Pokémon Pokopia's first paid DLC, Bubbly Basin, introduces a submerged town and a renewed focus on the game's aquatic Pokémon designs. This new content addresses a perceived lack of underwater creatures in the base game, which primarily focuses on land-based town restoration and construction.
The Bubbly Basin DLC allows players to dive into a new area to fix up a submerged settlement. While the core gameplay loop of growing crops and building structures remains similar, the twist comes from the assistance of various fish-like Pokémon. Players will encounter familiar faces from the water-type Pokédex, including Finneon, Luvdisc, and Sharpedo, who are given ample space to express themselves in their natural habitat.
Among the highlighted residents are Horsea, who twirls happily, and Stunfisk, noted for its flat, insecure demeanor. The DLC also brings attention to the Chinchou and Lanturn evolutionary line, allowing them to swim freely. The developers have also included Pokémon like Corsola and Corpfish, giving players a chance to appreciate their designs in a new context.
This emphasis on aquatic Pokémon is particularly noteworthy given the series' recent trajectory. While older titles like Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire featured many water-types, more recent games that have moved away from random battles and towards open-world exploration, such as Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, offer fewer opportunities to encounter or showcase underwater Pokémon. The Bubbly Basin DLC effectively solves this within Pokopia, providing a dedicated space for these often-underrepresented creatures to shine and interact.
The Bubbly Basin DLC is the first part of Pokopia's Expansion Pass. The underwater environment and its inhabitants offer a fresh experience for players, potentially serving as a preview for how future Pokémon titles might handle marine life in open-world settings.