to the Plateau you must backtrack slightly and climb the Southern Hills.

The Southern Hills are a haven for Flying, Grass and Bug type Pokémon. Once there, the Gym Leader is finishing up their celebration and suggests that you challenge a few of the youths in attendance. You agree and begin 4 consecutive battles, reminiscent of the Elite 4. These youngsters only have early evolutions and are not too challenging. The battles cause a lot of excitement and the festivities erupt again. The Gym Leader tells you her name, Fall, and says you are welcome to challenge her once they return back to Midborough City. So you travel back. Fall welcomes you with open arms and allows you to skip the Gym challenge, stating that you proved yourself at the festival. She uses Clamoss, Steenee and Mangifury. Being  victorious you are given the second gym badge. Fall admires your passion and sees a bright future ahead of you.

Leaving the Gym you are approached by a youngish man wearing a khaki shirt and shorts. He introduces himself as Thorn, Professor Acacia’s son. He continues to tell you that he has two Pokémon eggs, and that his father has suggested that you and your twin take one each. You graciously accept and put the egg in your bag. Before leaving, he warns that the path ahead is blocked as some hoodlums have cut a tree down that has landed on the road. They were chased off, but the tree is too big to be moved, Thorn mentions that there is a city to the North with a Gym that you could challenge while the carnage is cleaned up.

Following Thorn’s advice you travel to Avundra Town and find that it is a crazy place. Zealia is a very warm region, and because of this the Gym Leader of the town, Patrice has used his ice type Pokémon to change the city into a self contained Winter Wonderland. His Gym is an extravagant palace of ice and glass, and to reach and battle him you are required to do a ski jump. Scaling the hill and battling those in your way you reach the peak. Using a set of skis you shoot down the hill, up the ramp and over the chasm. You discover that the chasm has a strong gale wind blowing upwards, so there is no chance of falling into the darkness. You stick the landing where you are now face to face with Patrice. He throws out a Zealian Wimpod, Louseberg, Chilfish and Galarian Darmanitan. Ecstatic with the battle, Patrice gladly hands you his Gym Badge.

Patrice leaves the Gym with you, and you’re both taken aback by a horrible smell. You are also shocked to see some of the snow is melting. It’s Team Chop. They have brought a large truck that is billowing smog over the town. The truck is full of waste that they are trying to dump into the sea. You and Patrice jump into action; you challenge the Team Chop Grunts whilst the ice type Pokémon work at refreezing the thawing snow. They have Sorquils, Grimers and Swallots. Once the ordeal is over, the Grunts once again flee. As a reward for helping protect his town, Patrice gives you his rotom bike and installs a skii kit onto it. This means that you can glide down snowy hills or sand dunes with super speed!

Your twin comes running down the road and asks if you're alright. They mention that they have just arrived to challenge Patrice and that the two of you should have a proper catch up. You travel to a restaurant called the “Sitrus Berry Tree” and wait for your sibling to return. When they do, you have a delicious meal and talk about your journey so far. They too have battled the skinny kid, and they also won. Your sibling tells you that the kids name was Warren and that he was so angry for losing. The conversation transitions to Team Chop. As it turns out, they too had a run-in with the team, but luckily the Grunts were driven off by Thorn when he arrived. Nobody knows where Team Chop have come from, or what they're actually trying to do. Once the conversation is over, you suggest a Pokémon battle. The battle is close as always, but you secure another win. They used their starter, Kiwiik, and Zealian Meowth. Satisfied with their performance, your twin admits they have a ways to go to reach your standards, and that they are going to stay behind for a while to hone their team.

At this point in the game, the Dust Dunes become accessible to explore, but the Ruins are still blocked from entry. You can explore segments of the desert.

East of Avundra Town is the Colosseum. Entering the arena leads to another run in with Warren. He definitely hasn’t forgotten the last battle. He throws out his Pokémon but is told off by the battle runner, as he is not on the pitch. He throws a fit, screaming at you for a rematch and to battle him in the arena. You accept, and with the crowd cheering both sides, the rematch begins. He has a Rocklin, the second evolution starter with type weakness, a Zealian Timburr, and a Cassoworry. He has definitely improved and is showing good strategy. Despite this, you pull through once again and win. Stunned to silence, Warren walks away with venom in his eyes. You are announced the winner of the bout!

