How to Evolve Dipplin

Leveling Up with Dragon Cheer

Dipplin evolves into Hydrapple strictly by leveling up while knowing the move Dragon Cheer. You can trigger this level-up through standard battles, Rare Candies, or EXP Candies. If Dipplin forgets Dragon Cheer before gaining the level, the evolution sequence will not activate.

Dragon Cheer is not learned naturally via level-up. You must teach it using TM226. Players receive this Technical Machine automatically after defeating Drayton, the Dragon-type specialist of the Blueberry Academy Elite Four.

Once Drayton is defeated, you unlock the ability to craft additional copies of TM226 at any TM Machine. Crafting requires 1,500 LP, 2 Tatsugiri Scales, 2 Lapras Teardrops, and 1 Applin Juice.

Sourcing the Syrupy Apple

Before accessing Hydrapple, you need the first stage, Dipplin. Applin evolves into Dipplin when exposed to a Syrupy Apple. This specific evolutionary item is exclusive to the Kitakami region introduced in The Teal Mask DLC.

Purchase the Syrupy Apple for 500 Pokédollars at an unmanned stall located in the southeast corner of Mossfell Confluence. The stall operates on an honor system and holds an infinite supply.

You can buy an unlimited amount of these apples, allowing you to build multiple Dipplin variants for different competitive EV spreads and natures.

Hydrapple's Role: Bulky Special Wallbreaker

Hydrapple holds a 7.5/10 rating in the current competitive meta. It functions primarily as a bulky special wallbreaker, leveraging its base 120 Special Attack, 106 HP, and 110 Defense. The Regenerator ability dictates its playstyle, restoring 33% of its maximum HP every time it switches out.

Its signature move, Fickle Beam, operates at a base power of 80 but carries a 30% chance to double in power to 160. This unpredictable burst damage forces opponents into defensive calculations, pressuring even dedicated special walls like Blissey or Ting-Lu.

Hydrapple is hindered by its base 44 Speed. It relies entirely on its bulk to survive hits before retaliating, making it vulnerable to fast, hyper-offensive teams unless paired with speed control mechanics like Trick Room or Tailwind.

Who Should Use Hydrapple?

Hydrapple synergizes effectively with bulky offense and Trick Room teams. Players requiring a slow pivot that absorbs physical hits and maintains momentum via Regenerator will maximize its utility.

• Pros: Excellent physical bulk, Regenerator grants reliable passive recovery, Fickle Beam provides sudden nuke potential, Earth Power offers crucial coverage against Steel-types.
• Cons: Debilitating 4x weakness to Ice-type attacks, extremely slow, vulnerable to common Fairy, Flying, and Bug-type moves.

Avoid slotting Hydrapple into fast-paced hyper-offense builds. It drains momentum if forced to stay in and trade blows against faster special attackers carrying super-effective coverage.

Building the Ideal Moveset

A standard competitive moveset maximizes Hydrapple's survivability and damage output. Equip it with an Assault Vest to patch its base 80 Special Defense, or Leftovers for passive recovery. Invest EVs heavily into HP (252) and Special Attack (252) with a Modest nature.

• Fickle Beam: Primary STAB with high burst potential.
• Giga Drain / Leaf Storm: Secondary STAB for recovery or immediate damage.
• Earth Power: Mandatory coverage to hit Steel and Fire-types super effectively.
• Dragon Cheer / Nasty Plot: Utility for double battles or setup for singles (if not running Assault Vest).

Tera Steel or Tera Fairy are the optimal defensive choices. Tera Steel flips its weaknesses to Ice, Dragon, and Fairy into resistances, while Tera Fairy provides an outright immunity to opposing Dragon-type attacks.