By this point in the Pokemon series, many players taking on Pokemon Sword and Shield are likely already very experienced with the games’ basic mechanics. Luckily for these master trainers, Pokemon Sword and Shield allow players to skip the Pokemon catching tutorial. In fact, you can skip many of the games’ mechanical explanations fairly easily. In this guide, we’ll cover how to skip the tutorial in Pokemon Sword and Shield.
How to do the Pokemon Sword and Shield tutorial skips
While Pokemon Sword and Shield do include tutorial skip options, you’ll still be railroaded through most of the games’ opening hours. You’ll regularly be stopped by NPCs for short story sequences and conversations about battling, preventing you from completely roaming free. There are a few key moments, however, where you can speed up the process.
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Skipping the Pokemon catching tutorial
After a few story sequences, you’ll eventually receive your starter Pokemon and be told to head back home to say goodbye to your mother. When she sends you off, she gives you some money for the road. What she doesn’t tell you is that she also put five Pokeballs into your backpack. This means that, after you’ve left the house, you’re now able to catch Pokemon. So, on your way into town, catch any of the Pokemon in the tall grass.
Later, after both of the other tutorial skips below, Leon will begin to teach you how to catch Pokemon. If you’ve already caught one, he’ll realize there’s no point in teaching you how, and you’ll automatically skip his lesson.
Skipping the Pokedex explanation tutorial
When you speak with Sonia, the professor’s granddaughter, at the purple house in the game’s first town, she’ll ask you if you know a lot about Pokemon. Selecting “You bet!” allows you to skip her explanation of what Pokemon are and immediately provides you with the Pokedex you need to continue your journey.
Skipping the Pokemon Center tutorial
After getting the Pokedex, your rival Hop will bring you into the town Pokemon Center. He’ll ask you if it’s your first Pokemon Center visit, and answering “Of course not” will skip Hop’s explanation of how the center works. Keep in mind that Sword and Shield’s Pokemon Centers do have some new elements not present in previous games, so you may still want to listen to what Hop has to say.
