Bleak Beach

Overview

Bleak Beach is one of two areas that unlock simultaneously after the Withered Wasteland in Pokemon Pokopia, based on the remains of Vermilion City from the original Kanto region. This flooded and polluted beachfront zone is initially covered in perpetual darkness regardless of the time of day. As the player completes story objectives, lights up the area using electricity, and restores the environment, Bleak Beach brightens considerably. The area features the iconic S.S. Anne ship, a complex electricity generation system, and a unique cast of characters including Meowth, Peakychu (a ghostly Pikachu), and Mosslax (a moss-covered Snorlax).

Bleak Beach's exclusive hedge type is the Healthy Hedge, which can only be placed in this area.

How to Unlock

Bleak Beach unlocks after completing the "Yawn Up a Storm" Important Request in the Withered Wasteland. This raises the player to Great Trainer Rank, opening the green gates to both Bleak Beach and Rocky Ridges. Bleak Beach is accessed through the eastern gate in the Withered Wasteland, across rock cliffs east of the Pokemon Center. Players can explore Bleak Beach and Rocky Ridges in any order.

Pokemon and Habitats

Bleak Beach features coastal and seaside habitats with a focus on water, electric, and normal-type Pokemon. Many habitats involve flowers, tropical plants, and ocean elements.

Story Pokemon

These Pokemon are encountered through the main storyline and quests:

Additional Habitat Pokemon

Beyond the story Pokemon, additional species can be attracted to Bleak Beach by building the right habitats:

Habitat List

All habitats that can be built in Bleak Beach:

Moves Learned

Several moves are unlocked in Bleak Beach:

Story Walkthrough

Phase 1: Arriving and Restoring the PC

1. Cross the destroyed bridge using crafted Bridge Planks.

2. Locate the ruined Pokemon Center.

3. Place Beach Sand blocks north of the center to remove standing water.

4. Boot up the PC to receive the "Rebuild the Pokemon Center" Important Request.

Phase 2: Meowth's Requests

Meowth is the first Pokemon encountered in Bleak Beach and serves as the primary quest giver for the early portion of the area. His requests involve building habitats, decorating his flooded house, and befriending new Pokemon.

1. Meet Meowth and follow him to his submerged house.

2. Place blocks behind the house to stop water flow, creating a Resting Spot habitat.

3. Create a Tropical Vibes habitat by planting Seashore Flowers next to a Tropical Tree.

4. Create a Knitting Station habitat by filling the area between red brick blocks.

5. Befriend two Pokemon to trigger Meowth's next request.

6. Craft two Mushroom Lamps (using Glowing Mushrooms from caves) and place them in Meowth's house.

7. Create a Hydrated Yellow Tall Grass habitat (4 Yellow Tall Grass near water) to befriend Piplup.

8. Have Piplup spray bubbles on muddy areas, then use Water Gun to wash away the mud.

9. Build a Chirp-Chirp Meal habitat (Wooden Birdhouse + Table + Plated Food) to befriend Torchic. Have Torchic process Squishy Clay into Bricks (each Squishy Clay produces 2 Bricks).

10. Craft a Planter (1 Brick, 1 Stone) and place it in Meowth's house with flowers.

Phase 3: Unlocking Surf

1. Accept Piplup's request about creating a habitat for Trubbish.

2. Build a Trash Collection Site (Waste Bin, Garbage Bag, Sign) to befriend Trubbish.

3. Give Trubbish Nonburnable Garbage, which it converts into Iron Ore and a Shower.

4. Create a Breezy Flower Bed (4 Seashore Flowers) to befriend Pawmi.

5. Have Pawmi follow you to power a gate lamp.

6. Build a Tropical Seaside habitat (1 Large Palm Tree, 2 Ocean Water blocks, 4 Hedges along shoreline) to attract Lapras.

7. Have Piplup spray bubbles on 80 squares of mud in front of Meowth's house, then wash it all with Water Gun.

8. Talk to Lapras to receive the Surf move. Follow Piplup while surfing (watch PP usage).

Phase 4: Brighten Things Up!

"Brighten Things Up!" is the main Important Request in Bleak Beach. The goal is to illuminate the entire darkened area using electricity, awakening Mosslax by reaching 100 bloom points.

1. Talk to Trubbish near the Pokemon Center. Befriend Pawmi or Pawmo to light a Harbor Streetlight.

2. Follow Trubbish southeast to find a collapsed bridge. Repair it and break through a wall with Rock Smash.

3. Discover Mosslax, the moss-covered Snorlax sleeping in a cave. Professor Tangrowth arrives and unlocks the Important Request.

4. Meet Meowth and light three streetlights using electric Pokemon.

5. Build a Resort Meal Prep habitat (Bonfire, Log Chair, Wooden Plate with Leppa Berry next to Palm Tree) to befriend Peakychu.

6. Craft a Shell Lamp (1 Shell, 1 Sea Glass Fragments) and place it in Mosslax's cave. Light it with an electric Pokemon.

7. Follow Peakychu to a windmill. Collect Utility Poles and connect them to the wind turbine.

8. Connect Harbor Streetlights to powered Utility Poles to light up more of the area.

9. Accept Torchic's electricity generation request. Find the Furnace on the southwest side of the map and connect Utility Poles to it. Burn Lumber and Sturdy Sticks to generate power.

