Adding Wimpod and/or Golisopod (it evolves at level 30) to your team requires a very specific technique. Head to Akala Island, on Route 8. Go down following the screenshots below (taken from a video by Cizayoxy).
How to start the battle
With a name like that, it’s easy to imagine this little Bug/Water-type Pokémon was going to give you a hard time. The main problem is that it runs into its burrow as soon as it spots you, making it impossible to start the battle. To get around this, there are two solutions. We tend to assume the “official” solution is the Lapras one. But at Pokémon-France, we simply recommend that you charge into its shell on Tauros. It won’t have time to get into its little hideout, and you’ll start the battle.
For the Lapras technique, stay close to the bottom of the rocky path and go all the way to the water. Ride Lapras around the reef and get behind Wimpod. Once that’s done, pin Wimpod between the two small rocks on the right, which lets you start the battle.
Catch it before it flees
And there you go, all that’s left is to catch it (it’s around level 20). Be careful! Wimpod has the Wimp Out ability (the coward), which means the battle will end if it drops below 50% of its HP. Abilities and moves that prevent fleeing won’t work on it. To catch it, favor status conditions (poison, paralysis, sleep). Its catch rate is very high (90), which makes it quite easy to catch as long as you watch out for its fleeing.
Note that if your Tauros hits a wall, if Wimpod spots you too early, or if you knock it out or it escapes during battle, you just need to reset the map for it to reappear. To do so, enter and then leave the Pokémon Center further up. However, once you’ve caught one, it becomes much rarer and no longer reappears every time.
Wimpod can also be caught on the reefs of Poni Island, at a higher level (around level 40), as well as on the plains of Poni Island.
A little tip for shiny hunters: on Poni Island, you can press X and save just before Wimpod touches you. Once that’s done, you can reset as much as you like and have a chance of running into a shiny Wimpod.