After this detour you are back on your way to completing the Gym Challenge. Taking the Southern Route you encounter new species of Pokémon and trainers. You reach a crossroad. Straight on is a huge sandstorm, it’s not safe, so you turn left up a high hill to Sproutleigh, a small village at the peak. You are greeted by a panoramic view of the Bowl Desert. Taking a look over, an elderly lady approaches you and begins to tell you about Ulural, the huge sandstone block in the centre of the Desert. As you converse she stops… she has noticed that there are a few temporary housing blocks set up at the top of Ulural which shouldn't be there. She asks that you fetch her husband who is a photographer. You oblige, search the village and find him. He brings his camera and zooms in to see who is there. Team Chop. Dozens of them have begun what looks to be a mining exhibition into the mountain, but what is the science compound for? Among the many yellow Grunts is a man in what looks to be a very expensive blue suit. He is on the larger side with a huge scraggly beard, and ordering the Grunts around left right and centre. Professor Acacia calls, and you explain what you saw. Just like the last time he spoke about Team Chop, his tone changed. He seemed to recognise the description of the suited man.

Ths sandstorm eventually subside and you are in the clear to carry on your travels. You can see Sandrest town in the distance, it looks like it’s straight out of a Western. Not five hundred feet of the town you feel your bag quaking. Hurriedly, you open it up and see the egg is starting to hatch! It’s a Zeailan Komala! You contact Thorn and tell him, and he is over the moon with the development.

Sandrest is a quiet town. Most of, if not all of the work happens outside the town in the mines or on the many ranches. The Gym Leader, Grady accepts your challenge and you are faced with his team of Ground types; Mudbray, Zealian Bouffalant, and Gastrodon. Grady is a solemn fellow who spoke very little, his expression never changing. Nonetheless, after your victory you are once again commended on your skills and the connection you have with your Pokémon. You now have 4 Gym badges!

Grady lets you know that the next Gym you should challenge is at Lakeperch City, and as it happens the Gym Leader, Samson is only one town over helping stop a wildfire. He tells you that Lakeperch is far but Samson would likely be willing to take you if you leant a hand.

So instead of backtracking all the way to Midborough and through to Lakeperch, you head North to Maizen Town. Samson, the Gym leader of Lakeperch is indeed there, where he and his team have just extinguished a fire in the woods. As it turns out, the fire was accidentally started by Team Chop when they challenged the locals to a battle. The village people say they were trying to cut the trees down. There is one member of Team Chop left who didn't run away. His shirt was red instead of yellow, and he had a stance that told he wasn’t an ordinary Grunt. He calls out Samson for intervening, but Samson’s team is tired after using their energy to stop the fires. So you step in to protect him. The red shirted man reveals that he is Tam, the second in command of Team Chop! He throws out a Weezing, Galarian Weezing, and a Napiat. He is tough as expected, but once again you are the victor. The town celebrates your win and gifts you with special pokéballs from the farm nearby, and Samson gladly allows you to hitch a ride back to Lakeperch.

Although Samson was kind enough to take you to Lakeperch City, he says that he wouldn't be able to battle you until the next day and that we should find something to do until then. You are free to explore the city. As its name suggests, Lakeperch stands on the bank of Murrumba Lake, and when you go to the dock to look at the fishermen at work, you spot something in the water. It's a huge black shadow that resembles a tadpole, and all of the marine Pokémon in the lake are darting out of it’s way. A fisherman spots you and tells you that it is Hookma, one of three Pokémon that, in legend, are sworn to protect the Zealia region. As of late Hookma has been restless and possibly worried. What it is worried about however, nobody knows. It continues to circle the lake impatiently as if looking for a way out.

You find a place to stay for the night, and in the morning make your way to Samson’s Gym. Being a water type user, he throws out a Tentacurse, Kiloway and Blastoise. As expected, Samson was truly a difficult battle.

Your mother calls, and she sounds very scared. As it turns out, she is in Flower Forest near Bristlebulb and needs help from a scary Pokémon. Your twin is also in the call and you are taken to Bristlebulb to find her. The forest nearby is unusual. The further into the trees you go, the smaller they get, and the flowers get bigger, until the flowers overtake and are absolutely enormous. Getting to the clearing you see your mother and twin who are fighting off a swarm of Trufflumen and Seedle. You come to their rescue and fend the wild Pokémon off. Your mother begins to celebrate until a Bollossal appears from the foliage. This Pokémon is clearly distressed and is lashing out at you. Upon either defeating or capturing the beast, you find out that it had been poisoned by something. Your mother has an antidote on hand and heals the giant. The Pokémon calms down and is thankful.

