I tell you this because I lost an hour following the wrong tunnel. The water went black and my map blurred, and I realized the game was hiding a small reward with a smugness usually reserved for safe combinations. You don’t need luck to find Windup Inkay—you need method.
Salt on your lips: Where to find Windup Inkay in Pokopia
You’ll feel the change before you see it—light goes thin and the sonar ping softens. I’ve traced this route three times; the item sits in a tucked-away chamber beneath the main Bubbly Basin, inside a red Pokéball near a ruined ornate building and a broken bridge at the region’s eastern edge.
Where is Windup Inkay in Bubbly Basin?
Near the eastern side of Bubbly Basin, under the big ruined red building and beside the collapsed bridge. Swim up the central grand staircase from the Pokémon Center, head north, then drop through the large gap beside those landmarks. Your map will flip to the dark undersea version once you pass the threshold.
Do I need Rock Smash to reach Windup Inkay?
Yes. After you enter the dark undersea map, find a narrow gap by some faintly glowing purple coral and push through. Follow the corridor until a rock wall appears on your right. Use Rock Smash from your ability wheel to clear it and reveal the red Pokéball on the other side.
A wet corridor smells like old rope: Windup Inkay location in Pokopia
If you prefer a checklist, here’s the clean route I trust every time. Treat this like a short heist: observe, move, break, collect.
- Start at the Pokémon Center. A reliable reset point and the quickest way to orient yourself in Bubbly Basin.
- Swim up the grand staircase. Exit the Pokémon Center area and ascend the large central staircase to reach the basin proper.
- Head north toward the ruined red building and broken bridge. Keep moving until you spot that dilapidated ornate structure and the nearby gap in the terrain.
- Drop into the dark undersea area. Swim into the large gap and sink as far as you can go; the map will shift to show the dark undersea layout.
- Find the tiny gap by purple coral. Visibility is poor. Look for illuminated purple coral and squeeze through a small hole in the wall beside it.
- Follow the tunnel and hit the rock wall with Rock Smash. When a rock wall appears on your right, select Rock Smash from the ability wheel and break through.
- Open the red Pokéball and pick up Windup Inkay. The item glows on the ground. Interact to collect your Windup Inkay and the satisfaction of having tracked it down.
After you grab Windup Inkay you can build the muddy playtime Habitat or chase Frillish, finish the Bubbly Basin cooking recipes, and open Portal Pods to move between areas. I used the ability wheel and the map overlay—small tools that feel like cheat codes when the game goes coy. Finding this item was like fishing out a brass button from a storm drain and like following a faint scent through a crowded market.
Will you leave Windup Inkay buried in the dark or bring it back to light?