The Bubbly Basin DLC for Pokémon Pokopia has introduced two significant additions for players to discover: Shiny Pearls and the Mythical Pokémon Phione. Acquiring these new elements involves specific in-game processes that deviate from typical item collection or Pokémon encounters.
Obtaining Shiny Pearls
Shiny Pearls are a key material within the Bubbly Basin expansion, primarily sought after for completing the 'Building the beautiful building' Important Request and crafting Seashell furniture. Their collection requires a multi-step process involving Grubby Pearls and specific Pokémon abilities.
Players must first collect Grubby Pearls, which can be found underwater and on land within Bubbly Basin, as well as on the Starmie Doll Dream Island. These items appear as brown, dirt-covered balls. Once collected, Grubby Pearls must be given to Pokémon possessing the 'Scrub Speciality.' Shellder, Cloyster, Sharpedo, and Alomomola are listed as Pokémon with this ability. When interacting with such a Pokémon, players select the Grubby Pearls from their inventory and choose the 'Scrub this for me, please!' option. It is recommended to have up to 10 Grubby Pearls scrubbed at once, as the number of Shiny Pearls received typically matches the number of Grubby Pearls processed.
After initiating the scrubbing process, players must wait for a period before returning to the Pokémon to collect the Shiny Pearls. If the Pokémon is not immediately available, using Honey in their habitat may help locate them. The Pokémon will then hand over the resulting Shiny Pearls, even if not all Grubby Pearls were processed.
Encountering and Recruiting Phione
Phione, a Mythical Pokémon, is another notable addition from the Bubbly Basin expansion. Its acquisition is tied to visiting a specific Dream Island and completing a unique encounter.
To find Phione, players should travel to the Starmie Doll Dream Island. While other Dream Island access methods exist, the Starmie Doll is recommended for increasing the chances of encountering Phione. It's important to note that only one Dream Island can be visited per day, and the island's layout, including the presence of Phione, is randomized. This may necessitate multiple visits to the Starmie Doll Dream Island.
Upon arriving at the island, players must locate an underwater cave beneath the central mountain. This cave often contains a wall of stone blocks with gaps, indicating Phione's presence. After navigating through the wall, players can interact with Phione by selecting 'Let's go see everyone!'. The player character will then be followed by Phione.
Following the encounter, players are advised to return to Drifloon and then to the area where the Starmie Doll is placed. Phione will continue to follow the player. The next step is to create a habitat for Phione, such as Basin Tall Grass. By interacting with Phione near the chosen habitat and selecting 'Wanna move in here?', players can successfully recruit it. While Phione can be placed in the Bubbly Basin for thematic reasons, its Comfort Level offers a significant boost to an area's Environment Level, making it beneficial to distribute legendary Pokémon across different habitats to more easily reach Level 10.