Overview
Swimming Time is a request in Bleak Beach given by Piplup. Piplup wants to swim with you, but you need to learn the Surf ability first. This quest chains from the Brighten Things Up Important Request and unlocks Surf, one of the most important traversal moves in the game. Surf lets you cross bodies of water to reach previously inaccessible areas throughout all five regions.
Request Details
Detail | Info |
|---|---|
Quest Giver | Piplup |
Location | Bleak Beach |
Type | General Request |
Prerequisite | Start the Brighten Things Up Important Request |
Quote | "I bet Lapras could teach you how to swim!" |
Reward | Surf ability |
Walkthrough
Step 1: Talk to Piplup
Speak to Piplup in Bleak Beach. It will ask you to go swimming together. The problem is that you cannot swim yet, so Piplup suggests finding someone who can teach you.
Step 2: Consult Professor Tangrowth
Talk to Professor Tangrowth about learning to swim. He identifies Lapras as the Pokemon that can teach you and tells you to build a habitat to attract it. The Tropical Seaside habitat recipe will be added to your Habitat Dex if you do not already have it.
Step 3: Build the Tropical Seaside Habitat
Build the Tropical Seaside habitat (#060) near the ocean in Bleak Beach. The habitat requires:
Item | Quantity |
|---|---|
Large Palm Tree | 1 |
Hedge (any) | 4 |
Ocean Water | 2 |
Place the habitat by the beach for the easiest setup. The items must be within proximity of each other. A sparkle confirms the habitat is correctly built.
Step 4: Wait for Lapras
Lapras usually appears within three to five minutes of building the Tropical Seaside habitat. You can set up a Security Camera aimed at the habitat to get a notification when Lapras arrives.
Step 5: Clear the Mud
Talk to Lapras once it appears. Lapras is saddened by the muddy mess covering the beach and asks you to clean it up before it will teach you to swim. You need to clear 80 tiles of mud in Bleak Beach.
Use Water Gun to wash away the mud. Having a Pokemon with the Water specialty (such as Piplup itself) following you helps. Walk up to the slimy mud tiles and spray them with Water Gun to clean them.
Step 6: Learn Surf
After clearing 80 mud tiles, return to Lapras and speak to it. Lapras will teach you the Surf ability.
Step 7: Swim with Piplup
Return to Piplup and agree to swim together. Follow Piplup through the town canals. To swim, hop into the water and press B to transform into a Lapras form using Ditto Transformations. Surf alongside Piplup through the waterways until you reach the end.
Surf Mechanics
Activate: Press B while in water to transform into Lapras and swim freely.
Deactivate: Press B again while swimming to revert to normal Ditto form. Only do this in shallow water, as Ditto will sink in deep water.
Access: Surf works in all five regions and lets you reach islands, cross rivers, and explore coastal areas.
Rewards
Surf ability: Essential traversal move that lets you cross water throughout the entire game.
Lapras friendship: Lapras becomes a befriended Pokemon with the Water specialty.
New areas: Unlocks water-locked areas in Bleak Beach and other regions, including paths to new habitats and collectibles.
Tips
This request becomes available during the Brighten Things Up Important Request. You do not need to complete Brighten Things Up first, but you do need to start it.
If Lapras has not appeared after five minutes, try walking away from the habitat and coming back. Make sure the habitat is built correctly (look for the sparkle).
Clearing mud also contributes to the Brighten Things Up bloom counter, so this quest synergizes with the Important Request.
After learning Surf, check all regions for water areas you could not previously reach. Many contain Ancient Artifacts, Human Records, and new habitat locations.
The Make a Waterfall request becomes available after Swimming Time and teaches the Suck move, which lets you collect and place water.