Your mother explains that she was in the forest in search of some herbs and took a wrong turn and got lost. Your twin says that they can hear something close by, expecting civilisation, you wander towards the noise but are shocked when it turns out to be Team Chop once again felling the trees and flowers. Tam is there, and he seems uncharacteristically calm, if anything confident. He goes on to say that his revenge will be even sweeter with his father watching. The big suited man is also present. His name is Cole, and he explains that Team Chop are gathering material for business across the seas. He goes on to talk about the massive financial gains from doing so and how this region’s environment is not important if people have a cosy place to live. Outraged, you and your twin argue that what he is doing is selfish and destroying the homes of Pokémon and hurting the planet but he is not listening. Tam throws out his Pokémon and so does a Grunt. You have a double battle, teamed up with your sibling. After the battle, Tam is furious and embarrassed. His father calls him weak, and not fit to carry the title of Admin. He throws out a Pokémon of his own, an Abmam, but before you and your tired team could begin another battle, Professor Acacia comes to your aid. Again, the war with words continues, and it is revealed that the Professor was friends with Cole years ago, but were driven apart by their different views on the environment. Acacia went on to begin his conservation efforts while Cole ventured into tearing it all down.

There is another interruption, a huge Lizard looking Pokémon comes bounding through the trees and lands between the Professor and Cole. Fixated on Cole, the mystery Pokémon roars and drives him and the rest of Team Chop away. The creature then calmly turns to Acacia, gives a gentle nod, as if it knew he was on the Pokémon’s side, and bolts away. Everybody is stunned, Acacia most of all. He says that the Pokémon in question was one of the Forest guardians Goania. Completely enthralled in the events that have just unfolded, the Professor tells you to fetch a book for him from Woolong Library about the Legendary Defenders of the Region, as he fears they're emergence bids impending disaster.

Travelling back through the continent, and taking the route through Midborough City you reach the idyllic scene that is Woolong Town. The library is a labyrinth of books and papers, with trainers eager for a battle on their reading breaks. Finding the location of the book leads you to find that it has already been taken, by the Gym Leader of the town, Leslie. She has also noticed the Guardians appearing more frequently and had the same idea as you. You tell her that the Professor urgently needs the book, and she agrees that if you beat her in battle she will graciously give the book to you. You go to the gym which doubles as a spa for Pokémon and people alike. She is a fairy trainer, and throws out a Faeble, Saucerer, Medicham and Alolan Raichu.

Winning the battle and in turn the book, you return to Professor Acacia as quickly as you can. You, Acacia, your twin and Thorn all gather around a table and read the texts.Long ago, there was a great and powerful Pokémon called Jindawa, who took responsibility for defending the Zealia Region from threats. One day, Jindawa clashed with a very dangerous Pokémon, Indusion, who was trying to destroy the Region, and the two of them were badly injured. Indusion disappeared, and before Jindawa did the same, entrusted three Pokémon to be the protectors of the Region in their absence. Hookma has been spotted in Murrumba Lake, Goania in Bristlebulb Forest, but there is not yet any sign of the third Guardian, Demolith. The book says that it lays recluse somewhere underground but the location is not known. Thorn suggests that the group split into two to search for it, and attempt to communicate with it. The most likely areas for Demolith to be would be Ulural or the Ruins in the Dust Dunes.

You head to the ruins with Acacia, and your twin tags along with Thorn to Ulural. Acacia brings along his trusty Alligate. The ruins are accessed when Acacia’s Pokémon uses a water type move to wash away the piles of sand gathered at the entrance. The place is a mess, unsurprisingly. The support pillars have fallen through the walls and provided quick access through the site. Ghost and Ground types are all over the place, and any battles are fought alongside Acacia as a double battle. You find that Ulural is under heavy construction, and that nobody is permitted entry, so the other pair return home.

The throne room of the ruins has no Pokémon inside at all. As if they are avoiding it. Using an Electric type to light up the dark room, it becomes clear that there is one Pokémon curled up in the corner. Demolith. Acacia makes you stand back, and he slowly approaches the sleeping beast. His voice is soothing and non-threatening, to the point where the Pokémon awakens and sits up with interest, not aggression. Acacia knows the Pokémon can understand him, and he continues to explain that the other two guardians are alert to something coming and that it might have something to do with Team Chop. He also offers his help, he wants to fight alongside the Guardians and stop the coming calamity. Demolith seems to agree, and he takes the two explorers out of the ruins safely. Professor calls your twin and lets them know the mission was successful and that they should come back. He thanks you for the help and gives you a gift for participating. A Master Ball.

Back to your journey you return the book to the library and walk South to Bumbleroot City. There you challenge Bugsy, a bug type specialist. Their team is much stronger than their Johto selection. Bugsy throws out a Cicadrake, Electrifly, Spinder and Iceopod. Even the full power of their team cannot stop you, and you are once again one step closer to finishing the Gym challenge. Seven badges won, one to go.

