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How to Activate the Withered Wasteland Waterwheel
May 5, 2026 at 01:47 AM
Updated wikilink display text to match title case changes
The Withered Wasteland contains two waterwheels in its northern area that can be activated to generate electricity. Powering these waterwheels requires routing water onto them using the Suck ability, which you learn from Paldean Wooper. Once running, a waterwheel produces steady power for nearby machines and creates the Waterwheel Spot habitat, which attracts Prinplup or Empoleon.
Before you can activate a waterwheel, you need two things: access to the northern Withered Wasteland and the Suck ability.
The waterwheels are located in the northern section of the Withered Wasteland, which is blocked by soil bricks. You need Rock Smash to break through them. Build an Exercise Resting Spot habitat (a punching bag and bench) to befriend Hitmonchan, then give Hitmonchan 2 Stones to learn Rock Smash.
The Suck up Liquids ability is required to gather and place water. To unlock it:
Progress through Bleak Beach until Piplup's quests become available.
Complete the "Make a Waterfall" quest from Piplup.
Build the Marshy Tall Grass habitat and feed Paldean Wooper 3 Tomatoes.
Paldean Wooper teaches Ditto the Suck ability, allowing you to inhale and spit out liquids.
With Rock Smash and Suck both unlocked, follow these steps to activate a waterwheel.
Head to the northern area of the Withered Wasteland. Use Rock Smash on any soil bricks blocking your path. You will find two waterwheels in pits near elevated terrain.
Use the Suck ability on any water source in the Withered Wasteland. Stand in or near a body of water, hold Y, and press ZR to inhale. Ditto will inflate and hold the liquid in its mouth. Waterfalls are ideal because they regenerate after being drained.
If no natural water sources are nearby, you can use a powered vending machine to obtain a Fresh Water drink. Drinking it fills Ditto with regular water that can be spit out. Vending machines dispense one drink per day and require electricity to operate.
Climb to an elevated block near the waterwheel pit. Aim so the blue targeting tile sits on the elevated surface above the pit. Press A to spit the water out. The water will flow downhill from the elevated position into the pit where the waterwheel sits.
Important: Water must flow downward onto the waterwheel. If your water source is at the same level as or below the wheel, it will not activate. Always place water on a block that is higher than the waterwheel.
Once water flows into the pit, the waterwheel begins spinning automatically. You do not need to interact with it further. The waterwheel is now generating power.
An active waterwheel generates electricity, but that power needs to be distributed using utility poles. Here is how to connect devices:
Place a utility pole directly next to the waterwheel.
Chain additional utility poles in a line toward the machines or lights you want to power.
A pole lights up when it is successfully receiving electricity from the grid.
Any machine or light within range of a powered pole will turn on.
Devices you can power include vending machines, streetlights, 3D Printers inside rebuilt Pokemon Centers, Cash Registers for Trade shops, and various other machines.
Activating a waterwheel creates the Waterwheel Spot habitat in the area around it. This habitat attracts either Prinplup or Empoleon, both Water/Steel-type Pokemon from Generation 4. These Pokemon are useful for completing the Habitat Dex and the Pokedex.
The waterwheel is one of four power-generating structures in Pokemon Pokopia. Here is how they compare:
Power Source | Power Output | Fuel Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Moderate | None (water flow) | Requires Suck ability and elevated water placement | |
Windmill | 10 units | None (passive) | Easiest to build; works immediately after placement |
Furnace Generator | 15 to 25 units | Lumber or other fuel | Highest output but consumes resources continuously |
Abandoned Power Plant | High | None | Late-game structure; doubles as Zapdos habitat |
Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
Waterwheel is not spinning | Check that water is flowing downward onto the wheel. The water source must be on a block higher than the waterwheel pit. |
No water sources nearby | Use a vending machine drink (Fresh Water) or carry water from another part of the Withered Wasteland using the Suck ability. |
Cannot reach the northern area | You need Rock Smash from Hitmonchan. Build an Exercise Resting Spot habitat first. |
Utility poles are not lighting up | Make sure there are no gaps in the pole chain. Place poles close enough together to form a continuous line from the waterwheel to your target. |
Waterwheel Spot habitat not appearing | The habitat spawns automatically when the waterwheel activates. If Prinplup or Empoleon do not appear immediately, wait for the next in-game day cycle. |
Waterfalls regenerate their water supply, making them the best source for filling the waterwheel pit. Suck from a waterfall rather than a small pool to avoid draining it permanently.
The second waterwheel in the northern Withered Wasteland works the same way. Activating both gives you two power sources and two Waterwheel Spot habitats.
Combine waterwheel power with a Windmill to cover a larger area of the settlement without relying on fuel.
Remember that liquids are restricted to the biome where you collected them. Water sucked up in the Withered Wasteland cannot be carried to other regions.
If you have not progressed through Bleak Beach yet, consider completing the Piplup quest chain early to unlock Suck. It opens up a lot of building options across all areas.
