Pokémon Pokopia Specialties
A specialty is the job a Pokémon does around your town, and it is the thing habitat lists never tell you. There are 32 specialties; this page explains what each one actually does and lists every Pokémon that has it, so you can work backwards from the job you need to the habitat you should build.
12 of the 32 specialties belong to exactly one Pokémon, so those jobs are gated on finding that single Pokémon. Among the rest, the scarcest are Collect (2), Explode (2), Storage (2), Scrub (5), while Trade (54) and Water (47) are held so widely they are never the constraint.
Construction
Build
Takes the lead on construction projects. A Build Pokemon heads up any building job you start. Keeping one nearby is the baseline requirement for putting up new structures.
30 Pokémon with Build: Azumarill, Blaziken, Combusken, Conkeldurr, Corphish, Crawdaunt, Cubone, Farfetch, Floatzel, Gallade, Gurdurr, Hariyama, Heracross, Lucario, Machamp, Machoke, Machop, Makuhita, Marowak, Marshtomp, Mawile, Mr. Mime, Pinsir, Poliwrath, Riolu, Swampert, Timburr, Tinkatink, Tinkatuff, Toxapex
Bulldoze
Leads demolition, rebuilds and relocations. Bulldoze covers everything Build does not: tearing a structure down, rebuilding it differently, or moving it somewhere else. If you plan to redesign your town rather than only expand it, you need one of these.
20 Pokémon with Bulldoze: Bonsly, Clodsire, Drednaw, Flygon, Hariyama, Larvitar, Makuhita, Munchlax, Onix, Pupitar, Snorlax, Steelix, Stunfisk, Swampert, Trapinch, Tyranitar, Vibrava, Whiscash, Wiglett, Wugtrio
Engineer
Leads large-scale building projects and speeds them up. Tinkmaster is the only Engineer. Beyond unlocking the biggest projects, having it take part shortens build times, so it is worth fetching even for jobs a Build Pokemon could technically handle.
1 Pokémon with Engineer: Tinkaton (Tinkmaster)
Material processing
Burn
Sets fire to flammable objects, and bakes Squishy Clay into Brick. The clay conversion is the part worth planning around. Brick is a construction staple, and a Burn Pokemon is the only way to produce it from clay.
36 Pokémon with Burn: Arcanine, Armarouge, Blaziken, Carkol, Ceruledge, Chandelure, Charcadet, Charizard, Charmander, Charmeleon, Cinderace, Coalossal, Combusken, Cyndaquil, Flareon, Frillish (Female), Frillish (Male), Growlithe, Jellicent (Female), Jellicent (Male), Lampent, Larvesta, Litwick, Magby, Magmar, Magmortar, Ninetales, Quilava, Raboot, Rolycoly, Scorbunny, Torchic, Torkoal, Typhlosion, Volcarona, Vulpix
Chop
Turns Small Logs into Lumber. Chop also splits a Watermelon into three Watermelon Slices. Lumber is one of the most demanded building materials in the game, which makes Chop one of the specialties you want early.
31 Pokémon with Chop: Absol, Axew, Buizel, Carvanha, Charjabug, Chewtle, Corviknight, Corvisquire, Crobat, Croconaw, Dartrix, Decidueye, Drednaw, Excadrill, Farfetch, Feraligatr, Fraxure, Golisopod, Greninja, Grubbin, Haxorus, Heracross, Pidgeot, Pinsir, Rookidee, Scizor, Scyther, Totodile, Victreebel, Vikavolt, Zoroark
Crush
Mashes raw materials into other materials. Crush sits in the same processing family as Chop and Burn, converting inputs you gather into refined outputs used by recipes and construction.
26 Pokémon with Crush: Amaura, Aurorus, Bastiodon, Conkeldurr, Cranidos, Crawdaunt, Croconaw, Dugtrio, Electivire, Feraligatr, Geodude, Golem, Graveler, Larvitar, Magmortar, Metagross, Onix, Pawmo, Pupitar, Rampardos, Sharpedo, Shieldon, Steelix, Tyranitar, Tyrantrum, Tyrunt
Recycle
Turns nonburnable garbage into Iron Ore, and wastepaper into Paper. Recycle converts trash you would otherwise discard into two materials that recipes actually ask for. Only 15 Pokemon have it.
15 Pokémon with Recycle: Beldum, Cinccino, Garbodor, Golisopod, Koffing, Magnezone, Mareanie, Metagross, Metang, Porygon, Porygon2, Toxapex, Trubbish, Weezing, Wimpod
Farming
Grow
Speeds up plant growth. Grow shortens the wait on crops and trees. Paired with Water it is the core of an efficient farm.
30 Pokémon with Grow: Bellossom, Bellsprout, Bulbasaur, Cacnea, Cacturne, Corsola, Dartrix, Decidueye, Dhelmise, Exeggcute, Exeggutor, Floragato, Gloom, Hoppip, Ivysaur, Jumpluff, Leafeon, Meowscarada, Oddish, Serperior, Servine, Skiploom, Snivy, Sprigatito, Tangela, Tangrowth, Venusaur, Victreebel, Vileplume, Weepinbell
Water
Sprays fields and plants from a full water basin. Water needs a filled basin nearby to work. It is the other half of a farm setup alongside Grow, and it is one of the most widely held specialties in the game.