Bumbleroot has a forest close by that is home to almost only bug types, this is an optional area to explore. The docks are the passage to the eighth and final Gym, as it is at the foot of the Junda Volcano. When speaking to the ferryman, he’s sad to admit his boat is a bit worse for wear and is not seaworthy. To make up for this however, he gives you a water modification for your rotom bike that allows you to cycle over the water. To get to Junda Volcano, you need to island-hop across the archipelago of eight smaller islands.

The first island is home to Kanto Pokémon, the second, Johto Pokémon etc. Leaving the final island that represents Galar, you reach the Volcano and challenge the Gym Leader, Brando. His Gym is also a restaurant, so customers have entertainment during their meal. Brando uses Tepirook, Baile-Style Oricorio, Kaboomerang, Turtonator, and Searpent. The battle is explosive, and you have earned all eight Gym badges.

Immediately outside the Gym stands Warren. He says that now is truly his time for revenge, and he throws a Pokéball out to challenge you. Your twin comes sprinting down the road and says that a battle after facing a Gym is simply unfair. It is revealed that Warren exacted his revenge on your sibling shortly before running into you. Your Pokémon are healed by your twin so you are all set. This battle more than ever, you can feel Warren’s burning hatred for the people who humiliated him so badly. His starter is fully evolved, and he also has an Apokarok, Cassowarrior, Lumburr, Petriscorp and Thylascream. You are on the verge of defeat, but the cheers from your twin give you the boost needed to pull through. Warren is devastated again. And just like that, Warren is storming off yet again. Your sibling is ecstatic that you won and heals your Pokémon again, before heading into the Gym to challenge Brando.

You can now challenge the Pokémon League’s Elite Four, but you are drawn to the beauty of the volcano. The interior of the volcano is lined with huge glowing mushrooms, large flowers like those in Bristlebulb Forest, and it's very humid. Your twin catches up with you and shows you their eighth badge, and challenges you to a battle. He has an Indigiclaw, Traumbear, Kiwiik, Marlocean, a fully evolved starter, and a Zealian Musharna. The challenge is great as always. Just as you go to shake hands after the battle, there is a rumbling in the ground.

Trucks full of Team Chop come blasting out of the ground and the organisation immediately begins tearing the trees down for lumber. At the centre of it all, was Cole. He gives a devilish smile. You are surrounded by Team Chop. Cole tells you that his master plan is almost ready to be executed, and that all he needs to do is remove Jindawa from the equation. You and your twin are both shocked. Cole says that Jindawa is right here in the Volcano! In fact, it is the reason it is so fertile. It’s resting energy is giving life to everything around them. He challenges you, so he can continue the plan. He uses an Abmam, Napiat, Splatypus, Dragalge, Garbodor and a Toxtricity. Beating him changes nothing, as eventually, Jindawa awakens, emerges from a fissure that splits the earth, and flees. It is a giant Snake-like dragon, with two wings and two front legs. Its back portion of its body floats above the ground gently with the wind. Cole celebrates driving the creature away and mentions returning to Ulural, where he plans on enslaving the also recently discovered Indusion to tame over the region.

It's a race against time, you must follow Jindawa around the region until eventually the injured creature gets tired and collapses. Professor Acacia, Gym Leader’s Fall, Leslie, and Brando are present, and they come up with a plan to hopefully heal the giant Legendary Pokémon. Leslie’s fairy types are put on hand to soothe the creature’s pains and use healing moves on the wounds, while Fall is sent to harvest as many berries and herbs as possible. Brando gathers his restaurant’s staff and begins using Fall’s ingredients to make a huge soup for the creature. While this is happening, Acacia asks that you go to Ulural and stop Cole.

You and your twin have another battle in preparation, his team is the same as your last encounter, with raised levels. The two of you then proceed to the Bowl Desert, where just as you saw from Sproutleigh there was a huge mining operation happening. Now you know why. Indusion was being excavated for enslavement under Cole’s control. You battle and defeat wave after wave of Team Chop as you progress past their security and into the mines. You find Cole in a cavern with Tam. He admires your courage to try and stop him, but states that this is the end of the line for you. Your twin battles Tam, and you battle Cole once more. His first five Pokémon are the same, but his sixth made your heart drop. Indusion, the enormous armour-clad creature explodes from the Pokéball. He had managed to catch it before you arrived. The Pokémon had a very significant strength advantage, and your team’s moves seemed to do nothing. Tam defeats your sibling by a hair and you are cornered. That is, until…

