Pokémon Pokopia is quite different from the mainline games in the series, although it does share some similarities with other titles. For example, in this adventure, players have a Trainer Rank that can be increased to open access gates leading to other areas and biomes. If you have only recently started playing and have come across these gates, you may not be sure how to raise your rank. In this entry in our guide, we explain everything you need to know about this mechanic.
When you first start playing Pokémon Pokopia, Ditto does not have a Trainer Rank. However, as you progress through the story and complete certain Important Requests, you can increase your rank a total of three times. Raising your rank is therefore part of the natural progression of the main story.
These are all the available ranks and the exact requirements you must meet to unlock them:
As you can see, each rank determines which areas you can access. Before reaching Great Ball Rank, you can only explore the Withered Wasteland. Once you obtain Great Ball Rank, however, you are free to explore Bleak Beach and Rocky Ridges. There is no fixed order in which you must visit these two areas. The Sparkling Skylands will remain inaccessible from every area, however, until you complete the two Important Requests mentioned above in Bleak Beach and Rocky Ridges.
Finally, reaching Master Ball Rank will not unlock any remaining gates, as all the gates in the Sparkling Skylands simply lead back to areas you have already visited.
To clear up any remaining doubts, below you will find images of the main map for each area in Pokémon Pokopia, showing where every access gate leads:
The last area worth mentioning is the special Palette Town biome. This area is "optional", as it does not feature any main story requests. You can therefore visit Palette Town at any point in the adventure, although the game itself recommends waiting until you have made significant progress.
The only entrance to Palette Town is on the beach west of the Withered Wasteland. You do not need to open an access gate or reach a particular rank to travel there. You simply need to find a way to reach the road leading into the area:
If you are still very early in the game, you can simply place terrain blocks on the ground to create a makeshift bridge across to Palette Town, like the one shown in the screenshot above.
Once you reach the prairie, you are free to customize the biome however you like. It is specifically designed to provide a large open space where you can experiment to your heart's content.
