TL;DR
- The Team Initiation Challenge is an Important Request that begins shortly after you find the trapped Onix.
- There are 8 challenges to complete, each requiring specific items or furniture.
- It’s recommended to leave this quest until late in the game — most items are easier to gather then.
- Challenge 7 requires reaching Environment Level 5 in Bleak Beach, Rocky Ridges, and Sparkling Skylands.
- Completing all challenges earns you 8 badges and officially makes Ditto a team member.
The “Do the… Team Initiation Challenge” Important Request begins early in Pokémon Pokopia, but Ditto and Professor Tangrowth’s investigation into the mysterious tower in the Withered Wastelands turns out to be a much bigger undertaking than expected. Whoever built that tower has a long shopping list from across every location in Pokopia.
This complete Pokémon Pokopia Team Initiation Challenge walkthrough will guide you through every challenge, every item requirement, and every badge reward.
How the Team Initiation Challenge Starts
The Team Initiation Challenge Important Request unlocks shortly after you’ve found the trapped Onix in Pokopia. You’ll know it’s ready when Professor Tangrowth leaves his post outside the Pokémon Centre and moves to the area where you completed the tutorial.
Talk to Professor Tangrowth and he’ll ask you to break down the wall of rubble in the cave in front of him. Do so and you’ll find yourself on a beach with a mysterious tower standing on a platform. Interact with the tower to begin the Team Initiation Challenge.
Tip: It’s strongly recommended to leave this quest as one of the last things you complete in Pokopia. Every item and material you need will be far easier to gather once you’ve spent more time building up each location.
All Team Initiation Challenge Solutions
Challenge 1 – Bouldery Badge
Required items:
- x5 Leppa Berries
A gentle start. Leppa Berries are easy to collect by using Headbutt to knock them down from trees around Pokopia. Gather five and submit them to earn the Bouldery Badge.
Challenge 2 – Cascade-like Badge
Required items:
- x10 Beans
- x10 Tomatoes
- x10 Wheat
All three are crops you can find growing naturally or grow yourself. Beans appear throughout every location and their seeds can be purchased early on. Tomatoes are found in Bleak Beach, while Wheat is sourced from Rocky Ridges. Complete this challenge to earn the Cascade-like Badge.
Challenge 3 – Thunderish Badge
Required items:
- x20 Lumber
- x5 Fluff
- x10 Paper
By this point you’ll likely be familiar with gathering Lumber. Fluff is dropped by fluffy Pokémon like Mareep and Swablu — both have the Litter Specialty and leave it lying around their habitats. Paper is obtained by giving Wastepaper to Pokémon with the Recycle Specialty, such as Trubbish.
Finish this challenge and you’ll earn the Thunderish Badge.
Challenge 4 – Rainbowish Badge
Required items:
- x40 Bricks
- x20 Gold Ingots
- x50 Concrete
For Bricks, our dedicated guide walks through exactly how to get them efficiently. Gold Ingots require Gold Ore and a Smelting Furnace — if you’re running low on Gold Ore, visiting a Dream Island is a reliable source. Concrete is crafted in the Sparkling Skylands, where you’ll also learn how to build a Concrete Mixer.
Completing this challenge earns you the Rainbowish Badge.
Challenge 5 – Soul-like Badge
Required items:
- x50 Electricity
- x10 Crystal Fragments
- x5 Tinkagears
For Tinkagears, head to Tinkmaster in Sparkling Skylands and provide two Iron Ingots per gear — then wait for them to be crafted. Crystal Fragments can be found on a Dream Island or deep in the Rocky Ridges mines. Look for the blue crystals and eat a Hamburger Steak to power them up before collecting them.
Electricity is the trickiest part. Here’s one effective method:
- Turn off the Mini Floodgate at the bottom of the waterfall near the tower to get water flowing again.
- Widen the pond after the floodgate enough to fit a Waterwheel Kit.
- Build the Waterwheel, then set up two Utility Poles to connect it to the tower — this generates 20 Electricity.
- Build a Furnace close to the Utility Poles and fill it with materials so it burns for maximum time, pushing you over the 50 Electricity requirement.
A Windmill is an alternative if that method doesn’t suit your island layout. Once done, claim the Soul-like Badge.
Challenge 6 – Marshy Badge
Required items:
- x4 Industrial Beds
- x4 Resort Lights
- x4 Office Desks
The most material-heavy challenge yet. Crafting all the furniture yourself is the most reliable approach, though you can find some Office Desks already placed in the Sparkling Skylands if you want to save some materials.
