This is a basic, largely spoiler-free guide I've created to help players navigate the game, in case someone forgot what to do or missed something.
Players start the game in Dr. Thorne's Laboratory. They can explore most of the lab immediately, but it's generally best to go straight to Dr. Thorne's office to get a starter, as he gives a pair of Running Shoes afterwards that makes exploring quicker.
After leaving the lab, players head south down Route 4, then east down Route 8 to reach Norfon Village.
To progress past Norfon Village, players have to take part in a tournament. They're required to have at least 3 Pokémon to enter, so they're required to catch at least one, in addition to their starter and the gift Vulpix north of the arena.
Actually winning battles in the tournament is unnecessary, but winning all four will allow players to choose a prize.
After the tournament players head south down Route 10 to reach Mariville Town, where they take on the first gym, led by Max and his Grass types.
After obtaining the first badge, players get on board a boat by talking to the captain standing on the dock. They'll have to get a boat ticket from the nearby ticket building first, but it's paid for by the Pokémon League, so they just need to pick it up.
On board the boat, they'll have to complete the "Triple Challenge" hosted by the captain and crew, and then rest in the bed in their cabin.
Once rested, they'll have to win a few multi-battles alongside Callie, before winding up on Penrith Isle.
To leave Penrith Isle, players have to talk with the champion. She'll tell them to find the ship's captain and bring him to her, at which point she'll teach them Cut, allowing them to descend into the nearby sinkhole, past the building at the bottom, and into the cave behind it.
By going through the cave, they'll find themselves trapped in an abandoned laboratory. To escape, they'll need to find a Fuel Cell, and use the Dowsing Machine to find a backup generator to put the Fuel Cell in. Once that's been done, they can use the lab's teleporters to escape to Dr. Thorne's Laboratory, and then teleport to the Nightwell Laboratory.
Nightwell's Gym Leader isn't at the gym when they first arrive in the city, so they first have to head past the Department Store and through the West Tunnel to Nightwell Port. After the scene they see there, they can challenge Gym Leader Aurora and her Fairy types.
After obtaining the second badge, players go to Nightwell City's police department to give a statement about the boat.
After giving their statement, players battle Callie next to the Department Store, before heading up through the North Tunnel to [End of Current Content]