Pokémon Pokopia Guide: How to Unlock Dive Ability

The v2.0.0 update for Pokémon Pokopia is the biggest content drop the game has seen, and the Dive ability sits at the center of it. Every player gets access to it, whether or not you have the Expansion Pass, and it opens up underwater building, resource gathering, and exploration in Bleak Beach. Getting there takes a bit of groundwork, though, so here's exactly what you need to do.

What are the prerequisites for unlocking Dive?

Dive is not something you stumble into early. By the time you can unlock it, you'll have already put a solid chunk of hours into the game. The full list of requirements before you can even start the Dive questline:

• Complete Withered Wasteland
• Learn the Jump ability from Magikarp
• Unlock Bleak Beach
• Learn the Surf ability from Lapras
• Complete the 'Raise the Environment Level' request in Bleak Beach

All five of these must be done before the Dive chain becomes available. If you're still working through Withered Wasteland or haven't tracked down Lapras yet, Dive is going to stay locked for now.

tip

The 'Raise the Environment Level' request in Bleak Beach is the gate most players hit last. Focus on building up that area's environment score before expecting Professor Tangrowth to send you anywhere new.

Talk to Tangrowth first

How to unlock Dive

Once all five prerequisites are cleared, head to Bleak Beach and speak to Professor Tangrowth. He'll point you toward a new island in the area. Travel there and talk to Manaphy.

Manaphy gives you a request: collect five pieces of Seaweed. The dialogue is a nice touch here. Manaphy acknowledges that you managed to gather them without being able to Dive, which is a small but satisfying acknowledgment of the effort involved. After you hand over the Seaweed, Manaphy teaches you the Dive ability.

That's the full sequence:

1. Meet all five prerequisites
2. Speak to Professor Tangrowth in Bleak Beach
3. Travel to the new island he directs you toward
4. Talk to Manaphy
5. Collect 5 Seaweed and return them to Manaphy
6. Receive the Dive ability

Collect 5 Seaweed for Manaphy

What does Dive actually do?

Dive lets you go beneath the water's surface to explore, collect resources, and build. In Bleak Beach specifically, you can use new crafting items to construct underwater areas, including Pokémon habitats that sit below the waves.

The ability gets significantly more mileage if you have the Expansion Pass. Wave 1, which released August 5, 2026, introduces Bubbly Basin, a brand-new underwater environment with new Pokémon and content built entirely around the Dive mechanic. For base-game players, Dive still adds meaningful depth (literally) to Bleak Beach, just without the dedicated new zone.

tip

If you own the Expansion Pass, completing the Manaphy quest triggers a follow-up task that leads directly into Bubbly Basin. Base-game players still benefit from Dive in Bleak Beach, but the DLC chain won't activate.

Build underwater habitats in Bleak Beach

What comes next after unlocking Dive?

With Dive in hand, Bleak Beach has a lot more to offer. Underwater building opens up new habitat options, and if you're working through the game's Pokémon collection, some species and resources are only accessible beneath the surface.

For players who want to get the most out of every ability and Pokémon in the game, our full Pokémon Pokopia strategy guides cover everything from habitat building to ability unlocks. There's also a dedicated breakdown of every Ditto transformation and how to unlock them, which pairs well with this update given the expanded roster of Pokémon now available.

If you're still working on earlier island content, the guide on how to unlock the Suck move and move water is worth reading before you start reshaping Bleak Beach's water layout. And if you want a broader look at what makes Pokopia worth your time, check out our full review for the complete picture.