How to Evolve Dipplin into Hydrapple in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: Indigo Disk

One of the newest Pokemon added in Scarlet and Violet’s The Indigo Disk DLC is Hydrapple. Here’s how to evolve Dipplin into Hydrapple in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: The Indigo Disk.

How to Evolve Dipplin into Hydrapple in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: The Indigo Disk

To evolve Dipplin into Hydrapple in The Indigo Disk, your Dipplin needs to learn the Dragon Cheer TM (TM226). Once it has, simply level it up once, either via battle or by using a Rare Candy or EXP Candy, to trigger its evolution into Hydrapple.

After Dipplin has evolved into Hydrapple, you’ll be asked if you want the Pokemon to learn the Fickle Beam move, which does the following according to the in-game description:

“The user shoots a beam of light to inflict damage. Sometimes all the user’s heads shoot beams in unison, doubling the move’s power.”

Fickle Beam is a move that’s exclusive to Hydrapple and has the following stats:

• Type: Dragon.
• Power: 80.
• Accuracy: 100.
• Category: Special.
• Base PP: 5.

Fickle Beam will usually do 80 base damage, but it has a 30% chance to rouse Hydrapple’s multiple heads and double the move’s damage to 160.

How to Get Dragon Cheer TM in Pokemon Indigo Disk

To get your hands on the Dragon Cheer TM in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Indigo Disk, you must defeat Dragon-type trainer Drayton, one of Blueberry Academy’s Elite Four. He is located at Polar Plaza in the Polar Biome section of the Blueberry Academy map.

You can see Drayton’s exact location in my map screenshot below:

Dragon Cheer has the following effect, as shown in the in-game description:

“The user raises its allies’ morale with a draconic cry so that their future attacks have a heightened chance of landing critical hits. This rouses Dragon type moves more.”

TM226 Dragon Cheer has the following stats:

• Type: Dragon.
• Category: Status.
• Base PP: 15.

Dragon Cheer is a support move that will increase an ally’s critical hit ratio by one stage. If the ally is a Dragon type Pokemon, then its critical hit ratio will increase by two stages instead.

How to Craft Dragon Cheer TM in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

Once you’ve obtained the Dragon Cheer TM for the first time from Drayton, it unlocks at the TM Machine in Paldea, meaning you’ll be able to craft one whenever you want.

You need the following resources to craft the TM226 Dragon Cheer TM at a TM Machine:

• 1,500 League Points (LP).
• x2 Tatsugiri Scales.
• x2 Lapras Teardrop.
• x1 Applin Juice.

You obtain the materials by catching or defeating wild Tatsugiri, Lapras, and Applin. You may even find them in the overworld if you’re lucky, disguised as sparkling spots on the ground. I found some Lapras Tears sparkling in the snow in the Polar Biome on the Blueberry Academy map.

How to Complete Drayton’s Elite Trial in Pokemon Indigo Disk

To fight Drayton, you must complete his Elite Trial, which tasks you to “Win the Terarium-Only Battles.” This consists of three fights against three different trainers, and you must defeat them all using Pokemon you’ve caught yourself around the Blueberry Academy Terarium.

Note that Pokemon you’ve traded for, caught in Tera Raids, or caught in other regions will not count towards Drayton’s trial. To complete Drayton’s Trial, you’ll need to use Pokemon you’ve manually caught yourself that were once wandering around the Blueberry Academy’s overworld.

From left to right, the three Elite Trial trainers in Drayton’s trial have the following Pokemon:

Craig

• Bastiodon: Rock/Steel.
• Rampardos: Rock.

Winter

• Alolan Sandslash: Ice/Steel.
• Dewgong: Water/Ice.

Ray

• Zebstrika: Electric.
• Magnezone: Electric/Steel.

Most of the challenger Pokemon used in Drayton’s trial are weak to Ground-type moves. We suggest using a Swampert and Eelektross duo to spam Earthquake and quickly wipe out all of the trial challenger Pokemon.

Admittedly, Swampert and Eelektross are not the easiest Pokemon to obtain for this trial, so if you need alternatives, just keep in mind that any pair of Pokemon that can use Earthquake and the Levitate ability will do just fine. The Polar Biome’s Chargestone Cavern is a good place to hunt around for a decent pair of trial Pokemon.

Once you’ve finished Drayton’s trial, he’ll approach you for an Elite battle, but we first recommend taking a moment to switch out your team. You don’t need to use your same trial Pokemon when you take on Drayton himself. And Drayton is one of the most challenging trainers of the BB Elite Four, so you’ll definitely want to prepare yourself.

How to Beat Drayton in Pokemon Indigo Disk

Because Drayton’s team consists of mostly Dragon-type Pokemon, I’d recommend bringing Ice, Fairy, and Dragon types along, as these are the Dragon-type’s main weaknesses. Luckily, now that the Elite Trial is out of the way, you’re allowed to use any Pokemon you want, not just ones you’ve caught yourself in the Terarium.

Drayton has the following team and Pokemon types:

• Flygon: Ground/Dragon type.
• Dragonite: Dragon/Flying type.
• Sceptile: Grass type.
• Kingdra: Water/Dragon type.
• Haxorus: Dragon type.
• Archaludon: Steel/Dragon type.

I used the following Pokemon with a combo of Ice/Fairy/Dragon moves to defeat Drayton and win the Dragon Cheer TM:

• Altaria: Level 91.
• Roaring Moon: Level 100.
• Iron Bundle: Level 100.
• Dachsbun: Level 100.
• Flutter Mane: Level 100.
• Iron Valiant: Level 100.

Now all that’s left is to teach your Dipplin the Dragon Cheer TM and level it up, and you’ll have Hydrapple!

Can Hydrapple be Shiny in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet?

If you want a Shiny Hydrapple, you’re in luck. Hydrapple can indeed be Shiny in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, and, like Dipplin’s Shiny form, it’s a golden caramel apple. It’s SO cute. I was lucky enough to catch a Shiny Applin in The Teal Mask DLC and evolved it into Hydrapple as soon as I could.

The best way to get a Shiny Hydrapple is to catch a Shiny Applin in an Applin Mass Outbreak. Shiny Applin is a green apple instead of a red one; they’re small, so it can be hard to tell, so make sure you zoom in as much as you can so you don’t miss it if one spawns in. I caught mine to the west of Levincia on the Paldea map.

What is Hydrapple in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet?

Hydrapple is a dual-type Grass/Dragon Pokemon with multiple heads known as “syrpents” and is number #1019 in the National Pokedex. It has the following Pokedex entry in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet:

“These capricious syrpents have banded together. On the rare occassion that their moods align, their true power is unleased.”

Hydrapple is known as the Apple Hydra Pokemon and can have three Abilities: Supersweet Syrup, Regenerator, or Sticky Hold, which is its Secret Ability. It is 5’11” (1.8m) in height and weighs 205 lbs (93kg). It has the following stats:

• HP: 106.
• Attack: 80.
• Defense: 110.
• Special Attack: 120.
• Special Defense: 80.
• Speed: 44.

Now that you know how to evolve Dipplin into Hydrapple, find out how to get Archaludon in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, another new Pokemon added to Generation 9 in The Indigo Disk DLC.