Once players obtain the National PokéDex in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, over 300 new Pokémon become available across the Sinnoh region, including Swampert, the evolution of Gen III’s Water-Type starter, Mudkip. Swampert, the Mud Fish Pokémon, is #260 in the National Dex and is a Water/Ground-Type. However, it can’t be caught in the wild in Pokémon BDSP, so players will have to be prepared to evolve their Mudkip in order to add one to their party.

As a Water/Ground Type, Swampert is strong against Fire-, Rock-, Poison-, and Steel-Type Pokémon but weak to Grass-Types. Additionally, it has an immunity to Electric-Type moves, giving it an advantage over many other Water-Types in Pokémon BDSP. Like all other Water-Type starters after Gen III, Swampert has the Torrent ability, which powers up Water-Type moves when its health is low. Swampert also has Damp as a hidden ability, which prevents explosive moves like Self-Destruct and Explosion from dealing damage. Overall, Swampert is a great defensive lead for a team with its high Defense and Sp. Defense stats, but it still has a hefty attack stat that allows it to pack a real punch as well. Its types also give it a large move pool to choose from, making Swampert a great choice for many team compositions.

Related: Pokémon BDSP: Every Evolution Stone Location

In order to get a Swampert in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, players must evolve one from a Mudkip. Its previous evolution, Marshtomp, is also not found in the wilds of the Sinnoh region. Mudkip and Marshtomp don’t require any special items in order to evolve, which means players will simply have to train their Mudkip until it’s a high enough level to become a Swampert. Trainers can also use items like Lucky Eggs or Rare Candies in Pokémon BDSP to make their Mudkip level up faster.

Where To Catch Mudkip In Pokémon BDSP

Mudkip looking confused in the Pokémon anime

Mudkip can be caught in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl after players complete their Sinnoh PokéDex and return to the laboratory in Sandgem Town to get the National PokéDex from Professor Oak. At that point, Mudkips will spawn in Pokémon Hideaways in Sinnoh’s Grand Underground. Players will find Mudkip in Fountainspring Caves, Riverbank Caves, and Stillwater Caves, and running in and out of the Hideaway will respawn the Pokémon inside, so players can keep exploring these rooms until they get lucky and find a Mudkip.

Mudkip will evolve into Marshtomp at level 16, and Marshtomp will evolve into Swampert at level 36. Fortunately, none of these evolutions require any stones or special items, so players will only have to train their Mudkip until it becomes a Swampert. However, to speed up the leveling process, trainers can let their Mudkip or Marshtomp hold a Lucky Egg, which increases the EXP they earn from battles. Lucky Eggs can be obtained by catching wild Chanseys, which have a chance of holding one, but they can also be purchased at the Exchange Service Counter in the Battle Park for 77 Battle Points. A Rare Candy can also be fed to a Pokémon to increase its level by one, and trainers can find these throughout the Sinnoh region or purchase them at the Exchange Service Counter for 20 Battle Points.

Next: Pokémon BDSP: How To Evolve Kirlia Into Gallade or Gardevoir

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl are available on Nintendo Switch.