The Bubbly Basin DLC is the first wave of Pokémon Pokopia's Expansion Pass, and it brings 50 new Pokémon into the game alongside a fully expanded aquatic zone. Water-types were always underrepresented in the base game, and Bubbly Basin fixes that with a roster that spans generations from Kanto all the way through Paldea. Cloyster, Mudkip, Popplio, Wugtrio, and Manaphy are all confirmed, and there are still a few slots marked TBC as players work through the new content.
How many Pokémon does Bubbly Basin add?
Bubbly Basin adds exactly 50 new Pokémon to the Pokopia Pokédex as part of the Expansion Pass. Because Pokopia's mechanics require every member of an evolution line to appear, some Pokédex gaps can be filled in even before a Pokémon is officially confirmed. A handful of entries are still listed as TBC, meaning the community is still tracking down the final spawns.
An event centered on Feebas and Milotic has already been announced, though whether those two count toward the Basin Pokédex or sit in a separate event pool is not yet confirmed.
Bubbly Basin zone overview
What new Specialties come with Bubbly Basin?
Two Specialties are new to the DLC. The Scrub ability lets a Pokémon clean Pearls, which is a resource-processing task unique to the aquatic zone. The Generate ability, held by Chinchou and Lanturn, is described as vital for lighting up the underwater sections of Bubbly Basin. Without at least one Generate Pokémon on your island, navigating the darker parts of the zone will be noticeably harder.
Beyond those two additions, the Bubbly Basin roster covers the full range of existing Specialties: crop growing, resource gathering, building, area cleaning, Teleport, Trade, Hype, Bulldoze, Search, and Chop are all represented. Check out the Pokémon Pokopia Specialties guide for a full breakdown of what every ability does across the whole roster.
Chinchou Generate Specialty
All Bubbly Basin Pokémon and their Specialties
The table below covers every confirmed entry in the Basin Pokédex. TBC entries are slots where the Pokémon or Specialty has not been fully confirmed yet.
Which Pokémon are worth prioritizing?
A few standouts are worth going after as soon as you unlock the zone.
Swampert (Water, Build) is the most versatile pick in the entire roster. Two Specialties that both see constant use means it will almost never be idle on your island. Starmie (Teleport, Gather) is similarly efficient, pairing two high-demand abilities on a single Pokémon.
Manaphy sits at slot 050 and carries Trade and Hype, making it the rarest and most coveted Pokémon in the DLC. Phione shares the Trade Specialty and is likely easier to find, so grab one early to cover that resource need while you hunt for Manaphy.
For crop management, Corsola is your dedicated Grow Pokémon. There are no other Grow-Specialty Pokémon confirmed in the Basin list, so if farming is a priority, Corsola becomes non-negotiable.
Full Basin Pokédex roster
What Specialties are hardest to find in Bubbly Basin?
The Recycle Specialty appears only once in the entire Basin Pokédex, on Mareanie. If recycling resources is part of your island strategy, Mareanie is the only option the DLC offers. Burn is similarly rare, appearing only on Frillish, which also carries Search. Getting a Frillish early covers two needs at once.
Generate appears on Chinchou, Lanturn, Stunfisk, and Pincurcin, which is a reasonable spread given how important it is for the underwater sections. Still, having at least two Generate Pokémon active at once is worth planning for.
For players still working through the base game's roster and habitats, the full Pokémon Pokopia location guide covers spawn habitats across the whole island, which is useful context before you start optimizing around the Basin additions.
How does Bubbly Basin fit into the full Expansion Pass?
Bubbly Basin is Wave 1 of a three-part Expansion Pass. Parts 2 and 3 have been announced but their full Pokédex contents are not yet revealed. For everything on the Wave 1 release schedule and what the full three-wave roadmap looks like, the Bubbly Basin DLC release date guide has the confirmed details.
With 50 Pokémon confirmed and a handful of TBC slots still being tracked down, the Basin Pokédex will likely grow as players explore further. Keep an eye on the Pokémon Pokopia guides hub for updates as new entries get confirmed and the remaining TBC Specialties are locked in.