10. Find the Water Wheel on the southeast side. Destroy blocks north of it to allow water flow and activate it.

11. Take Trubbish to the lighthouse on the east side. Connect a power pole to the roof to activate the spotlight.

12. Connect the windmill, Furnace, and Water Wheel to the central charging station using Utility Poles.

13. Continue lighting structures until bloom points reach 100. Mosslax awakens.

14. Climb to the top of the lighthouse where Raikou appears.

Electricity System

Bleak Beach introduces the electricity generation system, which is central to the area's story. Three methods of generating power are available, and all can be connected via Utility Poles to a central charging station.

Power flows through Utility Poles that must be connected in a chain from generators to the central charging station and then out to streetlights, lamps, and other structures. Each lit structure contributes bloom points toward the 100-point goal for awakening Mosslax.

Bloom Points

The bloom point system tracks how much light has been restored to Bleak Beach. Each powered structure (streetlight, lamp, spotlight) adds bloom points. When the total reaches 100, Mosslax awakens from its cave, completing the Brighten Things Up quest. The bloom counter can be checked by interacting with Mosslax or approaching the Pokemon Center.

Notable Locations

Smearguru

Smearguru is a special Smeargle variant NPC found in Bleak Beach. Unlike regular befriendable Pokemon, Smearguru serves as a service NPC that provides item customization capabilities. Players can bring items and decorations to Smearguru to have them recolored or customized with unique patterns. This is the only way to apply custom paint jobs to placed furniture and habitat components in the game.

Smearguru becomes available after the player restores some light to Bleak Beach (approximately 30 bloom points). Look for the Smeargle artist near the waterfront area south of Meowth's house.

Legendary Encounter: Raikou

Raikou, the legendary Electric-type beast, appears at the top of the lighthouse after the player completes the "Brighten Things Up!" Important Request. After powering up all the lights and awakening Mosslax, return to the lighthouse and climb to the top. Raikou appears and expresses surprise at the player's ability to illuminate the entire town. After a conversation, Raikou departs.

Crafting and Resources

Materials Found in Bleak Beach

Farming and Tomatoes

Bleak Beach is one of the key farming areas in Pokopia. The beach's farm plots support growing Tomatoes, which are a regionally specific crop that cannot be grown in every area. Tomatoes are used in several cooking recipes and are required for the Team Initiation Challenge (Stage 2 requires 10 Tomatoes).

To start farming Tomatoes, use the Rototiller move to prepare soil in the designated farm areas near the shoreline. Plant Tomato seeds and water them regularly. Each Tomato plant produces multiple harvests before needing to be replanted. Tomatoes grow faster during daytime hours.

Rebuilding the Pokemon Center

The Bleak Beach Pokemon Center starts as a pile of rubble that the player encounters in Phase 1. Rebuilding it is a key milestone that requires raising the area's Environment Level and gathering specific materials.

The rebuild requires the following materials:

Since each Squishy Clay yields 2 Bricks when processed by Torchic, players need at least 15 Squishy Clay to produce the 20 Bricks required. Collect Squishy Clay early and have Torchic process it in batches. The 1,000 Life Coins can be accumulated through normal gameplay (befriending Pokemon, completing requests, selling items).

Rebuilding all four story area Pokemon Centers (including Bleak Beach's) is required to see the game's credits.

Human Records (Outfits)

Two outfits can be found in Bleak Beach inside Human Record collectibles:

Environment Level

Story progression in Bleak Beach requires raising Environment Level by befriending Pokemon and building habitats. Rebuilding the Pokemon Center requires a higher Environment Level and is part of the requirement to see the game's credits. To complete the Team Initiation Challenge, players must also raise Bleak Beach's Environment Level to 5, which unlocks the Washing Machine recipe.

Tips

• Craft Bridge Planks at your Workbench before heading to Bleak Beach. You need them immediately to cross the broken bridge.

• Watch your PP while using Surf. The move drains PP continuously, so return to land or the Pokemon Center if running low.

• Befriend Pawmi early from the Breezy Flower Bed habitat. Electric Pokemon are essential for powering streetlights throughout the Brighten Things Up quest.

• Connect all three generators (Windmill, Furnace, Water Wheel) to the central charging station for maximum power output.

• Trubbish converts Nonburnable Garbage into Iron Ore, which is a valuable crafting material. Keep feeding it garbage whenever possible.

• Explore the S.S. Anne thoroughly after learning Surf. It contains Lost Relics and the Sailor Outfit Human Record.

• Start collecting Squishy Clay early and have Torchic process it into Bricks. You need at least 20 Bricks for the Pokemon Center rebuild alone.

• Plant Tomatoes as soon as farm plots are available. You need 10 for the Team Initiation Challenge Stage 2, and they take time to grow.

• Visit Smearguru once you have about 30 bloom points to unlock item customization. Recoloring furniture and decorations adds variety to your habitats.

• Mareep can share the Breezy Flower Bed habitat with Pawmi, giving you an extra electric-type helper for the Brighten Things Up quest.