This is a guide for Cabo Poco in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. It covers choosing your starter Pokémon, as well as your first battle with Nemona, your rival.
Your House¶
(1 of 2) Like previous games, you’ll start the adventure in your bedroom.
Like previous games, you’ll start the adventure in your bedroom. (left), Yes, that’s us. (right)
You’ll begin the game proper inside your house at Cabo Poco, by the south coast of the Paldea region. Your character will be sitting at their desk reading. Unless you want to stay there forever, press any direction on the circle pad to move off the seat.
When you’re ready, go down the stairs on the left. Near the bottom of the staircase, a little 
Skwovet will run into the room on the left. That’s your cue to follow it. Past the living room, you can find your Mom at the kitchen. As you’re talking, somebody will knock on the door.
Go back near the staircase to check the door. Lo and behold, the director of the academy, Clavell, has come to pay you a personal visit. Once you regain control, return upstairs and inspect your bag and hat near the corner of your bed. Go ahead and put them on!
Now go back downstairs, back into the living room. Clavell will ask you to follow him outside. Head towards the door yourself to leave the house.
Cabo Poco¶
(1 of 2) Paldea is much more open than previous Pokémon regions.
Paldea is much more open than previous Pokémon regions. (left), The map is useful for seeing where to go next. (right)
Outside, Clavell will introduce you to the three starter Pokémon in the Paldea region.
- Sprigatito, the Grass cat.
- Fuecoco, the Fire crocodile.
- Quaxly, the Water duck.
You’ll eventually choose one of these three, as your first companion. But before that, all three will briefly follow behind you, as you walk. And, oh boy, do you walk slowly. Your Mom will also hand you a 
Rotom Phone.
To begin with, follow the path forward (east on your mini-map/map). Keep going until you approach a lady standing in the grass, just past a red signpost on the left side of the road. At this point, you can run by holding the circle pad all the way in one direction. Finally, that slow walking was driving us bonkers!
Continue in the same direction, up the white stairs ahead. At the top of the stairs, enjoy a cute little cutscene featuring the starter Pokémon. You’ll also meet a girl called Nemona who looks to be around your age.
Your First Pokémon¶
From left to right: Sprigatito, Fuecoco and Quaxly.
You can now choose one of the three starters to be your first Pokémon.
There is no right or wrong choice, so choose whichever tickles your fancy. Regardless of who you choose, you can build up a solid team of Pokémon.
After choosing your Pokémon, Nemona will choose one of the two remaining Pokémon. It will always be the one who’s weak to yours. Meanwhile, Clavell will take in the leftover Pokémon that neither of you chose. Poor thing.
Next, Nemona will request a Pokémon battle from you. Follow the path to the right of the building in front, towards the beach. At the beach, there’s a battle court where Pokémon trainers can battle against each other. Nemona will be standing in the center of the court. Speak to her to begin the battle.
Pokémon Trainer Nemona¶
(1 of 2) Nemona loves Pokémon battling. Maybe a bit too much.
Nemona loves Pokémon battling. Maybe a bit too much. (left), Her Pokémon will be weak to yours. (right)
| Pokémon | Level | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Quaxly (if you picked Sprigatito) | 5 | Water  |
| Sprigatito (if you picked Fuecoco) | 5 | Grass  |
| Fuecoco (if you picked Quaxly) | 5 | Fire  |
As mentioned above, Nemona has the starter with a type disadvantage against yours. For an easy win, choose the non-Normal attack at the bottom.
This will be one of the following:
- Leafage (Grass ) if you have Sprigagito
- Ember (Fire ) if you have Fuecoco
- Water Gun (Water ) if you have Quaxly
The move will deal super-effective damage, which is double damage. On the next turn, use it again to KO Nemona’s starter.
After the battle, Clavell will upgrade your Rotom Phone to add the Pokédex function. Now when you encounter a Pokémon species in battle, your Pokédex will automatically register some of its data. To obtain its full data, you need to catch the Pokémon species. We’ll get to that bit soon!
Once you’re ready, return to the base of the white stairs, in front of the building. Your Mom will come over to check your progress. Before leaving, she’ll hand you a 
Sandwich.
Right, it’s off to school! Follow the path forward (west on the mini-map), then take a right at the T-junction, towards Poco Path.
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Not sure if this is the place to mention it, but there is a Pokéball located to the left of Nemona's house, facing the entrance. It's located behind a small tree so it's easy to miss.