Pokémon Pokopia Dream Islands: Drifloon Guide

Drifloon can offer access to Dream Islands surprisingly early in Pokémon Pokopia. These rotating destinations provide crafting materials, collectibles and rare Pokémon, with a new island available each day.

This guide explains how Pokémon dolls work, which resources appear on each island and where to search for legendary and mythical Pokémon.

How Dream Islands work

First, find a Pokémon doll. Dolls can appear at shining spots on the ground and in various overworld locations. Some dolls seem to become available only after visiting particular areas; for example, the Arcanine doll was not found until after Rocky Ridges had been visited.

The Starmie doll from the Bubbly Basin DLC has an additional requirement: complete Frillish’s request to unlock it.

Place a doll on your island and interact with it to summon Drifloon. The balloon Pokémon will then offer to carry you to the Dream Island associated with that doll. Each destination reflects a particular biome, making these trips useful when you need a resource such as sea glass from the Bleak Beach-themed island.

You may visit only one Dream Island each day, but you can return to that same destination as often as you like until the day changes. Drifblim can be recruited to your island, although it cannot perform Drifloon’s Dream Island role.

Dream Island dolls, locations and resources

Use the following dolls to select a particular destination and its main materials:

• Pikachu: Ocean Dream Island — twine, sea glass and shells.
• Eevee: Wasteland Dream Island — Leppa berries, vine and mushrooms.
• Dragonite: Sky Dream Island — wastepaper, Pokémetal and crystal fragments.
• Clefairy: Rock Peak Dream Island — cave mushroom, copper ore and limestone.
• Arcanine: Volcanic Dream Island — iron ore, gold ore and glowing stone.
• Starmie: Basin Dream Island — sea grapes, small coral and grubby pearls. This option is DLC-only.

The Ditto and Substitute dolls are wildcards. Rather than selecting a fixed destination, either one sends you to a random Dream Island.

Where to find legendary and mythical Pokémon

Specific Dream Islands can contain powerful Pokémon in concealed rooms or structures:

• Raikou appears on Ocean Dream Island, reached with the Pikachu doll, in a room surrounded by metal blocks.
• Entei appears on Volcanic Dream Island, reached with the Arcanine doll, in a room enclosed by lava rocks.
• Suicune appears on Wasteland Dream Island, reached with the Eevee doll, inside an ice room.
• Mewtwo appears on Sky Dream Island, reached with the Dragonite doll, in a building-like room.
• Phione appears on Basin Dream Island, reached with the Starmie doll, among underwater ruins.

Tips for locating them

Search the centre of the relevant island for caves. A cave that continues deep underground is promising. Look for brown, cracked rocks: these can be broken with Rock Smash and often conceal a further section.

The Pokédex can also confirm whether a target is present. Set registration to all and location to in this area. An available Pokémon appears as a question mark, or by name if the story has already revealed it.

Ditto and Substitute islands can also contain the Pokémon listed above when the random destination matches the correct island type. For a specific hunt, however, the matching doll is the more reliable choice.

Finding a legendary may take several visits because appearances are luck-based. Time travel can speed up the process. Raikou is likely to require completion of the Bleak Beach storyline, while Mewtwo is likely to require the important request in Sparkling Skylands.

Other loot to collect

Dream Islands disappear when the day changes, so arrive with plenty of inventory space. Alongside each island’s signature materials, you may find:

• Randomised structures containing items or furniture that can be dismantled and taken home.
• Red Poké Balls containing random items.
• Golden Poké Balls containing habitat hints.
• Golden Poké Balls containing rarer materials, including rare Pokémetal.
• Stardust, which can be crafted into star pieces for giving to Pokémon from multiplayer sessions.
• Human records that appear only randomly on Dream Islands.
• CDs, frequently located on CD shelves.
• Shining ground spots containing relics and fossils.

Keep only essentials such as food for restoring stamina and items needed to power up abilities. Everything else can make room for the island’s loot.

Plan your Pokopia island trips

Dream Islands work best as targeted supply runs: choose a doll based on the material or rare Pokémon you need, then search thoroughly before the daily reset. For more gaming coverage, browse the RETROCADE Arcade Blog, or explore the arcade videos section.

Players planning a dedicated gaming setup can also compare arcade machines, compact bartop arcades and the practical advice in the arcade machine buying guide.