Ditto Transformations

Overview

Ditto's core mechanic in Pokopia revolves around learning moves from befriended Pokemon. Rather than combat attacks, these moves function as environmental tools for building, farming, mining, and traversing the world. There are 14 transformation abilities in total, unlocked progressively across the four story regions plus one post-game unlock.

Ditto physically transforms parts of its body when using a move (partial transformations), while four moves trigger full-body transformations where Ditto takes on a complete Pokemon shape: Surf (Lapras form), Rollout (Graveler form), Glide (Dragonite form), and Magnet Rise (Magnemite form). Camouflage is also a full transformation, but into environmental objects rather than Pokemon.

Controls

The skill wheel appears in the bottom-right corner of the screen alongside the PP gauge (a curved blue bar). Eight moves are available on the active skill wheel by pressing L, while Jump, Surf, Glide, and Waterfall are triggered by context-sensitive button presses.

Withered Wasteland Moves (1-6)

The first six moves are all learned in Withered Wasteland, the starting area.

1. Water Gun

Water Gun is the first move learned and one of the most frequently used throughout the game. It revitalizes dry ground, waters crops, fills small depressions with water, and contributes to raising the area's humidity. The player finds a famished Squirtle shortly after exiting the starting cave with Professor Tangrowth.

Food Upgrade: Eating Soup extends Water Gun's spray range, covering more tiles per use.

2. Leafage

Leafage pulls grass from the earth on dry grass tiles, helping restore greenery to the withered landscape. Building a Tall Grass habitat with 4 tall grass patches is needed to attract Bulbasaur, and then completing Bulbasaur's request (water 10 patches of dry grass) teaches Leafage.

Food Upgrade: Eating Salad enhances Leafage to create duckweed on water surfaces and pull moss from rocks and flooring.

3. Cut

Cut chops down trees, tall grass, and piles of wood into collectible materials. It is essential for gathering lumber early in the game and for clearing obstacles. Scyther teaches Cut as part of a combined quest that also teaches Rock Smash from Hitmonchan.

Food Upgrade: Eating Bread upgrades Cut to work at a distance and slice through metal grating, opening new paths and material sources.

4. Rock Smash

Rock Smash punches through soft terrain including grass, earth, sand, and hay. It is the primary tool for breaking blocks and clearing paths. In its base form, it cannot break hard materials like stone or iron.

Food Upgrade: Eating Hamburger Steak temporarily upgrades Rock Smash to break through all materials including granite, stone, steel, crystal, and ore blocks. This upgrade is essential for mining Iron Ore, Copper Ore, Gold Ore, and Pokemetal.

5. Rototiller

Rototiller prepares soil patches for planting vegetables, turning regular ground into farmable crop plots. It is required for farming and gardening. Drilbur teaches this after the player completes a home-building quest.

No food upgrade available.

6. Jump

Jump gives Ditto basic vertical movement. Press R to jump, which allows reaching higher platforms, crossing gaps, and placing blocks above current level. Magikarp teaches this after the player builds a habitat for Slowpoke.

No food upgrade available.

Bleak Beach Moves (7-9)

Three moves are learned in Bleak Beach, the coastal area unlocked after reaching Super Trainer Rank.

7. Surf

Surf is a full-body transformation where Ditto takes on a miniature Lapras shape and can swim across water surfaces. It unlocks water-based exploration and is required to reach many areas in Bleak Beach and later regions. Lapras is encountered during the Bleak Beach main storyline.

No food upgrade available.

8. Camouflage

Camouflage transforms Ditto into environmental objects like rocks, furniture, or plants rather than Pokemon. It is designed primarily for multiplayer prop-hunt style play, where one player hides as an object and others search for them. Zorua also hosts the Hide-and-Seek mini-game after teaching Camouflage.

No food upgrade available.

9. Suck Up Liquids

Suck Up Liquids lets Ditto inhale water, ocean water, hot-spring water, mud, and even lava, then spit it out somewhere else to create new water sources. This is a critical ability for creating waterfalls, hot springs, and relocating water throughout the islands. The liquid stays in Ditto's mouth until the player spits it out.

To unlock this move, players need to build the Marshy Tall Grass habitat at Bleak Beach. Once Paldean Wooper appears, it is hungry and requires 3 Tomatoes (available from the small crop farm near the houses in Bleak Beach). After feeding it, Wooper teaches the ability.

