If you aren’t already familiar, Oatchi is the beloved and reliable, hound-like companion inPikmin 4. Far from being just a cute otherworldly dog, Oatchi is a multifaceted member of your team, capable of putting up a good fight against enemies, transporting Pikmin or various objects, swimming, and more.

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The best part is that this dog can learn new tricks. As you progress through the game, you’ll eventually be able to learn new abilities, and upgrade those abilities with Pup Drive points. But what abilities should you invest in? If you’re not familiar with Pup Drive points or don’t know how to train Oatchi,check out this guide first.

7Super Buff

The regular Buff ability gives Oatchi the strength of a set number of Pikmin to move or transport objects. At level three, Buff gives Oatchi the strength of ten Pikmin, which is pretty good, but that’s only the beginning.

Super Buff becomes available after maxing out Buff, and boy does it pack a punch.

An underground area with defeated red and white creatures.

Each level of Super Buff costs two Pup Drive points. At levels one and two, Oatchi gains the strength of 20 and 30 Pikmin respectively.

If you want the most headroom possible though, the best bang for your buck isSuper Buff level three, granting Oatchi the monstrous, Herculean strength of100 Pikmin.

Captain Olimar explains an ability to the player through a blue text box and example video.

6Swallow

Aside from being a useful game mechanic, perhaps allowing Oatchi to swallow an object in one place and spit it out somewhere else is Nintendo’s way of paying respect to or hinting towards their beloved, pink, organic vacuum cleaner from another series;Kirby.

While this ability cannot be upgraded, it is still very useful and is taught free of charge by Olimar once you’ve rescued him and maxed out Super Buff to level three. You can think of it as a nice bonus for spending so many Pup Drive points on a single ability.

Oatchi chomps on a large bulborb in a wooden, toy block level.

5Big Chomp

While Chomp on its own will help you fight some easier, ground-dwelling enemies, getting it to level three will let you branch into Big Chomp,allowing Oatchi to bite enemies in the airand deal significantly more damage. Maxing out Chomp and then Big Chomp will cost you a total of13 Pup Drive points.

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If you wanted to save some Pup Drive points for other abilities, you could stop at the first level of Big Chomp; access to airborne enemies is a big upgrade on its own. If you want to go all the way, though, max-level Big Chomp will help you defeat enemies as quickly as possible.

4Mega Rush

While Rush is good on its own for smashing pots and frozen objects or ramming into enemies, it can take a while to charge;without any upgrades, you’ll have to wait an entire three secondsbefore valiantly charging ahead. Mega Rush is much faster, making Oatchi feel more like a mighty steed than a dog.

Each level of Mega Rush costs four Pup Drive points, so you might have to grind a bit before maxing this ability out. The first level lowers charging speed and stuns large enemies.

Oatchi has a fully charged rush ready, indicated by the bright yellow arrow.

Level two increases the damage dealt. Level three rewards you with a longer stun duration, even more damage, and the fastest charge speed possible.

3Dig: Level Three

While the level one version of Dig is good on its own, allowing Oatchi to dig up things like Pikmin, treasures, or blockages, if you’re in a hurry or tired of watching Oatchi role-play as a laid-back archaeologist, it might be time to invest some Pup Drive points.

Thankfully,each upgrade only costs one Pup Drive point, and there isn’t a mega version of Dig; so you only have to go to level three to max it out. Levels two and three both increase digging speed, but you might as well grab level three, as it allows Oatchi to dig even faster than a Yellow Pikmin.

Oatchi and some ice Pikmin stand in a sandy area resembling a beach.

2Doggy-Paddle: Level Three

Whileeach level of Doggy-Paddle costs two Pup Drive points, upgrading it can be a really nice investment, especially since the base ability only lets Oatchi swim quite slowly. If you’re only concerned with swimming speed, though, you may stop at level two.

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Oatchi fearlessly swims in deep, dark blue water.

If you want Oatchi to become a master of the seas like a submarine captain from Bloons Tower Defense 6, you should max out Doggy-Paddle to level three, which lets your furry friend dive underwater, attack submerged enemies, and even carry objects underwater.

1Heal: Level Three

Heal is a very straightforward passive ability: it allows Oatchi to heal over time. At the very least, it is worth it to invest in the first level, asit only costs three Pup Drive points per level.

Plus, once you have it, that’s free healing for Oatchi for the rest of the game.

Oatchi stands near a burnt area and machinery of some kind, slowly regenerating health.

If you go for level three, you’ll be rewarded with the fastest passive healing possible, which can be really helpful in a combative pinch, especially if a bunch of your Pikmin gets knocked out in a fight. Regardless of how much you decide to invest, though, Oatchi will surely appreciate the help.