Pokémon Pokopia has received its first major paid expansion, Bubbly Basin. It will give us a brand-new underwater town to build, explore, and customize.
Released as Part 1 of the Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass, the DLC expands the game’s relaxing sandbox experience with new Pokémon, fresh mechanics, underwater construction, exclusive recipes, and plenty of cosmetic additions.
If you’ve been looking for more reasons to return to Pokopia after completing the base game, Bubbly Basin adds one of the biggest content updates since launch.
A Brand-New Underwater Town
The biggest addition is Bubbly Basin, an entirely underwater settlement that introduces a fresh biome unlike anything found in the base game.
You can decorate, rebuild, and customize this aquatic community and attract Pokémon that naturally live beneath the ocean.
The new town features coral reefs, underwater vegetation, sea-themed decorations, and unique environmental effects that completely change the atmosphere of the game.
Learn the Dive Ability
Before exploring underwater, you must unlock the brand-new Dive ability.
Dive is taught by Manaphy, which allows Ditto to remain underwater and freely explore or construct buildings beneath the sea.
The ability is introduced through the free Version 2.0 update, but it also serves as the gateway to accessing Bubbly Basin.
To unlock Dive, you need the following things:
- Reach Environment Level 5 in Bleak Beach.
- Complete the important request “Raise the environment level!”
- Learn the Surf ability first.
Once unlocked, the underwater world opens up for exploration and construction.
Eight New Pokémon Join Pokopia
Bubbly Basin expands the Pokémon roster with several fan favorites that naturally fit the aquatic setting.
The new Pokémon arriving in Part 1 are:
- Manaphy
- Popplio
- Mudkip
- Buizel
- Carvanha
- Corsola
- Corphish
- Chinchou
Each Pokémon brings its own habitat preferences and helps make the underwater ecosystem feel alive.
You can attract them by creating suitable environments and decorating the town to meet their needs.
Build a Sharpedo Submarine
One of the expansion’s most interesting additions is the Sharpedo Submarine.
Rather than simply swimming everywhere, you can eventually construct this unique vehicle to travel through underwater areas more efficiently.
The submarine makes exploring the ocean floor faster and adds another progression goal for experienced players.
New Building Items and Decorations
Like every major Pokopia update, Bubbly Basin introduces a large collection of furniture and construction materials.
following new items have been added to the game:
- Coral-themed decorations
- Bubble-inspired furniture
- Ocean plants
- Marine lighting
- Aquatic structures
- Sea-themed landscaping items
These additions significantly increase customization options for players who enjoy designing detailed Pokémon habitats.
Bubble Machines Add More Personality
A fun new decorative feature comes in the form of Bubble Machines.
These machines continuously release streams of bubbles throughout your underwater settlement to create a more immersive ocean atmosphere.
New Watermelon Food Type
The DLC also introduces a completely new Watermelon food category.
New recipes and farming options allow you to use watermelon ingredients to attract specific Pokémon and expand their culinary collection.
Although not a massive gameplay overhaul, it adds more variety to the game’s crafting and farming systems.
Surf Gets an Upgrade
Movement around Pokopia also becomes faster.
New Smoothie Recipes can enhance the Surf ability to travel more efficiently and reduce the time spent moving between different regions.
For players regularly gathering resources, this quality-of-life improvement is one of the most practical additions included in the update.
More Story Content
Bubbly Basin isn’t simply another building area.
The new town includes its own storyline that focuses on restoring the underwater community and meeting new Pokémon residents.
You gradually unlock additional facilities, decorations, and interactions as you continue rebuilding the settlement.
Expansion Pass Roadmap
Bubbly Basin is only the beginning.
The Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass will release across three separate parts:
Part 1 – Bubbly Basin (Available Now)
Introduces the underwater town, Dive gameplay, new Pokémon, submarine construction, recipes, and building options.
Part 2 – Late 2026
Rather than adding another town, Part 2 focuses on expanded customization. You will finally be able to coordinate outfits with your Pokémon companions, and more visiting Pokémon, including Snubbull, will arrive.
Part 3 – 2027
The final expansion will introduce an entirely new town, although The Pokémon Company has not yet revealed additional details.
Is Bubbly Basin Worth Playing?
For players who enjoyed Pokopia’s relaxing blend of exploration, crafting, and town building, Bubbly Basin delivers exactly what fans have been asking for.
The underwater setting feels distinct from the base game, and new Pokémon, construction tools, and progression systems give returning players plenty of fresh objectives.
It successfully expands its sandbox formula with meaningful new content.
Between underwater construction, additional Pokémon, the Sharpedo submarine, and improved customization, Bubbly Basin is a strong first step for the game’s three-part Expansion Pass.