No food upgrade available.

Rocky Ridges Moves (10-11)

Two moves are learned in Rocky Ridges, the volcanic mountain area.

10. Strength

Strength lets Ditto push large boulders and blocks around the environment. It is used for solving block puzzles, rearranging terrain for habitat design, and opening blocked pathways. Machoke teaches this move after the player reaches Rocky Ridges.

No food upgrade available.

11. Rollout

Rollout transforms Ditto into a Graveler-like rolling form that smashes through terrain at high speed. It destroys blocks faster than Rock Smash and is the preferred move for large-scale demolition and terraforming. Rollout is considered one of the most powerful moves for quickly clearing areas.

No food upgrade available.

Sparkling Skylands Moves (12-13)

Two moves are learned in Sparkling Skylands, the floating island area.

12. Glide

Glide is essential for navigating Sparkling Skylands, where the terrain consists of floating islands separated by vast gaps. Ditto transforms into a Dragonite form and can soar between islands. The Waterside Dinghy habitat requires specific materials, and after Dragonite appears, the player must deliver 5 Alarm Clocks to earn the ability.

No food upgrade available.

13. Waterfall

Waterfall is an upgrade to Surf that allows Ditto to travel upward along waterfalls. Gyarados is found in a hidden area below Sparkling Skylands, behind the waterfalls near the Pokemon Center's first island. It is drowsy and needs a Bread Bowl (a cooked food item) to remember the move. After eating, Gyarados teaches Waterfall.

No food upgrade available.

Post-Game Move

14. Magnet Rise

Magnet Rise is the final and most powerful transformation, available only after completing the main story and rolling the credits. After finishing the Team Initiation Challenge and watching the ending sequence, a hole opens in the lighthouse building in Withered Wasteland. Drop down through the opening to discover a hidden underground area: the former Team Rocket Hideout. Inside, a lone Magnemite waits at the bottom of the pit left behind by the tower. Talk to it to start its habitat request.

Befriending Magnemite

To befriend Magnemite, players must build the Factory Storage habitat (#038 in the Habitat Dex). The habitat requires four components: 1 Metal Drum, 1 Control Unit, 1 Jumbled Cords, and 1 Streetlight (any variant). The Metal Drum and Jumbled Cords can both be found inside the Team Rocket Hideout itself, right next to where Magnemite is standing. The Control Unit is located in Sparkling Skylands, on the northeast island near the abandoned offices. Any Streetlight will work, and these appear across multiple regions during normal exploration. The easily crafted Mushroom Lamp also counts as a valid Streetlight substitute.

Once the Factory Storage habitat is assembled and placed, Magnemite moves in and teaches Magnet Rise. Ditto transforms into a Magnemite form that can hover freely in all directions. Players can fly up and down without restrictions, place blocks at any height, and absorb blocks directly ahead. This effectively functions as a creative mode for building, removing the need to build scaffolding or use Glide to reach heights. Many players consider it the single most essential post-game unlock.

Magnet Rise transforms Ditto into a Magnemite form that can hover freely in all directions. Players can fly up and down without restrictions, place blocks at any height, and absorb blocks directly ahead. This effectively functions as a creative mode for building, removing the need to build scaffolding or use Glide to reach heights. Many players consider it the most essential post-game unlock.

No food upgrade available.

Food Upgrade Summary

Four moves can be powered up by eating specific cooked food. Eating any food fully restores PP. The move boost lasts until the PP bar is fully depleted.

Tips

• Always carry Hamburger Steak when exploring. The Rock Smash upgrade opens up mining, hidden paths, and areas blocked by hard materials.

• Unlock Rollout as early as possible in Rocky Ridges. It is the fastest way to clear large areas of blocks for terraforming.

• Bread Bowl is the most versatile food item: it upgrades Cut and provides fuel for Gyarados's Waterfall quest.

• Magnet Rise trivializes building. If you are planning large construction projects, consider finishing the main story first to unlock it.

• Suck Up Liquids is required for creating hot springs and custom waterfalls. Experiment with different liquid types (hot-spring water vs regular water) for different effects.

• Use Camouflage in multiplayer for Hide-and-Seek games with friends. Zorua hosts this mini-game after teaching the move.