47 Pokémon with Water: Alomomola, Azumarill, Azurill, Blastoise, Cramorant, Dragonair, Dragonite, Dratini, East Sea Gastrodon, East Sea Shellos, Empoleon, Froakie, Frogadier, Goodra, Goomy, Greninja, Gyarados, Horsea, Kingdra, Lanturn, Lapras, Lombre, Lotad, Ludicolo, Lumineon, Marill, Marshtomp, Mudkip, Pelipper, Piplup, Politoed, Poliwag, Poliwhirl, Poliwrath, Popplio, Prinplup, Seadra, Sliggoo, Slowbro, Slowking, Slowpoke, Squirtle, Vaporeon, Wartortle, West Sea Gastrodon, West Sea Shellos, Wingull
Items & economy
Collect
Swaps rare goods for specific items you bring. Collect Pokemon act as a barter counter for rarities rather than a shop. Only Gimmighoul and Gholdengo have it.
2 Pokémon with Collect: Gholdengo, Gimmighoul
Gather
Picks up loose items and files them into a community box. Gather is passive cleanup. It matters most in areas where Litter Pokemon are dropping materials faster than you can collect them by hand.
29 Pokémon with Gather: Bruxish, Carkol, Cinccino, Coalossal, Dragapult, Drakloak, Dreepy, Drifblim, Dusclops, Dusknoir, Duskull, Espeon, Farigiraf, Gastly, Gengar, Girafarig, Haunter, Inkay, Machamp, Machoke, Machop, Malamar, Mime Jr., Minccino, Mismagius, Mr. Mime, Rolycoly, Starmie, Veluza
Gather Honey
Trades special furniture for Honey. Vespiquen is the only holder, and the furniture it offers is not obtainable any other way.
1 Pokémon with Gather Honey: Vespiquen
Litter
Drops useful materials around its home. Litter is passive material income. Because the drops appear near the habitat, where you place a Litter Pokemon decides where your free materials pile up.
40 Pokémon with Litter: Altaria, Ariados, Aurorus, Bastiodon, Bellsprout, Blissey, Cacturne, Clodsire, Cloyster, Combee, Dhelmise, Flaaffy, Garbodor, Glimmet, Glimmora, Grimer, Haxorus, Jirachi, Jumpluff, Kingdra, Larvesta, Mareep, Muk, Paldean Wooper, Rampardos, Seadra, Serperior, Servine, Shellder, Snivy, Spinarak, Swablu, Tangela, Tangrowth, Trapinch, Tyrantrum, Venusaur, Vileplume, Volcarona, Weepinbell
Rarify
Converts Star Pieces into rare Pokemetal. Porygon-Z is the only holder, which makes it the single bottleneck for rare Pokemetal.
1 Pokémon with Rarify: Porygon-Z
Trade
Runs a cash register and exchanges items with you. Trade is the most common specialty in the game, held by more than fifty Pokemon, so shop access is never the constraint.
54 Pokémon with Trade: Alakazam, Ampharos, Armarouge, Audino, Blastoise, Blissey, Brionne, Buizel, Ceruledge, Chansey, Clefable, Curly Form Tatsugiri, Dachsbun, Dragapult, Droopy Form Tatsugiri, Dusknoir, East Sea Gastrodon, Eevee, Empoleon, Floatzel, Gardevoir, Gastly, Gengar, Glaceon, Golem, Goodra, Happiny, Haunter, Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee, Hitmontop, Honchkrow, Hoothoot, Manaphy, Mawile, Meowth, Mimikyu, Misdreavus, Mismagius, Murkrow, Noctowl, Persian, Phione, Prinplup, Slowbro, Snorlax, Stretchy Form Tatsugiri, Sudowoodo, Typhlosion, Tyrogue, West Sea Gastrodon, Wigglytuff, Zoroark, Zorua
Utility
Explode
Can be launched from a cannon, clearing everything at the landing point. Voltorb and Electrode only. This is area clearing by brute force, useful when terrain is in the way of a layout you want.
Generate
Supplies electricity to machines. Any machine you build needs a Generate Pokemon to run. Around thirty Pokemon have it, so it is easy to source, but forgetting it leaves finished machines idle.
30 Pokémon with Generate: Amped Form Toxtricity, Ampharos, Charjabug, Chinchou, Electabuzz, Electivire, Electrode, Elekid, Flaaffy, Jolteon, Kilowattrel, Lanturn, Low Key Form Toxtricity, Magnemite, Magneton, Magnezone, Mareep, Minun, Pawmi, Pawmo, Pichu, Pikachu, Pincurchin, Plusle, Raichu, Stunfisk, Toxel, Vikavolt, Voltorb, Wattrel
Search
Locates buried items. Search points you at things underground that give no surface clue. Without one, buried items are found by luck.
