How to Save the Pokemon in the Barrel in Rocky Ridges in Pokopia

When you first arrive in the Rocky Ridges area of Pokopia, you can find a Pokemon that's trapped in a barrel with a chain that seemingly cannot be destroyed with your basic Cut move. The only way to free the Pokemon is to upgrade your Cut move by making and eating Bread. Here's the process, explained!

Just in case you wanted a quick TL;DR list of things to do to help the trapped Pokemon, here's the rundown (we'll go into more detail in the guide below):

1. Befriend Machoke.
2. Use Strength on the PC to make it work again.
3. Talk to Tangrowth.
4. Find the Barrel Pokemon.
5. Cook a salad by befriending Dartrix and getting the cutting board recipe.
6. Eat the salad to improve leafage.
7. Find Torkoal in the hot springs.
8. Bring Torkoal to the Pokemon Center to get the Bread Oven recipe.
9. Use wheat in the Oven to cook Simple Bread.
10. Eat the Simple Bread to gain a power-up for Cut.
11. Now, cut the chain to free the Pokemon from the barrel.

How to Free the Pokemon in the Barrel in Pokopia

Get Machoke and Strength

Well, before you can free the Pokemon from the barrel, you need to set up the PC at the Pokemon Center nearby. This involves speaking to Tangrowth and befriending Machoke, who will eventually teach you the Strength move so you can push the PC into the electric current. We have a guide here on how to find Machoke, so we won't go into the nitty-gritty details.

Once you fix the PC, you will get a new request to rebuild the Pokemon Center. After, speak to Tangrowth again, and the two of you will hear a voice yelling for help: the noise is coming from the Pokemon trapped in the barrel. Follow Tangrowth to the barrel, and a short conversation will happen. You can try to cut the chain with Cut, but it's not strong enough. The trapped Pokemon will tell you to try cooking a salad.

How to Make a Salad in Pokopia

Cutting Board and Dartrix

In order to make a Salad, your first task is to befriend a Dartrix. If you head a bit southwest of the Pokemon Center, you'll spot a pointy tree with some Red Tall Grass near it and also a boulder (the exact things you'll need to create the Pointy Tree-Shaded Rocky Tall Grass habitat for Dartrix.

Just use your new Strength move to push the rock towards the tree, and then use Leafage to make more red grass appear. If you've done it correctly, you'll see the pop-up message stating that "you've restored a Pointy Tree-Shaded Rocky Tall Grass habitat."

Just wait around a bit, and Dartrix will eventually appear in the grass. Speak to them, and they'll be able to give you the cutting board recipe, but first, they want you to craft a Perch and place it in its habitat. Luckily, you can find the Perch recipe on the path leading to Dartrix from the Pokemon Center. It's in a Poke Ball sitting on some rocks. With the recipe in hand, go to the crafting table by the Pokemon Center and use 2 Small Logs and a Leaf to make it.

Place the Perch near Dartrix, and they'll finally give you the recipe for a Cutting Board. Take it to the crafting table and use two pieces of Lumber to make it.

Place the Cutting Board anywhere on the floor and then press the A button to start cooking. Place two leaves in the recipe slots and then start cooking to make the Salad! Next, you need to actually eat the Salad to improve your Leafage move. Next, you'll need to use a Bread Oven and Wheat to bake some Simple Bread, which will upgrade your Cut move.

How to Make Bread With Torkoal

There's just one more step, and you'll finally be able to save the Pokemon in the barrel, we promise! You now need to use a Bread Oven to make Simple Bread, and you'll need the help of the Fire-type Pokemon, Torkoal.

Head west from the Pokemon Center to find some breakable blocks leading into a cave and hot springs. Once you reach the hot springs area, you can use Leafage near the water to create a Mossy Hot Spring habitat, which will attract Torkoal. Speak to them, and they'll be down to help out with the oven, but they need a clear path to the Pokemon Center.

So, start to place stairs to make a path for him, and make sure to use Water Gun on the tough dirt to make it easy for them to walk. If Torkoal doesn't want to walk anymore, then there must be an issue with the ground ahead of him. Once they reach the front of the Center, speak to them to obtain the recipe for a Bread Oven.

Go back to the crafting table to make the Bread Oven. You'll need 2 Stones, 2 Small Logs, and 4 pieces of Volcanic Ash. If you're missing the ash, just break the grey blocks next to the Pokemon Center. Next, bring Torkoal over to the oven so they can light it on fire and then put three pieces of Wheat in it.

If you need some Wheat, you should be able to find some in the area to the southwest. If it's not flowing, make sure to break the leaky rock at the top of the hill so the water flows around the crops. You might need to break a few blocks with Rock Smash to make it flow perfectly.

With Wheat in hand, go over to the Bread Oven and make the Simple Bread. Go ahead and chomp on the bread, and now you will finally have enough Cut power to break the chain holding the barrel in place.

We won't spoil who's inside the barrel, but they'll be able to teach you a lot more about cooking in Pokopia.