In Pokémon Pokopia, every Pokémon you befriend has a specialty — a unique ability that helps you gather materials, process resources, construct buildings, or automate tasks on your island. Unlike mainline Pokémon games where type matchups dominate strategy, Pokopia is all about specialties. Choosing which Pokémon to befriend first can dramatically speed up your early game progression and save you hours of manual work. This guide provides a complete tier list of all specialties ranked by usefulness, with specific Pokémon recommendations for each one.
Quick Summary
- • Specialty > Type — Focus on what a Pokémon does, not its elemental type
- • S-tier — Build, Generate, Chop (essential from day one)
- • A-tier — Water, Grow, Burn (critical for mid-game)
- • First three to befriend — Machop, Pikachu/Pichu, Scyther
- • 31 total specialties in the game
Why Specialty Matters More Than Type in Pokopia
If you're coming from mainline Pokémon games, you might instinctively think about type matchups — Fire beats Grass, Water beats Fire, and so on. In Pokopia, type is almost irrelevant. There are no battles, so type advantages don't apply. What matters is each Pokémon's specialty: the specific task it performs to help you build and manage your habitats.
A Fire-type Pokémon like Charmander isn't useful because it's Fire-type — it's useful because it has the Burn specialty that powers your smelting furnace. Similarly, Pikachu isn't valuable for being Electric-type — it's valuable because its Generate specialty produces electricity for your machines and lighting. Every decision about who to befriend should be based on which specialty you need most, not which type you prefer.
For the complete list of all 31 specialties and every Pokémon that has them, see our Specialties Guide.
S Tier — Befriend These ASAP
These three specialties are the backbone of Pokopia gameplay. You will constantly need them from the very first island through the endgame. Prioritize befriending at least one Pokémon with each of these specialties as early as possible.
Build Specialty — Construction
The Build specialty is arguably the single most important specialty in Pokopia because construction is the core gameplay loop. Build Pokémon construct houses, walls, bridges, and large structures significantly faster than you can alone. Without them, every building project takes multiple times longer.
Best Pokémon: Machop (#66) is available early in the Withered Wastelands and should be your first Build recruit. As you progress, Machoke (#67) offers faster construction speed, and Machamp (#68) is the ultimate Build Pokémon with the highest efficiency. Having multiple Build Pokémon working simultaneously on different structures is the key to rapid island development.
Generate Specialty — Electricity
Generate Pokémon produce electricity to power machines, lighting, and crafting stations on your island. As you unlock more advanced crafting recipes and decorations, your electricity demand skyrockets. Without enough Generate Pokémon, your machines simply won't run.
Best Pokémon: Pichu (#172) is often your earliest Generate option. It evolves into Pikachu (#25), which produces more electricity and is easier to attract once you build the right habitat. Magnemite (#81) and Voltorb (#100) are excellent mid-game additions. Aim to have at least 2–3 Generate Pokémon by the time you reach Bleak Beach.
Chop Specialty — Wood
Chop is essential because wood is the most-used material in the entire game. Furniture, houses, fences, bridges, crafting stations — nearly everything requires wood in some form. Chop Pokémon turn trees into logs, small logs, and planks automatically, saving you enormous amounts of time.
Best Pokémon: Scyther (#123) is the best early Chop Pokémon thanks to its speed and availability in the Withered Wastelands. Its dual blades make it one of the fastest wood processors in the game. Farfetch'd (#83) is another solid option with decent Chop speed. Keep trees replanted so your Chop Pokémon always have something to harvest.
A Tier — High Priority
These specialties become critical as you move past the initial setup phase. You can survive the first few hours without them, but they quickly become essential for mid-game progression.
Water Specialty
Water Pokémon create water features like ponds and streams, and they water your plants and crops. Many habitats require water elements to complete, and your food crops need regular watering to grow. Without Water Pokémon, you'll be spending all your time manually watering everything.
Best Pokémon: Squirtle (#7) is your best early Water recruit — it's one of the first Pokémon you encounter in the story and teaches Ditto the Water Gun transformation. Wartortle (#8) is a direct upgrade with better range and efficiency.
Grow Specialty
Grow Pokémon plant and tend crops (wheat, tomatoes, beans) and accelerate plant growth. They're critical for food production — which you need to power up Ditto's moves — and for nature-themed habitats that require lush vegetation.
Best Pokémon: Bulbasaur (#1) is one of the first Pokémon you can befriend and teaches Ditto the Leafage transformation. Oddish (#43) is another reliable Grow option available in the early areas.
Burn Specialty — Smelting
Burn Pokémon power your smelting furnace, turning raw ore into metal ingots and sand into glass. Once you start needing advanced materials for better furniture and structures, Burn becomes non-negotiable. You cannot progress past mid-game without smelting capabilities.
