How to Upgrade Oatchi Skills in Pikmin 4

Fans eagerly awaiting Pikmin 4 will have a whole lot to look forward to. On top of its larger-than-life environments shown back when the game was revealed, players will be able to discover a new companion in the form of a friendly pup. Oatchi will help the player traverse obstacles, carry objects, and even fight foes. He might start out a bit weak, but it’s possible to upgrade the skills Oatchi uses in Pikmin 4.

When Can Players Upgrade Oatchi Skills in Pikmin 4?

While Oatchi has a few useful abilities to start out with, players can only access their weakest iterations. As such, the faithful companion will be weak to fire-breathing foes and unable to do much damage on his own. The chance to upgrade him will only come at around the same time he becomes rideable. In other words, Oatchi’s skills can start to be upgraded around the time players reach Day 3.

Upgrading Oatchi will require Pup Drive, which can be obtained after finding and rescuing crewmates. Many of his abilities will require some number of Pup Drive points, increasing his strength and giving him greater attack power. You can only upgrade Oatchi by talking to Shepherd, so if you go off to start your day, you’ll need to wait before you can upgrade him again.

Related: How to Play All Pikmin Games in Order

To start, Oatchi will have skills that increase his health and damage, as well as skills that let him spend less time charging Rush. Other skills like Dig will automatically be available as part of game progression. The more you continue your journey, the more crewmates you’ll rescue — and the more Pup Drive you’ll earn. Be efficient in how you mange your days and you’ll have Oatchi as strong as he can possibly be by the time you reach the end!