37 Pokémon with Search: Arbok, Arcanine, Barboach, Crobat, Dachsbun, Dedenne, Drakloak, Dreepy, Drilbur, Ekans, Excadrill, Farigiraf, Fidough, Frillish (Female), Frillish (Male), Golbat, Golduck, Growlithe, Jellicent (Female), Jellicent (Male), Noibat, Noivern, Paras, Parasect, Persian, Pidgeotto, Pidgey, Psyduck, Sableye, Skwovet, Umbreon, Venomoth, Venonat, Vespiquen, Whiscash, Wugtrio, Zubat
Storage
Holds items for you. Gulpin and Swalot only. Effectively portable inventory space when you are away from your storage.
Yawn
Tells you the current humidity. Slowpoke only. Humidity feeds into weather-dependent activity, so this is a readout rather than a service.
1 Pokémon with Yawn: Slowpoke
Getting around
Dream Island
Carries you to a Dream Island. Drifloon is the only holder. Dream Islands are a separate source of patterns and materials, so this one Pokemon gates a whole content area.
1 Pokémon with Dream Island: Drifloon
Fly
Flies you straight to a Pokemon you are looking for. Fly is the widest travel specialty, with more than twenty holders. It solves the same problem as Teleport, so there is rarely a reason to keep both on hand.
21 Pokémon with Fly: Aerodactyl, Altaria, Charizard, Chatot, Corviknight, Cramorant, Dragonite, Drifblim, Flygon, Honchkrow, Hoothoot, Kilowattrel, Murkrow, Noctowl, Noivern, Pelipper, Pidgeot, Pidgeotto, Pidgey, Vibrava, Wingull
Teleport
Instantly takes you to a Pokemon you are searching for. Teleport is the instant version of Fly. Both answer "where is that Pokemon", so pick one rather than keeping both around.
16 Pokémon with Teleport: Abra, Alakazam, Bruxish, Exeggcute, Exeggutor, Gallade, Gardevoir, Inkay, Kadabra, Kirlia, Malamar, Ralts, Slowking, Starmie, Staryu, Veluza
Support & boosts
Hype
Dances to music, lifting the mood, and speeds up nearby producers. The production bonus is the reason to care. Park a Hype Pokemon next to Pokemon that generate items and the output rate goes up, which makes Hype a multiplier on whatever else you have running.
32 Pokémon with Hype: Amped Form Toxtricity, Azurill, Bellossom, Brionne, Chatot, Cinderace, Clefable, Clefairy, Cleffa, Diglett, Dugtrio, Finneon, Igglybuff, Illumise, Jigglypuff, Kricketot, Kricketune, Low Key Form Toxtricity, Ludicolo, Lumineon, Luvdisc, Manaphy, Marill, Meowscarada, Politoed, Popplio, Primarina, Raichu, Skwovet, Sylveon, Volbeat, Wigglytuff
Scrub
Cleans Grubby Pearls into Shiny Pearls at a 1:1 rate. A Scrub Pokemon following you will also tidy up other Pokemon, nudging their happiness and your environment level upward, and it cleans mirrors it passes. Only five Pokemon have Scrub, which makes it one of the scarcest useful specialties in the game.
5 Pokémon with Scrub: Alomomola, Cloyster, Primarina, Sharpedo, Shellder
One-of-a-kind
Appraise
Identifies Lost Relics you dig up. Bring a Lost Relic to Professor Tangrowth and it will tell you what the relic actually is. Unappraised relics stay unusable, so this is the only way to cash in on digging.
1 Pokémon with Appraise: Tangrowth (Professor Tangrowth)
DJ
Plays your music CDs. DJ Rotom is the only Pokemon with this specialty. Collecting CDs is pointless without it, since it is the sole way to play them.
1 Pokémon with DJ: Rotom (DJ Rotom)
Eat
Accepts food offerings, with a reward attached. Mosslax is the only Pokemon with Eat. Feeding it can pay off, which makes leftover cooking worth keeping rather than selling.
1 Pokémon with Eat: Snorlax (Mosslax)
Illuminate
Lights up the entire town. Peakychu is the only holder. This is town-wide lighting, not a portable lamp.
1 Pokémon with Illuminate: Pikachu (Peakychu)
Paint
Recolors furniture and other paintable items. Smearguru is the only painter in the game. Every recolor in your town goes through it.
1 Pokémon with Paint: Smeargle (Smearguru)
Party
Helps with party cooking, and can double what you cook. Chef Dente is the only holder. Cooking near it gives a chance at double yield, so batch your cooking next to it rather than wherever is convenient.
1 Pokémon with Party: Greedent (Chef Dente)
Transform
Lets Ditto improve its moves. Ditto only, and it is how Ditto learns from other Pokemon rather than a service it performs for you.
No habitat-obtainable Pokémon has this specialty — it belongs to a Pokémon you get through the story.