Can you tell which Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet can swim?

In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, there are some Pokémon that can swim and some that can’t. But the Pokémon that unexpectedly can swim are the ones drawing the attention of players.

Many rivers flow through the large open world featured in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, and the whole area is surrounded by a vast ocean. As you progress through your adventure, it becomes possible for your rideable Pokémon to travel along the surface of the water, and you can even send out your other Pokémon while doing so. For example, if you bring out a fish-like Pokémon, you will be able to see it swimming comfortably in the water.

The Pokémon that are able to swim in the water are not limited to water types, as shown by Twitter user @TAHK0, who made a post saying, “I made an important pokemon discovery,” which features a video of a Pikachu skillfully swimming in the water.

The other Pokémon in Pikachu’s evolutionary line, Pichu and Raichu, are also able to swim. Many other Pokémon can swim too, including Eevee, Dratini, Tynamo, Eiscue. We were also able to confirm that new Pokémon Pawmi can swim, and you will likely be able to find a multitude of other swimming Pokémon.

What’s interesting is that there doesn’t appear to be any clear factor that determines whether or not a Pokémon can swim. We know that Pokémon like Dratini and Tynamo’s final evolution, Eelektross, can swim in the water based on their Pokédex entries from throughout the series. On the other hand, there are Pokémon that can swim even if it isn’t stated in their Pokédex entries, like Pikachu and Eevee. This means that the Pokédex alone is not enough to figure out whether a Pokémon can swim.

In some of the past games, players could obtain a Surfing Pikachu, and starting with Pokémon Sword and Shield, it became possible to teach any Pikachu the move Surf via a TM. Perhaps the developers looked into whether a Pokémon is capable of learning moves that require it to be on the water when deciding which Pokémon can swim.

Eevee is a Pokémon that is unique in the way it can evolve into many different forms based on how it adapts to its environment. With the exception of Flareon, all of Eevee’s evolutions can swim, and one might consider this to be the result of its impressive adaptability. Incidentally, an Eevee can also be seen swimming alongside a Vaporeon in the Pokémon anime series. Even if there is no mention of it in the Pokédex entries, Eevee is considered a Pokémon that can swim based on the official setting.

At any rate, it appears that whether or not a Pokémon can swim is based on a variety of factors, including past works across the entire Pokémon series. It might be a fun exercise to take your favorite Pokémon to a body of water and find out whether they, too, can enjoy a leisurely dip.

Written by. Marco Farinaccia based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2022-12-07 17:29 JST)