The Gym Leader’s Patrice, Grady, Samson and Bugsy bolt through the door, and with their collective teams they start battling Indusion. This distracts the beast from you, and you and your sibling are able to escape. Gym Leader Cliff is waiting outside on a ride Pokémon, he has just dropped off Thorn, who runs into the Ulural Depths.Cliff takes you both into the sky and away from the monster. You made it a fair distance, nearly out of the Bowl Desert when Cliff’s ride Pokémon is hit with a strong move, it lands safely, but is badly hurt. Indusion had broken free from Ulural, Cole on it’s back. Once again, Indusion is coming closer and closer, bounding across the sand. It was still very far away but its size meant it could be seen from a great distance. When all hope was thought lost, once again a Pokémon appears. It’s Jindawa! Acacia’s plan had worked and it was back to peak health. It lands in front of you and beckons to the Pokémon in your hand. It wants you to battle it as a trial. It uses a move that heals all of the Pokémon in your party. You show much heart in the battle, and Jindawa recognises that you are trustworthy enough to catch it. So you do. Now with Jindawa under your command, and Indusion ever-approaching, you prepare for the biggest battle of your life. Your dragon against Cole’s behemoth. This battle will decide Zealia’s fate. Your connection with Jindawa feels so natural for a first battle, and this turns the tide against Cole and Indusion, who are not as in sync with one another. Indusion eventually falls.

The other Gym Leaders catch up, and restrain Cole. It is done. Team Chop’s master plan has failed. Their vision has fallen apart and Jindawa has returned to heal the Zealia Region.

Once the situation settles, you decide that now is the time to challenge the Elite Four. The Pokémon League is situated directly below Bristlebulb, so before you enter, you visit your mother with your twin. She explains how worried she has been and how proud she is of what the two of you did to save the Region. As it turns out, your sibling was approached by one of the Legendary defenders after the ordeal, and he has caught the one whose primary type is weak to your starter.

The Pokémon League looms. You have watched so many people travel from all over the world to challenge it, but now it is your turn. Warren is stood at the gates, admiring it just as you are. He sees you but seems to be calm. He tells you that he heard of your heroic stand and that he has come to the realisation that respect and hard work is what wins battles, not ego and aggression. He formally apologises for his past actions and respectfully asks you for a battle before stepping into the Pokémon League. His team is the starter, Apokarok, Cassowarrior, Lumburr, Petriscorp and Thylascream. The battle has a completely different tone to the previous ones you have had with Warren. It is as if he is having fun. He shakes your hand afterwards with a smile. He says that all his life he has been trying to reach the same level as his father, who is in the Elite Four, and that his father has never recognised his hard work. It’s his fear of being thought of as a failure by his own blood that has driven him to be such a soured individual, but all of that changed today. Today, he will prove his father wrong in his own way. You wish each other luck, and head inside.

After resting from the previous battle, you prepare for the Elite Four.

Up first is Fergus. He is an older gentleman who at one point in his life was Champion of the Zealia Region. He uses Gengar, Didgeridoo, Calamare, Cofagrigus and Dragapult. He is such a clever opponent, but you are able to counter his tactics until you reach victory.

The second Elite Four member is Archer, the master of steel types. He uses Bastiodon, Steelix, Ferrothorn, Extermite and Marlocean. His Pokémon either hit really hard, or have impenetrable defenses, but your use of speed ensures you Pokémon are always clear from any attacks.

Third is Aisling, the Electric user. Her team consists of Galvushroom, Zebstrika, Boltund, Thunderbuss and Eelektross. Though fast, her team are taken down by your powerful moves after you carefully plan the right time to attack.

Fourth is Sahir, Warren’s Father. Being the dragon master, he uses Duralodon, Komodojo, Drampa, Bolossal and Flygon. He has a cocky tone, very reminiscent of Warren, and defeating him angers him greatly. As you leave to finally face the Champion of the Region, Warren enters the room, fresh off a victory against Aisling. His face exudes confidence. You leave them to their showdown…

The Champion is all that stands in the way between you and glory. You ascend the staircase until you reach a large set of wooden doors, they give with little effort, and you find yourself face to face with the champion of the Zealia Region, Thorn. Thorn is visibly excited to see you, and says that he knew that you would enter this chamber any day now. He tells you that talent like yours is a rare thing, and that you better be ready to bring your all into this battle. So it begins. Thorn has a Galvantula, Suchosaur, Decidueye, Roknarok, Nunchakra, and Wyverdile.