In my review of Pokémon Pokopia, I mentioned that initially I was a bit nervous that having so many transformation options for Ditto could become a bit overwhelming, but I was happily proven wrong. They are all easy to swap between, using a method fairly similar to Animal Crossing‘s power wheel, or being able to trigger through the selections. Surprisingly, Magikarp’s ability was the one I used the most often, and that doesn’t even require a transformation.
Water Gun: Spray Water To The Surrounding Area
Learned From Squirtle, Sort Of
The first transformation you learn comes during the very first moments of the game, when you and Professor Tangrowth come across a dehydrated Squirtle who looks to be in pretty rough shape. Using Squirtle’s Water Gun ability, you save the day by spitting out a torrent of water on our little blue Pokémon, thereby healing him.
This is the first ability you get of many, and is one that I found I use a lot, particularly in the starting world, which has become a dry desert that desperately needs that water. Of course, be careful what Pokémon friends are nearby that may get splashed by it, as they don’t all appreciate the quick shower.
Leafage: Make Tall Grass Or Other Plants Appear
Learned From Bulbasaur
Shortly after meeting Squirtle, the game teaches you about habitats in a way that introduces you to another of our favorite starter Pokémon, Bulbasaur. The Grass-type Pokémon is a natural fit for teaching the player how to grow grass through the use of the Leafage ability.
While it will typically create tall grass, using the ability on water can also create some other water plants. Leafage is helpful for creating many habitats for Pokémon, as well as for transforming barren dirt into grass after you create the tall grass and then use Cut to transform it down to regular grass blocks.
Cut: Quickly Slice Through Grass, Plants, And Even Logs And Trees
Learned From Scyther
As was mentioned above, the Cut transformation can work in tandem with Leafage when you want to transform a dirt block into a pretty, green grass-covered block. However, that isn’t the reason it gets taught to you.
Scyther shares the Cut ability with the player while discussing how to get wood logs that can be turned into lumber. Throughout the game, you will need wood and lumber for pretty much anything you want to craft and buildings you are making, particularly early on. Though you can get some wood and lumber from wreckage on the ground, the best method is to use Cut on a tree or broken items around the area.
To transform the logs into lumber, you then need to show them to Scyther or other Pokémon with the ability, and they will create the resource for you.
Rock Smash: Smash All The Rocks And Blocks
Learned From Hitmonchan
Rock Smash is a transformation that does exactly what the ability name suggests. Using Hitmonchan’s ability, you can punch blocks or objects to then be able to pick them up.
There are some blocks that are too tough to break, even using the standard Rock Smash ability. After learning how to cook food, you can remedy this by eating certain foods, such as hamburger steak, which will power up the Rock Smash so you can bust through even the hardest steel.
Jump: Magikarp Actually Has The Best Ability To Teach
Learned From Magikarp
Magikarp often gets made fun of for not being as worthwhile as other Pokémon. And perhaps this isn’t a transformation like the others, as your character does not take on any new appearances.
However, Magikarp’s teaching my character how to Jump became one of my favorite abilities in the game. Simply having the added speed of jumping on top of blocks rather than waiting for my character to slowly climb up them was such a relief, and jumping is always fun in any game.
Rototiller: Make Farmland And Move Flowers And Plants
Learned From Drilbur
Pokémon Pokopia may not necessarily be a farming sim, but there is still the option to farm vegetables and flowers, and some habitats even require a full garden of vegetables. Drilbur is one of those Pokémon that want to live in a veggie garden, and therefore, they teach you how to use the Rototiller ability to prepare the soil for farming.
Rototiller can also be useful while decorating, as it allows you to pick up things like wildflowers and move them to another location without destroying them.
Rollout: Smash Through Everything In Your Path
Learned From Graveler
Graveler’s Rollout ability is a ridiculously fun transformation, but can also be a bit dangerous in areas that you’ve decorated and built up. Using Rollout, you turn into a Ditto-ish version of Graveler and can roll around at high speeds. As you roll into objects, walls, blocks, and more, you can smash through most of them and destroy things.
It’s useful for breaking up large areas that you want to clear before decorating or building a house, but just be careful around things you don’t want to break. Once you get rolling, it’s easy to accidentally take out things you don’t want to.
Strength: Push Big Heavy Things
Learned From Machoke
Another one of the transformations that happens without needing to select the ability is Strength. In Rocky Ridge there are several large blocks that are impossible to move without first talking to Machoke. Machoke will teach you how to get some rippling biceps like his and be able to then move heavy things with a simple push and some big arms.
Surf: Swim Across The Water (And Look Really Cute)
Learned From Lapras
Before I learned the Surf ability from Lapras, I drowned more times than I’d like to admit. Ditto isn’t exactly a good swimmer naturally, and doesn’t float either. Surf allows your little Ditto to become the cutest mini version of Lapras ever seen (I would love to get the plushie version of this little Ditto).
As you could probably guess, becoming a tiny Lapras with Surf lets your character float and swim across the top of the water. There are a few secrets in Pokopia that I found this way, and many drowning deaths were avoided.
Later in the game, finding Gyarados in the final area will allow you to learn the add-on to Surf that lets you then swim up waterfalls as well.
Camouflage: Turn Into Any Object Nearby, Perfect For Hide-And-Seek
Learned From Zorua
Camouflage is the Ditto transformation that I used the least. It is fun and a natural fit for Ditto, but only really applies when playing the minigame of hide-and-seek with other Pokémon. Perhaps in a multiplayer game it could be fun as well, but otherwise, there isn’t much purpose to the ability.
Surprisingly, Ditto has to learn Camouflage from Zorua despite it being something that is pretty foundational to Ditto as a character. Using the ability, you can transform your character into nearly any object that’s in front of you and then hop around.