Special Bubble alternative
Popplio
Should you invest? Against Piplup it trades two HP for slightly more special scaling at identical speed. Radial projectiles and slow provide control, not guaranteed single-target DPS.
How to get Popplio: it is one of the 29 official starter choices. Decline the personality-test suggestion to choose another. Do not spend tickets chasing a species available from this selection. It also has 2-star rarity in the Alola banner; no unconditional species pull percentage is implied.
Opening move: Bubble is special: 9 raw damage, 9 base runtime damage and 1 s cooldown. Evolution requires level 5 plus a Sprint stat card taken during this run, followed by the evolution offer. Permanent purchases are not that run card.
Build direction: base stats favor special investment. Consider Nasty Plot and verified natural attacks such as Water Gun, Hydro Pump, Hyper Voice as later choices, not a guaranteed card order. The natural pool is Normal plus its own types; taught TMs add species-specific exceptions. A Bond can combine attacks after you decide which should fire together.
Compare before spending coins: Piplup has HP 94, speed 95, physical ×0.98 and special ×1.04, versus Popplio: 92, 95, ×1.00 and ×1.06. This comparison excludes nature, abilities, permanent upgrades and items; no farming time or clear percentage was measured.
Survival limits: water determines weaknesses and natural attacks. Consult this game's softened type chart, not main-series multipliers. The 20% own-type bonus requires an attack matching its single type. Leftovers heals while Quick Claw reduces cooldown. Only one held item fits, and neither replaces dodging.
| Dex / region | 728 / Alola |
|---|---|
| Types / rarity | water / 2 stars |
| HP / speed | 92 / 95 |
| Physical / special | ×1.00 / ×1.06 |
| Defense / special defense | 54 / 56 |
| Start / evolution | Bubble; level 5 + Sprint → Bubble + |
| Source version | 680c3e1; reviewed 2026-10-27 |
Questions
Is Popplio a starter?
Yes. It appears in the official 29-entry selection; decline the personality suggestion to choose another.
What powers Bubble?
Special attack. The physical and special multipliers are separate, and the base fields do not already include a nature or own-type bonus.
Is this a tested best build?
No. It is a source-based starter decision with natural-pool directions. No clears, farming times or win rates were measured.
Sources
- Official starter selection (680c3e1; checked 2026-10-27)
- Official species stats (680c3e1; checked 2026-10-27)
- Official move and evolution data (680c3e1; checked 2026-10-27)
- Official English names (680c3e1; checked 2026-10-27)
- Official held items (680c3e1; checked 2026-10-27)
Last checked 2026-10-27. Numbers above are omitted when a source did not state them.