In Pikmin 4, it’s not just you and the Pikmin. You’ve also got Oatchi, the best yellow doggo, to help you out. He can drag things about, shove gems in his mouth, and cart them over to your home base. In short, he’s pretty useful. But he’s not so great with water, which might leave you wondering how to make Oatchi swim in Pikmin 4.
How to Get the Swimming Ability for Oatchi in Pikmin 4
Oatchi will struggle with the water, but the good news is that he will get the ability to swim. If you’ve rescued the scientist, you’ll be given the ability to upgrade Oatchi’s skill set, making it so he can carry more weight and so on. It seems like that would be the sensible way to get your hands on Oatchi’s swimming skill.
But it’s not because you can buy the skill; instead, you’ll be given it on Day 5. The captain of the downed ship will tell that she’s been practicing with Oatchi, and now he can go in the water. That, in turn, will let you reach some areas and some caverns that were previously out of bounds.
With this new skill, you can also transport Pikmin across water. Once you’ve got the Pikmin following you, mount Oatchi and they’ll stick to his sides. You can now cross water and the Pikmin that would normally die will be safe and dry.
So in summary, if you are wondering how to make Oatchi swim in Pikmin 4, the answer is you will have the opportunity to get his swimming ability on Day 5.
For more about the game, check out how many areas are in Pikmin 4.