Here’s a full breakdown of everything you need:
| Furniture | Materials (per piece) | Total for x4 |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial Bed | x2 Iron Ingot, x2 Fluff, x2 Lumber | x8 Iron Ingot, x8 Fluff, x8 Lumber |
| Resort Light | x1 Iron Ore, x1 Vine Rope, x1 Sea Glass Fragment | x4 Iron Ore, x4 Vine Rope, x4 Sea Glass Fragment |
| Office Desk | x2 Pokémetal | x8 Pokémetal |
Total materials needed across all furniture:
- x8 Iron Ingot
- x8 Fluff
- x8 Lumber
- x4 Iron Ore
- x4 Vine Rope
- x4 Sea Glass Fragment
- x8 Pokémetal
Submit everything to earn the Marshy Badge.
Challenge 7 – Volcanoey Badge
Required items:
- x1 Washing Machine
- x1 Refrigerator
- x1 Game Boy System
This is the hardest challenge of the bunch — and yes, you really do have to hand over a Game Boy. The good news is there’s a way to obtain all three items for free while also unlocking their crafting recipes at the same time.
The method is completing the “Raise the Environment Level” Important Request in all three locations by reaching Environment Level 5 in each:
- Bleak Beach → Washing Machine
- Rocky Ridges → Refrigerator
- Sparkling Skylands → Game Boy System
After reaching Environment Level 5 in each location, make sure to talk to Professor Tangrowth to trigger the cutscene that awards the items. If you haven’t reached Environment Level 5 yet, head back to those locations and focus on raising Pokémon’s Comfort Levels — our guide on how to increase Environment Level covers exactly how to do this efficiently.
Once all three items are in hand, return to the tower, slot them in, and earn the Volcanoey Badge.
Challenge 8 – Earth Badge
Required item:
- x1 Your Cherished Photo
After everything that came before, the final challenge is a welcome breather. Simply submit any photo to the slot — though for reasons that will become clear, it’s worth picking one you actually like.
Congratulations — Ditto is now officially a team member and you’ve earned the Earth Badge.
After the Challenges – Party Poppers
Your work isn’t quite done yet. After joining the team, you’ll need to supply two Party Poppers.
The easiest way to get them is by completing the “Raise the Environment Level” Important Request in the Withered Wastelands, which rewards you with two Party Poppers directly. Alternatively, the crafting recipe can be purchased from the PC for 1,000 Coins.
Party Popper recipe (per popper):
- x1 Paper
- x1 Vine Rope
So for two Party Poppers: x2 Paper and x2 Vine Rope total.
Once you’ve delivered the Party Poppers, take some time to explore — there’s more to discover than it might first appear.
FAQs – Pokémon Pokopia Team Initiation Challenge
Q: When does the Team Initiation Challenge start in Pokémon Pokopia?
A: The “Do the… Team Initiation Challenge” Important Request unlocks shortly after you find the trapped Onix. You’ll know it’s ready when Professor Tangrowth moves from outside the Pokémon Centre to the tutorial area. Talk to him to get started.
Q: How many challenges are in the Team Initiation Challenge?
A: There are 8 challenges in total, each requiring you to submit specific items or furniture. Completing all 8 earns you a badge for each one and officially makes Ditto a team member.
Q: How do I get the Washing Machine, Refrigerator, and Game Boy System in Challenge 7?
A: Reach Environment Level 5 in Bleak Beach, Rocky Ridges, and Sparkling Skylands respectively, then talk to Professor Tangrowth in each location to trigger the cutscene that rewards these items. See our Environment Level guide for the fastest way to get there.
Q: How do I get Party Poppers after completing the Team Initiation Challenge?
A: Complete the “Raise the Environment Level” Important Request in the Withered Wastelands to receive two Party Poppers as a reward. You can also craft them using 1 Paper and 1 Vine Rope each, with the recipe purchasable from the PC for 1,000 Coins.
Q: Should I do the Team Initiation Challenge early or late in the game?
A: It’s best to leave it until late. The item requirements across all 8 challenges are significant, and you’ll have a much easier time gathering everything after you’ve spent time building up each location and unlocking more crafting recipes.
Walkthrough based on current Pokémon Pokopia version. Steps may vary slightly with future updates.