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11 Overview
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33 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.
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55 Request Details
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77 DetailInfoQuest GiverPiplupLocationBleak BeachTypeGeneral RequestPrerequisiteStart the Brighten Things Up Important RequestQuote"I bet Lapras could teach you how to swim!"RewardSurf ability
88 Walkthrough
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1010 Step 1: Talk to Piplup
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1212 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.
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1414 Step 2: Consult Professor Tangrowth
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1616 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.
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1818 Step 3: Build the Tropical Seaside Habitat
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2020 Build the Tropical Seaside habitat (#060) near the ocean in Bleak Beach. The habitat requires:
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2222 ItemQuantityLarge Palm Tree1Hedge (any)4Ocean Water2
2323 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.
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2525 Step 4: Wait for Lapras
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2727 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.
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3030 Step 5: Clear the Mud
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3232 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.
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3434 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.
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3636 Step 6: Learn Surf
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3838 After clearing 80 mud tiles, return to Lapras and speak to it. Lapras will teach you the Surf ability.
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4040 Step 7: Swim with Piplup
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4242 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.
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4444 Surf Mechanics
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4646 ActionDescriptionActivatePress B while in water to transform into Lapras and swim freely.DeactivatePress B again while swimming to revert to normal Ditto form. Only do this in shallow water, as Ditto will sink in deep water.AccessSurf works in all five regions and lets you reach islands, cross rivers, and explore coastal areas.
47-From August 2026, the free Version 2.0 update extends swimming below the surface with the new move Dive, which allows underwater exploration and building.
47+Since August 5, 2026, the free Version 2.0.0 update extends swimming below the surface with the new move Dive, which allows underwater exploration and building.
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4949 Rewards
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5151 RewardDescriptionSurf abilityEssential traversal move that lets you cross water throughout the entire game.Lapras friendshipLapras becomes a befriended Pokemon with the Water specialty.New areasUnlocks water-locked areas in Bleak Beach and other regions, including paths to new habitats and collectibles.
5252 Tips
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5454 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.