If Pokémon Pokopia has been occupying a lot of the time you spent with your Switch 2, it’s likely that you’re waiting quite eagerly for the new update that brings the first instalment of a three-chapter expansion pass for the game. Ditto’s learned some new tricks this time around, and they open up new ways for the developers to build on a formula that’s proven to be as popular as it is charming and brimming with wit and personality.
If you’ve collected a few water types by now, you’re probably going to like what’s coming next. If not, you might want to make those a priority, for reasons that are coming along as we go further into what’s new with the update and the expansion. Well, the waves beckon, so let’s jump right in for a swim through a bit of underwater fun.
Free Version 2.0.0 Update
1. Ditto’s Diving Lesson
Ditto gets the ability to swim and even go underwater for as long as his breath allows him to remain there, as a part of the free update, with completion of “Raise the environment level” at Bleak Beach and knowledge of jumping and surfing being the only prerequisites. But those peeks under the surface area are just a taste of what truly awaits in the water.
The Expansion Pass adds Manaphy, a Pokémon that can teach Ditto a very nifty way to swim underwater to his heart’s content, with a handy diving ball to summon that makes breathing possible being everything you need to join and water types on adventures into the depths of the water bodies that have remained inaccessible, but are now doorways into more adventures, and more rewards.
2. Only Water-Type Pokémon Can Come Along
It bears repeating that not all Pokémon you’ve collected can join you on your forays into the depths, and keeping a few water types handy in your collection is sure to help you stay afloat once you get into things in the expansion. There’s a lot to do under the surface, and having a few trusted companions at your side is going to make a world of difference.
That’s not to mention that some of those water types are among the most adorable ones there are!
3. Underwater Town Building
Once again, Ditto’s bringing life to previously uninhabited corners of his world, and there’s a whole new town coming to the game as part of the expansion. Of course, it’s up to you to help Ditto bring it back to life, and that’s going to have you exploring the ocean floor to pick up the things you need, plant grass, put up structures, and create underwater towns around them.
The free update allows for underwater building right off the bat, but it’s only with Manaphy that the true depth of the system comes to the surface thanks to…
Paid Expansion Pass Part 1: Bubbly Basin
4. Bubbly Basin
The headliner of the expansion pass’s first instalment is Bubbly Basin, an entirely underwater Town that’s just waiting for you as a part of the free Version 2.0.0 Update. Of course, you’re going to need Dive, which means Bleak Beach should be high on your list of priorities over this weekend if you plan to be among the first ones there.
It’s a massive place, and you’re going to be quite busy swimming through it all once you get started.
5. Farming Melons Underwater
Ditto does have a knack for sniffing out fun, unique things to do no matter where he goes, doesn’t he? Well, your fellow Pokémon are there to help, and cultivating melons is sure to make your time in Bubbly Basin easier. We did see Mudkip and Corsola in the trailer, but those water types are certainly going to work in your favor alongside the new ones you’re likely to find as you explore the depths.
It’s looking like there’s a whole other generator to build underwater, just as you’ve done on land. It’s Pokopia in an entirely new space, and we’re going to be chasing down those buoyant blocks as soon as we get our heads under the water.
6. Pokémon-Powered Machines
One of the ways water types are important to the underwater gameplay loop is their use of the Generate ability to create bubbles that power machines and street lamps. We’ve only been given glimpses from the trailers, but these are all likely to be factors in making your underwater town one that’s as welcoming to new Pokémon as can be.
It’s a new kind of Pokopia, and there are bubbles involved this time around. It’s definitely going to make this one more charming, along with making great use of its art style to bring a whole new biome to life.
7. Deep-Sea Exploration
Of course, setting up a base underwater is only one part of your new adventure, as you’re going to have to find a hole in the sea floor and travel through it with your best Pokémon in tow to follow a glowing coral. Solving that mystery is definitely something we’re making a beeline for when the update drops.
It’s a great way to get familiar with the scenery and the flora and fauna you’re likely to find along your travels as you build out your town. It’s also probably going to bring some useful Pokémon your way, which could give you a solid start as you begin to build your base and develop it.
8. Buoyant Blocks, Floating Buildings
There’s the potential for some truly unique towns under the surface as Buoyant Blocks are what you’re going to be using to build structures. They’re special bricks that float at varying levels underwater, allowing you to build structures that simply float at the level you place them on.
That’s obviously something we couldn’t do on land, and the scope to create a new town with more verticality in the mix is sure to get the more creative ones among you working hard to make some truly unique towns.
9. The Sharpedo Submarine
Any good town you build must have a place for you to put up your feet and call home when you need a break from all your underwater adventuring. Even Ditto’s boundless enthusiasm can run out from time to time. He is mimicking a human, after all. Well, the Sharpedo Submarine is going to be what helps, and building it is probably a good thing to keep track of so you’re always building up to it.
It’s going to make a great place for you to crash, and the game’s promotional materials paint it as a sort of Secret Base with Ditto making it his own with new furniture and the like coming to the game.
10. More Pokémon, New Outfits and Gameplay Items
Of course there are new Pokémon coming into the mix for us to discover and collect, but Ditto’s also getting new outfits to chase down, furniture for his base to look out for, and an upgrade to Surf to pick up. Smoothies are a new prepared food, and we’re expecting a few new recipes to find along the way.
Of course, the trailers haven’t dived too deep into it all yet, and we’re yet to learn the full extent of new content on offer. However, everything we’ve seen so far points to a new world within an already familiar one. Whether it can build synergies with the one above the surface that you’ve already painstakingly built remains to be seen, but we’re sure that there are going to be creative ways to get there.
But for now, it’s time to use the weekend to prepare for a brand new foray into unknown frontiers, with wit, charm, and the ability to imitate the best of the world around us at our side. August 5, 2026, cannot get here fast enough, but we’re going to remind ourselves that patience is a virtue while we wait. We’re quite optimistic about it being worth it, after all.