Best Pokémon: Charmander (#4) is available early and gets the job done. Vulpix (#37) is equally effective and common in the early areas.
B Tier — Get When Needed
These specialties aren't urgent in the early game but become important for specific tasks and progression milestones. Befriend Pokémon with these specialties as opportunities arise naturally.
Fly Specialty — Dragonite, Pidgeot
Fly Pokémon unlock aerial exploration and can transport items across the island. Important for reaching the Sparkling Skylands and other elevated areas. Usually unlocked in the mid-game when you reach areas that require vertical movement.
Crush Specialty — Geodude, Graveler
Crush Pokémon break rocks into stone, ore, and minerals. Stone is needed for many habitat items and construction recipes. Geodude is available early, and Graveler is a solid upgrade that also teaches Ditto the powerful Rollout move.
Search Specialty — Growlithe, Snubbull
Search Pokémon help you find hidden items, buried treasures, and rare materials on your island. Useful for completionists and for finding crafting materials you can't get any other way.
Trade Specialty — Meowth, Persian
Trade Pokémon run your shop and enable trading with visitors and other players in multiplayer. They generate income passively, which becomes useful for purchasing rare items from the PC Shop.
C Tier — Niche but Fun
These specialties are primarily for aesthetics, social features, and island customization. They're not critical for progression but add personality to your habitat.
Litter Specialty
Litter Pokémon scatter decorative items around the island. While not essential, they can create charming, lived-in environments that boost overall habitat aesthetics and comfort levels.
Scoop Specialty
Scoop Pokémon dig holes and excavate terrain. Useful for specific landscaping projects and finding underground resources, but not a priority compared to the production specialties.
Hype & Fire Specialties
Hype Pokémon boost the mood and atmosphere of your island — great for events and multiplayer visits. Fire specialty Pokémon maintain campfires and torches for ambiance. Neither is essential for progression, but both contribute to a lively island.
DJ / Paint / Illuminate Specialties
Purely cosmetic specialties for personalizing your island. DJ Pokémon play music, Paint changes item colors, and Illuminate adds lighting effects. Fun for creative players and island showcases in multiplayer.
Early Game Priority Order
For the fastest progression through the first 10–15 hours of Pokopia, focus on befriending Pokémon in this exact order:
- Machop (Build)
Your very first priority. Build a habitat that attracts Machop as soon as possible. Having even one Build Pokémon cuts your construction time dramatically. Check the best habitats to build first guide for the exact requirements.
- Pichu or Pikachu (Generate)
Electricity powers your crafting stations, lighting, and later your smelting furnace. Without Generate Pokémon, these machines sit idle. Pichu is often available first, but work toward attracting Pikachu for better output.
- Scyther (Chop)
Wood is needed in massive quantities. Scyther in the Withered Wastelands is your best early Chop recruit. It processes wood faster than any other early-game Pokémon.
- Squirtle (Water) + Bulbasaur (Grow)
You'll befriend both of these through the story. Use them to start your farm for cooking — food powers up Ditto's moves.
- Charmander (Burn)
Once you have a steady supply of ore from Crush Pokémon, you need Burn to smelt it into usable ingots. Charmander handles this well.
Geodude (Crush)Stone and ore become important as you expand. Geodude is available early and provides a steady supply of raw materials for smelting and building.
Pro Tip: Stack Multiples
Don't stop at one Pokémon per specialty. Having 2–3 Build Pokémon or 2–3 Generate Pokémon working simultaneously dramatically increases your productivity. Build additional habitats to attract more Pokémon with the specialties you need most.
FAQ
What is the best specialty in Pokemon Pokopia?
Build is the most impactful single specialty because construction is the core loop. But Generate (electricity) and Chop (wood) are equally essential — you need all three S-tier specialties for efficient play.
Which Pokémon should I befriend first?
Machop (Build), then Pikachu or Pichu (Generate), then Scyther (Chop). These three cover your most critical early-game needs: construction speed, electricity for machines, and wood for materials.
Does Pokémon type matter in Pokopia?
Almost not at all. There are no battles, so type matchups are irrelevant. What matters is each Pokémon's specialty — the unique task it performs on your island. Focus on specialties when deciding who to befriend.
How many specialties are there in Pokopia?
There are 31 specialties total, from essential ones like Build, Generate, and Chop to niche ones like Hype, Litter, and DJ. Each Pokémon has exactly one specialty.
Can I change a Pokémon's specialty?
No. Each Pokémon has a fixed specialty that cannot be changed. If you need a different specialty, you need to befriend a different Pokémon that has it.
Find the habitats you need
Search our habitat database to find the exact requirements for attracting any Pokémon. Check the Specialties Guide for the complete list of all 31 specialties, or browse the Pokémon database filtered by specialty type.