The first of three paid DLC releases for Pokemon Pokopia has been released. In Bubbly Basin, you’ll be able to venture underwater to a new town for Ditto to renovate. At the same time, the first free update for Pokopia has been released, which introduces the Dive mechanic and allows you to meet Manaphy.
There’s far more than just the mechanic and the new town, though. Here’s everything that’s been added to Pokopia in the Bubbly Basin DLC and the free update.
New features
Dive
The Dive mechanic has been added, allowing Ditto to freely move underwater. To get it, follow our guide on how to dive. The move is free for all players, so you don’t need to have purchased the Bubbly Basin DLC to learn it. However, you will need to know how to do it before you can start the DLC.
Underwater building
You can now use the Build specialty to construct houses and other buildings underwater–essential for restoring Bubbly Basin to its former glory. It’s not just limited to Bubbly Basin though. Once you’ve learned Dive, you can build underwater anywhere.
New items
The portal pod and the safe have been added to the game. The portal pods cost 3,000 Life Coins, and the recipe can be bought from the PC. However, you’ll need to level up your environment in Palette Town first. Building two portal pods will allow you to instantly transport from one area to another, so you’re no longer limited to traveling to your house.
The new Dynamic Ditto print can be obtained by talking to Smearguru after acquiring the diploma. This print can be applied to blocks and wallpaper to decorate your biomes.
New emotes
The new emotes Lie Down and Ready, Set, Go! have been added to the game for new ways to express yourself. You can find these in Bleak Beach and on Dream Islands, respectively.
New cosmetics
Five new hair colors have been added with the update. You can now choose from orange, light pink, yellow-green, blue-green, and brown in addition to the existing colors.
New functions
You can move items in bulk between the storage box and bag, as well as delete items placed inside objects such as the trash cans. You can also fine-tune depth placement when adding windows, doors, and other items–no more fiddling around with the Switch 2’s mouse capabilities. You can now paint the stylish stool, handrail, metal chain, workbench, vending machine, bike, bookcase, Pokemon Center counter, arrow sign, and rope.
Settings options
You can hide the message that shows when canceling Magnet Rise via an option in the settings. You can also toggle the option to allow movement while the move wheel is open. Motion-sickness reduction settings have been added for the camera.
Improvements
There have been multiple quality-of-life improvements made with the free update. Most of the larger improvements surround habitats and Pokemon happiness:
- If a Pokemon’s habitat is destroyed, it will move back in if the same habitat is rebuilt nearby. If a Pokemon is sad because furniture was removed, it’ll notice when the same furniture is replaced much faster.
- Very adorably, if a Pokemon taught you an emote, it will now use the same emote in response when you use it.
- If you’re searching for a Pokemon in your Pokedex and it’s in a different town, you can use the Return Home function to travel to that town.
- When ordinary Pokemon conversations are taking place, the indicator size and prominence has been reduced. This’ll make it easier for you to notice when conversations are specifically directed at Ditto.
- Lost relics can be appraised in batches of up to 10 at a time.
- Paint, Gather Honey, and Collect can be performed multiple times in the same interaction now.
- You can place up to 128 power generators now. That’s doubled from 64 previously.
- You can display up to 40 photos in each town now, up from just 10.
- When Ditto is sucking up liquid, press the move button for a short period of time to keep liquid in your mouth without removing it from the environment.
- Adjusted water levels will now automatically match nearby water levels when you release stored water–no more accidental flooding.
- Smearguru can learn patterns from photos stored in the References section.
- Painting with paint balloons is easier thanks to improved visibility of the target items.
- More treasure can be found using the Dowsing Machine on Dream Islands.
- Pokemon companions can follow you while you’re using Surf, Glide, Rollout, or Magnet Rise.
- You can now open the bag or inhale items while using Rollout. Rollout can also now destroy large boulders and other natural objects.
- Pressing the Surf action while holding the focus button on land will now activate Surf. Surf and Waterfall will also happen more “smoothly.”
- Using Leafage on farm soil will revert it to normal soil.
- Strength can be used underwater.
- There is now an All tab in the Pokedex and Habitat Dex.
- During construction, any Pokemon not assigned to the Build role on a project can now help with cooking.
- Treasures in Sparkling Skylands will now not appear when using the Dowsing Machine if they’re in a location where breaking the terrain would cause them to fall.
- It’s clearer when you don’t have enough items to use the 3D Printer.
- Items can be placed on top of square plants.
- Hide-and-sneak can be canceled midway–but we’re not sure why you’d want to upset anyone in that way.
- In-game event notifications will now only be shown at startup during specific remaining-day periods.
- Some roof items now block water.
- The output of crafting curved eaves has been increased to 10.
- Tidal Bell and Clear Bell can be triggered using laser sensors and switches.
- Rendering processes have improved performance.
- The camping chair and sleeping bag have better sound effects.
Fixed Issues
- When talking to a Pokemon that is currently assigned to construct buildings, options such as “Follow me!” may sometimes fail to appear.
- Suicune and Gholdengo may be unable to travel across water.
- Pokemon may occasionally fall into the ocean or off cliffs when appearing from their habitats.
- Even when using honey, Pokemon may sometimes fail to return to their habitats.
- Using Magnet Rise may occasionally cause Pokemon to scold or warn the player.
- Pokemon that dislike water may sometimes be unable to move across duckweed and flowering duckweed on the water’s surface.
- Requests from Pokemon may occasionally ask for items that the requesting Pokémon actually dislikes.
- When processing berries in the community box, paint may not be produced correctly.
- The timing of the note played by the music mat (high Do) is offset incorrectly.
- Certain furniture can be painted through specific procedures even on parts where the colors are not actually changeable.
- Painting certain items may use more paint than intended.
- The light color of a painted surface light may fail to change correctly.
- Under specific conditions, it is possible to place more than one party cooking pot in the same town.
- Some items may display unnaturally when viewed from a distance.
- For some items, visual effects may disappear when viewed through glass.
- Under certain conditions during multiplayer, building may become impossible to complete or cancel.
- In certain situations, it may be unclear why actions such as building or relocation cannot be performed.
- On Cloud Islands, players other than the administrator may be able to place a relocation kit.
- Under certain conditions, a building kit may become unrecoverable when remodeling a house.
- Under certain conditions, painted portions of the sand house may be reset.
- Using Rock Smash while falling may cause Ditto’s position or height to become significantly displaced.
- During the Withered Wasteland request “Clear the path!” Slowpoke may stop moving partway through.
- During the Sparkling Skylands request “Follow Tinkmaster!” certain actions may prevent the request from progressing.
- During the Sparkling Skylands request “Pokemon Center tour guide!” searching for Tinkmaster in the Pokedex may guide the player to the town containing their habitat rather than the town where they are currently located.
- Loading may occasionally fail to finish when returning from a Dream Island.
- Returning from a Dream Island may incorrectly send the player to Palette Town.
- Under certain conditions, when an online session ends, the player may be transported to a Dream Island.
- On the Cloud Island loading screen, the player’s gender pronoun may sometimes be displayed incorrectly in some languages.
